Master tow dolly parts near me
I'm in an abusive relationship and disabled with no way out...That I've found, yet...
2023.05.30 13:09 Anomalyspect4444 I'm in an abusive relationship and disabled with no way out...That I've found, yet...
He's my SSI payee. He's cheated and when I find out he flips out on me and tells me it's my fault. Everything is someone else's fault. He belittles me and tells me things like"Everyone told me not to be with you because of your disablity, I defended you and said there was more to you than that (then he looked me in the eyes and said)....but, I was wrong. Or after the cheating he told me to get the fuck out, that I was annoying and man handled me towards the door. He's shoved me and because I was caught off guard because it was so random, I shoved him back (because I was tired of being bullied) I thought it would end there but then he grabbed me and made arm bars around me neck. I struggled to get out and while he was squeezing he cracked my front tooth (granted my front teeth are root canals and not as strong as regular teeth)...it was like he was trying to choke me out. The next day I bit into a sandwich and it fell out. He told me later he was just trying to restrain me so I wouldn't start swinging (why is he showing dominance after he shoved me first, in my mind out of nowhere)...but why was it not around my chest or waist holding my arms? I'm not a violent person either so, wtf. He also told me my tooth was because I bit into a sandwich.
After the cheating and telling me to get the fuck out...I said it's fine if it's over but I'm disabled and need help to find a place to live. I said this very calmly. He told me, no, that's my responsibility. And later to start sucking dick and start,"hoing..."
Also when he said get the fuck out I told him I couldn't walk far. That he knows my body will collapse. He told me he didn't care and to get the fuck out.
He's my payee.
A few days later he screamed at me for over five hours, part of it was screaming,"Are we going to have sex again?!! Yes or No?!!!" When I tried to talk and explain he told me to,"Shut the fuck up...say yes, or, no."
All because he blames the cheating on lack of intimacy but I tried to explain how he treats me makes that unlikely.
Then he went on about how his life is so hard and then went in the garage to mix bleach with I think ammonia agents to kill himself. I told him I'd try and take it away from him but he most likely would tackle me for it.
What also freaks me out a little is when I woke up the next day, he asked me what happened to my arm. I had a burn blister on it. We don't have any fire in the bedroom or garage except for cigarettes lighters. I wasn't in the kitchen or near a stove. There's no way I can figure out how that happened. Maybe I'm very paranoid that he did it (?) after I went to sleep???
Anyways, this is a very concise and shortened version of this. VERY.
Phychologically I always (well, almost, sometimes I refuse to engauge at all) but I do spell out in texts to him what I think is wrong, in great detail and why he is responsible for these patterns. Not I...
I text because I'm afraid of in person.
I feel terrorized and my only family has a neurodegenerative disease and the other is dying.
I've tried to find a way out.
Friends of mine spilled more beans to my relative with the neurodegenerative disorder.
Which really freaked him out and isn't good for him. I know these friends of mine were trying to help, they're out of state, but I had to text them and say that I know it wasn't their intention but that dud the opposite of helping. I said I loved them and thanked them.
They haven't gotten back to me since.
I've looked for other options but their are only DV shelters that last for a month and I need permanent low cost housing since I can't work.
I can't be out on the street. I can't fully care for myself.
I'm not sure what to do. I feel hopeless.
After these two relatives pass, I don't want to die but I may un-alive myself just to escape.
I don't know what to do....
Any thoughts?
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2023.05.30 13:02 tomimendoza AEGIS - An OnK FanFiction
I know it's not exactly fan art, but it's the most fitting for this kind of thing. Another fanfiction has it as its flair when it was posted here. Anyway, this is my output for the OnK fanfic train. I hope you guys enjoy! The link to the fanfiction.net page will be at the bottom.
***
With the rise of violence against celebrities also comes the rise of elements that protect against them. A rookie agent finds himself assigned to a famous idol with a promise to defend. And what was supposed to be a training assignment would eventually grow to so much more. ***
The young man grumbled as he trudged the halls of his home towards his father’s office. His hand would rake through his black hair in his face in annoyance while his two emerald eyes with four-point star-shaped irises focused forward. He already knew what was gonna happen and he wished he could refuse. He had been hoping to devote his time to honing his gaming skills with the hope of maybe one day joining a pro-E-sports team. But, because his father was an old man with a small scope of the modern world, he laughed and told him to do something real with his life. And something real meant taking over the family business one day.
Kurosawa Security Services, or simply KSS, is a Japanese family-owned security company based in Kyoto although they have offices all over the country and even abroad. KSS provides everything from security guards for convenience stores to close protection agents for top government figures. They can also provide security consultation and training. The service is rated as the best Japan has to offer with highly trained agents. KSS agents regularly train with the police and military elements like the Security Police and Special Forces Group. And in rare occasions, they would even train with the US Secret Service abroad. KSS is also the best because of the long history of the organization which dates back to the feudal era when Kurosawa Saitō picked up the sword and protected the local Daimyo from an attack. In other words, they had a long time to hone their craft.
Now, what makes a security company like KSS so big in a country where crime is almost non-existent? Isn’t Japan a safe nation? Those would be your first mistakes if you thought of them. It doesn’t matter which part of the world you’re on, good and evil exist everywhere. And good must be protected from evil. That’s why KSS exists.
And soon enough, the company will be in Akio’s hands when it's his father’s time to retire. That’s how the system works, despite what he thinks of it. So, now his ultimate tests will begin. His first assignment.
After walking for what seemed like hours he reached a pair of large doors. He knocked on them and was asked to come in by a voice on the other side, so he complied. Entering, he was greeted with a fairly large office for only one man. And that man was currently seated behind a desk reading through some papers.
“Hey, Dad,” He greeted as he sat down on one of the chairs before across from him.
Kurosawa Tadao put the papers down and then looked at his son before smiling. He was an aging man with black hair that was already greying and blue eyes that had four-point star-shaped irises.
“Hey, Son! How’re ‘ya doing?” He asked.
“Just fine. I was finally getting my KDR up in Black Ops and I was planning on getting my skills up in CSGO later. But, here we are,” Akio answered.
“Staying inside is not good for your body you know.”
“I planned to play basketball tomorrow and I have band with the boys this weekend.”
“It’s still unhealthy because it’s exactly anything productive. You’re 17, Son, you need to start shaping up for your career,” Tadao said.
“I’ve been shaping it up since I was five,” Akio muttered.
“And that’s why we’re here right now. Your first assignment, son! It’s the moment of truth! Aren’t you excited?” Tadao asked with a wide grin as he picked up a folder from the side.
“No, not really,” Akio answered flatly.
“Well, maybe you’ll be excited once you find out who I’m assigning you to. Spoiler alert, she’s an idol,” He said with a grin, whispering that last part as he handed him the file.
“I’m not into idols, Dad,” He said flatly as he took the file.
“Your little brother a good chunk of this company’s personnel, and hell, a good chunk of the population are though,” He commented.
“That doesn’t make sense. Everyone can have different interests. And Goro, well, I guess being tied to a hospital bed for years does that to you,” He said sadly.
“You’re one weird kid, you know.”
“Well, I was raised by the likes of you, Dad,” Akio retorted with a sly grin which made his father laugh.
“Well, you got me there,” He chuckled and promptly silenced himself to let his son read.
“Hoshino Ai? Never heard of her. Although I admit she is pretty cute,” He mumbled as read through the file with her picture on it. He took in her personal information like date of birth, age, physical appearance, and all the usual things. And then he got to a part that listed her status— “What the fuck?! She’s pregnant?!”
“Language, Akio!” Tadao scolded. “Anyway, officially, she’ll be taking a break from showbiz for a while due to ill health. Actually, she’s pregnant and they’re trying to keep it under wraps. Bad for business, because a lot of fans are a bunch of lonely losers, they’ll drop her just because she has kids.”
“Language, Dad,” Akio retorted and shook his head. “Well, teen pregnancy is bad, but it’s unfair for her to be hated for that reason.”
“Yeah, the life of a celebrity is a lot shittier than most people would think. I know, your mother was a singer, she dealt with that too when we were found out,” Tadao said with a frown before smiling a bit. “She
“Please don’t tell me about your romances, Dad,” Akio cringed. “Anyway, Hoshino-sama will be my protectee, huh?”
“Yes. She’ll be heading here with her management agency soon to settle the contract. And then you’ll be heading to the countryside where she can lay low until she gives birth. That’s the basics of it.”
“Alright. Babysit a pregnant teenager and keep her from doing anything dumb. Should be easy enough,” He said.
“Do not underestimate the dangers tied to the entertainment world, Akio,” Tadao reminded. “As I’ve said, a lot of them are a bunch of lonely losers or generally just of
questionable character. Some of them will go to great lengths just for attention. Fans can get really wacky after all. It’s already happened before. Not to mention, all the snakes in the industry. Someone might want to up their game so they think about eliminating the competition. You get the point.”
“I’m very aware, Dad, don’t worry,” He assured then sighed. “Just doing this and my studies at the same time? What am I gonna do?”
“That’s rich coming from someone who was planning on just lazing around all day. Besides, you’ve been homeschooling for more than a year already, right? I’m sure you can get a read in every day without compromising your job.”
“Well, it’s not impossible, but it’s gonna suck,” He said then sighed. “Alright, I’ve got this. Not much of a choice anyway. Anything else I should know?”
“Yeah. Remember this, you do not
ever let your protectee out of your sight. Wherever she goes, you go. That being said, don’t be too overbearing, and make sure to give her room to breathe. She is a woman, she will want her space. Also, try not to set such a tight atmosphere. Try being her friend, and she’ll be easier to work with. Tomita will meet you tomorrow too to evaluate you. You’ll also be reporting to him your progress during your task.”
“Noted, Dad. In that case,” Akio stood then positioned himself directly in front of the table before bowing. “I shall see this task to the end.”
***
Idol music was not his cup of tea and Hoshino Ai was a complete stranger to him till that moment. He’d spend a whole week with the pre-preparations with one of the senior agents until it was time to meet the latest customers. Then he would meet Hoshino Ai for the first time and they’d make their first impressions of one another.
***
“Are you really sure about this?”
“We’re going to need a shield just in case. Lot’s of wackos around here. Besides, we’ve already agreed to meet.”
“It’s just, there’s a lot of shady dealings in the security world.”
“Are we any better? Besides, KSS is the best this country can offer. I also know the company head personally too, we went to high school together, and he owes me. We’ll be just fine.”
“Um, o-okay…”
“I didn’t understand any of that, but okay!”
“Never change, Ai…”
How do you keep a secret from the world? Simple: you lie. You lie a lot. But then you realize it’s not so simple and every day is spent with fear that everything might fall apart. Just trying to get anywhere was a massive undertaking. For example, right now. Two adults and a pregnant teen in a car. Aside from the teen pregnancy, there’s nothing strange at all about it. But if you knew who the car’s passengers were, then you’d immediately understand.
After a couple of hours of driving (making occasional turns to make sure they weren’t followed and consequently getting lost a couple of times) they finally reached their destination which was a large estate in the outskirts of Kyoto. A guard met them at the gate, and after the driver talked and showed some credentials, they were let in. It took another minute or two until they reached the house where a group was waiting for them. The car group got out of their vehicle with the house group greeting them shortly after. A man with short blonde hair and yellowish-brown eyes underneath some shades stepped forward and led the group.
“Ichigo-san, you’re still about as ugly as when I last saw you,” Tadao greeted with a cheeky grin as he approached.
“Tadao-san, you’re clearly the most repulsive one here. I see you still haven’t taken my advice to get your face fixed,” Ichigo greeted with a snarky expression as he also approached.
Once close enough, they locked hands for a shake before pulling each other in for a hug.
“It’s nice to see you again, friend! How’re you doin', man? No troubles getting here?” Tadao asked.
“I’m just fine. Getting here was a lot smoother than we thought. But we are exhausted,” Ichigo replied.
“I imagine. Remember that time in Second Year when we bought booze with fake IDs and we had to run for it?”
“Ha, how can I forget?! I was terrified the cops would get us!”
As the two men shared stories and laughed, everyone else present could not help but be astonished at how casual the two were being. It almost was like this wasn’t a business meeting.
“Yeah, those were the days,” Tadao laughed and turned to the other two people to address them. “Before we continue any further, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kurosawa Tadao, head of Kurosawa Security Services, and I welcome you all to my home. It’s nice to meet you!”
He then stepped toward the next person. She was a rather tall woman with long strawberry-blonde hair and pinkish-brown eyes.
“And you must be Miyako, his wife, yes?” He asked.
“Yes, I am,” She said with a polite smile as they shook hands.
“You know, I’ve always wondered how someone with a face like his could get married. But here we are,” He joked earning a laugh from her.
“I sometimes wonder why I decided to marry him too,” She commented and they both laughed.
“Huh? What?” Ichigo said but was ignored.
Then, Tadao moved to the last person. She was a short girl with long violet hair with matching eyes that have stars in them. But her most distinct feature was the bulge in her abdomen showing her pregnancy. Moreover, she looked like she wasn’t even 18. This observation made his gut wrench due to feeling pity for this poor girl’s bad decision. Regardless, he put on his best smile and took her hand.
“And you must be Hoshino Ai,” He greeted. “I’ve heard all about you, but since I’m the stereotypical old man, I’m not into your music. Regardless of that, and after listening to a couple of songs, I think you’re doing some very great work in your field.”
Her lips curved into a smile that cured souls as her eyes seemed to shimmer. Tadao kept himself from reacting, but at that moment he knew why she was so popular.
“Thank you so much, Tadao-san! You know, I don’t think I’m that popular to begin with but I’m always so happy to hear that someone like what I do!” She said happily.
He chuckled a bit. “I used to be in a band in middle school and high school, so I still try to stay up to date with the latest musical trends these days. Although, I still don’t know much. I mostly get my info on that from my own agents.”
He glanced to the side followed by Ai shortly after to see three younger agents standing stiffly as they tried to ignore them. They knew exactly who she was. All three of them have her as their phone’s lock screen wallpaper. And it’s clear that they wanted to talk to her, but they couldn’t. And even if they could, they didn’t know how. Ai giggled in amusement while Tadao just stared.
“Anyway, now that introductions have been made, let’s go inside where it’s more comfortable. I know you’re here for business, so let’s dive right in. We’ve also prepared snacks and refreshments inside in case you want some. Ichigo, my valet will take care of your car, so give him the keys please,” Tadao said as he gestured for them to follow.
