Fall nails short

This is gonna be a long one so strap in. This is a throwaway account.
Basically, I reconnected with an old friend of mine after years of no communication. Back in HS and college when we were friends, we were attached at the the hip. We did a lot together, entirely platonic. She was a fantastic friend. Things were great. Unfortunately, after the pandemic, we lost touch h and didn't speak at all for some reason. There was no bad blood on either side, we simply just drifted apart due to unforseen circumstances. Had a phenomenal opportunity to catch up over dinner on things about our own lives and where we've been. Let me state this right now: she has a boyfriend. Things should have been normal from there on. After dinner she invited me to her place because she's recently been into collecting and wanted to show me her stuff. Cool whatever but I noticed there may have been a kind of flirtatious vibe to her? I decided to brush it off and maybe I was overthinking? She simply was getting pretty close to me often and grabbing at my thigh during a laugh or two.
2 days later, she wants to hang out again. This time I decided to invite her over to my place so we can game and whatnot. During this hangout, I get the exact same vibe that I got again. She instantly wanted to hang out again the next day. It was here that I decided to press her on what kind of vibe I was getting. She apologized, she didn't intend to have a flirty vibe and she just got really into it because I never said anything. This is where things took a turn. I should state, back when we were close friends, I had not even considered looking at her in a romantic/sexual light because of my own appearance. Back then I was 100 pounds heavier. Over the last couple years I've really been working on my body image because I really was unhealthy. I'm a lot more comfortable and confident in myself now. That being said, I not going to lie, I have always found her incredibly attractive, but never really thought more than that because I wasn't... But now that I have more confidence in myself I admit that I flirted back. So I told her on how I feel about everything and basically said I wouldn't act on how I feel because it's not right. She said she didn't believe me and that "everyone cracks."
The next 6 hours was filled with her straddling me, getting all up in my face, cuddling with me, all to see if I would give in to the temptations.... And I didn't. She left at like 5 am and we pretended like that night didn't happen. We continue to hang out a couple more times after that like nothing ever happened but she's getting increasingly flirtier and flirtier. Unfortunately, I cracked, one night her and I ended up making out and she spent the night (we did not have sex). Another couple of days pass by and she tells me that she's unhappy with how this happened and how we need to stop this flirting because she's in "the happiest relationship of her life." So we mutually agreed to stop. This lasted a total of 1 week where we ended up making out again, and again. (Still have not had sex). Our hang outs always end up with her literally being all over me cuddled up as if we're dating.
The more recent events have REALLY confused the fuck out of me now. She recently asked me for my favorite color, and she ended up doing her nails in that color. Then once in a random ass discussion I mentioned how I like shorter hair on a girl (not as a preference by any means, I just think it can look nice) and now she's cutting her VERY long hair to be short. We recently went shopping for an errand of her and she noticed how I liked a dress and she decided to try it on and then buy it...
This is where I'm lost. She claims she doesn't want to continue having this skinship with me because of her relationship and yet she continues to be as flirty as she can possibly be, even now acting like we're in a relationship. I don't know what to do or even what to think of this situation anymore.
TLDR: My friend who is in a relationship is overly flirty with me causing me to act on it and then she claims she doesn't want to act despite her making the first move almost every time and is now acting like we're in a relationship when we hang out.

timestamped tagged photos here: https://imgur.com/a/t0UQdxs
I love these clothes but have to move and need the money.
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Stone Island Retro Shorts (black) M$25
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Pants bundle $75
Dime Blue Jeans S$35
Off White Black Skinny Jeans 29x32$25Patch on back is falling off, needs stitching
Polo Ralph Lauren Khakis (Retail) 31x30$25
Sicko Born From Pain Tee (gray) M$20Fits like a large
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I’m writing this more as a PSA than for support, although these thoughts to come from some recent frustrations over some events that have transpired, and decisions I’ve had to make.
If you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, be wary of your own expectations. Be wary of continuing to believe that you can continue doing life the same way you did life before your diagnoses, especially if part of the reason you were diagnosed is related to burnout, mental health, or life otherwise falling apart on you.
I grew up with undiagnosed ADHD. Prior to my diagnoses, I only really did 2 things in my life. I worked, and I participated on a worship team as a leader, and then an arranger. As a result of the way my behavior was condemned by my home environment growing up, and how strict it was, I basically had no social life. It was too difficult to jump through all the hoops I needed to plan anything with friends, the core people I looked to for guidance wouldn’t allow me to develop my own solutions to problems I encountered, and I was slowly taught not to trust in my own judgment, or in the ability of anybody outside of my nuclear family to care about me as much as those within it.
As a result of my family structure eventually causing the breakup of my first and only relationship, I entered a depression that stayed with me for years, slowly and barely improving, but never going away. While being in college at the time put me in contact with some friends and events, graduating college and beginning to work professionally meant that I lost what little social life I had. The rest of my time became dedicated to work, my worship team, and choir - something that had become my therapy after my breakup.
The lack of a social life eventually took its toll, though. The only place I felt more fully understood and not judged for my differences were in choir, but that wasn’t something I could guarantee participation in, especially given the pandemic which began a short while ago.
Almost 4 months of business travel shortly after the pandemic began, and lockdowns were beginning, wore me out. I had a panic attack and decided to head into therapy.
Therapy lead to discussions of ADHD.
After a year of working on my trauma with my therapist, I felt ready to tackle making a psychiatric appointment, which led to an official diagnoses and beginning of medication.
That same year, I also finally had the energy to start building a social life. With medication, a diagnoses that allowed me to stop blaming myself for “being broken”, and a better understanding of how my trauma affected me and how to overcome, I felt like I could improve.
And I did.
I genuinely feel more satisfied with my life now.
BUT
While I accepted and understood the limitations that ADHD had placed on my life, I never truly and fully let go of my expectation that I’d be able to just do the same thing I always did l, snd just add in the parts that were missing. Like I said before, pretty much my entire life before I was diagnosed was dedicated to preparing materials, and sharpening my skills, for my worship team.
Which I enjoyed, but took the ability to do so completely for granted as I now added regular, and big, social events to my life that also required their own planning. Now I’m going to MegaCon every year. Now I’m going to Dapper Day every spring and fall. I went from dreaming of maybe cosplaying some characters some day, to coordinating multiple group outfits with different sets of friends 3 times a year. Now I’m starting to see movies when I’d like, and now I’m trying to find the time to look for, and plan, smaller events I can attend more regularly where I live, instead of just depending on 3 MASSIVE doses of validation a year.
And not once did I give serious thought to the fact that I wouldn’t be able to sustain adding these while continuing to invest as much effort into my worship team, or my job.
Until, during a meeting this past Friday to address my inability to meet the FIRST set of deliverables for my PIP (performance improvement plan), and I was forced to QUICKLY decide what matters most to me.
I NEED this job. It’s what gives me the money to access the healthcare I’ve been using to improve my mental health by investing in my hobbies, and develop social connections with people who have, or understand, the struggles, I face.
I will not give up the social life I’ve begun to develop, because that budding social life has been what I’ve been working towards in therapy and ADHD treatment.
Which means that I simply cannot sustain the same effort I’ve been putting into my worship team. I might be able to maybe prepare myself, but my church isn’t affluent enough to compensate me what I’d need for me to continue risking my job by burning more energy than I have on what amounts to a part time music teaching job to help other members of the worship team grow.
I no longer have the time or energy reserve to be a teacher, a professional, and a person.
I must be a professional.
I will not give up being a person.
The best I can do is be a participant, but I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for longer than I should have, and need to rest.
Be wary of the expectations you used to have about yourself, because you might not be able to meet them if there are things you need to change in your life to improve or grow.

Hi everyone,
I am currently 34 weeks pregnant and for the past couple of weeks I have absolutely zero energy, looking for similar stories or advice 😴
Me and my partner both work full time 9-5 Monday to Friday, we have a 4 and a half year old little boy and by time I get home from work and spend about an hour with my toddler after nursery my body is just caving in and aching and I need to lie down, I can barely even sleep when I do lie down because I'm so uncomfortable so I end up getting the regular 6-8 hours with lots of wee breaks throughout the night too!
Not sure if this affects anything but I have an office job which is mainly emails and inbound calls, we are severely short staffed due to people leaving and currently only 2 of us picking up the workload of a 7 people team so thinking I could also be mentally exhausted too?
I have started falling behind with tasks in the house like putting washing away etc and only really have the energy to do the necessities, I feel like I have become useless, even on weekends I can barely move!
I can only really get generic info on the Internet no real life experiences, is this normal for some people to just have absolutely nothing to give at this stage?
My previous pregnancy was really complicated and I had him at 30w6d 2lb 4oz, this one at my last growth scan at 30w was almost 4lb so definitely different to my previous pregnancy 😅
Thanks for anyone who has read this sorry for the rant! And on a brighter note, 2 weeks until I finish for maternity 🥰🥰🥰

