Citi trends near me

PayPal Friends and Family please.
​
4K / HD iTunes
Agent Game (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Clerks III (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Clifford: The Big Red Dog (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Despicable Me 2 (2013) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Detective Knight: Rogue - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Divergent (2014) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Ender's Game (2013) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
F8 - The Fate of the Furious (Theatrical) (2017) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Gigi & Nate (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Infinite (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
King Kong (2005) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Lamborghini: The Man Behind The Legend (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $7.00
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
National Champions (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Paws of Fury - The Legend of Hank (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Rumble (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Scream (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) - 4K - iTunes - $5.00
Star Trek: Into the Darkness (2013) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Terminator Genisys (2015) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Bourne Legacy (2012) - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Lost City - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
Till (2023) - 4K - iTunes - $6.00
​
Universal All-Access Reward
March Universal Reward - Redeems in MA - $4.00
​
4k movies (MA only)
The Bourne Ultimatum 4k
8 Mile 4k
​
HD movies (MA only)
Popstar Never Stop Never Stopping
Meet the Parents
Mallrats
Liar Liar
Get him to the Greek Unrated
Get him to the Greek
Cat in the hat
Charlie St. Cloud
Bring it on
The break up
​
Full TV Seasons
Game of Thrones - Season 4 - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Superman & Lois - The Complete Season 2 (2022) - Vudu - $7.00
​
Funimation
My Hero Academia Season 4 (2020) 25 Episodes - HD - Funimation - $7.00
My Hero Academia Season 4 Part 1 (2020) 12 Episodes - HD - Funimation - $5.00
My Hero Academia Season 4 Part 2 (2020) 12 Episodes - HD - Funimation - $5.00
​
4K / HD / SD movies
3:10 To Yuma (2007) - 4K - Vudu - $5.00
A Dog's Purpose (2017) - HD - MA - $4.00
Alita - Battle Angel (2019) - HD - MA Vudu GP - $5.00
Beast (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) - HD - MA Vudu GP - $5.00
Breakdown (1997) - HD - iTunes Vudu - $6.00
Bullet Train (2022) - HD - MA - $6.00
Catwoman: Hunted (2022) - HD MA Vudu - $5.00
C'mon C'mon (2022) - HD - Vudu GP - $5.00
Copshop (2021) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Dear Evan Hansen (2021) - HD - MA - $5.00
Death on the Nile (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Despicable Me 2 (2013) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Dog Days (2012) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes GP - $5.00
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Long Haul (2017) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes GP - $5.00
Divergent (2014) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Downton Abbey (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Elvis (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Ender's Game (2013) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Fast & Furious: 8 Movie Collection (2020) - 1 code for all 8 - HD - MA - $20.00
Fast and the Furious 6 extended - 4K - MA - $4.00
Fast and the Furious 6 - 4K - MA - $4.00
Fast & Furious 6 (Extended Edition) (2013) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Fast & Furious 7 (Extended Edition) (2015) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Firestarter (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - HD - GP - $4.00
Heaven is for Real (2014) - HD - MA - $4.00
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Hot Seat (2022) - HD - Vudu GP - $5.00
Hunger Games (2012) - HD - Vudu Fandango - $4.00
Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (2016) - HD - MA Vudu GP - $4.00
Infinite (2022) - HD - Vudu - $5.00
Jarhead 2: Field of Fire (unrated) (2014) - HD - MA - $5.00
Jurassic World: Dominion Theatrical & Extended Cut (2022) - 1 Code both versions - HD - MA - $6.00
King Kong (2005) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
King Richard (2022) - SD - MA Vudu - $4.00
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2023) - HD - MA - $6.00
Marksman (2021) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) - HD - Vudu (split) - $4.00
Morbius (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Mortal Kombat (2021) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Paws of Fury - The Legend of Hank (2022) - HD - Vudu - $5.00
Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) - HD - MA - $5.00
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) - HD - MA - $5.00
Spider-Man: Far From Home & Spider-Man: Homecoming (1 code) - HD - MA - $8.00
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - HD - MA - $6.00
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2022) - SD - MA - $5.00
Star Trek: Into the Darkness (2013) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Taken 2 (2012) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Taken 2 (2012) - HD - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
Terminator Genisys (2015) - HD - Vudu (split) - $5.00
The Bad Guys (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
The Batman (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
The King's Man (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
The Last Duel (2022) - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
The Last Duel (2022) - HD - GP - $4.00
The Lorax (2012) - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
The Matrix: Resurrection - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
The Woman King (2023) - HD - MA - $6.00
Thunderstruck (2012) - HD - MA Vudu - $4.00
Ticket To Paradise (2023) - HD - MA Vudu - $6.00
Trolls (2016) - HD - MA - $5.00
Uncharted (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Venom (2018) - HD - MA - $5.00
Vivo (2022) - HD - MA - $5.00
Where The Crawdads Sing (2022) - HD - MA - $6.00
Wonder Woman (2017) - HD - MA Vudu - $5.00
Zero's and One's (2022) - HD - Vudu GP - $5.00
​
Disney / 4K split
Avengers Endgame (2019) - iTunes 4K only (split) - $5.00
Captain American: Winter Soldier (2014) - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
Captain Marvel (2019) - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
Iron Man 3 (2013) - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 1 - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 2 - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 3 - 4K - iTunes (split) - $5.00
Star Wars - The Force Awakens - 4K - iTunes only (split) - $5.00
The Little Mermaid - 4K - iTunes only - $6.00
Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) - 4K - iTunes only - $5.00
​
Disney / HD split
101 Dalmatians (1961) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $6.00
Alexander and the Terrible Horrible Bad Day - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $5.00
Ant-Man & the Wasp (2018) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Avengers Endgame (2019) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Big Hero 6 (2014) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Black Widow (2021) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Black Widow (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Captain America: Civil War (2016) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Cars 3 (2017) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Coco (2017) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Cruella (2021) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Cruella (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Encanto (2022) - HD - MA Vu (split) - $4.00
Encanto (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Finding Dory (2016) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Fox and the Hound 2 (2006) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes Fandango (split) - $5.00
Iron Man 3 (2013) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Jungle Cruise (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
Jungle Cruise (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Lady and the Tramp (1955) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $6.00
Lady and the Tramp (1955) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Lightyear (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
Lightyear (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Lion King (1994) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Luca (2021) - HD - MA - $4.00
Luca (2021) - HD - GP - $4.00
Monsters University (2013) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $6.00
Mulan (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Pinocchio (1940) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $6.00
Pinocchio (1940) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Planes (2013) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes Fandango (split) - $5.00
Planes Fire & Rescue (2014) - HD - MA Vudu iTunes (split) - $5.00
Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Solo - A Star Wars Story (2018) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - GP (split) - $6.00
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Star Wars - The Force Awakens - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Star Wars - The Last Jedi - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Incredibles 2 - HD - GP (split) - $65.00
The Santa Clause 1 - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 2 - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Santa Clause 3 - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
The Sword in the Stone (1963) - HD - iTunes MA Vudu (split) - $6.00
The Sword in the Stone (1963) - HD - GP (split) - $6.00
Thor: Love and Thunder HD - MA Vudu (split) - $5.00
Thor: Love and Thunder HD - GP (split) - $4.00
Toy Story (1995) - HD - GP (split) - $5.00
Turning Red (2022) - HD - MA Vudu (split) - $4.00
Turning Red (2022) - HD - GP (split) - $4.00

