I found this plant growing near my https://freeimage.host/i/H4BJbfIfoundation today and am stumped as to what it could be. My first thought was maybe giant trillium, but the habitat is throwing me off. Anyone have any ideas?

I need my next summer lover, do you play intramural sports? Sign up for leagues? Ride bikes around town? Get sweaty every day and not just because of the houston heat? HIT ME UP!!!
I need someone I can workout with regularly, in bed or working out you ask? Yes.
I also need you to be near me so we can get out of breath together! I’m not far from UH, so if you’re close by say hi!
Does a 15 mile bike ride scare you? No? Really? You can do more than that? AWESOME! Then please slide in the DM!
You like someone playful, flirtatious, talkative, foodie, hilarious, and sexy? Well, let’s say I got most of them most of the time. So come on down!!!
You like someone who can go down on you, get you off more than once in a session and give you all the aftercare? Then yes, you are indeed the chosen one.
Oh yeah, please be single. I don’t want to hide around, but instead be able to come over to see you whenever possible without any worries.
If you made it all the way over here then I am proud of you, you can keep up! Now send me a message!

trying to get a shiny but i rarely ever see them in gyms near me and the espurr queue on pokegenie is dead because no ones hosting.
6488 9291 9584 i have two remote passes so ill join the first two i get invited to ~

Preface:
I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan; I re-read the books typically once a year. I also adore the movies, and find all of Tolkien's legendarium absolutely awesome. Truly one of my favorite hobbies so I'd like to offer some critiques and excitement of flavor gems from Tales of Middle Earth. I won't do every card, but I'll comment on some individual cards and how WOTC did on it. I will comment on the cards abilities but only insofar as it impacts the flavor; i.e. what the card is doing not power level, etc.
To be clear: I understand there are sacrifices you need to make for the greater game, and sometimes those come first. For these articles: I am looking at each card in a vacuum, so if I seem harsh it's because I am using a single lens.
Next up: Saruman the White!
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https://preview.redd.it/4vnvcgku634b1.png?width=400&format=png&auto=webp&s=2631de76b2ea2251619c61e4829c6743c37bb60d
Flavor Preface
OK, at first I thought I would judge every character together, but I've since decided to switch it up; I've come too far on some individual cards to do them together. They already spoiled another version of Saruman, which I have some problems with, but we'll get there eventually. That being said, Saruman is a complicated character and he goes through some transformations which I think are worth discussing.
First, Saruman (like Gandalf) was sent to Middle Earth by Aule one of the Valar in Valinor and was appointed chief of the order of Istari (wizards). In the beginning: Saruman was true to his mission and worked to disrupt Saruon. He traveled first East and then after his return took up residence in Isengard, a fortress built by the Numenorians. At first he was a friend to Treebeard (Fangorn) and Rohan, but over time turned to evil. Saruman's downfall was his arrogance. He used the knowledge is Isengard for his own ends and eventually used the most dangerous tool: a Palantiri left behind. It was the Palantir which brought Saruman to Sauron, who ensnared Saruman and showed him the power he had amassed in Mordor. It was this power which convinced Saruman to become a power of his own (NOT, I might add, a servant of Sauron).
Then, Saruman worked to become a power in his own right. Becoming Saruman of Many Colors, or Saruman the Ringmaker (and indeed Saruman made a ring of his own). He raises an army of orcs, breeds men to orcs to create mighty Uruk-hai and attacks Rohan. It is in this stage that Saruman attempts to capture Gandalf, raises his army and attacks Rohan. This is the version we are most familiar with, and is the most prominent in the story.
Finally, after Saruman's schemes fail his staff is broken, he is stripped of much of his power, and eventually leaves Isengard on 'parole' by convincing Treebeard he isn't a threat. He then goes to the Shire and scours the Shire making it a partial industrial wasteland. This scheme fails and Saruman is killed.
Color
It's not clear to me what version of Saruman this is, I think it's meant to be Saruman at the beginning of the books (where Saruman confronts Gandalf), but I am not sure. If there is one thing Saruman is though: it's blue. Saruman is a learned lore master who years to discover deeply the mysteries of the world. Furthermore while Saruman is undoubtedly arrogant: his monologue to Gandalf is telling (to convince Gandalf to join him):

The Elder Days are gone. The Middle Days are passing. The Younger Days are beginning. The time of the Elves is over, but our time is at hand: the world of Men, which we must rule. But we must have power, power to order all things as we will, for that good which only the Wise can see.
And listen, Gandalf, my old friend and helper!" he said, coming near and speaking now in a soft voice. "I said we, for we it may be, if you will join with me. A new Power is rising. Against it the old allies and policies will not avail us at all. There is no hope left in Elves or dying Numenor. This then is one choice before you, before us. We may join with that Power. It would be wise, Gandalf. There is hope that way. Its victory is at hand; and there will be rich rewards for those that aided it. as the Power grows, its proved friends will also grow; and the Wise, such as you and I, may with patience come at last to direct its courses, to control it. We can bide our time, we can keep our thoughts in our hearts, deploring maybe evils done by the way, but approving the high and ultimate purpose: Knowledge, Rule, Order; all the things that we have so far striven in vain to accomplish, hindered rather than helped by our weak or idle friends. There need not be, there would not be, any real change in our designs, only in our means."