Trigger warning: this story has a distasteful element ('Coprophilia') which may bother some readers.
The Earth bore little resemblance to its former self. At least not from the standpoint of what humanity had achieved previously. First the global economy collapsed. As a result, the intimately-connected world we knew was no more. Cities were abandoned. Interpersonal relationships devolved into clan-style family units working together for the basic goal of mutual survival. Sometimes brutally. In just a few years, the priceless wealth of technological knowledge which has been accumulated since the dawn of time, almost completely disappeared.
Predictably, without six millennia of scientific advancement and evolving civility, came revolving waves of disease and premature death. The world’s population dwindled to just a fraction of its former numbers. Our potential for understanding remained, but the desire to flex the intellectual muscles for higher-learning, took a back seat to the daily imperative of simply surviving. There was no time to pursue education when a neighboring clan might try to kill you or seize your food stores at any moment. In only a few generations, 80% of the ’common knowledge’ from the pinnacle of civilization, was unknown to the average person.
Consuming ignorance dutifully filled the void left behind by the collapse. Hunger and the ugliest of primal emotions drove human behavior far more than it had prior to the fall. Rampant starvation and unsanitary conditions were a potent one-two punch in the spiraling descent back to the dark ages. It led to a contemptible practice which would’ve been unthinkable only a half century earlier. The inability to distinguish between justifiable food choices, and ‘things which should never be ingested’.
No, I’m not referring to the abject inhumanity of cannibalism. The unapologetic consumption of human flesh wasn’t surprising in those stark times of desperation. I’m speaking of something far, far worse. The instinct to find feces distasteful was lost in the spiraling downfall of mankind. Those who were old enough to remember the golden era of civilization simply called those who partook in this practice: ‘SE’s. In plainer words, ‘Shiteaters’.
It wasn’t a particularly clever slur but the descriptive euphemism fit well enough. Being labeled that didn’t even qualify as an insult any longer for an entire class of depraved souls who saw no problem with the distasteful practice in the first place. They enthusiastically partook in the disgusting act of coprophilia, out of misguided necessity. Noting went… ahem, to ‘waste’.
Extreme hunger is a highly effective motivator for sure. It pushed them to work past the unpleasant stench and natural gag reflexes which would normally dissuade such abhorrent behavior. In certain unsophisticated circles, the excrement from well-fed scavenger individuals became a ‘delicacy’. Afterward, they were literally ‘full of shit’, if you can forgive the reoccurring string of foul puns.
Understandably, those who held onto some level of prior civility avoided the SE’s at all costs, lest the disgusting practice ahem… ‘rub off’ on them. Distasteful consumption details aside, As with any recycled substance, the level of vitamins, proteins and other nutrients deteriorate with each cycle. That is the law of diminishing returns. Eventually, regardless of portion size, the empty calories contained in their favorite ‘dish’ was no longer enough to sustain regular development.
With the serious level of nutritional deficiency in their daily diet came the side effects of severe physiological and psychological issues. Their intellectual capacity diminished rapidly. In just a short time they lost the ability to speak. For all intents and purposes, they devolved into a lower life form of violent, sub-primates. If a scientific community still existed in academia to label them, they might’ve named this transitory species, ‘Homo coprophilis’.
Despite their diminished cerebral capabilities, they bred in voracious numbers and made up the majority of hominids scavenging the world. Because of their sheer prevalence in numbers, it didn’t matter if they could be individually outwitted. There were too many of them in the wild to completely avoid. If non SE’s were captured by them, they were lucky if they were only held in cages for feces harvesting or forced breeding stock. There were far worse fates possible in the SE dens.
Our community remained lucky for many years. I educated my people the best I could from what remained of books and educational materials. The few brushes we had with the cave dwelling troglodytes were thankfully rare, and led to fortunate outcomes. Sadly, that was all about to change. While we tried to be self-sufficient, we had to go outside our security zone on occasions to get necessary supplies which we couldn’t produce internally. The more frequently we left the relative safely of our compound, the higher risk level we brought upon ourselves.
Their numbers had exploded. They were everywhere and it was only a matter of time before they discovered our tiny little ‘oasis of progress’ and attacked us. My scouts knew better than to retreat back to the compound if they realized they’d been observed. Like a trail of ants, the SE’s would follow them here and find our idyllic home and destroy everything. I believed at the time that the best outcome of any battle was to avoid it completely.
We ‘booby-trapped’ a few pseudo entrances to discourage accidental discoveries, but our biggest danger was to be observed and followed back home. I guess we just took the risk of going outside the compound too many times, or simple ‘dumb luck’ occurred. Either way, they found our home while I was away with my team. We’d spent too much effort in avoiding detection, and not enough planning a defense. Our community was unprepared for an on-site conflict; and with half our most able-bodied warriors on the mission, we took heavy losses. Both in terms of loss of life, and having our remaining people taken prisoner.
My wife was eaten alive right on the spot; while two of my younger children were taken away. Presumably for later consumption, but infinitely worse fates were possible. I shuddered at the thought of what she went through, and what horrors awaited my little ones. The SE’s take immense pleasure in seizing non SE’s and torturing them for being more evolved. They pride themselves in being ignorant and primitive. Furious vengeance boiled in my heart. I wanted to act immediately but I was well aware that raw passion clouds judgement. No matter how anxious I was to save my children and wipe the disgusting scum from the Earth, I had to do it in a meticulous, organized way. The survivors of our village needed a solid plan to strike back.
I gathered every weapon we had at our disposal and assembled our weary band of survivors. Others present in the meeting lost family members too. I had to stop them from rushing to the shiteater cave on a suicide mission. I cooled their rage and tempered my own until we were all better prepared for battle. How do you fight an enemy with no honor? How can you approach a conflict where there is no reason to be had? To suggest it would be a war with ‘apes’ would be an insult to those primates.
Previously I thought the SE’s were a product of the collapse of civilization. Obviously I feared their enthusiastic embrace of primal ignorance but mostly, I just pitied them. If there was one reoccurring theme of universal failure in the remaining history books it was how war is pointless. I hoped to avoid them. As a fellow survivor in the collapse, I tried to coexist. To live and let live but it became glaringly clear they could not be left alive. None of them, or there would never be peace or prosperity for the thinking population. They were a wretched branch of homo sapien species that needed to be permanently snuffed out.
I rallied our reluctant fighters, both men and woman, young and old, able bodied and infirm, to boldly seize the moment. It was our time! It was the human race’s moment to reverse the spiraling collapse. We had to snuff-out the willfully ignorant, sub-human slime holding us back permanently, or there would never be a return to hope and enlightenment. Everyone present accepted the calling. We were going to stop being frightened little sheep. We were committed to fight to the death, but we were also going to do so with technical wisdom and science.
Almost like a grain silo, SE’s were known to keep their fecal ‘food’ stores in a central storage bin. They guarded them almost like bank currency. Their entire community revolved around the supply of manure, so strategically it would be in the center of their caves and living space. More than once, these methane-laden storage areas had been known explode from natural gas build-up and wipe out clans. As a previous pacifist in my worldview and outlook, I’d never considered destroying them with their own storehouse of shit before, but the idea was more than novel in its charm. It was almost poetic in scope.
The only problem lied in the collateral damage to our survivors. How could we get our beloved family members back before annihilating their cave and destroying the sub human vermin? I researched non-lethal means of incapacitating every soul inside so we could rescue our loved ones first. In a medical textbook I’d saved from being burned as fireplace fodder, was a detailed article on anesthesia. Not only did it explain how it worked, but it also offered the chemical compounds necessary to produce it.
As the ‘minister of science’ of our progressive community, I had always tried to keep knowledge alive and maintain a base level of education for our citizens. I taught the children basic chemistry and math, among other things. We had amassed a decent supply of chemicals taken from the crumbling warehouses of the once-great cities near our settlement. It was finally time to put them to use. From those supplies I filled up two canisters of nitrous oxide. My scouts located their lair, and we cautiously amassed there for the extraction and extermination.
Under the cover of darkness we blew the ‘knock-out’ gas into the entrance and waited until they were hopefully incapacitated. Into the lion’s den we crept. The stench of body odor and decay was nearly unbearable. The plan unfolded perfectly. Those we encountered were either unconscious or unresponsive to ordinary stimuli. One by one we dispatched the sub human monsters. There was very little resistance until we reached portions of the cave which our ‘sleeping potion’ didn’t reach. There we experienced some desperate fighting but in the end, we were victorious.
At the center of the dark labyrinth we located the cages and ‘food storage’ area. Thankfully, many of our people and my youngest children were still alive. Sadly not all were physically unharmed and there was no undoing the SE’s carnage and unspeakable acts. I wanted to scream when I witnessed the inhuman atrocities perpetrated on our most innocent but I had to maintain my composure and complete the mission. We carried all the survivors to safety and rigged a time-delayed fuse for explosion at the entrance.
I wasn’t sure how many of the clan were left further back within the cave, but when the methane finally ignited, it was the most powerful man-made explosion in nearly fifty years. Of that I’m sure. The mouth of the cave was permanently closed. Nothing could’ve survived the blast. That was highly reassuring but the vindication I felt was only for the eradication of a single shiteater clan. Globally, there were probably hundreds of others. More importantly though, our little operation to take back humanity was finally underway.
It was day one in the march to rebuild civilization. I discovered other pockets of learning and progress along the way as we explored the larger world. Our small community and the others banded together with the universal goal of wiping out primal clans and rebuilding the infrastructure of the Earth. With a unified group of people worldwide endeavoring to return to a brighter future, we collectively left behind the darkness and despair. Hope has finally returned. It’s a great time to be alive again.