My partner and I (late 20s-30) had a group of almost 40 friends over of mine and our roommates for a housewarming party. The party was such a blast, and everything was amazing right up until the end.
Most of our friends are amazing, respectful and being in our mid-late 20s to 30s, we don't often have too many people not handling their alcohol. At worst, someone would be unable to drive home.
One girl (I'll call her Alice) came with her bf(Nick) is really sweet to me and we're both Russian. At some point I told her my family never saw their parents again since leaving Russia before I was born due to a string of really complicated immigration and documentation issues. They finally became Canadian citizens but after a struggling so much to restart their lives and having to stay put to become citizens, it's not that easy to be able to travel somewhere so far and expensive. Now of course there's a war. I managed to go there once when I was 20 for a month and I visited both grandmothers for a couple hours each. I feel sad sometimes that I'm so far from them and it's not easy to see them. It cost so much money to get the tourist visa, and I was still struggling to get a head start in my career so taking so much time would be difficult to pull off. I've never had enough disposable income until the past couple of years or so.
I'm not sure how I even got into that topic with her, but we were just trying to find and I could tell she wanted to get to know me so I told her about some of this. After she had a few drinks at that party she approached me and said she owns an apartment in Russia that she has to sell in the same city that my grandmother lives in. She made some offers to visit her in person and set up a web call to give her some company, or alternatively that I could come there but she would only have the apartment through to this summer. The offer is so short notice, with my job I don't get time off very easily but I told her I would really think about it and that I appreciated her bringing it up. I plan to call my grandma and talk to her about the idea, I'm not even sure how she would respond. It's just a difficult thing to know what to do about.
Alice gave me some nice life wisdom which is that you can make money anytime but the life of your grandmother is precious and their days are limited. With that said, up ending my work on potentially running into issues with traveling to a country that the US actively tells its citizens and not to go to has many risks that I'm just not fully versed on. I've heard many success stories of people going there, but I've also heard of people having their phone searched and random interrogations, harassment and arrests.
Anyways, whether or not it's going to be realistic for me I still think it's sweet that Alice thought of me. My boyfriend is very opposed to the idea or at least just didn't want to talk about it. I brought it up but she said something and he just stayed silent and didn't respond. So I talked about something else. Later in the night Alice began to get pretty wasted, and by the end was already acting out in some other ways, she wasn't necessarily being aggressive but she was kind of being pushy and bordering on aggressive with her behavior. She was trying to be funny but it came off as annoying. For instance, I have these decorative sounds panels command strips to my door and another guest accidentally dropped one. I picked it up and placed it back where the tape was but Alice yanked it off and said "Wouldn't it look better here?" And she placed it somewhere where there was no tape so it obviously fell again and I had to pick it up and place it back onto the tape, and she did it again even though people were telling her to stop because there's no tape there. She then went downstairs to the kitchen and another guy and I were weighing popcorn to be able to eyeball how much is serving size looks like lol. It was going fine but she came and tried to do it herself but was too drunk to really figure out how to zero the scale and started putting coffee mugs down and splattering the popcorn everywhere. She got mad at the guys for her own frustration and asked me if she can do pow pow to them. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I quickly learned that she was throwing a popcorn at them. She kept looking at me as if I understood why she was mad at them and that we were both mad at them together. Just from the look on her face I could tell she was gone lol.
One of the guys and I were just laughing hysterically because the situation kept getting more and more absurd, she was managing to spill all sorts of liquids down her face and splattering them around my kitchen and kept throwing popcorn, and when her boyfriend came down to see what's going on she also started throwing the popcorn at him but he just started to pick it up because he saw that I was also cleaning up a bit. She was being a little bit pushy with me even though with the best intentions, but she thought that I understood her anger towards the men and she was kind of getting in my face pointing her finger of me, and then pushing her finger in my chest not realizing she was backing me into my kitchen counter. It did come off as a bit aggressive but again I knew she was just really really drunk.
At one Point she started telling the other guy in the kitchen that he should also go to Russia because he's from Germany and it's so much cheaper and easier for him. He was a bit puzzled because he's never had any reason or desire to go to Russia but he just laughed it off.
My bf then came downstairs and she ran up to him and started telling him about how I should go to Russia and how he should let me. This seemed to really annoy him because he initially responded with quotation mark how do you think that's a good idea with her American passport to go there right now? " She kept pressing on with more reasoning, but he just said "I don't want to discuss this now."
She kept pressing on and at this point was getting pretty in his face, and I was still in the kitchen so I was observing a bit of it but I didn't fully see and hear everything. Well it looks like he snapped, and said if you don't stop this in 5 seconds end apologize, I'm throwing you out of here. If she did not stop and kept persisting with more reasons about why I should go to Russia and just wouldn't let off the topic, and she was getting more and more aggravated and so is he. He began to count down and when she showed no signs of stopping at zero, he physically picked her up, put her over his back and carried her outside where he placed her back on the ground and quickly locked the door.
This caused a huge commotion and she was soon wailing and screaming and began yelling about how he is a nazi, and how he just doesn't understand what it's like to have relatives in the Ukraine and she began crying about the war and her relatives and all the tragedies her family is experiencing. As sad as all of it is it was drunk and nonsensical, and no points was he trying to say anything to dismiss any of these things. It seems she just got very emotional.
Here is where I'm torn though. I understand fully that he snapped and she pressed on when he asked her to stop, and she was definitely acting out and getting progressively more annoying throughout the night. With that said I'm just very upset that I got handled in the way that it did because I feel like it escalated the situation further than it would have. I'm not sure how else he could have handled it since she clearly wasn't listening to him when he was asking her to stop, but I wonder if another choice of words could have been used. She remained outside yelling and screaming for hours and about an hour after the last guests left we heard that they were still somewhere in our townhouse complex. The boyfriend is a very nice friend and the poor guy was feeling very torn too because he's just stuck in the middle of this and he knows neither party will apologize. I'm also feeling sad because I just don't want the first party that we had to end on this note.
I'm just looking for some outside opinions or advice - for instance, are there better ways to handle an unruly guest without severely escalating the situation to something extremely upsetting and distressing for them? And what is the fine line between standing one's ground against annoying behavior versus realizing that the person is just severely intoxicated and also trying to preserve relationships? And what do I even say to them no, do I owe them any apology or do they owe us an apology?

This happened almost a year ago.
The first time I went clubbing I got nearly blackout drunk. I started dancing with another girl who was also nearly blackout, and we started grinding, and I ended up grabbing her breasts. Her friends got upset with, and I got asked to leave by security. Her friends came to the conclusion we were both just too drunk, and I didn't get in any trouble.
A different night I ended up drinking way too much and going out with a group of friends. Me and this girl had made out the night previously and i kinda assumed the same thing would happen again. We started dancing and she was not interested in me. I realize in hindsight how obvious this was. She clearly was into another guy there and wanted nothing todo with me. She was working at a hostel i was saying and she said she was working that night and couldn't do anything (which i understand now was a polite way or saying no.) I at some point leaned in and kissed her. She smiled gently and kept dancing. At the end of the night I asked her for a kiss again and she smiled and we made out again. I felt so horrible the day after. I never held her or anything. But it was so painfully obvious how weird and creepy my behavior's was in hindsight.
Over the last year I came to understand just how scared girls are of guys in general. And i definitely pressured her into doing something she didn’t want to. Nothing like this has happened since. And i still have times where i feel horrible about it. I really wish i could apologize to her, but i feel reaching out now would be super weird. I recently gave up drinking, i just never want to ever put someone in that situation again.
I talked to a few of my female friends about this incidents, many of them victims of sexaul assault, they said that while theses incidents are bad it is pretty minor on the scale of stuff they have experienced, and that I should let go of the guilt as long as I never do anything like that again. I am having so much trouble accepting this, I feel deep down I am a monster. I never wanted to pressure these girls into doing things they didn't want too, and I thought what I was doing at the time was just how guys got girls in clubs. Hell I even remember my dad telling 15 year old me grabbing girls asses was just something that happened in clubs and it was okay. None of this to justify what I did, I had such fucked ideas of what consent meant back then I don't know if I can ever move on.