“Do you have ice cream?” Ai asked.
“We sure do!”
“Yay! Let’s go!”
After Ichigo handed over the keys to a valet, Tadao began leading them into his home with the trio following shortly after. But before that, a mischievous thought entered Ai’s mind and she acted quickly. She suddenly turned to look at the trio of agents who tensed up even more under her gaze. Worse, they realized that she was up to no good just from her grin. But before they could even speculate what she was up to, she suddenly did her signature love heart hand pose with a smile. In a flash, the three agents felt their knees go weak in the presence of such moe cuteness that they struggled to stay upright as they covered their mouths to silence their ecstatic screams. Satisfied with her handiwork, Ai giggled as she left the scene of the crime.
“Um, are they gonna be alright?” Ichigo asked nervously as he saw one of them falling over.
“They’ll be fine.”
They entered the huge house and led them through a series of hallways that were decorated with all sorts of interesting stuff. One of them was some sort of cannon on a towed carriage, except, aside from one big barrel, it’s got multiple little ones arranged in a circle with a crank.
“Kurosawa-san, what’s that?” Ai asked.
“Oh, this? This is a Model 1874 Gatling Gun. It fires a .45-70 caliber round from top-loaded 20-round box magazines with a rate of fire of about a thousand rounds per minute, although, it really depends on how fast you can crank it. It was one of the most revolutionary weapons ever designed and it changed the battlefield forever. This specific weapon here was used by the Imperial Army against revolting samurai during their last stand in the Battle of Mount Shiroyama, the last action of the Satsuma Rebellion,” He explained. “Sometimes I wonder what the samurai were thinking in their last moments just before they were all gunned down.”
“Wow,” Ai whispered in awe.
“Indeed. I don’t even know where my father dug up this gun,” He said before tracing across the black-painted barrels of the old weapon.
“That’s so cool!” She exclaimed happily then fished out her phone from her hoodie pocket. “Can I take a picture with it?”
“Ai, we’re here in business and the man’s likely very busy, so let’s not take anymore—” Ichigo said but was cut off.
“Sure thing! Our meeting is the only thing I have on my schedule today, so I’m basically free to do anything!” Tadao interjected with a wide smile as she took her phone.
What followed next was a comedic scene which was basically an old man doting on his granddaughter while he took pictures of her doing cute things. Meanwhile, everyone else present just stared with blank expressions.
“So much for not being into idols,” Ichigo muttered.
“These are so good! Thank you so much, Kurosawa-san!” She thanked him with a wide smile after going over the pictures.
“You’re very welcome! And you know, we’ve got a lot of goodies in this house, maybe you’d like to take some pictures with them too?” He offered.
“I’d love to!” She squealed.
“Mhmm!” Someone cleared their throat.
Looking in that direction, they saw a young man dressed in a nice business suit who was basically a younger version of Tadao. He approached them with his hands in his pockets and regarded them with a straight expression.
“You’re getting off track here, Dad. We’re still conducting a business,” He said as a matter of factly. “And what happened to ‘no touching of the expensive decor’?”
“Oh come on, son, do you honestly believe I can refuse that?” Tadao complained as he gestured to Ai who maintained a happy expression as she looked at the photos.
“Don’t enable her, Dad. Ma’am, please stop touching the gun, it’s very old and very expensive,” He said.
“Ai, get off of it,” Ichigo ordered.
“Aw, okay,” She said sadly as she backed off.
“Sorry for the trouble, but this stuff is crazy expensive. And oh, I’m Kurosawa Akio, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” He greeted with a polite smile.
“This is my son. He’ll be taking care of the business one day, so I’m bringing him along more now,” Tadao said.
Another round of handshakes was exchanged as the group introduced themselves to Akio. Ai expected the tone and body language of a fan holding himself back, the same kind she’s gotten used to seeing, but was rather surprised when he shook her hands normally with nothing but politeness in his eyes. Strange, now she’s curious. Akio on his part thought that she was a rather normal-looking girl, except for the bulging stomach, and didn’t find anything very special from just looking at her.
“Sorry for messing around. It’s just a really cool-looking thing!” Ai said.
“It sure is, ‘can’t argue with that. They don’t make weapons like these anymore these days. It’s all just big bombs now, which is boring,” Akio remarked.
“I don’t think death and destruction are supposed to be nice to see,” Miyako remarked.
“Exactly,” Tadao stated with a firm voice. “And that’s what we strive for in KSS. Every day must always be boring. Now come on, we’ve got business to attend to.” He said before turning and walking away.
“Is he always like this?” Miyako asked with a sweatdrop, noting the man’s sudden change of face.
“You’ll get used to it,” Both Ichigo and Akio replied in a flat tone.
They finished the walk toward their destination which was a conference room inside the house. The place was quite spacious and cozy looking, especially since it has a fireplace. They all immediately took their seats with KSS taking one side of the table and Ichigo Productions sitting opposite of them.
“Snacks will be brought in a little bit, so let’s get down to business to business shall we,” Tadao said as he placed a briefcase on the table and pulled out some papers. “By the way, everything we talk about will not leave this room, you can trust us. I think I also know the reason why you need an extra pair of hands. Your reason for getting a bodyguard is because you’re worried that you’ll be attacked like that idol that got stabbed recently, yes?”
They all nodded at that. It was already a month old, but the memory of it was still fresh on everyone’s minds, especially since it was covered on national news.
An idol named Hirose Keiko, who was pretty popular and only 16 like Ai, was recently murdered by a crazy fan in her own home. The autopsy report stated that the cause of death was cardiac arrest from severe bleeding after being stabbed three times and that she died in minutes.
The police captured the killer before he could jump off a bridge and took him in for questioning. He said that a Twitter post showing Keiko being all friendly with some guy somewhere made people think she had gotten a boyfriend. This enraged him because he felt betrayed by her actions, therefore he stalked her and plotted her murder for weeks. So, it was pretty awkward for him to find out that Keiko’s supposed boyfriend was actually her cousin and she was at a family get-together at that time.
The news shocked everyone in the country and many celebrities started taking their personal security more seriously. Ichigo was worried for Ai, and Ai was a bit scared herself. She knew Keiko, they did some collaborations together in the past, and she was upset she couldn’t attend her funeral. So, Ichigo Productions, though a bit cash-strapped, decided that it would be a good idea to have some form of security with them to help out in the long run. Especially now that Ai was pregnant… they couldn’t stomach the thought of some deranged lunatic stabbing her to death like what happened to Keiko.
“I don’t think I can forget that. I knew the girl and her agency, they were good people. I hope that bastard gets the chair,” Ichigo muttered.
“You and me both. And don’t worry, we’ll make sure nothing ever happens to you,” Tadao assured. “Alright, now, how do you want to be protected?”
“We just need someone with us to keep the creeps away, especially one that can lie low with us. Nothing flashy at all,” Ichigo answered.
“Hmm, I understand what you want. One or two agents on you at all times at least, covering your front and back. They’ll be in plain clothes too so as to not draw attention. Okay, I’ve got a lot of agents to spare for that kind of job,” Tadao said, as he wrote on a piece of paper.
“What else is there?” Ichigo asked.
“We’re gonna brief you on how we operate and how we intend to do this. None of them are hard to follow at all. The gist is that you need to tell us everything, your schedules, contacts, extra activities, etcetera.”
“So, I’ll basically be followed around everywhere?” Ai asked.
“Basically, yes. But the key difference is that it’ll be by people you can trust. However, that doesn’t mean we’ll be poking around your daily life and infringing on your space every day. We’ll create a system in which you’re safe but still comfortable. In fact, we even have methods to protect you without you or anyone seeing us, but that’s really expensive though,” Tadao explained. “We know our boundaries too, Hoshino-sama, you don’t have to worry.”
“Hmm,” Ai hummed as she considered his words before another thought occurred to her. “Will you kill people?”
“Only if they
really force us to. Every agent has a loaded gun with him, but we’re also trained in ways to stop an attacker with non-lethal force. Besides, one of our tactics is that by simply being there, we can discourage anyone from trying anything funny. As I’ve said, the best days for us are the most boring ones.”
“I see.”
“What’s the price tag?” Miyako asked.
“Despite the low elements, you’re still looking at 500,000 yen per month. But…” He trailed off. “But… due to my debt to you, Ichigo, I’ve decided to give you half that price for six months. This is paid like a subscription service where you have to pay every month. Failure to pay means immediate termination of services.”
“Is there anything else?” Ichigo asked.
“There are a bunch more details that you need to know. Legality, protocols, company policy, and all that. But, there’s one detail that I threw in as a condition for this,” Tadao said then placed a hand on Akio’s shoulder who was sitting to his right. “My son will be the one to run point of your protection detail. This’ll also act as his first test, to prove his skill as a protection agent.”
“Although I’m inexperienced, I’m quick to learn and adapt, and I’m ready to take on whatever task is needed from me,” Akio said politely.
Ichigo and Miyako frowned at the prospect of being given someone who was inexperienced in the field. But if he was the son of the guy who runs the place, then he should be pretty good, right? Besides, this is possibly the best deal they’ll ever get, and they weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Alright, that’s fine,” Ichigo said.
“I’m okay with it,” Ai said.
“Although, Akio will be running point so you’ll see him the most often, another rookie agent will also be there to learn too. He’ll be number two. A senior agent will also be dropping by occasionally to check on them and evaluate their performance, although you don’t need to pay him. And in case things get really bad, emergency services and other agents won’t be too far to assist,” Tadao added.
“Ah, alright,” Ichigo said.
“Now, for the rest of everything.”
They would spend the next thirty minutes getting into the details of how everything would be under their care. Snacks and refreshments were brought in at that time with Ai receiving a pint of ice cream, making her very happy. They got into some legal conditions that were implemented to protect both sides. They also got into how the protection detail would work and what to do under certain situations. And of course, company policy.
One such policy is that the client can sue the company for up to 30 million yen for disclosing any secrets entrusted to them without permission. And although KSS can definitely pay that amount, their reputation would be tarnished and they’d lose even more money. That was a fact that allowed Ichigo Productions to rest easier. Ai’s pregnancy needed to remain under wraps.
After a few more minutes and a couple more things were clarified, they finally moved on to the last piece of the puzzle. Tadao opened up his briefcase and pulled out one last set of papers.
“This is the contract. What’s is just a summary of everything we talked about, but I suggest you read it carefully so you’re not missing anything,” Tadao said.
Ichigo Productions took the document and carefully read through it to make sure they were not missing anything. It took another five minutes, but they confirmed that everything was in place.
“A service that tells you everything and makes you read the contract first? Finally!” Ichigo joked.
“We’re the guys that protect the Emperor, not some shady organization! We’ve got a reputation to uphold!” Tadao stated. “Anyway, if nothing is amiss, sign your name and seal on the space provided and we are officially under your employ.”
“Everything’s here. Let’s seal the deal,” Ichigo said.
He grabbed a pen that was provided to him and signed his name on the line at the bottom then stamped his seal on the side. Miyako did the same thing after him. And finally, Ai filled out the last line with her name and seal and even drew a little heart on it. Tadao took the document and looked through it before putting it down and giving them a smile.
“You are now under the protection of Kurosawa Security Services! With Hachiman, the divine protector of Japan, guiding our hands, you will not have to worry about anything as long as we are around! Rest assured that we will take care of you. And anyone that tries to harm you will die a horrible death!” He proclaimed.
“That’s… oddly specific,” Ichigo remarked.
“If you get hurt, we’ll cover the expenses of your medical bill. If you die under our watch, which you won’t, we’ll offer a full refund to your relatives, and we’ll even avenge you. That’s our policy, to treat our clientele as if they are our family,” He added.
“That’s very nice,” Miyako said.
“Only the best we provide our clients,” Tadao said. “And aside from giving you a copy of the documents, this concludes our business. Thank you for choosing our services. We promised not to disappoint.”
“We’ll be watching closely then.”
Both groups then stood up and gave each other one last bout of handshakes to truly seal the contract that was just signed.
“I’ll make sure your men get tickets to one of my concerts in the future!” Ai said and looked at Akio. “Especially you, Akio-san.”
“Oh, that’s very kind of you, Hoshino-sama. But, I’m not into idol music,” He replied politely.
“Huh?”
“Please excuse my son. We know he’s a weirdo,” Tadao jokingly said.
“I ain’t weird, Dad. I don’t hate idol music but I don’t exactly like it either. I just like other things,” Akio stated.
“It’s not impossible, but it’s a first for us. Everyone your age we’ve met is into idols,” Saitou said. “Looks like you’re the 10% we didn’t see coming.”
“Please just take it as less worry for you, since I won’t be prying for your attention all the time. I’ll always keep a respectful distance. I promise.”
“That’s all we can ever ask really. Thank you.”
“Now that business is concluded, we can all turn in for the night. But would you like something before you leave? Some more snacks or drinks perhaps? We’ve got a lot here,” Tadao offered but Ichigo shook his head.
“No, we’ve already been here too long, we don’t want to overstay our welcome. Besides, it’s late and we’re all tired. We should be getting back now,” he said.
“Alright. In that case, allow us to walk you out while I get the valet to get your car.”
“Alright then.”
Ichigo Productions prepared to leave while Tadao got on his phone. Ichigo and Miyako started discussing something with each other while Ai simply looked around the room. Her eyes would eventually land on Akio who was looking at his phone. He’d pocket it a moment later and his eyes would land on his protectee’s. She’d flashed him a wide smile, the kind that can captivate any man, while he returned with a simple smile and a nod. Ai began opening her mouth to speak before stopping short when there was a disturbance from Tadao.
“... Really? Alright, I’ll tell them,” He sighed before turning to the group.
“What’s wrong?” Ichigo asked.
Tadao smiled awkwardly. “A small problem just developed on your end.”
They’d find themselves outside again a moment later, watching a scene unfold before them. Ichigo Production’s car, a white rental Toyota Corolla, remained where Ichigo last left it although the hood was open and multiple guys were peering into the engine compartment with flashlights. One agent tried turning the key and starting the ignition, yet the engine remained quiet. A moment later, a middle-aged man with his sleeves rolled up walked up to Tadao while wiping his hands on a rag.
“I think it’s a broken sparkplug, Tadao-san. It just won’t start,” He reported.
