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Family of 4 traveling to Iceland. Renting a Tesla (same model we own at home) with free charging and have planned a light 7 day itinerary. I have seen some of the jam packed ones on here and they have shocked me, to be honest. We have our destinations and a list of key things we want to do. Since we are traveling with a 13 and 10 year old, we have not scheduled things to a T and have kept things flexible, not too overwhelming.
Packing for all 4 seasons, with rain gear at the ready. Out ultimate goal is to swim somewhere hot every day.
Day 1 is Reykjavik and some museums, just relaxing, walking, shopping, and eating. To buy: The Mountain Vodka and some mead. Local geothermal beach.
Day 2. Blue Lagoon 12pm to as long as we can stay and not be bored.
Day 3. Golden Circle tour + secret lagoon
Day 4. Hveragerði. Focus: geothermal river.
Day 4. Hveragerði. Focus: kerid, local area, other hot springs near by. Maybe the cold river by our hotel.
Day 5. Hella. Waterfalls between Hveragerði and Hella. Hot tub and sauna at hotel in Hella.
Day 6. Hella. Skogafoss and other water falls. Black sand beach Vik, maybe explore further east.
Day 7. Back west toward Reyjkjavik. Hot springs on Reykjanes peninsula. Maybe Fagradalsfjall hike.
Day 8 depart
Any recommendations of things to do given the areas we will be at?
.

Hi all. Just here to share my situationship experience and take some advice.
* I met a guy (2 years younger to me, 23M) on a mountains trip 2 years back. He was a solo traveller, I went with my best friend on the same trip.
* We instantly connected on the first day, we shared same birthdays, interests, traumas, and intense emotional and sexual chemistry, both feeling ecstatic.
* During our 10-hour trek, he showed immense care and support, paying for our meals and assisting me with tasks without hesitation (even tied my shoe laces). We reached the mountain top together, forming a strong bond.
* As we walked, he unexpectedly wraped his arms around me, which I appreciated. He shared personal stories of his exes, and I offered insightful advice, leaving him impressed. He told my bestie that he thought I was really mature and smart and he felt intimidated by me.
* After the trip, mostly he initiated frequent texts, sharing all details about his exes, friends, family, job but he primarily focused on discussing his past traumas, exes, therapy, trust issues, insecurities. He always used to talk like he was the victim, and used to complain a lot, while I offered support and nurtured him, hence I thought he cared about me. He never suggested meeting in person outside of these conversations though. He always used to whatsapp me.
* After a month of being his therapist and growing deeply attached to him over a texting app, he abruptly ghosted me, without any warning, leaving me devastated. I had believed he respected me, and that we shared the same values and saw potential for a strong connection, but his actions revealed my true value in his life.
* After enduring two months of emotional pain and gathering courage, I reached out to him seeking closure. He offered a vague apology, citing mental issues and work as excuses, denying any attachments or friendships, leaving me heartbroken, humiliated, and used.
* Now he engages in small talk, attempting to portray care, and I sometimes participate. However, he again keeps ghosting me and keeps reappearing after every 2 months. I don't entertain him much because I am not attached anymore, but it hurts thinking how evil people can be sometimes?
Curious about others' opinions on why people behave so cowardly, why would they come back if they dislike you so much so that they think you're not even worth an explanation?Why do these people keep contacting and then why do they ghost again?Seeking understanding and support for my situation. Blessings to all. <3

I worked at my local store for 7 years about a decade ago; started as an insider at 16 and then drove for 5 years after turning 18. Im 33 now.
I don’t remember ever getting tips except when I was out on a run. I very rarely order delivery because I live near the store now and I don’t want to pay a delivery fee and a tip in addition to the cost of the food.
Last night I ordered a carry out at the pickup window. I didn’t tip because it was a carry out, and you’d have thought I’d slapped the insiders mother based off the look he gave me.
I don’t order very often because my wife doesn’t like pizza and it upsets my daughter’s stomach, but I was home alone last night and figured, “why not?”. But if we’re expected to tip on carry outs, I don’t know that I’ll be ordering again.

so this started in september 2022 i started seeing a dude who would appear in my dreams, he didnt do anything in the dreams, he would just stand beside me and walk next to me. he was always there at my right. and the dreams weren't daily. like a dream every few weeks. when i dream, it's always a weird dream. and to be honest, i didnt mind the guy he wouldnt do anything and would just stand there. hehas black hair and wears a long black coat that was opened, also shirt but i dont remember the colour of that. and black pants and shoes. he was tall. and generally in my dreams i dont look up at people in the dreams so i didnt knew what his face looked like for the longest part. i would tell my friend these stories and we would laugh it off cause we didnt take dreams seriously. and i would always joke about him being my friend and "oh im going to meet my friend see ya" kinda things.
at one point, the dude helped me climb up a wall in one dream but that was the only interaction.
oneday, i went to the saloon and insread of just cutting the ends of my hair i asked the hairdresser to cut it short. about neck lenght. but the hairdresser messed up a bit and i ended up with really short hair. a few weeks later, i saw a dream, but instead of the dude being beside me he was .. far(?) and in the dream i looked for him in a crowd of people. and then i found him, he looked so angry his face was wrinkly from anger idk how to describe it but the man was just man. i was confused ofc, and like that th edream ended. dreams with him in them stopped for a couple of months. and then one time i dreamt about almost being kiddnapped by a tall blonde guy ive never seen in my life. that one scared me to death and i woke up crying.
