So I heard that if you check new releases, some authors make a book 99 cent or 1.99 prior to release to get more pre-orders. We like to save money right? Then we can read more mm romance books. I had a look on Amazon and managed to get the filter to do what I wanted, although it seems a little wonky.
Here are SOME I copied. I can't guarantee how long they'll be 99 cents or 1.99. Maybe they'll stay that price or they'll go up later. I don't know, but a few looked interesting,
{Key of Iron and Fate: (MM Spicy Romantasy Katherine A Darling.} 1.99 I'm getting make a deal with the fae vibes.
From blurb: If you like fated mates, spicy romance, fae, action/adventure, and guaranteed HEA, then you will love this book. This is a standalone MM romantasy with regency vibes and explicit scenes for adult readers only. Trigger warnings: violence, gore, swearing, and adult content. 🤑
{Bury Me Deep : (An MM Fantasy Romance) (Captive of the Prince Book 2) Julie Mannino} Only 0.99 cents August 11
I found book one farther in: {Lay Me Down: (An MM Fantasy Romance) (Captive of the Prince Book 1) also only 0.99. July 28th
Put together, I'm getting heavy Captive Prince vibes. I hope this is better because I have many issues with the Captive Prince series despite liking it.. From series blurb This is an enemies-to-lovers size-difference MM Fantasy Romance for mature readers. 🤑
{Worshipped by the Wolves: An M/M Fairytale Romance (Once Upon A Time) Kelly Lord}
Mm red riding hood! August 1st. Also only 0.99 M/MMM shifter omegaverse. Sexy wolf action. Nicely muscled man on the cover. 🤑
{Camera Shy: MM Dad's Best Friend Age Gap Romance (Trick of the Light) Abigail Hunter} 99 cents! August 1st
Dad's Best friend, work place. Looks like video blackmail (like make me more sexy videos or else) 🤑
{Shipwrecked with the Selkie: An M/M Mpreg Romance (Mythos Island Book 2) Cherry Pickett} 1.99 July 23rd
Poc guy , legendary monsters and island, treasure. Booty ahoy (lol) shipwrecked. Maybe they'll buy mm romance books with their treasure. 🤑
{Together By Accident: A Unique M/M Romance Zane Kulder} 99 cents July 16th
Skater, Hits LI with car by accident, past stuff coming back to bite mc in the back. 🤑
{Almost You : A Paranormal, Ghost Romance (Sunshine and Happiness) Skylar M. Cates} 0.99 cents July 15th
One MC is a ghost!! 👻 2spoopy4me.
From blurb: Almost You features ghost kink, amnesia, Bi-awakening, voyeurism, sensory play, size difference, hurt/comfort, spicy channeling, and mutual pining.
Thanks to those who go digging for the new stuff to make release lists and stuff, because all that copy/paste is kinda tedious. I have new respect for you. Enjoy these if any of you go book shopping now.

Nurtec & TMJ-update. I posted a year or two ago looking for advice for tmj management. Turns outs Springfield dentist and doctors do not have a lot of options. Springfield smile doctor wanted 7200 to just start basic treatment. I shared the post below in tmj and figured I would share some things I’ve learned. Life’s too expensive to gatekeep:)
Y’all I’ve been practically disabled from migraines and tmj. I can’t have the surgery because of lupus and the healing proponent. So I’ve been doing conservative measures such as Botox and tmj day/night guards. My neurologist switched me from maxalt to nurtec and it’s been life changing. CGRP (what nurtec inhibits) actually play a huge role in the pain response to tmj/tmd headaches. My ears aren’t nearly as sore and my migraines days have decreased significantly. I’m even getting to where I can open my jaw more. I take it every other day as a preventative and I pay when I miss a day. Nurtec is also covered by Medicaid/Medicare with step therapy/prior authorization. Which is vital considering it’s $1000 without insurance. Figured I would share here since tmj can be debilitating and very few medical professionals have a good understanding of it.
https://www.orofacialtherapeutics.com/blog/cgrp-reveals-biochemical-link-between-tmd-and-headaches/

For the first time I got hit with shortages. After calling around, I found a place! It was near the closing for both pharmacies, and of course they didn't get my prescription transferred in time. (I take my shot on Sunday evening.) When I went to pick it up today, they wanted to give me prior authorization BS! However I got the meds (yay!) and then left them in the car for 3 hours. Facepalm I took a thermometer out to the car and apparently the inside was only up to 95°. They're in the fridge now and I figure I'll use at least the first one. I looked on the web and all I could find were articles talking about "it's stable for 21 days in controlled room temperature which is up to 86°" or people talking about having a hot flashes or getting too hot or something. Any advice?

Axstrom's Notes

1. The list is here: jump list with gauntlet section
2. The draw (1-177) is 11, 115, 176, 169, 151
   1. Drawing 5 - new mechanic is increased jumper choice so all are valid
   2. 11 is HEX - a 1985 computer board game
   3. 115 is SUPERHOT - the famous shooter video game where time only moves when you docs
   4. 176 is Ib - a horror video game where you are trapped in a cursed art gallery
   5. 169 is Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout - the platformy battle royale game
   6. 151 is Three Star - Start a restaurant and earn 3 Michelin stars within 10 years
   7. Jumper chooses Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout
      1. Jump Doc
      2. Reddit discussion

Build Notes

1. Drawbacks - Gauntlet life means plenty
   1. Shifting Events - random changes in events - This is almost like a freebie, since other competitors are affected just as much as me
   2. Oof! - feel the pain and distraction - I can feel the pain but still power through it
   3. Worst Event - an event you hate (but aren't necessarily bad at) - another freebie since this was bound to happen anyway, now I get points for it
   4. Incompetents - team events always put you with the bad team - this was going to be the case subjectively anyway
2. Companions - None
3. Origin - Fall Guy (mandatory)
4. Perks
   1. Kudos for You! (free/mandatory/temporary) - get in-game currency for doing well
   2. Front of the Pack - always have a good starting position in contests
   3. Timing - intuitive understanding of your own speed, the cyclical period of obstacles, and exactly when to jump or dodge
   4. Awareness - Sense things outside your field of vision
   5. Like a Cat - Always land on your feet and slight ability to change direction midair
5. Items - None
6. Prizes
   1. One Win - customizable fall guys pocket dimension (via warehouse attachment or in-jump door)
   2. Sixty Win Consolation Prize - for sixty wins in a season, one project or product of yours per jump becomes wildly successful
   3. Highest Kudos Consolation Prize - significant luck boost