“I told you it was broken!” Miyako scolded Ichigo in a hushed voice.
“Do we have spare parts, Hiro-san?” Tadao asked.
“No, we just ran out when our own rides needed maintenance and we haven’t resupplied yet,” He said with a shake of his head. “We can’t run to the shop too because it’s already closed at this time. This thing’s staying here till morning.”
Ichigo and Miyako groaned at their misfortune while the rest of them simply stared indifferently. Tadao then sighed and spoke again.
“Alright. In that case, Hiro-san, please get the van off the driveway and onto the side. We’ll deal with it tomorrow morning. Then please take one of the Land Cruisers and take them back to their hotel. The rest of you are free to leave for home too,” He ordered.
“Hai, Kurosawa-sama!” Everyone replied.
“Tadao-san, are you sure? This is probably too much—” Ichigo began but stopped when Tadoa raised a hand.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind at all. Just think of this as me helping a friend in need. And no, you don’t have to pay,” He replied.
Ichigo was unsure but ultimately allowed it and bowed a bit. “Alright, thank you.”
“No problem,” Tadao replied with a shallow nod.
While the adults addressed the issue of their ride, the two kids remained on the side and simply watched. Akio and Ai were still in their teens, so they were kids in the eyes of the adults present.
“So,” Ai began. “What kind of music do you listen to, Kurokawa-san?”
“Uh, I like rock music of all types from pop to death metal. I’ve been listening to them since I was five. And it’s Kurosawa, Hoshino-sama,” He replied, her sudden question and error of his name catching him off guard.
“Ah, really? Ahahaha, I’m so sorry! I'm not very good at memorizing people’s faces!” She laughed jovially.
“Ahaha, I can imagine. Since you probably see so many faces every day, it’s hard to keep track of them all, huh?” He laughed.
“Ah, yeah! It’s a bit of a problem for me, hehe. Sometimes, I even forget the President’s name too, haha!”
He laughed along with her but internally, he was cringing a bit.
Does every idol have such an airheaded personality? He wondered.
“It must be kinda hard for you too, having to work like this when you’re so young,” She remarked.
“Well, this is my first job ever, so it doesn’t seem hard at all right now. That’s definitely gonna change though,” He replied. “But, I don’t think my job will get anywhere as difficult as yours with you having to put up an act all the time. I don’t think I can handle that.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. I really like my job, but sometimes it gets pretty tiring. Taking a break like this is gonna help out a lot!” She said happily before taking a deep breath and looking around. “I think I’ve already said this, but your place is really nice.”
“Mhmm, and this is just our place here in Tokyo. We’re only here now because we need to be closer to some of our clients at the moment. Our main house in Kyoto is even bigger and cooler!” Akio replied.
“You guys are really loaded, huh?”
“For the past few decades, Kurosawa has been branching to other things that make money. We need the cash to pay for our stuff after all. Although, we’re still inferior to zaibatsus like Shinomiya and Shijo (who we provide services to, by the way) but also still better than most.”
“Wow.”
“Mhmm, but money still isn’t everything. We try to take a humble approach to things too. Dad doesn’t like spending money on anything that isn’t important and I don’t buy a lot of things myself,” He added and kept his mouth open to continue when he was interrupted.
“Don’t believe him! He eats yakiniku at least once a week!” One of the younger agents stated as he walked by with a bag over his shoulder, likely on his way home.
“Look who’s talking, idiot! You spend the most out of all of us!” He retorted angrily but only got a laugh in response. He turned back to Ai who was holding a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, prompting him to sigh in annoyance. “Alright, I admit that part and also I spend a lot quite a lot on video games and band equipment, but only on special occasions. I’m not some pompous rich jerk that throws money around, I promise you.”
“Hmm, alright, I believe you,” She giggled and then thought of something. “You could’ve totally left that part out or outright lied. Why didn’t you?”
“Uh, it was already out, so there’s no point in trying to lie about it anymore. Besides, I don’t believe you deserve to be lied to, Hoshino-sama,” He answered.
Her smile wavered ever so slightly as she processed his answer.
I don’t deserve to be… lied to? “Um—”
“Ai, our ride’s here! Let’s head back to the hotel!” Ichigo called out as one of the company’s Land Cruisers had been brought out to take them.
“I guess we’ll just have to continue this conversation some other time, but it’s been a nice talk. I look forward to working with you, Hoshino-sama,” He said with a wide smile and an outstretched hand.
“Ai.”
“Sorry?”
Ai smiled widely too, her eyes seemingly shimmering brighter as she took his hand and shook it. “Since we’ll be sticking so closely together for a while, you can just call me Ai, Akio-san.”
He blinked. “U-Uh, sure thing, Ai-san.”
“Just Ai,” She clarified.
“Just Ai,” He nodded and smiled widely, happy that she remembered his first know, even if he didn’t know why.
“If that’s what you want, you’re the boss,” Akio remarked, earning another laugh from her. “You have a good night, Ai, and I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
“You too, Akio-san.”
She’d head back to her group a moment later and they were leaving the estate shortly. Akio waved at the car as it drove past him and he could just barely see a human figure waving back through the darkness. As he watched the SUV disappear, he put his hand down and looked up at the sky.
“Wow,” He breathed. “Her eyes are something else.”
He’d retire for the night shortly after without another thought. He’d sleep soundly not knowing that he had just stepped on the path that would define his life.
***
This is the
link to the ff.net page. Thank you very much for taking the time to read it, and thank you even more if you decide to support it on ff.net! Please also tell me what you think and/or if you have any ideas you'd like to share here or there!
For now, have a great day, and peace out!
Veritas vos liberabit. The Truth will set you Free. submitted by
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2023.05.30 12:57 Survivor35345 Survivor Calls Out Australian Media Industry Over Confidentiality Breach in #MeToo Movement
Survivor Calls Out Australian Media Industry Over Confidentiality Breach in #MeToo Movement
In a recent exclusive reveal, a man who was a victim of sexual misconduct in Australia's entertainment industry, identified as James, has come forward to expose what he describes as a major failure within the #MeToo movement.
In a detailed account, James said he entrusted confidential information to Tracey Spicer, a leading figure in the Australian #MeToo movement, only to have his trust shattered when his disclosure was used as a part of a preview for the 2019 documentary "Silent No More", without his knowledge or consent.
Following the disclosure's public exposure, James revealed a series of unethical attempts to obtain his consent retrospectively. His disclosure had been edited into the documentary and distributed to media outlets as a part of the documentary preview, including identifying information and specific events.
James said he had to resort to legal means to remove the only partially blurred broadcast copy available on ABC's streaming service, iview, which the network refused to do, instead adding more blurring.
The Australian survivor has also expressed his disappointment with the narrative of the #MeToo movement, stating that the focus is nearly exclusively on women, leaving the stories of men, and particularly gay men like himself, underrepresented or ignored. He stressed that the experiences of male victims of sexual misconduct are equally valid and deserving of attention.
James also detailed a long struggle with advocate Nina Funnell to bring the truth about what had happened to light, only for his efforts to go nowhere despite extensive work, meetings, and lawyer consultations.
In a heartfelt call to action, James asked when Australia will be ready to listen to and acknowledge the stories of all survivors of sexual misconduct, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
Referring to the recent scandal involving UK TV presenter Phillip Schofield, James expressed hope that the public will begin to recognise that sexual misconduct affects all genders and sexual preferences. He stressed the importance of survivors supporting each other and using their voices to demand change in the handling of sexual misconduct allegations, particularly within the entertainment industry.
James ended his statement with a powerful message to other survivors, reassuring them that they are not alone in their struggle, and promising to continue speaking out about his experience in hopes of making a difference. He hopes that his story will serve as a reminder of the urgency needed in addressing the systematic issues within the #MeToo movement.
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2023.05.30 12:53 NitroJ7 Fantasy Bingo Has Helped Me Read More, And I'm Loving It!
| I can’t believe I read this many books in just 2 months! Seriously, I’m a slow reader who manages to read about 20-25 books a year. But since I saw the Fantasy Bingo post, I thought I’d challenge myself and am already done with 9 squares! Fantasy Bingo 2023 Some thoughts about each book that I’ve read [in the order in which I read them]: Coastal Setting: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson [5/5] This was the nicest book I read all year. Seriously, it left me feeling NICE. A sweet adventure tale with Sanderson’s trademark worldbuilding and magic made this a wonderful experience start to finish. I’ve read that many consider this book one of Sanderson’s best, and I can’t help but agree. Side Note: I was about 35% done with this when I saw the Fantasy Bingo Announcement post. While this book fits the requirements for this square, I’m not 100% confident. If I finish the bingo card ahead of time, I might switch this out with another book. Book Club or Readalong Book: Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike [5/5] I added this to my TBR years ago, and then again when I saw the Book Club post. Finally, when I saw this was a square on the card, I just had to read it. Honestly, I hate that I didn’t pick this up sooner. I loved everything about it. The humour was very reminiscent of Pratchett, and the characters felt very real. I loved how it wasn’t just a mindless parody, but a well-written, thought-out story sprinkled with ample humour, drama, thrill and adventure, almost like a complete package. Self-Published or Indie Publisher: Spire Climbers [5/5] Received an eARC around the time I was finishing Orconomics. I really enjoyed Titan Hoppers, so I dived into this one. Holy fricking hell, this book was such a major improvement. It takes everything good from Titan Hoppers and cranks it to 11. It has none of the problems from TH. Even the character work in this one was significantly better than TH. With breakneck speed and awesome worldbuilding, I think this was the fastest I read a book all year. Set in the Middle East: Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar [5/5] Zamil Akhtar has a unique voice that just elevates the whole experience. I don’t even want to compare Akhtar to any other author, because that’s how good he is! The blend of Middle Eastern culture with cosmic horror told from opposing POVs is such a brilliant concept, executed to near perfection by Akhtar’s unique voice and storytelling. Features Robots: Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov [4/5] I started reading the Robots series a year or two ago. This was the last in the series. I always find it hard to review authors from the past. Although this book was first published in 1985, it reads like something from the 50s, which is when I, Robot was first published. From what I’ve learned, Asimov’s books are less about the story and characters, and more about concepts and speculation. In that regard, Robots and Empire is the perfect ending to the Robots series. It envisions a far future where humans, including Earthers, have begun colonising the galaxy and studies that phenomenon from several different perspectives. Every chapter made me think, and that’s what I really loved about the book. Yes, there were dull moments, but all in all a very good read. Bottom of the TBR: The Martian by Andy Weir [5/5] I really liked the movie, and this book had been on my TBR for 8 years. Now, I can finally say, the book is better than the movie by leagues! Of course, the film did its best with the medium, but reading this book was a spectacular experience. Weir’s sharp wit, the science behind Watney’s survival, everything plays out so smoothly. I did feel some parts to be a drag, but I kinda knew what to expect so I just powered through. What I loved most about the book was Mark Watney; he’s such a real character, I wish I had known him as just that and not Matt Damon’s realisation of the same. Druid: Hounded by Kevin Hearne [1/5] Hated it. Hated everything about it. What a terrible book. A passive protagonist who’s a 2100-year-old immature douche who just sits in his shop and does nothing... why? Gods attack him, threats are raised, and then everything resolves itself because of other characterss. Argh! This was such a frustrating read. Everything that I loved about the other eight bingo books was missing here. I can’t believe this book is so highly rated. Apparently, the series gets better, then goes downhill. I don’t care enough to find out. Five Short Stories: Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie [3.5/5] As a First Law fan, I loved it. As a regular fantasy reader, I liked. Of course, the collection had its share of hits and misses. Some stories were really good, a perfect snippet of TFL. But others read like rejected chapters/plots, which was really disappointing. I loved Shev’s entire story arc which spans over 5 short stories, but I found the end a little underwhelming. Why did Javre’s encounter with Khalul’s agents have to happen off-screen? I’m somewhat of a completionist, and knowing this collection existed has stopped me from picking up A Little Hatred. Finally, I can get to that book now! Novella: This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone [5/5] Finished this one at breakfast. Holy cow, how do I describe this book? It reminded me of Hearts of Darkness, except this wasn’t a fever dream, it was a highly imaginative trance-like state. This book is so flowery and complex, yet tells a very simple story. It’s not for everyone, definitely. But I really loved how the book made me feel. The puzzling world-building only made the book more mystical, leaving a lot to my imagination. Even though I found myself confused a few times, I kept reading because I was really invested in the two characters. I would highly recommend this book but with some caution. --------------------------------------------------------- I don't know if it's the challenge aspect of it or that I just got lucky with picking up really good books, I'm loving the progress I've made as a fantasy reader in these past 2 months. Some books I'm looking forward to reading for the bingo card: - Lords & Ladies by Terry Pratchett [Title with a Title]
- The Captain by Will Wight [Published in 2023]
- Starter Villain by John Scalzi [Superheroes]
- Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi [Magic Realism or LitFantasy]
- Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan [Sequel]
I’m going to end this long post by just thanking this community. Y’all have introduced me to some of the best books I’ve ever read, and Fantasy is one of my favourite places to lurk on the internet. submitted by NitroJ7 to Fantasy [link] [comments] |
2023.05.30 12:51 bakedbombshell PC Diagnosis & Cost
Hi all,
Looking for a good spot to take my desktop PC for diagnosis - I’ve narrowed it down somewhat but want to be certain exactly which part is the issue before I buy anything, and it’s worth it to me to have a professional confirm to keep me from buying the wrong expensive part. Where did you go and how much was the diagnosis? I’m near Rockville but will travel some for this. I had a spot I used in Silver Spring years ago but I don’t think it’s still there anymore. Thanks!
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2023.05.30 12:47 Wide-Sound-9930 What are my chances of getting a sponsor for residency in the USA?
have wanted to go to the usa since i was a teenager, i initially wanted to go to university there but i didnt have 2 pennies to rub together and i was not great in school either so i ended up not doing it. Now i am in the army and i go to university part time studying mechanical engineering, the thing is the university i go to is not exactly "world renowned " or even one of the best in my country, to say the truth it is a pretty shitty one but its the only one close to where im located, hopefully at the end of my 6 year contract with the army i will have graduated with a bachelor degree but i know there is no chance i will get sponsored with just that. I do have another ace up my sleeve though since i have been saving considerable amounts of money and investing and at this rate i can expect to finish my army career with the equivalent to almost 70.000 usd in savings. Initially i was planning to use this for flight school but then i learned pilots dont get sponsored often either, i know this amount of money is insufficient to go get a masters degree in the usa but i can probably get a loan for that, the problem is i have a hard time believing any reputable school will accept me given i have taken my bachelor in a "sub par" school, im sure some schools will be happy to just take my money and accept me but i will i be able to be sponsored with a masters degree from most likely a "sub par" school as well?