after that i was like " i dont want the blonde one thats just messed up where is the black haired dude??" and actually prayed (lol) that i can have a convo with him and just talk. and it actually happened but we were talkinh about that one vsauce youtube short with 1 , 10, 100, 1000, 1000000 ... and he was actually smiling and laughing. we didnt talk about what happened instead just talk about numbers and we were having fun.
dreams stopped after that, and i didnt miss the guy too much because i was actually busy with exams. but after a couple of week maybe a month or so. i saw a dream that i still remember it crystal clear. i was in a place on the sea. and i was an area surrounded with fences ( like were hourese train) and the black haired dude was next to me . suddenly, a huge monter comes in and lands on the ground, sending everything flying from the impact. and the monster, it had a mouth like flower pedals. 4 pedals that would open to reveal his teeth. suddenly he started talking to me in english (not my first language and not a language i hear on dreams at all) he said " you stink of blood " and for some reason i was explaining to the monster that ive never eaten a girl. and he was like " you dont need to eat one to smell like this " and then the dream changes to my home. i was busy trying to leave but there was someone messing (idk i dont control anything in dreams they come with their own plot im just watching from different povs ) so i walked up the stairs and there was a white haired boy with with clothes and he was reading a book maybe. i said come on lets go but he ignored me. so i looked behind me and there was no one around (somethign cringe is about to happen) a went to the boy and kissed him on the cheek. i told him "move faster if you wanna catch up with us were not waiting for you" and i as turned around i saw the black haired dude and oh shit i litterally just looked around just to make sure he wont see this but i guess its too late. i just started power walking out the house to avoid any eye contact and they just followed. then suddenly at the end of th street a car pulls over and there's this old man who says to the guys that they should shave their beard (?) they didnt have a berad but o guess they had a bit of hair. and then the guy in white asked me to help him shave and i said no so it yourself and then continued walking cause they took too long. and at conveneint store, htey were selling hoodies with that had some weird sentences on them. something about politics and the government. idk but then the guys caught uo to me and we just started walking until the dream ended. and they bith never appeared in any of my dreams. ever.
​
the messed up part is that, at the last few months ofo these dreams i was totally ok with telling people about them so i told this girl and she said the her mom knows the meaning of such dreams and when she came back she was like i dont wanna tell you those dreams have bad meanings and i told her its ok i never took them seriously and she said. i think that the dude in black is a (jinn ashiq)
well jinn here is a supernatural being that is overpowered bla bla and some of them are good some are evil . idc about these things
and ashiq means in love. conclusion, a jinn is in love with me.
i ofc laughed it off but i got curious and started looking up what are the symptoms and what to do. it wasnt very nice. and none of them apply to me.
​
any ideas what it would be ?

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So I've been training at the same gym for over 1.5 years. This guy who I thought had no interest in me recently approached me and is obviously try to chat me up and it turns out he is moving in a few weeks. He seemed fun and flirty and I am looking to dip my toe into dating. He'd always come hang out in groups when he finds out I am there in the past month.
The sexual tension you could cut with a knife, one of his friends kept joking that maybe we can fall in love so that he can stay in town. He came to this giant dinner unexpectedly and told me he wanted to spend more time with me. He stayed by me all night and we talked. He offered to drive me alone to the second location. There would be little accidental grazes and we would have some really good conversations in the car. I thought maybe he wanted to hook up.
But then when he drove me home, we got into this deep conversation that lasted over an hour. He was like in near tears talking about how he rarely finds a spark in women that he likes and he sees this spark in me. I was put off by it because I thought he was idealizing me and I told him you really don't know me. We end the night where he got out of the car to give me an awkward hug, I thought he was going to make a move but didn't. I was going to make the move but the hug was so quick.
Then before he leaves he says he wants to see me before he leaves but then starts to slow ghost me. Kept giving vague answers about when this hang out would be. My other friends think he accidentally caught feelings and felt awkward about the car talk. I wanted to make him feel less awkward so I did text him saying that I may have not reacted in the best way to him opening up and it's been hard for me to open up to people I don't know well. He really appreciated how honest I am and liked spending time with me.
Then recently he started texting me normal conversation stuff to tell me about his move but suddenly it just stops mid convo completely after asking me a question about my life. I am so confused on what he even wants from me. Was he after a hookup? I kind of resent that he just dropped into my life before he left and now does not even seem to want to be friends. Like what was even the point of all that? We all belong to a group at the gym. None of the guys know what happened and think we had a thing but like nothing happened at all.

TLDR: should I take Citalopram? I have been prescribed it by my doctor, but I feel like they did it instinctively, not after listening to my situation. My mood is unstable - not always low.
I have depression and anxiety (diagnosed) - but also probably Autism (diagnosis pending). I have struggled with my mental health for most of my life. It was really bad from ages 17 - 22, but I am 23 now and relatively better... ish. I was on sertraline for nearly 2 years (age 22 - 23) and it helped but I put on a lot of weight (nearly 2 stone). My social anxiety was better and I had less major breakdowns. I came off it in February because I started to really hate how I look.