Saruman is arrogant, and believes that he (the wisest of the wise) can control or direct Sauron's new power to better ends. He is, in many ways, a deeply blue character. Other colors join him later (black most of all) as he goes deeper towards Sauron (and eventually betrays him to attempt to become the Power himself). As the initial version: blue is fine.
Abilities
I would have done the opposite of what, I think, Wizards is doing. I would have made the most powerful version of Saruman mono-blue and a version of him before (or right before) his fall (at mythic rare) then made a White-Blue-Black version of "Saruman of Many Colors" as he is when he betrays everyone, and then a final version of Saruman as "Sharky" in his attempt to conquer the Shire. The most important power of Saruman is his voice. His power to persuade others, Tolkien describes it at length in the chapter "The Voice of Saruman" here is a brief description:

Suddenly another voice spoke, low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment. Those who listened unwarily to that voice could seldom report the words that they heard; and if they did they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seems wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves. When others spoke they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in their hearts of all those under the spell. For some the spell lasted only while the voice spoke to them, and when it spoke to another they smiled, as men do who see through a juggler's trick while others gape at it. For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled; for for those whom conquered the spell endured when they were far away"

I don't mind the "second spell Amass 2" thing, but I think it completely fails to capture Saruman as Saruman. The other version of Saruman spoiled (Saruman of Many Colors) does not do any better in my opinion. I would have gone with a version of Saruman which steals creatures either when Saruman blocks the creature, or when Saruman attacks. Perhaps with a rider like "so long as Saruman's power is greater than the creature it remains under your control" to mimic the idea that stronger willed creatures are more able to resist his voice.
Overall this does invoke the idea that Saruman is amassing an army, and that isn't terrible, but it's a very surface level reading of the character which is not particularly appealing to me. We shall see if other versions or cards capture Saruman's voice better.
On a side note: I wish that Saruman and Gandalf were planeswalkers (perhaps even Sauraon) as they are not humans but more like angels. Furthermore, they in some ways 'travel the planes' by going from Valinor (where mortals typically cannot go) to Middle Earth and back. That's not quite Planeswalking but its close.

Today is the first day my fever broke at a low of 98 however I’ll now back to 101.7
I been having right eye pain, extreme cold chills, sore throat that feels kinda like there is a ball in my throat, runny nose, reduced sense of taste/smell, my ears feel like they are under pressure and I’m having reduced hearing, I been having little appetite eating as little as once a day when I force myself beyond that if I eat more I start feeling like I’ll puke, I’m noticing I’m also having some shortness of breath or breathing heavily.
I have had the 2 first doses of Pfizer in 2021 followed by the booster in September.
I returned from Africa 8 month stay and these symptoms started as soon as I got to a cooler climate, I’m currently near Phoenix AZ and these symptoms aren’t going away, I’m still taking my Malarone as directed.
I suffered a heat stroke in April a lil over 110 core temp so I’m thinking maybe it was originally my body unable to regulate core temp allowing me to get sick upon return.
I’m a 26 year old male
Gonna get myself seen tomorrow I just wanna know if I should be more concerned.

I saw on Instagram the studio near my office will be having a dedicated Taylor Swift playlist tomorrow, so I've booked their morning class instead of my regular evening at my home studio. I am actually looking forward to an AM workout, which is shocking to me haha. I am curious what other artists you'd enjoy an entire playlist dedicated to?

I recently completed a RTW award on ANA and wanted to share my experience to help others with this amazing award. I spent a long time researching before going through with booking --Hope this can help the next person! I did make a few mistakes/learnings along the way hope some can take into consideration. Overall, I spent 125,000 points transferred from Amex MR & ~$950 for 8 segments going East from the US in Business.

Routing

DEN-YYZ-LHR, VIE-BKK-SIN-DPS-SIN-HND-SFO - can paste into GCMap which results in a total of 21,526 mi; within the 22,000 Business Category.
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Routing	CarrieClass
DEN (Denver) - YYZ (Toronto)	AC (Air Canada) / Economy
YYZ (Toronto) - LHR (London)	AC (Air Canada) / Business
VIE (Vienna) - BKK (Bangkok)	BR (Eva Airways) / Business
BKK (Bangkok) - SIN (Singapore)	SQ (Singapore) / Business
SIN (Singapore) - DPS (Bali)	SQ (Singapore) / Business
DPS (Bali) - SIN (Singapore)	SQ (Singapore) / Business
SIN (Singapore) - HND (Tokyo)	NH (ANA) / Business
HND (Tokyo) - SFO (San Francisco)	NH (ANA) / Business

The total portion of my time is about a month, with a majority of my time spent in Europe between LHR and VIE, a small portion of time in Bali to break up flights, and about a week in Japan before flying home.