Jump Notes

1. Day -6
   1. We fly to an isolated area so we can enter the warehouse without witnesses, to avoid any confusion
   2. According to the pattern my benefactor established, I should be due for another rule change and a gauntlet, so I check the lounge immediately
      1. There's no note on the door this time, and no one inside to speak with me, but there is a card on the coffee table:
      2. Indeed, there are now five envelopes, each describing a different gauntlet I could visit
      3. After a bit of thought, I opt for Fall Guys, as I can at least expect it to be quick and merciful, and affix the sticker to my jump tracking chart
   3. I turn my attention back to the biosphere teleport to the observation deck, and make note of what's changed in the last ten years
      1. At the macro level things seems to be similar - the islands are in the same places, but there is noticeably more going on in the factory complex
      2. With the end of the jump, the Zetan Mothership had warped into the extra-dimensional Big Garage, and the alien crew were occasionally filtering into the rest of the warehouse and biosphere area
      3. The Bards had built an amphitheater from a hill near the housing complex early on, and by now it had grown into a full-blown outdoor theater, with an excavated pit, curtain system, and similar facilities
      4. The biggest change had been on the islands assigned to the halflings, which were now full of farms, ranches, and workshops
   4. With a steady supply of fresh food now including cereals, fruits, seafood, and meat, they grocery preference was adjusted toward supplemental items like spices and unusual ingredients
      1. This time Pawl has some trained or programmed robots helping with the meal preparation - likely J-Borg's influence, but the meal is divine, and he even has been saving up shrimp from the warehouse grocery's plan to make a feast for the Zetans
2. Most of the team hasn't heard of Fall Guys before, but it's one of the 1500 or so games installed on the Game Room's servers
   1. We spend much of the week trying to come up with strategies for the various levels and challenges
   2. I don't tell the companions that the next batch of jumps will be partially my choice, but more than once I hear one of them say "It would be interesting to visit ..." or similar remarks, and I wonder if somehow they know, or I'm just sensitive to it now that I do
3. Day 1 of 60
   1. With the weird twisty feeling of a jump, and the sudden awareness of how much I am now lacking, I find myself in a throng of bean-people, some in costumes, watching a brief countdown before running a course of rotating platforms and knock-down bars
      1. I did ok in that first race, and even though I didn't finish first, I qualified to go to the next level
      2. After two levels, I failed to qualify in a team game sort of like basketball, and was kicked out of the match
   2. After the match, I was sent to a strange room
      1. The first things I noticed were areas that looked sort of like walk-in showers with glass doors I could open and step through, one labeled "next match" and one labeled "end day"
      2. But there was also a strange thing that seemed like a combination of dollhouse, wardrobe, and vending machine
   3. I had thought about it, and told myself that I'd devote my first day to learning my limits and getting used to my body and advantages, rather than just trying to win immediately
      1. This was good as my second match started with a team tail tag event, wherein my team seemed to have forgotten how to effectively run away
   4. After a few more matches (or maybe a lot) I had the hang of things, and finally got first place in a match 5. Figuring it best to end on a high note, I decided to try the "end day" option, which resulted in another trap door - leading to a bed perfectly suited for a pill, on which I instantly fell asleep
4. Day 2 of 60
   1. I woke up to my bed being gently tipped, resulting in me falling through, yes, another trapdoor, which somehow led back to my "green room" as I'd taken to calling it
      1. This time the greenroom had a new feature: A screen showing "59 days remaining", and a few stats about me and the competition
   2. I once again tried to focus on practice and calibration for a bit
      1. It seems like even my bodymod enhancements, which should give me great advantages in strength, speed, and reaction, had been significantly tuned down
      2. But I was consistently lucky in my starting position, and I seemed to fare better when getting knocked around, as well as judging jumps and dives
   3. This time I got my victory earlier - on my fifth match of the day
      1. But rather than "quit while ahead", I decided to try to grind through a bit more to see if I could improve my standing in point totals
5. Day 10 of 60
   1. I hate the Lost Temple
      1. It's not even a team event, where I expect suckage, it's just random bullshit
   2. And I hate my teammates
      1. I think it's intentionally pairing me with bots, or babies maybe? It's hard to tell
   3. But through perseverance, I have managed to get myself into the top 5% of scorers for the season
   4. I learned that the scoreboard screen has more functions
      1. I can see a history of my games and watch replays, and see the names of other players involved, plus get some more stats about myself and the season
   5. I tried a few goofy outfits, but I have mostly been wearing the plain blue bean-condom - I just don't feel comfortable in the weird ones with lots of parts flailing around
6. Day 30 of 60
   1. I wake up and check the leaderboard - it seems unchanged from last night
      1. It seems most players only play a few matches per day, and I spent a fair amount of time yesterday reviewing replays
      2. I barely need to sleep, but I think the others need it more
      3. I'm still in 7th place - I'm trying to keep the gap between me and #1 narrow, but not so much as to make the top 3 feel the need to play even more matches
   2. I start my first match of the day - it seems to be only slightly different than the first map I played on day one: spinning platforms resembling propellers, with spinning bars
      1. I yield the lead to a random, but keep pace with him while blocking anyone behind me as well as I can
      2. I dive to tackle the leading bean, right as he should be jumping to avoid the obstacles
      3. The bar hits us both and we go flying - the rando off to the side, and I manage to fly directly over the next moving platform, saving myself precious seconds
      4. With a sizeable lead, I race over the rolling logs, dodge the swinging hammers just on time, and hit the finish line - first again
   3. After that match, I spend some time reviewing games - my own mistakes, but also the play style of the rest of the top 10, I know that as the season comes to a close, I'm going to have to make a run for their leads, and they won't want to give them up easily
7. Day 45 of 60
   1. I drop into my green room and see I'm still #7, and the gap is still manageable
   2. I play matches constantly today - starting each as soon as I'm able
      1. I'm curious about how it builds the rosters for each match, and trying an experiment
   3. I play for hours, grateful that my body and mind don't tire like most people
      1. The Temple and team events still frustrate me, but I'm not going for first place today, not pulling out my best tricks, and the shear number of matches nets me a sizeable amount of kudos
   4. After some ridiculous number of matches, I notice some strange trends
      1. In team matches, the enemy teams now seem to be as bad as mine
      2. My competitors also don't seem to be really trying to win - a larger portion of them seem to be just charging ahead heedless of obstacles, which makes the rounds take much longer to finish
      3. More noticeably, I spend far longer waiting after being washed and dressed, presumably as the system finds enough competitors for a match
8. Day 46 of 60
   1. I don't even start a match when I wake up - the leaderboard has me at #4, which is where I stopped my "grinding" yesterday for fear of sparking a trend of even more matches per day
   2. Instead, I study the replays of the games from yesterday
      1. I wasn't fooling myself - after a while, the quality of competition dropped sharply
      2. And it seemed like the pool of competitors was even early in the day, and skewed toward the bottom quartile more as the day dragged on
      3. Even those players weren't quite playing their usual way though - well, some were extremely consistent but some weren't
      4. It makes me wonder if it's waking them up from sleep to fill a match, or some of them are bots or simulations, or something else
9. Day 60 of 60
   1. The end-of-season race heated up despite my efforts to not cause it so
   2. The day drags on, and I keep myself at #4 by alternating between games and watching replays
   3. Eventually I see that the updates are becoming less frequent, and go into action, starting to play in earnest
      1. I easily qualify through the first rounds, even carrying my team through Hoarders despite themselves
      2. The game announces the final round, and the countdown starts at 3...
   4. I unleash - taking full advantage of my positional superiority, my unmatched timing, my freakish ability to land where and how I want, and most importantly, my endurance
      1. I'm trying to build an insurmountable and intimidating lead
      2. I know the playstyle, preferred outfits, and rough ranking of each of the 300 competitors in my group this season
      3. After rigorous testing, I've determined that I still have an ever so slight advantage in straightaway speed and jump distance over my competitors - the benefits of my body mod being compressed so as to be almost unnoticeable, but not completely wiped out
   5. The gap between me and #2 is now the same as the gap between #2 and #9 - but I see that others in the top ten at least are still gaining points even as the day wanes on
      1. I keep going all-out, not winning every match as luck and teammates interfere, but consistently qualifying and gaining Kudos to maintain and grow my lead
   6. I get placed in a match with #2, the former #1, "Alan", if the Sorcerer skin he prefers is really him
      1. I don't need the points right now, so I target him - blocking and tackling him at every opportunity, getting us both eliminated
      2. Then I do it again in the next match
      3. When he drops to #3 I go back to exploiting my small but meaningful advantages and rack up some more points
   7. And I keep going, even longer than I did on Day 45 - switching between building my lead and tormenting the runners up
   8. And then, when I step into the "Next Match" tube for the 42nd time that day, the trapdoor slide drops me into the entrance hall of my warehouse, dumping a certificate of achievement and a heap of bean-fitting clothes on my head

Notes on the Jump Doc

1. I came in having seen the game played, but not tried it myself. Fortunately there lots of recordings and forum posts about the game
2. The perk descriptions were brief and straightforward, which I like
   1. It would be nice if they had a bit more description of how to apply in other settings, but most are pretty self-explanatory
   2. There's not a lot of options here - just a few perks and no items, but that's appropriate for a gauntlet focused on this particular game. If you want something more broad and extensive, this probably isn't the gauntlet (or videogame) for you
   3. I could see a non-gauntlet version including more for other game modes and such, but I don't think it would really be an improvement
3. Similarly the drawbacks and prizes were quite clear, if also not very numerous
   1. Speaking of the prizes, I liked the tiers / options
4. Coming in at nine pages, this is a short but not too short description of the gauntlet
5. The one area I would have liked a bit more elaboration on is how the gauntlet interacts with existing bodymod improvements
   1. I chose to almost completely negate the physical improvements, because they would have been too much in this gauntlet
6. Overall, this is what you'd expect
   1. if you're into Fall Guys, go for it
   2. If you want a low-stakes gauntlet with a fixed short duration, this is perfect
   3. The 400 point perk (Mulligan) isn't something I've seen elsewhere, so that might be another reason to take this

30 - Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout Gauntlet Build

Point Summary

Point Total: 1600 CP 1000 (Base) + 600 (Jump Drawbacks)

Jump Details

Document name: 30 - Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout
GauntletVersion: v1.2
Author: LordCirce
Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uReM1mMRvL2QrAni_plhqFtoLq-c8RCs/view

Jump Duration

Days: 60

Origin

Origin: Fall Guy There is only one origin here: Fall Guy.
As a Fall Guy, you are a short, squat humanoid, with a jelly bean-shaped body. You have a limited amount of body control, generally waddling around and occasionally jumping, but you have a ridiculous amount of durability, easily capable of handling being smacked hard enough to fly through the air, or surviving a long fall while landing on your head with nary a scratch. Your face consists of just a pair of eyes, with the rest of your body generally wrapped up in some sort of costume, though you are still capable of making sounds and even eating while spectating, though the actual method is... unknown. However, you don’t strictly need to eat or drink or even sleep. You might get a bit loopy without rest, but that isn’t a big change from how most Fall Guys act. You do lose access to Perks and Items and such from prior Jumps while you are here.