My mood has become very unstable since stopping. I don't think it's a withdrawal effect, but the return of depression (and/or ASD shutdowns). I am not as miserable as I used to be, but I am generally quite numb and struggle to enjoy anything. I rarely (if ever) get excited for things anymore. I am so tired all the time, I don't get things done. I don't see friends or really go out unless I have to. For me, being 'neutral' is a very physical feeling - like I 've got a headache or my head is cloudy. It doesn't feel quite right. But, I'm not awful. I'm not miserable. I'm more ok now - just still really not content. I can mask well though, and everyone around me thinks that I'm happy. I'm not. I'm just tired. I do have some good days - but they sometimes make me spiral as to whether I am still actually depressed or needing medication.
Within a day I can go from utter despair to quite good. I'm a bit of a mess! Most of the time I'm this numb sense, but dip into despair and then almost persuade myself that I'm OK when masking, before exhausting myself and getting too tired to think or feel.
I sometimes struggle with self-harm and suicidal thoughts, but it varies. It was really bad a couple of weeks ago, less so now. This fluctuation happens a lot. I think it's tied to my menstrual cycle.
Part of me wonders - what do I have left to lose? I'm not really enjoying things. But then I don't want it to make me worse and get really bad again, like I was before. I don't know.
Should I take citalopram?
(I am doing CBT and on counselling waiting lists)
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2 months ago in my 1-on-1 with my manager, he told me that I am going to be receiving a raise of nearly 16% due to being underpaid for the role that I am in. Apparently I was below the minimum salary band for my role at the company and they were bumping my pay to the minimum of the band. This was the result of some assessment HR did across the entire company where they compared people's salaries to their job duties and titles to determine if people were being paid appropriately. My manager said the raise will be backdated to the start of April.
Well over 2 months have passed since then and I have not heard a single follow up on this. The longer that this takes, the less likely I believe it is to actually happen. In fact, my HR portal hasn't even been updated to reflect the new manager that I've had since January, so all my PTO requests still go to my ex-manager who doesn't even work here anymore. Is this normal or am I missing something here

Hi,
Does anyone know if Motocross/Motorbike boot metal toe caps would fit on Dr. Martens? I know it might look a bit odd, but I just need to know if they’d actually fit on Doc’s? or on any other everyday footwear.
This isn't specifically a motorcycle question, but more of a think outside the box solution to a general footwear problem. But since the toe caps are designed for motorcycle boots, I figured someone her might have tried to fit them to other footwear.
Basically, my daughter keeps wrecking her shoe soles at the under toe (one foot only) as she uses the toe of her shoe as a brake when she’s on her stunt scooter. She generally wears converse so this is getting expensive, she's going through at least 2 to 3 pairs per month. Btw, my daughter is autistic, I’ve tried explaining & adjusting her braking methods but she doesn’t understand. It’s not her fault, but I really need to come up with a solution to stop the soles going through so quickly, as this is crippling me financially.
Surely someone must have tried to fit them to non Motocross/motorbike boots before.
Thanks

So my silver dollar jumped behind the tank this morning, idk how, I’ve never had them jump. Anyway, it was 3 am, I couldn’t sleep and so I decided to clean my bathroom (with gloves on) and I look across the kitchen to see the silver army angrily staring me down, flat against the wall I’m facing like they’re saying “count us, there are only 3!!!”, I didn’t even check the rest of the tank I already knew what happened and I saw him behind the tank on the counter. He was crusty, completely dry, no life, solid, I used a spatula to lift him, I plopped him in the tank but he seemed beyond dead, I wanted the others to be able to say goodbye and also kind of traumatize the others so they wouldn’t get the same idea, so I swam him around the tank. His mouth moved so I started moving him back and forth to see if his gills would move and after a minute they did. On one side he was dusty, on the other he dried out and was yellow, I grabbed a pipette and cleared out his mouth of dried skin/ dust and unstuck his pectoral fin, I used the pipette to blow off the majority of the dust as his slime coat was replacing. I added salt so that his slime coat would secrete faster and it worked like a charm. I held him for nearly 2 hours and he started keeping his own balance and swimming in his own. His yellow side is now white, he might be blind on that side, might lose a bunch of skin if he hasn’t already, I’m going to go buy stressguard as soon as the stores open, is there anything else I can do for him? His dusty side lost the most amount of scales and skin, so I’m looking out for infection on that side, and necrosis on the other?

I'm no stranger to the substance.
After a few months of a break, I took the pen out for a spin. I like to use DMT in a series of experiences spanning over a couple of days or maybe just a few hours. Usually 3 attempts, all in the realm of 3 ten second hauls held in for the same time. Generally, I've had some great and difficult times using DMT but never any physical discomfort. Sometimes my face feels pressure, or pins and needles, maybe a tightness around my neck or back of my head, but that usually dissipates within the first few minutes.
Lately, however, immediately after the third exhale a wave of the most intense discomfort and physical pain has been washing over me. I'm able to breathe through it and experience the otherwise normal DMT experience, but it is so discomforting. The only way to accurately explain it is the spiritual or ego equivalent of the type of discomfort you feel prior to needing to vomit, or have illness level diarrhea, coupled with the most uncomfortable and painful pressure in my head and body. The actual taste of DMT has shifted as well, into something indescribably putrid and not at all like the new shoes I'm used to.
