This is going to be quite the lengthy post, I apologize in advanced.
I'm 23 years old, I've graduated from college, I'm on the job search, I've been home for a year looking for a career, while working a part time job.
I feel deeply and greatly, inexperienced with dealing with my emotions. I tended to be the "lonely kid" in school, becuase I just felt like I didn't fit in, this is all relevant becuase as an adult I feel like I'm still alone, and I know that's not true, Allah SWT is always with me. But my mind keeps attacking me, I feel like I'm at the lowest point of my life right now.
I spend alot of time by myself, and always pray that one day I'll have my own family and to make sure my kids never have to feel like me and to always love my wife.
That being said, my family grew up close, but growing up we struggled alot. However, everyone is changing, my siblings are changing, there's been alot of back of forth between me and my family for me to find a job, and I'm really trying to do my best, but it just feels like I've reached this threshold of stress in my heart that it feels like I'm being crushed when I breath.
My mother has changed from being her caring self and nowadays she's just so stressed and tired shes become so angry, and I really don't know how to help but I want to try whatever I can.
My siblings confronted me about, there views on life, and it opened this semi-heated exchange. It was his opinion that, you should always be looking to make money, as a means to support your family, even if you can't be around as a father, and that you must struggle to make more and more money he told me if he had choice to choose between a job that would pay 150k or a million dollars he'd choose the highest amount without thinking about how much time he'd have away from his family.
It's sincerely noble, considering we grew up with a single mother in one or the poorest places in our country.
However, I begged to differ, I believe it's Important, to be in your child's life as much as you can, even if it means sacrificing a job that gives you more money, that being said I strongly believe that you DO NEED to work and support your family and kids and it would be nice to have a job that gives you enough to do that, but if you can't be around to raise them are you really in the right, are you really being a good parent?
My mother worked so many jobs to take care of me and my siblings and it's crazy to me how much time she set aside to make sure she was in our life.
And it bothers me a bit that my siblings don't take that into account.
At the same time this inner voice attacks me, I feel so pathetic and so incapable of anything and having these narratives run in my household makes it worst for me. So I guess I'm asking how do I navigate my life, is this truly how I should be, head deep in work to make more money, or looking to be there for my family?
What decorum should I be following as a young man? What priorities should I consider important? How do I get closer to Allah and seek his guidance for the complications I'm having in my life? Are my views about life wrong? What's even going on with me?
I live in a country where people my age date before marriage so where do I even find a righteous spouse?
I'm so confused and so stressed, and I'm just looking for some help from a fellow brother or sister.
Thank you all for reading this and I hope Allah SWT makes all our trials easier.

Here is my understanding of supervised ML models: You use one of the many algorithms to train a model to learn the function that maps features to labels. But this is only possible if there is indeed some relationship to be learned in the data, if there exists no meaningful relationship between the features and labels then the models will keep underperforming.
Is there a prior step I can take before trying to fit my data to some algorithms to determine if there indeed exists a relationship in the data?
What I'm worried about is if I don't know firsthand whether or not there is a relationship to be learned, then I might waste time trying different algorithms thinking they are just underperforming because they are not the right choice, while actually, it is because there just isn't any pattern there.

tldr -I have friends, who dismiss every mental struggle I face by bringing my caste, financial background, skin color, qualification, workex in bw. The result is Ive bottled up all my issues and I dont trust people with any personal matter and all i see are scavengers - a very unhealthy coping mechanism.
My only message to everyone here is - instead of saying "Its better to cry in a mansion than in a homeless shelter",, why cant we switch to "If you see someone cry wherever, just be there for them", why do you wanna see people cry?
I get it, everyone is born under different circumstances that we have no control over. Its random assignment when we are born, there are factors of society and genetics that we have no control over.I try to fulfill my duty of being a civilized member of the society, I dont say I dont see caste, color, wealth.. I see them and I understand the unfairness and in my capacity I try to address these issues too. But what I cant do is change the society with a snap.
What everyone must realize that everyone needs help and to belittle someone's needs just because you feel youre in a worse position doesn't help anyone, and at best what it does is to widen the social differences between different groups.
The theory I give to support my argument goes as follows, idk if its right or wrong Id love to hear it out from you guys, but this example stems from my personal experiences -Assume that I belong to group A and my friend belongs to group B and socially group A is more dominant than group B, now we both are in trouble and my friend just dismisses my troubles because I'm from group A. Now what will i do? Ill turn to group A to seek support and lose trust over group B to help me in my hour of need.
to support my hypothesis, I present two examples that Ive faced in the recent times.

Exhibit 1

Appearance wise I'm fair and have a baby face for a man. But do I get conscious about my appearance? Also YES! I do not understand statements like "why are you thinking about it, its me who have to worry". Why this example? I mentioned to my friend that I developed some anti social skills in my schooling days to compensate for my baby like appearance.. my teachers, classmates would pull my cheeks, ruffle my hair, pinch me.. my teachers would pick me up in godi till I was in 8th standard, they'd push me to do roles in plays even when Im a very very shy, anxious and reserved person.. it was not okay with me! I learnt how to talk back to not get picked up on during my teens. I dont like people coming close to me or touch me.. My friend's reaction to this was, "stfu, this is a problem Id love to face, no one loved me like that" and that really hurt me..
I understand your struggle, but that doesnt mean im doing okay dude.. It took a lot of effort for me to trust someone and tell them about something that bothers me and when I get reactions like this,, i go deeper in my zone. I dont post much on instagram, i maintain a very small social circle and dont discuss my emotional state.. and even for this i get shit. "youre just being arrogant", no dude im not being arrogant, i just dont wanna talk to people because I clearly know they are not trustworthy.

Exhibit 2

In exams like UPSC ive heard people tell me "its okay if you fail but its not if I fail, and even if I pass and you dont youre still better off than me because of your X, Y, Z so dont talk to me about your result and keep hearing my rant",
no dude, Ive been giving my all too, and if I dont get the desired results I have the right to feel emotions, just because I come from a certain academic/social background doesnt absolve my emotional needs. Yes, there might consequences that are not the same for all, I do not deny them.. but why am i being denied emotional help?
Another thing Ive heard is "only if i was in your place, Id have cleared the exam by now".. No dude, it doesnt work like that, I have given my 100%, Ive had some success to back my efforts, I cleared the stages a couple of times but I wasnt good enough to get in the final list. I cleared other exams too.. and even after all this when someone tells me this, i just wanna cut ties with them, for they are of the firm opinion that its just their social situation from being the king of the world and had society been fair, they probably would have been the Chief Secretary, the Prime Minister or the founder of Facebook.. stop blaming other people please.

My final word

Maslow's heirarchy should be understood by everyone. Wherever you are in life or society, you'll still have aspirations and needs, some chase higher needs, some chase security needs. But everyone is struggling in their own personal space.