At this point im wondering if it isnt just better to get a visa for flight school in USA and just stay there until i eventually find someone to marry, and even if it goes wrong i will still have the pilot license to get a job in another country.
What do you think is my best chance to sucessfully immigrate to the usa in this situation?
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2023.05.30 12:44 CapitalAd7328 Looking for dungeon masters
Hey dungeon masters of reddit.
I recently made a new west march server and was wondering if any of you would be intrested to help me with it. The concept is that you are part of a interdimensional adventuring guild. The location you get send from is called the voyager of worlds. The voyager is a mass of buildings clumped together with pipes. Each of these buildings represents a world. Each world thats connected to the voyager has a small building on it which moves around and can only be entered by the crew. This leads to many adventures some oneshots and others campaigns. I want to try to get atleast one game daily and would love some help with that. Just message me on discord: rustycans#9203
The server is 16+ but further anybody is welcome to join
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2023.05.30 12:36 BasicSith2 Journey to the Treetop
Where memories fade, love's essence ignites.
A car crash into a pine tree shatters the facade of a once seemingly blissful marriage. Jack's desperate attempts to bring down the tree with a chainsaw leave his wife, Hazel, wondering what has become of their bond. Is he still the same man she fell in love with three decades ago? As Hazel battles her fears, "Journey to the Treetop" invites readers on an emotional ride through the tumultuous landscape of a mind affected by memory loss.
CABIN ROAD is the gateway to paradise.
But why does this feel like a path to hell?
I smash into a tall pine tree that stands in the middle of the otherwise straight gravel road. I've gone around it hundreds of times before. But now, my fingers are firmly gripped on the steering wheel, disregarding all my commands. Have I become paralyzed?
A potato is wobbling on the dashboard, having obviously leaped out of the potato crates in the back seat. Jack gets out and strides to the front bumper. His lips press into a thin line as he appraises the destruction and cost of fixing it. Nothing should hold him back from swearing. But he maintains his composure, anger simmering just beneath the surface.
The memory of thirty years of marriage fills my mind. I question whether this man has drugged me. A fleeting thought that he might have crashed the car surfaces, but it seems too much of a stretch. I take a deep breath and try to clear my head.
In the rear-view mirror, Jack gets an axe from the trunk. He comes and gazes at me from my window, his eyes looking heavy and weary—like two precious pearls inside their oyster-like shells. I straighten and open the window:
“Thank goodness it wasn't worse.”
“I'll chop it down.”
“That’s a pretty big tree, Jack.”
Jack blinks several times.
“I do have a chainsaw...”
“Yes.” I wonder what stories this tree has witnessed during its lifetime. Will we see the marks of our journey on its rings? There’s always something that gets squeezed in tighter, begging to be unraveled.
“I'll drive you to the cabin and grab the chainsaw,” Jack says. “Prepare some coffee while I'm gone.”
Our short passage to the cabin around the bend is like shifting through the fog of memory. I'm in the kitchen. My fingers clench around the coffee tin can and spoon. Bewilderment engulfs my brain. I spot Jack with his saw. He slips around the corner, the curve of his bottom visible through his tight work trousers. I feel anxious about the crash. Did I deliberately hit the tree?
The measuring spoon slips from my hand. It drops onto the floor along with the tin can. I clean up the mess. Could someone drive into a tree on purpose? Accidents do happen after all. It's fascinating to see him take on this role of being so chivalrous. Far away from his academic duties.
As the chainsaw outside whines, I scroll through social media on my phone. People arguing about something or other makes me tired. I pick up a copy of Science magazine from the coffee table and scan through an article titled “Quantum Communication Across Interstellar Space,” authored by Jack. As usual, the details go right over my head. I like to amuse myself with the idea that it speaks about communicating with individuals who have passed away.
Billy's message pops up. He asks for money for a fishing trip with his buddies somewhere in Lapland. I am more than happy to support him since he’s enlisting in the army soon in July. My big boy.
I tell him about the car crash, and he gives me advice about a car repair store. Jack comes back earlier than expected. He plops into his seat, sweat beading on his forehead and the smell of resin emanating from him. He seems disappointed.
I pour coffee to the brim.
“Did the saw get stuck?”
Jack shakes his head and adds sugar to his mug.
“It got shattered under the tree. I stumbled...”
Silence descends slowly, like dust.
“My helmet cracked.”
“Do you want me to buy new parts when I go to the store?”
“No need.”
“But there's pruning and cutting to do first.”
Jack takes a bite out of a cinnamon bun.
“I can sharpen the axe.”
“Ask the neighbors for help, that's what they're for. You can also mow the lawn while I'm away.”
“The grass is already short— it'll die off.”
“You don't want ticks taking over! Think about your mother's joint pain. She would roll in her grave if—”
“Cremated?’
“Yes!” My answer is like a flyswatter, leaving no room for further discussion or quantum physics.
Jack is busy chewing on the bun. His regular coffee breaks, which have become part of his daily routine in his sixties, have honed impressive jowls.
We enjoy our coffee and stare at the lake. Calm as a mirror. I have a feeling Jack will soon suggest fishing. As I gather my things to leave, I call to him:
“Don't hurt yourself. Should I bring more buns?”
“I was thinking of skipping the sugar and wheat...”
I simply smile in reply.
“Can you refuel the car?” Jack asks.
I'm already off. The door slams shut in the middle of his sentence, but Jack knows better than to expect a response.
I jump into the driver's seat and immediately notice forgotten potato baskets in the back seat, but my mind drifts away before I can do anything about it. As I pass by our old well, I remember that we need to discuss connecting the cabin to a new water source. No matter what it costs, it needs to be done. Why should I agree to be responsible for our running water anymore?
I collide with something hard. Airbags abruptly inflate around me, disorienting me as my vision blurs. Struggling to escape from the tangled mess of seatbelts and inflatable bags, it feels like I'm an old person trying to climb out of a bouncy castle.
My gaze rests on the scene before me, but my thoughts can't understand it. I have plowed into a tree stump. The tree stretches over the ditch. Nearby the chainsaw lies crushed. The cutting chain is nowhere to be found.
I get back in the car. Should I phone Jack for an urgent call? Inhaling slowly helps me stay calm. Why didn’t he mention the tree stump?
Someone taps on my window
I jump and my neck stiffens up. I reach for the window switch.
“I should have told you about...” Jack says.
“The stump?”
“Didn't you see the tree on the ground?”
“I'm sorry. I was daydreaming.”
“Great galaxy, Hazel! You're burning through our last savings as if money grew on trees!”
Jack is being truly authentic with me. I stare back at him like some big-eyed exotic species from Madagascar that I can't identify in all this chaos.
Jack opens the door and starts to put the cushion back in its place. We turn on the engine, giving the accelerator a test ride.
“Let's go to a repair shop. I'm sure our insurance will cover this,” Jack suggests. “We can say that we had an accident with a reindeer.”
“You're supposed to report it to the police or game warden if you hit an animal,” I reply.
Jack pauses for a moment. He then reverses and drives forward again, but when he looks into the rear-view mirror, he slams on the brakes.
“I have a better plan.”
He retrieves an orange towing strap from the trunk, a burst of determination on his face. He connects the stump and the tow hook.
“Get ready. We’re going to take a quantum leap here.”
We buckle our seat belts with a single click as we prepare for the inevitable disaster. We had already made so many mistakes together, starting with raising our children—though sometimes failing was just part of parenting.
Jack revs up the engine. A sudden lurch forward, then Jack howls in pain as the stump smashes through the rear window, clambering through the seats and lodging itself onto the gearbox, trapping Jack's hand. He veers off toward the ditch.
The Milky Way spins around us, potatoes fly in the air and suddenly, all is quiet. We find ourselves upside down—surrounded by earthy potatoes and broken glass.
I try to break the silence:
“I just remembered: Billy's friend can repair cars at the vocational school much cheaper.”
Jack looks so pale, his face almost white. I guess he’s contemplating the next step.
Through the cracked windshield, I see the chainsaw chain lying in the ditch. How did it come to be rusting away? Maybe everything will go back to normal if we sit here and wait.
It feels almost as if we are flying in outer space, my nerves slowly calming down. But then a sudden stillness strikes that is anything but soothing.
“Jack, I’m feeling a bit dizzy…”
No answer.
“Jack...”
I snap open my eyes and the scene in front of me has changed drastically. It’s like I’ve been sucked into some kind of surreal void.
I hear a tapping noise on the window. An apology and then a loud thud; a huge rock has been hurled through the glass. A stench of strong aftershave ferments around me. A burly arm reaches across to release the seatbelt. An elderly man growls something crude, nothing like Jack's usual scout-like words.
My eyes close as I'm being cradled away, and visions of Jack's mathematics and symbols flicker around in my mind. Is the soul truly free when there is no force of gravity to pull us down?
I don't know who my savior is, but I can sense his worry as his face reddens. He is in military garb.
I come to as I feel my head thudding against the rubble. Instantly, I yearn to run away, contemplating that perhaps this experience is only a dream, and I'm back in the cabin chamber, tucked securely underneath a cosy blanket. A blanket that grants me the power to perform heroic acts like disappearing in a puff of smoke.
“Are you okay?” he speaks in a familiar voice.
Fingers brush over my clothes, picking out pieces of glass. My pocket contains an odd bulge—a potato? Suddenly, everything clicks: an aged Billy, wearing a major's rank insignia. How could he have achieved that rank so fast?
“Son, what are you doing on this tree ring?”
Billy peers at me from across the way, accompanied by a mysterious female figure.
“We came to check on how you're doing,” Billy says. “Do you remember what happened?”
I raise my head and look around. There's nobody in the driver's seat of the car.
“Where is Jack?” I manage.
Billy furrows his brows like a detective would when weighing evidence. An image of the classic TV show Columbo flashes through my mind—he could lull suspects into a false sense of security before dropping the hammer of his sharp intellect on their inconsistencies. But I'm not hiding anything here. Though why are modern shows so bad? That's another mystery entirely.
“Mom, what were you doing out here? The road is an absolute disaster zone, with the car smashed up in the ditch.”
My thoughts swim haphazardly as Billy reads something from my expression, then casts his eyes towards his new girlfriend for assistance.
I try to get up but it hurts too much. Instead, I reach into my pocket and feel a sandy-sharp potato there. Maybe I can still wash it off.
“I’m fine,” I reply. “I need to get back to plowing the field... baking buns for Jack... buying a chainsaw...”
The darkness returns and I feel my body shiver. I'm in the car, traveling down bumps I've known for quite some time. Soon, I’m settled inside the cabin's living room on the couch. The coffee maker is gurgling in the corner of the room. Billy is on a call with a doctor about how to deal with grief and coping alone; it seems someone had died while cutting down a tree last year. He gets furious and threatens to take away the keys from the person he's talking to. It might be a good idea; many people have too many keys that they don't use anyway.
My head is spinning with thoughts about Jack's absence. Where did he go?
Someone runs water over potatoes while a pot clatters on the stovetop. My temper rises as I wait for Jack's return. I won't stay here by myself without an explanation from him. I call out for Jack until there's no sound left but my coughing voice.
I crave sausage soup, and I know I must go to the store. As I try to move forward, I am wading through tar. They guide me to the coffee table. According to Jack, time runs faster the more hunched your back becomes. Let it be and let us sit here, motionless, gazing at the tips of our shoes. Surely, time has slowed down in this moment.
Billy reaches out and takes my hand. A handsome, greying gentleman. His girlfriend also places her hand on top of the pile. Her name is Ewa. A beautiful name, something familiar about her.
But did I hear her calling me mother?
In the yard, a squirrel hops with a cone in its mouth. It freezes and stares at me. I avert my gaze. My hands suddenly look wrinkled. I summon the inner strength that I've been striving to find for an eternity:
“Do we have to leave now?”
Billy exchanges glances with Ewa and then looks outside.
“You don't have to walk this path alone, Mother.”
We finish our coffee without saying another word. The wind sweeps across the lake. A pair of swans take flight, and a duet of gentle honks echo across the water.
A shivering cold envelops me. Billy and Ewa take me to the car. The potatoes can wait.
The sun blazes brightly above us as we travel the cabin road; shapeless clouds dot the horizon and suddenly I sense a presence—as if someone is waving to me.
I surrender.
I believe I will be warmly welcomed.
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2023.05.30 12:33 LoLusta Is it worth switching over to OneNote?
I'm a university student who makes all of his notes: classnotes, self-study notes, book summaries, personal notes etc. on Word. Notemaking on Word comes with its own set of problems:
- Adding pictures from the internet is a hassle. I have to manually adjust text-wrapping everytime
- the multi-level list is as broken as it can get. The automatic numbering (pressing space after 1. or *) never creates the correct list-level. I often toggle between numbered and bullet list at multiple list-levels.
- Copying text from the internet never turns out like I intend it to.
- It turns bold formatting on and off on its whim. When I'm typing something, it spontaneously decides to turn on bold. When I copy a plaintext even after turning off bold, it decides to make the copied text bold
- Once the document starts getting anywhere near 300 pages, all the buttery smoothness is gone. Now you get a jittery document that
- If you change something in on part of the document (like the numbering style), something else changes somewhere else you don't even know about. By the time you know about the unintended changes, it's far too late to undo it.
I've been looking for something that doesn't "think" on its own. Whenever Word tried to be "smart", I seriously get pissed off. It's like a five year old kid helping you repair your car.
A friend of mine suggested me to start using OneNote instead. After checking it out, I really liked it's approach to notemaking. Does it suffer from the same eccentricities that Word have? How well does OneNote handle large documents (around 3000 pages)? any other tips?