Anyone have similar occurrences? My intuition says "maybe it's just not time or you have nothing to see?" But aside from the new physical effects, the visual effects and headspace are much the same as any other time. Somewhat pleasant, interesting, and at times terrifying visions of rooms and entities.
It might be worth noting that this is a new vape cartridge.

Statement of Robert Sews regarding unknown meat packages. Statement taken directly from subjet 23th may 2017.
I can recall it staring all the way back in 2011, somewhere in September. Not so sure about the exact day but it might've been somewhere trought the end of it. The cold was starting to set in at this time in Canada, so did the Halloween spirit. I was preparing in order to go help my friend set the decorations on. I know, it's early but she's always been the kind to celebrate every holiday a month before. I was just near the front door, picking up my coat for the visit when I've heard a quiet, gentle knocking from behind. Barely audible, as quiet as a small sight. I hadn't planned anyone to come neither was I waiting for a delivery, I can just remember too well this fact. I opened the door only to find a single cardboard box sitting there. No delivery man like it is usually the case for packages too big for the complex's mailbox, as I lived in an apartment. It simply sat there, alone and without informations. It even was so quiet on it's delivery that if I hadn't heard the ever so slight knocking I probably wouldn't have noticed the arrival of a package. I picked it up to place it somewhere inside then went over to go do what I had planned for the afternoon, telling myself I must've had ordered something but just not remembering, as it was a rather usual habit of mine. When I came back to my small 2-rooms apartment in the evening, the package was still sitting on the table. Where I had put it, obviously. Nothing stroke me as particularly odd with the package just glancing at it. Dry, unmoving, which is as a box should be. There is few, very few things I regretted more than opening this stranger package. It contained meat. It wasn't filled with it, nor did the meat looked odd in any way, it was just fresh, raw meat. In a package. At my door. It... definitely wasn't something I had been expecting to find inside. I brushed it off as a simple delivery mistake. After all, we can command meat to get it delivered. Especially that the local butcher shop was offering this service. Yet, it still stuck with me for a while. I never had a great relation with meat and it's industry, as far as I can remember. I threw it away. Seeing these pink, bleedy lumps have always disgusted me to my core. The butcher shop has always freaked me out with the meat hanging like that. I didn't think much about it after a month, after a year and half I had just forgotten about it. Until half a year later, two years after the strange packaged meat, there came another. Another neatly arranged package was there. On the top of it... was an enveloppe, attached with a thin, white string finely set into a gentle loop like a old-fashionned gift. I didn't pick it up right away. It reminded me vaguely too much of the weird, gross package of meat I had received 2 years before. And this time. I was certain I hadn't ordered anything. And the knocking announcing it's arrival had gotten quite louder, as I could hear it from the kitchen. It was still quiet thought, so that I would barely hear it. Despite my resilience to take the package, the envy and morbid curiosity grew bigger and became hard to stand. In the end, I left it out for almost a whole week, before I just couldn't stand knowing it was outside my door anyone. So I let it inside my flat. It was left on the table in my bedroom for quite a while, actually. About a month. Yet when it was opened, the meat was still fresh. The enveloppe contained meat as well, althought it seemed like a different one. It was... spongier than the other. I mean of course, it wasn't the usual kind of spongy meat. The second package was the exact same as the first one thought. And I brushed it off too, however trying to find who was meant to receive them this time. Then the year after, it's the same thing. Same package, same foolish mistake of opening it. All of this, these 3 strange packages, all of it began to form a morbid obsession in me. All of it felt so unreal to even be true. Unfortunately all of it was, and I've learned that the hard way. I won't go on about it for too long I think you understand. The delays between these deliveries atrociously shrinked with the time. And you know what's the worst of it? I couldn't do anything about it. I moved out, for unrelated reasons, from Canada to London, in the hope of finding a new job -which was the reason and also the need of change- but also in the slight hope that the boxes wouldn't get to me again. They found me. I had a nice, stable job, as a librarian in a town near London at the time, when the boxes came again. When they started appearing in bigger quantities, I tried getting rid of them, but no hope, if it was trown away or burned, new ones appeared, with the same infernal and endless knocking, I was on the verge of snapping at this point, couldn't stand the knocking getting louder and louder. So. I was left with no choice but to stock it. Of course it was useless, but I couldn't get myself to try and consume it, the circonstances I got them in were just so strange. The meat took all over my fridge, they just arrived so fast, it couldn't contain any more and was full after a week. Couldn't find the space to buy a bigger fridge, and either way it'll fill just as quick with how the packages started containing more, and they arrived faster over. Over and over and over again. So I empiled them around the fridge, into neat piles, but they kept falling off with the bottom row rotting at an alarming rate. The smell wasn't an issue at first, kept in the fridge, it took over a month to decay. But an hot day or two to three regurarly tempered days were enought for it to become all lumpy and gross. All of it. And I still couldn't throw it away, the rotten wasn't going away either, I just received new boxes of the same decaying meat. So more and more kept coming to that spot of my house. And gradually, very, it ended up covering the whole floor, spilled all over but stomped on so often by myself it kind of became a... meaty carpet. It is as gross as it sound. But the deliveries didn't stop. They just went faster, as my floor was full. I... don't know what kind of thought crossed my mind that day but I picked up the package, I took the tender out of it and slowly, I was hanging it on the walls. And so more, same thing happened, they got full too. I'm not