I need help and I need it very soon. The sooner the better. I (F) teenager have a dad that is homeless right now. He got into a fight with my mom and got kicked out. He has been homeless for 2 days and hasn't eaten. He has been using it and has ruined his life and our lives too. He isn't someone you can take back home and live a happy life. He is "together" with my mom and my mom is done. She doesn't want to be with him but as a friend. My father said no because it would be uncomfortable. My mom has always been there for him. What do I do? We have tried to help him many times and only lasted a week without getting all mad. He has hurt us a lot. He isn't doing well mentally. We want to help but we can't anymore. We feel burn out. He might be eating out of trash cans again. He had a car to sleep in, but not anymore. It's been raining too and won't get any better this week. He isn't going to last much longer out there, but he doesn't want to follow our rules. He has been to rehab kinda but doesn't want to try again. He most likely has depression like I do too. What else can we or I do? I can't give him any money. He's walking in a rough place. He has no food and can't go to a homeless shelter that is near by. All he has is his phone. I feel bad, but this is out of my power. My dad has even told me he wants to end it before in front of my face. I am just afraid he really is going to. I won't be able to live with that. I know I shouldn't feel bad but come on. He has really bad depression and bad thoughts too.

have two friends
A (27f) who u consider my best friend, and have been friends for nearly over ten years with. We talk almost every day and tell each other everything. There is nothing I don't know about A, and while she has some flaws I trust her judgement.
And then B (27m). I have been in the same circle with B for 6 years but this year we have become closer. B is a core part of my writers circle which I host at my house once a month. Generally I see B as a level headed person and has confided that he at times struggles socializing and is generally anxious during social interactions.
Anyways I am seen as kind of the "social committee" of my friend group and host many other events, parties, dinners, apart from writers circle. I invite B to all of them and he has told m before that he really enjoys/ looks forward to them.
Now here is where it gets tricky. A and B started hanging out as friends, quite often. A would text B every day and I think B was very excited about making a new friend. B has expressed to me before that he wants to make new friends and somewhat struggles with it.
However this friendship ended after they got into an argument about A's blossoming relationship with another guy. A mentioned that she was up all night talking to this guy and B replied saying A was immiture and infatuated and that staying up so late talking to someone was irresponsible. B came across as very agressive and judgemental towards A and her new "fling" . A was offended replied saying that she thought B was being judgemental and rude, B promptly apologized but A did not respond to their apology and then ghosted B for about three weeks. They went from talking every day to not at all. (I do think A was wrong for ghosting so abruptly).
However after three weeks B messaged A to un-apologize, said that A was unkind for ghosting him and doubled down on his initial opinions.
A asked for more time to think of a reply to B but a day later B replied once more.
What followed was a somewhat tense argument/ discussion where A said she no longer wished to message B and would be cordial in the future but didn't want to maintain their brief friendship anymore.
Initially B pushed for an in person conversation to clear the air even if it meant not being friends anymore, A refused and eventually it was agreed to no longer talk to each other.
Today out of the blue a week or two after this all happened A got a message from B, but it was deleted before they could read it. Then A was blocked. A knows they are blocked because they can no longer see B's profile.
So far in this I have been trying to be a neutral party. But to me blocking someone seems like quite a ride and drastic measure. Though I understand B has some social anxiety and this may be their way of processing- I am still upset for A. Like I said A is my best friend.
I have a few events coming up that I want to host this spring and summer, and I am contemplating not inviting B. I would still invite them to writers circle, as this is something A doesn't go to, but not anything else. (A goes to everything else)
I know that this however would crush B as they have stated many times that they enjoy and appreciate coming to my events.
I am not sure what the best way to approach my friendship with B is now. The whole thing seems to tourmenting him quite a bit wheras A has moved on and is now just offended that she was blocked.
I don't want things to be awkward in the future at my events or for A to feel some type of way that B is there (and vice versa). However my friendship with A takes precedence over B in my heart 10 fold I don't want to offend or upset anyone. As I mentioned B is quite an intense/ anxious person so I feel as though I need to tread carefully.
Tldr: my one friend blocked my other friend after a tense argument. And now I don't know if they should've invited to events where A will always be

I (20M) just went on a date with a girl (19F) that I matched with on Tinder a couple days ago. The date went really well in my opinion, as we talked for nearly four hours at the restaurant before finally leaving. I walked her close to her place but I didn’t engage in any physical contact with her because I was honestly exhausted since I had stayed up the night before and the only thing on my mind at that point was getting home for a nap (which I now regret, I should’ve definitely hugged her at least).
I text her a couple hours after the date and tell her I had a good a time and asked her what her plans were for the night. She texted me back saying she had fun too and thanked me, and then told me she was going to be staying home for the night. I went out with my friends and told her as such, and then said something that had happened while out that I thought was funny. However, now she has been spacing her texts out much longer and hasn’t replied to me in over a day, whereas before the date it would only be every hour or so.
Has she lost interest in me, or is this salvageable. I don’t believe I did anything wrong other than not engaging in physical touch so I’m not worried about that, but I would like any advice that people have for me.

Recently our school participated in an exchange program, we had spent 2 weeks in Oslo 2 months ago and now their students were in our city for two weeks. During those two weeks in Oslo I fell in love with a guy but nothing happent between us, which left me really sad and upset after we left. I stopped thinking about him through the following month easily because we barely even spoke and i began seeing another guy, my current boyfriend. The thing is, we are not very long together and didnt see each other many times and i couldnt see him during the last 2 weeks either because of the exchange but when the guy from Oslo came i began to have feelings for him again. I didnt try to make moves or do anything because that would be horrible but now that he left again and i wont ever see him again im heartbroken. I cant commit to my partner either because i just feel empty and guilty. We only began going out recently so i feel like i didnt have time enough to properly fall in love but now its even more complicated because i love someone else. Cirrently i feel very distant and like i want out but at the same time im scared that i will regret leaving after i get over this guy because i know that if he never came i would still be happy with my partner.