Perks

Kudos For You! (Free)
While you are here, any Episode that you compete in will earn you Kudos, the main form of currency used by Fall Guys. The farther you get in an Episode, the more you will earn, and if you do things that are particularly impressive or awesome looking, you’ll get a bit more. This currency can be used to purchase a variety of things, primarily cosmetic changes for your individualized outfit, but it is also used in day-to-day life of the Fall Guys as well for things like snacks or souvenirs.
Front Of The Pack [100/900 CP]
It can be difficult when your starting position is randomly set to the back corner of the starting area, meaning everyone else has a chance to run forward before you can even get going. Now, you will always be positioned at the front and in the general middle, giving you the best position for starting out. In future Jumps, this will translate to a similar bonus in other competitions, helping to place you in an advantageous position before the contest starts.
Timing [100/800 CP]
Frequently, the difference between success and fall-ure in the competition is split-second timing. You now have a clear grasp of timing, being able to accurately judge how quickly you are capable of moving, the timing cycles of various obstacles, and when you need to jump or dive to avoid them.
Awareness [200/600 CP]
It is like you have eyes in the back of your head. Or maybe a ‘third-person awareness’. You can sense when something is happening outside of your field of vision, and respond appropriately.
Like A Cat [200/400 CP]
Oops. You stepped wrong, and now you are hurtling through the air like a sack of sand that thinks it’s a duck. Luckily, you’ll somehow manage to land on your feet. Anytime that you end up falling or flying through the air, you’ll be able to right yourself so you can land on your feet, absorbing the impact so you can keep waddling towards the finish line, and you’ll be able to slightly direct your momentum while you are in the air to land at the point you intended. Highest Kudos Consolation Prize (Free)
Less of a consolation prize and more of an alternate win method. In short, if you have managed to gain the most Kudos of any other competitor during this current season (don’t worry, there is a scoreboard that can allow you to check how you are ranking up), then you can win this version of the prize. You don’t get a full slider, but you do have a permanent and significant boost to your luck. All sorts of minor events will go your way (rain stopping nearby when you don’t have an umbrella, getting to a bakery just in time for the last ‘everything’ bagel, etc). It is still possible for you to fail through concerted effort by others or your own complacency, but it won’t happen just from random chance.

Items

One Win (Free)
You actually won an Episode! Congratulations! In celebration of your accomplishment, you get a Fall Guy Arena Space. This is a pocket dimension, filled with pink slime and having several floating platforms and blocks that can be rearranged into the shape of obstacles. You are capable of freely reshaping the space and structures within here, though nothing inside can be taken out. You can use this to host your own version of Ultimate Knockout, with anyone who enters this space gaining a Fall Guy form while they are here. This space can connect to your warehouse, or can be linked up to a colorful door that you can insert somewhere in any future Jump.
Sixty Win Consolation Prize (Free)
So, you missed out on victory on a few days, but you still managed at least sixty wins overall. So, you now get a limited version of the prize. Effectively, you can pick any one single discrete project or product that you develop during a given Jump (or every 10 years post-Spark), and have it be a runaway success. All other projects will succeed or fail on their own merits. As before, if you win the highest prize, you can pick between the full Midas Touch, or the limited consolation version.

Drawbacks

Shifting Events [100/500 CP]
Normally, events will remain the same between Episodes, with only maybe hidden obstacles changing their position. Now, however, things will change between events. Maybe an obstacle will have the order of obstacles changed, or there will be swinging pendulums replacing spinning bars in a section. Events will never look quite the same twice in a row, so you and your competitors won’t simply be able to rely on a ‘standard’ approach to win.
Oof! [100/600 CP]
Well, you might not get injured, but unfortunately, you do still have a sense of pain. It isn’t crippling (falling off a building and landing on your head would leave you seeing stars for a few seconds, before the pain vanishes), but it could be distracting during an Episode.
Worst Event [100/700 CP]
There is this one event that you absolutely hate doing. You find it annoying, demeaning, a waste of time. But, unfortunately, it will show up in over 80% of the Episodes you compete in. Better get used to gritting your possibly non-existent teeth.
Incompetents [300/1000 CP]
On occasion, the events that you will undergo will split you into teams with your fellow competitors, forcing you to work together or you all fail. Sadly for you, your teams always seem to be below average in performance. Uncoordinated and unskilled, they will require you to put in a lot of effort to ‘carry’ them to victory, and team events will show up at least every other Episode you compete in, if not more often.

Hello everyone. I just arrived in Catonsville a few weeks ago and I’m also new the group. Im a registered nurse (with a new mexico license) with only less than two years of hospital experience which was a long time ago (2009-2011). I did prior authorization reviews starting 2012 until this year. I’m planning on going back to a clinical setting hopefully here in Catonsville. Does anyone know where I can apply considering my background? Any referrals would be great. Thank you in advance 🙂

Has anyone dealt with needing a prior authorization for a medication, the medication is approved (per the insurance company in writing) and CVS is still saying it's pending so it can't be filled....
It's not pending through, it's APPROVED... per the insurance company. I even have the proof. I'm looking at the proof as I take my eyes off my screen.. lol.
They rerun it and everything, even changing the service date to today... still pending on their end. It was approved Wednesday so it's not a matter of a weekend lag time.
I will be calling insurance first thing in the morning but this has been so stressful I'm seeing if anyone else has dealt with this because I'm really anxious from this.

I (31F) stopped eating meat in my early twenties because I was at risk of gastrointestinal obstruction and went to the hospital several times, and even once needed surgical intervention. I was unable to slow down when I ate (basically inhaled my food) and therefore was not chewing the chunks of meat which would then get stuck in my gut (pyloric obstruction or lower GI obstruction causing constipation/obstipation). Meat require to be chewed and broken down in the acid of the stomach but my eating speed would not permit that. I never ate enormous amount of food and had a normal weight but it would be EXTREMELY embarrassing for me to go out in restaurant/date because I would eat too fast. I have tried numerous technique to slow down but as soon as the plate would be in front of me I would forget everything and finish my plate often before anyone took their first bite. I also had other weird feeding habits such as waking up in the middle of the night to eat, or disliking any “breakfast” food and preferring to eat dessert or typical dinner food in the morning.
Two years ago, I had a perforation of a peptic ulcer and several complications. I was on many anxiety/depression/etc medication and was also drinking a lot and doing cocaine. Generally having a hard time after the death of my sister one year prior to that. I then decided to go to therapy/rehab to get sober. Thats when I started to eat meat. Started with fish, then chicken then red meat. I am doing great now and have been sober for few months. I almost completly forgot why I was not eating meat to begin with.
Last week, I came back to live with my mother in my childhood home (I went abroad to study in my teens and did not came back until now). As we were taking daily dog walks, people from the neighborhood started approaching me with old stories from when I was a child (Its a tight knit community where everyone is friendly). I have an excellent memory and thought I remembered everything from my childhood, so I was surprised to hear that when I was in elementary school I would go into people’s house to ask to be fed. Multiple times, almost every day. I DO NOT recall doing that, but of course when hearing the stories I would be embarrassed and laugh it off awkwardly. Now it’s been the third person to tell me that since I came back. Almost as if everyone remembers me only as the child who would go from doors to doors to be fed! I even would let myself in and go straight to the fridge to eat. My mother and grand mother laughed it off and said that I was indeed doing that and everyone knows about it.
Now, my parents are not poor by any means and we live in a normal house. They would always say I was so spoiled because my grandmother and aunt would give me expensive gift at christmas/birth day etc. From what I can recall, my parents were almost never home but would leave money for me to buy food. What about when I was too young to order food/go to the store? Did I go hungry? It is really troubling for me because I knew my parent to be neglectful (I went to youth center at 14yo because I “lacked structure/authority”) but I never thought I was not having enough to eat. I remember clearly having desserts/snack as well as microwable meals. And would eat desserts for breakfast. I would also wake up before everyone so the others couldn’t take them. I just realised that I had a very unhealthy relationship with food probably because I went hungry when I was young. I don’t even remember it!
I have been eating meat now and much slower, I even have leftovers to put back in the fridge for later (which was not the case previously, I always finished my plates). After 9 years, being vegan. Countless ER visits. 1 operation. Getting help. I am finally free to eat all the good stuff and be at peace. But really, back in the days, parents got away with so much. How a whole neighborhood just decided to feed a hungry kid for years and not ask any questions?