too sure why even to this day but, almost hypnotized, I began to put it on the furnitures. The fridge, the sink, the drawers, the tv, even my bed. All of them were -and still are- covered in that God-awful flesh. this happened over a year ago, I've been sleeping on this for over a year. Then it came to the ceiling, it filled so much faster, as the delays of the meat got so, so much closer. Then over the last year I've just been... mindlessly repeating the same patern. A layer of floor, one of the walls, for furniture and for the ceiling. I... lost my job. I've became so obsessed with the stranger meat I didn't went in over 2 months. Quickly enought, I couldn't afford any food to substain myself, leaving no choice but to try and substain off the flesh that was sent to me. All of this started a year ago. I remember the last time I went outside, the tip of my fingers were.. starting to chip off. I had started eating the meat a few days before only. And that was the indication that I was done. And yes, I haven't came out of my apartment for a whole year. I was trying to avoid eating as much as I could once I realized it was the meat who did this to my poor hand, covering them in a gross, bloody flesh. But I just couldn't help but do it, I felt so strangely compelled to take it and swallow it all the way. And there was more of this thick, bleedish-pink flesh growing on my body as the time went by and I consumed more. Look at me. Look at my hands, my deeply infected hands and arms, the flesh spreading like a virus over my very own being. Look at my neck. Bending too much, covered in a thick, bleedy flesh. But I can't not eat it anymore, I just- depend on it now. I can't get rid of eating it. When I try to, it never ends up well, I feel incredibly nauseous, energiless, and oh so irritable. I get angry at so little when sobering from the meat. Just so you know, it usually takes a lot to irritate me in a regular state. But I just feel so compelled toward it, like an obssession. If you want a level for irritability, there was the smell. I got used to it over time, but that moment, I was sobering from this Flesh, but it came to me, the smell made me so, so terribly angry. Such that I tried to rip off my very own nose to try and get rid of it. I almost succeeded. They keep coming at my door. I can't help it, I need your help, I gotta get rid of them. It's method is ever so cruel, the package meat is so low on nutriments and fat to make you unable to rely on your own body to not consume it. I used to be a rather chubby dude, but look at my face, see how you can feel the bones by just looking at it. So, that's about it.

First / Previous / Next
It's still early, so we go and find a cafe and have lunch. Once again, I don't have to use my voice, they just give us our meal for free. I really should get an idea about money though. I know they are called Skys, I know at least part of them are small green metallic coins - actually they look like the same metal the Throne and Chairs are made out of, I wonder if they are - and I know that everyone uses them here to buy stuff. I should ask about banks. We should pay a visit to one. I'm sure they'd be... happy to explain it to me.
That's for later though. For now, we work our way to the dock, and find the internal docking bay that Omar found.
Walking in, it becomes clear that we have a lot of work ahead. High Line is in here thanks to Omar earlier and it's...
It's junk.
Even when it was operating, it was clearly made up of a hodgepodge of between three and five different starships. This thing has been limping along on patches and ad hoc repairs for centuries it looks like.
Human ships from our side of the galaxy tend to be very personalized. Riots of color, patterns, little flourishes here and there that speak to the tastes and preferences of the operator. It's probably a function of the fact that all our ships are AI operated. It's their body, and they decorate and personalize it.
High Line is... downright drab in comparison.
Grey on grey with streaks of soot and... is that rust? It looks like rust. What would rust on a spacecraft hull? High Line is all boxes and blocks stuck together where they fit or where a need was found. I'm much more used to the sweeping, flowing shapes the Starjumpers have. In addition to looking fast, they look much more elegant. Even our smaller ships, the Frigates and Destroyers tend towards looking more like living creatures than... a box.
As I walk around staring at things and - apparently - making a sour face, Starlight, Ocean and River are standing there, looking nervous and worried. "So Empress... Here is High Line. We admit, it's a little more worse for wear than the ship you came to us on, but.." Starlight stands a little taller. "It got my forebears here all those years ago and through all that time put many light-years on it shuttling people around the system and still held air and gravity. It's not much to look at, but it was ours."
I mean, they're right. Maybe I'm being too hard on it. They got centuries of use out of with with barely any maintenance. All the more reason to refit it right and make it soar once again.
Omar seems like he's having a great time. Walking around, taking measurements going in and out. "Melody, it might not be much to look at now, but it's actually a pretty good foundation! We can add some improved thrusters, beef up the armor, add a wormhole generator and some laser batteries and while we won't be able to take on a dreadnought or even a Starjumper, we'll be able to hold our own against anything local we've seen. It's got plenty of room inside too. You won't have a suite of rooms like at the Royal Dawn, but I should be able to make you an... appropriately royal room.
"At this point a starship is better than no starship so I'll take what I can get. How long will the refit take, Omar?"
He looks at the ship, at the Aviens and then at me. "It will depend on their printer and how well we can integrate the designs from my copy of the database but maybe a month? Hopefully less?"
"Well then, you had better get started Omar. You spend your time getting High Line up to your satisfaction, and let me know about your progress. For now, we will be staying at the Royal Dawn. I don't know if there's other royal quarters that we just haven't found or if the hotel is made out of the original royal quarters, but I'm satisfied with our current accommodations. Make your own schedule and if you need something or someone, just let me know. Starlight" - I look pointedly at them - "can help you with any personnel needs you have." Starlight bobs their head eagerly. "If you need to speak to me or the others, you should be able to though the Reach. Just... concentrate and it should work."