Research Process

I had been targeting Spring/Early Summer 2024 for this award for awhile but hadn't nailed down a particular date. I wanted to travel during shoulder season to maximize value, crowds, and decent weather across these regions. I was just waiting for the award calendar to open up for most of the carriers. I started looking about a month out (April) and doing some random searches/looks to see what flights were coming available and possible routings. In my research I found that most flights leaving from the US to Asia booked up fastest right after being released at the edge of the booking window (ex: ANA opens up bookings on its metal 355 days out; and within say 3-4 days of release most of these flights are snatched up and go into Waitlist status in Business). I had originally been planning on flying West from the US and starting in Asia, however, after doing a few mock bookings this soon became apparent it would be near impossible (Especially since Japan in spring is peak season with the Cherry Blossoms, festivals, etc). I would occasionally find a random flight departing from the US to Asia within a month of the edge of the booking window; and try to plan flights around that going westward, but it would disappear extremly quickly and my plans would be spoiled. As a result I found for this time of year it would be easiest to go east from the US through Europe first, and then ending in Asia and snatching my return flights at the edge of the booking window when ANA's flights opened/other carriers.
I would definitely recommend being flexible and don't have your heart set on going one direction originally due to concerns about time in the Air vs. Jetlag etc. I had been reading a few articles/discussions about the best direction to take and really had my heart set on going westward originally; but would say after going through this process to ignore choosing a direction initially and try to do a few samples in either direction to see what is easiest. I think I wasted a-lot of time/frustration originally trying to go westward rather than just seeing what was easiest with the most connection opportunities.
Another research point is that domestic US Business availability/North America is extremly hard to come by. United basically was only offering Economy segments domestically; I didn't see any J fares. AC Departures from US up to Canada was nearly the same thing. I did randomly see consistent J availability from SMF - YVR on a CRJ AC was offering nearly every day, and from ORD on a few dates but didn't think going out of my way was worth it. It was at a bad time and on a relatively undesirable (IMO) CRJ so I could see why that route had wide open availability. The problem was once you made it to YVR; you usually had to connect to YYZ or YYC internationally and I had the same issue finding J space domestically in Canada; so it was a dead end. I ended up just booking my first segment in Economy on AC up to Canada - didn't want to waste valuable hunting time looking for a short segment in J domestically when the biggest fish looking for space was internationally. Don't obsess over having every segment in J especially your first flight. If space opens later you can always switch into a higher class on the same flight.
For research and booking I used FlightConnections to get routing ideas based on Star Alliance carriers. I then used United's monthly award calendar (without being logged in) to see Saver availability, and then confirmed this on ANA's website. I was going to use some other tools but didn't find them useful. I paid for a day trial of point . me but found it slow and cumbersome without the filtering I needed. I didn't find Aeroplan that useful either. If I was to do this again I would explore paying for ExpertFlyer Pro and using that to search more easily.. would have probably been faster. The trial wasn't long enough to be that useful for when I was researching/booking, but it did give me some ideas - and looking back I would have easily paid for a month or two of Pro Membership to speed up my searching. Overall though, I just stuck to FlightConnections + United + ANA confirmation.