•1•
Aniyah paused by a tree that was bigger than all the rest. It was obviously very old. The leaves of its branches were a pretty teal color and were shaped like the diamonds in a deck of playing cars. She couldn't say exactly why, but this tree gave her a slight sense of comfort. In these woods--especially with the black curtain hanging over the sky--comfort was a rare commodity. She found comfort in this tree, oddly enough, and also in her new weapon. Windchine; Blade of the Paragon. She supposed she was the Paragon of the Weaver now. Whatever that meant. She knew the words, because they kept echoing throughout her thoughts, but she had only a faint idea of their meaning. She wasn't totally clueless. She'd picked up on the fact that the Weaver was a God, or something close to it. She'd intuited that Paragon was some kind of title, bestowed by the Weaver. It meant she was sort of like a knight. Beyond these things however, she didn't have much to go on. She'd always just known things she had no way of knowing. Sometimes, she knew things she had no business knowing, as Momma would have said. She wasn't psychic. Far from it. She just got gut feelings about things, that usually turned out to be right. Like the ones underneath. She'd picked up on all of that, without any real reason to pick up on it.
She was picking up on something now. Something involving the others back at the clearing.
But she was still piecing all of that together. She didn't have enough to go on yet, to have any complete, fully formed thought.
That wouldn't come until a bit later...
What came in that moment, was the subtle soothing nature of the very old tree before her. Comfort really was a rare commodity here, but aside from the tree and the scimitar, there was one more source of comfort for her, currently. The weird little jellyfish thing. It was bobbing along in the air a few feet from the tree. It hadn't left her side since bringing her the weapon. Like the tree--like Windchime--it granted her a small degree of comfort. She didn't know where the jellyfish had got the weapon, but she had an idea that even the jellyfish didn't know where it had come from. Maybe the old man had something to do with it. The one who kept the Keys. The Custodian.
She bitterly wished she'd thought to grab Mr. Brownie when she took off running from the skinless man.
The skinless man...
Now there was something she hadn't got any gut feelings about. Except for fear, that was. She knew to be fearful of the man, but that was all. She'd dealt with monsters her whole life. They'd shown up out the blue, or she'd shown up to them. Like in that Long Room. Something about the skinless man was different though. Something about him wasn't like the other monsters. He wasn't one of her monsters, she knew that much at least. She could also tell he didn't have anything to do with the ones underneath, or the grasshopper people. He wasn't connected to The Jailer.
The only intuitive feeling Aniyah had concerning the skinless man, was that he was connected to something a whole lot worse. What that something might have a been however, she had no clue.
Aniyah didn't have a sheath, or swordbelt. The scimitar hadn't come with a scabbard. As a result, she was forced to hold the weapon in her hand, since she had nowhere to stow it. The blade was as long as her arm, and curved--almost like a banana--but was only sharp on one side. This allowed her to rest the blunt edge in the crook of her shoulder, carrying it the way she'd seen lumberjacks sometimes carry their axes in old movies; with her elbow bent, and the blade sticking out behind her as if it were a compass needle that only pointed in the opposite direction from where she was facing.
With Windchine in this position, she leaned sideways against the old tree--feeling its rough bark against her skin. A soft breeze gently blew against her face, bringing with it the scents of nature. The blackness of the sky didn't seem to match the pleasantness of the wind or the earthy smells of the woods around her. Nor did the stillness. There were a few insects buzzing someplace nearby, but mostly it was quiet. It was almost tranquil, in fact. She knew that somewhere in these same woods, chaos was happening. Hell on Earth (or, Hell on In-Between, she supposed). But all of that seemed so distant. So removed from her in that moment, in this private patch of wilderness.
Part of her wanted to go charging off toward the battle, so she could save Eddie the Gnome, and Prioress Qaya, and the others. Yet, at the same time, another part of her wanted to just lie down right here and take a nice long nap. Another part still--a deeper part--briefly broached the topic of Amy. She shattered this thought into a million little pieces and scattered them in the wind. She wouldn't... no... she couldn't deal with that right now. Not yet. Soon, she would have to. But not just yet.
These contradicting parts were really all the same part. The part that didn't want to admit she was hopelessly lost. She had no dang idea where to go.
Aniyah looked up at the weird little jellyfish thing. She whispered, "Wonder how far it is, to get back to Eddie Money and the others?"
The jellyfish couldn't understand her. Duh. It was a floating jellyfish. How could it?
Except... for a moment, Aniyah thought maybe the thing did understand. And after another few seconds, she knew for sure it did.
The jellyfish flashed a soft green color. Once, then twice. To Aniyah, it was almost like it was saying: "Beep-beep!"
"What does that mean, Jellybean?" she asked, laughing at how goofy she probably sounded.
The jellyfish strobed green again. Just once this time. Then, it slowly began to float away.
"Hold up a minute. Where you goin'?" She stopped leaning against the tree and stood up straight.
The jellyfished froze for a second, beeped green once more, then started off again.
"Ohhh, okay. I see. You leading the way? Well okay then." Aniyah smiled in spite of herself.
She followed behind the jellyfish. Together, they made their way through the darkened woods. Hopefully, to rejoin the others...
•2•
"I've never been in this part of the city before," Flower-Seed admitted. "I didn't even realize there was so much down here. I knew there were older parts of Locist Spire that were here before the Jikk, and that most of it was under the city, but I didn't expect there to be all of... this." He looked around, pausing briefly to admire the elaborate architecture around him. "I mean... Gods. There's actually streets down here. And structures. Not to mention these sculptures and platforms. It's breathtaking. It's almost like an entire settlement encased in a mausoleum. A sort of... civilization time capsule."
Quijj gave only a noncommittal grunt in response.
The two of them walked side-by-side along a wide street paved in stone. So much was stonework, or marble. The craftsmanship that went into all of it was something even modern Artisians likely couldn't replicate. Large sections of the old city were in ruins, but those that remained mostly intact made Flower-Seed feel as if he'd traveled back in time. If they'd had the sky overhead instead of a cavern roof, he could have easily imagined being in the center of a bustling metropolis.
They strode by a towering sculpture made to resemble some sort of animal Flower-Seed couldn't identify. It certainly wasn't any kind of insect, or Insectoid. It had four legs and a tail, plus a large round head. It was as intriguing as it was beautiful.
Cave crickets were softly singing in the nooks and crannies. The distant sound of dripping water played constant accompaniment to the hollow resonance of this subterranean wonderland.
They turned down what had once been a side street, with Flower-Seed leading the way. Up ahead, a cavern wall blocked their advance. There was a place where the wall had been broken, creating an opening just big enough for them to squeeze through.
On the other side, they came upon a ledge overlooking a sprawling cavern. There were more ledges--some, only narrow slabs of stone reminiscent of catwalks; others, much wider, holding half-ruined structures--high up along the cavern walls. And in the center, sitting like an island in the dark sea of darkness, was a sprawling marble platform. The platform was surrounded on all sides by crags and trenches so deep Flower-Seed couldn't see their bottom. There was a naturally formed staircase of stone leading from the platform to another opening. This was most likely the main entrance to this chamber. Flower-Seed realized now that he and Quijj had taken an alternate route to get here, than the others had.
Yes. There were others. A lot of them, from the looks of it.
On the marble platform below, rows of tents and even a makeshift gazebo had been set up. As Flower-Seed's eyes adjusted, he began to make out the robes of Advisors; the armor of Spire Knights and Spire Watch. There were excited, panicked voices echoing throughout the cave. Some sort of commotion was going on.
"I had no idea any of this was here," Flower-Seed whispered.
Quijj gave him a strange look.
"Don't ask how I knew where to go, or how to get here. I just... did."
Quijj nodded, but said nothing.
From the platform, someone yelled: "Arrest the traitor!"
"Ah, shit," Flower-Seed said. He was no longer bothering to keep his voice at a whisper. The figures gathered below had broken into something close to a frenzy. "They must be talking about the Councilor." He looked at Quijj with a serious expression. "We have to get her out of here. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of our government, but something really bad is going on down here. I got... visions. I saw Spire Knights with their minds corrupted by parasites. Whoever attacked the city... they've infected some of the officials. We have to do something. If we're ever going to rebuild... we need Jikk like Councilor Lemma. She's one of the good ones."
Quijj grunted in agreement. "Alright. Let's do it."
"What's the plan?" Flower-Seed asked, suddenly nervous. He felt a bit silly asking Quijj what the plan was, considering the elderly tavern keeper had just been following his lead up this point. Now that they were here, Flower-Seed didn't have the slightest idea what he was going to do. Or even what he could do. He couldn't fight a trained Spire Knight. Let alone an entire company of them. He'd only get himself killed!
Fortunately (and to Flower-Seed's great relief), Quijj said: "Just wait here. And get ready to run. Like you've never ran before."
"Alright. I think I can do that much, at least."
Quijj nodded. He drew his odd-looking weapon, and leapt down from the ledge; spreading his wings as he did this to glide over to the platform. Just as the old tavern keep came to a landing, Flower-Seed saw two armored Knights seize Councilor Lemma by the arms, and pull her to the ground. One of the Advisors screamed.
Shit! his mind cursed. Come on, Quijj. You gotta do something! And fast!
•3•
There was a particular knock at the hidden door to the Navigator's study. Three heavy raps, a pause, then two sets of four bangs; the coded knock he'd taught to the mercenary leader. The corners of Drokin the Navigator's mouth--little more than soft tissue on either side of his pointed beak--sagged slightly, in a parody of a frown. He shot a glance over to the wall-mounted clock above his desk. It was only Ef'tat-Half-Wane. The merc shouldn't have made it to this part of Barkstone Barony, for at least another three Shecks.
Drokin cast a suspicious eye toward the opposite end of the room. He reached beneath his desk, unfastening the blade he hid there. It was always good to have a backup weapon. The talon-like claws of his hand instinctively found the pommel of his rapier. "Enter!" he called to the door.
There was a hefty creaking sound as a considerable portion of the wall was pushed inward, revealing both the false rock of the door's opposite side, and the midday sunlight beyond the study. The light was much too bright for Drokin's eyes, after spending so much time inside the chamber under the Arcas Rune lamps. For a moment, he had to squint in order to get a decent view of his visitor. The moment Drokin saw the figure entering his study, his claws tightened on the handle of his weapon.
The one who appeared through the doorway was not the merc leader Rave the Ravager. Not by a long shot. The stranger was a Jagged Fields Nerthran, just as Rave was, but this was where their similarities ended. Rave was of slightly larger than average size for an adult male member of the mothfolk race. The Nerthran before Drokin was the antithesis of average (or "slightly" for that matter). He was enormous; much larger than seemed natural. If one of his crew mates had told Drokin about seeing a Nerthran the size of this one, Drokin would have labeled them an exaggerator at best, a boldfaced liar at worst. He certainly wouldn't have believed mothmen could grow this large, if he weren't seeing the proof of that very thing with his own two eyes.
"Where is Rave? Who are you?" Drokin demanded.
The giant mothman slowly stepped inside the study and creaked the door shut behind him. He did not answer.
"I asked you a question. Where is--"
In a baritone voice that was almost pleasing to the ear, the mothman said: "Would you Sky Pirates send your Captain on every minor mission, or simple errand? I am Master Rave's deliverer. I am called Nollo."
A peculiar name for such a hulking creature as this, the Navigator mused.
When Drokin didn't initially respond, 'Nollo' added: "I have the Relic you wanted." He held up a black rectangular case, almost like the kind a Bard might use for protecting a musical instrument.
Drokin thought this over a moment, studying the towering mothman carefully. He felt almost like he was looking up at a living statue. One of the great big ones that lined the streets of the grand cities of Roshuka, or populated the ruins of Jyyrvesk's Old Country. Even the hulk's features were oversized, as if they needed to compensate for the massive face to which they were attached. This 'Nollo' somewhat unsettled Drokin. The self-proclaimed "deliverer" had a long, slender mouth that didn't quite seem to want to close all the way. This gave the mothman an almost moronic appearance; a dimwitted face with the mouth of a drooling imbecile. Combined with his considerable size, it would have been easy to dismiss this Nerthran as a buffoon. Even the title "deliverer" played into this impression. And he seemed to have a permanent glazed over quality about his eyes. However, Drokin saw what lurked beneath the surface. When he looked beyond these things, the Navigator could detect a cold, calculating intelligence in the mothman's eyes. Upon closer inspection, the glazed over quality didn't strike the Navigator as entirely organic. It struck him as purposeful, practiced--part of a kind of disguise.
Nollo was a mothman with the soul of a spider...
As these things dawned on Drokin, the unsettled feeling he'd had since this mothman's appearance turned to something bordering on outright fear. The Navigator had been all across the Lesser and Greater Reaches. He'd seen some horrid things. Something about this stranger was different, however. There was something not quite Insectoid in his eyes; not quite Of This Pocket Realm, as the Captain was want to say. Drokin had never believed in the concept of evil. Not in the same way the Old Scrolls talked about it, as least. But now--here in his study, confronted by the figure before him--when he looked into those eyes, evil was all Drokin saw.
"You... have the Horn?" Drokin asked, trying to sound casual. His heart was beating at three times it's normal tempo. He slowly reached for the Link Orb. Calling out to Captain Heekan may have been the only chance he had left. "Let me get you the coin I promise then."
"Stop," said Nollo. "Put your hand down."
Drokin paused. The tips of his claws were just inches from the Orb. If he were quick about it, he could snatch the thing up in a microsecond. The Navigator was quick. He was a trained fighter, afterall. But... he knew intuitively he would not be quick enough.
"I beg your pardon?" Drokin said, trying and failing to keep some air of authority in his tone.
Nollo laughed. It was not a pleasant sound. "There was never going to be any coin, was there? You think Master Rave wouldn't sniff out such an obvious con? You really aren't familiar with the Stonewing Pillar Mercenaries are you? We are not some low-level ratcatchers."
Drokin said nothing for a moment. At last, he sighed. He allowed his training to replace his fear. It took quite a lot of effort, but he managed. When his heart had returned to something closer to a natural beat, he leveled his avian eyes at the mothman. He dropped his hand, but brought it down to his rapier. He drew the weapon, but made no move to strike.
Through the end of his closed beak, Drokin growled: "Alright, asshole. Just what are you after?"
Nollo laughed again. He flipped open the brass latches on the black case he held, opened it. Inside, wasn't any Relic. That had been a lie. The black velvet lined interior of the case held a single object: a large throwing knife. Nollo removed the blade and let the case fall to the floor. "I'll need every piece of coin you have here. And anything else of value."
Drokin raised his rapier. "All our treasures are on the ship." He sighed, deciding to fess up. "I don't have anything here. You were right. I planned on taking the Horn and not paying. But I am obviously not getting what I wanted. There is no coin here for you to get what you want. Why don't we just call this an impasse? We both walk away, no better off... but no worse for wear than we were before. What do you say?"
Nollo shook his massive head. It was like seeing a boulder pivot atop a living column. "You think you can plot to take out our leader, and live to tell the tale? You're even more stupid than you look."
Now, Drokin was getting angry. "Do you have any idea who you're fucking with? You can't stand against our entire crew. We're the Hawkblood Pirates. You think Captain Heekan will just sit by and let you--"
The knife was buried in Drokin's windpipe, before he ever saw the mothman throw it. For someone so massive, Rollo had a dexterity and speed that were virtually unrivaled. There was a soft clang as Drokin's rapier fell to the floor; a soft gurgling sound as he began to choke on his own blood. He gasped for air his lungs couldn't find; his hands clawing at his throat to pull free a blade that wouldn't budge.
Drokin the Navigator fell to the floor with a hollow thud, knocking his chair over in the process. The last thing his dying mind registered before he lost consciousness was the sight of Rollo the mothman standing over him, whispering: "You Sky Pirates never should have come to the Wilden Green."
Then, Drokin was fading. Fading, fading.
Fading.
Fading from the mortal world, and headed for that Great Beyond...
•4•
Eyes. So many eyes. Staring. Watching.
Abominations. Wretched perversions of nature. Black-tongued things. Slime things. Things with many, many eyes.
Many. Many. Eyes.
Vellnoth! It was awful!
Zoocher slipped through a whirlwind of swirling shadows. He sank into quicksand of blackness. His mind shattered, then reformed. Shattered, then reformed. The world became a pane of glass which broke into a million, billion, trillion little pieces. He reached out, desperately trying to pick the pieces up, to put them back together.
It was no use.
