hey!
here’s what I look like
I’m in chicago, in the middle of my phd, using the sacred few hours of sleep I got to scroll reddit while binging on the trashiest reality TV and early 00s MTV music videos… I’m known for taking wise choices :P
a few sentences about myself
I’m a very proud mexican doing his phd in theoretical biophysics in the US (somewhere in the midwest). sometimes I like to think I’m super smart… then I remember how much trashy reality tv trivia I know. tbh, since moving here I’ve been aching to meet people that aren’t related to my professional or academic sphere, and rarely got the time to do much outside the lab, so, here I am, it seems meeting people online could be good bet :O
some random trivia

• my work is on machine learning and proteins
• love running and cycling, pretty much any heavy cardio activity
• love playing soccer but suck at it
• love signing but suck at it
• love drawing but suck at it
• I only sing in spanish, because I got a thiccc accent and feel a bit self-conscious singing in english
• expert in early 00s shitty pop music
• best disney movie is ratatouille
• most overrated disney movie is up
• love dancing cumbia and bachata… and actually do not suck at it! lmao
• can move my ears on command
• have lived in 4 countries, 6 cities, 2 continents
• I’m trying to get into video games. help? I have a swtich, xbox, and pc
• not a fan of scifi or fantasy :(
• once got jump-scared by a possum while riding my bike
• knows two and a half languages
• love crafts (specially origami) and playing the accordion

here are two truths and a lie

• I was personally invited to a fancy rooftop party by a google hotshot, but bailed on it
• a mexican bill saved my life while I was stranded in serbia
• I was suspended from middle school for burning a whiteboard with body spray and a lighter

If you're interested in talking, send me a line about yourself!

hey!
here’s what I look like
I’m in chicago, in the middle of my phd, using the sacred few hours of sleep I got to scroll reddit while binging on the trashiest reality TV and early 00s MTV music videos… I’m known for taking wise choices :P
mainly for career reasons and time constraints I’m and will remain cf
a few sentences about myself
I’m a very proud mexican doing his phd in theoretical biophysics in the US (somewhere in the midwest). sometimes I like to think I’m super smart… then I remember how much trashy reality tv trivia I know. tbh, since moving here I’ve been aching to meet people that aren’t related to my professional or academic sphere, and rarely got the time to do much outside the lab, so, here I am, it seems meeting people online could be good bet :O
some random trivia

• my work is on machine learning and proteins
• love running and cycling, pretty much any heavy cardio activity
• love playing soccer but suck at it
• love signing but suck at it
• love drawing but suck at it
• I only sing in spanish, because I got a thiccc accent and feel a bit self-conscious singing in english
• expert in early 00s shitty pop music
• best disney movie is ratatouille
• most overrated disney movie is up
• love dancing cumbia and bachata… and actually do not suck at it! lmao
• can move my ears on command
• have lived in 4 countries, 6 cities, 2 continents
• I’m trying to get into video games. help? I have a swtich, xbox, and pc
• not a fan of scifi or fantasy :(
• once got jump-scared by a possum while riding my bike
• knows two and a half languages
• love crafts (specially origami) and playing the accordion

here are two truths and a lie

• I was personally invited to a fancy rooftop party by a google hotshot, but bailed on it
• a mexican bill saved my life while I was stranded in serbia
• I was suspended from middle school for burning a whiteboard with body spray and a lighter

If you're interested in talking, send me a line about yourself!

hey!
here’s what I look like
I’m in chicago, in the middle of my phd, using the sacred few hours of sleep I got to scroll reddit while binging on the trashiest reality TV and early 00s MTV music videos… I’m known for taking wise choices :P
a few sentences about myself
I’m a very proud mexican doing his phd in theoretical biophysics in the US (somewhere in the midwest). sometimes I like to think I’m super smart… then I remember how much trashy reality tv trivia I know. tbh, since moving here I’ve been aching to meet people that aren’t related to my professional or academic sphere, and rarely got the time to do much outside the lab, so, here I am, it seems meeting people online could be good bet :O
some random trivia

• my work is on machine learning and proteins
• love running and cycling, pretty much any heavy cardio activity
• love playing soccer but suck at it
• love signing but suck at it
• love drawing but suck at it
• I only sing in spanish, because I got a thiccc accent and feel a bit self-conscious singing in english
• expert in early 00s shitty pop music
• best disney movie is ratatouille
• most overrated disney movie is up
• love dancing cumbia and bachata… and actually do not suck at it! lmao
• can move my ears on command
• have lived in 4 countries, 6 cities, 2 continents
• I’m trying to get into video games. help? I have a swtich, xbox, and pc
• not a fan of scifi or fantasy :(
• once got jump-scared by a possum while riding my bike
• knows two and a half languages
• love crafts (specially origami) and playing the accordion

here are two truths and a lie

• I was personally invited to a fancy rooftop party by a google hotshot, but bailed on it
• a mexican bill saved my life while I was stranded in serbia
• I was suspended from middle school for burning a whiteboard with body spray and a lighter

If you're interested in talking, send me a line about yourself!

The overall reaction was oh shit, 'girl we all dabble, let's not go there ON TV". It was the clearest display of how filtered they try to be and why I appreciate Chrishell's shrug "I said what I said"
Let me just say I loved Season 6. For the most part, these woman genuinely like each other and enjoy each other's company. The morning after the fight between Nicole and Chrishell when they were making breakfast is when you can see the old cast' chemistry. They were having fun!
Of course Nicole's absence helped immensely. Speaking of, I don't understand her consistently coming after Chrishell and yes, all her accusation were below the belt. Accusation of favoritism from the boss while she was married hits her both personally and professionally. And that is just one accusation.
Then she had the audacity to threaten a defamation suit after going all extra with the drug test. She just doesn't know when to fucking quit. Before she dropped that bombshell, Chelsea and Mary sympathized with her, agreeing that Chrishell may have gone too far, while recognizing she was pushed by Nicole to Nicole's face! And Mary may be distant from Chrishell at the moment but she had her back the whole time
I like Bre. I want her to live her best life with her baby. I do see where Chelsea is coming from on the situation with regards to Nick's ability to be a good father but I wouldn't have said it publicly, let alone on TV. But this is the kind of non damaging drama that keep the show on air so thanks Chelsea and Bree for keeping the ball rolling. It is much better than Nicole's feeble attempt to manufacture drama for relevance. Bring back Davina
PS: I hated the fashion this season. They were all trying too hard with their outfits and makeup. Amanza's eye makeup was especially egregious

Hi everyone! So I have been wanting to give one tree hill a try for a while, I am unusually picky with tv shows/movies and typically only like to watch things from the 2000’s/early 2010s and before, which most of the times leaves me with limited options on new things to watch bc I grew up in that era and have pretty much saw everything. To my surprise I never saw one tree hill, but it looks good and so I was just wondering where you guys think is a good place to start and what the best seasons are? I have adhd so sometimes I have a hard time starting from the beginning with shows bc it overwhelms me, but nine seasons isn’t a whole lot compared to something like greys anatomy etc lol. What are y’all’s favorite seasons?

