I need to make a decision soon and give myself a hard time with it - I tend to easily regret major decisions. I''m looking for advice either for this particular situation or for "how to make good decisions" in general.
I live in a major european city, the rent market is tense, so it usually takes a lot of effort, time, luck and money (or connections, which I hardly have) to find something. I currently live in a really cheap little apartment in a central area - good infrastructure, but also quite loud because of the traffic, and it takes around fifteen minutes to the closest park. The lease is infinite, so no danger of having to move out if I wouldn't want to.
I now have the opportunity to rent a more spacious room in a shared flat - more expensive than my current place, but still well affordable. However, the lease is only for one year and might or might not be extended. Also I can't bring my own furniture, which is a minor inconvenience. Biggest plus is the much nicer area, 20 mins closer to my work place and partner, much more parks etc and a spacious balcony where you hear birds instead of traffic. On the downside, I'd have to share the kitchen with two others and bathroom with one other person, and the lease might not be extended after one year. Also I don't know how I'd feel about having sex/listening to music with other people in the flat (I have lived with friends before but not with strangers).
Officially subletting my current apartment for a year is not an option.
Also, I don't know how long I'll stay in the city - at least two years, but maybe not much longer than that.
How do I come to a decision I can feel peaceful about?

Current Stack: (most daily dosage are what are recommended) - Lipo NMN - Lipo CaAKG - Lipo Spermidine - TMG - Lipo Fisetin (1x monthly - Mayo Regimen) - Restore PM - Lipo D3/K2 - Astaxanthin (non-RBS) - NAC Ethyl Ester w/Glycine (non-RBS)
Revisiting this - I am looking to make the following adjustments - due to what are likely unfounded concerns - but as I continue to do my research I do have some:

• Drop the NMN...

... This is related to concerns about how NMN causes certain cells to grow faster. Most of what I've read has NOT found a direct correlation to cancer cells - but there are concerns. .... My concerns are that I have a couple of 'aging' issues that I'm wondering if there is a correlation: 1) Epiretinal Membrane. This is a growth of an extra membrane over my retina that causes vision issues. It can only be treated surgically (which I did). 2) Enlarged Prostate. I have had 2 procedures to deal with an enlarged prostrate - not much fun. ... so I'm likely over-reacting

• Drop TMG

... mostly due to not taking NMN but also - I have read some reports that show TMG can raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels. As someone who worked really hard via diet to get off BP and Cholesterol meds - I am reticent to do anything that even 'sniff's like it can raise BP or Chol.

• Restore PM... May not renew this once the supply runs out. Initially I felt it had significant improvements in my sleep patterns but after a while that feels pretty mitigated. Sleep seems to be 99% mental and supplements are iffy.

Generally:

• I have been on most/some of that stack for about a year. I find it interesting when people reply if they 'feel' anything different or have an immediate impact by taking these longevity supplements. For me - I take them purely as a matter of trust. In that - I am trusting that by taking these supplements I will stay healthier as I age (I am 66) and live longer.

At this point in time I can't see/feel any physical evidence these supplements are having any impact. However it is challenging as I don't know if I'd be less healthy if I were not taking them... hard to know what positive effects they are having if I'm not having negative effects??
I'm concerned that I may not be in the forefront of anti-aging technology if I drop this process - but also concerned about the amount of $$ and unknown health risks associated with my current stack.
A year in - I felt it was a good time to ask these questions and look for some constructive and qualified feedback.

I’m 28M from Livermore. I’m 5’4” 150lbs with a muscular build. I enjoy going to the gym and staying active. I’m recently tested with proof, DDF, and vaxxed. I’m open to anything whether it’s a one time thing, casual, fwb, or something discreet. Also some things that I enjoy are going to the movies, anime, board games, outdoor activities and just enjoying life! Let’s chat and see where this takes us!

Thanks to everyone that commented on our previous thread asking for community feedback on the potential blackout, both for and against it. (Not so much the person that decided to report the post to offer their opinion instead.)
What Will Happen
On Monday June 12th at 10:00 UTC (the same time the daily thread gets posted) ProjectZygarde will go private for at least 48 hours. This means all users will be unable to see any posts on ProjectZygarde in that time, and we're considering extending it beyond the initial two days if necessary.
Meanwhile, our Discord server (https://discord.gg/PokeMiners) will stay open for the community and we will post any additional information there.
Why This Is Happening
In case you didn't read our previous thread or many of the others around the site from other subreddits already announcing their participation, the "Explain Like I'm Five" version.
In short, reddit's trying to close down their platform by limiting API access and there can be a variety of reasons attributed to why. They're trying to assure mod teams that our tools will have minimal disruptions, but this post on /AskHistorians shows that the admins don't have a great track record with their promises and have continued to make our work as moderators more difficult.

Hi! I'm making my school list right now (targeting to apply to ~35 schools). I'm still looking to add more "safeties" to my list, so suggestions would be very helpful!
About me:

• CA Resident, looking to stay in CA but we'll see how that goes
• Graduated in 2023 from UCLA
• Major: Physiological Sciences; Bioinformatics Minor
• GPA: 3.91; BCPM: 3.96; AO: 3.80 (My CS classes dropped my GPA)
• MCAT: 518 (130/128/130/130)
• Clinical work: ER and Nephro Scribe- 770 hours, 1000 anticipated hours
• Shadowing Hours: 80 hours in person, 66 virtual
• Clinical Volunteering: Cedar's Neuro and Cardiac post-op units (151 hrs), anticipated 150 hours
• Non-clinical Volunteering: Senior Phone Banker for a congressional campaign (300 hours but unfortunately did not win the election), Mentor at an underserved Boys and Girls Club (50 hours, stopped d/t Covid), Listener for a free, online counseling service (450 hours), Private tutor (650 hours over 4 years)
• Leadership: Co-founder and Executive Editor for a medical newsmagazine (800 hours and a few articles written by me), Captain of my competitive dance team (640 hours as a dancer, 320 as captain), Campus Outreach Director for a mental health org (250 hours) President of two on-campus clubs (300+ hrs for each), VP of a programming/CS related org (200 hours)
• Research: Undergrad research assistant (832 hours) + 1 publication (in the process of another pub) but not 1st author for either
• Other: Traditional Indian dancer (1500 hours, from 2014 till now)

School List:
UCLA, USC, UCSF, UCSD, UCI, UCR, UC Davis
Western University
Kaiser Permanente
Loma Linda (not sure if I'd be happy with the school culture so still deciding if I should apply)
California University of Science and Medicine-School of Medicine
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science College of Medicine
California Northstate University College of Medicine
Stanford
California Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Yale School of Medicine
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
New York University Grossman School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
University of Vermont College of Medicine; Robert Larner MD
Right now, I have 27 schools, so I am trying to add 5-8 more. Any advice would be very appreciated! Thank you :)

My parents recently enacted POA’s for personal care and property. Property mentions “estate” and “matrimonial home”. Neither includes banking, investments or life/insurance.
My parents are older and are “pretty sure” that banking/money/bills/investments are included with property, but I find it odd that those things aren’t specifically mentioned being that these are legal documents.
Any insight? Please and thank you. I just need to know as they want me to do their in person banking etc. and I don’t want to cause any issues. My parents are still mentally capable, but have mobility issues, and after a recent extended hospital stay, they decided this was the best course of action.