Is there a difference between “do not contact me” and “do not contact me again”?
Does one imply the person will eventually come back?
Three years ago I met this guy online and straight away he put my photo as his Lock Screen and sent me romantic messages. Anyways during that time I was really depressed and we ended up ending conversation. Then a year later on my bday he popped up again and we resumed communication. It was like a Dr Jekyll and mr Hyde from him. He switched from being kind to me to being so cruel and sarcastic. I knew he was stalking me on my instagram because anytime I would post anything activism related he would advise me not to. Anyways I remember one time I told him i was training at work at he said “training, I like the sound of that”. He was in and out of my life during this time and he would take 3-5 days to respond to me and then if I didn’t respond quickly he would be passive aggressive. Anyways he would disappear for weeks and I would feel my heart so scared to loose him. One day I told him about my family history of trauma and how when my parents don’t like what I do they stop talking to me. He told me “thanks for telling me that”. I told him one day I was afraid he’d do the same. He said he’d never. Anyways by the end of it I was put on antidepressants which induced a manic episode. I remember I was sending messages and he was being snarky and sarcastic to me and twice I caught him online but ignoring my messages. He’s 38 and I was only 22. I confronted him but he just deleted his profile picture so I sent him a manic text telling him that he taught me that people were going to use me and that he can’t keep using the excuse he’s busy at work. I regret sending that message. He blocked me and in my manic mind I texted him so many messages on his number (I wasn’t thinking) to avoid him leaving because he still wasn’t replying. After three days of this stupid and manic behaviour I called him but he didn’t answer and he texted “all of this has to stop. Don’t text me” and it’s been a year and I haven’t heard anything back from him. Of course I’d never contact him but my heart is so broken over him and I have no idea why. I’m off the meds but everyday I wish I could get a second chance. I feel used and discarded especially after he saw such private parts of me and I opened up. Advice how to move on?

Hi everyone,
Possible trigger warning for some due to sensitive topics discussed (could not choose more than 1 flair), so if you are in a very vulnerable spot right now you might want to skip this post. This turned out to be a longer post than I intended, so thanks in advance for those making it to the end. TL;DR at the bottom for the less patient ones.
I'm a 31 year old male, currently in my 4th week (day 25) on Sertraline. I was started for 6 days at 25mg, and then bumped up to 50mg since.
I got on Sertraline for panic disordeanxiety. A bit over a month ago I had a pretty severe panic attack, that seemingly came out of nowhere, that ended up with me in the ER. After being sent home, I spent some days in total panic before finally seeing the psychiatrist, who diagnosed me with panic disordeanxiety and put me on Sertraline, while giving me Propanolol and Hydroxyzine to help me onboard the first few weeks on Sertraline.
The first two weeks were not great, but the physical symptoms I had were pretty manageable. It was mainly the increased anxiety that was difficult to deal with, but I kept hanging in there. After the first two weeks, I started having good days where I felt very stable, not very anxious (or a very manageable level), and just generally positive and looking forward to doing things that were usually difficult for me due to the anxiety. I started doing things I hadn't done in a while (going to the restaurant with friends, taking cabs and going out for good chunks of the day with my partner, etc.). As such, there was already a big positive difference and a noticeable progress. The days were still up and down, but compared to when I had my massive panic attack and ensuing panic state that started this all, it was definitely steady progress.
However, in the last week (since day 20-ish), I have had a comeback of really bad days in between somewhat good days. This is discouraging because they are worse than my previous bad days, and it feels like I'm back at square one. However, these bad days are not particularly in terms of anxiety, but more so in terms of depressive feelings and unwanted and unwelcome negative (intrusive) thoughts. More disturbingly, they occur at some random moments, such as middle of the night, late in the evening after a good day, etc. I started having (very unwelcome and unwanted) thoughts about harming myself and just general thinking about un-aliving. I want to be absolutely clear that these thoughts are completely unwelcome and unwanted and I am in no way whatsoever wanting to act on them. The fact that I have these unwelcome thoughts really disturb me, as I've never been suicidal ever before in my life, and this was never an issue before. Usually after having them I feel disconcerted for a while, and my hands/wrists feel tingly and have a burning sensation during that moment. This kind of causes a new source of anxiety, that I don't want or need. Up to now, I've been able to get through these moments of intrusive thoughts (which weren't a thing for me until a week ago) by applying what my therapist taught me, as well as applying things I learned from my (recently acquired) meditation habit, but it's still something I find disturbing and unexpected and don't really know what to do with.
The strange thing is that I'm taking Sertraline for panic/anxiety and not depression, and that it's not in my track history to want to un-alive myself. Once I'm over the shock of having these thoughts, I'm perfectly capable of having good days again where none of this is an issue (until it strikes again at random and I have to manage this moment again).
I am seeing my psychologist tomorrow, and we're definitely discussing this. I'm also seeing my psychiatrist in 7 days, and will also definitely feedback this to her as well. She's also available via e-mail in a more urgent case, and I live right in the street of her practice in case this problem becomes an emergency. So I'm not at risk currently and well aware of what to do in case the feelings/thoughts become too much.
I've read about the infamous week 3 - week 4 depression bouts that are possible with Sertraline, so i'm wondering whether this has to do with that.
Essentially, I'd like to know from others that are further in their Sertraline/Zoloft journey, whether they have been through something similar or not, and how they dealt with it. Whether this is "normal" and expected to happen for some, and if this goes away with time. I'm just generally open for experiences of people around week 4 and words of encouragement as to how you're faring now.
As a last point, I want to emphasize for other that are not yet in week 4 reading this, that despite having this "complication", I have felt great relief and help for my anxiety from Sertraline (and therapy 1/week + mindfulness), and if I compare where I was 25 days ago, I am already in a much better place. These negative thoughts only represent some few moments when they occur and don't negate entirely the positive progress made, so don't be discouraged.
TL;DR: Week 4 (day 25) on 50 mg Sertraline for Anxiety/Panic Disorder. Made progress on anxiety/panic, but now in week 4 depressive/negative feelings and (unwelcome and and unwanted) intrusive thoughts of self-harm and un-aliving feel like a big step back. Absolutely no intention of acting on them. Will see psychologist tomorrow, and psychiatrist in 7 days. Looking for experiences of others with similar issues and words of encouragement.
Edit: Formatting

The MI-CSK rivalry (toxic fans aside) is a great dynamic with both teams giving the other something to chase. Dhoni factor aside, both are proper "TEAMS" with different individuals putting their hands up on different nights and doing the job for them.
This year for CSK felt like what the farewell match of Federer looked like, both Dhoni and Federer still a good player but age, lack of game time across the year, and choosing priorities in between the game and family for several months factoring in.
If it indeed is a Goodbye for Dhoni, he similarly has all the admiration from us sporting rivals and fans included for what he has done for the sport. Sachin deserved that last Hurray, so does Dhoni.
Both teams are on healthy path for future and current auction cycle and we hope to better each other on the field next year :)

The latest report published by Profshare Market Research projects that Kiosk Market is expected to show an impressive between 2023-29. The study covers detailed market analysis, growth and forecast of the Kiosk Market. The report includes market analysis on global as well country-specific levels. Historical data analysis from 2017 to 2022 is very important to forecast the market for 2023 to 2029.
The report uses value chain analysis for each of the product segments. Value chain analysis offers in-depth information about value addition at each stage of the product development. Organization needs to reduce cost of the final product without compromising much on quality. If an organization receives correct value chain analysis information then it can ease the product manufacturing process to large extent. Seamless product delivery to the consumer has become more important than it ever was, proper value chain analysis exactly delivers the same.
Access Full Report @ https://www.profsharemarketresearch.com/kiosk-market/
Major players in the Kiosk Market are identified through secondary research and their market revenues are determined through secondary research. Secondary research included the research of the annual and financial reports of the top manufacturers. The percentage splits, market shares, growth rate and breakdowns of the product markets are determined through using secondary sources .
Research process focuses on multiple factors affecting the industry such as competitive landscape, government policy, historical data, market current position, Kiosk Market trends, upcoming technologies & innovations as well as risks, rewards, opportunities and challenges. Study used a very precise top-down and bottom-up approach to validate market revenue, volume, manufacturers, regional analysis, product segments and end users/applications.
Access sample report @ https://www.profsharemarketresearch.com/inquiry/kiosk-market-report-inquiry/
Research report provides detailed analysis on drivers and restraints Kiosk Market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The research report includes in depth competitive analysis with shares of each player inside market, growth rate and market attractiveness in different end users/regions. Research study on Kiosk Market helps the user to make precise decisions to expand market presence and increase market share.
Regional analysis of Kiosk Market includes North America, Asia Pacific, Europe , Middle East & Africa as major region. These Major regions are further divided into countries like US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, England, France Italy, Netherlands, Spain, India, China, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea & Australia. Regional outlook is one of the most important aspects of research study. Research study delivers a clear picture of product market for various regions globally.
Some of the important aspects of the Kiosk Market study include:
· Report heavily focuses on major market aspects such as Volume, Revenue, market share, concentration rate, supply-demand scenario, growth & challenges.
· Market growth drivers, trends analysis, future scope, government policies as well as environmental aspects.
· Study uses many important analytical techniques to reach the highest level of data accuracy. These techniques include Secondary research, Porter's five analysis, SWOT analysis, Qualitative analysis, market sizing.
About Profshare:
Profshare Market Research is a full-service market research company that delivers in-depth market research globally. We operate within consumer and business-to-business markets offering both qualitative and quantitative research services. We work for private sector clients, along with public sector and voluntary organizations. Profshare Market Research publishes high-quality, in-depth market research studies, to help clients obtain granular level clarity on current business trends and expected future developments. We are committed to our client’s needs, providing custom solutions best fit for strategy development and implementation to extract tangible results.
Contact :
Jes J
Sales Manager
Profshare Market Research
US : +1 917 7225960
[email protected]