Out there - Patreon (for all those curious or wanting to support :))
At the Beginning
Adventure Arc - Arc 2
Wilderness Arc - Arc 3
Academy Arc - Arc 4
Previously on Leveling up the World…
Book 3 will be available on Kindle and Amazon tomorrow :D
 
Setting conditions to the Order of the Seven Moons wasn’t a wise move in most circumstances. Being a mage somewhat put things on an even footing, though not quite. It was only when the request was so insignificant from the order’s point of view that it didn’t ruffle feathers. Depending on the circumstances, it could even be viewed as a positive.
Dallion had made his involvement subject to three conditions. The main was that no one outside of the order be made aware of the deal. This was seen as reasonable from all sides and immediately guaranteed through another Moon vow. The second was free access to the copyette ruins beneath the Nerosal. If nothing else, that was the location of the magic vortex. Regardless if it was related to Adzorg or not, Dallion wanted unfettered access to it. Given events in the past, the request posed a bit of alarm, but was ultimately fulfilled.
The last condition was a bit trickier. It had taken a lot of convincing, but ultimately, Dallion had managed to obtain another vow that upon the successful completion of his mission, Adzorg not be killed. In addition, the Order would help Dallion remove his own curse, or at the very least tell him how to do it. Since they had experience in the area, it was unlikely to present a problem. On his part, if Dallion failed to stop the rise of a new Star, he’d be facing greater issues than the Order’s bad side.
None of Dallion’s guardians said a word as he made his way to the city’s arena. In truth, he himself wasn’t thrilled to be going there. That was a place that the general frequented, and the man was still owed one favor.
“I won’t be visiting him,” Dallion said, sensing the tenseness within his realm. “Besides, I’m a mage now.”
You know as well as me that he won’t let that stand, the armadil shield said. You won’t be the first mage to owe someone favors, making him a lot more eager to collect.
There was no denying that. As a precaution, Dallion cast an invisibility spell on himself as he entered the arena. With the festival over, and unlikely ever to occur again, the place had become alarmingly empty. All the Priscord family banners had been removed, along with many of the statues and portraits. One could get the unmistakable feeling that this was a foreclosed building awaiting new owners.
A few city guards were scattered about the vast corridors, just in case someone unwanted tried to steal anything of value that was left. Sealed doors and stairways ensured that no one could freely venture into the lower areas, but for a mage that didn’t present any challenge. Even without flashy or destructive spells, Dallion had picked up a few ways to enter a place without the use of doors or other openings.
Upon reaching one of the entry points, Dallion drew his harpsisword and tapped it on his boot. The blade vibrated, allowing him to seamlessly stick it through the wall, then extend his magic to create a magic portal on the other side.
You’ll need more if you’re going after the mage, Harp said, her voice a combination of vibrations that formed words.
“I know.” Dallion completed the spell, then pulled the weapon out. “That’s why I’m heading for this vortex.” He needed to increase his magic trait as many times as possible, and that meant absorbing every vortex he came across.
A second portal formed on the wall, allowing Dallion to walk through into one of the old stairwells. From there, he continued downwards.
Darkness was complete. Even with his present perception level, it was impossible to see a thing. In the past, Dallion had used Lux to light the way in such circumstances. This time, he chose to rely on another spell.
You’re relying too much on magic, Ariel criticized from Dallion’s domain.
“Maybe.” Dallion replied. From his view, he wasn’t relying enough.
The descent continued for another ten minutes. Then, finally, the “modern” staircases ended and the ancient glory of the copyette ruins began. There were many things that could be said about the imprisoned races at the height of their power. Pan claimed there was nothing that could rival a copyette city. Of course, he tended to be a bit biased on the topic. Seeing his share of ruins during his time as a hunter, Dallion had witnessed the majesty of many forgotten wonders of architecture. If he had enough time he would have gladly roamed through what was left of the ruined city in an attempt to recreate it in his mind. Sadly, his focus wasn’t anything built by copyettes, but the vortex that had appeared there.
After another minute walking through chambers and corridors, Dallion took out his aetherizer and looked at it. The purple dot appeared close.
It’s in the middle of the next corridor to the right, boss, Gem said. Dallion had offered to make the aetherfish the guardian of the device, but Gem had refused—he enjoyed exploring the real world too much to be stuck in another realm.
Less than fifty steps later, the purple glow of magic became visible. It was just as Gem had said… or rather, close enough. While part of the vortex was indeed visible in the corridor, its main part happened to be in a small room leading off of it. Dallion tried to look in, but the magic intensity was too high for him to see a thing.
Looking closely at the outer threads, Dallion was able to read a small part of the magic instructions, most notably that the vortex had ceased to exist over a month ago, possibly even three.
Afterglow, he thought.
Just as powerful vortexes gleamed before they appeared in the world, after images were also present long after the fact. One significant detail was that afterimages could allow a mage to absorb the tower as if it were the real thing.
“Ready?” Dallion asked.
The vertex was different from the ones he’d seen before. Back in the Academy, he was dealing with lingering concentrations of magic energy. This had the appearance of a tower… very much like the one during his failed awakening trial.
“Ruby, slash the walls.”
The shardfly flew off Dallion’s shoulder, sending a small tornado of wind slashes. Sections of the walls crumbled, revealing more of the vortex.
As Dallion suspected, the vortex had the general shape of a tower. The threads of the outside formed a solid impenetrable surface, at least for everyone who didn’t know where to look.
“Stop,” Dallion said after a while.
If Nil were here, he would have said that destroying a tunnel while still in it wasn’t the best of ideas. Thanks to Dallion’s scholar skills, he was able to make an adequate assessment of the situation. It also helped that he was constantly splitting the entire time.
A few of his instances examined some of the newly revealed parts of the vortex. In one case, Dallion tried placing his hand on the magic tower with the hope that he’d trigger a response. No such thing happened. Even so, it soon became clear that every seventeen thousand and six hundredth thread was visibly dimmer than the rest.
At least it’s not the top, Dallion thought, then infused his harpsisword to slice a sliver of an opening.
​
VORTEX AWAKENING
​
The familiar purple rectangle appeared. The moment it was gone, Dallion found himself on a floating chunk of rock beneath a purple sea above.
​
You are in a level 4 VORTEX
Defeat the guardian to Absorb the VORTEX
​
An upside-down world? Dallion wondered. Glancing at his shoulder, he saw Ruby still there. That suggested that at least gravity was normal for the moment.
Cautiosly, Dallion split into two instances. Some vortexes were temperamental and didn’t react well to combat splitting. The moment he did, a wave formed on the sea above.
A bird of blue flames emerged and after making several circles round him perched on Dallion’s free shoulder. Ruby flicked his wings. Vortexes were the only places in which Dallion’s realm and real world guardians could interact effortlessly, sometimes leading to the occasional grumble.
“Check for anything suspicious, Lux,” Dallion said. “Don’t fight. I don’t want any mess-ups like last time.”
With a loud chirp, the firebird darted off, disappearing from view.
“Harp, Onda, anything you can tell me about that?”
Neither of the guardians replied. For some reason, whenever a question was presented to both of them, Onda would remain silent unless Harp responded first.
“Harp?” Dallion asked again.
I can’t give you advice, the nymph replied.
That, in a way, gave Dallion his answer. Just to make sure, he took his harpsisword and did a spark infused point attack straight up. Force shot out from the tip of the weapon, as a white beam within the realm of purple. The moment it hit the sea, a vast amount of water moved aside. A hole briefly emerged, though it was short-lived—the volume of magic water wore down the force of the strike until it had no further effect. Loud splashes filled the created space, sending ripples throughout the sea in the form of giant waves.
Send an echo to check out the water, the armadil shield suggested. I know your thoughts on the matter, but it’s the safest way.
Ignoring the advice, Dallion cast a flight spell and slowly flew up. He strongly suspected that there was some trap laying in wait. Either the ocean itself was going to react to him, or something beneath it. Even with the differences between types of vortexes, that principle never changed.
Knowing that he remained safe in the air, Dallion burst into instances. Waves covered the entire sea, raging as if a massive storm had begun.
One single instance of Dallion increased its speed, flying faster towards the surface. Over five hundred feet away, the reaction everyone was expecting took place. Spikes of water shot up like tentacles, aiming to pierce the instance. Before they got a chance, Dallion ended it, choosing another to become reality.
“So, that’s your game,” he said.
The sea was nothing less than a barrier shielding the vortex guardian. In order to reach his destination, he had to somehow puncture it and move to the space beyond.
Lux, Dallion thought. Have you found anything?
There was a loud pop a few feet from Dallion marking the firebird’s return.
Nothing, boss, the familiar replied. I’d say send little bro to check out the water. He’s good at this.
“I’m sure.” Jellyfish were at home in water. However, with Gem’s level still so low, Dallion didn’t want to risk it. It didn’t help that he remained uncertain how the creature was supposed to level up. Originally, he thought that feeding it magic would do the trick. That hadn’t been the case.
Focusing on the water, Dallion this time combined his magic and layer vision. Surely enough, the appearance of the sea changed. No longer was it a monolithic liquid, but millions of magic threads, a fraction of the size of a human hair. Interestingly enough, they didn’t have any firm connections to anything, but were freely moving about attaching and detaching at will.
Concentrating harder, Dallion tried to spot any anomalies or thread instructions, but his current level of magic prevented him from doing so. After half a minute, slight tension emerged in Dallion’s temples.
“Harp,” he said, closing his eyes. “Without giving any advice, is there an easy way through this?”
Yes, the harpsisword replied. But not for you.
“I thought so.” Dallion opened his eyes. Despite his many tricks, he was going to have to rely entirely on magic. Still, that didn’t exclude combining it with any of the other skills he had.
Unsummoning his weapons and gear, Dallion extended his internal magic. Minuscule threads emerged from every part of his body, surrounding him like a defensive mesh. Now he had a layer of defensive skin, very much like a platypain. That was just the first part of his plan.
What exactly do you intend to do? Harp asked from within his awakening realm.
“Have a violent swim,” Dallion replied, commencing a new spell. “A violent swim in the world’s largest potion.”
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this story, consider joining my patreon or check out my other stories on redditserials:
The Scuu Paradox (a Space Opera Sci Fi)
The Cassandrian Theory (a Space Opera Sci Fi)
The Impeccable Adventure of the Reluctant Dungeon (Dungeon Core Adventure Comedy)
Uncharted Waters (An Urban Fantasy Detective Noir)