Horrors. Eyes. Looking. Looking at me. Through me. Seeing me. Seeing all.
SEEING.
Zoocher rocked himself back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. There was dirt and grass beneath him. He was curled up into a ball, hugging his knees against his chest. Yet, these things were just background details. This was just his surroundings, and his physical body. His mind was somewhere else--perhaps, in another patch of dirt, slowly turning to mud. No. Not mud. Quicksand.
Sinking. He was sinking. Sinking, and slipping away. Slipping off into that Forever Night.
White Staircase?
No. He saw no White Staircase. Perhaps, only the Black Steps awaited him after all the awful things he'd done in life.
Only... there were no Black Steps, either.
Because he wasn't dead. Not yet, at least.
He was alive, but he was not living. Not in the normal sense.
Eyes. Watching. Looking. Seeing. Viewing. Glimpsing.
STARING.
GODS. OH GODS. OH VELLNOTH PLEASE!
No mercy for him. No Gods coming to save him. Only horrors.
He'd been in that terrible place, in that terrible room for what had felt like centuries.
Now he was back in the woods. But not all of him. He'd left some essential part of himself back there, back in that terrible place.
And now, he'd never get that part back. It was lost to him. For good. Forever.
Zoocher leaned over and vomited yellow bile onto the grass. His head was swimming. He slowly stood up. As he stood, everything fell away. Everything. His entire being. His essence. His all. His whole.
Zoocher? No. There was no Zoocher anymore.
Maybe there never had been.
Certainly, there would never be a Zoocher again.
Shattered.
Zoocher was shattered and lost. Gone. Now, Zoocher was no more. Forever departed.
He felt something warm and wet run down his legs. He'd urinated on himself without realizing it. This did not bother him. This meant nothing. He took a step forward and vomited onto his vest. This too meant nothing.
He stripped off his armor, his undergarments, his weapons. He kicked off his boots. To one side of the pile he'd made with his belongings, there were a set of bootprints in the dirt. He turned in the opposite direction, and started walking. He didn't know where he was going. He only knew he needed to walk.
Visions winked in and out of his mind. He continued walking, muttering to himself all the while. He spoke of everything, of nothing. He asked questions without answer. He gave answers to questions no one had asked.
Those eyes. They were burned into his brain. No. His brain was a burn. A scorchmark, littered with eyes. Staring. Watching. Waiting?
He walked on. Walking through the woods, to nowhere. Walking. Muttering. Thinking of eyes and Slime things.
It was a long time before he stopped.
•5•
There were two astounding sights, which presented themselves consecutively before him. In over two decades serving as one of the Hawkblood's top Assault Commanders, he had never seen anything more incredible than the Black Pyramid. That was, right up until the moment he saw the entire Pyramid vanish right before his eyes. If anything could be even more incredible than seeing the Pyramid; suddenly not seeing the Pyramid would have to be it.
Commander Ramses blinked several times, as if he were unable to trust what his eyes were showing him. The airspace beyond the windshield of his Glider Pod now showed only a sea of nothing, save for the Sky Gods higher up in the atmosphere.
"What the fuck? Where did it go?" he muttered to the empty cockpit.
The Glider Pods were designed to resemble plump black ravens. Ramses's Glider was slightly larger than the others in the fleet, as his was the Pod that carried most of the Big Weapons. Currently, they were in a V formation like actual birds; twelve in Ramses's group, twelve more in Commander Paulo's group that would have been approaching the Pyramid from behind; another twelve coming in from the right, making up Commander Gichi's group. The Gyff had their own Gliders, fashioned from wooden planks and some unknown material Ramses had never seen before. The Gyff ships looked a lot like the Gyff themselves; like long slender walking sticks. Their ships cut through the air like wooden missiles, lined up in a near row.
Ramses slapped the control panel, activating the Com-Cube. "Am I seeing things? Have I lost my mind?"
"No." It was the voice of Commander Gichi. She sounded uncharacteristically shaken. "The damn thing went POOF. Just like that."
The Gyff leading the stickbug group (his name was Kloom, if Ramses's memory served him) chimed in. "What do we do now? Will it reappear, you think?"
Ramses smacked the controls again, this time out of frustration. He said, "Somebody better get the Captain on the--"
"Already here," said the voice of Captain Heekan.
"You been listening this whole time?" Gichi asked.
"No. I just came on. Now listen. Everyone. Listen very closely. The Pyramid isn't in the valley anymore, but all is not lost. We will track it down. I already know where they took it."
Ramses gaped at this. "What? Captain... how could you already know all of that? It just vanished, only a few ticks ago."
Gichi made a soft gasping sound. "Captain. No. Tell me you didn't use it."
"I had to," Captain Heekan said with remorse. "The Mirror is too valuable a tool for us not to utilize it. And if ever there were a time when we needed it, it would be now."
"How many years did it take off your life?" Gichi asked hesitantly.
After a pause, Heekan said, "It doesn't matter. We're getting sidetracked here. There is a lot more going on than we realized. There are agents of not one, but two of the 5 Pharoahs here in the Wilden Green Valley, as we speak."
"What?" it was Gichi and Kloom in unison.
Commander Paulo broke his silence. "Which other Pharoah are we talking about?"
Heekan said, "Aside from Camaria the Butcher who we already knew about (it was one of her Scarabs that took the Pyramid), there's some of the Necromancer's men here too."
"The Necromancer?" Ramses said in disbelief. "The right hand man of Dowlmad the Deathless?" Ramses felt a cold chill run up his spine. "You're not telling me he is here in this valley, are you?"
"The Necromancer himself? No. Just some of his underlings. The Skinless Men, they're called."
Gichi asked, "Are they really all after the Pyramid and the Artifacts? I can't imagine two of the 5 Pharoahs would expend resources just for the stuff we're after. Aside for the Black Pyramid. But even still... something seems off here."
"Well," said Heekan. "That's because something is off. There are bigger forces at work here than we ever realized. Sure, they were after the Pyramid and the Divine Battery. But those are more like... party favors, to them."
Ramsese shook his head. "I already don't like how this sounds." The open sky outside his Glider suddenly felt less like empty airspace, and more like an endless abyss. One glance at the Sky Gods floating higher in the heavens strengthened this feeling, causing the commander to shudder as another chill ran up his back.
Captain Heekan said, "Then you really won't like what I'm about to tell you."
As it turned out, the Captain was absolutely right. Ramses really didn't like it one bit. None of them did.
•••
And Commander Ramses was not the only one who was told things they didn't like. While he was listening to his Captain's words with growing unease, elsewhere in the Wilden Green Valley, a certain Ranger was receiving a rather ominous warning...
•••
•6•
Deep within the bowels of the Reverse Tower. In the Domain of the Being known as O'Faxx.
Ranger Lexington stood atop the large boulder, surrounded by a sea of sludge. The putrid aroma of this place once more assaulted his senses, while his boots sank into the slick, squicky growth coating the boulder. Lexington's dragonfly-like features hid his discomfort. Outwardly, he appeared as stoic--as unshakeable--as always. At least, until he spoiled the effect with a knowing smirk.
To the bubbling muck, he called out: "So, you decided to help out afterall?"
There was no response.
Lexington's smirk faded. He bowed his head slightly. "It's alright. You don't have to speak. I only wish your assistance had been enough. That way Burlap wouldn't have had to give his life the way he did."
O'Faxx did not emerge from the murky depths.
Lexington would have sighed had the air quality in here not been so abhorrent. "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you. I will find a way to reward you."
Although O'Faxx remained beneath the muck, his voice echoed inside the Ranger's mind. "My actions were not on your behalf. Your ignorance betrays you, Overseer."
Lexington cocked his head to one side. "If you say so." He shrugged. "Some guys just can't accept a thank you, I guess."
"You have yet to understand. I helped you, to destroy you. None of you know yet what you are unleashing. I did not see the truth before, but the truth has now presented itself to me. The Gods wish to assemble the 12 and bring about the White Clock Consortion. Fools. They don't yet realize with the advent of the White Clock, the Black Clock follows. Those numbers shall count down their destruction. I looked into the destiny of the mortals you have placed so much faith in. I saw what they will bring about. They are one of the Four Winds that will blow upon the Door of Doom. One of them is a Paige of the Necronomicon."
"What does that mean? Quit speaking in riddles."
"There's a storm coming, Overseer. A storm that will wash away the world. This one, and all others. I haven't helped you. I've only helped the first few raindrops, so they might better form within the dark clouds hanging over this Pocket Realm. And in the wake of that rain? The thunder shall soon roll."
A storm coming. Four Winds that will blow upon the Doors of Destruction. Thunder.
These things made no sense to the Ranger. One thing was clear however; whatever O'Faxx's words meant, Lexington didn't like the sound of any of it.
•7•
There's a particular way Advisors and nobleJikk cry out when something disrupts their normal routine. It's a breathy sort of shriek, like someone emptying their lungs before they faint. Many of the High Advisors were voicing this exact variety of shriek now, as High Knight Pyx ordered his Spire Knights to arrest Lemma.
Temporary Councilor E'Shesh (to her credit) tried to block the path of the Knights. She was shoved out of the way, hard enough to cause the poor she-Jikk to tumble over onto the hard marble surface of the platform.
Then, underneath the makeshift gazebo, pandemonium set in. The stress of the attack on the city had already pushed everyone toward the brink of panic. This new development made them all leap right over the edge, falling right into the place people (Jikk, or otherwise) always fall in times like this one.
Lemma didn't run. She stood her ground, glowering at Pyx and Councilor Tholke; glaring as if she could knock some sense into them with her gaze alone. Of course, this was a futile endeavor. The Knights were upon here a moment later. Strong arms seized her, throwing her to the ground. Then, oddly enough, even stronger arms were lifting her from the floor. She stared down the Knights arresting her, but the expressions they gave her in return were not those of hardened Knights doing their duty. They were the expressions of Jikk who'd been caught completely off guard.
As she was lifted even higher, Lemma finally realized it wasn't the Knights who currently held her. It was someone else.
"What... who... what's going on?" she cried weakly.
She was being carried away by... one of the local tavern keepers?
"What's happening? What are you doing?" she demanded.
"She's getting away!" someone shouted.
"After her!" a Spire Knight ordered.
All at once, the Knights were airborne, in pursuit. The air was alive with the sound of buzzing wings, the shuffling and frantic falls of boots, and so much shouting. Lemma dangled over seemingly bottomless trenches and crumbling remnants of the City That Once Was.
The tavern keeper, in all this time, had only explained himself with a single grunt. Now, he was using his free arm to aim some kind of weapon at the Knights.
"No," Lemma pleaded. "Don't kill them. They're only doing their duty."
"Stun-shot," said the elderly tavern keeper. The words came an instant before his weapon discharged and the air behind them exploded in brilliant blue electricity. There was a loud series of crackling sounds, as the small-scale controlled lightning tore through each of the Knights. As if an invisible net had ensnared them, the Knights all froze in midair a moment, before their wings slowed to a standstill. They began to plummet down to the darkness below.
The tavern keeper voiced a soft grunt of regret.
"You can say that again," Lemma scolded. "The shot may have stunned them, but the fall will surely do a whole lot more. What's the meaning of this? Are you kidnapping me?"
The tavern keeper shook his head. "Behind you," he said. They climbed higher, closing in on the stone wall of the spacious cavern.
Lemma craned her neck to look back at the platform. What she saw horrified her. Hight Knight Pyx and Councilor Tholke. Even from this far away, she could see that their eyes appeared to have ruptured. From the vacant holes where their eyes had been, large fat yellow worms as long as sword blades were spilling out onto the platform. Each worm slapped down onto the marble, then immediately began to grow in size. Within mere seconds, each one grew to the size of a Field Roamer pup. And they only continued getting bigger.
The Advsiors and officials broke into a stampede, making for the platform's only exit; the flight of stone steps leading up to the passageway before street level.
"Gods," Lemma whispered. "We have to seal off the exit. We can't let those... those things make it up to the city."
But based on the ever-increasing size of the worms, and their ever-growing numbers, she feared it might already be too late.
"Hurry! Come on!" someone shouted, just ahead.
Lemma turned toward the sound of the voice. She saw a Jikk standing atop a stone ledge, high up on the cavern wall. She didn't recognize him.
A second later, the tavern keeper brought her down to a gentle landing on the ledge beside the unfamiliar Jikk. She eyed them both suspiciously. "Just what is going on? And who is this?"
"My name is Flower-Seed. And we've got to get the fuck out of here, Councilor."
The tavern keeper asked, "How can we seal it off?"
Lemma thought for a moment. "You came through there?" She pointed to the large gap behind Flower-Seed.
"We did," said the tavern keeper.
"Then we might be able to beat the worms to the surface. There's a secret tunnel in the cave ceiling, a little further on. Come on. We have to get to the statue of Kylo the Great, up in the Cobbler's District. There's a hidden lever inside. I know the code to turn it. It will seal off the Old City. It's our only chance."
"Then let's get moving," said Flower-Seed.
The tavern keeper only grunted his agreement.
Together, the three of them took off at a sprint. There truly wasn't a single moment to spare...
•8•
Rave spotted the figures below, standing patiently beside a gnarled, leafless gatortree. He came to a landing, just a few yards from them. Eight pairs of cold, dark eyes peered out from eight fleshless humanoid faces, considering him with an alien species of indifference.
A long black case was tucked beneath Rave's right arm. In his left hand, he clutched his Rune Stone expectantly. Any moment now, Nollo would be giving him the word that the deed was done. Any moment now. Rave had an internal clock that kept near perfect timing when it came to things like murder.
Sure enough, the Rune Stone began to grow warmer to Rave's touch.
Nollo's voice came through the Stone. "Boss?"
Rave grinned with what remained of his ruined mouth. "It's done?"
"It's done," Nollo confirmed.
"Good. I'd expect nothing less. You know where I'll be?"
"Yes, sire. I'll see you there shorly."
Rave didn't bother giving a final response. He put the Stone away and took the black case into his hands. The Skinless Men only watched him patiently.
Rave approached the figures beneath the gnarled tree. This was a remote region of Jikkellia's borderlands, where the high grasses gave way to miles of mostly barren dirt and rock. The gatortree stood out, in that it was one of the few trees on the visible landscape here. Just over the horizon, was the large mountain where a certain group of outsiders were rumored to have crashed in a small rowing vessel recently.
Rave waited for one of the skinless men to speak first. When none did, he said: "A lot of people wanted this Horn. You just so happened to be the only ones offering more than coin." This was a half-truth. The Sky Pirates had spoken of coin, but had in reality, offered only betrayal. "I've kept up my end. Now, I expect you to keep yours."
Rave's mind calculated dozens of ways he could slaughter each of these figures, should they show any sign of aggression. It was just how his brain operated. He plotted ways to thwart threats that hadn't even been presented yet. In this line of business, you had to stay twelve moves ahead.
Right on time, Rave's reinforcements arrived. He'd been doing these kinds of deals for far too long to ever go by himself. Even if he did feel confident enough in his abilities that he wasn't weary of the figures before him. Even in a 1 v. 8 duel to the death, he was certain he'd have the upper hand.
Four mothmen mercs landed just behind Rave--keeping their distance but standing at the ready. Rave didn't so much as glance at them. He casually stepped away from his foot soldiers and moved closer to the Skinless Men. "So, how about it? You said you had a way to get us out of this valley. Is that still true?"
One of the figures (there was really no way for Rave to tell the apart, as they all looked like carbon copies of each other) nodded. "We represent Pharoah Dowlmad. Pharoah Dowlmad always keeps his word. Give us the Black Horn and we shall give you freedom from this place."
Rave said nothing a moment. At last, he nodded. "Alright. I'll take you at your word." He slowly held out the case, offering it to one of the figures. The skinless man eagerly accepted the Artifact. He lifted the lid and removed the item inside, handing it to one of the others.
The Black Horn of the Olde Music looked like the hollowed-out horn of some bovine creature, like those Rave had seen sketched in old tomes. Aside from the fact it was black as obsidian, of course. There was a silver mouthpiece banded around the narrow end. That was all there was to the object. All in all, it was rather unimpressive looking by Artifact standards.
The other man examined it for several seconds, before deciding he was satisfied. He nodded back to the first man who took the Horn and returned it to its case.
"So," Rave said, taking on a tone of casual conversation while feigning ignorance. "What does that thing do, anyhow?"
The Skinless Men only regarded him coldly.
Rave nodded, flashing a half grin. "Fair enough. Now... as for your part of the bargain?"
"Yes," said the man holding the case. "You want your entire company to leave this valley? Return to us when you are all together. Some of us will remain here in this spot. We will give you three sunrises after sundown today. If you aren't here by then, we cannot wait any longer."
"We'll return long before then," Rave said.
There didn't seem to be anything more to say. He turned and motioned to the other mercs. "Let's head out. We'll regroup with the others and get everything underway."

