My ex got out of rehab yesterday. Prior to him going into rehab we had been broken up like 3-4 months. The break up was not my decision and I was pretty upset about it because I had JUST 100% emotionally supported him through 5 months of another rehab program and a year of his downward spiral into alcohol prior to that.
I thought him getting sober would mean that I would be getting my fun loving, great boyfriend back that I had for 3 years so I was heartbroken to say the least. But I eventually went no contact for a couple months after the breakup until I was having a tough time and reached out to him. Since he was sober he seemed pretty happy to hear from me and offered words of support. But I still kept my distance not wanting to get hurt.
Then the end of April the called me randomly and we had a weird conversation where he sounded overly happy and talked to me about meaningless stuff and I could tell he was drinking but I didn’t want to accuse him of anything since we weren’t talking much as it was. Then I didn’t hear from him.
About a week later I heard from a woman I’m friends with that he checked into rehab, she knew because she worked there. I was just happy that he was safe. When I say his drinking is bad, it’s BAD, he is a serious alcoholic with a serious problem. To get him to go to rehab the first time me and his family had to show up with a uHall and pack his apartment up, break his lease, and forceably get him out of his apartment because he literally stayed in there for a YEAR and drank 24/7.
Anywayss, I reached out to his mom about halfway through his stay to see how he was doing because it’s not like I don’t still love and care about his well being. So I was SHOCKED when she told me that his sister had died, which is what triggered his relapse. And even worse, she died from her alcohol problem. I was sad, I knew her well from holidays and what not, and I was even more sad for him and his mom. He had just lost his dad prior to his first relapse. She told me that he only wanted to stay in rehab for 30 days and she wanted him going to sober living. While I wished she pushed for a longer stay in rehab I thought that would be a good idea for sober living because that’s where he was living when he had long term sobriety when we met.
SO, I was surprised when he called me last night. I was really happy to hear from him first of all, I want to say that. A huge part of me really misses him, 4 months after a 3 year relationship isn’t a long time to get over someone that you’ve occasionally been talking to. We talked about how his stay was, his feelings about his sister, my life and then he told me HES STAYING IN HIS DEAD SISTERS APARTMENT. My first thought was “you have got to be kidding me!” His mom has always been kinda spacey and ridiculous. It was super hard for me during his first relapse to get her to do anything meaningful to help him other than her offer him words of encouragement. But considering she just lost her daughter to alcohol and she’s aware how serious his problem is I’m surprised she let him take over her lease. Especially considering we had just learned that his downfall was living alone and having the opportunity to drink in peace with no one watching him. The only way he got to rehab so fast this last time was because he moved in with his moms boyfriend and he was around him all the time and obviously noticed his relapse. From the phone call I gathered that all her stuff was still there too, all her clothes and medications, everything. He said “if the roles were reversed I’d want her to have my apartment” but in reality I think he wants to continue to be alone and that’s his excuse for making it okay for being there.
I’m extremely worried about him. I’m in recovery from alcohol myself and I know firsthand how many people relapse right out of rehab, especially if they didn’t want to be in rehab to begin with….he said he didn’t even remember being taken to rehab. I also want to note that my ex doesn’t have that many friends, if any. He lost most of them when he just stopped going to work (he had a lot of money) and the few friends he made in rehab don’t live here or have relapsed. He’s always had this sad mentality that he has to do things alone and be alone. I hate that for him. He really is a very personable, very attractive, fun, super fit guy when he is sober but when he drinks, he throws his entire life into it. And I just don’t think 30 days is enough to get over your sisters death and then MOVE INTO HER APARTMENT AROUND HER THINGS…wtf. I didn’t contact him today because I’m still in “I don’t want to get hurt” mode. But I worry so much about him. My friend thinks he needs me, from her time checking in on him when she was working. And a big part of me still wants to be with him. But I don’t want to seem like I’m nagging him like he’s a kid that needs to be checked on or that I’m actively trying to get back with him when I know he’s probably fragile and probably doesn’t want a relationship with anyone. Am I being reasonable for wanting to be back in his life? He told me last night that he was sorry for the last few months and not being there for me more and how even his life situations were no excuse for his behavior in the past towards me. What should I do? Do you think I have enough reason to worry as much as I am?