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2023.05.30 12:26 Psychological_Toe_65 Exhausted and in a way Overwhelmed With Life (M22), Feeling like my Relationship (F22) is Holding me Back
I'm going to state it exactly as I feel it. As the title suggests, I'm exhausted because of my lifestyle. I'm a master's student doing a lot of things on the side, along with my main studies, I won't tire you or try to brag about anything. That's not the point of the sub. I have a relationship of 2 years, back then I didn't have nearly as many responsibilities. Things are moving fast and as harsh as it sounds I think my loved one is holding me back from my bigger purpose. Although I feel like that bigger purpose involves her, I'm afraid at the same time she is holding me back. I just question if this relationship is worth continuing or I'd be better off cutting ties. I love her, I really do, if I didn't I wouldn't be writing this and thinking about it so hard, but at the same time, if anything has to go, maybe I'd be better if that was it. What's everyone's opinion on my matter? Thank you everyone for your time.
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2023.05.30 12:24 Super_Foundation_799 How do you heal after finding out your ex is a pedophile and SA?
I need to get this hurt, anger and pain out. I'm destroying my new relationship because I'm so traumatised.
It has been nearly 8 years since I fount out, and I've still not fully healed. I listened to a podcast earlier who mentioned how you should speak out about it to be able to heal so here I am...
I'd also appreciate anyone who has been through this to tell me what you did to help to heal.
I met my ex husband when I was 20 he was 26, first red flag was the age gap but being 20 I didn't think it was a big deal, next red flag that I thought was a compliment was when I asked why he liked me he said, "you look so cute and innocent" wasn't until I got older and everything came out how I remembered that comment and was shocked at how naive I was.
You hear alot of people who have never been in abusive relationship say "why did't you just leave them sooner" their not like this from the get go! If they were then yes people would leave, but their charming, loving, it's all a big act, they then wait until they know you've started to fall inlove with them then slowly manipulate you and gaslight you, then when you pull away they love bomb you again, so you learn to second guess yourself, believe them that you're the crazy not them.
My ex (lets call him J) was very manipulative, a smooth talker, an alcholic and constantly cheated on me, then when I found out he cheated it was always "get over it" "stop nagging me". I didn't know back then that I had ADHD and RSD (Rejection sensitivity disorder) back when I was little you were told only boys had ADHD, I was just told I'd always have a mental age of a teenager because girls didn't have ADHD. So now looking back I realise why I missed all the red flags, why I put up with the cheating, why the rejection made me run towards him and why I stayed so long.
He then had this friend (will call him C) visit who I had never met before, J mentioned how other's would bully C so me being me opened my home to him, I felt sorry for him, C told me how he was apparently special needs (looking back I think this was a cover up). The first time he travelled to come stay with us he seemed okay at first, a little odd but I didn't think much of it until his friend accused me of being attracted to him because "I was nice to him" I said "I am nice to everyone, doesn't mean I'm attracted to anyone?!" I was shocked but put it down to him being special needs, maybe he didn't quite understand. He then kept giving me the look throughout his stay and I felt so uncomfortable he looked at me like I was an object to be had. The odd thing was my ex would tell me how much he couldn't stand the guy, his friends our family would ask why does he hang out with him and he'd never have a good answer to why (later it makes sense).
I then had a young family member come over (I want to protect this kids incolved so I'm saying family member) staying over again this comment didn't add up until after it all came out. J was on the phone to C and put him on liyd speaker as J and my young family member were play fighting, I then said to the little family member "get your butt out of J's face" as a joke because the way they were play fighting he was climbing over J. C obviously hears and said "but J would love that" straight away I was like wtf?! I was totally confused. My ex looking shocked at me and then shortly after he got off the phone with C. I told J how much I didn't like his friend, usually I'd never tell someone to stop being friends with someone but I just kept getting a bad vibe from him plus he kept telling me how much he couldn't stand him himself. Then J decided to tell me the night before that C was coming over to stay the following day for a week (I think it was), I begged him not to let him, reminded him how he kepts saying inappropriate things to me, C even asked J "what would you do if I made out with your wife?" J said "I'd punch you" C then said "why it would be HER fault". That was the final straw for me and I wanted nothing to do with him, I then thought he made up this special needs card to get away with his disgusting behaviour. But then J tells me C will be coming back over to stay, I was told this the night before. I cried and begged J not to let him stay, he wouldn't listen, I had nowhere else to go or money to even stay elsewhere or any friends. I begged J to atleast make sure he was home after work before he arrived to which he agreed (stupidly I believed that, I am also on the autism spectrum again didn't know, everything is very black and white and I always expected others to be the same as I knew no different) C arrives and J is nowhere to be seen, I'm ringing and texting him constantly and I'm being ignored. J finally arrives home drunk. For the next few days is where I constantly get SA by C infront of J I keep shouting at C to stop rubbing himself up against me, stop staring at me like I'm a peice of meat, stop towering over me, stop refusing to move out of doorways in my own home so I have no choice but to squeeze past, stop touching me inappropriately (I didn't realise any of this was SA until later as I thought I was being over dramatic as by ex would constantly tell me I was when I fount out he cheated once again so having thay drummed into your head does make you second guess yourself alot) I begged my ex to help me to his response was "come on mate just stop" he didn't even sound bothered, there was no stern voice and C continued constantly. I truely believe if J wasn't there C would have eventually
[email protected] me, each night I would push a chair between the door and our bed just incase. I was completely destroyed, I had depression before and bad anxiety because of my ex and undiagnosed ADHD and RSD that I had no idea about. This was when I finally learnt to hate my ex and preparing myself to leave him.
When C went out with J I decided I would snoop on C's ipad (I know I shouldn't have but I had this gut feeling he wasn'ta good person) I found a bunch of emails to police from him harassing his ex wife (later on found out he
[email protected] her and had a police report against him I think he got away with this but I'mnot sure). I also found pre-teen p
rn I have no idea if it was legal or what but they looked like kids, I was shaking, felt sick and crying and couldn't look, I flipped my sht. I finally stood up for myself (I think it was the fact I felt protective over what looked like children, I no longer cared about myself but only them) I packed C's things, told J what I found and that C isn't staying and put his bag outside, C begged J to stay and I rang the police and reported it, it was then I told the operator everything from the p*rn to him groping me and saying inappropriate things to me, she then said she'd have an officer come over from (I think she called it)
[email protected] and SA department. In my head I was like wtf is going on how on earth has that anything to do with the video's I saw on his history?! Wasn't until the officer sat me down said someone else had gone forward about him and exsplained what I said gone through was SA, I felt so stupid, I felt like what she said wasn't real that I was just being over dramatic and she was wrong.
I did try to leave J after this had happened, then he did an overdose and I was guilt tripped into staying with him, he then later on laughed and said he had googled first to make sure the pills he took wouldn't actually hurt him. A couple months later when I completely checked out emotionally I tried to leave again and he said he'd OD again if I left (this was after I found out he was cheating) so I stayed, I didn't want someone else's blood on my hands. Then finally 6 months of from the first OD I finally walked away!
I self healed, worked hard on myself learnt to love myself and fount an amazing partner who is so caring and loving and helped me heal deeper. I was about 1 year into my new relationshie when a very brave family member of mine came out about how J had been touching them since she could remember (so a toddler up until pre-teens) also turned out she wasn't the only one but also her friend. Alot of the weekends I'd have the girls come over for sleepovers, we'd watch movies, bake, crafts, play games, go out on day trips etc. I was really close to them and her friend decided to call me her second mum. But I had no idea, nobody had any idea, I said I'd do all I could to help them with their case, there was very little evidence but not enough to pin him for what he did, he got pulled in for questioning but that was.
Some of my family needed therapy, I needed therapy. It completely and utterly distroyed me, I was so angry at myself for not noticing, I remember reading this kind of stuff or seeing it in the news thinking how the heck do you not notice this? I held so much guilt even though both the girls said they never blaimed me and my family never blaimed me, but I still blaimed me. I had intrusive thoughts on how I must be a pedophile too or how else didn't I notice anything was going on under my own roof, I wanted to end my life. I felt sick with myself for sleeping with a pedophile and I felt so dirty. I was angry how he got away with it all, how the evidence given wasn't enough! How those poor girls had to relive it all. Angry how he distroyed two kid's childhoods and my family and he gets to walk away like nothing happened.
A few years ago a family member saw he was engaged and messaged J's new partner to warn her, unfortunately their still together as far as I know. I know all to well how manipulative he can be so I partly get why she has stayed. I did find huge peice in that she was atleast warned so (hopefully not) if any more children come forward she'll remember that message that was once sent to her and not try to protect him. I sometimes think to myself I bet she's so kind and loving like I was, always thought the best of people, because that's the type of people who end up in these bad situations, we get taken advantage of they see our kindess and we're easy to manipulate.
It made total sense now why he was friends with C as just before I left J I snooped on his phone and also saw pre-teen p*rn on his phone, it was on PH he kept telling me how it was an add and I was crazy even though it clearly was a video half watched then the second guessing myself rolled in. But I truely believe C knew J was a pedophile hence the comment about my nephew and J knew C was hence why he wouldn't drop his as a friend.
My now partner has been incredible, listened to how I was feeling, didn't once judge me or my intrusive thoughts and picked up all the peices. I was now battling from the SA then this ontop, it took me about 2 years to finally agree I needed therapy. I felt better for a little while but then the panic attacks came more regularly, the constant running around my head repeating what happened, had mentally blocked and partly forgotten alot of things then memories would come back. Then finding out I have ADHD was a shock that I'm still trying to deal with. I don't feel the therapy helped all that much, it did make me see that I was nothing like the moster he was, I would never ever do anything to a child, it was never my fault, I never made J do those things, I never asked C to do those things to me, I didn't lead him on, I didn't have to blame myself for being too nice anymore. But that's all I got out of therapy.
I feel I do better to self heal alone. It has been long enough now that I have suffered for things others have done. I am distroying myself and my good relationship because I keep snapping and I'm filled with such anger and pain, I am now here to try move on and change that. I deserve to be happy and free from this. I am partly worried sick about posting this, as I have such bad anxiety but I know I need to talk about it and get it off my chest and I know this platform has helped me alot in the past and I use my own trauma to help others. Not enough people talk about being on the other side of this as fear of judgment but we didn't do anything wrong here! They did!
If you read this far thank you! I hope that this may help someone not feel so alone now.
How did you overcome the anger? Did talking about it help? I feel the trauma has made my ADHD symptoms much worse which I know can happen after trauma. My anxiety is awful I constantly. I want to heal enough is enough they get to walk free and ruin other people's lives, whilst I suffer still. I would never do anything to hurt someone I don't deserve this.
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2023.05.30 12:16 Vampiri4 Thoughts on “problematic” Lord of the Lost collaborations?
Long post ahead.
It goes without saying how Lord of the Lost’s support the LGBTQ+ community, stay generally open-minded and seem to be super wholesome people. And we need more of this in metal/alternative community, we REALLY do.
Still, I felt such dissonance when one of the guest artists on their latest album was the frontman of Combichrist, Andy LaPlegua. For those unfamiliar: this is the very same band with songs as “lovely” as Shut Up and Swallow, You Will Be the Bitch Now, Give Head If You Got It and Throat Full of Glass, to name a few. You can probably imagine what their music videos are like. Now I know one could say this is just being “edgy”, but when most of your songs focus around the topic of violence against a certain group of people (mostly women) then sir, you have a problem. The fact that Joe Letz used to be part of Combichrist doesn’t help either (he’s being brought up in many statements of fans who have been drugged and/or abused at Rammstein shows, to bring up his most recent shitty/downright abusive behaviour).
Another collaboration probably isn’t nearly as important, but one of the artists who remixed Blood & Glitter is Faderhead (who's also remixed a track off Die Kreatur album, a project of Chris and OOMPH!‘s Dero Goi). From what I saw, he’s also from Hamburg (so this could be a matter of collaboration between the Hamburg artists), which might explain why it was him remixing one of the tracks. Now this wouldn’t be anything weird if it wasn’t for this music video of Faderhead which is basically taking place in a video game where the main player eliminates drag queens (Fistful of F You is the title if anyone's curious). If we want to go into more details, Hocico from the Spanish version of La Bomba seem just as nice with their song Ladykiller (Don't Rape The Dead Girl), or other tracks from an album Hate Never Dies. Charming.
Yes, I’m aware that LOTL have worked with many other artists who are nowhere near shady (thank Goth). I’m also well aware of the many ways of artistic expression and the whole “shock factor” of alternative music. This is nothing new and, to many fans, nothing alarming, but it made me wonder if anyone else felt dissonant about it too. There are so many ways of artistic expression which doesn't involve objectifying/showing violence towards minorities - LOTL get that, these artists with whom they collaborated don't really seem to think the same way.
That’s it. Feel free to hate me after reading (you won’t be the first ones to hate me anyway). I do enjoy LOTL’s music a lot and admire their support for the queer community. I’m just one of those people who do their research when discovering a band.
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2023.05.30 12:08 miss_ophonia My asexuality almost ended my marriage.
Hi. I'm very new here, so forgive me if I navigate into murky waters or cause a wake in a no wake zone. I think I'm gray ace, pretty sure, but I'm still in uncharted territory, and I'm learning every day. This will be a long post, I just want to offer my own evolving journey.
I've been in the only relationship I've ever had since we were 19 for 35 years now. I was a virgin and very pretty, so he was attracted to me. I found him cute, but I didn't really have a type. I spent a quarter of a century fighting my asexuality because I thought it was my defect to fix, and i new nothing about being asexual or even what it was--and I suffered emotionally, physically, and mentally because of it (so did my husband). He was a very sexual being, even made me swear to God to never take or withhold sex from him. He needed it and couldn't be without it.
So I did my duty but never sought it out. I faked it for him. I was never adventurous in the bedroom. I even had a kid, which I've always wanted, and he is our light and joy, a wonderful person we are both proud of. Still, there was always tension because he always wanted more (how many fights did we have about what was a normal amount--he insisted 3 times a day), and of course I didn't need that at all.
For 25 years, I did my best to appease that, going to my happy place during those moments and yes--I did have very normal physical reactions to the act some of the time. I preferred it when I did because I didn't feel like was lying to him about my real (non)feelings about sex.
Then I got breast cancer in my late 30's. It was caught very early, but still--I had 6 surgeries in total, including a hysterectomy. What surviving cancer did to me, my body and mind, and my marriage nearly ended all the above. I got heavier and if I didn't fancy sex before, I sure didn't after that. Both of us became resentful of the other over sex. I was becoming less tolerant of any sexual thing at all.