AO3 Link
Sonic Triple Trouble (I’m mainly using the fan-made 16-bit remake’s story here. If you haven’t played it yet, just ignore this section. It’s better to play the game for yourself, because it’s awesome):
Having seen the true power of the 7 Chaos Emeralds, along with the Master Emerald, Robotnik decides to make a new type of fake emerald after finding the yellow emerald. Along with that, he hires a treasure hunter named Fang The Sniper to search for the other 6 Chaos Emeralds, and he’s finally finished recreating his greatest creation from Little Planet: Metal Sonic 2.0.
However, Metal 2.0 isn’t the same as Metal 1.0. This one doesn’t speak, and while very close in speed, intelligence, and power to the original, it’s still not perfectly accurate. But this model does have a new ability: It can obtain bio-data from other lifeforms on it’s own, and replicate their appearances and abilities.
Regardless, Metal Sonic 2.0 is sent to Angel Island to acquire the Master Emerald’s power, and Knuckles’ bio-data. And while the robotic hedgehog catches the Echidna by surprise and puts up a good fight, it’s unable to secure the massive gemstone, but does gain some of it’s power, along with the guardian’s bio-data, before taking it’s leave.
Understanding Robotnik’s up to something again, Knuckles decides to use the Master Emerald to pinpoint the location of the Chaos Emeralds. And while hesitant to leave his home unguarded, the Echidna decides he has to go find the gemstones, and make sure the doctor doesn’t try anything.
As for Sonic and Tails, they’re just doing some machine tests, only to notice the jewel radar go off, and show that someone is gathering the Chaos Emeralds. While they aren’t sure if it’s Robotnik or not, the two decide to check it out in case it’s something bad, and head off to find the doctor up to his old tricks as expected.
In addition, they also come to clash with Fang, who is pretty sneaky and tries to outsmart the heroes, but often falls short, and ends up running away for the most part. And Sonic and Tails face Metal Sonic 2.0, disguised as Knuckles, which greatly confuses them, considering how things ended with the Echidna before.
Speaking of Knuckles, he’s mainly off doing his own thing, but does encounter the three villains many times, and is able to get his hands on a few Chaos Emeralds. Same with Sonic, Tails, and Fang. Robotnik also manages to create a much better replication of a Chaos Emerald, which he dubs a Dark Emerald.
Eventually, Sonic and Tails find out the Knuckles they were fighting the whole time was Metal Sonic 2.0, and everyone involved in this emerald hunt come together at Robotnik’s Atomic Destroyer base. The heroes defeat the robotic hedgehog, Fang is unable to stop them, and Robotnik ends up retreating, while losing his Dark Emerald.
However, this is when Metal Sonic 2.0 decides to take matters into it’s own hands, and uses the 7 Chaos Emeralds to make 7 more Dark Emeralds, in addition to the one Robotnik has, creating 8 total. And with them, it transforms into Rocket Metal Sonic 2.0, who is more than ready to take out everyone.
But luckily, Sonic is able to use the Chaos Emeralds to transform into Super Sonic again, and take on his robotic faker in space. It’s a tough fight, but the organic hedgehog is able to win, and everyone escapes the Atomic Destroyer base, which explodes. So, with the Chaos Emeralds scattered again, everyone goes their separate ways…
​
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (Knuckles):
While relaxing at Angel Island one day, Knuckles is caught off-guard by one of Robotnik’s Egg Robo Badniks, which wasn’t destroyed by Sonic and Tails previously. This machine wants to finish what it’s creator started by taking the Master Emerald itself, along with the remaining Badniks and machines left on the island.
Naturally, Knuckles chases after the Egg Robo throughout Angel Island’s many regions, smashing Robotnik’s machines throughout, and collecting the Chaos Emeralds from the Special Zone. Eventually, the two head to Sky Sanctuary, where it’s revealed that Mecha Sonic is still functioning, and was the one behind this plan all along.
So, with the Master Emerald in it’s possession, the mechanical hedgehog not only destroys the Egg Robo, but also uses the massive gemstone’s power to transform into it’s own Super state after studying Super Sonic. Likewise, Knuckles chooses to fight fire with fire, and uses the Chaos Emeralds to transform into Super Knuckles as well.
The fight is tough, as the two are evenly matched at first. However, Mecha Sonic is unable to sustain it’s power for as long as Knuckles can, and eventually gets put down for good. After that, the Echidna returns to normal, tired, and is about to take the Master Emerald back to the Hidden Palace altar. But then, the area of Sky Sanctuary he’s in starts to break apart from the damage of the fight.
Hence, Knuckles falls from the sky while tightly holding onto the Master Emerald. Only to then be rescued by Sonic in the Tornado, complete with a mechanical claw to hold the Master Emerald. He picked up some strong Chaos Emerald energy on Tails’ jewel radar, and decided to go check it out, leading him to Angel Island again.
Once they get back onto the floating continent, and put the Master Emerald back in the altar to keep it in the air, Knuckles thanks Sonic for the help again, before the latter sets off. So, with everything back to normal, the Echidna returns to his duty of guarding his home and everything on it…
​
Tails’ Sky Patrol:
Around the same time as the Egg Robo’s attempt to steal the Master Emerald on Angel Island, Tails decides to go explore the world in search of his own adventure without Sonic’s company. Though, he just flies aimlessly in the sky, not having a destination in mind. But soon enough, he comes across a small island, and decides to land there.
However, the young fox is surprised to find many of the citizens here turned into crystals, or trapped in crystals, along with a bunch of metal railing plastered around the terrain. Tails doesn’t believe it’s Robotnik’s work, but before he can ponder who it is, he feels a vibration from the ground, and decides to hide in some nearby bushes.
Peeking out from the bushes, Tails sees just who is responsible for this chaos. It’s an evil witch in a cart called Wendy…Witchcart, along with her minions in their respective vehicles. Hocke-Wulf, Bearanger, and Carottia Rabbit. Proclaiming herself as the ruler of this island, the evil witch and her minions head off to do their respective tasks.
Once they’re gone, Tails gets out of the bushes, and while pretty nervous about fighting these guys on his own, the young fox knows he has to stop them and save this island. So, with a device called the Boomering, and his high intellect, Tails flies through the different regions of the island, helping the residents and defeating Witchcart’s minions.
Soon enough, the young fox reaches the evil witch’s Dark Castle, where the two have their final confrontation. And despite his fears, Tails is able to use his best attributes to his advantage, and defeats Wendy Witchcart, saving the entire island. This leads to the baddies getting locked up in jail, and after spending some time with the grateful locals, the young fox heads off again, happy to have saved the day all by himself…
​
Knuckles’ Chaotix:
One day, a strange new island comes out of the sea, which Robotnik discovers and studies. He learns that this continent is covered in small amounts of Chaos Energy, along with the many rings here. In particular, there are 6 colored rings that contain tons of Chaos Energy, which the doctor dubs Chaos Rings, and decides to harness their power for himself.
In a couple of days, Robotnik is able to manufacture dark rings, which have some Chaos Energy, and uses them to power up his Badnik army. In addition, the doctor decided to make a new model in the Metal series based off of Knuckles, after seeing how powerful the Echidna was: Metal Knuckles.
The metallic echidna, while not as fast or intelligent as Metal Sonic 2.0, has much more strength, and can harness Chaos Energy in order to increase it. Overall, this machine is a very useful servant of Robotnik, and the two of them quickly take over much of the isolated island, renaming it the “Newtronic High Zone.”
However, as Robotnik and his army do this, Knuckles is alerted by the Master Emerald about the isolated island, and comes to a conclusion. Due to Angel Island (With the Master Emerald in the altar) making contact with the Earth’s surface beforehand, the energy of the massive gemstone accidentally formed this new continent. Hence, believing this could be a problem, the Echidna heads towards this island in order to stop the doctor.
Once he arrives there, Knuckles comes across a few other people who decided to explore this island for their own reasons, such as Mighty, who doesn’t have Ray with him. They also meet Espio The Chameleon, Charmy Bee, and Vector The Crocodile. In addition, two of Robotnik’s machines, Heavy and Bomb, decide to defect from their creator and join the heroes.
So, the 7 of them form the Chaotix Crew, and they go through the five regions of the Newtronic High Zone in order to collect the Chaos Rings, defeat Robotnik, and destroy all of his machines. Knuckles often runs into Metal Knuckles as well, and the two clash many times, sharing a similar rivalry to Sonic and Metal Sonic.
But eventually, the Chaotix are able to free the five regions from Robotnik’s control, and collect all the Chaos Rings. However, the doctor uses a giant dark ring containing tons of Chaos Energy to empower Metal Knuckles, transforming it into a rampaging Titan. It’s a tough fight for the heroes, but luckily, some last minute help arrives.
Sonic, Tails, and Ray fly over to the isolated island with the Tornado, after hearing about what’s going on. Then, with the power of the Chaos Rings, the 10 heroes are able to destroy Metal Knuckles, send Robotnik into a full retreat, and save the day. Though, all the chaos-powered rings lose their power, and become standard rings.
Recognizing the good work they did together, Vector decides to start the Chaotix Detective Agency in order to solve more mysteries and problems like this (While also getting some good dough). Espio and Charmy end up joining him, but everyone else declines, before they all go their separate ways.
Team Chaotix go off to find a place to rent out and form their agency. Heavy and Bomb explore the world on their own, wanting to live a life free of Robotnik. And Sonic and Tails use the Tornado to fly Knuckles back to Angel Island, before they, Ray, and Mighty head off as well…
​
Sonic The Fighters:
Having built the Death Egg Mk ll, along with fixing up Metal Sonic 2.0, Metal Knuckles, and making a surveillance robot called the Tails Doll in order to keep an eye on Sonic and his friends, Robotnik starts sending out his army of Badniks and machines to take over the world and collect the Chaos Emeralds.
After dealing with Robotnik’s creations, Tails reveals that he’s been working on his own rocket ship to explore space: the Lunar Fox, which has three seats. So, he and Sonic have to find the Chaos Emeralds, recruit a third person to help them out, and then take the fight to the doctor and his metal copies.
First is Knuckles, who initially gets into a bit of a scuffle with Sonic, but Tails calms them both down, as there’s bigger fish to fry. With 1 Chaos Emerald already in their possession, the three heroes head off to find the other 6, leading them to Amy Rose, and her fashion designer friend, Honey The Cat.
While Robotnik’s robots do attack them, the heroes are able to beat them, and they get another Chaos Emerald. Plus, Amy shows Sonic her improved combat abilities with her Piko-Piko Hammer, which he’s impressed with. Now with 2 emeralds, Team Sonic go find the third one, which Espio is in possession of.
The Chameleon managed to take one from Robotnik’s machines with his ninja skills, and is trying to escape them. Luckily, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles help him out, and also get more information on the Death Egg Mk ll from Espio, who was hired to gather intelligence on it from a client. Said client being Tails.
Anyways, Team Sonic has three Chaos Emeralds, and are heading after the fourth one, which appears to be in someone’s possession, and also going for the fifth emerald as well. Once they arrive at their target, the heroic trio come across Fang again, who has some back-up in the form of Bean The Dynamite, and Bark The Polar Bear.
The trio of Hooligans decided to go after a few Chaos Emeralds, hoping to sell them off for a high price. But unfortunately, they end up having to fight against Team Sonic, where they give a good performance, but can’t keep up. However, before the three heroes can get the fourth and fifth emeralds, Metal Sonic 2.0 and Metal Knuckles take them, and are unable to stop them due to the loss of stamina from the battle.
Fang is angry at having lost the Chaos Emeralds, and after discussing what’s going on with the heroes, he and his partners decide to cooperate with them for now in order to stop Robotnik and his creations. So, Team Hooligan and Team Sonic chase after the Metal copies, who are heading for the sixth Chaos Emerald.
As for the Tails Doll, it’s still watching Sonic’s every move, waiting for the right time to strike. But eventually, Team Sonic and Hooligan face off against Metal Sonic 2.0, Metal Knuckles, and a whole bunch of Robotnik’s machines. It’s a tough battle, and while they do manage to destroy most of the robots, Tails Doll knocks out the heroes with the strange energy from it’s gem antenna.
This gives Metal Sonic 2.0 and Metal Knuckles the opportunity to take the three Chaos Emeralds the heroes have, and with 6 out of 7, they and Tails Doll head off to the Death Egg Mk ll. Angered and worried, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles decide to just go grab the last Chaos Emerald, and then head back to the young fox’s workshop to discuss what to do next.
Luckily, Espio and Amy managed to get the last emerald for Team Sonic, which they appreciate, but now they have to figure out what to do to stop the second Death Egg, and get the rest of the gemstones too. Then, once they’re ready, the three heroes board the Lunar Fox, and travel to the orbital space station for the final battle.
Once they step aboard, Team Sonic searches for where the 6 Chaos Emeralds are, and finds where they’re being stored. However, they’re intercepted by Metal Sonic 2.0, Metal Knuckles, Tails Doll, and even Robotnik, who’s piloting his own E-Mech combat suit. It escalates into a 4-on-3 battle. Or rather, just 3-on-3 since Tails Doll can’t do much on it’s own.
Sonic and Knuckles take on their Metal counterparts, and Tails tries to get the Chaos Emeralds while avoiding Robotnik and Tails Doll. Luckily, by outsmarting the doctor, and taking care of his plush copy, along with his gadgets, the young fox is able to get the other gemstones, while also activating the self-destruct sequence on the Death Egg Mk ll.
Then, Tails hands all 7 Chaos Emeralds over to Sonic and Knuckles, turning into their super transformations, and making quick work of their metallic copies, while Robotnik retreats. And once the young fox collects something important, the three of them escape the exploding space station and head back to the planet below.
Once they land, Sonic and Knuckles go back to their base forms, scattering the emeralds again, while Tails lands the Lunar Fox. They come to find that Amy, Espio, and Team Hooligan have been waiting on them, and give their gratitude on a job well done. Each in their own unique way.
That’s when Tails reveals that he actually got a bunch of Robotnik’s money that was stashed in the Death Egg Mk ll, and splits it between both Espio and the Hooligans, which they all appreciate. And so, with the day saved once again, everyone goes their separate ways…
​
Unseen Adventures (Part 3)
Archives
Unseen Adventures (Part 1)