Allstate disbursed an amount that was the claim amount for the flooring work after water damage from the near by apartment.It was mentioned during my conversations with the insurance underwriters this was the exact amount for flooring work.Now another company which cleaned up the water and dried the floor is asking me for money.I am talking to the insurance company but is this common?

Not medical advice, just speaking about my experience.
I (33M) banged my head quite hard at the end of January and have been experiencing significant PCS (post concussive syndrome) headaches, loss of balance (Ataxia) and general uneasiness for nearly 2 months now. Neurologist prescribed PameloNortriptyline to ease symptoms. The medication helps but it does slow you down. Also got myself a scrip for PT.
I started PT about 2 weeks ago but didn't do the home exercises too much and ended up bumping my head getting in and out of the car mildly 3 times last week (This put me in a world of hurt the next few days). Since then, I started to practice the PT exercises religiously and started walking a lot. This morning was the first time I woke up feeling completely normal, no headache or dizziness. Then I got excited and started driving my car in a "spirited" manner and some of the symptoms returned a bit but that's my fault.
Basically, I cannot recommend PT for this problem enough! Last 5 weeks felt like I was stuck in a broken person's body and was very depressed as it was interfering with every aspect of my life. But today I have hope that I can be normal again! The reddit hive mind has helped me enormously on many fronts, I hope someone reads this and gets physical therapy for their concussion if their doctor agrees. It made me feel alive again after a while.