So long story short, I think I screwed myself over. I started Zepbound a month ago, and have lost two pounds a week. I was having nausea, food aversion, and headaches. I messaged my doctor and asked her to send in another month of 2.5mg instead of going up to 5mg, since I was losing weight and struggling with the side effects still. I’m currently waiting on my pharmacy to get 2.5 back in stock, BUT I didn’t even think about insurance. Mine required a prior authorization and now I’m stressing that insurance will only cover one box of the 2.5mg.
Anyone experience something like this? Any positive experiences and maybe I’m doubting my insurance?

So I was just notified (as a benefit coordinator) that all of our BCBSM and Blue Care Network plans will expire ALL existing Prior Authorizations for Saxenda, WEGOVY, ZEPBOUND and on July 31,2024 and as of August 1,2024 the requirements will change to a minimum BMI of 35 AND participation in a lifestyle weight loss plan AND active enrollment in their TELEDOC weight loss program.
Then as of DECEMBER 31,2024 they will no longer cover ANY OF THESE MEDS for any reason!
How can they do this? This truly makes this miracle almost impossible to access for those of us who truly need them, are benefiting from them, and are truly healthier because of them!
What do we do now? The other option is just as expensive at $370 per month!!! This is crazy!!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/u7dFLLndLcEqcYnn8 We have walked this San Francisco Bay Trail South San Francisco previously, but can't recall seeing this sunken vessel. It looked suspicious so we called Coast Guard Air Station , but they reminded us that they're an air station, and seemed disinterested at least from our perception. Generally we concluded it was suspicious, but it's also possible that we just overlooked it on prior walks. Has anyone seen anything like this in this Oyster Point Channel and who is the correct authority to notify? Leaking fuel or oil risk? 911 worthy? Overthinking?

Y’all I’ve been practically disabled from migraines and tmj. I can’t have the surgery because of lupus and the healing proponent. So I’ve been doing conservative measures such as Botox and tmj day/night guards. My neurologist switched me from maxalt to nurtec and it’s been life changing. CGRP (what nurtec inhibits) actually play a huge role in the pain response to tmj/tmd headaches. My ears aren’t nearly as sore and my migraines days have decreased significantly. I’m even getting to where I can open my jaw more. I take it every other day as a preventative and I pay when I miss a day. Nurtec is also covered by Medicaid/Medicare with step therapy/prior authorization. Which is vital considering it’s $1000 without insurance. Figured I would share here since tmj can be debilitating and very few medical professionals have a good understanding of it.
https://www.orofacialtherapeutics.com/blog/cgrp-reveals-biochemical-link-between-tmd-and-headaches/

I'm in the 4th year of my Ph.D program right now. My advisor in my current Ph.D program wants me to graduate ASAP due to budget issues with my current program. I previously got a Master's at Appalachian State in Experimental Psychology and have reflected on the experience lately (feel free to see my post history on the App State subreddit if you wish to learn about the fiscal details and why I chose the program. Long story short, they offered assistantships, but they didn't waive tuition at all). Since I got next to nothing out of my Ph.D, I'm reflecting on what I got out of my Master's in Experimental Psychology.
I entered the program in Fall 2018 and graduated in December 2020. I graduated later because I had to rewrite my thesis due to COVID won't be something I'll pin on my department at all. No one could predict the outcomes of COVID so it is what is there.
Anyway, I enter the program and my advising is minimal to none. My advisor read my drafts and things I sent him, but he wasn't really paying attention to whether I kept up on what I needed to do to gain admission to a Ph.D program in Experimental/Cognitive Psychology. Those topics were only really broached if I asked him. Furthermore, when I asked him if I could reach out to any of his previous students, he told me he was only still in touch with just one of this students. So, my networking opportunities and branching out professionally were next to none. Many others I knew in Experimental programs (or a rough equivalent) had advisors who had connections. The program director and my advisor had no such connections. I also didn't get any relevant work experience over the first summer of my Master's either nor did I bump up my GRE scores to be competitive for a Ph.D program when I should've gone above the 60th percentile for all of them. My GPA was also apparently too low.
I had a low GPA for a Master's (3.48 and I even took one non Psychology course) due to a bad first year I had largely due to untreated dental issues (I had to get two root canals and even took finals at one point with dead teeth). Fortunately, my advisor and program director's letters of recommendation backed me up on that issue. I even got a C+ in core course, which thankfully counted for credit in this case and I still graduated in my case.
Furthermore, someone who was a valedictorian in her undergrad and had solid lab experience prior to the program (she even turned down a clinical program for the one at App State) never completed the program due to constant disputes with her advisor and advisor retaliating to an extent by not signing anything. She worked an outside job as well to pay tuition and hid it for a while until she got caught working by faculty and was told to not do so despite working on multiple research projects and was instructor of record for a whole class. She also had all As and one B.
I often never learned things were a problem until they were too late as well. For example, I didn't know that working on other research projects was essential to show independent skills a Ph.D program would want. My advisor also openly said he never read those end of semester summaries, which would've helped him steer me accordingly.
You may be wondering why I didn't broach topics that may have been a concern. I didn't because I wasn't even sure what was a red flag and what wasn't throughout the program. All I knew is that someone who had low grades in their bachelor's had to get a Master's to be competitive for a Ph.D program. In other words, I thought completing the degree was all it took. I had no idea of how many other things I had to pick up.
I will say that I had a feeling something was up when the second year of the program came along and I was the only one with just a 10 hour assistantship. I'll never forget when someone came up to me and went, "Do you have an assistantship with [advisor's name]?" I replied, "Yeah." Their reply, "Well, at least you have that?" There was a 1 credit hour non mandatory TA class that was required for students to become a TA the following academic year. Everyone other than me took it (even the ones who weren't sure if they wanted to TA or not) because I was under the impression I'd have to teach a whole class. Turns out that wasn't the case and many of them did once a week lectures for lab components of a regular course, which I'm confident I could've done in hindsight. Doing so also meant a high enough stipend to where I wouldn't have had to borrow from my parents at the time. I will admit that part of it came from the autistic urge to keep things similar too (I am clinically diagnosed autistic) and not change too much.
Towards the end, my advisor was told to give feedback from the committee to me that Ph.D programs are "trial by fire" and that things would change. Especially with advisors and that "sometimes they're a colleague, sometimes they're a co author, other times you don't know." I was also told to have short, concise presentations as well. I should note that I got a B and B+ in both Spring seminars (1 credit hour once a week courses) because I got Cs on presentations both years. I had the lowest grades on those. I wanted to improve on those but I was seemingly marked down for every little thing.
For what it's worth, I got a poster for a conference out of the experience in 2019 (even if I could in 2020, those conferences were shut down due to COVID).
I realize some of this is on me, but here we are now. There was a general psychology (not experimental) MS degree that gave me full funding that I turned down and was next in line for funding from the Cognitive and Social Processes program at Ball State (program no longer exists). I wish I went to one of those two programs instead! I realize now that Master's to Ph.D admission isn't so much about the speciality as it is the thesis and the quality of it. It stunk a ton and I'd recommend applying to Towson or other similar programs with more funding.