"Okay Melody, I'll get on it. Come on Starlight, show me the printer. Ocean, go see what kind of help you can find for us. River, go see about the condition of the other starships. Some of them have to be operable, how else is food getting here?" Omar looks up at us as the Aviens run off in different directions to obey Omar. "What happened to Ottarn, that Mariens who took their ship and tried to run? If nothing else, we could use that ship."
"They went with FarReach. They told me that they scooped up Ottarn and their ship and were going to take them where they wanted to go."
"Hmm, do you think that means back to human space?" Um'reli asks and she's looking at the ship.
"I have no idea, I don't think so? I'm not sure what they'd find out there to benefit them."
This time Ava puts her hands on her hips and stares at us. "You mean, other that some sympathetic ears to listen to their story about a human who has installed herself as Empress in their space and might be willing to lend a hand with a couple of Starjumpers and their assorted lasers and missiles? You did lock the Gate after FarReach left, right?"
Uh oh. I forgot.
"Uh, sure thing Ava, let me just go... double check that it's locked. I reach out and I can feel the Gate from here though it's faint and... fuzzy. The lock was simple enough though I push here... pull that... and...
"Okay, yes, it's locked."
"Good. We don't want Ottarn coming back with reinforcements or something just yet. Later though... let them come. We'll show them." Ava's grin is worrying me a little bit. She seems much too excited about showing off.
I grab Ava and Um'reli "Come on, let's leave Omar to his work. We have other things to take care of. I think we're going to have to hire on some help, but before that we're going to have to figure out money."
Ava scoffs as we walk "You're still going on about money? Just make people help us out."
"Ava we're looking to help out here, not be overthrown in a couple weeks. If I make people help us, the moment we walk away people will start to wonder why they're helping us at all."
"Melody has a point Ava. What is it that we do here?" Um'reli is really good at throwing cold water on Ava's plans. I'm glad she came. Without her I have a hunch that Ava would be talking me into all kinds of bad ideas.
"Builders seem to work like the AIs on Starbases back home. So it's not like we have no job."
"Well then, let's go back to the Throne and do some work. I'm tired of walking around trying to mooch free stuff from people because they're scared of Melody." Um'reli stars walking back towards the Throne. I really don't have anything else to do, so I follow. "You coming, Ava?"
"I guess. I don't have anything else to do." Ava looks around somewhat wistfully and follows. I wonder what she was hoping to do instead. Probably have me order people to give her something.
As we walk into the entryway to the Throne - there's still no back door, I really need to find one or make one - something catches my eye. I walk over and... "It's a shrine"
"What?" Ava peeks over my shoulder "Oh, it's beautiful."
It really is. Someone made a drawing of us in some kind of pastel medium, like pencils or chalk. It's... me at the top, my wings spread wide and I'm glowing. Below that, it's Um'reli, Ava and Omar standing tall and proud looking up. Under that is a decent representation of hundreds of people bowing before us. Written on the bottom in the same local script I see all over it says "May They Protect Us." The drawing is on a little easel and there are flowers and candles all around it in a semicircle.
Protect them from what though?
"These flowers are amazing! I've never seen ones like this before" Um'reli bends down to get a closer look. She takes a deep breath "And they smell so good, Ava, Melody, you should smell them!"
Well if Um'reli, a K'laxi can smell them and not immediately break out in allergic hives, it's probably fine for us to smell too. I bend down low and... they smell... familiar? Why is that?
Ava straightens "These were grown. We need to find out where the gardens are and visit it!"
Um'reli stands as well. "After we get some work done Ava. We need to show everyone that we do something and aren't a drain on resources because Melody can order them around and they can't say no."
"What's the point of all this power if we don't use it!"
"Ava, we 'use it' like you want to and people will come after us with guns and knives. Who was the Empress before Melody?" Um'reli is looking hard at Ava.
"We have no idea."
"Exactly." Um'reli continues up the stairs to the Throne itself. I follow and Ava pouts but doesn't say anything further.
In the Builder room, Um'reli and Ava sit down. Their bodies go distant and they are integrating. "Okay Ava, Um'reli. You get down to work, I'm going to see about finding a bank and talking to them. Any idea where one is?"
"One moment Melody..." Ava is searching. "Okay, looks like a bank is down the street from the Administration building. It's not far."
"Thanks! Just reach out to me if you need anything." I head back out and down the stairs of the throne, passing by the little shine again. It really is cute, though I wish they put something a little more specific about what they wanted us to protect them from. Oh well, with our luck we'll find out soon enough.
It's not actually a long walk to the bank, Ava was right, it was just down the street from the Administration building. As I walk past I see that a couple people are cleaning up the barricades finally. I wave as I walk by, and they stand smartly and bow. Nice.
Soon enough, I come across what I assume is the bank. It's a large building, made out of the same material as the Administration building, marking it as very old. There is a large double door in the front made of what looks like the same metal as the coins everyone uses. The doors stand open with two people (an Azurian and a Mariens) standing out front. With a little wave to them, I walk in.