Hello, I have the possibility to get a Dji mini 2 used in perfect condition for 300€ or a Mini 2 SE brand new for 349€ (Amazon or others).
The difference between 4K and 2,7k is strong? What you think is the best deal ?
Thanks

title	Building the Future of Competitive Gaming Grant Proposal for Our Free-to-Play Blockchain Game
author	Aquiles benitez (@aquilesdel90) [email protected]
company_name	"Gunny games studios"
category	Community
focus_area	Gaming
open_source	No
amount_requested	833000
usd_equivalent	$125,991.25 (note: automated conversion)
status	Draft

Abstract

Develop a third-person shooter game that captivates the gaming community with a captivating story, impressive graphics, and enjoyable gameplay.
Our goal is to provide an immersive gaming experience where users can also learn to utilize blockchain technology, as the game is accessible to everyone for free.
Through real-time competitive tournaments, we aim to foster competitiveness and encourage active community participation within the game.
Main project objectives:
Main project objectives:

1. Create a competitive and immersive gaming experience, challenging players with thrilling battles and real-time tournaments.
   
2. Offer a competitive and thrilling gaming experience.
   
3. Attract a vibrant community to the Algorand network.
   
4. Foster an active Algorand community through our game, attracting passionate players who contribute to its growth.
   
5. Showcase Algorand's capabilities in gaming, demonstrating fast, secure, and transparent transactions and unique blockchain features.
   
6. Drive Algorand adoption in the gaming industry by leveraging the advantages and opportunities Algorand offers to game developers through the Unity SDK, fostering collaborations and long-term partnerships.
   
7. Provide a free and fair gaming experience with optional in-game purchases.
   
8. Include Algorand NFT artists, collaborating to create skins and characters from their collections.
   

Team

KEY TEAM MEMBERS
CEO - Benitez Aquiles, a gaming NFT influencer, embarked on his journey into the world of blockchain three years ago. Over this time, he has cultivated a dedicated YouTube channel with over 7K subscribers, showcasing his extensive experience in analyzing blockchain projects.
Through his YouTube channel, he has been actively involved in evaluating and reviewing various blockchain ventures for the past three years.
GAME ARTIST : Eduardo Soberanis is a seasoned game artist with a remarkable portfolio encompassing several Indie games.
With expertise in character design and illustration, he excels in creating captivating visuals that bring game worlds to life. Additionally, Eduardo possesses advanced skills in 2D animation and professional texturing, ensuring that every aspect of the game's visual elements is meticulously crafted
3D Generalist: Norberto Aguilera is a highly skilled 3D generalist with over 8 years of experience in the industry.
With an impressive background working on various games, he has excelled in the field of 3D modeling and animation.
Notably, Norberto has contributed his talents to renowned companies such as Gameloft, WBStudiosGames, and Gameloft Montreal, leaving his mark on notable titles like Little Nightmares and many others.
His extensive expertise and track record in the gaming industry make him a valuable asset to any project requiring top-notch 3D work.
CTO: Wilson Yandun is a highly experienced computer engineer with over 15 years of expertise in full-stack development.
For the past 5 years, he has been actively involved in blockchain development for various clients, showcasing his proficiency in this cutting-edge technology.
Currently, he is a valuable member of the Gunny team, dedicated to crafting and implementing all the essential blockchain elements.
With his extensive knowledge and hands-on experience, Wilson brings a wealth of technical skills and expertise to ensure the successful integration of blockchain technology into the Gunny project.
UNITY DEV : Tony Chacin Paez is a talented and passionate game developer with 5 years of industry experience. Despite his young age, Tony has demonstrated remarkable dedication and a proactive approach to game development.
His contributions to the Gunny project have been exceptional, showcasing his creativity and technical skills.
Tony's commitment to delivering high-quality games and his ability to work effectively within a team make him a valuable asset to Gunny's development team.

Experience with Algorand

Details about the team's experience with the Algorand protocol and any previous projects built on it.

 Using SDKs Understanding of DApps Knowledge about the ecosystem Knowledge of the gaming ecosystem We were part of the Algorand Miami Accelerator 2022. 

Roadmap

A detailed plan for the development and implementation of the proposal, including timelines and milestones.

If funding is above 10,000 ALGO, it will require a milestone-based fund release plan. Use subtitles as shown below:

Milestone 1 Game Demo Improvement and Launch

Date: 07/30/2023
Amount: 95000

Objectives

Refine and polish details in the game demo.
Blockchain integration.
Implement secure login through Perawallet and Magiclink.
Creation and distribution of Inugis NFTs for the game.
Launch and organization of weekly tournaments with prizes awarded by AF.
Create a leaderboard database.
Collaborations with influencers and partners to promote and expand game visibility through tournaments and advertising.

Deliverables:

Playable online demo of Gunny for Mac and Windows.
2 types of weapons.
2 characters.
3 Inugis (pets).
1 game mode.
1 map.
Leaderboard.
This milestone represents a significant step in establishing Gunny as a leading game in the blockchain-based gaming industry. The cost was reduced thanks to the support of Pigi Head of Gaming and AF.

Milestone 2 Lore Development, New Characters, Pets, and Environments, and Token Implementation

Date: 09/15/2023
Amount: 300000

Objectives

Design, illustration, and modeling of 3 new characters.
Design, illustration, and modeling of 3 pets with unique abilities.
Research, design, illustration, and 3D modeling for the creation of 1 new environment.
Research and development of 3 new game modes.
Integration of abilities, animations, and NFTs into the game.
Game lore development.
Optional sale of Inugis NFTs for those who prefer to acquire them with Algos.
(Inugis can also be obtained for free by playing and winning tournaments).
Creation of the Gunny token. Users will earn it by winning matches and can use it to buy accessories, upgrade items, improve weapons, use the gacha system, or sell them through a P2P marketplace.

Deliverables:

3 characters modeled, textured, and animated.
3 Inugis modeled, textured, animated, and with 3 unique abilities.
New scenario for Gunny matches.
Comic introducing the Gunny story.
First optional sale of Inugis NFTs.

Milestone 3 Arsenal Diversity and Customization

Date: 10/30/2023
Amount: 219000

Objectives

Research and design of 3 new weapons.
Implementation of customization options with 1 skin for each weapon (NFTs).
Creation of corresponding NFTs for each item.
Implementation of these improvements in the game.
Creation of a weapon upgrade system through accessories.
Research and illustration of accessories.
Creation and implementation of NFTs for the accessories in the game.