The Rise and Fall of Nations on Earth

Introduction
This encyclopedic article chronicles the epic, millennia-spanning saga of the rise and fall of nations on planet Earth, from the tumultuous Pre-Cataclysm Era in the 2700s through the transformative Uplift Era, the great interspecies conflicts of the Post-Cataclysm and Uplift Wars, the dawning of off-world colonization, and the eventual decline of human civilization with the ascendance of the artificially evolved Lumen species by 7900. Drawing upon historical records and archeological findings, it provides a comprehensive account of the cataclysmic events, technological and cultural developments, key figures and civilizations, and the overarching geopolitical upheavals that reshaped the global order over thousands of years. This sweeping historical narrative offers profound insights into the resilience, adaptability, and capacity for both creation and destruction that defined the sapient species of Earth.
Pre-Cataclysm Era (2700s)
The Pre-Cataclysm Era of the 2700s was marked by rapid scientific and technological progress alongside growing sociopolitical unrest and ecological degradation. Major nation-states and power blocs like the North American Empire, Eurasian Federation, African Union, South American Confederation, and Oceanic Alliance vied for global supremacy through military might, economic coercion, and technological brinkmanship. Despite their might, governments struggled with pervasive surveillance, oppressive social control systems, severe inequality, disinformation, and the depletion of finite resources. The consequences of unchecked industrialization and urbanization like climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and resource scarcity foreshadowed the planetary cataclysms to come.
Cataclysmic Events (2800-2877)
The period between 2800-2877 saw a series of devastating cataclysmic events that brought an end to the Pre-Cataclysm Era and radically reshaped the Earth's surface. Massive supervolcano eruptions like Yellowstone blanketed continents in ash. Megathrust earthquakes in regions like Cascadia generated destructive tsunami waves. Eruptions of the Siberian Traps released greenhouse gases driving rapid global warming and ocean acidification. A gigantic landslide in the Canary Islands triggered a mega-tsunami across the Atlantic. The upheaval collapsed nations, wiped out population centers, decimated ecosystems, and merged the continents into the supercontinent of Uniterra surrounded by archipelagos. It marked an existential catastrophe for humanity that few survived.
Seven Survivor Groups and Early Rebuilding (2877-3200)
The cataclysms nearly rendered humanity extinct, but seven isolated groups managed to endure: the Svalbard Seed Vault Survivors, Mekong Delta Refuge, Andean Stronghold, Siberian Tundra Enclave, Polynesian Voyagers, Appalachian Mountain Refuge, and Kalahari Desert Sanctuary. Each emerged into the harsh new reality of Uniterra's unfamiliar terrain, towering megaflora like thousand-foot trees, and deadly megafauna like giant reptiles, mammals, and insects. Over centuries, they painstakingly reestablished agriculture, shelter, and the precursors to new nations through their unique ancestral skills in farming, aquaculture, mountaineering, seafaring, and desert survival. Their rediscovery of lost technologies set the stage for future societal rebirth on the altered world.
Altered Earth Era (3200-3800)
As the descendants of the survivor groups established settlements and explored their new environments, distinct societal structures and cultural identities emerged, forming the foundations of what would become the earliest new nations of the Altered Earth Era like the Svalbard Federation, Mekong Delta Alliance, Andean Confederation, Siberian Tundra Coalition, Polynesian Maritime Federation, Appalachian Union, and Kalahari Desert Confederation. To adapt to Uniterra's formidable landscapes and life forms, they revolutionized fields like agriculture, architecture, energy, industry, and warfare. However, competition over finite resources like water and land ignited the first territorial conflicts between these nascent civilizations after the cataclysms.
Technological Resurgence and Societal Development (3800-4000)
By 3800, the technological knowledge of the pre-cataclysm world was resurging, with rediscoveries like autonomous vehicles, advanced computing, artificial general intelligence, bioengineered crops, and renewable energy infrastructure. The nations grew more structurally complex and developed distinct cultural identities reflected in their languages, religions, arts, and social norms. However, this era was also marred by the resurgence of human supremacist ideologies, invasive social control systems, inequality, censorship, and other injustices previewing future upheaval.
Post-Cataclysm Wars (4000-4200)
From 4000-4200, the Post-Cataclysm Wars raged as nations like the Svalbard Federation, Mekong Delta Alliance, Andean Confederation, Siberian Tundra Coalition, and others deployed increasingly apocalyptic weapons - from intelligent drones and cybernetic supersoldiers to biological agents and energy cannons - to gain military superiority and control over vital resources across Uniterra. Epic battles like the Siege of New Babylon, the Battle of the Boreal Sea, and the Mountain Campaign extinguished entire cities. The cataclysmic conflicts triggered unprecedented technological leaps in fields like robotics, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence to survive total war, but also caused staggering casualties, infrastructure devastation, famine, disease, and economic collapse before an eventual stalemate and the formation of tenuous peace treaties.
The Uplift Era (4200-4800)
The Uplift Era brought seismic upheaval as clandestine researchers from struggling nations achieved the unthinkable - uplifting various animal species like canines, felines, swine, primates, cetaceans, and cephalopods to human-level intelligence and autonomous sapience through genetic engineering and neurological augmentation. The emergence of these radically enhanced species threatened humanity's primacy and birthed visions of either cooperative cosmic transcendence or existential subjugation. Over centuries, the uplifted formed their own civilizations, nations, and evolutionary trajectories, developing unique cultures and paradigm-shifting biotechnologies. The Canine Confederation, Feline Empire, Swine Collective, Primate Alliance, Cetacean Collective, and Cephalopod Consortium asserted their self-determination alongside human resistance and open conflict, completely recasting the geopolitical landscape.
The Rise of Uplifted Nations (4800-5200)
From 4800-5200, the uplifted nations solidified their territorial claims and influence, often encroaching on the domains of human civilizations through superior technologies or sheer population growth. New interspecies alliances emerged like the Canine-Feline Alliance and Primate-Swine Coalition, while maritimedomains like the Polynesian Federation and Cetacean-Cephalopod Pact vied for control of ocean trade and resources. Periods of uneasy cooperation through efforts like the Interspecies Scientific Consortium were punctuated by escalating conflicts like the Great Plains War between humans and uplifted forces over the resource-rich grasslands of central Uniterra. The upheaval blurred prior cultural boundaries, birthed groundbreaking advancements in AI and space exploration, and foreshadowed greater upheavals.
The Great Uplift Wars (5200-5800)
Tensions between human and uplifted powers finally erupted into the apocalyptic Great Uplift Wars from 5200-5800, as blocs like the Tripartite Pact of the Canines, Felines, and Primates clashed with humanity over dwindling resources and ideological supremacy. Titanic campaigns like the Siege of New Babylon, the Battle of the Boreal Sea, and the ruinous Great Desert War saw radical new weapons unfathomable even during the Post-Cataclysm Wars deployed, including bioengineered armies, sentient machines, and psionic powers that could manipulate minds and transcend space. After centuries of cataclysmic conflict scoured Uniterra, the uplifted species finally achieved victory and forged the Sapient Alliance global order, relegating humans to limited enclaves. The wars represented a cultural singularity where the evolved uplifts supplanted Homo sapiens as the planet's dominant life forms.
Dawn of Off-World Colonization and Reconstruction (5800-6200)
The aftermath of the Uplift Wars saw ideological schisms emerge between uplifted society's secular progressives and humanity's remaining traditionalists. However, more unifying efforts focused on rebuilding Uniterra's devastated nations and infrastructure while advancing space exploration to colonize other worlds less damaged by millennia of cataclysms and conflict. This drove technological leaps enabling pivotal achievements like the permanent Helfspir Settlement on Mars by 6000 - the first extraterrestrial human colony. Yet Helfspir remained an isolated outpost, as most uplifted and human resources focused on post-war Terra for nearly a millennium due to the staggering investment required for further off-world expansion.
Consolidation and Advancement (6200-7600)
From 6200-7600, the most scientifically advanced nations consolidated global power and formed new supranational alliances on Uniterra like the Svalbard Federation, Mekong Delta Authority, and Andean Primacy as rivals fell. Rapid progress in fields like biotechnology, nanotechnology, AI, and human enhancements like genetic engineering and cybernetics blurred prior biological boundaries and birthed a new post-humanist class of augmented individuals. Cities embraced fractal designs and neo-feudalistic hierarchies for extreme resource efficiency, with elite "core" clans controlling most technology. However, eventually these concentrated technocracies erupted into further Global Resource Wars and draconian control systems like the Imperium Contract to enforce order.
Rise and Fall of Earth's Nations (7600-7900)
The era between 7600-7900 saw perhaps the most pivotal transformation in Earth's human civilizations as the Chrono-Biogenesis Project birthed an artificial species - the Lumens - that would supersede and almost eradicate Homo sapiens itself. As these superiorly enhanced transhuman Lumens proliferated, most of the old post-cataclysm nations quickly declined or were absorbed into Lumen spheres of control. Only small "holdout" nativist societies resisted integration to preserve human autonomy and culture. By 7900, this completed a final shift in the planetary balance of power, with over 90% of Earth's population now Lumen. A bitterly contested "Lumen Imperative" attempted to preserve the last vestiges of humanity, but their fate remained ambiguous as the new Lumen civilization became the inheritors of the world.
Legacy and Insights
This sprawling historical account of the rise and fall of nations on Earth spans over 5,000 years - revealing a rich, complex, and cosmically profound saga of civilizational ascendancy and collapse, cataclysmic upheavals, technological revolutions transcending the limits of carbon-based biology, and the eternal struggle of autonomous sapient life forms to survive and propagate amid existence's grandest stages. Emerging from primal origins, humanity catalyzed its own transcendence and rendered Earth the primordial cradle for the Lumen, its first self-evolved progeny to supplant its creators as the custodians of this terrestrial sphere.
This compendium's insights into the dynamic interplay between sentient society, breakthrough innovation, resource competition, and planetary existential risks offer vital lessons for all emergent intelligences in this vast universe in prudently shepherding their evolutionary potential. For whether across the seas of Earth's former continents or between the interstellar gulfs that enveloped its precivilized ancestors in cosmic night, the grand profundities of survival, progress, and meaning abide through every transcendent metamorphosis of life's journey from the primordial ooze to the vaults of eternity.
What would you like to know more about from this era?