Booking Process

The time had come to where the edge of the booking window was approaching the dates I wanted. I had a few routings in mind and had saved multiple variations targeting the 22,000 mileage cap. I had a few options but nothing nailed down; so I started the process to transfer 125,000 points from Amex to ANA. Even though as a "best practice" most say to not transfer until you have the flights chosen or held, I had read some conflicting points online stating ANA does not do holds, so didn't want to risk this. I was confident based on my research I would be able to piece something together as I had a-lot of backup options chosen. I attempted to transfer late on a Friday afternoon online but got the message the transfer was unsuccessful and had to call Amex; did that early Saturday morning and they completed the transfer for me manually. Turns out I didn't have a "Call Center Pin" setup; so make sure you go into your account and set one before trying and the transfer online should go through, according to the agent. This ordeal added to my stress during the process -- if you are going to be transferring MR please make note!
I was on edge waiting for the points to deposit the entire weekend, and kept tabs on my various options. US - Europe had a-lot of options on AC; and I also had a few backup options on TAP. The "riskiest" flight for me was VIE-BKK as I really needed to get out of Europe to Asia; and there weren't many options since I was booking really close to the edge of the booking window. I couldn't see any long haul availability on Turkish/Ethiopian/other European Star Alliance carriers; so I was pretty much banking on EVA with my backup as Egyptaiothers. I noticed that Singapore seemingly doesn't publish any saver J availability to partners on long haul flights; but it does have pretty decent availability in J on short haul interasia flights. It seems like the cutoff is around 4.5 hr; but found good availability from some cities in India and even Dhaka in Bangladesh to SIN I could have used to connect to with a mix of EgyptAir / Air India / Singapore if EVA didn't work out but honestly this was a last resort and I didn't want to; but at least I had a plan. During the weekend my original VIE-BKK flight selection disappeared; but luckily they had another flight the next day I was able to book into instead. They also had other options within Europe I could have fallen back on like LHR and AMS. I didn't want to depart from LHR unless absolutely necessary as the UK Departure tax would have been ~200 pounds; something that can be avoided if possible. Definitely look into 5th freedom routes for "hidden gems"; I know Ethiopian offers some too. Apart from this; within Asia there were alot of options, and I wasn't concerned about getting back to the US from Japan because I was purposefully booking on the edge of the booking window for ANA to ensure I had availability.
Points were finally deposited early Monday morning sometime between 1am - 9am EST. I saw them in my account when I woke up early which was perfect as I was targeting calling the ANA Call Center around then, some posters online had said calling around this time resulted in the shortest wait. I waited about 1.5 hours and got a nice agent who helped me. Of note; when I called the very first thing she confirmed was my point balance. It seems like they won't even entertain booking something for you (or at least this agent in particular) if you have 0 points; so I am glad I transferred my points before. She was very helpful in quickly researching and confirming the flights -- at the same time I was on the ANA website with the multi city booking tool confirming the space was there too alongside her. She questioned at first about me backtracking by going from SIN - DPS - SIN but realized I had to do this to connect with SIN - HND as there weren't any direct flights from SIN and was fine with it. At the end of feeding her the flights she said the routing I desired was greater than 22,000 miles (~23,5000 miles) and would trigger the next bucket to be 135,000 points -- my heart sank.
This is where my mistake came in... Originally I had 2 inter-european segments, and also wanted to fly from HND - IAH instead of HND - SFO. The entire time I had been researching with gcmapper to get the distances; I had been using nautical miles (nm) in the calculations rather than statute miles (mi)! The nautical mile calculation had been below 22,000 so I thought I was in the clear the entire time. The agent was super helpful and understood my mistake and I did some research in the background for a few minutes. I ended up dropping the inter-european segments and switching from HND-IAD to HND-SFO which made my routing 21,526mi which was below the 22,000 threshold according to gcmapper. She came back to me and quoted 21,523mi, so we were pretty close in our distances after this... 3 mile difference hah. Disaster averted.
After she confirmed all the segments had availability she put me on hold and calculated the taxes and fees ~($950). The majority of the taxes and fees were from the 2 ANA segments at the end of my trip; with fuel charges. I got sent to an automated phone system to input my card info, and returned back to her (don't hang up!). She told me that she had to have the fare desk ticket the itinerary and I should be getting an email or callback. Sure enough ~2 hours later she called me back and said I had to re-enter my card info as they had some issue with their system; the flight hadn't yet been ticketed. I took the opportunity to change one of the segments during this callback to a better time I had found and she helped me change it since It hadn't yet been ticketed -- I was flustered on the first call when she said the milage was too high.
Something interesting I noted is during the time between calls I was able to see the reservation on the ANA App; and an alert said "Complete Payment by *date*" which was 3 days from the present. So it looks like technically they will "hold" a reservation for up to 3 days while waiting for card payment. It sounded like the Agent was willing to work with me as well when I needed 135,000 points instead of 125,000 points; but I didn't want to spent more or risk the timing with transfers. I wouldn't bank on this at all. Just FYI though. After this second call I got an email about a half an hour later with my receipt and ticket/itinerary and PNR. I was able to select seats and finally relax after the ordeal.
After all of this, I probably spent about 12 hours spaced out during 3 days of the booking process plus my previous research over about a month. Definitely set aside some time for yourself during booking and research.