14.
The majority of people in any society prefer peace over war out of rational self-interest. Therefore, an war waging autocrat's power is upheld by and can be pinpointed down to very few commanding high multiplicator factor individuals.
Those supporters of said autocrat typically act in their own rational self-interest, believing they will benefit in terms of power or possessions.
I am, therefore, in favor of acknowledging specific individuals' multiplicator factor. Freezing, not seizing possession of assets, is a legitimate means in terms of peace efforts. Though a much more complicated approach than the current one, it is equally much more just.
The individualized approach may seem lengthy, but a good handful of years of painstakingly precise efforts would be quite the shortcut against decades of the regime staying in power and a war whichs cutural destrcution will last indefienitly.
However, this does not make for a full solution:
14.2
Because its web is fast, spanning the globe, but authorities are very stationary, border-limited, bureaucracy-heavy governments are utterly inefficient when attempting to dry out malevolent monetary flows.
Specific regulations against specific individuals currently require extraordinary effort to be executed. Their implementation takes many people from around the world, who report and obey different authorities and systems.
Attempting such collaboration, one will instantaneously realize that the most significant threshold is yet another one: usually, it is not in rational self-interest to participate in executing sanctions against individuals.
Even under pressure of media attention and dominant other political powers, regulators tend to act reluctantly, take time, and insist on privacy regulations, etc.
If one gets a hand over, the others likely panic. Especially for tax and letterbox company havens, this could result in a major economic loss.
Another factor that should not be underestimated: people supposed to execute sanctions might as well fear for their safety if they enroll them.
On the opposite, it is highly profitable to just ask a few questions less, look somewhere else first, and put on some chill Lo-fi if it gets noisy.
Would you bite a hand that stuffs money in your mouth?
How does the current political approach even try to solve this? Personally, I have not come across a concept regarding sanctions against specific individuals that addresses these key challenges.
It appears that currently, there is no authority that is able to address these challenges openly. Even with the best of will and effort, the current approach is, therefore, inadequate and will not weaken the Russian or any other regime effectively.
Distributing resources away from the regime through the described approaches of leverage transfer by refugees, however, would have a considerable impact.
​
15.
What about the cost involved? Nothing will cost humanity as much as international nuclear warfare.
The arts are glorious representatives of sophistication.
I dare you to see what's fueling nightmares: Take a good look at the grotesquely anatomically incorrect statues which replaced war-lost originals of Germany's rebuilt classical architecture.
This is for certain: In war, irreplaceable cultural achievements will be lost, and no effort, no matter the money involved, will be able to take their place.
Competition elevates the skill level. The dedication to a particular craft of the time cannot be forged again later. The style in technique, the personal expression of vision by the artist cannot be faked. The passion of the time, which brought this art into reality, is caused by curiosity when materials and tools are new to a time. As materials and possibilities change, craft expertise shifts with the different economic environment of a later time.
The few skilled and passionate individuals capable of an older craft remaining are hardly able to meet the enormous demand for copies after a severe wipeout of culture at a price a society can afford. Therefore, many cultural achievements, but especially architecture, will be replaced by uninspired, low-quality, fast, mass production. Proof stand in the endless eyesores on every rebuilt street of Germany.
And even if the money is put down to build a copy, now undeniably proven, it might as well turn out to be a parody of the original.
What's left but to invite you to enjoy an uncanny valley cringe on your next trip to Germany? Reflecting deeply: What is humanity's true pride? If we consider art worthless, its loss a minor nuisance, are we still elevated above animals?
​
16.
No, I am not afraid of overpopulation.
Though such an approach clearly poses a considerable infrastructure challenge. But temporary one, lasting a maximum of a few years, possibly just a few months. Most people love their home countries, especially soldiers. When the arms are put down, I assume the majority of them will gladly return home.
The less destruction of people's means of livelihood has progressed, the easier it will be for people to get back to their old lives. Timely implementation of fruitful peace efforts contributes to economic well-being for everyone.
Weighing nuclear doom against a maximum of a few years of crowdedness, and to be fair, cultural shocks, I think the latter is the more responsible choice.
​
16.1
A fundamentally more pressing concern for those who actually have to live in between it would be a rise in socially unfit behavior.
Ranging from trash lying everywhere and harassment by violent drug addicts to a rise in oppressive organized criminality, inviting God knows who is bound to raise tension with the local population.
From women and children fearing for their safety during daily commutes to various physically and psychologically traumatic experiences and loss of lives, people will have reasons to oppose this state of crowdedness.
Growing up in the capital, I had to deal with mentally and morally gone people like this countless times myself. I left it tired of the ever-lurking harassment and violence. I take these concerns deeply seriously and do not underestimate the severe social unrest and destruction that can unfold if these matters are not addressed with an open heart as well as an adequately firm hand.
​
16.2
Lately, I get insulted based on my gender more often by newly arrived Eastern European men. But the origin of unfit behavior is, as far as I am concerned, less a matter of nationality, race, or cultural differences, but mostly one of class, of wealth.
The ways of people who have to scrape for survival [C0,1] in whatever way they can come up with clash hard with those of a well-situated middle class [C3] and relate least to a life in classes 4+. Sophistication floats lighter on resources.
This is quite a complex topic, and so is its solution. Though very much implementable, I think addressing it here would be too elaborate.
​
16.3
We gained experience we can build upon.
Despite the constant depictions in the media of middle-class refugee families, the broad majority of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East were young males. That is because fleeing is very dangerous and physically exhausting. Consequently, only the healthy, young ones, who can defend themselves physically make it to a faraway destination like a Western European country. The less fit ones, like women or children, either do not attempt the journey or get stuck in giant refugee camps in countries with lesser social support programs early on.
Foreigners who, against the odds, made it to Germany accomplished this primarily because they prioritized their own survival in whatever way necessary and regarded morals and etiquette second. With an influx of this mindset by the hundreds upon thousands in the past, today's rise in conflicts was inevitable. If we invite millions more, how will it affect society?
The safer the escape routes are, crime statistically speaking, the more less problematic guests like families, females, and seniors will reach us.
Fortunately, real toxic structures like organized criminality need time to grow. The faster the special approach to refugees becomes unnecessary as peace is achieved, the less hardened these problematic structures will be. And getting rid of them will be proportionally easier.
​
17.
The problem is not that these solutions are not obvious. I am sure many people have pointed out most, if not all, of what I wrote here before. Quite possibly, more sophisticated approaches are being discussed around the world in social circles that truly care. I gladly leave it to the better plan, if there is one.
The actual problem is the interests of those who want war. It appears to me that everyone who believes they will benefit from stirring up this conflict in particular, does not enjoy an eagle's view over this checkered battlefield.
The relevant motivations appear to be distinguishable into two categories:
17.1
One interest in the first category is the personal benefit of financial gains:
Countries at war import with negligible export. Third parties can perceive war as a business opportunity. This coined the thoroughly insane saying, "War is good for the economy."
To pay for weapons and the shortened daily necessities of its citizens, Ukraine takes on massive contractual debt that will take decades to repay. Signing to rebuild exclusively with lending country's business contractors is fighting off one invader for freedom just to invite another to be chained up.
Invaders tend to believe too they will amass wealth through robbing the conquered territory. However, the invading regime is usually not even able to break even against the financial losses of the war. Russia robbing East Germany of its industry after the Second World War being a good example.
​
17.2
Another similarly irrational interest in the same category would be the concept of glory from conquest. Manifestation of believing one's own lies, the fooling becomes the fooled, chasing after the ever-propagated adoration and respect for a successful conqueror.
The is few around which aspire to be similarly evil. And they typically neither adore nor fear. Attempting to be their inspiration is inviting competition.
In reality, the vast majority of any society feel deep-rooted despise for the one who bestowed the terror of war. The pain of loss of family and livelihood is real, while the elevation of glory is solely conceptual. Redrawing a line on a map has innit no respect-evoking meaning. People will be affected by tyranny, yes, but the perceived gain is no different than any other accumulation beyond necessity and reason, and its illusion of glory therefore hollow.
The increase in governance power has a negligible impact on the commanding invader's daily life. The name gets whispered with fear now. That's all. It appears that's what people are sent to die for, like toy soldiers.
Achieving what was wanted but not what was needed, jet-ridden by one's own illusions, an invader will likely seek to continue on this path of new invasions entirely unaware that it leads nowhere. Because conquest does not relate to the experiences that bear personal reason, upon accomplishing territorial increase, one will not have moved on from the initial personal pain longed to overcome. Conquest neither provides an elevation in mind nor does it erase the origin of personal insecurities that incited this behavior.
Rather, it's an undeniable witnessable process of self-destruction. Out of the hole in one's soul longed to fill, now darkness extends into a vortex, sucking out all consciousness until it's puppeteering an empty shell.
As lowly as these reasons to engage in war are, they appear to be the driving motivations for the very most chaos-fueling actors [C 4, 5].
​
Now, it is obvious, yet courteous, to mention that not everyone in politics or business who is currently making decisions around the Ukraine invasion is motivated in such devious ways. While most are just unsure about the best way to act in an attempt to support the seizing of battle, it is certainly a few people who are straight up sceaming to have this war continue. But with a high multiplier factor and in key positions, their influence is deadly.
​
17.3
The second motivation category, which is a driving factor, appears to be less simple-minded. Calculating for energy input against desired output, these reasons of personal benefit listed above are not quite sufficient to motivate, as it is a rather dangerous, yet thought and energy-extensive endeavor.
I have already addressed the second category of motivations. I have relatively little personal experience, which would provide relatively secure premises to quote in regard to these motivations. They are vastly conceptual, and elaborations on them would likely extend into off-topic territory. Therefore, I decided that this category would not make a sensible inclusion here.
​
18 P.N.
It is not obvious to me what is obvious to most, and what needs elaboration to make concepts accessible. I attempted to keep this text concise. If it is fruitful because there is interest in the well over a dozen more pages of elaborations, I will publish them online. Extended personal notes are likewise relatively unrelated to the topic.
But this text might as well be the first and the last mail of its kind. I consider elaborating on minor specifics a relatively inefficient approach. Does that mean I am ignoring people's pain?
The approach towards peace described above requires a massive web of collaboration. It is sensical to be aware of my personal resources and the different likelihoods of realizing specific achievements based on these factors. Hoping to be able to become a person with a high enough multiplier factor to stop a war in swing is a time and energy-intensive approach with a high likelihood of complete failure. Instead of becoming a personified nexus that would disappear with me, a higher likelihood of success holds approaching the goal in a manner which holds no regard of when or how I end. Based on what I've learned about how this world works [L2], I hope to offer concepts anyone can pick up on at any point.
Conversely, I am not willing to waste my resources of time and energy on actions that some might hope work, but my experience and conclusions tell me otherwise.
Who could move forward with cowardly, insecurity-ridden fools that are mentally so weak that they panic and make a fuss over most minor nuisances?
Did that sound spiteful? I don't mind being proven wrong.
But I would be a fool to ignore the early limit to what support can accomplish, without the will to move forward from those who are offered it. Consequently, there is no point in wasting energy on further attempts of explanation, only in extending the opportunity to revisit concepts once one decides to be open-minded.
I am fully aware that no matter whether I attempt to provide the highest quality of information and concepts I can, the throughput is given to be [L2] and taken to be [L1] very small. Yet my own story holds proof enough that no one can tell how far even zero upvotes go.
I deeply appreciate you sharing this text or parts of it, if you disagree with specific points made, with people who currently consider stirring up the fire of war reasonable, as well as individuals who believe it to be moral to fuel the flames of chaos indirectly.

I’m looking to find a realtor to help me find a place to move in. I’m currently staying in an extended stay so being able to find a place that I can move into ASAP would be huge and I think a realtor would be able to help with that since I’m new to the area. Does anyone have any recommendations as to how to find a realtor or any experience with one?