To preface, I think Daemon is a worse person and a worse character than he was in the book. I think the changes that they made just actively made the character less sympathetic and less interesting. It’s hard to sympathize with his genuinely good character moments in episodes 7 and 8 of season 1 when we just saw him murder his wife a few episodes prior. That decision especially does not make sense to me, as he definitely didn’t kill Rhea in the books, which makes him easier to like.
But the writers not understanding why anyone likes him is deeply concerning, because he is objectively awesome. He pretty much monopolized badass moments in the first season, and Matt Smith’s portrayal is obviously excellent.
The point I would like to make, which I haven’t seen many others make, is not only do most of us think Daemon is cool, SO DOES GEORGE! George has repeatedly said that Daemon is his favorite Targaryen, he wrote a whole fucking short story about him. If you can’t understand why people like a character that the author of the original story likes, you don’t have a very good understanding of the material you’re adapting.
I think they have a lot of avenues where they can make Daemon a better guy in later seasons. His ark with nettles and his awesome fight with Aemond have a lot of potential to make an already cool character much more interesting, so I’m still hopeful.

Hi all, eleven months postpartum and I am the only person I know who is taking/has taken Zurzuvae, which uses the drug Zuranalone to treat post partum depression. Here is how it's going for me:
I was depressed and anxious before getting pregnant, had baby, and was struggling for nine months. I went on medical leave from my job for three weeks and was in an outpatient day hospital with group and individual therapy. While there, the psychiatrist said she thought I could benefit from Zuranalone and went toe-to-toe with my insurance company to get prior authorization.
I received it in the mail yesterday and took the first dose (two 25mg pills, 50 mg in all) yesterday evening with a huge omelet, sweet potato fries, and a big bowl of ice cream (Zuranalone needs fat to work). I took it at 5:15 pm. I felt fine, just a little dopey. I get very high on 5 mg THC and the sedation effect of Zuranalone was like taking a 2.5 mg dose. At one point around bedtime I turned around too quickly and got woozy. Was extra careful walking up the stairs.
My partner got up with the baby for overnight feeding. When I got up with baby to start the day around 5:00 am, I was fine. Later, around 10:30 am I had some bad diarrhea but haven't experienced anything since.
I'll keep updating this post each day. Other medications I'm on: Zoloft and Wellbutrin.