I had an experience the other day that kinda spooked me. I'm going to say what happened first and then explain the conclusion I came to. The reason I am posting this here is because I am not sure where else to do so, and yall are already trying to escape the problems of using the internet. My experience made me think that people in general need to get off the internet yesterday. I want input in if I am just being paranoid or if you guys think this is a real thing.
The other day, I received a photo from my relative. It was a very out of character photo of me and him throwing up gang signs. I didn't remember doing that photo, and so I asked him if it was a product of the new AI algorithms. He told me no, and that it was a photo I had forgotten about. He said that it was a spur of the moment thing that he barely remembered himself.
This kinda spooked me. I've seen endless AI photos generated with trump being arrested or porn photos of female actors. After seeing obvious but realistic fakes over and over, it subconsciously made me think that any photo was at least possible to forge. I ended up doubting a real photo of myself that I had just forgotten about.
The thing is with this AI stuff is that it's not capable of telling you something actually intelligent, at least right now. It's not like I can go to chatgpt and it somehow comes up with a way I can get to the moon with a roll of duct tape and a fork. What it does do very well is convincingly hallucinate any reality you want it to. You can tell it to generate a convincing picture, text, sound, or something like that. I was even talking to my girlfriend about it, and she was telling me that scammers have been using it to make fake voices of loved ones saying that they have been kidnapped.
If it's strong enough right now to make me question real photos of myself, it's going to throw all parts of reality into question. That's right now. That's not in the future when this stuff gets more powerful. When I look at people right now using the internet, I see people captivated by fear porn or click bait. Even the news on TV right now is nothing but fear. What I worry about is that once this machine is able to hallucinate horror after horror, the common man will not be able to turn away because of their instinct. People seek out horror because they have an instinct to survive. It's a different instinct than other ones. I could have a infinite number of hot women who want to sleep with me, but at some point I will become satiated. When it comes to survival this does not happen.
I think that this stuff will get to the point where people aren't able to discern what state they live in or who even the president is. I really think it's going to get that bad. I think right now someone discerning can still somewhat tell if something is fake or not. Either its a fumble in the facts or the guy has seven fingers in the photo. That's not going to last for long.
I think that the only thing that people can do is disconnect and just pay attention to their immediate surroundings that they can physically see, and who they really know in real life. Everything outside of that is going to be a jumbled mess where no useful discernment is possible.
I myself quit watching the news ten years ago. Best thing I ever did. I came to the conclusion that the emotional rollercoaster was harming me way more then helping, and that if there was something important that someone would tell me about it. I think that things have gotten to the point that we need to disconnect now or get lost in the insanity of endless crap that the AI can generate. Like focus on what we can know with our own eyes and do something about v.s. get caught up in the complete sea of insanity.
Am I wrong in all this? Am I just being weird?

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Join US https://discord.gg/4GeCR24mA9 Pricing Plex 1 month – $ 9.99 12 months – $ 99.99 lifetime – $ 199.99 IPTV Price $11.99/Monthly $69.99/half-year $140/Yearly $299/Lifetime Content offered: Movies 1080 p - 30000 Movies 4k - 754 TV Shows - 19000 4k TV - 351 Will take almost any payment mode message Download/Requests option enabled for yearly/lifetime users exception made for monthly users on case by case basis Why shouldn't I buy netflix instead? Because Netflix only has 3,700 movies and 5,800 TV shows. We have a lot more shows. You could get Netflix + HBO-Max + Hulu + Disney-Plus + Amazon Prime Video for around $55 USD and you'd still have less movies than you can have with us! 2. Should I drop my cable bill? That $100 dollar burden on your wallet? Yes. Drop it please and grab a plex susbcription. 3. Will you suddenly drop me and disappear? Hell no. We can't afford to. We've just spent too much (money and time) on making everything work perfectly. We'll be around for a long long time to recoup our investments. 4. Why do you charge so much compared to some others? We're not just here to show you some videos. We want this experience to be amazing and we do the work to make it so. Our plex servers load in less than 5 seconds, and videos start-up within 5 seconds too. We try to make sure the servers never go down and support is always friendly. You can take up an hour of my time asking how best to change the audio settings in your plex device, or you can send me questions in the middle of the night about a missing tv episode or the wrong audio track. We'll always be happy to help. https://discord.gg/4GeCR24mA9 Join US