Preface:
I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan; I re-read the books typically once a year. I also adore the movies, and find all of Tolkien's legendarium absolutely awesome. Truly one of my favorite hobbies so I'd like to offer some critiques and excitement of flavor gems from Tales of Middle Earth. I won't do every card, but I'll comment on some individual cards and how WOTC did on it. I will comment on the cards abilities but only insofar as it impacts the flavor; i.e. what the card is doing not power level, etc.
To be clear: I understand there are sacrifices you need to make for the greater game, and sometimes those come first. For these articles: I am looking at each card in a vacuum, so if I seem harsh it's because I am using a single lens.
Next up: Rosie Cotton of South Lane!
https://preview.redd.it/er0j5xesmu4b1.png?width=400&format=png&auto=webp&s=459d7337842ee7d4e6093e6156fef30cf2f11e5e
Flavor Preface
Rosie Cotton is Sam's love interest, the person he yearns to return to (even if he doesn't always recognize it in the books). Sam and Rosie marry at the end and then their daughter takes up the mantle of holding (and extending) the Red Book of Westmarch as Tolkien called it; or the combined The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as we read them.
When Frodo and Sam return to the Shire they stay with Rosie and her family as they prepare to retake the Shire from Saruman and his ruffians. After the Scouring of the Shire: Sam and Rosie marry and they together have many (many) children.
Color
Eh, Green would have worked too. I'm fine with White.
Abilities
We really don't see much of Rosie, but Rosie caring for her children and for Frodo & Sam when they returned is flavorful. I like how she helps others and not herself. Overall a nice little flavorful uncommon which adds some depth to the set as a whole.