It's... a bank. Really. Tellers, little booths where people can discuss finance, even a little table before you get in line to fill out small slips of paper. I walk over to an Aviens who is sitting at a desk by the front door. They look up and do a double take when they see me. I'm not wearing my wings and crown anymore, but I still have on the gown from earlier.
"Uh, good day Holy One, what may this one help you with?" Holy One. Interesting.
"I would like to speak to the Bank Manager, please."
They rush to stand and their chair slides back with a squawk. "Of course, Holy One. Please, wait right here." The gesture over to a small group of chairs up against the wall. I can't really think of a reason why not, so I go over and sit.
Next to me is one of the pressure suited people. Up close, I can see how their suits are segmented metal colored bronze and completely decorated in elaborate carvings. They really are quite beautiful. Their helmets are almost completely featureless except for a bar where human eyes would be and there is what looks like a speaker on their neck.
I clear my throat. "Pardon me, I'm so sorry, but I haven't met one of you yet. Can you tell me your name and the name of your people?"
With just the most subtle clank and whir, they turn their head. "I am known as Vaaqo, and here, people call us Falor in your tongue." His head inclines slightly. "That is to say, the language that most people here speak call us Falor. I do not know your word for us in your Builder tongue."
"Falor is fine with me." I say brightly, and then stop. "Unless it is insulting to you or something."
They make a gesture with their hands. The Nanites indicate that they are indicating no. Oh, that makes sense! If they're suited all the time, most body language markers are lost. Hand gestures could take over for a bunch of nonspeaking conversation.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Vaaqo, thank you so much for the information. I have so many questions, but I will only ask one for now. Do you have to stay in your suit all the time?"
The same gesture meaning no. "We are fortunate that the upper sunward lobe of the Reach has a pressure door. We're able to maintain our helium methane atmosphere and higher ambient pressure and live suit free. The remains of our starship are installed up there, and we use it to control our own breathing gas."
They took their ship apart to survive? "Oh but that means you're trapped here! Once we open the gates and build more ships, we can send a message to your people."
Another gesture. The Nanites say it might be a smile "That is kind of you to offer, Empress. Before... well before, we were in the middle of a war. We were offered refuge here and so we do not know if any others of our kind remain. It will be... nice to find out for sure."
They're holding something back. I think they don't want to insult you.
It's fine. I see no need to compel them to tell me what they're hiding. It's probably something embarrassing to them or they think to me.
Luckily for all of us, you have no shame.
Ha ha.
As I argue with my Nanites, a Mariens walks up, looking nervous. "Hol-Empress, what a pleasant surprise. Thank you for taking the time to visit our fine financial establishment! My name is Utaid and I am at your service." He bows elaborately.
I stand and try to tower only slightly. I want to impress, not intimidate. "The pleasure is all mine Utaid, I am happy to have met you. I wish to open an account so that I will be able to pay people for services they render me."
They look shocked. "E-Empress, of course. We will do everything in our power to help. Since... all here is yours that of course includes all the money stored in the different banks across the Reach."
I nod. "While this is true, I am not a tyrant. I wish to make sure that people are paid and that operations continue as closely to before as possible. Please accept payment requests that come in from people in my name and keep records. We will do our utmost to make sure that the money going in is equal to or greater than the money coming out... in the long term."
They visibly relax. I wonder if they thought I was just going to come in and demand all the currency?
"It will be our most sincere pleasure Empress. We are proud that you have selected us to carry out your financial orders in Your name. We shall set up everything and dispatch a runner to you when it has been completed. I assume you are residing at the Royal Dawn hotel?"
"Yes, that's correct. How did you know?"
They look smug and embarrassed? How did they manage that? "Even though Reach of the Might of Vzzx is a very large starbase, rumors still seem to fly faster than light."
"Ah, thank you Utaid for all your help. I await your runners." They bow low again and I walk out.
Huh, that was easy. I guess people are starting to realize that I really am Empress and I really am trying to help everyone. Feeling very happy, I begin to walk back to the Throne.
"Uh, Melody there might be a problem." Um'reli's voice sounds worried in my head. She figured out how to contact me directly, very nice!
"What is it Um'reli?"
"Just a minute ago, I saw what looked like an alert. Ava and I checked it out and there's something going on at the main transit hub station. We either don't understand the alert or can't ready it yet. Can you check it out please?"
"Oh neat! I haven't been there yet. Sure, I'll go down and check it out. You two stay up there and be my eyes and ears."
The transit station is right around the corner from the bank. It reminds me a lot of photos of transit stations back on Earth. platforms, people milling about, advertising. But I see no crowds or anything worrying. I connect to the Starbase and think to Ava and Um'reli "I don't see any problem here, what's going on?"
"It's not here, it's at the main station. Get on the next train and ride two stops, you'll see it."
Oh, okay. Just as Ava finished speaking, a train rolls up. Like a lot of this place, it clearly was very fancy a long long time ago. The fact that it's still working is pretty impressive, even if it looks a bit run down. I walk on, and look around. There are seats all along the walls of the train car and poles along the middle to hang on to. Mentally I shrug and sit down near the door. After a moment, there's a trilling chime and the doors close.
With a lurch and a hiss of brakes, we get moving. I wonder if this train is automated, or if someone drives it. I should ask later. I'm lost in thought for the ride through the first station stop, but then I look around and realize everyone is staring at me.