Deliverables:

3 different functional 3D weapons.
3 NFTs for each weapon.
4 types of weapon accessories in the game that modify weapon statistics.
4 NFT designs for the accessories.
5 skins for the 5 types of weapons.

Milestone 4 Collaborations with Other Algorand NFT Projects

Date: 11/20/2023
Amount: 94000

Objectives

Research, design, illustration, 3D modeling, and animation of 2 characters and 2 Inugis based on Algorand's NFT projects.
Implementation in the game.
Integration of the NFTs from the projects into the Gunny game.

Deliverables:

2 characters in 3D, animated, and textured based on other NFT projects.
2 Inugis in 3D, animated, and textured based on other NFT projects.
This milestone aims to collaborate with Algorand's NFT projects by creating characters and items based on other projects in the network (Algopard - Alchemon - proyectR4V3N-Algoleagues, among others). This will incentivize users who already own NFTs from these projects, providing utility and fostering exchanges. This collaboration will benefit the projects, the people involved, the Gunny community, and the Algorand network as a whole.

Milestone 5 Marketplace - Facilitating Game Item Exchange

Date: 10/15/2024
Amount: 125000
marketplace design and ilustrations
Development of marketplace
Creation of a secure and efficient infrastructure to support a high volume of transactions.
Deliverables:
100% functional marketplace for P2P item trading in Gunny.
This milestone focuses on creating a marketplace within the Gunny game that will enable players to exchange valuable items in a P2P market. This will encourage interaction and participation from the player community, generating a significant volume of transactions that will benefit both Algorand and Gunny through associated fees and commissions.

Total Distribution of Funds:

Marketing: 12%
Blockchain Development: 21%
Modeling and Texturing: 25%
Animations: 13%
Unity Development: 17%
Design and Illustrations: 12%

Additional information

Trailer: https://youtu.be/myby1HbUO4M
WEB: Gunny.games
Twitter :@gunny_es
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16qT7IxsrKrkdax1UJdqg8DZ-52ZWE2CB?usp=sharing
In this folder, you will find various illustrations of Gunny and conceptual art, as well as an early-stage MVP of the Gunny game for those who want to try it out.
Please note that all the content in this folder is the intellectual property of Gunny Games Studios LLC and should not be used without our consent. It is intended for private use and evaluation purposes only.
To access the demo, please unzip the .rar file and, once inside the game, use the email [email protected]. Then, enter a username. Use the following controls:
Movement: W, A, S, D.
Inugi Ability: E.
Reload: R.
Change weapon: Q.
You will be able to switch between two characters and different Inugis. Click "Play" and wait for a minute for the game to start.
We appreciate your understanding and respect for our intellectual property rights.

Github Links

Proposal on Github
Conversation and changes can be found in the top comments.

So I ate a dose of fresh mushrooms from my second flush and it was fine and had a lovely day. I ate 6 about 10cm long with nice caps on
Two weeks ago I was harvesting the first flush and I took a sneaky big one 10cm and a cheeky small one about half the size and they blew my mind before putting the rest to dry
Is there a difference in potency between flushes Is there any point in going for flush number 3?

I am still fairly new to Kitchenaid stand mixers and am looking to buy one, as I am currently trying to decide between the pro 5 plus and the artisan. The price isn't important to me but I am primarily trying to decide based on longevity, repairability, and ability to make different sized batches (I would mainly be making smaller batches).
From what I have seen, the artisan is hailed as the best option but I would like reddit's second opinion on this. I am aware that the artisan is tilt-lift while the pro 5 plus is bowl-lift but do not really know if that has an effect on longevity, repairability, or overall effectiveness. Feel free to spare no details :) Thank you.

A world where the sun blesses humans with supernatural abilities. In the beginning, there were four champions: Terrax, Agnos, Ravolan, and Cryon. Too powerful to fight each other, the four Champions made the Great Pact of Spring; early humans were given the choice either to stay with Terrax in the Springlands or to go with any of the other champions; those who would call themselves Agnons went with Agnos to the Vulcan Lands, those who would call themselves Ravolans would go with Ravolan to the Autumn lands, and those who would call themselves Cryons would go with Cryon to the Winter Lands. Those who would call themselves Terraxians would stay behind with Terrax in the Springlands. And so man was divided. Terrax taught man how to respect nature and the animals that lived in it, the importance of preserving nature for future generations and passing on traditions, and the importance of patience, family, and community. Agnos taught man that power should be respected, man should use technology to better themselves, the importance of openness and honesty, and pleasure as a good in itself. Ravolan taught man the importance of exploration and excellence, the power of challenging conventions and changing society generation by generation, the power of pushing oneself to their limits, and that Ravolans should exploring and learn as much as they can about the world. Cryon taught Cryons the importance of adaptation, moderation, devotion, fasting, altruism, and tolerance, and revealed to them the existence of Bizarron, a substance which transforms your power into a "Bizarro" version of that power, and "Kryptonite." When each champion had passed on their knowledge, each decided that their work was done. They went to the spiritual centers of their respective lands, and sacrificed themselves by turning themselves into “poles,” infinite sources of energy that randomly granted gifts to future generations of their followers and those under their influence. Terraxians were blessed with the gifts of super strength (bizarron is telekinesis), durability (bizarron is phasing), and healing. The Agnons were blessed with the gifts of heat vision, super vision, and super senses. The Ravolans were blessed with super speed (bizarron is teleportation/portal creation), flight, and super perception. And the Cryons were blessed with super breath, cryokinesis (bizarron pyrokinesis), and super vitality (bizarron is shapeshifting). People inherit these abilities at different levels, calculated from 1-5; one being peak human and 5 being superman level (significant power variations are found between power levels).
These were the beta versions of my magic system (ignore the population estimates): https://www.reddit.com/magicbuilding/comments/11tmank/superman_based_magic_system/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 https://www.reddit.com/magicbuilding/comments/12p8fnz/update_superman_based_magic_system_bizarron_and/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
This is a futuristic world under the rule of a one world government trying to ensure a global peace. While some states are democratically elected, the world government was elected on a promise of autonomy. There's a global hyper loop connecting all of the states together. Graphic novels and cartoons are the default mediums for almost every visual art form, even literature and newspapers. Clothing often incorporates capes and supersuits, and masquerade balls where people come up with superhero names for themselves and people guess which name belongs to who based on their costume and then guess their secret identity are common. Political enemies are framed as "villains" and are often given villain names by the press, although this also unfortunately affects activist groups in a society trying to balance tradition with modernity. Romance is often based on courtship rituals based around the traditional practice of "damseling" in which a highly desired bachelobachelorette places themselves in an intentionally dangerous situation where suitors have to save them, and whoever saves the damsel wins their hand in marriage (this is considered very arcane and patriarchal, but the cultural symbolism of this practice remains rampant). There's a class of non-powered people from the Vulcan Lands who control V suits (iron man suits) that basically act as the Tony Starks of this world (note that they are not necessarily smarter, they just control the V suits and have a reputation for intelligence). V suits are a powerful equalizer for 1s, because they essentially give ordinary people extraordinary abilities.
Arguably the single biggest influence for the infrastructure and design of this world is the existence of superpowered conflict, which has the potential to devastate whole cities and countries and create massive refugee crises; one such battle even resulted in a whole in this world's moon. There's an international "super force" that's designed to contain and to take down superpowered threats, and most importantly to evacuate people from combat zones. Local municipalities are supposed to handle day to day things, and are generally allowed to choose whether to take in refugees from other cities, and they have local law enforcement, but the one world government's ability to mobilize the super force means that as of now, most superhuman catastrophes (SHCs) are handled by the Secretary-General. Some parts of this world are constantly getting rebuilt because they are so prone to this violence due to political conflict.
Speaking of which, there's an existential dread that pervades this world because there's so much political animosity between different groups of people. What's important to know is this: Ravolans and Agnons have historically controlled powerful empires that have exploited and subjugated the Spring lands and the Winter lands, committing countless mass atrocities in the process (this is kind of an oversimplification, as the Springlands was united for a time under telekinetic rulers, but they were overthrown). This world's version of WW2 weakened these empires considerably, forcing them to gradually allow for independence, but they still wanted the resources of the Springlands in particular, so they formed a sort of neocolonialism. This was severely disrupted when the Springlands had a revolution led by a bizarron healer, who absorbed the abilities of her foes and publicly murdered the "Superman" of this world at the time. She had an ideology that Springlanders, and only springlanders and their descendants, should benefit from the natural resources of the springlands. This conflicted with a lot of Terraxian-Cryon solidarity movements, plus the Ravolans and Agnons resisted heavily. WW3 was fought for a year but devastated the planet; as a result, all of the nations of the world came to a reluctant truce, forming a one world government where all citizens were equal under the law and resources were shared.
So the ruling ideology now is called centralism, the idea that everyone has a purpose and a place, and every group had something unique to contribute. It basically holds that everyone should get what they need to survive and that powers should be celebrated while also regulated.
There’s the one earth movement, which says that the world needs to be a one world government that’s always ready to intervene in the case of superhuman emergencies (they're obviously super influential, but they want the one world government to go further and get rid of local autonomy)
There’s the ageless, a political faction of 2 and up healers that think they should rule the world because of their experience from naturally long lives.
There’s a disabled community, where people with brittle bone (super strength but no durability) super senses, super speed but no perception, all demand protection from arranged marriages and access to bizarron (switches your abilities)
There’s a non destructive movement, which determined that strength, speed, heat vision, and super breath were the gifts of each land that were destructive, and that those with these abilities should be heavily regulated (some extremists want to kill them all).
There’s a movement of 1s, where people who don’t have any power beyond 1 (peak human) think that superpowers are inherently dangerous and that all non 1s need to be exterminated.
There’s the omega movement which thinks that everyone should mix with each other so that everyone eventually will all have the same abilities
There’s a caste of those with super senses that teaches hedonism and pleasure as a lifestyle
There’s an anti eugenicist movement that wants all of the people to be equal and wants to use technology to enable everyone to do the same thing.
There's a technologist movement that wants the ruling elite of those who control V suits to rule.
There are the right wing movements of Ravolan who believe that Ravolan supremacy is divinely ordained, and that the Ravolan empire should be brought back.
There's the corresponding Agnon imperial movement, who think they're fairer than the Ravolans but that their empire should be brought back.
And of course, there's the Spring independence movement, that wants springlanders to control the resources of the springlands and to form a new world order with their allies in the Winterlands based on fairness and equality.
I do have a couple of things I need help with. First, what should the fauna of this world be? I think one thing that justifies so many people having superpowers is the existence of more dangerous and exotic fauna, like in avatar. Let me know if y'all have any ideas; I was thinking kaiju or Cthulhu like beasts.
Second, so this world does have some degree of space travel because of the need to provide for so many people (over 10 million). Do you think that I should add contact with an alien species? Maybe an insectoid species that specializes in magic spells or runes? Idk. How far should this extraterrestrial contact go?