Here's a link to either AO3 or Fanfictiondotnet if you wanted to read it over there.
Chapter 18
The ornate trimmings that lined the roof of the Iris dorms came into view as the two Battleships slowly made their way up the long path from the docks.
Long shadows stretched from the old worn out street lamps merging quickly with the surrounding darkness before disappearing completely as the lights flickered to life.
Lost in a daze, a ponytail danced in Massachusetts's eyes. Its ash-blonde sheen dimly glowed, glinting off the light of the old street lamps.
Somewhere in her heart she had hoped this slope would continue on forever, that the warmth around her hand would never disappear, but stopping in front of the marbled steps of the Iris dormitory, that warmth finally retreated.
"Why're you still following me around?" Jean spoke, looking down at Massachusetts from the corner of her eye as she made her way up the steps.
The Eagle Union Battleship hadn't moved from where they parted, staring down at the ground by her feet. Part of her grew anxious, waiting with false hope that she would be invited in.
"I-!" Her voice came out louder than she had intended.
"You've had a long voyage…" Jean interrupted, her words strangely soft, "go get some rest."
"...and besides…" the former Flagship continued, scratching at the back of her head, "I've caused enough trouble for my roommate already…"
"Okay then…" Massachusetts giggled, "goodnight!"
"Hmph!" Jean turned away with a huff, "good-", she went to say back, but peaking back around, the silver haired Battleship had already run off.
"-night… I swear," Jean disparaged,scratching at the back of her head, but unbeknownst to herself, the little smile on her face betrayed any sort of foul mood.
Stepping back into her shared room, Jean looked around for any sign of her Cruiser friend. The darkness that greeted her wasn't unusual as Le Malin was usually lying about asleep most of the time anyway, either on the couch or in her room, but a quick glance only revealed an empty sofa. Peeking her head into her companion's room she found it empty, just as it was earlier today.
"I'm back…" the door to the suite swung open.
The little Cruiser hobbled into the room looking more listless than normal. Richelieu did mention she was out doing something important, but whatever it was, it looked like it took a lot out of her.
"Le Malin! Where have you-" Jean quickly held her tongue as a look of fear crossed her companion's face, "n-nevermind… forget it."
"O-okay…" Le Malin released the breath she was holding, fully expecting a dressing down of some sort. She had been hiding out all day so a level of guilt did hang over her, but it was Lady Richelieu that suggested it to begin with. Plopping herself onto the sofa, Le Malin melted into its cushion as the fatigue of consuming a few pounds of brownies slowly washed away.
"Uwaahhh~" a sudden kneading at her shoulders elicited a sudden moan. These hands felt so good~, "yeah… r-right there~"
The Cruiser's relaxation was cut short as she stretched her neck upward, her eyes meeting those of her former Flagship's staring down at her from behind the couch.
"W-wha?!"
"Relax!", Jean commanded feeling the Cruiser's shoulders tense.
'Relax!? How can I relax?!', La Malin screamed in her head, 'why is she acting like this?! First she was super pissed, now she's being super nice! What's going on?!"
Her heart and her body were in conflict, on one hand Jean's hands were absolute magic, never has a massage ever felt this good. But on the other, this was still incredibly weird. For as long as she's served under her former leader, this level of skinship was unheard of.
"What?" Jean scoffed, still feeling a level of resistance in the little Cruiser's shoulders, "you don't appreciate this?"
"N-no!" Le Malin let out quickly, "I- I mean I do! Its- It's just that this is…kinda…" the Cruiser scrambled to come up with a word, "new… for you."
The little Cruiser chuckled nervously as a silence filled the room. The kneading at her shoulders became heavier. Jean's once delicate touch now much rougher.
"Ow ow ow!" Le Malin cried, "sorry sorry!"
It was only for a brief moment, but she could've sworn she saw a smile on her former leader's face as she squirmed underneath the Battleship's strong hands.
<><><>o7<><><>
"You don't have to come with me," Brooklyn said beside herself, continuing her pace down the hall.
"I-I know, but…" Val gulped down her anxiety, "It's your fault you know!"
"Mine!?"
"You just had to blurt out I was your advisor!" Val said in a harsh whisper, "now I have to keep up appearances with your sisters."
"W-well…" Brooklyn turned away with a look of guilt, "look, it's only for a few days, once my other sisters get here I'll tell them straight up, that…"
"That-" Val parroted after Brooklyn's pause.
"That, we are…"
"Uh-huh~"
"Thatwereengaged," Brooklyn rushed in a hushed voice looking around to make sure no one heard her.
"I still don't get why we have to be so hush-hush about it," Val said with a frown, "are you embarrassed about me or something?"
"W-what?! No!" Brooklyn denied vehemently.
With her head down, the blonde Cruiser says back in a quiet tone, "I just don't want my sisters finding out through hearsay."
"Fine~" Val let out an exasperated sigh before changing the subject to their task at hand, "so anyway… What should I be doing right now? How can I be more… advisor…y?"
"Don't talk like that for one," Brooklyn listed off, "y'know what? Don't even talk, just stand there and nod."
"Am I that unconvincing?" Val says, straightening up her clothes in vain attempt to look presentable.
"On second thought," Brooklyn pinched at the bridge of her nose, "I shouldn't have brought you here, these two are…"
"Huh?"
"Remember what Biloxi said back in Panama?" Brooklyn tries to jog Val's memory, "you have to be cautious around these two, they can be a bit… touchy"
The door to the main office swung open in front of them suddenly.
"Ah! Frau Brooklyn!"
Val stood in shock with her jaw hanging open, unable to turn her eyes away from the bombshell of a woman standing by the office threshold. The smile the woman wore was almost reminiscent of St. Louis' but there was something more behind it, Val thought, like some kind of unquenchable hunger.
"Prinz Eugen," swiftly recovering from her initial shock, Brooklyn greeted back with a curt nod.
"It has been far too long," the Iron Blood Heavy Cruiser stepped past Brooklyn's extended hand before wrapping her arms around the Light Cruiser suddenly.
Val blushed as the silver haired beauty, pressed up against her fiance, her hands roaming a but too close to her posterior.
Before Val could voice some sort of protest, Brooklyn had already pushed Eugen off, keeping the Heavy Cruiser at bay with a firm hand in her face.
"Always playing so hard to get~" Eugen pouted, muffled by Brooklyn's palm.
"And your skinship is as irrepressible as ever…"
Eugen let out an accepting chuckle, finally relenting her attempts at a hug.
"Brooklyn!" Another voice from inside the office greeted, "it's always a pleasure to have you!"
"Wales," Brooklyn dipped her head once again.
"You truly are a sight for sore eyes," Wales takes the Cruiser's hand into her own, before placing her lips upon it. The glint on Brooklyn's finger not entirely lost on the Battleship.
ahem Val audibly cleared her throat.
"Oh dear~,this one appears displeased with us," Eugen held her cheek with a playful smirk, "so~ who is this tasty little morsel?"
"Valentina," Val answered with a stern voice, but even she herself couldn't tell what kind of face she was making as Eugen politely shook her hand, "Valentina Hermosa."
"Ah! So you are miss Val-" Wales went to take her hand as well but Brooklyn quickly brought her lips close to the Battleship's ear.
"If you lay a single inappropriate finger on her," Brooklyn whispers, "I'll be sure to let Hood know the goings on in this office of yours…"
A shiver shot up the royal's spine heeding the Cruiser's words. Everything finally clicked into place as she shakily took Val's hand into her own, feeling the same cold metal band around the girl's finger.
"I-it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." An abnormally stiff Wales greeted, hoping that was enough to appease the Eagle Union Diplomat.
<><><>o7<><><>
Blocking out the sun with her palm, Massachusetts continued to look up. Not at the sky above but at her hand itself. She missed the warmth that had gripped it so tightly last night.
Closing her eyes, she could still see the slender shoulders of the Vichy privateer walking out ahead. To think such a small frame held such a vast amount of power and ferocity. With her thoughts turning back to their brief but intense fight back during war, Massachusetts couldn't help but shudder at the memory of Jean's blood soaked visage, her wavering posture as she struggled to even stand, but even being on the verge of sinking, the almost savage smile that she wore stuck out most to her.
"Oof!" A familiar voice let out as it bounced backwards on the floor.
Lost in her mind, Massachusetts barely felt the impact at her chest, but looking down she found Helena rubbing at her butt after her fall.
"S-sorry!" the girl cried, "I-I wasn't looking where I was going!"
"No. It's my fault too," the Battleship helped the Cruiser off the floor.
"Thanks," the youngest Brooklyn blushed with embarrassment as she dusted herself off, "I was trying to get a list together in my head…"
"A list?"
"Yeah," Helena nodded, "I was headed to Akashi's to pick up some ingredients for Brooklyn's party."
"I can help you out if you need a hand." Massachusetts offered, seeing as how she had nothing better to do today. The Battleship couldn't help but smile to herself as she watched Helena rock her head side to side, contemplating if she should accept her offer or not.
"It'd be no big deal really," Massachusetts reassured.
"It is gonna be a lot of stuff…" Helena mulled to herself, "sure! If you don't mind."
It had been a long while since Massachusetts had been alone with the youngest Brooklyn but watching her from behind as she led the way, there was an air of confidence that wasn't there in the past. Like each step she took was infused with a level of certainty not unlike her eldest sister.
The bell over Akashi's door rang in Massachusetts's ears yet again as she followed the older Cruiser inside. She stood by the entrance watching Helena list off a bunch items at a nodding Akashi. Whatever the girl was planning seemed fairly extravagant just with the sheer amount of things she requisitioned. Massachusetts guessed it made sense, seeing as how this was the first time Helena will be seeing all her sisters in one place after a so long, she couldn't blame her for being a little excited.
"Massachusetts!" Helena called, "did you want anything while we're here?"
"Me?" The Battleship was caught off guard by the offer, "n-no its alright…"
"Aww~" the girl pouted, "I still wanna pay you back since you're helping me out'n all and we haven't seen each other in a while."
"Really I'm good so dont sweat it," Massachusetts smiled back. It wasn't a surprise to see this girl was still so concerned with ever body else and their wellbeing, it was nice to see somethings about her haven't changed.
"As the older one it's only right that I do something for you," Helena puffed out her chest in an attempt to look more authoritative to the much taller Battleship, "I'm going to be baking once I get these ingredients back, so why don't you join me in the mess hall later? I-if you aren't busy."
Helena's home made snacks? How long has it been she's had any? The thought echoed loudly in Massachusetts's head as an eager look crossed her face, "sure!"
After waiting for several minutes for Akashi and her Meowficers to return from the depths of the store, they came back carrying stacks of bags, one on top of the other.
"Sorry for the last minute request!" Helena bowed after seeing the mountain of supplies.
"Its no problem nyah! Anything for one of my best customers!" Akashi reassured.
Attempting to take the stacks of stuff into her arms, Helena starts to teeter along with the goods.
"Woah there," Massachusetts caught the Cruiser by her back, stabilizing her before taking several of the bags into her arms. "I'm here to help, remember."
"He he," Helena chuckled sticking her tongue out like she forgot.
She's still a klutz…
<><><>o7<><><>
"Don't be a stranger now~" Prinz Eugen sang into Brooklyn's ear, her goodbye hug seemed like it wouldn't end until Wales had pulled her off.
"Yes, my door will always be open to you," the royal bowed, nervous to make any sort of physical contact with her two guests, "and since you two are here on holiday, please relax and enjoy all that this base has to offer."
"Of course," Brooklyn smiled back, "I'd like to see where all the budget goes."
With that said Brooklyn and Val disappeared out the office doors leaving just the two prince's inside.
"Even when she's not working she's working," Wales chuckled, allowing herself to breathe now that Brooklyn was gone.
"Something's changed about her," Eugen said next to Wales' ear as she draped her arms over the Battleship's shoulders from behind.
"So you didn't notice it?" Wales brought her own hand up in front of herself, "the ring on their fingers."
"A ring? Oh dear…" The Iron Blood's eyes went wide, "...I fear I have to apologize to little miss Valentina when I get the chance."
"Oh~ So even you're capable of remorse," Wales said with an exaggerated look of shock.
"Hmph," Eugen pushed off the Battleship's back, making her way towards the door, "even I won't be as crass to take something someone has already claimed. Now…" Eugen placed her hand upon the door, staring at it for a bit, "if only someone here wasn't such a coward…"
"C-coward? What do you mean by that?!" Wales shot up from her seat, but her secretary had already left the room.
<><><>o7<><><>
Brooklyn craned her neck upwards, staring up at the team of Manjuu setting down the giant wooden crate she had delivered from Panama.
"So that's supposed to be a gift for Queen Elizabeth?" Val asked as the shadow of the crate passed over her.
"That's what Wales said, yeah."
"Any idea what it is?"
"Probably a statue of some sort," Brooklyn shrugged, "knowing that little Queen."
"Extravagant…"
"Quite…" the Light Cruiser disparaged the Royal Navy's callous use of funds.
With a thump, the large crate came to rest at the center of the circular path, kicking up some dust in the process.
"So this is what they had you carry?" Massachusetts said from behind the pair.
The Battleship had dozens of bags hanging of each arm as well as stacked above them, making it hard to see her face.
"That's what I was carrying," Brooklyn said back in surprise, "but what in the world is all that?!"
"Just some supplies!" Helena had poked her head around Massachusetts from behind, startling her older sister a bit.
"She was gonna carry them all herself," Massachusetts tried gesturing to the Cruiser behind her.
"I told you to let me carry some at least!" Helena pouted at the Battleship.
Brooklyn froze up for a second, as a memory of the old Helena overlayed itself into her mind. Whether or not there was an old Helena, Helena is still Helena and it wouldn't change the fact that the girl standing in front of her is her little sister.
But she wasn't expecting to run into her sister so suddenly. Of course she wanted to see her but her nerves weren't quite ready. Brooklyn did mean what she said the other day when she first saw Helena again after four long years, that she looked good. Too good for someone who could barely crack a smile at the time. Watching her banter with Massachusetts now, it's as if she hardly had any trouble at all. Helena has grown so much, and she didn't need the help of her older sister at all…
"One step at a time… remember?" A memory of Val's voice echoed in Brooklyn's mind.
If she wanted to be a part of her sister's life as she once was, it would have to begin right now. Missing this opportunity would be something she could come to regret for the rest of her life.
"H-how about this?" Brooklyn grabbed half of the stack from Massachusetts arms before distributing some to Helena and a few to Val, "we can all help carry some."
Helena pouted even further as she stomped her foot at her older sister. "Brooklyn~" she whined behind her stack, "this is supposed to be for you! So you should let us handle this."
"If that's the case," Brooklyn already started walking off, "then that's all the more reason I should be helping out."
"And besides," Brooklyn yells already a distance away, "I get to spend time with my little sister!"
"Geez~" Helena burrows her face in the bags she was carrying, the tips of her ears glowing red.
Val quietly laughed to herself, knowing Brooklyn was probably too embarrassed to say that to Helena directly.
"Brooklyn! Wait!" Helena shot her head back up.
"Uh uh!" Brooklyn refused from a distance, "I'm helping and that's that!"
"No! You're going the wrong way! Helena shouted again, "we're going to the mess hall!"
Massachusetts and Val broke out in a snicker as Brooklyn stopped in her tracks, laughing all the while as the off duty diplomat swiftly about faced, retracing her steps in a hurried fashion.
<><><>o7<><><>
"So~" Wichita said over the rhythmic clinking of whisks beating against the walls of several bowls, "Cleveland…"
"Hmm-" the Light Cruiser hummed, not looking up from what she was doing, "what's up?"
"Whatcha workin on?" Wichita poked at the blonde's cheek trying to get a reaction out of her, "Helena's got you helpin her again?"
"Helena hasn't got me doing anything," the Light Cruiser said with a huff, "I'm helping out because I want too."
"Okay okay…" Wichita backed off.
"Why are you even here?"
"Everyone's busy doing something and I'm bored."
"Then why don't you put on an apron and help me out?"
"Hahaha!" The Heavy Cruiser's boisterous laughter startled the Manjuu in the kitchen, "y'know me! I prefer eating my food to cooking it!"
"Then just go sit down and watch!" Cleveland said more than a little annoyed.
Wichita held her arms out in front of her to calm the Light Cruiser down as she did what she was told, but sitting around calmly fiddling with cooking utensils could only placate the Heavy Cruiser for so long.
"Pst… Cleveland…" a small smirk formed on Wichita's lips as she just thought of something that was for sure going to get Cleveland to react, "psstt…"
"What?!" The blonde snapped with a harsh whisper, matching the Heavy Cruiser's attempt at trying to be discreet.
Tugging at Cleveland's apron, Wichita's smirk only widened, "say~ why don't we surprise Helena?"
"And do what?"
"And by we, I mean you," the Heavy Cruiser spoke into Cleveland's ear from behind, playing with the hem of her apron, "you could try greeting her in nothing but this apron~ I'm sure that would totally make her day~"
Cleveland's brow furrowed trying to make sense of Wichita's words. Why would she greet her in nothing but an apron? Nothing… but… an apron. Nothing…
"W-w-why would I do that?!" Cleveland's face glowed a bright red finally catching on to Wichita's dirty joke.
"Hahaha! Oh man!" The Heavy Cruiser nearly doubled over in laughter, "the look on your face!"
Cleveland did her best to ignore Wichita's teasing but the bowl of cream she was working at was whisked way past its intended consistency.
"I bet Helena could pull the look off," Wichita wiggled her eyebrows at Cleveland, "she does have that rockin' body~"
No sooner she said that, the sound of a bowl clattering onto the countertop rang throughout the kitchen. Wichita's laughter had transcended past the audible seeing as how Cleveland's entire face lit up all the way to the tips of her ears like a beacon.
"W-w-what are you even saying?!" The Light Cruiser whipped the whisk in her hand at Wichita, flicking batter in her direction.
With an audible splat, the creamy batter dripped down the Heavy Cruiser's face.
"Oh~ you've done it now!" The chocolate covered lids of Wichita's eyes slowly cracked open. Scooping what she could in her hands, the Heavy Cruiser slung it straight back at a still flustered Cleveland.
Before long the Manjuu in the kitchen scrambled out for the sake of their own safety.
<><><>o7<><><>
The mess hall should have stayed the same as Helena left it, quiet and calm. With the busy chatter and commotion that came during lunch still a few hours away. But the panicked Manjuu huddling near the entrance to the kitchen and the loud clattering coming from within betrayed any sense of tranquility.
"What's going on?" Val had asked Helena who had been beside her the whole time, but when she turned her head, a gust of wind had blown in her eyes and the Light Cruiser was gone.
Val's eyes darted around, spotting Helena already by the kitchen's entrance. There was a good seven ~ eight meters from where they first entered and she couldn't recall Helena even moving in the first place.
"Ya can't hit me throwing like that!" A familiar voice can be heard yelling inside.
"Wichita…" Brooklyn shook her head, watching helplessly as Helena slammed the kitchen doors wide open.
The two sole occupants inside turned towards the door in shock. The heavy overwhelming pressure radiating from the kitchen's entrance freezing them in place.
"Y-yo~ H-Helena!" The hand full of chocolate batter had dripped off Wichita's fingers. The audible splat it made filled the silence that fell over the mess hall.
"I-I was just h-helpin out… y'know…" The color from Wichita's face had drained, stuttering her words as she forgot how to breathe.
"T-take it easy n-now…" the redhead tried to back away as Helena slowly approached, but her feet wouldn't budge.
"I-I'll help you guys clean up!" The Heavy Cruiser's voice sounded almost desperate as Helena closed the distance.
"W-wait! T-think about this!"
That was the last everyone heard from Wichita's mouth as a loud thud echoed from the kitchen.
Brooklyn and Massachusetts winced as Helena emerged back out, dragging an unconscious Wichita by her collar out of the kitchen.
"Looks like I have a little cleaning to do before we start," Helena sighed, dragging Wichita to a nearby wall, letting the Heavy Cruiser's body slump to the ground after letting go.
<><><>o7<><><>
Cleveland counted herself lucky she didn't end up like Wichita. For a second there, she thought, that she too was done for. Closing her eyes bracing for a knockout, all she got was a towel to the face as Helena tried to clean the mess that she found herself coated in.
"Geez~" Helena frowned at the blonde, "it's my fault for leaving you guys alone."
"N-no!" Cleveland let out, "it's my fau-"
"It's fine~" Helena giggled as she wiped a glob of chocolate batter off of the blonde's nose, "Just help me clean up!"
Cleveland's face grew a little red as she watched Helena lick her fingers clean.
"Mhmm~!" Helena beamed, "that's really good!"
"I-I was only following the recipe on the note…"
"Dunkerque really knows her stuff…" Helena rubbed at her chin as she tried to analyze the flavor in her mouth.
"Dunkerque?" Brooklyn asked as she plopped down the supplies on a clean spot on the counter, "I didn't realize she was at the Joint Base."
"No. She's not," Helena shook her head, "Richelieu gave me one of her recipes."
"That's rare…" Brooklyn said to herself, knowing that Battleship wasn't known to just hand out her treasured recipes so easily, "so what's the occasion?"
"It's probably not much of a secret, but…" Helena furrowed her brow deliberating whether or not she should say or not.
"It's fine~ whatever you say won't leave this room," Brooklyn smiled before turning to the other girls in the room for confirmation, "right girls?"
Val and Massachusetts both nod.
"They're for someone's launchday," Helena, still reluctant to give up all the info.
"Intel is power," Brooklyn held up her finger, "so if you've got some to share…"
"But…" saying it would be like betraying Richelieu's trust.
"Jean Bart…" Massachusetts spoke, coming to a sudden realization.
"H-how'd you know?!" Helena panicked.
"I-" the Battleship blushed, "I just happened to remember… just now…"
"Oh ho~" Brooklyn and Val shot a knowing look towards Massachusetts simultaneously.
"She's that girl you were with last night," Val said, "hand in hand…"
"Oh ho~" Brooklyn said louder in surprise, "you work fast."
"I-I was just walking her back to the dorms…" the normally aloof Battleship fidgeted in place staring a hole in the ground by her feet.
"I didn't know you guys were friends?" Helena asked, "but that's great! You could help us bake some Pain au Chocolat for her if you want."
"Y-yes!" Massachusetts agreed a little more enthusiastically than intended.
"I could help out too if you don't mind," Val raised her hand, "if you don't mind an extra hand in the kitchen."
"Sure! I didn't really want to bother anyone else but we do have a lot to prep for."
"Val is one of the best cooks I know~" Brooklyn vouched.
"Is that right?!" Helena enthused, happy to meet someone else who knows their way around the kitchen.
"Well~" Val chuckled, not used to the attention she was receiving, "I'm definitely better than your sister here."
"That's not saying much…" Massachusetts laughed.
Cleveland couldn't bring herself to join in on the conversation seeing as how she was largely responsible for the mess they currently cleaning. And now that they had to start from scratch that feeling just compounded itself.
"Hey Helena," Brooklyn called, "where do you keep the extra aprons?"
Aprons, Cleveland blushed, cursing Wichita for putting weird thoughts in her head. The younger Cruiser's cheeks darkened even further not even realizing she was staring at Helena as she carefully hung her apron around her neck. Watching intently as she deftly tied the knot behind her back, before pulling her long and beautiful hair out from underneath. The air in Cleveland's lungs grew thin, watching in slow motion as Helena's hair fell back down, like some kind of swan decending upon a lake, framing her body like an exquisite portrait.
Cleveland wasn't blind, she was always aware just how beautiful her best friend is but she always tried to push it into the back of her mind. An act she was almost always successful at, but Wichita's recent words did wonders to destroy that. The Brooklyn sister's uniforms were quite the sight to behold and Helena's was no exception. Cleveland thought she was used to it by now, given how often the two were together, but she was finding it difficult to pull her eyes away from her best friend's figure.
"Clevie?" Helena said a little worried, "what's wrong? Your face is all red."
"N-nothings wrong!" The shorter blonde let out a nervous laugh, "Just Wichita putting weird thoughts in my head!"
"Great… what'd she say this time?" Helena said, all too familiar with the Heavy Cruiser's antics.
Cleveland would sooner scuttle herself than reveal the whole truth of what Wichita said, "It's… just forget I said anything…"
"Alright…" Helena pouted, a little disappointed Cleveland wouldn't tell her.
<><><>o7<><><>
With the clean up done, the girls were finally able to start their prep work. With each of them in their own little station responsible for each step of the process.
Val stared at the little note Helena had shown her committing the directions listed to memory. It was a shame she couldn't tell anyone else about this apparent super secret recipe but she figured it wouldn't be a problem if she used it for herself every now and again.
Helena and Val moved about the kitchen like some kind of synchronized, well oiled machine, stunning the rest of the girls as they struggled to keep up the pace.
Brooklyn was always fascinated with the way her sister and fiance worked, but seeing them both at it together all at once was something else.
Cleveland at the best of times could barely keep up with Helena when she was in the zone, but now, with Val involved, there was absolutely no hope.
Massachusetts was off in her own little corner making almost as much of a mess as Wichita did, whisking her bowl with a little too much force.
The team of Manjuu worked like an assembly line, rolling the dough that would become the pastries base.
"Hey Helena," Val called to her newly found cooking partner, "you think you could give Brook a hand? She looks a little confused as to what to do next."
"Brooklyn?" Helena turned to her sister who had just begun pouring the molten chocolate into each mold.
"W-what? I'm good," Brooklyn answered back, slightly confused as to what Val was doing," I don't ne-"
"-Here like this," Helena cut in, guiding her sister's hand as she helped to evenly pour the chocolate.
Val smiled to herself, knowing her fiance didn't really need help, and if she did she herself could step in lend a hand, but if she could engineer a way to get Brooklyn to spend some quality time with her sister she would take any opportunity she saw.
<><><>o7<><><>
Denver and Colombia could barely contain a snicker as a red faced Wichita sat down on the floor with her arms and legs crossed, still coated in a fine layer of chocolate, doing her best to ignore the two Light Cruisers.
"For a second, we thought you just came from the Iron Blood dorms, pfftt" Colombia broke out into laughter.
"Oh, its only chocolate…" Denver said in relief as she swiped some from the Heavy Cruiser's face.
"What the hell did you think it was?!" Wichita lost her temper as the two ran for cover inside the kitchen.