After 5 years of that seething hostility, I moved out of our room into my own. He became distant and obstinate. But underneath it all he didn't cheat (that I know of to this day) and I didn't leave, but our marriage was pretty much dead and we became roommates with a 10 year old kid.
It all came to a head one weekend in a marathon 2 hour fight. I'll spare you the ugly details, but will say that it never got physical. He said awful things about how he was no longer attracted to me and his final shot was that promise he made me swear about never taking sex away from him. I let him rage for an hour, I was sobbing and broken, and when he couldn't find another awful thing to say I asked if it was my turn. And he agreed to listen and not interrupt me, as I'd given him that courtesy to begin with.
And with that, I unloaded. That promise? We were teenagers who new nothing about real relationships or life! And I have him a news flash--I never liked sex. I faked it to Oscar worthy levels. I never saw him that way, even told him that for years, and I was the one who had to do what I didn't want to do all our marriage and he didn't even seem to care. It was my biggest effort for him, all for him, and he treated it like he was entitled to it. Why?? Money? We both work for our existence. He could have anybody? Well so could I. If he wanted to go so badly, then go. But I wasn't uprooting my or my kid's or our pets life because his penis felt neglected. That was my hour.
Five years after that fight and we're still together. It's been rough, it's not perfect, but the healing has been steady. He's come to grips with the reality of ME, and there's still love there in both our parts. It's just not physical anymore and never will be like that again.
For me, there's so much regret. I wish I knew what I was all my life. I wish I'd told him the truth from the beginning, but I didn't even understand that truth when I was 19 and worried I'd die a spinster. Had I known, would I have lived out my dreams that I gave up for a domestic lie? I have forgiven him for many things, but they still haunt me. I still have my own room and it's my haven, my nest. We have tender moments, and fight a lot less, but I still hold a bitter ember for the things he did and did. He's a good man who fell in love with the love of his life and she didn't want anything from him but to grow old with him. That should be a romcom bit in real life, it's far from it. Yet, here we are.
I'm on my new journey to grow myself in a very different world now, one that more and more people are navigating. It's so scary, yet it's freeing to finally have a name for all the feeling I never had. Sometimes I find myself wondering what "normal" is really like, but that's fading away more and more. But I know one important thing:
I don't need to be fixed anymore.
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2023.05.30 12:06 Safe_Economics_1115 This will be the last time I'm posting this.
So, I posted a build similar to the build in the graph but I made some changes. This time it's different because I'm buying the parts next week and I need your help choosing the right parts and if I'm making the right decision. I'm prepared to cut cost on some parts like the cooler, almost all of the people that have seen this is telling me that the aio is overkill to my cpu, but when I tried to compute buying a cpu fan plus additional 3 fans to compensate for the 3 fans the aio have, it's only like 1000php less. Can you guys suggest what is a good alternative to the aio I chose. Is this a good build? I'd really appreciate your help. Thank you.
This build is for light editing of photos and video's, uploading, work, streaming, and 1440p gaming, all type of games from triple A to Gameboy emulated pokemon.
Part | Name | Price |
CPU | Ryzen 7 5800X | 11,699 |
Mobo | MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI | 6590 |
Memory | G.Skill Trident Royal 32gb 16gbx2 | 6300 |
Storage | WD_BlackSN770 2TB | 6695 |
GPU | ASUS TUF Rx 6800XT | |
Cooler | DeepCool LT720 | 5145 |
Case | HYTE Y60 | 10,350 |
PSU | Cooler Master mwe Gold 750w v2 | 5919 |
Case fans | Lian Li SL120 3Pack | 4797 |
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2023.05.30 12:02 Which-Meeting7585 Am I thinking too negatively after my first day at a new job?
Today was my first day at a new job in what is essentially an admin role.
Going in to the role I was told that I have to work in office 100% and that my manager (lets say Sarah) would be in a different state than me. A bit annoying considering I left a hybrid role where I could WFH twice a week but I knew that going in.
So I get there just before 9 (I was told to get there for 9) where I am supposed to call and be let in to the office by someone (let's call them Bob). I call and there is no answer, so I call twice more and still nothing. Then Bob texts me saying they're off sick and that I should call this other person (let's call them Fred) to be let in.
I ask Bob if I can get Fred's number and they tell me to try and find it in the entry way near the phone that is there. I can't find Fred's number anywhere so I give up and call Sarah. (I later find out through my emails that Sarah and Fred were aware that Bob was off sick and that Fred would be showing me around. I don't understand why Sarah/Fred did not arrange this/let me know prior).
As I'm on the phone with her, two employees walk out of the office and briefly look at me (clearly lost and struggling) and just continue on out the door. A bit annoying... I figured they would be told someone new is starting?? Sarah texts me Fred's number and I call him and manage to get in.
Fred shows me to a desk and tells me to settle in. He tells me that this desk belongs to someone else who is WFH today. I'm a bit confused as to why I haven't been shown to my own desk. He then quickly introduces me to people on our side of the floor and I manage to remember 3 or 4 of the 25 or so names.
For the next hour or so everything seems to be okay. I log in and start to get things going (emails, teams, timetable etc) However, during this time NO ONE around me has tried to engage in conversation with me or greet me. I understand people are busy and are there to work but it is still a bit disappointing.
After the hour or so, I'm told by Fred that someone (Jen) will show me around the floor and the other staff on the other side of the floor. During this tour, another team member (Kim) joins us as they are fairly new too and Jen figures it is worth them joining. We start going through the normal stuff (kitchen, emergency exits) but when we get to one person on this tour, Kim and Jen decide to spark conversation with then and proceed to spend about 20 minutes having a work related conversation completely excluding me. I'm awkwardly shuffling from one leg to another and after the 20 minutes have to excuse myself as I have a virtual meeting with Sarah. I later realise I missed out on finding out where the toilets were, and how to set up a locker for myself.
After my meeting I discover in my emails a new starter check list that Fred is supposed to run through with me. (It is also important as my admin role means I will take over the onboarding process for new staff at some point) but he has not gone through a number of the points on the list.
It also asks on the email from Sarah that Fred take me to a coffee spot near by to get settled in. I understand that this may have been last minute for him, but someone else could have done this. This was the standard at my previous company. It never happened.
I am also informed by Sarah that my permanent seat will be in the reception area which is a secluded area that no one has occupied for as long as she can recall. Fred informs me that this won't work and will advocate for me to be on the floor as the reception area doesn't meet occupational health and safety standards. God knows where they mean to put me.
Then, during a team meeting with the other new admin people across the country, it appears that at least 1 of them is WFH. I thought this role had to be in the office 100%? Why is it different in different sites?
Lunch comes around and NO ONE talks to me or approaches me. Surely that is the kind thing to do to a newbie? To top it off, tomorrow I have to move to a different desk which is occupied by someone who is WFH and will have to continue doing this hopping act for the foreseeable future.
Am I over reacting and just seeing the negative or is this a poor first impression on their part? Please tell me to get a grip if I am being overly sensitive but it feels off to me.
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2023.05.30 12:00 Beneficial_Seat4913 I'm scared of dogs
I was attacked by my families dog two years ago. The exact story is both blurry and traumatic to talk about, especially with or in front of strangers and there's always a huge fear of judgement, people often feel this compulsion to play defense for the dog and insinuate that I somehow deserve it or that it's my or my families fault for being bad dog owners.
I have nightmares where I feel his teeth ripping into the skin of my face. Sometimes when I remember what happened or see one of the pictures I still have up around the house of the dog, I end up staring into space and have flashbacks. Hearing a dog growl or bark triggers a deep feeling of dread and I cannot watch the parts of game of thrones where the wolves attack people or even read them in the books without feeling slightly sick. Being around dogs, especially having a dog sat on or near me or having to be close to someone else with a dog on or near them makes my heart race and my body seize up. That's how it happened, the dog was on my mums lap and I went to give my mum a hug before leaving. The dog leaped up and grabbed my face. I can still hear the snarling and see the look he had in his face.
As I said before, a lot of people want me to think it was my fault, they rush to tell me "no bad dogs just bad owners", Idk why they do this, I don't blame the dog. I sat sobbing next to his crate literally moments after the attack telling him I loved him and that I didn't blame him, that I was sorry for not being better for him. I refused point blank to have him put down. He went to a shelter set up specifically for dogs with behavioural issues like this. A no kill shelter. They have dogs there thar are permanent residents because they can't be rehomed but they don't put them down. I couldn't go to drop him off, something I still regret but I was busy being traumatised further by my ex. When I'm around people with dogs and they see me recoil away from them or look uncomfortable I usually say "I just don't like dogs" which is a lie, I love dogs, they just scare the shit out of me. But I don't like talking about this, so I say I just don't like dogs. People judge you for not liking dogs, especially their dog. People see it as a "red flag". It's made a lot of socal interactions really awkward where people will quiz me as to why I don't like dogs, sometimes I just say I prefer cats but that dosnt explain why I asked them to keep their dog away from me and usually dosnt satisfy them.
Anyway, I'm staying with a friend tonight. She has TWO dogs, ones a puppy. Puppies don't scare me nearly as much. My other friend got a puppy not long ago and I used it basically as exposure therapy which has actually made me a lot more confident. I'm still really really nervous. She has a cat though so I'll probably just hide in a corner with the cat and bribe it with dreamys.
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2023.05.30 11:52 Outside-Tie-2851 Question about putting an electric backup small motor on a Bowrider
Little info, just bought a 17' 2005 Glastron MX 175 from a marina in Buffalo. Died on me in the water though near Dunkirk and had to call coast guard as tow boat us does not go out there. Thankfully some1 helped while Coast Guard was in route but still was stranded for like 5+ hours... Anyways ... I never want this to happen again. I was thinking of installing a small battery powered motor. Does anyone know a good electric motor to use? Looking for something with a good price and will work at least 5-10 miles off shore if this ever happened again. I do not want to use a gas one, as it seems like I would need a separate gas tank, or would have to tear into the boat to use existing one. Something lithium, not lead acid, that I can recharge at home and I can take with me when I go out. Can anyone point me in the right direction as well as a good guide to mounting it. Would like it to be useful for a full load emergency, lets say total weight 3,500 lbs so I guess 70 lbs of thrust. 55 lbs might be enough though. Also would a hand cranked trolling one be feasible as well? How long would that take at 5 miles offshore? The 1 ore I had that day was useless so not sure...
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2023.05.30 11:48 yourfunboi1 How to pursue a PhD while working a research based job?
I have found myself in a position where I will likely be offered a job leading a restoration program for local government. The 4 year grant that is funding the project has essentially three research questions that are trying to be answered with the expectation of some amount of publishing.
To me this sounds like the perfect opportunity to reach out to some supervisors who would be willing to take my on as a PhD student. I already have a masters degree, about 5 years of work experience in the industry and a strong publishing history (two first author manuscripts and 3 co-authored).
The problem is that the job is located in a very remote part of the world and i would have to find a supervisouniversity that would be willing to take me on "remotely." Has anyone had any success in this kind of position? I'm mostly looking at non-american programs since they don't usually require classes, are research focused and last well within the grants duration.
Any advice would be great! Many thanks
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2023.05.30 11:39 protomont1 3D Printing Trends & The Future!
- 3D printing often referred to as Additive Manufacturing has always been attributed to lowering costs, a perfect time-saving technique that exceeds the limits of fabrication processes for product development.
- 3D printing has become more cost-effective resulting in the surge in the demand for good budget 3D printers.
- 3D printing or additive manufacturing is one of the most talked about topics on television, movies and not to forget the booming social media where every incipient technology goes viral within seconds And that gets echoed in the constant online searches by people searching for where to buy 3D printers near me or be it 3D printer spare parts online in India.
- This has resulted in accessibility for 3D printing technology for diverse businesses. Be it Fused Deposition Modeling(FDM), Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), or metal deposition, the choices are many as each technology works with diverse materials and consequently will offer different results.
- The first thing to consider when choosing your 3D technology is to determine what you are trying to achieve with it as each technology serves and thrives for several different industries
- Let’s have look at a few 3D printing technologies along with the processes involved and their applications.
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2023.05.30 11:36 RoadKing_04 Unexpected Roommate
My wife and I had been travelling around Europe for several weeks now, and currently we were in Spain at a popular tourist location on the coast. We had just arrived at the seaside town in the early afternoon and proceeded to check into the hostel. Frustratingly there had been a mix up, and instead of the private two-person room I thought we had reserved, we were instead booked into a four person room. They had nothing else available and given the popularity of the area we were not going to find anything better on short notice. The staff advised us that only one other guest was booked in and they were yet to arrive so we might be lucky and get the room to ourselves.
I have been married to my wife Emma for almost 8 years. Emma is a 5'2" petite brunette and despite having a petite frame, she has amazing curves, with a fantastic set of D cup breasts. My favorite part of her body however is her ass, closely followed by her hips. She works out a lot, and squats have done her wonders. It's the kind of ass that men can't help but stare at when she walks by in her yoga pants, and watching guys attempt to catch sneaky glances at her is a pleasure of mine.
The weather in Spain was sweltering so we planned to spend the afternoon at the beach. The great thing about Europe is the sexual open mindedness. The beaches are full of topless women and tiny bikinis. Em doesn't tend to wear anything too skimpy, at least not in public, but I had managed to convince her to buy a little white bikini that covered a lot less than what she would normally wear. We found our room, locked our belongings away and changed ready for the beach. Em put on her new bikini and then slipped a red loose fitting summer dress over top. As I pulled up my board shorts, I had to adjust my semi erection to get them on. I don't know what had turned me on more, my gorgeous wife's figure in her revealing bikini, or the idea of her wearing that out public.
We arrived at the beach and eventually found a spot with enough space for us to lay down our towels under partial shade.
"I'm already so hot, I'm going to jump in the water" Em said just after we set up our spot.
"No problem, I'll just wait here" I responded. As she walked down to the sea, I was hypnotized watching her barely covered ass gently bounce from side to side. I could feel the blood rushing into my crotch and had almost got it under control when Em headed back from the water, the wet cloth clinging tightly to her large jiggling tits. I glanced down and noticed the faintest outline of her pussy showing through the thin white material.
Em noticed me poring over her physique, laughed and said "I see you like my new outfit" whilst looking down at my shorts, at which moment I realized that I was so focused on Em that I had forgotten about the tent that was forming in my shorts.