Change Process

Something I hadn't seen much of online was the process for making a change to an existing RTW booking - I ended up doing this as well, so hopefully this can help some.
About a week after booking I noticed one of the flights opened availability from SIN-HND on ANA at a better time. I was originally flying overnight but wanted to fly during the day to help minimize jetlag, and jumped at the chance. Also I wanted to spend more time in Singapore so this helped. Note you can only change the date + time of a flight; it must be the same routing and carrier and class (except you can move up a class if one becomes available and your original ticket allows for that class). I called around 2PM EST and it only took about an hour to get through this time. The agent simply told me I would owe the difference in taxes/fees for the change. There wasn't any penalty or call center charge assessed for this. I had read somewhere that apparently you'd be charged a 1,000 point fee for the change but this wasn't the case for me. The difference amounted to some small amount around a dollar or so which I happily paid. The agent shared something helpful to me -- she asked I save a card on the ANA website to my account rather than doing it on the phone. This would help the Fare Desk charge faster without needing to call me back like last time, I guess they have issues with their credit card system on the phone with some credit cards. I ended up doing this with her on the phone guiding me and she confirmed she could now see my card. The change ended up going through an hour later with a new ticket/itinerary and recipient emailed to me; no second call necessary.
According to the fare rules denoted on my PNR; you can do a similar change with date/time only up to 4 days (96 hours) before departure - also during the trip itself I believe as well. (full endorsements/restrictions on the ticket: NO MILEAGE CREDIT/NH FFP/NON END/RRT/DT CHNG UPTO 4DYS B4 NEW FLT)

TLDNeed to know Tips

• Successfully booked ANA RTW in Business at 125,000 points transferred from MR ~950 in taxes/fees. ANA was the culprit for majority of costs with fuel surcharges on 2 segments I flew.
• Don't have your heart set on going a particular direction upfront - go with what is easiest to book, and be flexible!
• Make sure you have Call Center Pin set in Amex if using MR before transferring to ANA to avoid issues.
• ANA seems to not hold for RTW for point transfer time if you have no points; I was asked upfront if I had the points before the agent would assist me. I had to transfer before.
• You can store a card online in ANA's system before calling which can help the Fare Desk/agent speed up processing to avoid callbacks/payment issues. You can store up to two cards. They were willing to hold itinerary up to 3 days awaiting card payment, and possibly for more points (but not with 0 points in my account) - did not test this. Use this info at your own risk. I wouldn't bank on it with points -- risky.
• Used United's award calendar without being logged in + FlightConnections; consider paying for ExpertFlyer too, also be savvy about the booking window(s) of carriers and book against the edge for the best availability especially with ANA.
• When calculating distance with gcmapper use statute miles (mi) not nautical miles (nm)!
• You can change flight(s) after booking as long as its simply a date+time change - no change in routing/carrier. Class change upwards is allowed if your original ticket allows for it. I was not assessed a penalty/fee for the change like some claimed online - could depend though.

I hope this was helpful - pardon the length - just wanted to be as detailed as possible and give back to the community after all the help I received. Since this is all fresh in my mind please feel free to ask questions and I'll try to answer. I sincerely feel all the effort was worth it for the value I received - best of luck booking!

About an hour ago a man that was around my age (early 30s) came into my place of work and put his hands on me and left fingernail marks on my arm. It was completely out of nowhere and he was very obviously high on some sort of upper and also possibly drunk. I was working alone I immediately went into fight mode and started screaming at him to gtfo and I called the cops and filed a police report. It happened just off camera, and the entire interaction was only about 45 seconds, but his face and outfit is seared into my head. I love my job and I’ve been there nearly a decade and never had anything like this happen to me. It’s a very safe area but now I’m terrified he’s going to come back and attempt worse. I got very big and loud and screamed at him to get out and he just kept saying “i just want to buy you everything in the world! I just want to buy you a gift!” Very stalker-like behavior but I have NEVER seen this man before and I have a really impressive photographic memory. His face/appearance are seared into my head and I gave a very accurate description but the cops weren’t able to find him. My partner lives a little farther than the police station and he arrived ten minutes before the cops. I’m just disappointed, scared, and really shaken up. I’m okay physically, I just can’t stop shaking. I had been in an extremely physically relationship a few years ago and now im mad because those scared feelings were brought back by some fucking creepy stranger. I’m aware it could’ve been so much worse but i am incredibly nervous to go back to work.