On the planet teeming with eight billion others, I was just another face in the crowd, navigating the tumultuous corridors of high school, unknowing of how little I actually mattered to the universe. Today, we were ticking off the second to last day of the school year, and we had the liberty of a half day, making lunchtime the closing bell.
At fifteen, I was awkwardly wading through the stormy seas of adolescence, complete with the scourge of hormonal surges and the unfortunate sprinkling of acne dotting my face. My world was wonderfully wrapped up in a corner of our high school cafeteria, a realm presided over by Emila. The dazzling subject of my dreams, she held me under her spell with her enchanting beauty. Her hair, a river of glistening platinum, formed a comforting canopy around me, filling my senses with a tantalizing mix of coconut-scented shampoo and the memorable reminder of our gym sessions.
“Alex, come back to Earth!”
My Emila-infused daydream was interrupted by Elijah, my only friend in a table full of acquaintances.
“Did you see the TikTok I sent?”
He asked, a twinkle of devilish delight dancing in his eyes. I fumbled for my phone, eager for a dose of Elijah’s promised comedy, only to find the video was no longer available with unsurprising speed.
“Man, it was comedy gold! Imagine Thanos, asscheeks and all, telling the most offensive Holocaust joke. Legendary stuff”
Elijah chuckled heartily, his laughter echoing around the room, amplified by his own creative narrative.
“Sure sounds like it”
I muttered, my gaze returning to Emila. Her attention was stolen by my older brother, the infamous Mikey, whose joke had her laughing. Mikey, a final year student with a solid record of academic underachievement and a proclivity for marijuana, was a walking, talking, stoner stereotype. What was unsettling was his inexplicable charm with the wide-eyed freshman girls, a twisted hobby that gave him an unusual sense of satisfaction.
As the bell shrilled, signaling the end of the school day, Mikey abruptly stood up, the metal chair beneath him screeching in protest. His next words, a slurred mix of colloquial slangs and contemporary cuss words, were aimed at summoning his freshman fan club, a motley crew of wide-eyed youngsters who clung onto his every word like bees to honey. At the same time, he bumbled out a half-hearted invitation for Emila to join their quest for illicit pleasures. Emila's reaction was a fusion of disgust and amusement, an expression I decided to commit to memory for my poetry. She gracefully declined his offer with a well-rehearsed flip of her hair and a disdainful wave of her hand, then she returned to her conversation, laughter pealing from her like sweet music, completely oblivious to my heart hammering in my chest.
Around me, chaos broke loose as the cafeteria, now released from the clutches of academic torture, transitioned into a war zone of wild whoops, boisterous laughter, and the smell of overly sweet cafeteria food. The last sight that graced my eyes as I exited the cafeteria, was the bewildered expression on the face of our school janitor, as he stood paralyzed amidst the storm, mop in hand. It was a fittingly ludicrous end to another thrillingly mundane school day. With that, I picked up my bag, donned my headphones, and began my solitary trek home.
The burden of unrequited love weighed heavily upon my weary shoulders as I trudged homeward. In dire need of a chill-out moment, I fumbled for my go-to vape, only to be met with the light show of a dead battery. As I hit the 7-Eleven on my route, I was looking forward to seeing Antonio, this dude who seemed more interested in cracking jokes than caring about checking IDs. But instead of Antonio's playful smirk, I came face-to-face with a new character, with wrinkles that told stories of time gone by. A wave of disappointment washed over me as I nabbed a bottle of Dr. Pepper and headed for the cash register.
"What happened to Antonio?"
I asked, putting my drink on the counter for the mystery guy.
"Who?"
He muttered, his focus on the soda can he was sliding under the scanner.
"Antonio, the guy who's usually here in the evenings"
I explained, a hint of irritation in my voice.
"Dunno. I only started here last week. I just know the young girl who takes over when my shift ends"
He responded, his words leaving a gap in my world, like a punch in the gut of my usual routine.
Taking a bubbly swig of my Dr. Pepper, I tried to swallow the truth of teenage life. It was like walking into my favorite cozy room, only to find the furniture rearranged haphazardly. The change was unexpected, and unwelcome.
Finally trekking my way home after sitting on a bench listening to music for what Must've been hours. I walked under a sky that seemed to be experimenting with shades of orange and purple, I felt a strange kind of solitude sneaking in. My thoughts kept playing a merry-go-round with Mikey, Emila, and now absent Antonio - the trio that had become the stars of my high school drama.
My front door protested loudly under my foot's frustrated kick, and a slurred
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
Bellowed from the living room. My mother, ensnared in an alcoholic haze, lounged over the couch, her shaking finger accusingly pointed in my direction.
"Did you forget that I get migraines?"
The smell of tequila permeated the air, filling my nostrils as soon as I crossed the threshold. I sighed, hoping for a lifeline.
"Is dad home?"
My mother sank back onto the couch, her voice a whisper
"No."
My father, the only one who occasionally lent an ear when I complained about Mikey, was perpetually chained to his cubicle, another cog in the corporate machine.
I ascended the stairs, each creaking step a harmony to the melancholic rhythm of the dark. The silent house held the weight of my unease, my chest tightening with an indescribable yearning. Tucked away in the solitude of my room, I pulled out my phone, the screen's glow illuminating my apprehensive features. I typed out a tentative message to Emilia, a small confession of the feelings that had long been gnawing at my insides.
"Hey, Emilia, I..."
First message sent. But before I could finish my second text, the dreaded words - 'Message Failed to Send' stared back at me. My heart sank. Was it a sign? Maybe the universe was intervening, telling me it wasn't the right time, or perhaps, it never would be. Disheartened, I slung my phone aside, letting the unsent feelings hover in the digital void. Slipping under the comforting shroud of my blanket, I drifted off into a sleep, with dreams tinted in hues of Emilia and unspoken words.
The next morning started out ordinary until it was splattered with the color of angst when I pleaded with Mikey that morning to stay away from Emila. His response?
"Amelia, the freshman? Didn't know you had a thing for her."
His nonchalance was maddening.
"Emila. As your brother, I'm asking you to back off"
I clarified, hoping it would penetrate his stubborn exterior.
His perplexed expression turned into a nonchalant shrug.
"Damn, been saying her name wrong the few times we spoke, and she never bothered to correct me."
Mikey shrugged and walked away, leaving me feeling dismissed and unheard.
Feeling a mix of frustration and confusion, I left for school and shook off the encounter with my brother and headed to my first-period class. As I stepped into the room, I expected to see my usual teacher, Ms. Thompson, waiting at her desk. However, to my surprise, it was someone else entirely—a teacher I had never seen before. I had really liked Ms. Thompson too so to see she got a substitute on the last day was dissapointing. Yet his resemblance to Ms. Thompson was uncanny, from the way he held himself to the tone of his voice. I knew something was off.
I glanced around the classroom, taking in the unfamiliar arrangement of notes and papers hanging on the walls. The subjects and diagrams were foreign to me, not matching the usual decor that adorned this space. It was as if I had entered an alternate dimension, where everything seemed the same yet completely different.
As the class went on, the new teacher droned on with the same monotony I had grown accustomed to, but it felt hollow, lacking the genuine concern and passion that Ms. Thompson always displayed. The other students seemed oblivious to the change, talking and cutting up as if nothing was amiss. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.
Throughout the rest of class, my mind wandered, retracing the events of the past few days. Antonios unexpected absence, the failed text to Emila, Mikey's nonchalant reaction to my warning about Emila, the strange teacher in place of Ms. Thompson—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle that didn't quite fit together. For the first time, I realized how little attention I had paid to the details of my daily routine. But now, with this subtle shift in my surroundings, I couldn't help but question everything.
As the class finally came to an end, I gathered my things and made my way out.
The unfolding of the remaining classes before lunch did nothing to alleviate the paranoia that was steadily creeping over me. In my second-period class, usually dedicated to cleaning out the science lab, I noticed a set of instruments that we'd never used before. My peers didn't bat an eyelid, but to me, the incongruity was unsettling. Then in English, our final class reading didn't correspond to the assigned book. The text seemed different, as though it had been subtly altered.
Physical education, typically a free play session on the last day, was different too. Coach Peters was blowing a whistle I'd never seen before, its pitch more grating than the usual. And just before lunch, during the end-of-year assembly, the principal's speech, usually so predictable, seemed off. It contained references to events and achievements that didn't match my memories.
As lunchtime arrived, a mix of anticipation and anxiety filled the air. Even with my world falling apart I found time to worry about Mikey's presence around Emila. However, Emila was nowhere to be found. When I mentioned this to the group as I took my seat, my words were met with silence, as if I had become invisible.
Sitting alone at the edge of the table, I sought solace in our group pictures, hoping to catch a glimpse of Emila. I opened Snapchat and scrolled through my camera roll until I found my favorite picture of her. But to my surprise, Emila was inexplicably absent from the image. I blinked in disbelief, rubbed my eyes, and questioned my own perception. How could she have vanished? In the photo, my arm had once embraced her, but now it hung empty at my side.
"Guys, where's Emila?"
I asked, passing my phone to Elijah. He stared at the screen for a long moment, as if emerging from a trance.
"Who?"
He finally responded absentmindedly, his attention quickly diverted by a video shared by another friend.
Taking back my phone, I desperately searched for more pictures, only to find that they had vanished—her Instagram, Snapchat, even her parents' Facebook profiles. Panic gripped me, and I screamed
"WHERE IS EMILA!?"
My voice resonating through the cafeteria, reverberating off the walls. The entire room fell into an eerie silence, and all eyes turned to me, their gazes fixed with a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Her social media is gone. I feel like I'm going insane, and none of you even acknowledge me!"
My voice cracked with desperation as I pleaded for answers.
Mikey and Elijah rose from their seats, their expressions filled with compassion, ready to console me. But I couldn't bear their pity, their feeble attempts to calm my tormented mind. Their words would be meaningless. With a surge of frantic energy, I pushed my chair back and fled the suffocating atmosphere of the cafeteria.
As I stumbled out of the school, my surroundings blurred in a whirlwind of confusion and distress. The world itself seemed to warp and twist, mocking my feeble attempts to comprehend the inexplicable. Thoughts tumbled through my mind, colliding and fragmenting like shattered glass. Where had Emila gone? How could she vanish so completely, leaving no trace behind? Was I losing my grip on reality?
A light drizzle began peppering the surroundings, setting a somber atmosphere. Hours slipped away as I aimlessly wandered, searching for answers. Maybe someone had slipped me acid-laced food, or perhaps I was crazy like my mother. The thought of my brother's affinity for drugs crossed my mind, but I had never dabbled. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to find a sense of respite in my vape once again.
Entering the 7-Eleven, a chilling sensation overcame me as I discovered the same elderly man behind the counter. Without uttering a word, I hopped over the counter, desperate to find any clue.
"Kid, you can't be back there!"
The man exclaimed, attempting to restrain me. Swiftly, I pushed him away, unearthing the work schedule from the wall.
"Where's Antonio?" I stammered.
The old man, seemed to recognize me.
"I asked about that. Antonio doesn't work here"
He said, struggling to regain his footing. Overwhelmed with a sense of paranoia, I bolted out of the gas station, gasping for breath only when I reached the safety of my home.
In the dim light of the early evening, I found myself sprawled on the unkempt grass of the front yard. The recent rain had left the ground sodden, but I barely noticed the wetness seeping into my clothes. As the rain mingled with my silent tears, I heard the familiar rumble of my older brother Mikey's truck pulling into the driveway.
"Hey pussy"
He exclaimed, pushing his rain-soaked hair back from his forehead. His voice carried a light-hearted jest that felt foreign amidst the somber atmosphere. He was always like this, quick to crack a joke even in the gloomiest of moments. It was his way of diffusing tension, I suppose. He reached out, pulling me up and leading me towards the house. Once inside and in his room, an aroma filled my nose – a peculiar mix of stale pizza and mildewy old books – that somehow comforted me in a strange, indescribable way. It was an olfactory reminder of a time before things got so complicated.
Catching my eye, Mikey reached into his drawer and withdrew an intricately designed glass bong. I had seen it before, on one of those rare occasions when Mikey would let me into his private world. Now, he was extending the invitation again. He passed me the bong, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
I hesitated for a moment, my mind flashing back to times when mom would sit us down in front of the TV after school, her kind and comforting presence a strong reassurance of love and security. That was before the alcohol took over, before the comforting light in her eyes had been replaced by a glassy, distant look. The thought of her brought an odd sense of calmness, as if her spirit was there with me, in Mikey, guiding me through this haze.
Taking the bong from Mikey, I let out a nervous chuckle, matching his playful demeanor. As I took a hit, we fell into a comfortable laughter, punctuated only by the deafening theme song of Family Guy playing on the large TV in the corner of his room. The memory of our shared laughter resonated deeply within me, a balm to the churning unrest I had been feeling.
"It seems today that all you see is violence in movies and -"
Suddenly, the television vanished, replaced by a weathered dresser that had been stored in the attic.
Mikey's phone suddenly blared a familiar jingle.
"Ah, man. One sec, bro,"
"-sex on TV." My brother's phone blared at maximum volume.
"Sorry, bro, my friend texted me"
He explained, placing the phone between us.
"Where's the TV?"
I muttered, the words hardly audible. As the high intensified, the room started to spin, the familiar comfort of Mickey's presence fading away. I reached out in a futile attempt to steady myself but fell onto the cold, hardwood floor. The room seemed to swirl around me, familiar objects distorting into unrecognizable shapes and colors.
Pulling myself up, I lurched out of the room, navigating the labyrinthine house as fragments of memories flooded my mind. It felt like I was walking through a dream – a vivid, disorienting journey through time and space. Stepping outside, I saw the lawn had morphed into a neatly trimmed landscape, A new 'For Sale' sign swaying gently in the evening breeze, dissolved away as quickly as I noticed it.
The sounds of laughter drew my attention to the house. The windows were aglow with warm, inviting light, revealing an unfamiliar family engrossed in their game night. Their joy was a stark contrast to my growing desolation.
As days rolled on, my world reshaped, transforming from the familiar to an enigmatic panorama. Faces blurred, places mutated, my identity itself seemed to wane, fading into oblivion.
Caught in this mutating reality, I felt a quiet observer, my existence phasing out into the ether. Friends, family, Emila - all were melting away into the canvas of my evaporating memory.
Then, amidst the dissolving haze, clarity dawned, presenting a profound revelation. Our Earth was yearning for equilibrium, burdened with the weight of 8 billion souls, a possibly infinite and cruel humanity, now quickly seeking balance before it was too late.
We had pushed our home to her brink. Now, a beautiful transformation is underway. Smiling strangers began to color my world, their joy reflecting the Earth's newfound harmony. Merchandise, once an extravagant luxury, now seemed accessible to all. The battlefield in Ukraine had given way to peace, a testament to the world healing its wounds.
As I type this out in a clean and rather nicely lit alleyway. I find myself blending into the cosmic expanse, my hands and arms fading away before returning as if the universe wants me to finish. As I turn from a solid entity into an echo of existence. The world moves on, its stride unperturbed by my fading presence. Yet, in my diminishing, I realize my contribution to Earth's balance.
Earth is in the midst of achieving perfection. Many of you won't make it and will be gutted like myself, some of you will stay. The rest of you, I catch glimpses of as I fade, timeliness unaffected and left to die without God.
My final thoughts are not of sorrow, but of serene acceptance and profound understanding. As I phase into the ether, I became a cosmic whisper, a gentle reminder of the necessity for balance and respect for our fragile planet.