A little embarrassed, I quickly rolled onto my stomach, pushing my erection out of the way. Em came over, leaned down so that her large half exposed tits were directly in front of me and gave me a lingering kiss, clearly trying to make things more awkward for me. I was surprised but excited to see how comfortable she was in this skimpy bikini.
After the beach, we went for a nice walk through a little park area not far from the beach. It was so hot that most people seemed to have gone to the beach, and there weren't many people around. It was a beautiful park, it had a lot of trees and greenery so we decided to attempt to find a nice shaded spot we could sit and relax in out of the sun. We followed a small path through some trees for a while, which opened up into a clearing with a wooden park bench. There was a large tree shading the bench so we sat down and Em grabbed out our kindles.
After 5 mins or so, Em looked over at me and smiled, then went back to reading. She placed her hand on my thigh and gently began rubbing her fingertips back and forward. There was nothing particularly sexual about it, but after watching Em so intently down at the beach I was still a little turned on. I could feel my penis begin to respond and I think Em noticed as her fingers shifted from my thigh and began rubbing gently across my shorts over my cock, often circling the tip before moving back down and up again. I was a little surprised but said nothing and simply enjoyed the attention.
I pretended to just keep reading, but Em suddenly turned to me and said, "Get it out".
I was caught off guard, "Here? "But what if someone comes?"
"We haven't seen any one since we first got here", "Besides, the whole idea is for someone to come" she laughed at her own joke, and I joined in.
Realizing my wife wanted to get me off on a park bench in a public area was extremely hot, and my cock was now rock hard. I could feel my heart racing, I nervously looked around as I slid down my shorts, allowing my cock to spring out.
Em grabbed it and started stroking up and down. I let out a satisfied sigh and slightly relaxed into the bench. I calmed down once I realized that the angle of the bench relative to the path meant that even if someone emerged, they probably would not see my cock waving about in my wife's hand.
Em glanced around, making sure no one could be heard approaching, then leaned down and took my cock in her mouth. She licked slowly around the head before getting to work. She slid her mouth up and down my shaft whilst stroking it with her hand. She stopped occasionally to give the head of my cock particular attention, kissing and licking it while staring up at me with beautiful big eyes.
After about a minute she stopped, looked up at me with her hand gripping the base of my cock and the head resting against her cheek and quietly but assertively stated "I want some fun too, you need to fuck me now".
Despite already having my cock out in public I was yet again surprised and nervously excited about what my wife was wanting to do. She then climbed up, pulled her dress up around her hips and straddled me. She was still wearing her bikini underneath.
"Are you serious?" I asked, obviously hoping she was.
"Hurry up and put your cock inside me" she whispered in my ear.
My cock sat straight up between her legs, and I reached down and slid her bikini to one side. I gently began to massage her pussy and clit and discovered she was soaking wet.
I grabbed my cock and angled it towards her. I rubbed the head of my cock up and down between her lips and she exhaled in excitement and then lowered her hips and slowly slid down the length of my cock to the base. She let out a quiet but drawn out "Ohhh fuuuck" then began rocking her hips back and forward, grinding against me with her tits wobbling in my face.
I was worried someone might accidently happen upon us but I couldn't bring myself to concentrate on anything other than my super sexy wife riding my cock in a public park.
By this stage I was ready to erupt, and it took all my will power not to come immediately. At that moment we both heard people coming up the path towards the clearing.
Em stopped, breathing heavily and said "Shit that's bad timing, I was already about to come".
"Good" was all I responded and reached between her legs.
Realizing what I was about to do Em initially tried to protest "No we should stop", but as soon as I began to rub her clit she quietly moaned "ohhh yes, OK" and began eagerly grinding against me. Within a couple of seconds, she began moaning in my ear "Oh fuck I'm about to come, don't stop".
I massaged her more vigorously and a moment later she began to tremble and came, moaning quietly in my ear. She paused breathing heavily for a moment then regained her composure and quickly slipped off my lap so that she was sitting next to me. I hastily pulled my shorts up and hid my pussy soaked erection as best as I could. Just then an older couple entered the clearing. Em was still in a state of euphoria and I was awkwardly trying to come up with something to say but I blanked and instead Em and I just looked at each other and laughed.
Once we went back to the room we realised we weren't going to enjoy the privacy we had hoped for that evening. Given the earlier events I was rather disappointed that I wouldn't have my wife alone after dinner. The four person room appeared to currently have just one other occupant, although they were not around when we arrived. We sorted our beds and replaced our belongings, preparing to head out for dinner.
I was about to go to the bathroom when Emma turned to face me "If we're lucky our new roommate will stay out late, I was planning to give you a little relief after your excitement earlier", giving me a little squeeze through my shorts.
"Even if they're here, I don't see the problem" I joked, adding "It looks like this stuff belongs to a guy, so maybe you could see if he's interested".
"Stop it" She said as she gave me a playful smack, and a smile that showed a hint of excitement mixed with uncertainty.
Although never seriously intending to actually follow through, we had discussed how much I would love to watch her come in front of me, filled with another man's cock. Emma always seemed hesitant to admit it, but I knew she liked the idea, a lot. I think she was just worried that I would be upset if I saw her with someone else, but in reality the whole idea just really excited me.
*********
That night we decided to go out for a nice casual dinner. Em still had on her cute little summer dress, and I switched out my singlet for a casual collared shirt. We went out for dinner at a local tapas restaurant. It was nothing too fancy but it had really good reviews.
Emma is gorgeous and I sat there amazed at how lucky I was to have such a perfect best friend; not only beautiful, but kind, smart, and funny too. We ordered a bottle of wine and chatted about our holiday and our plans for the next few days. The food was fantastic so we just kept ordering extra tapas. We ordered a second bottle of wine and were both becoming quite tipsy. After a while we talked about going back to our room to pick up where we left off in the park. Em mentioned how frustrating it was that we didn't have the room to ourselves and we discussed just simply going for a nice walk down the beach after the restaurant.
"We could always stop by the room, there may be no one in" I said cheekily.
"I thought we weren't going to worry about our roommate anyway?" Em joked.
"It wouldn't bother me, I just thought you wouldn't be comfortable involving someone else" I quietly replied with a grin.
"Well to be honest I like the idea too, as long as you're sure you would be OK with that? Em said with a surprisingly serious questioning look.
"I'm completely comfortable in our relationship and it wouldn't upset me at all" I quickly responded, trying to hide how excited I was becoming. I could feel my heart racing faster the more this conversation went on.
I couldn't believe it, despite my suspicions she had never actually admitted to sharing my fantasy. I suddenly felt nerves mixed with my excitement until it occurred to me that the likelihood of the right situation actually arising was very low.
Em gave me a seductive smile and said "Well lets go meet our new play friend".
I laughed, I knew she was mostly joking but it felt like progress towards my ultimate fantasy.
We got up to our room and quietly went in. Although it wasn't very late late, you never know what time people might head to bed as they may be getting up early to move on. We found one bed still unclaimed but the mystery roommate had arrived sometime earlier. He was laying on his bed, chilling with his computer when we arrived. He promptly sat up and smiled, looking a bit awkward. He was only wearing boxer briefs and apologized saying that it was so hot and thought he would be in bed before anyone returned. We both laughed and said that we weren't bothered at all.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Thomas" He said.
"Nice to meet you" we both replied.
Thomas was quite tall and lean, with dark hair and a friendly face. He was quite a good looking guy, and I could tell Em wasn't too upset about the appearance of our new roommate, nor that he only had underwear on.
We sat down at the table in the corner, and chatted with Thomas for a while, whom had gotten up and pulled out a chair and joined us. We discussed travel, where we had been and what our immediate plans were. At one stage Em got up to use the bathroom, and I pretended not to notice Thomas's gaze follow her as she walked across the room.
After a little longer we ended up lounging on our beds, eventually I got up "I'm going to jump in the shower, won't be too long".
"OK that'll be nice after such a long and hot day" Em replied.
I grabbed a towel and a fresh pair of underwear and headed to the bathroom. I thought about grabbing some shorts but it was so hot and Thomas was hardly going to complain so I didn't bother. I jumped in the shower then thought about my sexy wife sat in the next room with a barely clothed stranger and my cock was hard almost instantly. I began to visualize Em with Thomas, my ultimate fantasy, and it took all my will power after the days' events not to get myself off in the shower.
When I came back Em was still in conversation with Thomas. When I sat down she turned and said that a shower sounded like a good idea. She rummaged through her bag for a while and then pulled out some fresh clothes.
I noticed she grabbed a skirt to which I quietly said "you don't need to put that on"
"But the only clean panties I have are thongs" holding up a sexy small cream colored pair.
"Yeah but you're just going to take the skirt off when you get back so don't worry. It won't bother anyone in here and anyway you would be over dressed", then I grinned.
She laughed, rolled her eyes, then chucked the skirt back in the bag and headed off to the shower. I felt a burst of excitement picturing my sexy wife with her amazing ass walking back into the room in a tiny thong in front of an equally barely dressed stranger.
Em came back wearing the small sexy thong but to my surprise she also hadn't bothered to put on a bra under her little singlet. Her large tits were very obvious as they jiggled as she crossed the room. I instantly felt my boxers tighten.
I glanced over at Thomas who was pretending to busily look through his pack, but I noticed his eyes were fixated on my wife's ass in her tiny little underwear. He clearly liked what he saw.
Em had a sheepish smile and quietly whispered "I forgot to grab a bra, I hope it's not too obvious".
"It really is, but I don't think anyone in here will mind, besides your ass is distracting enough anyway" I whispered with a smile.
She looked back over at Thomas who smiled and quickly looked back down at his pack. Em had clearly caught his line of sight and looked back at me grinning. She obviously enjoyed the attention and seemed to be a little turned on.
I was slouched across the bed width-wise with my head and shoulders against the wall and my legs off the edge. Em grabbed her book and then came and curled up on her side next to me, using my chest as a pillow.
"Alright my turn" Thomas said, getting up and walking to the bathroom and closing the door behind him.
Em put down her book and began gently rubbing her hand up and down my inner thigh, I was already bulging against my boxers due to a combination of Ems lack of clothing, her excitement at the attention she was getting, and the fact that she seemed to like all of this just as much. She propped herself up on her elbows, looked around at me and slid her hand up my leg and starting rubbing my cock through my underwear.
"You poor man, you really need some release" She whispered.
She then pulled the waistband down just enough for my cock to burst out. She grabbed it and immediately slid her lips over the head. It was almost too much, I couldn't believe how close I was to coming.
Up and down her bead bobbed, and as she was side on I reached out and grabbed a handful of her stunning ass. She clearly meant for me to come as she relentlessly sucked my cock, switching between deep repetitive strokes and gently flicking her tongue across the tip of my dick.
This had only been going a minute or so when I heard the shower stop, panicking I went to pull away worried that Thomas would reappear at any moment, but Em instead reached down and fondled my balls gently whilst doubling the rate she slid her mouth up and down my cock.
I erupted, wave after wave of come shooting into the back of her throat. It took all of my will power not to cry out in pleasure. She didn't stop, just slowed down and swallowed each load that entered her mouth. Content, she stopped and let me quickly pull the waist band back over my still semi-hard penis.
She looked at me and whispered "I'm so fucking horny. You're going to need to fuck me soon".
At that moment, Thomas opened the door and wandered back in. Following suit, he had only bothered to put on a fresh pair of grey boxer briefs. He was still rubbing his hair with his towel as he wandered towards his bed, allowing for an unnoticed look at his package.
I could tell Em had taken advantage of this as her head shifted on my leg, where she had laid back down after finishing me off. I suspect that Thomas may have done that on purpose, allowing my wife to have ample chance to check out what appeared to be a rather large cock.
By all appearances we had not moved and Thomas sat down and picked up his laptop. He then grabbed out his headphones and said he was going to find something to watch.
Em had her book again, still lying on her side, and shifted her ass back towards me. I began to run my hand along the back of her thighs, she had her legs curled up with her knees partway up towards her chest.
Her panties had shifted up her ass and as I caressed the back of her thighs I occasionally ran my fingers across the lips of her pussy, finding that the material was very damp. Her breathing intensified and became shallow as she moved slightly, towards the pressure of my hand.
I gently stroked her from behind, pressing a little harder each time, and she laid there breathing hard, trying not to move too much or make too much noise. I pushed her panties to the side and slid a finger in. She wasn't just damp, she was soaking wet. She began rocking her hips slightly, like she was trying to fuck my finger, and I could tell how much she just wanted rip my cock out and mount me, regardless of who saw.
She put her book down and reached up and started stroking my cock through my boxers, which to my surprise was not far off being fully erect again already.
I stopped momentarily and whispered "Babe what are you doing, Thomas could see that".
"I don't care, I'm so fucking horny" she whispered back. "Besides he doesn't seem to mind".
I glanced over and realized Thomas was watching us over his laptop, he was obviously aware of what I had been doing to Em as his cock was similarly rock hard, clearly visible through his boxers and his hand was gently stroking across the material.
I was surprised by my reaction, I immediately became relaxed, realizing that Thomas must have decided we didn't mind being watched, and he was quite happy for us to see him watching. Thinking about all of our previous discussions, it occurred to me that my fantasy of watching my wife with another man had all of a sudden become a real possibility.
Thomas still had his headphones in so I whispered to Em "Go and give Thomas the treatment I just got, I want to watch from over here".
If she was startled by the idea, she hid it well. She stopped stroking me and turned her head and looked me in the eye.
"Really? Are you sure?"
"If you want to do it then I would love to see that" I replied.
"It sounds kind of fun right now" she smiled. "But that's all I'm going to do".
"OK then" I said as I slid my finger out of her soaking wet pussy and gave her a wee spank on the ass, indicating to get going.
She got up looked over at Thomas and took a couple of steps across to his bed, glancing briefly back at me and stopping just in front of him. As she moved towards him he placed his laptop on the bed beside him and shifted slightly. Looking very excited but also confused about why this fantastically sexy, incredibly horny married woman stood in front of him while her husband sat a few feet behind.
"Er, what's going on?" he mumbled.
"My husband thinks it's unfair you're missing out" Em said. "You should move here to the edge of the bed".
He seemed slightly unsure but shuffled forward and sat on the edge of the bed, placing his feet on the ground. His cock bulging against his boxers. Em crouched down onto her knees and reached up grabbing the waist band of his underwear before sliding them all the way down and off. His cock burst out when the resistance of the material was suddenly removed. Em was briefly still and although I was looking at the back of her head, I knew she was taking a moment to admire what she was looking at.