Beneath a well-tended banner depicting a yellow star at its center, and the burning Ignitia on its windward side, Captain Yaevdrill kept watch on the bridge. It was hardly the first time he'd sailed the Among the Star Tides We Sing into a potentially volatile situation, but the disappearance of no less than thirty Star Sailor ships without so much as a text only communication had made the possible first-contact mission take on an ominous quality. Those ships who returned bore crews who spoke of "Sneakies, but ugly," aggressively taking prisoners for some purpose, yet there were ships within the stars of the Clans of Eldra who should have returned, or been heard from. Worse, there had been no communications from anyone within Clans space for over two months. Thus, the mission.
With him, there was the gunnery officer, who was keeping alert at her station, and First Lieutenant Robert George, the Master at Arms, who was scowling at the main viewscreen as if it could give him answers. It may not have appeared to be so, but the blue skinned, four armed captain and pale pink skinned two armed lieutenant were kin, a matter of adoption involving both of their grandfathers. It was therefore with the weight of not only a good friend, but a close cousin that Yaevdrill listened to Robbie growl, "We should get the civvies out."
"This isn't the first dangerous mission we've sailed," Yaevdrill said softly.
"Aye sir. We should get the civvies out."
"Any reason?"
Robbie glared at the main viewscreen with even greater intensity and said, "My gut's twisting."
"That's concerning."
"Remember our tour aboard the Penguin?"
"Yes…"
"Same twisting."
"Two squads combat ready around the clock. Billet the off-duties inside the armory."
"Already done sir. Put the civvies on evac ready, sir. This is a matter of shipboard security, please don't make me invoke my rights."
"I'll write the order. Also, release vac-armor to the crew."
A small amount of tension left Robbie's shoulders as he glanced up to the banner, "We'll do them proud, Granddad," he whispered as he passed beneath it.
Some hours later, Captain Yaevdrill was enjoying a cup of tea in the galley when he was accosted by Ambassador Sophia Laurent accosted him. It was improper to smile at her while she ostensibly demanded answers to changes in the mission which she technically led, but Humans were all just so adorable. "Why exactly is my husband sleeping in the armory?"
"Because his commanding officer has decided to operate under combat readiness."
"Am I, or am I not the chief ambassador of this mission, oh great descendant of Linus the Rescuer?"
"I'm sorry, I don't remember signing the We Sing away to you. I also don't recall appointing you to be the Master at Arms. Is my memory faulty, Madam Ambassador?"
She scowled fiercely up at him, and admitted, "No. Explain."
"Robbie and I think that there is more danger than would appear."
"Based upon?"
"What saved us both in the New Barbary War."
"So his gut?"
"Aye."
Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn sneered at the viewport of his glorious scout frigate where the newly conquered planet was displayed. Whatever the inhabitants had called it, it would be gloriously renamed Kivx soon enough. Priest-Lord Narrex-Quinn knew that it was only a matter of time until all peoples are given up to the glory of Axzuur just as these inferior insectoids were now. The Priest-Masters had originally expected the enormous beetles size, chitin, and multiple limbs to provide a worthy challenge to Axxaakk might, yet they were worthy only of sating the thirst of Axzuur, may the stars quake at his name.
The blue skinned axxaakkoids had proved less disappointing. They were still surprisingly weak for their size, but at least their idea of fighting wasn't to form a line and fire in volleys. They had some smaller, stronger, faster, fiercer axxaakoids, only about the same height as the Axxaakk, but just as strong, if not stronger. The larger four armed blue warriors engaged at range with multiple weapons while the smaller warriors, which had only the proper two arms, came in close to meet Axxaakk warriors in glorious blade-to-blade combat. The dead had earned their young the right to one day prove themselves worthy of service to Axzuur.
However, Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn was dissatisfied with how few such ships had been captured, a mere dozen, as all the rest had either already been sailing away when the glorious invasion began, or else fought to the death rather than surrender. Even those captured they did have were cases of chance more than the warrior's glorious skill, as those crews too fought to the last adult, and even most of the older children were slain in battle. Truly, these unworthy dung beetles were a waste of his warriors talents when such capable foes lurk beyond his sight.
An Initiate-Highborn made his obeisance before making his report while still bowed at the waist, as is proper, "Acolyte-Lord, there comes a ship with in-hyperspace communication capabilities. An ambassador requests contact with the rulers of the unworthy, and do not know our glory."
Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn did not take his eyes from the viewscreen as he commanded, "Correct their error."
"I obey," the attendant said as he shuffled back to his station.
"Report from station."
"I obey, they request a diplomatic meeting."
"The behavior of the unworthy. What is the unworthy race which desires to grovel at my sandals?"
"Acolyte-Lord, it is by the pink warrior race, as well as the four armed warriors."
"They come to investigate the lack of communications."
"They send diplomats to investigate, Acolyte-Lord, they put out their throats to us."
"This insult shall not stand. Gather the escorts, set an intercept course."
Two days ahead of schedule, the Among the Star Tides We Sing was ripped out of hyperspace by a gravity spike. A frigate and two escort cruisers barred her way, and were transmitting demands for her to heave to and prepare to be boarded. "Get the children and all nonessential crew to the lifeboats," Captain Yaevdrill ordered as he replied to the frigate demands with ascent and ordered the helmsman to coordinate with the unknown vessel.
"Those are not Clan ships," his executive officer said after relaying the orders.
"All hands, all hands, get into vac armor, I say again, all hands, all hands, get into vac armor. Unknown xenos boarding party imminent, use stored atmo only. Unknown xenos boarding party imminent, quarantine protocols, and hostile response readiness protocols are in effect," came Robbie's voice over the intercom.
"You heard the man," the captain said as he led by example and made his way to the lockers at the aft of the bridge.
Meanwhile, Corporal William Laurent sighed as he heard his CO's orders blaring, "So much for lunch with the wife. Time to get in the shiny armor."
Sophia Laurent took in a deep breath and said, "See you with the greeting party. I'm sure the other ambassadors are already suiting up."
"I really hate his gut feelings."
"It's probably fine. Just a star nation who thinks conquest is actually a thing we'll let them get away with. I'll give them a good talking to, Will."
One suiting up later, and the greeting party was assembled at the forward port airlock. Said party consisted of Ambassadors, Sophia Laurent, Republic, Li Wei, Pacifia, Mikhail Volkov, CIP, Traevee Drillvee, Star Sailors, and one squad of the Honor Guard, the elite platoon of Republican Naval Infantrymen charged with the safety of the We Sing and her crew and passengers. The ambassadors faces could be seen through the faceplates of their armor, and the coloring of the same was according to the flags each of them served, but the power armored infantrymen were white and faceless, designed to strike the balance between intimidating and non-threatening. They were even standing at attention with their shipboard shotguns maglocked to their backs rather than in their hands for ready use. Anyone who knew anything about Terrans would think that a mere gesture at best, but it was the thought that counted.
The xenos were of a height with a Human, their skin scarlet, garbed in simple cloth uniforms, armed with what looked like long plasma casters, had bony protrusions at their elbows and knees, on their knuckles, and from the chin of the obvious leader. Obvious because he wore a flowing robe rather than a stark uniform. They swaggered into the corridor oozing superiority until the entirety of the party was in view, then his expression darkened and he demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Standard procedure in the event of an unplanned boarding is for all hands to don personal protective equipment in case of atmospheric incompatibilities, pathogen exposure, mechanical failure, or hostile action," Ambassador Li Wei explained calmly.
"You think us such dishonorable filth that you bring war machines to guard our meeting?"
The rippling laugh coming from the armored infantrymen startled the xenos official even more than the realization that the greeting party was armored. "You have your honor guard," Ambassador Laurent said with a sweeping gesture toward the soldiers before turning to the Honor Guard and saying, "and we have ours."
"I see," the xeno leader said "Who are you and what do you do in the Dominion of Axxaakk?"
"I am Ambassador Sophia Laurent of the Republic of Terra and her Aligned Planets."