I'm building my first PC after seeing the light and switching over from console. I'm looking at a mid-tier build, mainly for gaming and software development (I'd love for it to be able to handle enterprise-level solutions in Visual Studio). Budget max is $1500 but I'd prefer to be around $1300.
For gaming, I'm looking to hit 60 fps at 1440p with ultra settings (currently the max my monitor can handle), with the potential for higher fps if I ever upgrade the monitor. I know future-proofing is useless, but if it's possible without having to upgrade the GPU as well, that'd be cool.
All I think I need help on is determining if anything is insufficient/overkill for what I want to do, and deciding on a GPU (classic).
For the GPU, based on my budget and desired results, I'm looking at something in the range of a 6800XT, however the 4070 is about $100 more and currently comes with Diablo IV at Micro Center, offsetting the cost a bit. Tom's Hardware seems to indicate that the overall performance is pretty close, but the 4070 wins out with ray tracing enabled. Is ray tracing really that important, and are there any brands of GPU I should stay away from?
Thanks for any advice!
PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 7600 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor	$219.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock B650 PG LIGHTNING ATX AM5 Motherboard	$199.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory	$92.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Intel 670p 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$72.99 @ Newegg
Case	NZXT H510 Flow ATX Mid Tower Case	$89.99 @ B&H
Power Supply	Corsair RM850e (2023) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$129.99 @ Amazon
Total	$805.94
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-08 14:41 EDT-0400