Got this part finished! It took some doin, but I got there. Anyway, let me know what you guys think, and I hope you enjoy. I'm not very good at these intros.
First / Prev / Next (Coming eventually)
----------
“-ck.”
David’s apartment wasn’t overly furnished to begin with. He lived with the bare essentials that came with state housing, but the fiks decided to make it more homy. Their idea of a home was converting it into a flophouse. Beds, cots, and pallets soon spread out along the walls while boxes and crates soon took up residence in the middle of the room. His coffee table, end tables, and small dining set were conspicuously absent.
He stared slack-jawed for a moment before a crash sounded from his kitchen. “Saa! No food!”
“Lie! How can human starve?” After a brief pause, “Saa! No food!"
David was about to investigate when a short…well, relatively short fik stood in his way. “Ah, David! Yes, yes, we come as soon as we could.” He was just a few inches taller than David and wearing more ornate garb. About as ornate as something stolen from a seamstress’ dumpster. He was also an albino. That was important to fiks, right?
“Am Wesh. Clan Ermin.” That sounded important, alright.
“Ermin? Are you the one in charge here? Tell them to stop ripping up my-“
Another clatter sounded from the kitchen. “Look, look! Hidden door!” Oh right, the pantry. Great. Now they’re in his walls.
With a content smile the Ermin said, “Yes, this will be good den. The wise clan lives close.” He illustrated his point by interlacing his fingers. “Builds strong bonds. And now with human! Wise human no less!”
“Wise? Look man, if I was wise, I’d be doing better than I am. Now, will you tell them-“
“Bah! Yes, human wise…Maybe David does not see. Or hear. Wesh hears wisdom you recite.”
“…You could hear me in the shower?” he asked sheepishly.
“Saaaaa. Yes. David sings song of fik! Sings of fik’s struggle in new world. About lies and hate fik suffer. But our fighter spirit keeps us going. Keeps us strong. You sing such wisdom without knowing?” He placed his hands on David’s shoulders, “Fear not! Wesh will hear and speak David’s wisdom. Even if David cannot see.” With a pat on the shoulder the albino shuffled away to the warriors who seemed at odds over sleeping arrangements.
“I guess it’s good to know they like Simon and Garfunkel.” He mumbled to himself. David summoned his courage to finally investigate what was happening in his kitchen when the door chimed, and the apartment went abruptly silent.
*****
Sarif didn’t need a canid nose to know something was off. The various tables and bits of broken furniture stacked up beside the building leading a trail of dust and debris to David’s door was a decent tip off. Another would be the small din coming from the building. Sure, any tenant could be having company over making a decent noise, but they wouldn’t stop after pressing David’s chime. But of course, she could also smell the small number of people who’ve passed by recently. It didn’t seem likely David would give up being a recluse overnight. What worried her was the smell of his pursuers from last night.
After a moment of silence, Sarif pounded on the door as a bit of anxiety seeped into her mind.
“Who’s there?” called David.
She let go of a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “It’s me. I’ve come to check on you, and…And apologize.” She struggled to get the last word out.
After a brief pause the door slid partially open revealing David’s suspicious expression. “Apologize?”
“Yes…Who’s in there with you?” She looked above him, but no one was in view. The place looked like a mess.
“Just, uh…Just some friends. Could you maybe come back another time? Now’s a bit…Busy.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “Please let me in. It’s-“ She caught herself before saying ‘my job’ “Important to me that I know you’re safe.”
With a grimace David looked back into his apartment before relenting and opening the door. Her eyes quickly scanned the room looking for the intruders as she stepped through the threshold. The fiks were hiding in the doorways to the kitchen and bedroom. She caught sight of the impromptu bedding and realized this was an infestation.
She took a couple strides to put herself between as many of them and David as she could. “David, what are they doing here?” she demanded in a hoarse whisper. “They were the ones chasing you last night. You’re letting them move in?”
“I’m not letting them do anything.” He replied as hushed as he could. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m a bit on the short side. When someone twice my height wants to do something there’s not much I can do about it.”
Her eyes narrowed as she looked over her shoulder before leaning down and whispering in his ear, “Do you need me to get rid of them? If you feel in danger I’ll-“
“No! No. They’re fine. Just a bit…excited? Eager?” He sighed, “Look…Last night was a bit of a misunderstanding. I didn’t know all of this was happening until a few minutes ago. It’ll sort itself out.”
“You can’t let these people stay here. It’s not safe. They’re…”
It was David’s turn to squint, “They’re what?”
“You know.”
“No, I don’t. Enlighten me.”
“They’re dangerous. They steal, they’re violent-“
“Violent? Violent? Everyone in this galaxy is violent. So far, they haven’t stolen anything, and have been polite with everything I’ve asked. Meanwhile the other high and mighty races have done their very best to make my life a living Hell. They haven’t beaten me. They haven’t starved me! They haven’t shoved shit in me without my consent like those fucking snakes or big fuckers did!” David shouted while pointing to the scar behind his ear. He realized he was shouting and leaned around Sarif to see a dozen or so eyes staring at the two.
Sarif closed her eyes and took a breath. “Look, I…I’m sorry. I’m sure they’re fine. I just…” She looked up and around, searching for the words. “I’m trying my best to keep you safe. I really am. Sometimes that…Sometimes that makes me come off a little harsh. You know the galaxy isn’t a nice place. So do I. I tend to see the worst in people.” She looked down into his eyes, “Will you meet me halfway? Help me, help you? I just want to help you however I can.”
The tension left David as he sighed and rubbed his forehead. He opened his mouth to speak when there came a rough knock at the door.
*****
Hilda took a seat at the bar in the Aimless Wind Café. It had mostly emptied out as the breakfast rush died down. She perused the menu on her comm then checked for any upcoming entertainment. Looks like authentic human music was a random flash promotion. After a brief wait, a black furred felinoid walked up behind the counter.
“Can I get you anything?”
“Yeah, I’ll take a tea and is the owner in today?”
She looked the taurian up and down before replying, “Sure. I’ll go grab him.” With that she disappeared into the back. A few minutes passed as Hilda looked around the restaurant. It wasn’t small exactly. The bar and stage took up a good portion of the room, but judging by the tables the place could seat just over fifty patrons.
“Well, if it isn’t our resident human wrangler. A bit wilier than herding troqs, huh?”
Is my accent that bad? The man rose to eye-level on the hidden step that ran the length of the bar. He was dressed in more conservative clothing with a handkerchief tied around his nubs holding his hair back. While he readied the kettle and dug out a large earthenware cup, Hilda cleared her throat.
“We grew nist, but yeah. I’m here to-“
“Learn what you can about our little music-man.” He set the cup down in front of Hilda and began wiping down the immaculate counter. “He’s been here a few times; engaging in his impromptu therapy sessions. Not much of a talker I’m afraid. What were you hoping to learn?”
Hilda went back and forth in her head about just how much she wanted to say, before deciding honesty would be best. “This is…only our second day with David. So far, we’ve only read his file, picked him up from the hospital, then chased him through half the station. We can’t get a word in edgewise because he doesn’t trust…Well, anyone. But, he kept coming here. I just want to see why. Maybe find something we can do to help him.”
The owner raised his eyebrows then leaned on the bar, “Well. I suppose things have nowhere to go but up, now. If you were looking for some great truth or revelation about David, I’m afraid I have none. All I can say is the man loves-no, needs to sing. I don’t know why. Maybe it distracts him from the here and now or takes him back to when life made more sense to him. Though, if I were to guess…I would say he probably always loved singing. Might well have been his drive before everything was stolen.”
She mulled that over. For someone without all the answers the man had a better bead on David than most of the evals in his file. “That’s as good a guess as any. I just don’t know what I can do with that Mr…”
“Rodrik, and it may be a bit selfish on my part, but it also may bring David a bit out of his shell. Maybe you and your partner could finally bring our bard to perform on that stage over there.” He pointed to the back corner. “I’m more than willing to accommodate whatever he needs.” Standing straight again he told her, “I’ll be here whenever if he decides to perform up there or in the back. I live on the floor above. For now, Shasa here will take care of you.”
Stepping back down, the man passed the felinoid and returned to the backroom. Hilda nursed her tea and thought when Shasa spoke. “I do hope you get him to perform again. I’m a bit of a fan now.”
Hilda eyed the woman. She realized her fur wasn’t solid black but covered in hazy, faint spots. A bit on the taller and bulkier side for felinoids she seemed a bit out of place, but she didn’t know why. “Have you spoken to David much?”
“Not as much as I’d like to. He’s adorably uncomfortable whenever anyone is…particularly friendly to him. But I do love a man with baggage. They melt in your hands once they’re comfortable around you. Lean on you for support. Oh, but you’re not here for that kind of advice. Or are you?” She smiled mischievously.
Squinting at the other woman, Hilda rose and paid her tab, “Thanks. I guess.” She left the café and headed for David’s apartment, learning all she could and a bit more besides. I’m gonna have to keep an eye out for that one.
*****
The room was silent for a beat before Sarif opened the door. She was staring at a leather clad chest before she craned her neck back and saw the single largest fik she had ever seen. I didn’t know they could get that big.
The fik woman seemed equally confused to see Sarif and looked past her to the other fiks approaching the door.
“Chief!” called a fik.
“Chief?” parroted David and Sarif in unison.
A grin split the chief’s lips as she bowled past Sarif and strode in to meet her clan.
“Hey! You can’t just barge in here!” cried Sarif as she rebounded off the wall and planted her paws.
“Why? Am chief. Chief can go anywhere.” The fik giant explained as if to a child. Ignoring the canid, the chief’s gaze wandered the apartment before settling on David, “You!” She took a couple quick strides before bending down and scooping David up in a bear hug.
Sarif launched herself with reckless abandon at the fik’s back with teeth and claws bared. The chief spun as she hauled David up throwing Sarif’s lunge off causing her to shoot past. She dug her claws in the floor and spun around. David was effectively a hostage and meat shield.
I’m gonna have to go low or else I’d rip David open with her. But what if she lands on him? That could be just as…Wait, what’s she saying?
The fik, seemingly oblivious to the attack was rocking David side to side saying, “So happy to finally find you! Humans so hard to find. Always hiding. Always running. But now I have you! You’ll be so safe and happy now!”
She blinked. That wasn’t quite what she expected, but violence still hadn’t been ruled out. She was plotting her next move when she noticed a sharp blade of some description enter her peripheral, threatening her to stay still. Right. The others.
Then the door opened.
*****
Hilda heard voices and a scuffle as she approached the door. Deciding she needed to get in there quickly she opened the door and stepped inside.
She didn’t know how to process what she was seeing. There were almost a dozen fiks around the redecorated room. One was just about her size, clutching a squirming David while another was holding a knife to Sarif who had murder in her eyes. And all eyes were on her.
The door slid shut behind her when she turned and glared at the big fik. “Put. Him. Down.”
A confused expression crossed her face. She looked down and saw the human struggling for air then released him. He dropped to the floor gasping for breath, bracing his hands on his thighs.
Her gaze settled on Sarif who was beginning to relax. “What happened?”
“These f-“ She glanced at David, “These people broke in and seem to be trying to move in.”
A white fik stepped forward, “There are lies! Fik was welcomed into new den. David is most gracious. Fik would not break anything!”
“I broke something!” Piped up a fik in the back.
“Silence!” the white fik yelled, spinning around.
“You about broke David’s spine!” Sarif growled and stalked up to the chief. “Where do you get off thinking you can just whip him around like that?”
She seemed unperturbed by the chastisement. “Human is fine. Sulta knows her own strength.” The argument carried on for another couple minutes when the door chimed again.
*****
That’s it! I’m ripping the chime off and bricking up the door! No more visitors! No more headaches! David had slipped out of the middle of the verbal clash in case it became more physical, but that put him closest to the door. With a roll of his eyes and a groan he answered it.
Standing in the doorway was a blue and red colored avian. It gave David a quick glance before handing him a slim paper package. “You must be David. Not a lot of humans running around here. Anyway, have a pleasant day!” he called before striding down the street.
David tried to get a question out but the avian’s long legs carried him away before David even knew what to ask. With a sigh he inspected the package. It was more like an old Earth manilla envelope, bulging with something weighty. It had his address and even a description of him, but no return address or even the name of the sender.
Frowning down at it he turned around and closed the door once again. Then looked up and realized he was once again the center of attention.
“Uh…You all keep doin…Whatever. I’m gonna go check my mail.” He shuffled along the wall until he entered his bedroom then shut the door. Thankfully he was alone.
He sat down in his desk chair by his comically oversized desk and pulled out the envelope’s contents. It held a pad and a card. He set the pad aside a read the card with someone’s face on it.
You are formally invited to attend the celebration of life/graveside service of Mortemer J. Albrecht.
A funeral? I don’t even know this guy. He quickly read the dates and brief life summary on the inside before setting it aside and powering on the pad. It blinked to life before displaying the front camera view. God, I look terrible.
It blinked a couple times before scanning his face, with special attention to the eyes. I wonder if I get to keep this thing. Passing whatever check, the pad displayed the directions to the desolate planet Mr. Albrecht was going to be buried on. It drew up a diagram of the landing zone, gravesite, and where the Guardians will wait.
Guardians? Plural? Realization dawned on him. Multiple humans in one place. They never did that. David never fully understood why. He missed that bit of collective trauma. In some instances, it made him feel more disconnected to humanity than he already was.
He continued reading the invitation. It seems Mr. Albracht wanted as close to a traditional funeral as he could have, but he had no surviving family. That’s where David and the other invited humans come in. He pondered his options. He really didn’t want to venture out. He didn’t want to meet people and see that all too familiar pity in their eyes. Especially other humans. He didn’t know if it’d be worse to see them looking as bad as himself or doing better.
On the other hand…He was lonely. It’d been so long since he’d spoken to another human. Another person with a shared background and experience. Someone who’d just understand. He thought about it for a minute before reaching a decision.
He opened the door, and it seemed everyone really went back to arguing and shouting.
“Hey!” Silence. “You.” He pointed at Ruk’sa, “Keep everyone from wreaking my apartment. You.” He pointed at Sarif, “Keep them from getting into trouble while I’m gone. You.” He pointed at Hilda, “Come here.” He stalked back into his room while everyone looked at each other.
Hilda followed him to his room. “Gone?”
David spun around and squinted at the towering taurian, “You and Sarif really want to help me?” She nodded immediately, “Then take me here.” He pointed at the uninhabited planet displayed on the pad.