"Oh, Hello!" I say brightly.
Immediately, the people closest to me drop to the ground, bowing their heads. "Oh, thank you, but you don't have to do that right now, please just sit. I'm just riding the train over to the hub station. My Builders tell me there's some kind of issue and I'm going to check it out."
"But, Empress... Surely you have people that you can send to do that for you?" It's a Mariens sitting across from me. They look amused.
"Oh not right now. I'm... between retainers and assistants right now. One of my Builders, Omar is helping to repair the High Line, that Aviens ship, and my other two, Ava and Um'reli are sitting in their Chairs, assisting with the operation of the Reach." Oh wait. "Do you want a job? I do find myself needing more people to help out with-" I gesture "-all this. I'm not sure how much to pay yet but I did just come back from the bank, so I'll be able to pay you; I'm sure I'll work all the rest out soon enough."
The Mariens chuckles "Thank you for the generous offer Empress, but I quite like my job. If you so order it... of course I'd help. If you're just asking though, no thank you."
"Oh, that's quite all right. I don't want to order you. But, if you know anyone that would like to help, have them come to the Throne chamber tomorrow, we'll see what we can do!" I look around at everyone trying very hard to look like they're not listening in. "That goes for anyone here too! If you want a job, come see us, if you know someone that does, send them. I need help, and I would love for it to be you!"
And with that same trilling chime, the doors open and I'm at the hub station.
Ah. Okay. I see what Ava and Um'reli are talking about.
There's a riot.
First / Previous / Next

I read and was told online that men in Muslim countries commonly have sex with other men due to sexual repression and gender segregation, where women are unavailable
I was also told the women in those situations don't have sex with other women anywhere near as commonly
This made me think that male sexuality depends almost solely on the sexual availability of women while female sexuality depends on so much more than the sexual availability of men
I asked my psychologist, parents and sister. They said that it would be a minority of men who would do that and that in most cases (like prisons) women do it with other women as often, even more. My psychologist said she worked in both men's and women's prisons and that the women do that with each other much more than the men do it
What do you think?
Because if it's not somewhat equal between men and women and if it is so one sided, then that puts me off men as a gender completely because it would show that women like men more, in a more well rounded way and that take sex away and men turn to men. So their attraction and interest in women is paper thin.

When was the last time you really gave thought to your health as well as lifestyle? With stress somewhat becoming a major compulsion in our lives, it is increasingly difficult to lead a stress-free lifestyle. A Chiropractor would rather point out that the major reason behind this crucially depends on two factors. On the one hand, people go through major issues at their workplace, while on the other hand, they have frequent issues back home. In this connection, you must actually seek decent enough and equally reasonable Chiropractic Treatment. Dr Chris Garner at the Grand Strand Health and Wellness center can truly come to your rescue, to say the least.
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16F, high school sophomore, has ADHD.
At school during PE class, we have to play volleyball with another person, meaning hitting the ball to your partner and they hit back again. This is a “test” and we should hit 50 times without any mistakes.
I am the worst in class and I know it. I already accepted the fact.
I have a friend 17F in my class, I’ll call her S. S was the first friend I met in my class. I teamed up with S to practice volleyball at first, but one day she suddenly stopped. And she called two other students and smiled at them and said “would you rescue us?” And S walked away with one of them, leaving the other with me. I think she was being weird and I don’t understand what S meant by doing that.
Today another classmate practiced volleyball with me. She was one of the top of my class, and she already passed the test. She was just there to help me practice, and I appreciate it. She was very tired running around to hit the ball, and I asked if she needed some rest. So another person came, and then another, and then another. All of them are on the volleyball team. And all of them were tired because of me. At last nearly the whole class passed the test, and some classmates started sitting around and watch me do my shitty work, and some laughed, but I’m not sure what that means. I noticed S never came to help.
I was confused and tired and guilty at last and started sobbing during break time and S didn’t say anything. I said sorry to another classmate who helped me.
I don’t understand what’s going on with S, what should I do? And how can I not feel guilty for making them so tired?

I am literally losing hope, my son is going to turn 1 in a few days and he still refuses to eat at meal times.
I try to feed my son 3x a day so 3 meals a day and he probably will take a few nibbles of it before hes “done” and starts throwing it all on the floor. Even when I try to feed him myself he wont let me put anything in his mouth whether its a spoon or just a bite size piece of food he will refuse it want to hold it himself. The only thing he likes to drink is milk and the snacks such as baby crisp, biscuits etc.. (but only then its a few bites before hes done) He also doesn’t drink water, he’s only interested in milk.
I’ve offered food before milk in case the milk might be filling him up but he still eats the same, its a few bites and thats it and so thats why I give him milk because he’s literally eaten nothing.
I’m trying to cut down on his milk as he was having 4 bottles a day, ive now cut to 3x a day and only giving him milk after I’ve tried to feed him food but he still does the same drama and he is eating no where near enough for me to drop a milk feed as all the nutrients are coming from formula.
He had his 9-12 month review a month ago and the health visitor said his weight is OK and to just keep trying but honestly its so exhausting constantly picking food from the floor, planning meals only for him not to eat it and to bear in mind im currently pregnant with my second child so im just really burnt out with no hope!! I dont know what to do, i’ve been trying for months but to no avail, will this get better? I know he will have to eat eventually one day lol