His cock was big, probably an inch or 2 longer than mine and it also had a lot of girth. Where my cock would be considered a decent size, Thomas's was big, and the idea of my wife sucking on a big fat cock right in front of me was overwhelmingly hot.
Em plunged downwards and her head slowly began moving up and down. Thomas leaned back on his elbows, looked upwards and groaned as my wife's tongue massaged the tip of his big cock. Then she slid her lips further and further down his shaft as she bobbed up and down. I got up, slid off my own boxer briefs and moved to a far end of the bed to get more of a side on view. I didn't see the point in keeping my cock hidden away, not that it was hidden.
I couldn't believe how hard it was or how horny I was given that I had been drained only 10 or 15 mins earlier. I began slowly stroking my own shaft watching my wife's display. Em kept at it, on her knees with one arm resting on the bed next to Thomas, the other hand sliding up and down his shaft in time with the motion of her glistening lips stroking gently up and down his cock. There was an occasional muffled moan of enjoyment from Em as she relentlessly worked her tongue back and forth, pausing sometimes to lick the underside of the shaft or gently suck on his balls. She was not moving quickly like she had done with me, clearly wanting to draw this out for as long as Thomas could last.
I sat there, soaking it in whilst stroking my own cock. Ems ass and hips swayed back and forward slightly as she moved up and down with the length of his shaft in her mouth. I looked at her pussy, the outline of which was visible from behind as she was bent over in doggy position. She was still wearing her cream panties, which were now clearly soaked through.
I stood up, moved behind Em and knelt directly behind her. The carpet was soft under my knees and I gave her ass a gentle spank then reached forward and gently grabbed hold of the waist of her panties on each side of her hips. Her only response was to slightly lift her knees up indicating she was happy for me to take them off.
I peeled them down, watching them stick slightly to her wet pussy and felt my throbbing cock twitch with excitement when I saw how soppy, wet, and swollen her pussy was. I had never seen it look so ready to be fucked. I pressed up against her ass and rubbed my cock back and forward against her lips, her juice spreading along my length as I repeatedly brushed against her clit. She trembled slightly and kept slowly stroking Thomas's cock.
I grabbed hold of her hips, slid back along her and then plunged in, all the way to the end. Every inch of my cock pressed firmly inside her soaking wet pussy. She cried out in pleasure and briefly forgot about the big cock resting against her lips as I began slowly but firmly thrusting in and out of her from behind, my balls lightly slapping against the back of her thighs with each stroke as I filled her again and again.
She moaned every time my cock was buried to its depth and began sucking Thomas's cock again, this time with increasing speed and intensity. I continued slowly impaling her whilst listening to her moans, muffled by the large cock filling her mouth.
Thomas suddenly tensed, grabbed Ems head and groaned, hips jerking slightly as he erupted, squirting load after load into my wife's mouth. The moment Thomas had finished, Em trembled and gasped "I'm coming, FUCK I'm COMMMMIIING!" as she grasped his thighs and climaxed with her face in his lap.
I continued burying the length of my cock inside her, briefly pausing each at the end of each thrust. Em stopped trembling and I began to slow, however she started to push back on each thrust, attempting to pick up the pace. I was so close to coming, the pleasure of watching my wife come and quiver whilst sucking down the come of another man was incredible, but I wanted to keep pleasuring her as long as I could.
However, Em had become more horny than I had ever imagined. She started pushing her sexy ass back into me more aggressively, and seemed determined to speed up the rhythm.
"Don't stop, fuck me harder" she moaned and I could not help myself so I began to comply.
I glanced up and noticed that Thomas was rock hard again already and had begun rubbing his own cock as he watched. He occasionally slapped his huge dick gently against Ems face, and she seemed to be loving having a cock at each end for her enjoyment. Never would I have believed my usually quite reserved wife could be such a horny, cock hungry little slut. I can't explain how amazing it was to watch.
"Faster, fuck me faster, I'm going to come again already!" Em groaned.
I couldn't believe how turned on she was despite having just come hard on my dick. She began to tremble again and I knew she was about to orgasm. At that moment I knew what I was going to do, I wasn't certain how my next course of action would play out but I had a feeling Em wouldn't mind.
I proceeded to slow right down and withdrew my soaking, throbbing cock. She looked back at me over her shoulder, clearly frustrated "What are you doing? I was about to come!"
I smiled, "I know but I want you to suck my cock a bit first" I said as I turned and sat back on the bed behind me.
She pouted, but turned and crawled back towards me, grasped my cock and began to seductively slide her tongue around the tip. She immediately seemed to forget her frustration and vigorously began to pleasure me. Thomas was getting an eyeful of my insanely horny bent over wife and had picked up the pace stroking himself.
I looked down at my beautiful wife and whispered "Maybe Thomas could have a turn now?" She paused slightly for a moment with my cock still in her mouth, smiled slightly and excitedly nodded before continuing to blow me.
I looked up at Thomas, we made eye contact and I gestured with a nod down at my wife's sexy ass swaying invitingly in front of him. He raised his eyebrows questioningly, pointed to his big hard cock and then towards my wife's swollen pussy. I couldn't believe this was about to happen, I smiled and nodded as calmly as I could.
He got up, moved behind Em and knelt down. He cautiously placed his hands on her ass and stroked down her thighs to which she responded with an obvious moan of pleasure at the touch. This seemed to spur Thomas on, he slid his hand between her legs and based on the pleasurable groans from Em, immediately began to rub her pussy.
He maneuvered right up to Em's ass and slid his cock between her legs, and began to rub back and forth along her clit. She gasped slightly and turned briefly to look at Thomas behind her, who was ready to take her doggy-style. She then looked back up at me, excited but unsure, clearly worried about how I felt about this. I had an excited smile on my face and she relaxed.
"Are you sure?" she mouthed silently, doing her best not to moan as Thomas rubbed his fat cock up and down against her swollen clit.
"Fuck yes" I half whispered, loud enough that Thomas knew he was good to go.
Em had already begun moving in response to his cock, grinding her clit along his shaft and was clearly enjoying it.
Thomas took that as his cue, grabbing Ems hip with one hand and with the other he slowly guided his big fat cock towards the sopping wet pussy of my wife. He gently rubbed the bulbous purple head around the her swollen, soaking red lips, lathering his cock in her juice. He pushed forwards slowly to begin with, slightly stretching her open as he slid all 8 or 9 inches inside her.
Her pussy was so wet that Thomas was able to ram his entire meaty cock into her tight stretched pussy in one smooth movement until he had impaled her, with his pelvis nuzzled into her ass.
I couldn't believe her tight little pussy had swallowed his entire big throbbing cock in one go. Ems mouth fell open and she let out a noise somewhere between a moan and a grunt, immense pleasure visible on her face.
"Fuck that feels good, oh my god" she mumbled, so distracted by pleasure that she seemed unable to properly speak.
Thomas then began slowly stroking his cock back and forward, while my wife moaned louder and louder. She began to try and suck my cock again, which was already seeping pre-come just in my excitement from what I was witnessing, but she was too distracted. Her head was bobbing and lolling around in my lap as she moaned more than I had ever heard. She seemed to lose control, overwhelmed with bliss.
All of a sudden she convulsed, her finger nails digging into my thighs. "Oh my god, fuck, I'm coming already, I'm coming so hard!" she cried out. "Fuck that's so good".
She heaved with each wave of pleasure, but Thomas just kept pumping away, picking up the pace instead of slowing, with the sound of his balls slapping against my wife's thighs getting faster and louder. Em had finished her orgasm but seemed as horny as ever and began panting as Thomas relentlessly impaled my wife over and over with his big cock.
My own cock waved and bumped against my gasping and groaning wife's face, completely forgotten as she neared climax yet again. I was so turned on that the pre-come was leaking from the tip with nothing but the slight contact against Ems cheek as she was being pounded. Luckily Em was too preoccupied to even notice it since I would have exploded instantly if she had grabbed it.
In between moans of ecstasy Em cried "Oh my god your huge cock feels SO GOOD". Thomas continued to impale my wife, burying his big fat cock over and over in my wife's tight little pussy like a machine.
"Don't stop...oohhh...I want your massive cock...ohhhh... to fill me with come! Oohhh yes...oh yes!"
At the moment she said come, Thomas grunted with exertion.
"Fuck yeah, I'm filling your pussy" he groaned, with every thrust of his big cock pumping come deep inside my wife.
"Yes, yes, YES...fill me with your MASSIVE COCK!" Em moaned as she came and convulsed like I had never seen before, quivering with each wave of pleasure.
It was simply too much, I grabbed my dick, stroked only a couple times and exploded, squirting come all over my wife's beautiful face.
Em collapsed next to me and Thomas fell backwards on his bed; those two panting with exertion, and me breathing heavily. My testicles ached, having never been emptied so much in such a short period of time.
My beautiful wife was covered in come, mine was dripping off her face and Thomas's leaking out of her red swollen pussy, but she was too satisfied to care.
She shook slightly and lay there still breathing heavily, satisfied beyond anything she had experienced before.
She picked up my underwear, wiped the come from her face then curled up naked against me in our bed. I cuddled her tightly, and despite my wife's pussy being filled with another mans come, I had never felt more intimately connected with her.
Em briefly went to the bathroom to clean up then returned and curled up against me, we were both exhausted and fell asleep moments later.
The next morning Thomas had already left before we awoke. It must have been a combination of him sneaking out and all the wine the previous night that we hadn't noticed him leave. We laid in bed for a while with Em as the little spoon.
"Well last night was fun" Em said sheepishly.
I laughed "Yeah sure was, I'm glad you had a good time".
I was running my hand across Em's hip and thigh while we laid there. I knew she was thinking about last night and could no doubt feel my erection pressed against her bum.
I slid my hand between her legs and found her very wet. I rolled her onto her back and moved down to her pussy and gave it a kiss.
"Maybe we should book four person rooms for all our holidays from now on" I said.
Em just nodded eagerly and laid back thinking about the night before as my tongue began to massage her swollen clit.
copied from Literotica
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2023.05.30 11:33 Nervous_Carpenter480 I’m kinda hopeless about my socialization skills
These are just my deep thoughts ok. I try not to be these entity of depression when I’m near others.
But I’m alone right now. And I’m busy again comparing myself to people on the internet.
I’m way too deep in my head. I can’t talk to most people without thinking negative thoughts. Man or woman.
I’m a man btw, and I’m 25. I’ve never tried. And when I do try, I give up eventually. That’s why I’m like this and that’s who I’ve been. Hasn’t it me? I guess so.
You did try talking to a girl growing up, people called her the prettiest girl in school didn’t they? And you tried some pick up line, and she rejected you. And then you never tried with anyone else again. It wasn’t even a conscious decision, like it wasn’t a “omg I’m so sad she rejected me I suck omg”. No, it was just I didn’t try again with anyone else, and even rejected some.
During that same time you didn’t really get alone with other boys did you? You were really quiet and didn’t try to make friends. You weren’t in sports and you weren’t very smart. You were a recluse, you are a recluse. You’re not going to work today, lol.
That was in middle school. In high school, I never tried. I didn’t even think about trying. If someone held my hand and made it super easy for me to not get it, then I’d be fine. But during highschool I still had the freeze. This girl was talking to me about how I’m attractive, but she stopped there. I didn’t wanna do the next part, I was scared af.
Now imagine I didn’t go to college and just worked low paying jobs for the last 7 years. In 2017-2018 I tried a lot. Like a lot a lot. I had the apps, I was in therapy, I was working a lot, I was working out. And even though I had some success, I still was the same person. Someone who gets in their head when a woman flirts heavy. Someone who gets in their head when men are just trying to be friendly.
When I see someone and they look at me, I think to myself “how will they view me once they hear how I talk” and then I spend the conversation in my head dissecting every word they say to pull the negative from it.
My brain gives me the opposite of reassurance when meeting new people. Meeting new people is just setting myself up to be bullied and embarrassed and I’m 25.
Going for promotions is setting myself up for bullying and embarrassment. Talking to men or women who don’t know me is setting myself up for bullying and embarrassment.
I need to figure out how to fix this for myself, so I can change as a person and not be jaded or bitter about my life.
It’s humiliating to read about or take advice from people who take pity on me or who are better than me.
Don’t you get this is something I should be ashamed of? You know what other people would’ve accomplished if they looked like me? I just love that my insecurities are different from there’s a lot.
I’m a man btw remember 25. I know for a fact now after many many years, that I have a nice face and I’m allowed to be confident for it.
There really is more to it than that though. It’s only easy if I suddenly didn’t care about others or how they thought of me. But I care about what people think of me. Or I should say I really like to know. I make adjustments to my personality when I know if someone’s cool with me vs if they talk about me negatively behind my back but still smile in my face.
See how crazy I’ve become? They thought I was someone who just needed to come out of their shell. But I really should stay in it because I’m sometimes a jaded, bitter, mean person, snappy person. But then I also have a new skill empathy that I like a lot, and now say sorry a bunch and I really mean it and make changes and I care about others life experience and tbh with that comes more sad thoughts because then it’s best I leave people alone so I don’t mess with their heads.
I made a unreadable journal post
Tl;dr - I’m 25 and self aware of all my negatives and positives and I’m worried my negatives are permanent now as should my positives. Stroke
Edit - this is what the Snapchat ai said about this post
“It sounds like you're really struggling with self-doubt and negative thoughts. It's important to remember that everyone has insecurities and struggles at times. It's okay to take things slow and work on building your confidence over time. You don't have to be perfect, and it's okay to make mistakes. Try to focus on your positive qualities and what you have to offer. You're not alone, and there are people who care about you and want to help you succeed.”
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2023.05.30 11:32 Marti_Suls First gaming PC build and a bit unsure
Heya, I just wanted to double check my parts for my first build as I want to make sure everything works beforehand. Also it's for 1440p gaming. Please tell me if you have any suggestions to improve the build or if anything is overkill. Thanks in advance !!!
(PC part picker build:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VG8yv3)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WIFI II
Memory: Kingston FURY Renegade 32 GB cl16 3600mhz
Storage: Western Digital Black SN850X 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe
Video Card: XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX
Power Supply: Corsair RM1000x (2021) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
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