Trigger warning: this story has a distasteful element (Coprophilia') which may bother some readers.
The Earth bore little resemblance to its former self. At least not from the standpoint of what humanity had achieved previously. First the global economy collapsed. As a result, the intimately-connected world we knew was no more. Cities were abandoned. Interpersonal relationships devolved into clan-style family units working together for the basic goal of mutual survival. Sometimes brutally. In just a few years, the priceless wealth of technological knowledge which has been accumulated since the dawn of time, almost completely disappeared.
Predictably, without six millennia of scientific advancement and evolving civility, came revolving waves of disease and premature death. The world’s population dwindled to just a fraction of its former numbers. Our potential for understanding remained, but the desire to flex the intellectual muscles for higher-learning, took a back seat to the daily imperative of simply surviving. There was no time to pursue education when a neighboring clan might try to kill you or seize your food stores at any moment. In only a few generations, 80% of the ’common knowledge’ from the pinnacle of civilization, was unknown to the average person.
Consuming ignorance dutifully filled the void left behind by the collapse. Hunger and the ugliest of primal emotions drove human behavior far more than it had prior to the fall. Rampant starvation and unsanitary conditions were a potent one-two punch in the spiraling descent back to the dark ages. It led to a contemptible practice which would’ve been unthinkable only a half century earlier. The inability to distinguish between justifiable food choices, and ‘things which should never be ingested’.
No, I’m not referring to the abject inhumanity of cannibalism. The unapologetic consumption of human flesh wasn’t surprising in those stark times of desperation. I’m speaking of something far, far worse. The instinct to find feces distasteful was lost in the spiraling downfall of mankind. Those who were old enough to remember the golden era of civilization simply called those who partook in this practice: ‘SE’s. In plainer words, ‘Shiteaters’.
It wasn’t a particularly clever slur but the descriptive euphemism fit well enough. Being labeled that didn’t even qualify as an insult any longer for an entire class of depraved souls who saw no problem with the distasteful practice in the first place. They enthusiastically partook in the disgusting act of coprophilia, out of misguided necessity. Noting went… ahem, to ‘waste’.
Extreme hunger is a highly effective motivator for sure. It pushed them to work past the unpleasant stench and natural gag reflexes which would normally dissuade such abhorrent behavior. In certain unsophisticated circles, the excrement from well-fed scavenger individuals became a ‘delicacy’. Afterward, they were literally ‘full of shit’, if you can forgive the reoccurring string of foul puns.
Understandably, those who held onto some level of prior civility avoided the SE’s at all costs, lest the disgusting practice ahem… ‘rub off’ on them. Distasteful consumption details aside, As with any recycled substance, the level of vitamins, proteins and other nutrients deteriorate with each cycle. That is the law of diminishing returns. Eventually, regardless of portion size, the empty calories contained in their favorite ‘dish’ was no longer enough to sustain regular development.
With the serious level of nutritional deficiency in their daily diet came the side effects of severe physiological and psychological issues. Their intellectual capacity diminished rapidly. In just a short time they lost the ability to speak. For all intents and purposes, they devolved into a lower life form of violent, sub-primates. If a scientific community still existed in academia to label them, they might’ve named this transitory species, ‘Homo coprophilis’.
Despite their diminished cerebral capabilities, they bred in voracious numbers and made up the majority of hominids scavenging the world. Because of their sheer prevalence in numbers, it didn’t matter if they could be individually outwitted. There were too many of them in the wild to completely avoid. If non SE’s were captured by them, they were lucky if they were only held in cages for feces harvesting or forced breeding stock. There were far worse fates possible in the SE dens.
Our community remained lucky for many years. I educated my people the best I could from what remained of books and educational materials. The few brushes we had with the cave dwelling troglodytes were thankfully rare, and led to fortunate outcomes. Sadly, that was all about to change. While we tried to be self-sufficient, we had to go outside our security zone on occasions to get necessary supplies which we couldn’t produce internally. The more frequently we left the relative safely of our compound, the higher risk level we brought upon ourselves.
Their numbers had exploded. They were everywhere and it was only a matter of time before they discovered our tiny little ‘oasis of progress’ and attacked us. My scouts knew better than to retreat back to the compound if they realized they’d been observed. Like a trail of ants, the SE’s would follow them here and find our idyllic home and destroy everything. I believed at the time that the best outcome of any battle was to avoid it completely.
We ‘booby-trapped’ a few pseudo entrances to discourage accidental discoveries, but our biggest danger was to be observed and followed back home. I guess we just took the risk of going outside the compound too many times, or simple ‘dumb luck’ occurred. Either way, they found our home while I was away with my team. We’d spent too much effort in avoiding detection, and not enough planning a defense. Our community was unprepared for an on-site conflict; and with half our most able-bodied warriors on the mission, we took heavy losses. Both in terms of loss of life, and having our remaining people taken prisoner.
My wife was eaten alive right on the spot; while two of my younger children were taken away. Presumably for later consumption, but infinitely worse fates were possible. I shuddered at the thought of what she went through, and what horrors awaited my little ones. The SE’s take immense pleasure in seizing non SE’s and torturing them for being more evolved. They pride themselves in being ignorant and primitive. Furious vengeance boiled in my heart. I wanted to act immediately but I was well aware that raw passion clouds judgement. No matter how anxious I was to save my children and wipe the disgusting scum from the Earth, I had to do it in a meticulous, organized way. The survivors of our village needed a solid plan to strike back.
I gathered every weapon we had at our disposal and assembled our weary band of survivors. Others present in the meeting lost family members too. I had to stop them from rushing to the shiteater cave on a suicide mission. I cooled their rage and tempered my own until we were all better prepared for battle. How do you fight an enemy with no honor? How can you approach a conflict where there is no reason to be had? To suggest it would be a war with ‘apes’ would be an insult to those primates.
Previously I thought the SE’s were a product of the collapse of civilization. Obviously I feared their enthusiastic embrace of primal ignorance but mostly, I just pitied them. If there was one reoccurring theme of universal failure in the remaining history books it was how war is pointless. I hoped to avoid them. As a fellow survivor in the collapse, I tried to coexist. To live and let live but it became glaringly clear they could not be left alive. None of them, or there would never be peace or prosperity for the thinking population. They were a wretched branch of homo sapien species that needed to be permanently snuffed out.
I rallied our reluctant fighters, both men and woman, young and old, able bodied and infirm, to boldly seize the moment. It was our time! It was the human race’s moment to reverse the spiraling collapse. We had to snuff-out the willfully ignorant, sub-human slime holding us back permanently, or there would never be a return to hope and enlightenment. Everyone present accepted the calling. We were going to stop being frightened little sheep. We were committed to fight to the death, but we were also going to do so with technical wisdom and science.
Almost like a grain silo, SE’s were known to keep their fecal ‘food’ stores in a central storage bin. They guarded them almost like bank currency. Their entire community revolved around the supply of manure, so strategically it would be in the center of their caves and living space. More than once, these methane-laden storage areas had been known explode from natural gas build-up and wipe out clans. As a previous pacifist in my worldview and outlook, I’d never considered destroying them with their own storehouse of shit before, but the idea was more than novel in its charm. It was almost poetic in scope.
The only problem lied in the collateral damage to our survivors. How could we get our beloved family members back before annihilating their cave and destroying the sub human vermin? I researched non-lethal means of incapacitating every soul inside so we could rescue our loved ones first. In a medical textbook I’d saved from being burned as fireplace fodder, was a detailed article on anesthesia. Not only did it explain how it worked, but it also offered the chemical compounds necessary to produce it.
As the ‘minister of science’ of our progressive community, I had always tried to keep knowledge alive and maintain a base level of education for our citizens. I taught the children basic chemistry and math, among other things. We had amassed a decent supply of chemicals taken from the crumbling warehouses of the once-great cities near our settlement. It was finally time to put them to use. From those supplies I filled up two canisters of nitrous oxide. My scouts located their lair, and we cautiously amassed there for the extraction and extermination.
Under the cover of darkness we blew the ‘knock-out’ gas into the entrance and waited until they were hopefully incapacitated. Into the lion’s den we crept. The stench of body odor and decay was nearly unbearable. The plan unfolded perfectly. Those we encountered were either unconscious or unresponsive to ordinary stimuli. One by one we dispatched the sub human monsters. There was very little resistance until we reached portions of the cave which our ‘sleeping potion’ didn’t reach. There we experienced some desperate fighting but in the end, we were victorious.
At the center of the dark labyrinth we located the cages and ‘food storage’ area. Thankfully, many of our people and my youngest children were still alive. Sadly not all were physically unharmed and there was no undoing the SE’s carnage and unspeakable acts. I wanted to scream when I witnessed the inhuman atrocities perpetrated on our most innocent but I had to maintain my composure and complete the mission. We carried all the survivors to safety and rigged a time-delayed fuse for explosion at the entrance.
I wasn’t sure how many of the clan were left further back within the cave, but when the methane finally ignited, it was the most powerful man-made explosion in nearly fifty years. Of that I’m sure. The mouth of the cave was permanently closed. Nothing could’ve survived the blast. That was highly reassuring but the vindication I felt was only for the eradication of a single shiteater clan. Globally, there were probably hundreds of others. More importantly though, our little operation to take back humanity was finally underway.
It was day one in the march to rebuild civilization. I discovered other pockets of learning and progress along the way as we explored the larger world. Our small community and the others banded together with the universal goal of wiping out primal clans and rebuilding the infrastructure of the Earth. With a unified group of people worldwide endeavoring to return to a brighter future, we collectively left behind the darkness and despair. Hope has finally returned. It’s a great time to be alive again.