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My Brony Archive Youtube Channel

NOTE: This channel is not monetized and never will be.
Welcome to my archive project! Here I am re-uploading a variety of videos related to My Little Pony and the Brony fandom that are no longer on Youtube. Thanks to the people at Pony Archive and Archive.org for preserving all of these videos, I found the vast majority of these videos from those two places. Without those people, most of this content would be long lost.
Below is information and playlist links to all the content I have already re-uploaded. All of these playlists can also be found on my channel page. If any of you have personal copies or links to any missing videos from the below channels that are not on my channel, please let me know! There is almost certainly content from these people I am still missing! And if you have any recommendations for videos you want me to find archives of, please let me know that as well! If you have any personal archives of videos you would like to send me to re-upload, send them to my Google drive. My Gmail is [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Wubcake: All the videos I could find from Wubcake's old channel. Featured a variety of creative content mainly related to My Little Pony and Equestria Girls. Videos include comic dubs, fanfic readings, animatics, song covers/parodies, fun Skype calls with voice actors messing around, and a bunch of dubs and parodies.
Sawtooth Waves: All of the videos I could find from Sawtooth Waves' channel. Features a lot of MLP analysis content plus some music stuff, and a few meme videos.
Miscellaneous Creative Content: This playlist group consists of character dubs and songs from Alioopster and Kira Buckland (aka Rina-Chan), and comedic parodies and pmvs from HeavyWeaponsBaby, BronyVids, & Weegy. Other playlists here include pmvs from old deleted pmv channels, a few random comedy videos, a couple missing Silly Filly Studios animations, 4 missing comic readings by Pitch & Magpie Productions, a few missing songs from BluNoseReindeer, and a covedub of the MLP Japanese opening by Awkward Marina.
Mysterious Mr. Enter, Digibrony, & BronyCurious: The playlist "Mysterious Mr. Enter Missing Videos" includes every other deleted, privatized, unlisted, or copyright blocked Mr. Enter video I could find, some of which are deleted reviews relating to MLP. I also have all of his MLP content put together in the playlist "Mysterious Mr. Enter MLP Reviews"
As for Digibro, her MLP content mainly consisted of reviews/analysis, along with some random comedic and podcast stuff. The playlist "Digibrony's MLP Era" consists of every video that I have found that Digi made during from December 2012 to May 2014, plus the occasional MLP video she made later on thrown in at the bottom of the playlist. The playlist "Digibrony's MLP Reviews" consists of her scripted MLP reviews only. Also, both playlist descriptions includes links to text blogs Digi wrote about MLP episodes, most of which had video versions that are lost and I have been unable to find. If there is any MLP related content from her I have missed, please let me know.
As for BronyCurious, the playlist "Tommy Oliver 3D (BronyCurious) Deleted/Unlisted Videos" contains every unlisted/privated video I could find from TommyOliver3D/BronyCurious. And the playlist "BronyCurious MLP Reviews" contains only the MLP reviews he made. Sadly, a lot of Tommy Oliver's old MLP content appears to be lost. It is also very much possible that there are some Wayback archives for videos that I missed, considering that it was hard to find links. So, if any of you have links or personal copies to any videos I am missing from him, please let me know.
Miscellaneous Review Content: This playlist group consists of some reviews related to MLP by TheoryBrony, LethalAuroraMage, Clover Keen, and Quilled Inc. It also includes some deleted Pieguyrulz videos, including a MLP related discussion video he did plus some deleted episodes of his Re-Cast podcast (although those aren’t MLP related). There is also a playlist for missing Schaffrillas Productions videos, including his Blue Sky Studios ranking that was recently copyright blocked.
Old Saberspark Videos: Every Deleted Saberspark video I could find, mainly funny comedy skits relating to MLP and bronies! He also made monthly “Top 10 Pony Videos” and “Top 10 Pony Songs” during 2012, so good fandom time capsule!
Old PaleoSteno Videos: Every deleted/private video I could find from PaleoSteno (both his old and current channels)! Mostly consisting of reviews, discussions, and convention panels, and some “Top 10 Pony Songs" during 2013, so another good fandom time capsule!
"Brony Breakdown" with Saberspark & PaleoSteno Podcast (Everfree Network): "Brony Breakdown is a livestream show hosted by Saberspark and Paleo. Each week, we will cover and discuss topics that have occurred throughout the previous week. From the comings and goings of voice actors to major events in the fandom, we strive to keep you updated on what is going on the Brony community. Along with that, we will showcase our personal picks of fan content from the past week. Sometimes it is a silly video, other times it is a beautiful piece of music! The possibilities are endless and that is half the fun of digging through content in the fandom! So tune in for your weekly dose of news and fan creations from the world of Bronies!"
EmuEmi's "Pegasisters Live" Podcast (Everfree Network): "A live stream show that is hosted by EmuEmi & Sondra W.! Weekly we bring news from the show and fandom, interviews and the occasional charity auction or giveaway, all from a girl's perspective!"
I highly recommend the Brony Breakdown & Pegasisters Live podcasts in particular if you are nostalgic for 2012-2013 brony stuff. They both had very entertaining hosts, reacted to a bunch of news and fandom content from the time, and had several great guests, including Grey DeLisle (voice of Daphne of Scooby Doo and many others), M.A. Larson (MLP writer), Cathy Weseluck (voice of Spike from MLP), Brenda Crichlow (voice of Zecora from MLP), SoGreatandPowerful, Nowacking, ACRacebest, BlackGryph0n, Living Tombstone, PinkiePieSwear, and others). Due to all of this, these podcasts are fantastic time capsules for the golden age of the brony fandom.
"Post My Video" with JHaller & BVids Podcast (Everfree Network): "A show where we talk about the animations, PMVs and parodies produced by the MLP community as well as talk to their creators, post tutorials and more!" - Great time capsule when it comes to all of the old fandom creative content since this show dives deep into that side of the fandom.
Radiant Eclipse Podcast (Everfree Network): "Radiant Eclipse is a modular, segment-based talkshow produced by The Vanacus Blog exclusively for EverFree Radio. Every week features a special guest. Some of them are well known by our community, as well as many other talented Bronies you never knew existed! Our program offers relevant news and comical trivia. When you tune in, you'll be just as entertained as you are informed. We select the most interesting topics so you don't have to!"
Reading Rainboom (Everfree Network): "Reading Rainboom is a bi-weekly show dedicated to producing high quality readings of Friendship is Magic fan fiction. Featuring a large cast of experienced voice actors to provide voices for the characters in addition to the usual narrator, the show aims to provide you with a more immersive and varied reading, more akin to a radio play than an audio book."
Other Everfree Network Content: Some other Everfree Network shows are mostly still public, but there were a few missing episodes I managed to find, so I uploaded those. I made playlists combining the still public content with my re-uploads. This playlist group includes all of the Everfree Network podcasts/shows listed above plus these additional ones, which are Equestria Inquirer, DustyKatt's Stay Brony My Friends, & Michelle Creber's Saturday Night Songs. The remaining Everfree Network content is still on their Youtube channel.
Bronyville Podcast: “Okay, so there's this show called My Little Pony: Friendship is magic. It's not what you normally expect from a show for little girls. It's crazy good, expertly animated and cast, and has spawned this community called the 'bronies'. Join two bronies, Apple Cider and Chef Sandy, as they discuss episodes, culture, community events, and a ton more. Come on, all those stars on the side don't lie!”
The Bronyville Podcast was a popular brony podcast that ran from early 2011 through 2016, it's a goldmine of ancient fandom content and discussion. The podcasts are very interesting time capsules, with a lot of interviews with famous people in the fandom at that time as well as reviews of Seasons 1-5 episodes as they came out and speculation about the future seasons. With how early the podcast started (April 2011!), it captures the entire golden age of the brony fandom. On top of that, it's an entertaining and fun podcast.
ToonKriticY2K: Disclaimer: If you are unaware this user has admitted to engaging in predatory behavior with a variety of minors (which is why he deleted his channel and essentially had to cut off his online presence). Everyone else who appeared in these videos in all likelihood had no idea what he did and later cut off all ties with him when they found out. These reuploads are not an endorsement of anything ToonKritic2YK has done, and will be for archival purposes only. If his presence understandably bothers you, I would recommend not watching these videos. I reuploaded them because many people enjoyed the videos at the time and I believe that those who want to watch them should still be easily able to. Especially since there are still many collabs he was in on other channels that are still public on Youtube, and many of his videos featured other well known bronies such as Joshscorcher in them (who all later denounced and cut off from ToonKritic and are still in good standing with the community). The content mainly consists of MLP reviews and other fandom content such as podcasts and convention vlogs, and game livestreams with friends.