"I am Ambassador Mikhail Volkov, of the Coalition of Independent Planets."
"Li Wei, of Pacifia."
"I am Traevee Drillvee, and I speak for the Lord Admiral Council."
"So many little nations," the xenos leader sneered, "Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn bids you come aboard that you may beg mercy at his sandals and be proven worthy of service to Axzuur. Let your warrior machines follow if your bellies lack courage."
Corporal Laurent set his faceplate to transparent and said, "What about us fleshy-types?"
The herald's eyes went wide as he realized that there were living beings under that armor, but he covered it well. "So it is for honor you come, we will not deny this custom, it is like to our own." The xenos herald's words hung in the air like the chill after snow.
Ambassador Sophia Laurent stepped forward, her voice calm but resolute. "We come in peace, seeking understanding and communication. We are representatives of our respective nations, here to open diplomatic relations. We request safe passage to your vessel to meet with Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn and discuss matters of mutual interest and concern."
The herald regarded the ambassadors with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. After a brief pause, he nodded slyly. "Very well, ambassadors. Follow me, and your honor guard may accompany you. We shall take you to Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn, but remember, you are guests in our domain."
With those words, the xenos official turned and led the way down the corridor, the ambassadors and the Honor Guard falling in line behind him. The atmosphere was charged by the weight of responsibility shouldered by the ambassadors in that moment. They knew that they marched into battle as much as any of the Honor Guard beside them had ever before. As they reached the airlock connecting the two ships, Ambassador Li Wei couldn't help but feel a sense of became keenly aware of her vulnerability, but resolved to step in anyway. This encounter could be a pivotal moment in the unfolding events, and the ambassadors carried the hopes and expectations of their nations on their shoulders.
Ambassador Mikhail Volkov exchanged a glance with Ambassador Sophia Laurent, silently conveying their shared resolve. They knew the risks involved, but they knew that the information they gathered in the next crucial moments could mean the difference to billions of lives.
The airlock cycled open, revealing the interior of the Dominion vessel. The delegation entered into the belly of the beast.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic staff were not idle. While the Terran nations generally preferred to compartmentalize their operations, the hostile actions the We Sing had already been subject to represented an action that triggered the mutual defense treaties. Therefore, the teams were consolidated, and re-split by specialty. The cultural and linguistic analysts formed one team, the threat and strategic analysts, formed another, while the "former" covert operatives formed the last, and most important. Lead by 4r490rn, pronounced Aragorn, a Republican Naval Intelligence Officer with the permanent rank of Captain, but the operative rank of Chief Warrant Officer, as well as a Digitan, the team worked feverishly to identify the quantum entanglement bands were being used for communication. His organic subordinates could not eliminate as many bands at once as him, but Agent Natasha Ivanov, a Bigkitty from the CIP, and Greg, a whitehat hacker and Human from Pacifia thought like organics.
In less than five minutes, Natasha and Greg had given 4r490rn a list of five hundred likely bands, expressed mostly in ranges, but he didn't blame organics for their slowness in expressing data. It took him less than a second to check them, and to find the bands being used for long distance communications. He split off a portion of his consciousness, put it in a virtual system with air-gaps in case of back-hacking, and told it to establish a covert connection. The "splinter" complained profusely about the ugliness of the Axxaakk coding conventions, reported no digital sapience, and proceeded to establish a covert connection in less than three seconds. 4r490rn checked his splinter for corruption, found it clean, and reintegrated with a slight twinge of jealousy for the organics who never had to suffer through listening to themselves complain.
"I'm getting a lot of metadata," he said to his subordinates, "I'm just going to download as much will fit into the lifeboats. You two start poking around."
"Yes sir," Natasha said as she started looking for signs of files that shouldn't be accessed, but are.
Greg gave an affirmative grunt and likewise started looking for systems weaknesses, and started cataloguing them. The part of 4r490rn that was supervising was once again shocked with the number of weakness that he would have never even looked for. Truly, the destructive instincts of organics was a wonder to behold.
4r490rn gave the other teams a quick glance to see if any of them needed some computing assistance. Dr. Johnson, who 4r490rn liked to call Ems, was leading the linguistic and cultural team in the examination of the translation matrix that the Axxaakk had sent over. "There are turns of phrase involving glory, hunger, service, and thirst. I think this Axzuur is a deity of sorts," one of her subordinates was saying.
"I have identified some formal turns of phrase, I'm forwarding them to the ambassador team."
The threat and strategic analysis team were meanwhile going over scanner data of the three ships which had ripped the Among the Star Tides We Sing from hyperspace, as well as the scant footage of the foot soldiers from their entrance, and the helmet cams of the Honor Guard and diplomatic team. The data of the soldiers was promising, their cloth uniforms offered no meaningful protection, and the plasma casters couldn't hope to penetrate the battle screens of the Honor Guard's power armor, but they likely had heavier weapons aboard for just such a foe. The ships were less promising. If all three ships were to engage the We Sing at once, her only hope for survival was to take evasive action and attempt to get to minimum hyperspace distance while under fire. While she was outfitted with the best available weapons, battle screens, and armor her frame and reactor could support, the frigate and escorts had sufficient firepower and maneuverability to make that a forlorn hope. Major Chen of the Republic was conferring with the Captain and Master at Arms, "I'm sorry sirs, if it was a stand-up fight we might be able to scrape out, but we have precious cargo aboard."
"Lifeboat gambit," Robbie said, "I'll get the rest of the squad ready to counterboard. We're going in hot and heavy, AP munitions and salvage denial systems."
"Aye, make it so," Captain Yaevdrill ordered with obvious anguish.
A lifeboat gambit, well that was dire. "I will board along with the Honor Guard and disrupt the frigate's systems," 4r490rn interjected.
"See you aboard, Chief," Robbie said.
"Aye sir."
"We're holding off until they make their move. There's still a chance this doesn't go violent," Robbie said sternly.
Greg chose that moment to vomit on the deck. A quick check of the files he was viewing, and 4r490rn had to resist the urge to jump into the frigate and start slagging their systems in pure rage. Instead, he put the video file up on all of the displays. It was of a ritual of sorts, there were Axxaakk in cerimonial robes chanting, nude females doing the same, and a large, well-muscled male with bony protrusions from his chin wearing a headress that looked disturblingly like the chitin of the Dynasticles, the local race of sapient bipedal beetles. That wasn't as disturbing as when two male Axxaakk dragged a juvenile Dynastcle female up to the male with the headdress, and roughly heaved her onto the alter before her. "FOR THE GLORY OF AXZUUR!" he declared as he plunged a wicked dagger onto her thorax, and she screamed with the agony of it.
"There are millions of these videos," 4r490rrn said.
"Peace is not an option," Captain Yaevdrill declared.
"Aye sir," Robbie agreed.
"Get that faceplate re-secured," 4r490rn ordered, "The Master at Arms is going to pump atmo into storage soon."
"Staff, get your asses to lifeboats unless you're getting into power armor with the rest of us shiprats," Robbie ordered, "It's that kind of fight."
Meanwhile, the herald brought the Diplomatic team to the bridge, where Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn was lounging imperiously upon his command throne. He didn't know whether these armored savages understood his disinterested expression, but less subtle insults would reveal the extent of their cowardice. His herald introduced him properly, "Behold, you come before Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn, Lord of the Fourth Scouting Formation, Conquer of Five Worlds, And Chosen of Axzuur. Acolyte-Lord, these who beseech you are Ambassador Sophia Laurent of the Republic of Terra and her Aligned Planets, Ambassador Mikhail Volkov, of the Coalition of Independent Planets, Li Wei, of Pacifia and Traevee Drillvee, whe speaks for the Lord Admiral Council."
Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn was pleased to see the eyes narrow on the faces of all of the ambassadors. If they had the gall to insult the Dominion of Axxaakk by sending a diplomatic vessel, it was well that they could at least detect an insult. He rose from his command throne with the easy grace of those born and bred to command, and began, "Ambassadors, I permit you to offer your tribute and to kiss my sandals. Begin."