I rode a bike great at age 6 but 10 years later I’m re learning. I need transportation for work and genuinely do not have the time for both falling down and dealing with the healing process of injuries/spending hours a day to learn to balance knowing damn well im missing out on work doing so. I have a hardcore fear of falling and am really nervous and shakey so balance in anything is hard. I’m hyper aware of my surroundings and it freaks me out. All I need is transportation strictly, no sport, no nothing, yet am being put down by family and people around for it. This bike was brought apon me, not by my own volition. I ride a 24” bike, im super short so almost needed a kids size. I don’t think it’s bad to use wheels but people make fun of me for it anyway. What should I do ?

6 months ago, almost to the day, I decided to take on the daunting task of improving my credit score, which I had never ever done. In fact, in the past I always considered credit scores as something for other people, never for me. I got credit cards, and screwed them up. I went off the deep end as an alcoholic and walked away from accounts irresponsibly. Credit to me was something so completely unachievable I never even gave it a thought. In fact if my daily mail didnt have some kind of collection notice in it, it was a good day.
My alcoholic life took hold, I spiraled down, and the next thing I knew I was at my bottom, homeless, had nothing. Long story short on that, I got into recovery and started working on it. Of course during that time I never paid any attention to collection notices, or anything like that. They just went into the trash. I got some work, I got into a veteran's shelter and I started building everything back up. Fast forward to 6 months ago, I decided I was stable enough to start looking at getting my own place, and the first thing that came up of course was my credit score if I was going to get an apartment.
Overwhelmed with even the thought of it, I dived in. Got my credit reports and sat down. Of course it was bad. There were collections on there as expected and my score was 511 on Equifax and 499 on TransUnion. Esperian's report was just a Roll Your Eyes emoticon response. But I trudged on. I started researching and asking advice. I went onto povertyfinance a number of times reading and asking. I followed the advice I got. It turns out, all that time I was in recovery, was time that my collections were just sitting there on my credit report. I followed advice and disputed a few of them and low an behold a couple of the collections disappeared. Next thing I know, I started looking at the dates on the other collections, and they all were right on the edge of falling off after 7 years. Hmmmm....glimmer of hope, I see. I got my account re-instated with Navy Federal and got a secured credit card with them. I then got another secured credit card with Discover and a bank with them. I was also able to get a secured personal loan with Navy Federal. I also found out what a credit utilization ratio was and why it was so important and kept within those guidelines.
After 6 months of starting this, and about 3 months of getting the secured credit cards and the loan and paying them on time, and all the collections dropping off my report, Im proud to say that my Equifax went from 511 to 733, and my TransUnion has gone from 499 to 650 currently!!
I am about to sign a lease on my own apartment and no longer be homeless.
Its only going to get better because now I am on top of it and Im clear headed. So to everyone out there with the overwhelming feeling of debt and a bad credit score and an ugly history such as mine, if a person like me can do this, so can you! Dive in with both feet and tackle that score of yours. Make it a competition with yourself and use those numbers as a scoreboard for yourself. You can do this. You can get a hold of your financial life.