Australian Based

Hello everyone! I hope that you’re ready for another chapter of The Students! Before I get into that, though I wanted to thank u/winter-reigndeer694 for making this fantastic meme. It was exactly the response I was looking for when I wrote the chapter. This was also the first meme that someone has made of my fic. Thank you I really appreciate it. In other news, I had writer’s block so sorry if this sucks. I hope you enjoy and thank you to u/spacepaladin15 for the original story.
First Last Next
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Memory transcription subject: Gaerk, Krakotl Student
Date: [Standardized Human Time] August 28, 2142
Life was good. I had been in this apartment for about a week now, and I never thought that I would be this comfortable anywhere but home. Despite the fact that this was my first time away from home, surrounded by war vets that weren’t even on the same side, I was comfortable. Something, that when I told my parents about, they practically showered me with praise for doing as well as I was. Sure, I had my moments, like when I found out about that Arxur, the thing with my nest, and the party a couple of days ago. I shuddered when I thought about the party. The fact that that hulking human not only knew about my exploits but praised me for them was nothing short of a shock. It was also kind of motivating when I think about it. Other than those hiccups, life has been good. Even though we’re only a week or so into the semester, I feel confident that I can stay on top of everything and come out stronger because of it.
I shook myself out of my daydreams and focused back on the homework that I was doing. It was based on human programming languages, which was exciting for several reasons. I don’t know what it was about them, but they all seemed to flow like no other language that I had worked with before, and they were extremely intuitive. I relished the time that I had to learn about something that I’m passionate about. I was so engrossed in my project that I barely noticed Connor walk into the room carrying box that was large even for him. I tore myself away from my project long enough to see Connor opening it with a knife.
“Whacha got there?” I asked curiously.
Connor smiled as he opened the flaps of the cardboard box. “I got a package from home! There isn’t much mail service between here and Earth, but my mom cooked up a care package for me! I don’t even know what’s in here, but knowing my mom, it’ll be something good.”
My curiosity was piqued. What would a human mother send to her grown up hatchling? “Well, what’s in it?”
He started pulling various plastic wrapped things out of the box. The writing was in English, and I didn’t have my visual translator ready to go, so he just started rattling off the different things that came in the package. “Let’s see here, we got extra Double A batteries, a couple of flashlights, authentic vegan marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers for smores, mom’s homemade cookies (score! Mom’s recipe is the best!), a fifty credit gift card, and-“ He suddenly stopped and stared into the box.
“What is it? What did you get?”
“I fetching love my mom!” he practically shouted as he pulled a large black box with a handle attached to it out of the cardboard box and onto the table. He looked at me and his face fell a bit. “So, before I tell you what this is, I need to give you some context.”
I nodded my head. “Ok, why does it need context though?”
“Because it sounds horrible without context.” I shuddered involuntarily but got it under control and nodded for him to continue. He hesitated only for a moment before launching into his pitch. “So back in the 1980’s or something like that, there was a company named Games Workshop. Like the name suggests, they made, and still make, games. Those games happened to be tabletop war games.”
My feathers puffed up. “W-war games?”
“Yeah, the idea behind them was that they created a strategy game where you would command an army that would fight another army controlled by your opponent. And, of course because they wanted to sell more than plastic miniatures and paint, they also created lore for them that, quite honestly, is really messed up. When any alien besides an Arxur hears about the lore for the first time, they are usually horrified, and run out of the room before anyone can explain that the whole thing is satire, and many people consider it to be the worst-case scenario when it comes to our interactions with aliens. I just want to reiterate that this game is not how humanity feels about aliens, ok?”
I shuddered again despite his words. Only predators would love a game glorifying violence and war like this. “Why though?” I asked horror clear in my voice.
He shrugged. “I don’t know, why did the federation have a TV show glorifying the extermination of species that showed no threat to anyone? Arguably this is tame by comparison.” He said defensively as he finally opened the case and pulled out figure after figure of what I assumed were armor covered humans with massive pauldrons carrying flamethrowers. The green of the armor was a stark contrast from the pitch black of the case that it came in. As I got closer to look at them, I could see the individual brush marks on one of the miniatures.
“Wait, did you paint these yourself?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Yeah, I did. Back in the day, you had to paint each mini with painstaking detail. Nowadays though, you can usually just buy them prepainted, but it’s a rite of passage in the community to hand paint your first army.”
I gasped in wonderment as he continued to pull mini after mini out of the case until there was well over fifty minis sitting on the table. “What are these?”
He chuckled again. “They are called space marines, and they are kind of like the elite forces of humanity in the lore of the game. These ones are from a chapter of space marines called the Salamanders, and they are the closest thing that 40k has to good guys.”
“Oh, wow!” I said with equal parts amazement at the painting job and terror of what I was hearing.
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I had a lot of time just doing nothing after I lost my arm, so I ended up getting into the extremely expensive hobby of painting miniatures like this and playing the game.”
I looked from the minis to him and then to the box. “Wait a second, there’s easily more room in that box than what you’ve shown me! What else do you have in there?”
“Well, right before I left for school here, I had another painting project that I was working on, and my mom packed it up in here too, along with the paints needed to paint the army.”
A thought came to my mind. “C-could I try and paint one?”
He smiled. “Sure! I’ll get you a reference sheet so that you can know what color to paint it!” With that, he pulled out a smaller figure holding a rifle and wearing a gas mask, along with some paint and pencil thin brushes. “Happy painting!”
This is the most fun I’ve had in a while! I thought to myself as I looked down at my claws to see them covered in paint. I looked back down at the model that I was obsessing over for the last three hours. “I think I’m finished!” I proudly exclaimed.
Connor leaned over to take stock of the state of the mini. “Dang dude! For the first time painting, you did really good!” I practically beamed with pride. There’s nothing that can tear me down from this high.
Suddenly, Spot walked into the apartment. He took one look at the mini, and immediately recognized it. “Dammit Connor, did you get him into Warhammer?”