“MOTHER OF CLEARSIGHT!” Poison Oak yelled as the massive dragon rose.
Firefly couldn’t say anything. She stared as the dragoness shook dirt and debris off herself. She was mostly green, with a red ruff and golden wings. She looked at the two dragonets.
“Oh, sorry I almost crushed you.” Quetzalcoatl said. “What are your names?”
“I-I’m Firefly and this is Poison Oak.” Firefly said. “I’m guessing you’re Quetzalcoatl.”
“Why, yes I am!” Quetzalcoatl said. “Excuse me.” The massive RainWing quickly shrunk down to the size of a normal dragon. “I’m sorry if I scared you, and for the mess I caused.”
Firefly and Poison Oak slowly drifted down to land. Firefly, in her best queen voice, asked, “What do you plan on doing here?”
Quetzalcoatl chuckled. “You sound like my friend Iris.” She said. “Don’t worry. I promise I come in peace.”
“You better.” Poison Oak said. She extended one of her wings between Firefly and Quetzalcoatl. “If you hurt my girlfriend, I’ll kill you.”
Quetzalcoatl held her front talons in the air. “I won’t hurt anyone, I promise! By the way, what year is it?”
“It’s been 5,022 years since the Scorching.” Firefly informed her. “You’re the eighth Mother of the Scorching to resurface in modern day. Dragons and scavengers are mostly at peace. This is the Rainforest Kingdom.”
“I never thought we’d ever be at peace with scavengers.” Quetzalcoatl said. “Leviathan’s probably furious about that. She only likes scavengers as snacks.”
Firefly remembered what Gill, Magma, and Beetle had said about Leviathan. About how absolutely massive and unstoppable she was. About how she could destroy a human village by stepping on it.
Before she could say anything about that, the trees near her thrashed, and Magma fell out of them.
“Found them!” She yelled. Almost immediately after that, Beetle, Sandshard, Listener, and Gill fell out of the trees as well.
“Hi.” Sandshard said, popping up. “We saw her emerge. Talk about a dramatic entrance!”
“That was less scary than the first time I saw Leviathan.” Gill said, looking at Quetzalcoatl.
“Gee, I wonder why,” Beetle commented, straightening her glasses.
Listener gazed at Quetzalcoatl intently, then said, “She has absolutely no ill will toward anyone.”
“I see you’re a mind reader.” Quetzalcoatl said. “Have you met Nyx?”
“I have.” Listener said, smiling.
“I think we should go back to the RainWing village.” Firefly said. “My mother will want to know that we found Quetzalcoatl.”
As the others prepared to take off, Poison Oak whispered to Firefly, “Are you feeling better?”
Firefly smiled at her girlfriend. “You know what? I think I am.”

I tend to go camping a few times between May and October. I've been as far north as Acadia National Park and as south as the Great Smoky Mountains. Like everyone else who has ever been camping, I've been caught in rainstorms where the tent advertised as weatherproof starts leaking at the seams. Then the wildlife-- bears outside my tent rummaging for food, then leaving as the scent leads them to a backpack strung to a far-reaching branch high up a tree. Despite the uneasiness these scenarios create, it's part of what makes camping special: exposure to the wilderness. This vulnerability has never bothered me much-- that is, until recently.
I packed my backpack the night before with everything I'd need for a 7.5 mile there and back hike. I woke up to a call from my buddy who would be joining me, saying he caught a stomach bug and couldn't make it. I was bummed to hear it, but I've been solo camping a dozen times before. I had a protein bar to curb my appetite until I got to a diner in a small town by the edge of the national forest I would be going to. I've been once before and couldn't get enough of their blueberry pancakes. For a town named Sandwich, you know they know food. I accounted for Memorial Day traffic and gave myself plenty of time to leave, and in fact, arrived at the diner before my ETA. A weather-tattered missing child flyer was posted on the entry door. A 14-year-old girl, last seen in November, walking home from the bus stop. It noted, "a hundred yards from her home."
I sat at the counter and by my second coffee, was talking Red Sox with a local beside me. Looking better than last season, we both agreed. We talked about Bogaerts leaving and traded stories of Fenway. "I'd take my kids down to see them when they were younger..." He paused. "Well, Becca goes to games sometimes. She goes to college in Boston now." He seemed like he was going to go on, but got lost in his thoughts. I tried lightening things up and asked him what he thought of Devers' batting. "I don't want to talk about baseball anymore." The food was great and I stayed for another cup of coffee, but the atmosphere was heavy. I'm sure losing a child with no sense of closure will rattle a small town.
My car almost bottomed out on the road to the trailhead. Rocks bulged from the ground as I navigated the narrow passage with a steep drop to my right. The sign to the trail was up ahead. No other cars were parked. Though it was a holiday weekend, as the sign explained, this is a seldom used trail. "Be mindful and be safe." The first mile is a relaxing stroll that eventually comes up to a pond with a beaver dam stretching across. The ground becomes extraordinarily soft here. There's a meadow up ahead where I took a break and enjoyed the view of nearby Algonquin Mountain. A mile further, the woods become dense. Here, a sign reads, "The following portion of this trail is poorly marked. The route can be treacherous. Proceed with caution." Though I wasn't far from the lean-to I'd be camping at, there were portions where I questioned whether I was on the trail at all. I looked at my map, then at my compass. I felt assured and kept walking. I was right-- I came to the brook that crosses the trail. A fresh moose print in the mud. I clapped to let my presence be known. As I gained elevation, the trail became exceedingly narrow. To my left were boulders; to my right was a hundred-foot drop. There were steps carved into the dirt ahead. I took a moment to self-assure my balance and continued. The elevation plateaued and just ahead I could see the lean-to.
While gathering wood for a fire, I found some wintergreen that would be great for making tea. With the campfire crackling and my tea beside me, I opened a collection of Hermann Hesse fairytales I brought. I could still hear the stream faint in the distance. The middle of the forest is peacefully noisy. The whistles of songbirds, the caws of crows, the breeze through the trees. At the risk of sounding pretentious, it's like a symphony. The forest gets darker sooner than town, and by now the sun was largely blocked by trees. Baked beans simmer in my camping pot and are gone soon after. I lie in my sleeping bag under the lean-to without much on my mind. Then, the bellow of a moose echoed off the trees. I listened intently for footsteps, but the sound had probably traveled from a mile away. As the hours passed, I extinguished the fire and continued reading stories with my book light until I fell asleep.
A call from the woods woke me. I figured it was another moose. It's not unheard of for them to be roaming around at night. Then, it called again. This time as I listened more closely, something was off. It had an almost human quality to it, like a hunter's call. I couldn't tell where it was coming from, but it didn't sound close. Several minutes of quiet passed, then again. This time right outside my camp, followed by footsteps. Moose sound like big animals on all four-- these steps were bipedal. One after the other through the brush. A branch snapped and I shot up and grabbed my flashlight. I called out "Hello?" in case it may have been a hiker. I checked my watch. 1:00 AM. Shining my flashlight in the direction I heard it, there was nothing. Ten minutes went by as I listened for more footsteps. Whatever it was I figured must still be in the area. I took my bear spray from my backpack pouch and with my flashlight in the other hand, searched the perimeter of camp. I didn't find anything and went back to the lean-to. I turned on my LED lantern and lie quietly, unable to fall back asleep. I checked my watch again: 2:15 AM. Then another noise, this time hooting. Animals, I told myself. It could be an owl, but again I had my hand on the bear spray. Another hoot, followed by a cackle. Then the footsteps. "Who's there!?" I called out. A cackle responded. Suddenly, from the direction of the noises, a flashlight was shined on me. Out of fear, I sprayed the bear spray toward the light, but whatever-- whoever it was didn't retreat. The flashlight turned off, followed by human laughter. I shined my flashlight towards it and it did stand on two legs, but its proportions were off-- its thin legs seemed too tall for its body. Its eyes reflected the light like a cat's as it receded back into the darkness.
I would hear its demented calls throughout that night, never sure whether or not it was near or far. I'm not sure whether it was human, animal, or something entirely different. I wish my friend was able to make the trip, because sometimes, like this very moment, as I type these words, it's hard to believe them. But it wasn't a dream, as I never fell back asleep that night. The moment the sun rose enough to see, I hit the trail. And with each ambiguous path, and each carved cliffside footstep, the sights and sounds of the night rattled through my mind. My car was a sanctuary-- still the only one parked by the trailhead. When I think about the town that lines that forest, the same heavy feeling that surrounded me in the diner hits. I hope that child is found, but I know something more than a bear or moose lurks in those woods. I hope it's not human, but I shudder to think what else it could be.