Trigger warning: this story has a distasteful element ('Coprophilia') which may bother some readers.
The Earth bore little resemblance to its former self. At least not from the standpoint of what humanity had achieved previously. First the global economy collapsed. As a result, the intimately-connected world we knew was no more. Cities were abandoned. Interpersonal relationships devolved into clan-style family units working together for the basic goal of mutual survival. Sometimes brutally. In just a few years, the priceless wealth of technological knowledge which has been accumulated since the dawn of time, almost completely disappeared.
Predictably, without six millennia of scientific advancement and evolving civility, came revolving waves of disease and premature death. The world’s population dwindled to just a fraction of its former numbers. Our potential for understanding remained, but the desire to flex the intellectual muscles for higher-learning, took a back seat to the daily imperative of simply surviving. There was no time to pursue education when a neighboring clan might try to kill you or seize your food stores at any moment. In only a few generations, 80% of the ’common knowledge’ from the pinnacle of civilization, was unknown to the average person.
Consuming ignorance dutifully filled the void left behind by the collapse. Hunger and the ugliest of primal emotions drove human behavior far more than it had prior to the fall. Rampant starvation and unsanitary conditions were a potent one-two punch in the spiraling descent back to the dark ages. It led to a contemptible practice which would’ve been unthinkable only a half century earlier. The inability to distinguish between justifiable food choices, and ‘things which should never be ingested’.
No, I’m not referring to the abject inhumanity of cannibalism. The unapologetic consumption of human flesh wasn’t surprising in those stark times of desperation. I’m speaking of something far, far worse. The instinct to find feces distasteful was lost in the spiraling downfall of mankind. Those who were old enough to remember the golden era of civilization simply called those who partook in this practice: ‘SE’s. In plainer words, ‘Shiteaters’.
It wasn’t a particularly clever slur but the descriptive euphemism fit well enough. Being labeled that didn’t even qualify as an insult any longer for an entire class of depraved souls who saw no problem with the distasteful practice in the first place. They enthusiastically partook in the disgusting act of coprophilia, out of misguided necessity. Noting went… ahem, to ‘waste’.
Extreme hunger is a highly effective motivator for sure. It pushed them to work past the unpleasant stench and natural gag reflexes which would normally dissuade such abhorrent behavior. In certain unsophisticated circles, the excrement from well-fed scavenger individuals became a ‘delicacy’. Afterward, they were literally ‘full of shit’, if you can forgive the reoccurring string of foul puns.
Understandably, those who held onto some level of prior civility avoided the SE’s at all costs, lest the disgusting practice ahem… ‘rub off’ on them. Distasteful consumption details aside, As with any recycled substance, the level of vitamins, proteins and other nutrients deteriorate with each cycle. That is the law of diminishing returns. Eventually, regardless of portion size, the empty calories contained in their favorite ‘dish’ was no longer enough to sustain regular development.
With the serious level of nutritional deficiency in their daily diet came the side effects of severe physiological and psychological issues. Their intellectual capacity diminished rapidly. In just a short time they lost the ability to speak. For all intents and purposes, they devolved into a lower life form of violent, sub-primates. If a scientific community still existed in academia to label them, they might’ve named this transitory species, ‘Homo coprophilis’.
Despite their diminished cerebral capabilities, they bred in voracious numbers and made up the majority of hominids scavenging the world. Because of their sheer prevalence in numbers, it didn’t matter if they could be individually outwitted. There were too many of them in the wild to completely avoid. If non SE’s were captured by them, they were lucky if they were only held in cages for feces harvesting or forced breeding stock. There were far worse fates possible in the SE dens.
Our community remained lucky for many years. I educated my people the best I could from what remained of books and educational materials. The few brushes we had with the cave dwelling troglodytes were thankfully rare, and led to fortunate outcomes. Sadly, that was all about to change. While we tried to be self-sufficient, we had to go outside our security zone on occasions to get necessary supplies which we couldn’t produce internally. The more frequently we left the relative safely of our compound, the higher risk level we brought upon ourselves.
Their numbers had exploded. They were everywhere and it was only a matter of time before they discovered our tiny little ‘oasis of progress’ and attacked us. My scouts knew better than to retreat back to the compound if they realized they’d been observed. Like a trail of ants, the SE’s would follow them here and find our idyllic home and destroy everything. I believed at the time that the best outcome of any battle was to avoid it completely.
We ‘booby-trapped’ a few pseudo entrances to discourage accidental discoveries, but our biggest danger was to be observed and followed back home. I guess we just took the risk of going outside the compound too many times, or simple ‘dumb luck’ occurred. Either way, they found our home while I was away with my team. We’d spent too much effort in avoiding detection, and not enough planning a defense. Our community was unprepared for an on-site conflict; and with half our most able-bodied warriors on the mission, we took heavy losses. Both in terms of loss of life, and having our remaining people taken prisoner.
My wife was eaten alive right on the spot; while two of my younger children were taken away. Presumably for later consumption, but infinitely worse fates were possible. I shuddered at the thought of what she went through, and what horrors awaited my little ones. The SE’s take immense pleasure in seizing non SE’s and torturing them for being more evolved. They pride themselves in being ignorant and primitive. Furious vengeance boiled in my heart. I wanted to act immediately but I was well aware that raw passion clouds judgement. No matter how anxious I was to save my children and wipe the disgusting scum from the Earth, I had to do it in a meticulous, organized way. The survivors of our village needed a solid plan to strike back.
I gathered every weapon we had at our disposal and assembled our weary band of survivors. Others present in the meeting lost family members too. I had to stop them from rushing to the shiteater cave on a suicide mission. I cooled their rage and tempered my own until we were all better prepared for battle. How do you fight an enemy with no honor? How can you approach a conflict where there is no reason to be had? To suggest it would be a war with ‘apes’ would be an insult to those primates.
Previously I thought the SE’s were a product of the collapse of civilization. Obviously I feared their enthusiastic embrace of primal ignorance but mostly, I just pitied them. If there was one reoccurring theme of universal failure in the remaining history books it was how war is pointless. I hoped to avoid them. As a fellow survivor in the collapse, I tried to coexist. To live and let live but it became glaringly clear they could not be left alive. None of them, or there would never be peace or prosperity for the thinking population. They were a wretched branch of homo sapien species that needed to be permanently snuffed out.
I rallied our reluctant fighters, both men and woman, young and old, able bodied and infirm, to boldly seize the moment. It was our time! It was the human race’s moment to reverse the spiraling collapse. We had to snuff-out the willfully ignorant, sub-human slime holding us back permanently, or there would never be a return to hope and enlightenment. Everyone present accepted the calling. We were going to stop being frightened little sheep. We were committed to fight to the death, but we were also going to do so with technical wisdom and science.
Almost like a grain silo, SE’s were known to keep their fecal ‘food’ stores in a central storage bin. They guarded them almost like bank currency. Their entire community revolved around the supply of manure, so strategically it would be in the center of their caves and living space. More than once, these methane-laden storage areas had been known explode from natural gas build-up and wipe out clans. As a previous pacifist in my worldview and outlook, I’d never considered destroying them with their own storehouse of shit before, but the idea was more than novel in its charm. It was almost poetic in scope.
The only problem lied in the collateral damage to our survivors. How could we get our beloved family members back before annihilating their cave and destroying the sub human vermin? I researched non-lethal means of incapacitating every soul inside so we could rescue our loved ones first. In a medical textbook I’d saved from being burned as fireplace fodder, was a detailed article on anesthesia. Not only did it explain how it worked, but it also offered the chemical compounds necessary to produce it.
As the ‘minister of science’ of our progressive community, I had always tried to keep knowledge alive and maintain a base level of education for our citizens. I taught the children basic chemistry and math, among other things. We had amassed a decent supply of chemicals taken from the crumbling warehouses of the once-great cities near our settlement. It was finally time to put them to use. From those supplies I filled up two canisters of nitrous oxide. My scouts located their lair, and we cautiously amassed there for the extraction and extermination.
Under the cover of darkness we blew the ‘knock-out’ gas into the entrance and waited until they were hopefully incapacitated. Into the lion’s den we crept. The stench of body odor and decay was nearly unbearable. The plan unfolded perfectly. Those we encountered were either unconscious or unresponsive to ordinary stimuli. One by one we dispatched the sub human monsters. There was very little resistance until we reached portions of the cave which our ‘sleeping potion’ didn’t reach. There we experienced some desperate fighting but in the end, we were victorious.
At the center of the dark labyrinth we located the cages and ‘food storage’ area. Thankfully, many of our people and my youngest children were still alive. Sadly not all were physically unharmed and there was no undoing the SE’s carnage and unspeakable acts. I wanted to scream when I witnessed the inhuman atrocities perpetrated on our most innocent but I had to maintain my composure and complete the mission. We carried all the survivors to safety and rigged a time-delayed fuse for explosion at the entrance.
I wasn’t sure how many of the clan were left further back within the cave, but when the methane finally ignited, it was the most powerful man-made explosion in nearly fifty years. Of that I’m sure. The mouth of the cave was permanently closed. Nothing could’ve survived the blast. That was highly reassuring but the vindication I felt was only for the eradication of a single shiteater clan. Globally, there were probably hundreds of others. More importantly though, our little operation to take back humanity was finally underway.
It was day one in the march to rebuild civilization. I discovered other pockets of learning and progress along the way as we explored the larger world. Our small community and the others banded together with the universal goal of wiping out primal clans and rebuilding the infrastructure of the Earth. With a unified group of people worldwide endeavoring to return to a brighter future, we collectively left behind the darkness and despair. Hope has finally returned. It’s a great time to be alive again.