I've got a bit of a problem. I'm shooting a centre cut longbow 40# at 28" my draw is 27" and using a bow scale I'm pulling just about 38#. Using Easton's chart (aluminium arrows) it is suggesting I use xx75, 1916's cut to 29" (assuming a centre cut longbow works the same or similar to a recurve)
So I've bought them uncut just to practice making my own arrows, shooting 2 fletched and 2 bare for all these tests I got really confusing and frustrating results.
20m, At 31.5" and 90 grain points the fletched hit gold, but the bares hit right by about 10cm landing very nock right. Same results at 30m.
At 30.8" with 90 grain points they hit within 10cm of each other but always left and still very nock right with the bare shafts. With 150 grain points it seems to straighten them out by about 50% but they're hitting left and nock right.
I don't know how to interpret these results so I just followed the Easton chart and took them down to 29" (big mistake) even at 20m the fletched arrows land far left, 30cm from centre, and the bares are very far left, close to 2m left of centre. I think this means they are far too stiff now, and I don't think there's any saving them. But if I'm not mistaken this is what Easton recommends, have I misunderstood the chart and bought the wrong arrows?
I had the best results at 30.8 inches, hitting slightly left I would think that means 31" with 150 grain points would be what works perfectly, leaving my arrows 4 inches longer than my draw, and quite heavy. It just doesn't feel right.
I'm venturing to guess my initial assumption that centre cut longbow and recurves would use the same spine, is wrong. And not wanting to make this mistake again, wasting all this time and money again, what should I do?