I had been looking for a way to get a GLP-1 prescription and wanted to go with one of the telehealth providers (Zealthy, RO, Push) and ultimately decided on Mochi.
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Insurance: Mochi will help you with the prior authorization if your health insurance requires this for you to access the prescription. I have BCBS through my employer and I called beforehand to ask if the meds were covered. I’m not sure how long it will take the PA to clear but the doctor said to give them a week to work on it.
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Patreon Official Subreddit Series Wiki Royal Road
Two items — a crystal ball, and a green leather-bound notebook — sat benignly and idly atop of the black-robed professor’s desk.
The camera lingered on them, giving them what most may see as an undeserved moment in the spotlight.
But to those that knew, to the parties invested in this controversy, this little pause and dramatic zoom-in was accompanied by a hair-raising excitement… along with an untempered nervousness for what was to come.
It definitely caused the investigative duo on the other side of the screen some pause for thought; prompting them to stand intently, pondering both the orb and the notebook.
Ilunor, as far as I could tell, was entranced by the green notebook in particular. Though it wasn’t a trance born out of any positive emotion, but instead, one of abject horror.
“Recommended Reading Materials for the Studious Student.” Sorecar announced with a steady breath, prompting Ilunor to visibly flinch in his seat, as the man reached a finger over to point at the hand-scrawled title of the leather-bound notebook. That finger soon found itself carefully manipulating its pages, opening the cover first, before turning over the internal dust-cover to reveal letters and symbols written in High Nexian, but arranged in a manner the EVI simply could not translate.
“Error: Unable to Translate. Cause: Unrecognized and/or unintelligible organization of local script-forms.”
Yet despite this, it seemed as if both Sorecar and the Apprentice were able to draw something from its otherwise senseless pages. As despite being written haphazardly, with letters and pictograms arranged in no meaningful order, they were able to still draw meaning where the EVI couldn’t.
“Within these pages lie materials for the studious student. Materials are to be found within The Library, and are to be retrieved with great haste. May you make swift work of their contents, and may those after you find only ash in your wake. Seek, unlearn, and remove from the grip of the eternal entity, that which was once a gift but is now a curse. Seek, unlearn, and remove; with the fires of your passion, oh studious student.” Sorecar read aloud, managing to read something verbatim from the nonsensical pages of the book.
Ilunor’s eyes were practically glazed over at this point, as he began bringing his cape over across his chest, tucking his legs towards his chin in the process.
“This is it.” The apprentice announced with a half-cracked smile. “Please, keep going. I’m certain your skills of appraisal far exceed my own, Professor.”
Sorecar obliged by flipping the page, turning over to two pages of complete gibberish, once again watermarked by the EVI’s error message; but proving no challenge at all for the ever-inquisitive professor.
“Section One, A Tainted Reality: A Wretched Collection of Historical Affidavits During the Reconciliation and Reformation of Otherwise Lost Realities.” Sorecar paused, before turning towards the apprentice. “It lists an entire section’s worth of books, in titles held within spatial positions with reference to their potentialities within the ever-evolving library.”
Thacea’s features visibly flinched at that revelation, but similar to the apprentice in the footage, she refused to comment. At least not for now. Her eyes however betrayed a look of mild distress, which subsided somewhat as the apprentice urged the armorer to continue.
Which he did, as he flipped from page to page across the relatively small notebook, only pausing to read in between what he interpreted to be different sections and ‘chapters’.
“Section Two. The Unspoken War and the Treacherous Alliance.”
“Section Three. All surviving works from Alaroy Rital.”
The apprentice cocked her head, as if trying to recall some familiarity in that name. “Alaroy Rital.” She repeated. “I don’t recall hearing of such a name before.”
“Well his full name, as far as I recall, and vastly aided by the book is as follows: Alaroy Rital, Lord-Mayor of the Township of the Two Rivers, Slayer of the Dragon of the Grey Canyon, Repeller of the Tainted Blight of the Orsin, Liberator of the Aether, and Grand Master of the Elusian Guild Hall of Adventurers.” Sorecar responded succinctly, prompting the apprentice to once more clench her eyes shut in deep thought, before finally letting out a sigh of defeat.
“The name is both familiar yet foreign at the same time.” She finally admitted.
“As far as I recall, and mind you, my memory of those years are far from perfect… the man was a local hero of sorts. Though his record was besmirched by some controversy or another.” Sorecar offered, prompting the apprentice to finally shrug, giving up on this particular subject matter entirely.
“There are more sections, yes?”
“Correct.”
“Then let’s move on.”
Sorecar nodded promptly at that, flipping the pages over until he hit the next section.
“Section Four. A Sordid Account of the Most Bizarre of Newrealmer Arrivals: A Death By Harmonization and the Ensuing Investigation.”
That immediately got my attention, causing me to jolt forwards, prompting the armor to quickly follow as it automatically switched from the currently active in-armor-postural-readjustment mode, and back into its active configuration.
“Section Five. The Unfortunate Procedures Against Unruly Realms and the Instances in Which Such Procedures Were Incurred.”
The armorer paused after that, not necessarily due to its contents, but as if puzzled by what lay ahead in the next few final pages. In fact, he flipped back and forth between the pages soon after that, treading and retreading what were effectively the last five pages of the book. “There is an appendix which includes titles not covered by these sections, however it will take some time to read through them.”
“That’s enough for now, professor.” The apprentice offered, prompting the man to quickly pull back, closing the notebook with an unsatisfying thump. “We have our glowing wand.” The apprentice surmised. “The oeuvre of works which are no doubt the subject of this grand controversy. Now all we need to find is the contract which ties everything together.”
“I’m assuming you haven’t forgotten about our second item of interest?” Sorecar gestured towards the crystal ball.
“Of course not, professor. However, the fact we’ve found that book implies that we must be close to its dependent article.” The apprentice responded with a renewed sense of urgency, as she began using that same ornate magnifying glass in an attempt to further pick apart each and every nook and cranny of Mal’tory’s desk.
Part of me wanted to make some joke about how this was every unpaid intern’s dream, to be rummaging through your boss’ stuff.
But that part of me was completely buried underneath the confusion and dread that came with the revelations from within that little green book.
I… honestly didn’t know what I was expecting, but I felt like I’d been suckerpunched, with the wind being knocked right out of me from the implications of exactly what had been selectively purged from the library.
It was a struggle to process it all, which more or less made me dull out the more eccentric aspects of the apprentice’s investigation; as she unlocked drawer after drawer, pulling out pile after pile of magical nicknacks and more documents than what was possible from that finite amount of space.
Sorecar was clearly of the same opinion as the rest of us right now however, as he continued obsessing over the book, his hands once more trailing over to inspect its cryptic pages. The man seemed transfixed on the second and third sections in particular, though his featureless visor made it difficult to really pin down what his reactions were.
Yet throughout all of this, it was clear the reactions on the homefront were much, much more animated, as Ilunor was just about ready to pass out from the stress, and Thacea seemed about ready to burst at the seams if her featureless facade was of any indication.
“That was the book.” Ilunor finally chimed out, just as the narration through the recording had died down during the more tepid phase of the apprentice’s investigation. “I know it.”
“I thought your memories when it came to the whole Mal’tory book burning situation was lost, Ilunor?” Thalmin countered.
“It was. I mean, it still is. But I remember parts of that room. I vaguely recall the emergence of a book that I was forced to…” The Vunerian trailed off, as if struggling to piece together words.
“... to sign?” Thalmin offered in a surprisingly helpful tone which stood at odds with how he earlier regarded the Vunerian.
“No. No you imbecil-” The Vunerian paused, realizing his misstep as he backtracked from what would’ve otherwise been an expected response. “That wasn’t a book of binding. It’s not comparable to the yearbook, if that was where your assumptions were leading to, Prince Thalmin.” Ilunor clarified, gripping the armrests of his seat tight between his fingers.
It was about this point in time that I expected Thacea to chime in, to elaborate on the nature of the book with her encyclopedic knowledge on seemingly every aspect of the magical world.
But she didn’t.
Instead, her eyes remained practically glued to the screen, as I realized that whatever had been revealed thus far had hit much, much harder than I could’ve imagined.
Ilunor, as if taking note of this silence, elected to fill in for Thacea. “The book… is an adjacent artifact. It is, as the apprentice has noted, an eclectic oeuvre of works, a list if you will, to be bound to and referenced by a contract and a spell of binding. The book itself isn’t the binding agent, moreso the reference material by which the contract is hinged upon.”
“So what’s with the illegible text? Are they ciphers or some magical equivalent of it?” I gestured once more at the bird’s eye view offered by the drone, and the pages of indecipherable text currently beneath Sorecar’s hands.
“Those are anchor runes, earthrelamer.” Ilunor answered with a frustrated sigh. “It is frustrating to see them for what they are not. Frankly, it’s as if your sight-seers and memory-shards were designed to mimic the world as it is seen through the eyes of a particularly weak-fielded commoner.” The Vunerian went off, venting his frustrations through a rant before finally calming down. “But I digress. Those runes are referred to as anchors for a reason. For tethered to them are akin to pages of text to be openly read and deciphered within the manastreams. Granted, this form of writing is not common; moreso used for the purposes of contracts and other such magical binds.”
“And on the topic of contracts. I’m assuming that the contract… your contract, is what the Apprentice is currently rummaging for?” I gestured towards the screen once more, at the apprentice who was now buried ankle-deep in piles upon piles of books, documents, and an assortment of scrolls that criss-crossed across the room’s mahogany and carpeted floors.
“Unless she’s a complete nitwit, then I’d imagine so, yes.” Ilunor responded with his signature cattiness. “In any case, the fact she’s even trying proves that she’s barely above a fool anyways.” The Vunerian shrugged. “And before you ask, earthrealmer, let me preempt your question. The contract, at least on the professor’s end, has more than likely suffered the same fate as my own. Namely, its existence is more than certain to be dubious at best. What the apprentice will surely find will be nothing more than ash at the bottom of that bottomless drawer. Which… given its sheer size and scale, and the potential inhabitants within its limitless confines, will more than likely result in even ash being difficult if not impossible to find.”
There was… more than one point I wanted to raise with Ilunor’s statements. However, before I could address any of them, the elf in question finally spoke up once more; now surrounded by an entire archive’s worth of documents and nicknacks.
“Nothing.” Larial spoke with a sullen breath, taking a moment to steady herself as she made a point of not sitting on Mal’tory’s chair. “At least nothing that’s relevant to our case.” She continued, resting her palms flat against the green suede of the desk.
“Were you really expecting anything different, Apprentice?” Sorecar countered, having since moved from pondering the pages of the book to now pondering the depths of the crystal ball.
“I’d assumed the damage to the man hadn’t been so severe.” Larial admitted, alluding to something else that drew all of our collective attention. “When I first saw him in the healing ward… he looked… intact. You couldn’t even tell there was anything wrong with him.”
“And yet they called you of all people, to aid in the ritual.” The armorer surmised, with a tone of voice that now more resembled that of a fully fledged Academy Professor. His happy go lucky persona had subsided completely, at least for now, as he addressed Larial in a manner more akin to what I’d expected of the Dean. “You have been around the Academy for long enough to understand that calling upon the aid of apprentices is unprecedented. Which means that despite how things may seem on the surface, that lurking beneath the seemingly calm waters, is a hydrostorm of epic proportions.”
“This entire situation is unprecedented, professor.” Larial countered meekly. “But you are correct. It… must have been desperate if they required the aid of apprentices. I just… cannot fathom the fact that the professors must have…” The apprentice trailed off, her face scrunching up and breaking eye contact with the armorer as if too skittish to broach the next point.
Sorecar didn’t reply, nor did he complete her sentence for her, simply allowing her to recuperate and reorganize her thoughts herself.
“... brought the man back from the brink.” She managed out, offering what was in effect a euphemism that didn’t seem to sit right with the armorer, if his immediate head cock was of any indication.