Hi all- sorry in advance for any formatting issues, posting this on mobile and also I've never done this before. Throw away account, of course. Also this is long.
So the situation is this: I (27F) and my (former?) best friend (31F) have had a kind of falling out. She's been my closest friend for around a decade, we went to college together, we've shared big moments together, and until now our relationship was the definition of unconditional love and support. It would probably be fair to say that our shared traumas are a big portion of why we've been so close for so long, which might be relevant information going forward.
For the first time in her life, she found a partner that is truly loving and supportive. Legitimately, this man saved her life. She was at pretty much rock bottom and nothing was helping, but she met him and everything turned around. She's happy. Not too long after she started dating him, though, my marriage fell apart. It was a long time coming, it was not a happy relationship, so it was for the best and also very, very hard. I needed to move out, but didn't have any connections nearby, so best friend moved me in with her and her partner. I was hesitant to accept this kind gesture because that's a lot to ask of a person, but after much discussion it was agreed that I would stay with them until I could get back on my feet.
Fast forward some months, and I meet my current partner. I'm cautious but very excited to find someone that is kind and thoughtful and treats me well, checks all the boxes I didn't realize I had until I ended my marriage and did some reflection on what I need in order to be happy (and bear in that I've been in weekly therapy for years, I take my mental health very seriously because I've historically struggled with it. Dating my new partner was a therapist-approved move). Best friend sits me down and lets me know that she thinks this is the wrong move, I shouldn't date, I should take time away from being someone's partner to just be alone and learn how to get my priorities in order. I heard her out, but I don't want to be alone, and I like being someone's partner, so I pursued this relationship anyway.
And I'm glad I did! He is incredible. I have exactly zero qualms or complaints, and I am deeply happy. But very shortly after I began officially dating my partner, best friend did a complete 180 about me dating, and began asking "so when are you moving in with him?" and "what's his neighborhood like? Do you think you could get around okay?" and basically just hyper focusing on me leaving. I hadn't brought up the idea of moving out, and I'm pretty sure she mentioned it before my partner and I even had a chance to discuss it. Things with best friend start to feel strained, our interactions a little forced. But at the time I chalked that up to life stress and her and I not originally seeing eye to eye about me dating. It's around this time that best friend starts "joking" about what they'll do with my room when I move out.
A little more time passes, and my partner and I decide that I should move in with him, but hadn't yet set a date. Best friend and her partner are completely on board, but want me and my stuff out as soon as I can reasonably manage, as it would be easier on them. I understood them not wanting me kind of straddling two homes, so I made it happen as quickly and efficiently as I could.
Not too long after I move out, best friend texts and asks if I'm mad at her. I wasn't, but (as detailed here) definitely felt like something was up, maybe she was mad at me? And she said she wasn't mad but did need space from me. She did not elaborate as to why or for how long, but I didn't want to be that person that immediately pole vaults a boundary that's been placed in front of them, so I respected her boundary and left her alone. About a month goes by, and she randomly reaches out one day for some small talk. I engaged with this no issue. But the very next day (which happened to be the day before my birthday), I woke up to a message about how she feels like I'm pulling away and don't want to be friends anymore, and if that's the case I should just say it. I sent a long reply that could be summarized as "Of course I still want to be friends. How can I fix this?" and her response was to, essentially, tell me I'm not a good person and she doesn't recognize me anymore. We hashed that out (I thought), talked casually for a couple of days, and then I didn't hear from her again. I reached out to let her know about some bad news I got that I thought she also needed to know, got a one sentence reply, and haven't heard from her since.
There's obviously a lot of detail missing here, but there's only so much I can fit in one post and this has unfolded over a number of months. I'm exceedingly grateful for the kindness she (and her partner) showed me by letting me stay with them while I was getting divorced, and I always will be, even if our friendship doesn't persist. But I don't know how to navigate this anymore? She says she wants to be friends still, but doesn't talk to me like she used to. And she has developed an opinion of me that I don't understand and can't seem to find evidence for. I told her that maybe our friendship will just look different now than it used to and people can change a lot in a decade, and that's okay, but she didn't really respond to that and now we're in this weird friendship limbo. We want to be friends but we aren't really acting like friends?
So I turn to the internet. What do I do, reddit?

FYI - I made a purchase at Walmart on 5/31 and there is a duplicate transaction for the same amount posted on the same day.
Called customer service and they said this was a known issue with Walmart and should be rectified shortly but opened a dispute on my behalf. If you have duplicate charge and it doesn't fall off automatically, call them.
This was done a colbalt card.

"Now, let me ask you this: As it stands, is it not, indeed so, that the prevailing belief in the science-driven Western world is that humans are nothing special in the context of the Cosmos? Is it not, indeed, the prevailing custom to believe that the Earth and its inhabitants are just a big ‘cosmic accident’ of some sort? In this context, it goes without saying that it is the epitome of ignorance to believe that life is merely incidental and accidental part of the universe, despite everything telling us otherwise – or do you beg to differ? If one really stops to contemplate this magnificent feat – the “fine-tuned” universe and everything in it – galaxies, stars, planets, and all other forms of matter and energy; the existence of the human body, a biological marvel, one of a kind – it becomes undeniable that everything points to an Intelligently Designed Universe; every attempt to prove otherwise points directly to this truth – intriguing, isn’t it?
As it turns out, the probability of life existing at all has been calculated many times over. It has been said that the odds against the existence of life on Earth are on the order of 10^10^123. That’s so massively unlikely it’s almost impossible to fathom. In other words, the fine-tuning odds are so infinitesimal that fine-tuning cannot be passed off as a mere coincidence, and thus one cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the existence of intelligent life in the universe is so incredibly rare that one should consider that it only happened once, which means that the “accidental” or “coincidental” creation of our universe is an impossibility. And when these two rare occurrences – the creation of our fine-tuned universe and intelligent life in it, happened to happen together makes it clear that the universe we find ourselves in has a purpose – to facilitate intelligent life, which makes it a purposeful universe, doesn’t it?
This tells us how precise the Creator’s aim must have been, to an accuracy of one part in 10^10^123. That is an extraordinary figure – one could not possibly even write the number down. You see, it would be 1 followed by 10^123 successive 0’s, which means that even if we were to write a 0 on each separate proton and on each separate neutron in the entire universe, and also throw in all the other particles – we would fall short of writing down the figure needed. The improbable odds of life existing in the cosmos surely suggests that we are not the result of random chance, does it not? And yet, in spite of this, all too many continue to deny the obvious." You can read the full article on the website: https://www.infinitequantumzen.info/2021/05/infinite-living-system-the-miracle-of-life-part-2.html
Get the Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NDT3GMH