Image of wall of Nendoroids and couple of Figmas: https://imgur.com/a/FBaVpAx?
I was an active anime collector a decade ago but I’m realizing now I just don’t really have the space to display most of my collection all at once, and most of these have just remained in storage. So with a heavy heart, I’ve decided it’s probably about time to really pare down my collection and let these go to a loving home where they will be better appreciated and maybe see the light of day.So I’ll be working on listing a bunch of my collection, from figures, manga, DVDs, plushies, and anime merch. Much of my collection is from around 2010 or earlier, I stopped actively buying stuff around 2013, so you will notice I have mostly older figures. I’ll still be figuring out what I really want to keep so some of these figures I may be on the fence about - but by all means feel free to send me an offer.
Happy to take more photos and provide more details if you are interested in specific figure(s), just ask.
I accept Paypal G&S. I am open to trades and best offers.
Figures come from a smoke-free and cat-friendly home and are being shipped out from Canada, BC, Vancouver. I will calculate shipping using either Canada Post or USPS, whichever works out to be the best option, and I will give buyers a range when possible. I am happy to combine shipping and ship worldwide. I am also willing to arrange for free pickups if you are in the Lower Mainland.
I use recycled materials, so basically I reuse Amazon boxes, or whatever I have on hand. I will ensure the boxes are sturdy and well packed (I give em the ol shake test). I can also buy new shipping materials to ship figures at buyer’s expense if the buyer prefers.
MIB = Mint In Box, has never been opened, seal is intact, and box is in mint condition.
CIB = Complete in Box, all parts are included, has been opened.
IMAGE 1
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Hyakka Ryouran - Yagyu Jubei - Nendoroid (#171) - Opening ver. (FREEing) MIB $45 USD / $60 CAD
Kodomo no Jikan - Kagami Kuro - Nendoroid (#085) CIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
Kodomo no Jikan - Usa Mimi - Nendoroid (#098) CIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
Queen's Blade - Airi - Nendoroid (#168a) (FREEing) MIB $55 USD / $75 CAD
Mascot Character - Gumako - Cheerful Japan! - Nendoroid (#200) - Support ver. MIB $30 USD / $40 CAD
Puchitto Rock Shooter - Black ★ Rock Shooter - Cheerful Japan! - Nendoroid (#180) - Puchitto Support ver. CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Vocaloid - Kagamine Len - Cheerful Japan! - Nendoroid (#190) - Support ver. MIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Vocaloid - Kagamine Rin - Cheerful Japan! - Nendoroid (#189) - Support ver. MIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Working!! - Yamada Aoi - Nendoroid (#233) (Max Factory) MIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Fate/Tiger Colosseum - Saber Lion - Nendoroid (#050) CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
[SOLD] The World Only God Knows - Elsie - Nendoroid (#184) (Max Factory) CIB $45 USD / $60 CAD
Kannagi - Zange - Nendoroid (#069) CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes - Kamaboko - Sherlock Shellingford - Nendoroid (#156) - Anime ver. CIB $45 USD / $60 CAD
Black ★ Rock Shooter - Nendoroid (#106) CIB but damaged parts $22 USD / $30 CAD
Kuroshitsuji - Ciel Phantomhive - Nendoroid (#117) CIB $66 USD / $90
Kuroshitsuji - Sebastian Michaelis - Nendoroid (#068) CIB $66 USD / $90
[SOLD] SoniComi (Super Sonico) - Sonico - Nendoroid (#252) - Tiger Parka ver. CIB $75 USD / $100 CAD
Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica - Charlotte - Tomoe Mami - Nendoroid (#183) CIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica - Akemi Homura - Nendoroid (#182) CIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
[SOLD] Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica - Sakura Kyouko - Nendoroid (#217) CIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki - Midarezaki Gekka - Midarezaki Kyouka - Nendoroid (#052) CIB $75 USD / $100 CAD
Little Busters! - Belka - Noumi Kudryavka - Nendoroid (#158) - Winter Uniform Ver. (Gift) MIB $45 USD / $60 CAD
Fate/Stay Night - Altria Pendragon - Nendoroid (#121) - Saber, Super Movable Edition CIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
Melty Blood - Neco-Arc - Nendoroid (#120) - Ultimate Version MIB $260 USD / $350 CAD
Minami-ke - Minami Chiaki - Nendoroid (#088) CIB $40 USD / $55 CAD
[ON HOLD] Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu - Kyon - Nendoroid (#153) - Disappearance Ver. CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
[ON HOLD] Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu - Suzumiya Haruhi - Nendoroid (#124) CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
[ON HOLD] Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu - Nagato Yuki - Nendoroid (#123) CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Death Note - Yagami Light - Nendoroid (#012) CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Shining Wind - Kureha Touka - Nendoroid (#063) CIB $37 USD / $50 CAD
Penguin Musume - Nankyoku Sakura - Nendoroid (#048) CIB $55 USD / $75 CAD
Strike Witches - Francesca Lucchini - Nendoroid (#108) CIB $37 USD / $50 CAD
Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica - Akemi Homura - Nendoroid (#208) - School Uniform ver. MIB $75 USD / $100 CAD
Bungaku Shoujo - Amano Tooko - Nendoroid (#118) CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
GOOD SMILE Racing - Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Nendoroid (#109) - Racing 2010 MIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Nendoroid (#129) - Absolute HMO Edition CIB $70 USD / $95 CAD
Lucky☆Star - Fate/Stay Night - Cosplay Set - Izumi Konata & Hiiragi Kagami - Nendoroid (#034) CIB $80 USD
Fireball - Drossel von Flügel - Nendoroid (#081) CIB $66 USD / $90
Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Cheerful Japan! - Nendoroid (#170) - Support ver. CIB, crushed box (GSC botched many shipments) $33 USD / $45 CAD
[ON HOLD] Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu - Asakura Ryouko - Expansion Set - Nendoroid (#044) CIB $55 USD / $75 CAD
IMAGE 2
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Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Nendoroid (#261) - Yukata ver. CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Nendoroid (#097) - Snow CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
[ON HOLD] Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Nendoroid (#033) CIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Nendoroid (#333) - Yukata, Natsu Tsubaki ver. MIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Black ★ Rock Shooter - Strength - Nendoroid (#166) MIB $55 USD / $75 CAD / $75 CAD
Black ★ Rock Shooter - Dead Master - Nendoroid (#128) CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Black ★ Rock Shooter - Black ★ Gold Saw - Nendoroid (#145) MIB $55 USD / $75 CAD
Vocaloid - Lily - Nendoroid (#286) (Phat Company) MIB $55 USD / $75 CAD
Vocaloid - Megurine Luka - Tako Luka - Nendoroid (#093) CIB $55 USD / $75 CAD
Vocaloid - Meiko - Nendoroid (#187) MIB $66 USD / $90 CAD
Vocaloid - Kaito - Nendoroid (#058) MIB $85 USD / $115 CAD
[ON HOLD] Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu - Asahina Mikuru - Nendoroid (#016) CIB $35 USD / $47 CAD
[ON HOLD] Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu - Nagato Yuki - Nendoroid (#010) CIB $40 USD / $54 CAD
[ON HOLD] Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu - Suzumiya Haruhi - Nendoroid (#009) CIB $35 USD / $47 CAD
Shakugan no Shana - Shana - Nendoroid (#047b) - Dengeki Daioh ver. CIB $100 USD / $135 CAD
Toradora! - Aisaka Taiga - Nendoroid (#185b) - Sailor Fuku Ver. (Ascii Media Works, Sentinel) MIB $90 USD
[SOLD] Nedoroid Diorama Play Set (#03) - School Festival Set A - (PHAT) MIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
[SOLD] Nedoroid Diorama Play Set (#03) - School Festival Set B - (PHAT) MIB $60 USD / $80 CAD
[SOLD] OreImo (My Sister Can’t Be This Cute) - Gokou Ruri / Kuroneko - Nendoroid (#144) CIB $52 USD / $70 CAD
Makai Senki Disgaea - Etna - Nendoroid (#356) (Phat Company) CIB $100 USD / $135 CAD
Makai Senki Disgaea - Flonne - Nendoroid (#357) (Phat Company) CIB $100USD / $135 CAD
Fate/Stay Night - Altria Pendragon - Cheerful Japan! - Nendoroid (#215) - Saber & Tohsaka Rin, Support Ver. CIB $85 USD / $115 CAD
Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Nendoroid (#150) - Snow Playtime Edition MIB $70 USD / $95 CAD
Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Nendoroid (#207) - Snow, Fluffy Coat Ver. MIB $70 USD / $95 CAD
Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku - Nendoroid (#303) - Snow, Strawberry White Kimono Ver. MIB, original shrink wrap still intact $140 USD / $190 CAD
Vocaloid - Hatsune Miku WonderFest 2014 - Figma (#EX-016) - Snow (Max Factory) MIB $75 USD / $100 CAD
Black ★ Rock Shooter - Kuroi Mato - Figma (#EX-006) - Seifuku ver. (Max Factory) MIB $60 USD / $80 CAD

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and if you weren't in any of the big crowds for Blink 182, Paramore, Taylor Swift/Phoebe Bridgers, or the musical festivals happening on along the east coast, you might itching for some live music this week. June means beach season is here and that means beach shows, with Rippers opening this weekend. Plus, Paramore is still in town, playing a pair of shows with Bloc Party, not to mention tour stops by AJJ, Thrice, Panchiko and Young the Giant, and yet another sellout for Bill Joel, who returns to make up December's cancelled show.
If you're new to this sub or just passing through, each week I try to highlight the "best" upcoming rock, punk, indie and alternative shows. I scour the web and social media for concert announcement, booking, rescheduling, etc., and then pick which shows are vying for my time and money (or which would've been if they weren't sold out). This is not intended to be an exhaustive list as there are other non-reddit resources that cast a wider net on live shows, including pop, hip hop and comedy shows, but feel free to add any missing shows using the comments (especially for other genres).
As usual, listed times are approximate start times (not door); prices are estimates for door tickets, and do not include online fees and taxes.

TUESDAY MAY 30

Brutus + Trixie Whitley @ Gramercy Theatre, 7pm ($20)
^LPR15 Panchiko + Horse Jumper of Love + LSD & the Search for God @ (le) poisson rouge, 7:30pm (SOLD OUT)
Paramore + Bloc Party + Genesis Owusu @ Madison Square Garden, 7pm ($185+)
Voice of Gowanus Fundraiser @ Public Records, 7pm ($50+) feat. Yo La Tengo + Marc Ribot + The Martin Bisi Collective
Peppermint + Sheer Curtains + Scout Gillett @ Purgatory, 8pm ($15)

WEDNESDAY MAY 31

Mega Bog + Mary Jane Dunphe + Shallowhalo @ Baby's All Right, 7pm ($15)
Cinema Stare + Leisure Hour + Good Looking Friends + Fear Not Ourselves Alone @ Bar Freda, 8pm ($15)
Leor Miller's Fear of Her Own Desire + Mt. Worry + Fat Trout Trailer Park + Bedridden @ The Broadway, 8:30pm ($15)
Unwed Sailor + Caravela + Spa @ The Kingsland, 8pm ($15)
^LPR15 Panchiko + Horse Jumper of Love + LSD & the Search for God @ (le) poisson rouge, 7:30pm (SOLD OUT)
Paramore + Bloc Party + Genesis Owusu @ Madison Square Garden, 7pm ($185+)
Heart Attack Man + Super American + Arm's Length + Photocopy @ Racket, 7pm ($20)
Bridge City Sinners + Crazy and the Brains @ Saint Vitus, 8pm ($20)
Michael Ian Cummings^{EP release show} + Alex Orange Drink + CUTTTERS + SUO @ The Sultan Room, 8pm ($17)
Pons + Dolly Spartans + Consumables + Bosco Mujo @ Union Pool, 8pm ($15)
AJJ + Oceanator + Gladie @ Webster Hall, 8pm ($25)