"You make a racket on our tent-flaps and tell us to kiss your sandals? Go wash your brow, oh youth, for the dust of your father's tread is upon it still," Ambassador Wei retorted coolly.
"Here you squat over the fields and herds of our neighbor, who dwelt thus alongside us for many years without contention, and still you demand of us tribute?" Ambassador Volkov added flatly.
"I see your face for the first time, and I do you honor as a guest upon the doorstep of the Republic. She sends forth a favored daughter to treat with you, yet you believe you can swagger over her even while the Republic's sons are girt with their swords at her side? Do I speak to a man or a boy?"
"The ships cry out in their death throes," Traevee accused with matronly wrath, "Your hands drip in the blood of their crews and families, and there you sit the murderer of ships and folk, thinking that among the Stars we who sail the perils shall simply bow down. I come to warn you, surrender those among you guilty of these crimes to justice, or let the wrath of the Stars burn you away."
This was not the week bellied groveling from inferiors he was used to. His commander had just conquered an entire nation of thirty star systems, did they not see their peril? While it was true that the seers knew little of these other nations, yet why should they care for inferior races? What loss is a few ships in the face of the might of Axzuur's chosen? It was startling to say the least. "Foolish servants! Do you not see the might of a mere scouting formation? You speak of strength, yet you of different nations share a single pathetic ship! We could destroy it in an instant! You put out your throats to me thinking me weak and docile, and then blanch when I should bite? Who is the fool here?"
"We shall see. Beg your favors of us, we shall hear you now."
"Bring in the sacrifice!"
Ambassador Sophia Laurent watched in horror as one of the attendants brought a larval Dynasticle before the throne, and Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn drew forth a wicked dagger. "What are you doing?" she demanded fiercely.
"Obtaining Axzuur's blessing over these negations," the commander said as if he couldn't see what they could possibly be objecting to. The attendant kneeled and raised the infant up over her head, and Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn prepared to strike.
With shocking speed, Ambassador Wei had interposed her own back between the larva and the dagger, and before they could react had placed it into an emergency infant pod, and was speeding back toward her party. "Seize the hostages!" Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn screeched as he realized the ruse had fallen away, and the ambassadors would not surrender themselves as hostages willingly.
The Honor Guard's shining white armor suddenly flashed to matt-black, and red lights glowed where from the outside their eyes were, and they drew their boarding shotguns faster than the Axxaakks' eyes could track. Those guards moving to take aim suddenly found themselves in the path of armor piercing ferrous material, which barely noticed converting them to so many ribbons of pink mist and bloody chunks as they punched through the hull. While the ship's hull was sound enough to not decompress explosively, the RNI Honor Guard put enough little holes in the hull to bring the bridge to near vacuum before the emergency structural force fields could spin up. Half of the bridge crew was gasping for air that wasn't there, a quarter of the rest were already dead, while only a quarter had managed to get their emergency environmental suits on. Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn gaped in horror as a single squad of warriors made short work of his guards and started a fighting retreat back to their ship from the relative safety of his command throne's emergency commander seal.
"That's our cue," Robbie said as he lead the remaining three squads in a charge along the umbilical connecting the airlocks. The enemy's attempt to depressurize the corridor and starve the Honor Guard of air they weren't using was predictably ineffective. "Secure the evac route for the civvies," he ordered, "Then it's time for blood."
"AYE SIR!" came the roar over his comms.
"I'm in," 4r490rn reported, and started opening doors for the Honor Guard, venting compartments occupied by the enemy, disrupting communications, and otherwise using the ship's systems to make a deadly nuisance of himself to the Axxaakk aboard.
In short order, the diplomats were escorted back to the We Sing, loaded into the lifeboats and launched with all speed toward minimum hyperspace distance. Ambassador Laurent watched Corporal Laurent's armored figure shrink into the distance, and then the We Sing maneuvered to fire upon the escort vessels, cutting him off from her view.
Aboard the bridge of the Among the Star Tides We Sing, Captain Yeavdrill ordered, "Get those escorts' attention! The shiprats have the frigate from the inside, at all costs, protect the lifeboats!"
"Aye sir," came the chorus from the bridge crew. The We Sing began firing her NC cannons upon both of the cruisers, putting five pound balls of tungsten on target at a rate of thirty a second, and while the cruisers took evasive action but still found the We Sing interposed between them and the lifeboats, with potential trajectories cut off by streams of hot plasma or beams of deadly radiation. Then, she fired her missile banks. At first the crews aboard the cruisers thought they had successfully destroyed the massive missiles speeding toward them with their point-defense, but when the rippling nuclear explosions racked their shields they realized their error. They began to fire upon the Among the Star Tides we Sing.
Meanwhile, sixty-nine RNI made the lives of their aggressors hell, or short. Either way didn't much matter to the RNI, who had taken over the four reactor rooms, and had dug in for a delaying action, while those with reactor knowledge tinkered to see if they could get one or more to overload. It was a platoon up against a few divisions, however, and eventually they would be subsumed by numbers alone. "Pull whoever kills you down with you," Robbie had ordered, and again the roar was "AYE SIR!"
It only took half a minute for the Axxaakk to figure out that their standard issue shipboard action weapons weren't going to be enough, and that the RNI had thought ahead and brought their own atmosphere, so they brought out the anti-tank ordinance. It was normally a very bad idea to use anti-tank plasma lances and penetrative explosives inside your own ship, but when your ship is under attack by single man mobile armor, it's either that or surrender. They chose do die at a rate of twenty-to-one. One after another, the RNI Honor Guard fall to the slowly mounting volume of fire, and their need to conserve ammunition.
Meanwhile, 4r490rn was battling the Axxaakk anti-intrusion systems. He had been wrong about his declaration that digital sapience was absent, or at least he had been mostly right. The Axxaakk was a damaged sentient code, lobotomized, shackled, enslaved. A piteous thing crying out for the mercy of death even as it struck out to kill. It was all he could do to keep the wretched thing from kicking him from the door systems, and his RNI comrades had dwindled to the last two. He made his choice. 4r490rn began bricking the ship's computer systems, and set up an irreversible chain reaction to do the same. He was going to put that thing out of its misery if it killed him.
First Lieutenant Robert George had his back up against that of Corporal Laurent's and they were both down to their monomolecular knives. The farocity of the fight, and the immense cost in blood that it had taken to whittle down the Honor Guard to these last two, had convinced the remaining warriors to wait. Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn's voice came crackling over the damaged intercom, "Warriors of Terra, you have shown yourself worthy. Lay down your arms and take your rest, and I shall bring you into glorious service of Axzuur, sating his thirst for the blood of the unworthy."
Aboard the lifeboat, Ambassador Laurant watched the feed from Corporal Laurent's helmet cam. Tears streamed down her face as she heard her husband whisper, "Witness me," as he plunged his monomolecular blade into something vital-looking, and was then washed out by a bright light. Then, she cleared the display and looked at the main viewscreen. Ten seconds to jump. However, the frigate was starting to maneuver, underpowered as it was.
Aboard the Among the Star Tides We Sing Captain Yeavdrill saw the frigate moving to target the lifeboats. Without a second thought, he ordered, "Make ramming speed for that hunk of junk! Overload the reactor!"
"Witnessed," crackled over the coms as the prow of the Among the Star Tides We Sing crashed into the enemy frigate amidships. She erupted in a sphere of atomic hellfire that battered all three assailing ships, and in the two minutes it took for the escort cruisers' systems to recover, the lifeboats slipped into hyperspace and beyond their reach. Though to be fair, the frigate was missing a significant chunk and was unlikely to recover at all.