This is a little bit of a read, but you can think of it as a high effort post from someone who means business. I've clearly marked and categorized everything, so feel free to skim the parts that interest you.
What brings me to reddit for dating: For the short of it, I've been doing online dating for about 7 years, and could only describe my experience as a sisyphean struggle. With more traditional dating platforms having been absolutely worthless and a complete waste of time less than productive, I'm hoping this might give me a breakthrough.
Age: 26, open to 18-32~. I’m less about age, more about attraction.
Appearance: 5'8", medium length blond hair (pictures are from when it was short), blue eyes, white skin, slim fit body type. I dress almost exclusively in black if I can help it, hence "closeted goth". I've been told I'm fairly handsome, but I'm including a few (poorly taken) pictures, so you can decide for yourself whether or not I've been lied to!
(Imgur seems to be having problems lately so if you're getting an error that's why. My posts tend to get automatically removed if I include any other image hosters but if you message me I can send alternatives no problem.)
Face: https://imgur.com/a/ykiCkwQ
Body (Warning: Shirtless): https://imgur.com/a/zO96e63
Interests: Many of my interests fall into the "nerd" category. Games (video and tabletop), anime, music, art, sci-fi and fantasy stuff of all varieties. I enjoy a lot of RPG's, and some of my favorite game series include kingdom hearts, fire emblem, dark souls, and a fair few others. I play a lot of league at a fairly high level, but I'm not exactly proud of that because the game damages my sanity at times.
In general, I like to keep in shape, play games with friends, share music I think is great, watch tv/movies/anime (horror and psychological stuff especially), share memes, read, and do some amateur writing. I'm also rather intelligent/insightful and enjoy some nuanced discussion.
Location: Currently in central NJ, somewhere in the no man's land between nyc and philly. I'd prefer someone local who I can meet in person, but won't pass up someone great online who's willing to eventually relocate or that I can eventually relocate to.
Looking For: Monogamous relationship, ideally something serious. I feel that what I'd like the most is to find someone very special to me, who I can love with all my heart and spend my life with. It'd probably be my greatest joy in life to be able to do that, and have someone do so in return. That said, this is just a description of my ideal scenario, not what I'd expect out of every relationship.
Traits I'm Looking For: Kind, loving, trustworthy, understanding. Good sense of humor, emotionally intelligent, communicates well. In this regard, I wouldn't ask for anything I don't freely give. I also very fond of women who are dominant/aggressive in a playful way, as well as role reversal dynamics.
Personality: Generally cool headed, laid back, and kind. Introverted, but can be extroverted when I'm in my element and otherwise comfortable. Deceptively intelligent despite how incredibly basic my pictures look, but I also tend to clown around a lot so that's not easy to discern at first. I’m also very reasonable, with a strong preference for peacefully resolving issues, so you can expect very little to no drama and good communication. Oh, and according to a myers briggs test, I'm an INFJ?
Fun facts: I have a deep and sexy voice which many people don't expect, and a great many people tell me I should get into radio or voice acting. I'm also a bit dead on the inside but that's probably because there's a skeleton living inside me.
Partner preferences: I'm a big fan of goth/alt girls, as well as tomboys. I also really like short hair, usually between pixie and neck length, and have a sizable interest in women that are taller than me. But these aren't dealbreakers! As long as I find you attractive, everything is fine.
Dealbreakers/Requirements: Similar interests are pretty important for me. I tend to play a lot of games in my free time for entertainment, so having a partner that I can do that together with is my ideal. I do have a strong preference for body type that I unfortunately can't get past, with that preference being the thinner end of the spectrum when it comes to proportions/body fat. So basically petite/slim/fit/muscular. PLEASE DON'T BE A SOCIOPATH, OR ACT LIKE ONE!
If you have any questions about anything I mentioned (or didn't), just ask and I'll absolutely answer them for you. I'm very friendly so absolutely feel free to come talk to me.

This is a little bit of a read, but you can think of it as a high effort post from someone who means business. I've clearly marked and categorized everything, so feel free to skim the parts that interest you.
What brings me to reddit for dating: For the short of it, I've been doing online dating for about 7 years, and could only describe my experience as a sisyphean struggle. With more traditional dating platforms having been absolutely torturous and a complete waste of time, with me rarely ever finding matches and those I do get ending up being ghosts or people who just don't respond less than productive, I'm hoping this might give me a breakthrough.
Age: 26, open to 18-32~. I’m less about age, more about attraction.
Appearance: 5'8", medium length blond hair (pictures are from when it was short), blue eyes, white skin, slim fit body type. I dress almost exclusively in black if I can help it, hence "closeted goth". I've been told I'm fairly handsome, but I'm including a few (poorly taken) pictures, so you can decide for yourself whether or not I've been lied to!
(Imgur seems to be having problems lately so if you're getting an error that's why. My posts tend to get automatically removed if I include any other image hosters but if you message me I can send alternatives no problem.)
Face: https://imgur.com/a/ykiCkwQ
Body (Warning: Shirtless): https://imgur.com/a/zO96e63
Interests: Many of my interests fall into the "nerd" category. Games (video and tabletop), anime, music, art, sci-fi and fantasy stuff of all varieties. I enjoy a lot of RPG's, and some of my favorite game series include kingdom hearts, fire emblem, dark souls, and a fair few others. I play a lot of league at a fairly high level, but I'm not exactly proud of that because the game damages my sanity at times.
In general, I like to keep in shape, play games with friends, share music I think is great, watch tv/movies/anime (horror and psychological stuff especially), share memes, read, and do some amateur writing. I'm also rather intelligent/insightful and enjoy some nuanced discussion.
Location: Currently in central NJ, somewhere in the no man's land between nyc and philly. I'd prefer someone local who I can meet in person, but won't pass up someone great online who's willing to eventually relocate or that I can eventually relocate to.
Looking For: Monogamous relationship, ideally something serious. I feel that what I'd like the most is to find someone very special to me, who I can love with all my heart and spend my life with. It'd probably be my greatest joy in life to be able to do that, and have someone do so in return. That said, this is just a description of my ideal scenario, not what I'd expect out of every relationship.
Traits I'm Looking For: Kind, loving, trustworthy, understanding. Good sense of humor, emotionally intelligent, communicates well. In this regard, I wouldn't ask for anything I don't freely give. I also very fond of women who are dominant/aggressive in a playful way, as well as role reversal dynamics.
Personality: Generally cool headed, laid back, and kind. Introverted, but can be extroverted when I'm in my element and otherwise comfortable. Deceptively intelligent despite how incredibly basic my pictures look, but I also tend to clown around a lot so that's not easy to discern at first. I’m also very reasonable, with a strong preference for peacefully resolving issues, so you can expect very little to no drama and good communication. Oh, and according to a myers briggs test, I'm an INFJ?
Fun facts: I have a deep and sexy voice which many people don't expect, and a great many people tell me I should get into radio or voice acting. I'm also a bit dead on the inside but that's probably because there's a skeleton living inside me.
Partner preferences: I'm a big fan of goth/alt girls, as well as tomboys. I also really like short hair, usually between pixie and neck length, and have a sizable interest in women that are taller than me. But these aren't dealbreakers! As long as I find you attractive, everything is fine.
Dealbreakers/Requirements : Similar interests are pretty important for me. I tend to play a lot of games in my free time for entertainment, so having a partner that I can do that together with is my ideal. I do have a strong preference for body type that I unfortunately can't get past, with that preference being the thinner end of the spectrum when it comes to proportions/body fat. So basically petite/slim/fit/muscular. PLEASE DON'T BE A SOCIOPATH, OR ACT LIKE ONE!
If you have any questions about anything I mentioned (or didn't), just ask and I'll absolutely answer them for you. I'm very friendly so absolutely feel free to come talk to me.

Hi all! Long time reader, first time poster (of both this subreddit and honestly of really reddit in general, so let me know if I've made any mistakes!).
CW for discussions of anatomy, doctors, menstruation, and T
So for context I am in the process of finally getting medical attention/answers around being intersex. Long and complicated story short my endo and I are still figuring out exactly specifically what is up with me (ive got a CT scan at the end of the month!) but what we do know is I have very high levels of androgens (both Testosterone and DHEA, as well as some crazy prolactin levels). There are lots of other complicated blood test results, but overall she has given me the vague diagnoses of hyperandrogenism, hirsuitism, and that i've "gone through the process of virilization". In real-world terms what this means is that I can grow a full mustache, beard, and sideburns, develop muscle mass very quickly, and have a low/androgynous voice, T-dick, and acne all without taking HRT. In a nutshell, I have the levels of masculinization that a lot of people get when they microdose T without actually doing that. I also have incredibly painful periods.
So! With all that in mind where I need advice/ have questions is: for those of you who are on T, when was the moment you knew it was the right choice for you? I am ftm, but like I'm a non-binary man, you know? Like I fall in that blurry zone of transmasculinity. I am interested in pursuing HRT, on the one hand because it would likely stop my menstrual cycle and mean that I am not confined to my bed every month, and on the other hand for gender reasons. But! Since I have this condition I am a little more unsure than I think I would be otherwise, because I already have many of the traits others are looking for. Like, I love my facial hair and am super grateful that I get this shit for free lol. So overall, is there anyone else with similar intersex experience, and did you decide on HRT or not? And even if youre not intersex, what helped you make the choice? And finally, does anyone have any experience with IUDs to stop menstruation? My doctor has recommended it to me, but I worry that adding estrogen/progesterone into my system would make me dysphoric.
TL;DR: I am intersex and therefore have a lot of the traits T gives you already, but I am debating going on HRT and want to know if anyone has advice!
Thanks y'all! Happy pride!

My boyfriend and I have been dating for a fairly short period of time, 3 months, and while the rest of our relationship is great, the sex falls short of that.
I am into rough sex while my boyfriend is very vanilla. I’ll ask him to hit me, choke me, bite me, etc. and he always says he doesn’t want to hurt me. I tell him that I like pain and it’s what I’m into, that he’s not actually hurting me, he’s pleasuring me, but he won’t do it.
It’s not that the sex is awful, but I would enjoy it a lot more if he was just a bit rougher. I know I can’t force him to, and I don’t want him to do something he doesn’t want to do, but I just feel sexually frustrated right now and don’t know how to deal with it.
I don’t want to break up with him over this, he’s a great guy and sex isn’t everything to me, but I just want sex to be mutually pleasurable and right now it isn’t.
Does anyone have advice on what I should do? Thank you so much.