THURSDAY JUNE 1

Jelly Kelly^{album release show} + Skorts + Le Big Zero + Brodeo @ ALPHAVILLE, 9pm ($12)
Pride Month Kickoff Party @ Brooklyn Made, 8pm ($20) feat. partygirl + Laura Danae + Monarch + Tula Vera + LEONE
Big Wreck + Mick's Jaguar @ Gramercy Theatre, 7pm ($30)
Atlas Engine + Diary + Lukka + Endearments @ Rubulad, 8:30 ($12)
Tristen + Colatura + BenBen @ The Sultan Room, 8pm ($15)
Thrice ^{The Artist in the Ambulance 20th Anniversary tour} + Holy Fawn @ Terminal 5, 8pm (SOLD OUT)

FRIDAY JUNE 2

Massa Nera + Trophy Hunt + Common Sage @ The Broadway, 9pm ($15)
Onesie ^{"What You Kill" single + music video release show} + Nite Music + The Roulettes @ East Williamsburg Econolodge, 9pm ($5)
Dreamers + Robert DeLong @ Elsewhere - The Hall, 7pm ($25)
Billy Joel @ Madison Square Garden, 8pm (SOLD OUT) ^{Rescheduled from Dec. 19, 2022}
Fenne Lily & Christian Lee Hutson + Why Bonnie @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, 8pm ($25)
Climates + No Kill + North by North + AK & the Hallucinations @ Our Wicked Lady, 8pm ($15)
Wince + Bleary Eyed + Screenager @ Trans-Pecos, 8pm ($12)
Jeromes Dream + Elizabeth Colour Wheel + Venus Twins @ TV EYE, 8pm ($15)
Gorgeous + Gold Dime + Fred Cracklin + Free Casino @ The Windjammer, 9pm ($15)

SATURDAY JUNE 3

The New Colossus Festival presents Summer Saturdays @ 18th Ward Brewing, 1pm (FREE) feat. The Big Easy + Abby Jeanne + Sara Devoe + Telescope Club
New Pope + Tiers La Familia + parlor walls @ Mama Tried, 4pm (FREE)
Bueno ^{single release show} + Zero Point Energy + Rebecca Ryskalczyk + Scarlet @ ALPHAVILLE, 9pm ($15)
Monarch + The Poster Child + North By North + Amalia Juliane @ Berlin, 7:30pm ($12)
L.O.T.I.O.N. + Multinational Corporation + Abuso de Poder + Abism @ The Broadway, 9pm ($15)
Miracle Sweepstakes + Phantom Handshakes + Harper Love @ East Williamsburg Econolodge, 9pm ($5)
^{LPR15 - IN THE ROUND} Pissing Jeans + Carnivorous Bells + Shop Talk @ (le) poisson rouge, 7:30pm ($20)
Wunderhorse + Glom @ Mercury Lounge, 9:30pm (SOLD OUT)
Young the Giant + Milky Chance + TALK @ Pier 17 - Rooftop, 6pm (SOLD OUT)
Blue Note Jazz Festival Presents Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers + John Scofield + Kenny Garrett + Christian McBride @ Town Hall, 8pm ($60+)
^{Fear City Presents} OH BONDAGE, UP YOURS! - Night 1@ TV EYE, 8pm ($20/30) feat. Baby Shakes + Natalie Sweet + Josephine Network + The Out-Sect + The High Kinks + Civil Rats + Sweat + The Dracu-Las + The Wanderers
Semaphore + Velvet + Percocet @ The Windjammer, 9pm ($15)

SUNDAY JUNE 4

Young the Giant + Milky Chance + TALK @ Pier 17 - Rooftop, 6pm (SOLD OUT)
^{Fear City Presents} OH BONDAGE, UP YOURS! - Night 2@ TV EYE, 8pm ($20/30) feat. Mel Machete + Killer Kin + Vixen 77 + Soraia + Revelatours + Loretta + Tits Dick Ass + WifeKnife + Not All Heroes

I feel like I am caught in a Steinbeck novel. My wife (F63) and I (M62) have been happily married for 42 years. She was diagnosed with relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis in 2002. Her diagnosis was changed to secondary progressive around 2000. She has slowly lost the ability to walk and sit. She is in constant pain and takes Norco to make life tolerable. She also takes a generic mood elevator so she maintains a very good attitude and has a generally happy disposition. I work full time and care for her whenever I am not at work. Mornings I make and serve her breakfast and tea, then after she has finished her food I change her incontinence pad and chuck. I prepare her snacks for lunch and set her up with water, juice and a sugar free sparkling drink. When I return from work at her discretion I change her pad and chuck. Very often she is asleep and she will tell me she would rather not change her pads so she can sleep until dinner. I generally try to get dinner ready so we can watch Jeopardy together. I will change her pad and chuck again generally around 10:30. She tends to sleep days and stays up all night watching Television. We have two ladies who also relieve me of changing duties 6 times each week. I essentially get Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday off, although I still do the meals on those days. My wife is my best friend. We have very similar backgrounds, like the same movies and television shows. We enjoy music together and used to go to movies, concerts and plays regularly. We used to enjoy sailing and traveling. Now we are shut ins as she can’t stay seated in a wheel chair. She slides out and can’t push, pull herself back up. To see the doctor we have to use a non emergency ambulance service. We sold our sailboat around 9 years ago. Our last road trip was 7 years ago. Her MS probably started when she was around 25 years old. Hard to know for sure. When we were young we had what I thought was a great sex life. Several times a week and no pressure on either one of us. This gradually changed and sex became less and less frequent. Important to note she did choose to work full time and was often tired so I did not make a big deal over the diminished intimacy. At around 10 years of marriage I stopped trying to initiate. It took her a couple years to realize and she voiced a bit of displeasure. We had previously had many conversations about our diminishing sex life but when I would try she became more and more complacent about my advances. Being told not now or maybe tomorrow is discouraging when it is the standard response, not the exception. I still often wonder what is it that makes her not want to be intimate with me? I would feel such desire for her and when we were intimate I felt like we could take on the whole world together or just leave it behind and be together just us. When she figured out I was no longer asking she said thats not fair and you need to try harder. She also admitted she had lost desire and was not sure why. I do believe it was and still is the MS. It has now been 20 years without any intimacy other than holding hands and kissing good bye and hello.
4 years ago I had a life ending medical emergency. I had an ER doctor who diagnosed my condition and kept me alive long enough to find me a surgeon who did save my life. (I can also thank John Ritter who was not so fortunate.) i was already mildly depressed and finding myself unable to care for my wife put me in a downward spiral of self hate and disappointment. I had believed myself to be strong and invincible and now I was weak. Fortunately two of my long time friends stepped in and kept my wife in clean sheets and fed us until I could again take up my duties. Covid came and for months we were home practicing what retirement would be like. Not very encouraging. Instead of Margaritas at the yacht club in La Paz we were sharing prescription narcotics in bed in front of a big screen tv.
I eventually went back to work. Several months later my boss hired a new front office woman. The previous (much younger) woman had moved on before covid, shortly after my surgery. My first impression of the new woman was positive, she is pretty and seemed competent. I was still in a state of ptsd and more than a bit depressed. We would have group lunches where we all got to know the new person better. Gradually I began to pay more attention to her and became aware that she has a very charismatic personality. She is also single, self sufficient and confident. We have become fast friends and have had some good conversations (I suspect I enjoy them more than she does). While driving to work this past January it occurred to me I was actually looking forward to getting to work just to see her smile when I say good morning. I notice her clothes, take in her fragrance when she passes me. I never gave a thought to any of her predecessors. My wife is quite astute and has noticed an improvement in my overall demeanor and rightly attributes it to my crush on this woman. She has warned me about emotional entanglements that end badly for vulnerable people. In a sense it is already too late for that. My life is forever improved by having met and become familiar with this woman, the thought of her not being in my life is not tenable. I would never risk my relationship (meager as it is) with her for anything physical. I am in love with two women. I can’t be intimate with either of them. My life as a care giver.