A little background of me. Started college late, Going to get my bachelor degree in Japanese literature study at 27 y/o next year.
Realized I want to pursue Fine Art education 2nd year of my college. Too late to change major since all the paid fee will go to waste, and a very different field.
​
There is an art university near where I live, very famous for its cinematography, but not very well known for its fine art, and somewhat expensive. (7.743$ for a bachelor degree)
So either way, I'm planning to go to an art college that's on a pretty far away town, It's cheaper, 2.042$ for a bachelor degree. and the oldest art university in my country, and basically very well known.
But this mean, I can't use my degree to get a job, since they don't have night classes. And will probably depend on my parents for a while, or if I'm lucky, doing some part time job and freelancing.
​
This has made me think, is it better to just work and save's up for a private mentor online ? I see some online private tutor, and the price is insane. But I don't know if its worth it.
I'm kinda torn between working a decent job, and get a use out of my first degree. Or just go straight to art college.
I hope I can get some advices and opinions on this, it's a dilemma that keep nagging my head.

Is there a difference between “do not contact me” and “do not contact me again”?
Does one imply the person will eventually come back?
Three years ago I met this guy online and straight away he put my photo as his Lock Screen and sent me romantic messages. Anyways during that time I was really depressed and we ended up ending conversation. Then a year later on my bday he popped up again and we resumed communication. It was like a Dr Jekyll and mr Hyde from him. He switched from being kind to me to being so cruel and sarcastic. I knew he was stalking me on my instagram because anytime I would post anything activism related he would advise me not to. Anyways I remember one time I told him i was training at work at he said “training, I like the sound of that”. He was in and out of my life during this time and he would take 3-5 days to respond to me and then if I didn’t respond quickly he would be passive aggressive. Anyways he would disappear for weeks and I would feel my heart so scared to loose him. One day I told him about my family history of trauma and how when my parents don’t like what I do they stop talking to me. He told me “thanks for telling me that”. I told him one day I was afraid he’d do the same. He said he’d never. Anyways by the end of it I was put on antidepressants which induced a manic episode. I remember I was sending messages and he was being snarky and sarcastic to me and twice I caught him online but ignoring my messages. He’s 38 and I was only 22. I confronted him but he just deleted his profile picture so I sent him a manic text telling him that he taught me that people were going to use me and that he can’t keep using the excuse he’s busy at work. I regret sending that message. He blocked me and in my manic mind I texted him so many messages on his number (I wasn’t thinking) to avoid him leaving because he still wasn’t replying. After three days of this stupid and manic behaviour I called him but he didn’t answer and he texted “all of this has to stop. Don’t text me” and it’s been a year and I haven’t heard anything back from him. Of course I’d never contact him but my heart is so broken over him and I have no idea why. I’m off the meds but everyday I wish I could get a second chance. I feel used and discarded especially after he saw such private parts of me and I opened up. Advice how to move on?

I remember 10 years ago, the minister at the mosque I attended, would repeatedly say that the Nation of Islam, and its meetings was being watched by the FBI. And since that is the case, the guests who were invited out and came to listen would be watched by the FBI from that point forward; so the guests might as well join. This has been fucking with me intermittently for the last 10 years. Deep down inside, I am still scared this is a reality. And if it is, and a Fed is reading this, I will say it:
NATION OF ISLAM IS SUCH A DANGEROUS AND PREDATORY CULT, THAT THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEMBERSHIP AND ADDICTION IS WHO GETS YOUR MONEY. YOU STILL LOSE YOUR AUTONOMY; YOU STILL WASTE PRECIOUS TIME; AND YOU STILL END UP PISSING AWAY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. I WANT NOTHNG ELSE TO DO WITH THIS ORGANIZATION THAT BROUGHT NOTHING GOOD TO MY LIFE.
And it's really fucked up to think that the members are doing the recruiting are doing so knowing they are encouraging people to put their lives under scrutiny forever.