PLEASE NOTE: Codes must be redeemed BEFORE subscription purchase and AFTER game purchase. Cannot be used on free trial version of the game, but can be used during the free 30 days that come with game purchase.
How to redeem the code:
Login to your Mog Station account (https://sqex.to/msp).
Click on "Manage Service Options"
Click on "Enter Recruitment Code"
Enter code: XC95P8RH
Follow on-screen instructions
Discord is: Slowbro#6169 In-game name: Shady Soulbro
Redeeming your 4 Million Gil: For helping me out with a recruit, after you have made your character and finished the tutorial, contact/add me or you can message me here on reddit. Let me know that youve used the code, and we can meet up to give you your gil!.
IMPORTANT: I will only give out the gil once I receive the Gold chocobo feathers. This is so I'm not handing out gil to people only pretending to have used my code.
When you purchase a subscription for the first time you will get:
Friendship Circlet: When worn, increases EXP earned by 20% up to level 25 on every job/class. Makes trying out different classes when you haven't made your mind up easier!
Aetheryte Ticket x 99: FFXIV uses a fast travel system that costs gil (the in-game currency) to teleport between Aetheryte crystals around the world. 99 free teleports will let you use your hard-earned gil for more important things!
Ballroom Etiquette - Improper Greetings: Use to learn an exclusive emote, Fist Bump! (/fistbump or /brofist)
10 Silver Chocobo Feathers: Trade to the Calamity Salvager NPC in one of the 3 starting cities (Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, and Ul'dah) for some pretty gear.