Rv spots for a 1993 Jayco travel trailer? (Extended stays)
Hello everyone,
Hope everyone having a great day. The propuse for this post is to see if I can get some information(hope) about anywhere in the east coast that me and my family can stay.
So story is, my wife and I bought a 1993 Jayco eagle series in January and been renovating it seen then. The reason we bought a older model was because a lot of the research we did told us that the older models holds up a lot better than the newer models. I didn’t realize that almost all RV parks won’t accept any models that are like over ten years. I don’t really understand why that is the case, but now I’ve called multiple places and they won’t accept our trailer. Yes the outside looks a bit out dated but that’s just I haven’t got to painting it yet but besides that the trails in good condition.
We switched to the RV life so our kids can be out doors all the time and wanted be part of the RV community. If anyone have any advise on where we can apply to stay at plz we are all ears. Or any other solution that come in mind lol.

This is a bit off topic, but I just wanted to thank all of the awesome folks here on this subreddit. I have seen so much, learned so much, listened to so much from all of you over the past couple of years. I know some of you are also guitar refugees as well, so this extends to that community too (but not the mods!).
With Apollo shutting down on the 30th, and due to how Reddit’s CEO chose to flat out lie about that app’s developer, I’m just gonna call it quits on this site altogether. I don’t feel good about it. That’s just me personally of course - those who stay have every right to stay.
I hope I’ll find more of you somewhere else on the interwebs. If you’re on Mastodon, use hashtag #guitars and I’ll see your pics! Or maybe on the gear page? I’ve been trying it out but there’s a little too much tone-wood-cork-sniffing there for me.
You folks have been awesome. Take care!

hey! new to godot, working on my first game. for my player, I decided to use a line2d for the tail, as that seemed to be what i was looking for. unfortunately, the line disappears when my movement stops. how would i make it stay where it is when i stop moving?
heres my code, for the trail:
extends Line2D
​
export var length = 25
onready var parent = get_parent()
var current = global_position
var last_position = current
​
func _ready():

set\_as\_top\_level(true) clear\_points() 

func _physics_process(delta):

add\_point(parent.global\_position) if points.size() > length: remove\_point(0) 

​
​
https://reddit.com/link/144iarj/video/3gmi8xgigu4b1/player

Hello. My family of four (2 adults, 2 Teens) are planning a trip to WA from CA. We will be flying in and looking to make the most out of our five nights trip. We love seafood; I more than wife and kids, so we are planning to catch some crabs, harvest oysters and try all the tourist destinations. I heard that Puget Sound and Hood Canal are great places to stay. Renting a house next to a lake sounds so exciting to me. Please give me some suggestions to make it a great trip. Thx.

Hello all!
26 yr old mom and student. Looking to advance my very empty and sad credit profile. What even are my options here? Reading these posts I realize I am not as good off as I thought I was. Turns out not using your credit is worse than over using. I’m not sure why my credit is considered “fair” when I have never missed a payment (in good standing on all thing on my credit report), and only have one credit card. The only things currently on my CR are student loans, and one charge off. A few hard inquiries as I purchased a car almost two years ago. Never missed , always early on payments.
TEMPLATE:
• * Current credit cards : Cap1 Plat Secured CC- Opened 9/22 200$ Limit , Never gone over 40% on statements and always paid IF before Due Date. Asked for a limit increase last month and was denied.
Told these were the best starter cards since I never had one and ran with it bc I didn’t wanna hurt my credit by applying for others.
• * FICO Scores): : Experian 673 (Their website) , Transunion 603 (CapOne Vantage Score)(, Equifax 627 Credit Karma)
• * Oldest credit card account age with you as primary name on the account: Only have the CapOne Secured. Always stayed away from CCs because of the bad stories
Current Debt:
Experian has it listed at :
TOTAL DEBT
$37,678
Credit cards or lines
$108
Auto loans or leases
$10,446
Student loans
$27,052
Self reported accounts
$72
• I haven't applied for anything new in the last 6 months or so, other than the CLI on the CC and was denied.
• * Annual income $: 64,800.00 Household. I hold 24000 approx of that
CATEGORIES
• * OK with category-specific cards?: Open to advice
• * OK with rotating category cards?: Open to advice
• * Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below. Only include what you can pay by credit card.
• * Dining $: 100
• * Groceries $: Groceries are being provided by state via SNAP on partners account
• * Gas $: Tend to get gas at Walmart twice a month so 45-50?
• * Travel $: None. Biggest travel expense is taking my 5yr old to daycare during working hours. Adds an extra 20 miles a day. I am also VFD so I leave my tank on full in case of calls etc
• * Do you plan on using this card abroad for a significant length of time (study abroad, digital nomad, expat, extended travel)?: No
• * Any other categories : Amazon regularly maybe 80$ a month on the CC; Hobbys I sometimes put on it so 50$ ; Phone bill 35$ ---- Total: 165$? ish
• * Any other significant, regular credit card spend you didn't include above?: $ Not really. I tend to only use the card if I have the amount in checking or savings. All with Cap1
• * Can you pay rent by credit card? If yes, list rent amount and if there's a fee for paying by credit card: $ No. I pay in cash.
MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS (delete lines that don't apply)
• * Current member of Amazon Prime?: Use Parents account
• * Current Verizon postpaid customer?: No , Straighttalk
• * Current member of Costco or Sam's Club? Use friends/families
• * Currently paying $13.99/month or more for Disney Bundle (Disney+ / Hulu / EPSN+) or other Hulu services? I do pay for Netflix, Peacock, Youtube and Spotify but they come out of my PP account.
• * Current member of Chase, US Bank or any other big bank?: No, just Cap1
Yes. Just got the email for the “pre-approval” for being a loyal CapOne customer. I have never carried a balance over 40% and used the card responsibly. My credit profile as a whole consists of several student loans equating to about 25k and one charge of for 71$ from an old bank account that was literally stolen and charged halfway across my state. Bank refused to do anything about it and I was 18.