So...stats;
Loner, started @ Cordon. Veteran 23001. 33 days elapsed. 550 Mutants Killed, 350 Stalkers, 200 Stashes. 45 Emissions. 250 Tasks. Few hundred thousand in the bank with like 800kg of shit stored the Train Hangar, but no Expert Tools to repair anything requiring them (so Med Armour and a KS23/Kriss Vector and M4 Tactical atm but Ash12/Scablah blah just waiting)
But...only 14/33 levels visited. I only disabled the Brain Scorcher the other day, like 28? days in, still yet to go further North than the Army Warehouses or Yantar, because I'm subconsciously avoiding Dead City and Red Forest despite wrecking most things down South. Not entered any underground areas apart from X16. I seem to be in a loop of ''set out from base at Garbage > find cool shit to store or sell and get overburdened nearly > return back to Garbage > complete tasks that involve me heading even further South like gigantic 12kg shipments to return to Cordon > repeat". I've been in that loop around the South West almost this whole time -- and that includes barely any time in Darkscape, Dark Valley and Truck Cemetery.
Am I insane and literally going at snails pace up the map? I have no frame of reference really, so I wonder how the 'average' players would stack up at this point, but tbh I play most games in a similar fashion taking ages to build up be it strategy games or getting hugely over-leveled, so yeah. Still massively enjoying myself though.

I gotta know, what's your personal secret to finding success when you're on a dungeon solo run to slay the boss all by yourself at the end?
I'm a level 19 bear druid and I recently fought through the Defiled Catacomb near Nevesk, only to reach the spider boss at the end and soon give up as it seemed like my bear druid just didn't have a chance when overwhelmed by sticky traps, enemy crowds, and poisonous AOE. I've found this a few times, when a dungeon doesn't pose an issue whatsoever, until suddenly the boss whomps me time and time again.
I'm no ARPG gamer God, but I sometimes feel like the bosses make me want to experiment with a different class entirely. Maybe I should just turn the World Tier back to I? It's only been a few bosses that have given me real trouble...