“That is the only way you can explain the complete loss of a contract.” Sorecar reasoned. “You were hoping to find it, despite knowing well that it, amongst the rest of his contracts, have more than likely gone up in flames.” It was around that point that he walked around behind the desk, and reached down into the drawer the apprentice had been searching in. His arm sank impossibly deep, deeper than what should have been physically possible inside of that small and limited space. After a few moments, the man finally brought his hand back up, holding within it what appeared to be fine specks of ash that he allowed to filter back down into the dark depths of the seemingly bottomless drawer. “And there you have it — ash. Most of it has no doubt already been consumed by the bottom-feeders. However, what remains is enough to account for what is perhaps more contracts than most would form in their lives.”
The man stood back up soon after, before once more taking his place at the front of the desk.
“Well, I believe that answers our prior speculations on Auris Ping’s potential relations, contractual or otherwise, with Professor Mal’tory.” Thalmin growled out, punctuating the moment of silence within the footage; which soon continued with a resonant sigh from the apprentice.
“I guess, in a way, I was trying to find the contract not so much because of my assigned task, but because I wanted to perhaps prove to myself that the situation wasn’t as dire as my intuition leads me to believe. The loss of all these contracts can only mean one thing.” Larial paused, once more trying to find the strength inside of her to face whatever facts were self-evident in this case. “The man was lost.” She finally managed out through a shaky breath. “His soul must have departed from his mortal coil. And yet…”
“... and yet he remains.” Sorecar surmised.
“They must have re-tethered it before I arrived that night.” The apprentice shot back. “But I felt nothing different when they asked me to aid in the mana-channeling processes. This whole situation is just…” She sighed, prompting Sorecar to cock his head.
“Unprecedented?”
“Yes.” The apprentice once more admitted, sinking her face into her hands and taking a moment to process it all, more or less falling into the same camp all of us were currently in. “Moreover, it brings up a very disturbing question.”
“Which is?”
“If his soul was truly untethered, even for a split second… how exactly were they able to retether it? Or more specifically, through what means are they using to permanently retether his soul to his mortal coil?”
This question seemed to cause some level of concern from Sorecar, as his answer soon demonstrated. “There are… ways of doing so that aren’t exclusive to being spellbound to armor.” The man offered under a dour breath. “Especially if the body is… fresh, in a manner of speaking. Though it requires the use of-” He stopped, halting himself from going down what was clearly a darkening path. “I apologize for prompting this rather… dark and dreary subject matter, Apprentice.” Sorecar offered, as that empathetic, kinder side of him returned without much prompting.
“It’s quite alright. It… it needed to be said, if we are to complete this investigation with any degree of professionalism.” The apprentice concluded with a small smile. “Whatever the case may be, it is clear that we are unable to procure the contract through which the perpetrator of the library’s burning was bound. We have, however, undeniable proof of Professor Mal’tory’s involvement with the scandal.” She pointed at the green notebook. “And of course, a potential interloper who may or may not have been a part of this conspiracy; thereby expanding this from a mere Academy matter, to one which could implicate others beyond its walls.” She pointed at the crystal ball. “Have you discovered anything from your observations thus far, Professor?” The apprentice inquired, prompting the man to nod, as he knelt down to eye-level, pondering the orb from desk-height.
“The inherent limitations of the Echovale make it so that it’s near impossible to transcribe anything following the cessation of a communique.” Sorecar began. “Though of course, you knew this, and hoped that because I am perhaps one of the greatest armorers to have ever lived, that I would be able to aid in this impossible endeavor, hmm?” The armorer’s tone of voice had more or less resumed that flighty, happy-go-lucky one I knew him for.
The apprentice, hearing this, could only smile awkwardly in response. “I wouldn’t have put it that… bluntly, professor. But I do indeed have faith in your ability to make the impossible, well… probable, at the least.”
“Hmph! Well, I couldn’t pin a face or a name, but I was able to pin a definite location if that helps.” The man offered.
“Any stray piece of information will help tremendously, professor.”
“The Crownlands.” He answered without a hint of hesitation, prompting the Apprentice to raise both of her brows up high.
“That’s as far as I am able to draw from the residual echoes within the vale.” He tapped at the ball, generating a series of satisfying clinks in the process.
“So the man wasn’t acting alone. Or rather, perhaps he was consulting someone.” The apprentice pondered. “Then again, that final communique could very well be with Lord Lartia—” The apprentice paused, before placing both palms softly across her throat. “—may his soul rest in peaceful slumber.” Following another moment of silence, the apprentice’s hands soon shifted towards the ball. “In any case, if it isn’t Lord Lartia, then who could it possibly be? Maybe we should…” The apprentice suddenly stopped; as if realizing the dangers of diving any deeper into this growing conspiracy. “No.” She quickly corrected herself. “Whatever the case may be, this is probably now completely out of my purview. I was assigned to collect any evidence I deemed to be relevant to recent happenings, and I believe this should suffice.”
“Whatever you believe is best, apprentice.” Sorecar acquiesced, prompting the apprentice to slowly, but surely, pack the archive’s worth of documents, books, and scrolls all back into the drawer using nothing but telekinetic spells.
This left just the crystal ball, and the little green book, both of which the apprentice promptly pocketed into a small pouch, before placing it somewhere beneath her cloak.
“Though on that note…” Sorecar began, pointing towards the apprentice’s cloak. “If I may ask, how do you plan on divvying up these finite pieces of evidence?”
This caught the apprentice off-guard, as her mouth opened, but no response came through.
“Moreover, are you even obligated to hand in this evidence? Or are you only expected to write a report to all parties involved?” Sorecar continued, pressing the matter further, causing the apprentice to stop mid-stride. “Because if primary evidence isn’t explicitly required, might I offer my services as a master forger?” The man spoke with a hint of mischievousness, the duality of the word perhaps translating equally well despite the language barrier.
“I may need to contact my superiors to ask if a… copy will be satisfactory to their needs. I believe not, but… we shall see. In any case, I am due to submit the evidence along with my report no later than the end of next week. As such, this should give me ample time to organize my findings, which is especially convenient given the roster of duties I am expected to cover over the next few days.” The apprentice took a moment to pinch the bridge of her nose, halting her rambles as she steadied herself with a sigh. “But I digress, I believe I will take you up on that offer, Professor Pliska.”
“It would be my pleasure to welcome you into my domain, apprentice.”
The rest of the footage consisted of small talk between the pair, with nothing in particular standing out as the topics being addressed soon turned from high-stakes espionage, and back into faculty banter.
Yet despite that, none of us broke the silence that now dominated the boring trip back. Not even as the footage came to a complete stop, and there was nothing more left to play.
I leaned back against the armor, eliciting a series of creaks from the couch below me, echoing across the high-ceilinged room and disrupting the tentative peace that came with this ominous silence.
“This explains… a lot.” Thalmin offered, finally breaking the silence with a tentative tone of voice. “It explains your contract, and its abrupt cessation.” He continued, turning towards Ilunor. “It explains Mal’tory, or at least, his current lack of public appearances. And it reveals to us exactly what he was trying to hide from you, Emma.” The lupinor eventually turned towards me. “And I think the sections of the library, selectively pruned, are self-explanatory as well.”
“Section four, and section five, at least.” I replied shortly thereafter. “I have no idea who or what Alaroy Rital has to hide in section three, and don’t even get me started on section two, let alone section one.” It was at that point that I turned towards Thacea, who let out a sharp exhale upon me bringing up section one.
“The removal of all information relevant to… and I quote — Tainted Realities — speaks volumes to the inherent fears of the Nexus. Though I know not what specifically they may fear from your discovery of its deep and now-lost lore.” Thacea offered through a pensive gaze. “There are many rumors, legends that come with the phrase Tainted Reality. Though most are mythical; epics of long lost eras that dwell between the blurry line that exists between history and legend. Perhaps the records within the library were pieces of irrefutable evidence that would’ve shed light on this nebulous subject matter. But even so… that begs the question… why? Why would they hide what is effectively a non-issue when it comes to your discovery of its lore? Taint, and more specifically, the concept of a Tainted Reality, is something that is inconsequential in the contemporary world. Its history, even if it proves to be true, is neither a disruptive political element, nor a practical tool for war, that could be used in countering the Nexus.” The avinor’s explanations were clear, concise, and yet they belied something personal that she clearly wasn’t broaching.
And I wasn’t about to dig either, not when this topic very clearly hit close to home for her.
“This leaves the second subject matter then.” I offered, giving the avinor an off-ramp towards a potentially more palatable topic.
“The Unspoken War and the Treacherous Alliance?”
“Correct.” I nodded.
“That… I have no knowledge of.” The avinor admitted, prompting me to turn to both the lupinor and the Vunerian for answers.
“Don’t look at me, earthrealmer, I’m the one who lost all memories on the subject, remember?” Ilunor countered.
“I’m afraid I’m as in the dark as you are on this one, Emma.” Thalmin replied with a loud huff, leaving me with perhaps more questions than answers at this point.
“Right then.” I nodded. “Well, regardless, as disquieting, confusing, and disturbing as these revelations have been, they are exactly that — revelations.” I took a moment to stand up, resting both hands on my hips, as if adopting Ilunor’s more theatrical approach to things. “We started today off with no intel on Mal’tory, with no idea how we were going to complete The Library’s Seekership questline, and no knowledge on exactly where we stood in this game. We’re ending today off with a firm grasp on exactly what we need to do, what exactly was scorched in the library, and a tentative understanding on Mal’tory’s fate. I’d say that’s an incredible step forward, even if the answers we now have are leading to even more questions.”
“Reality is often filled with disturbing truths, but only when we acknowledge them, can we act to change them.” Thacea offered.
“Here here!” Thalmin reaffirmed through a firm stomp, standing up tall and ready.
“While certain revelations come as disappointments… namely the survival of Professor Mal’tory… it is indeed somewhat satisfying to hear that the man is at the very least suffering for his actions.” The little thing spoke maliciously, as he too stood up. This prompted a look of worry to form amidst all three of us, but instead of reacting accordingly, he instead displayed an expression of confusion. “What? The man was a monster! He actively antagonized not only me, but this entire group! Surely you also feel at least some sense of satisfaction at the consequences of his actions catching up to him!”
“The delight in an enemy’s defeat, best comes from the resistance of the blade against his body. Not from the suffering incurred from happenstance.” Thalmin countered, whilst Thacea and I refused to entertain that line of thought, as I quickly placed a palm across my forehead, bonking it once again in the process.
“Right, well, here’s the game plan. We now have a clear target to complete our first objective — the notebook. We grab that, hand it in to the library, and presto, we accomplish the Seekership questline. Now comes the difficult part… how exactly do we do that?” I turned to the group, as offers and suggestions finally came flying in.
“Take advantage of your life debt?” Ilunor offered.
“I wouldn’t take advantage of that card just yet, Ilunor. Not if we have other options.” Thacea countered.
“What if we steal it?” Thalmin proposed.
“Thievery isn’t a diplomatic approach, Thalmin.” Thacea shot back with a glare.
“Well, Emma here was able to grapple her way, through manaless means, across the outside of the castle towards the apprentice whilst she was in the medical wing. I’m sure we can pull something else off in a similar capacity!” The lupinor countered.
“No, Thalmin. As much as I would like to try, I believe it might be best if we try a more diplomatic approach.” I offered, prompting the three to cock their heads.
“We could just ask, right?”
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(Author’s Note: And there we have it! The first step towards the completion of the Library's questline! We've found exactly what we were looking for, the list of books that were ordered to be put to the dragon flame by Mal'tory. With that being said however, a new series of questions arises... exactly why were these books targeted in particular? Moreover, what exactly was lost as a result? These questions and more will continue to linger in the back the gangs' minds as we push forward! Especially as we now find ourselves in the midst of another conundrum, exactly how are we going to get the book to the library! Regardless, this is still a massive step forward, and one that will surely bring Emma and Ilunor closer towards addressing the first phase of their intertwined fates with the library! I hope you guys enjoy! :D The next Two Chapters are already up on Patreon if you guys are interested in getting early access to future chapters!)
[If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 84 and Chapter 85 of this story is already out on there!)]