I'm not sure if this is the right subreddit to ask this, but I've been in countless situations in NYC, where trucks would improperly park in one way streets, making the road severely narrow, and when I ask them to move, they insist I keep driving. I put my car at risk at getting damaged, or the neighboring parked car of getting damaged because they choose to park nearly 3 feet away from the curb. I tried calling 311, but they put me on line with 911 and 911 told them this is a 311 situation and 311 claim they can't help..I'm fine with making it through tight spots, but these are spots where you HAVE to be perfect in order to make it out. I've already gotten in a accident listening to these pricks to move and not trusted my own gut, I don't want it happening again. But living in NYC, you have no choice.

What the actual fuck is happening with this, I'm getting really pissed off now. Why is Chica so goddamn broken??? It literally breaks all of my runs. If it's not one of the BS luck based ones like Foxy or Toy Freddy that kills me, it's her for just being so unbelievably broken. Whenever I go into the kitchen cam, her music immediately stops and when I leave she kills me, so her legitimate mechanic doesn't even work. Beyond that, the global music box isn't helping much. Multiple times, I've had the global music box on and she kills me anyway. Like Wtf. I read up on his before and they said they fixed it. They obviously fucking didn't. It's making this game nearly unplayable!!!!

Hello everyone, I’m stuck at making a decision and I wanted to hear other people’s opinions. Sorry if it reads terribly.
25 year old engaged male on a deployment overseas with the military. No major bills other than my car payment.
Back home I currently work for one of the top 100 fortune 500 companies but doing manual labor making about $22.50/hr. I have amazing benefits atleast from what I know. They will pay 100% tuition to nearly any school, 40 hrs sick, 80 hrs vacation. Retirement. Tons of other benefits. I work 36 hrs a week but get paid for 40. 3 day work week, 12 hrs back to back to back. Hour long drive to work at 4 am, hour long drive back at 6pm. It's rough. My coworkers are cut throat, and will brag about ruining other peoples lives. There is a lot of room for growth in the company, but it’s currently a very toxic work environment. I'm constantly stressed and do not enjoy it. But the job itself is very easy and not physically demanding.
I have a federal opportunity with my unit back home. $25/hr with guaranteed raises but little room for growth. Decent benefits as far as I know, and about the same hour long drive to work. 4 day work week. Some days are 10 hours long but a lot of days if there isn't much work they just do a half day. Still get paid the full day. Extremely healthy work environment but a bit more physically taxing. The biggest problem is that I lose my amazing Tricare healthcare and will have to go with blue cross blue shield which will cost nearly 5x as much, and will have a deductible unlike Tricare, which is amazing.
If i stay with my current position, I could milk my 100% tuition, go to college and get a degree in 4-5 years, while also getting an extra 4 hours off work each week as a benefit to going to school full time, and use my GI bill from the military to also pay me while going to school. Not sure how much that would get me but I know it would be nice.
Maybe the answer is obvious to you, but I'm stuck. Do I stay somewhere and ultimately be unhappy with my job position for the next 4 years possibly? Or do I go somewhere I know I will actually enjoy being? I'm open to any and all criticism/advice/questions/complaints.
Thanks for reading

Hello everyone! Hope you're all doing well.
As i assume people here got diagnosed bpd by professional, what i wanted to ask is do you know where i could find a professional online that can make me a diagnosis ?
Do you know a website or the contact of someone that might help me?
I suspect that i have bpd. But as i've been told, i can't be 100% sure until i get a diagnosis from a professional.
I went to a psychologist near me in the small city that i live to ask them about bpd. Unfortunately, they barely knew about this disorder.
That's why i'm here asking because i've got no idea of how or who i could get a diagnosis from.
Nevertheless, i know there are psychologists up there in the metropolis of Dakar (Senegal) but I'm afraid that traveling from my small town to the metropolis will cost me an arm and a leg.

Hi all! I am looking into immigrating to Australia from the US. Right now it seems like the easiest option is to do a master's degree in a critical skills area. I would consider a Master's of Teaching or Social Work. I have a BA in International Relations and an MA in International Development.
Does anyone here have experience as a social worker or teacher in AUS? I'm specifically looking at Melbourne but open to other areas as long as it's in a city. Any other advice or info would also be much appreciated! My friend says Brisbane is a bit too insular and conservative for me but I've never been to Australia.
Thanks!

We are officially one month out from the city candle event! This will be my first city candle event, and I'm hoping to get at least the Hong Kong candle, maybe Shanghai. I have a few questions I'm hoping you all can help me out with. And if you have reviews of any of the scents, I welcome those as well. Thanks in advance!

• What's the best way to secure a city candle (ie online, pre-sale, calling a store, etc), particularly since there are no Diptyque boutiques in my area
• I've seen people mentioned pre-sale or ordering from specific sales associates. How does one do that?
• How quickly do candles generally sell out online?
• Are there any other tips and tricks I should be aware of?
• What's your favorite city candle?

I (27f) and my husband (27m) are at a crossroad in our life. We are both from different areas in the same state 2 hours apart. When we originally discussed marriage and a family, he agreed to come move to be near my family. For the previous years of our marriage, either one or both of us have been in school in some capacity. We are both done now and we moved last summer to be near my family. We currently live with my parents in their house and were just pre-approved to buy our own home. But, my husband is having cold feet. He recently decided that he no longer wants to do what he went to school to do (77k of student debt and 3 years of a masters degree) after working for barely a year and instead wants to go and farm with his brother. But, I will have to give up being near my family who have been our primary support system. We also still have a ton of student debt and both make good money here. He feels resentful about the cost of living and other factors about being where we are now and I feel resentful that he wants to move me from my family because this is what we agreed upon 5 years ago. I also think he has all these ideas built up in his head like that I will be a stay at home mom and other things but we frankly have too much student debt between the two of us to not work. I feel like the life he has dreamed up in this other place is not necessarily real. We are planning on attending marriage counseling starting next weekend to help us work through this and our communication in general, but what do I do? He is not willing to discuss any level of compromise, so it feels like we are either stuck staying here or we go there otherwise he won't be happy.
TL; DR Husband and I can't agree on whose family to live near.

I've only been in two other relationships before which ended due to me moving countries, so at the moment I feel consumed by trying to figure out whether the guy I've been seeing for nearly 3 months is right for me, and whether we have long term potential. I've already had a conversation about our boundaries and what we need from each other if this is gonna be long term.
I'm pretty sure he is already very invested, but I'm trying to be very intentional and not rush in. However, this is giving me a lot of anxiety bc I WANT to be equally invested and not think about what I might be missing out on with other guys, but I can't seem to stop, especially when I see other couples in my social circle be very committed to each other.
I'm also nervous because I really don't know how to end things/how I will handle it if I end up deciding we're not actually compatible. I'm.already discussing this in therapy, but I don't know how to end the rumination and just enjoy what we have now.
Tldr; how do I stop wondering 'what if' about other dating options and just enjoy my journey with guy I love been seeing for almost 3 months?