Ive taken in a stray kitten and want some advice
Evening all! I hope you're all well but I'm seeking some advice as is said in the title I have just taken in a stray kitten.
For a little backstory, I was on a hike in a woodland near me and was about 10k away from civilisation when I hear what sounded like whimpering from a cat and when I went to investigate I found her laid down in a small creak in the ground seemingly unable to get out so when I gently got her out I realised she had her little legs all cut up so I took her back. (Yes I checked for a collar.)
She had been semi responsive to me holding her and did not freak out too much.
Now we are both home, I've bathed her in warm, hypoallergenic soapy water and she had been bottle fed lactose free milk and in the last couple hours I booked her into a vets trip tomorrow morning but my main question is there anything I need to do tonight and if anyone has any advice on taking care of her, id really appreciate it!

Ive taken in a stray kitten and want some advice
Evening all! I hope you're all well but I'm seeking some advice as is said in the title I have just taken in a stray kitten.
For a little backstory, I was on a hike in a woodland near me and was about 10k away from civilisation when I hear what sounded like whimpering from a cat and when I went to investigate I found her laid down in a small creak in the ground seemingly unable to get out so when I gently got her out I realised she had her little legs all cut up so I took her back. (Yes I checked for a collar.)
She had been semi responsive to me holding her and did not freak out too much.
Now we are both home, I've bathed her in warm, hypoallergenic soapy water and she had been bottle fed lactose free milk and in the last couple hours I booked her into a vets trip tomorrow morning but my main question is there anything I need to do tonight and if anyone has any advice on taking care of her, id really appreciate it!

So me (20M) and this girl (19F) met a few months ago from working at the same restaurant. We started off as friends and then grew closer and closer. We started kissing and then i started eating her out and fingering her. I got pretty good at it that i continued just doing that, with the usual foreplay. I always make her orgasm with this method and she hasn’t made any complaints. We’ve always been on many “dates” as our mutuals would call them, but to us its just 2 friends hanging out. Even though we haven’t had sex, she has caught feelings for me and i don’t know where i stand with her. Recently, she finally asked why i haven’t tried to have sex with her. She said that she was too scared to attempt to push me for it. The reason i’ve been putting it off for a few month is because i’ve only had sex one time before and im scared to perform. I can get an erection by just slightly touching her when she comes and hugs me, when we are kissing, or when im grabbing her butt. But once i get near her vagina, i start to lose it and my heart starts racing and my head starts. I start thinking “what if’s”. I really want to have sex with her, but im afraid she wont like it and also embarrassing myself. Im not embarrassed of my penis size, im 6.5 inches and slightly thick, but when i lose my erection and get anxiety, it shrinks and gets pretty small from my perspective, so i don’t want her to see that. I just want to be able to please her intensely, any advice for my specific situation?

I am playing on hard mode and the Okita boss fight in the barracks right before the final boss has frustrated me to the point where I'm ready to stop playing the game after 50+ hours and not experience the ending.
No, the boss fight is not hard. Yes, I'm pretty sure I could win with a few more tries. But when I can execute a flawless battle with full health and then be killed by a one hit kill move that's extremely hard to dodge, I just feel like the game isn't respecting my time and hasn't been properly balanced. I breeze through most combat encounters, but a single attack from this boss fight has resulted in my enjoyment of this game cratering to near zero. I already have not been enjoying the combat compared to previous LAD games, but this is probably going to be my limit (which is a shame because the story is so incredible in this game).
Have others had a similar experience?

I love my girlfriend to death. She’s beautiful in every way I can imagine but she doesn’t see herself that way. She hates everything about herself. She’s not overweight by any means but she’s got a little bit of weight and that’s totally fine. The problem is that now she is starting a diet to starve herself and only eat a tiny lunch and that’s it. I told her that weight loss is not about starvation but she’s really stubborn about it. On top of this, she hates every single picture of her and us ever. She hates them all. Calls them hideous. Whenever I take a pic of her her first instinct is to ask me to delete it. I usually don’t but lately it’s been getting to the point where she makes me.
It’s draining as we’ve been together for nearly a year and a half and she hasn’t always been like this. Like she has, but not nearly as bad.
She complains about her small belly and hardly noticeable double chin. She also complains about everything else like her eyes and nose etc.
I asked her if she compares herself to other people and she said no. The only social media she has is Twitter for memes and tik tok. I told her that 90% of the things she worries about can’t be changed and shouldn’t be as she is beautiful the way she is. And I told her straight up that if her weight bothers her then it’s fixable with exercise and diet. She kind of agreed but went back on herself and is now starting this starvation diet of tiny lunches and she wants to do it for the next month.
I’m worried she’s running down into an eating disorder and I don’t know what the fuck to do.
TLDR girlfriend hates how she looks and her weight. Makes me delete pictures of her because she hates the way she looks and starting to starve herself.