Heyyy, thanks for taking the time to check out my post & I hope you find at least part of it interesting enough to send me a message. Anyway, without further ado...
I'm coming at you live from the sunny UK (no joke, it's literally blistering this week for some reason and I AM SUFFERING). As much as we can all appreciate a good bit of sunshine, it's nice in moderation but our houses are designed like little hotboxes, the heat stays in so i'm currently typing in shorts and a wife-beater whilst an industrial fan that I got cools me down - hot, right?
My sleeping pattern is just as inconsistent as Marvel Studios is with their quality. I'musually up at all hours (I do work but it's flexible to a degree) so am happy to speak with anyone from anywhere. All I ask is that you're patient and understanding of timezones and...life in general. I've spoken with individuals in the past who have flew off the handle if you don't reply on their clock, so I appreciate someone who's horizontal levels of laid back please.
I like to travel and enjoy snowsports, both of which go hand in hand. As a result, I've been fortunate enough to travel all over Europe many times. Aside from travelling for that, I like to visit new places from Greece to the Czech Republic to Spain and so on. Also been to the US a few times but would really like to visit Japan or Norway one day, maybe Brazil but my pale self would probably incinerate over there. What's your dream destination?
Gaming is a big hobby of mine and I currently play on PS2/3/4/5, Switch & PC. I'd say what games I play but I hop between far too many at once, though I've been blasting Diablo IV and Street Fighter 6 recently. Phasmaphobia is always a good laugh and if you know of Hunt, you're an absolute champ. If you play, what are some of your favourite games?
When it comes to music, i'll listen to anything and everything, really, so feel free to be the DJ on any and all future road trips whilst I drive. Which brings me on to the next one - I love driving and going on the occasional road trip or spontaneous day/weekend out. Any song recommendations?
Movies too, anything and everything, though I do have a bit of a soft spot for horror despite the genre being completely dragged through the mud time and again. Fallen off of Marvel movies recently since they seem to have ZERO SENSE OF DIRECTION following Endgame, but I'll gladly re-watch SOME of them. The BIG BALLER Franchise is, and always will be...Star Wars (despite what Papa Disney did to the movies with VII-IX). Tell me your favourite movies!
I have a keen interest in the paranormal despite being mostly skeptic, I'd say more of an optimistic skeptic would best describe my outlook. Got any scary stories to share? Also enjoy learning about animals and different periods in history. Conspiracy theories are always a good laugh too. What's the wildest one you've heard of?I like to practice martial arts and watch the UFC and Boxing on occasion & as always, good olde WWE is never a dull time, can always stick it on for a little and have some degree of entertainment. Do you watch or play any sports?
Cats, dogs and nope ropes, I have all the pet pics for you. If you have any pets/fur companions, I would LOVE to see them.
I also like to cook and experiment with food. I'll try anything twice and am an average food challenge enjoyer, though I'm not quite Man V Food levels of food challenge.
Please send me your name, age and location in your opening message. A photo would also be appreciated BUT I do understand that this is Reddit and some degree of apprehension/caution is understandable, so don't worry if you aren't comfortable right off the bat. Ideally if we get on well, I would like to move platform preferably to Discord.
If you actually read all of this, I appreciate you. Have a great morning/afternoon/evening & I hope to hear from you.

Hello!
I'm from the mystical land of checks notes England. Okay, not too mystical. All the dragons are in Wales, and Excalibur's been loaned out. Oh, and I'm plus-sized, I'll say that now. But if I'd started with that, you wouldn't have heard about the dragons!
I work for a law firm, although sadly I'm not a lawyer. A shame, they make way more than I do! Currently in the process of buying a house, so I can have my own puts shades on bachelor pad. takes shades off
I'm a big history fan, the older the better. Too modern is boring, I like the really old stuff. Rome, Egypt, or even older. I'd love to get in a time machine and see these ancient cultures for myself. Although if I had a time machine, first trip would be to my home town in the past to see it. Or to go buy a lottery ticket, one or the other.
Wanna know a fun fact about me? I'm a published writer. That's right, when I was 8, my letter was published in the hallowed pages of The Simpsons Comics. Please, no autographs.
Oh, and I speak German, Italian and (sort of) French, so feel free to come and chat with me in those languages.
In terms of pop culture, believe it or not I've never read/watched Harry Potter, or a Marvel movie. They're on the long list of things I'll get around to eventually. I'm big into Assassin's Creed, Doctor Who, Star Wars. Mostly game on PlayStation and PC, and I love Red Dead and GTA too. And Hitman.

I'm a grown ass adult and I'm crying because I just discovered my old text RPG forum is gone, and no one, not even the closest members of my family can understand the hurt I'm feeling. It's the burning in the back of the throat, and the clenching of a part of your heart you didn't know was there, unless you've really lost something. I don't think I'll ever be again who I used to be, and now my only record of that last, dimly lit, long ago part is gone, like the memory of the haze of a summer afternoon when you were a kid. This forum was my last gasp before the plunge of depression and adulthood. I guess there's no coming up for air.
It's hard to put into words what this RPG forum meant to me.... I honed my writing and character development skills; I weathered a shitty college experience; I made my first real online friends. My only real online friends. I grew up on this forum. I tasted popularity for the first and only time, and I felt like I really could fulfill a dream of writing characters people were invested in. I recieved my first piece of fan art for a character. I learned how to diplomatically settle grievances, and lead without power going to my head. I learned what it felt like to be respected, even looked up to. I learned what it was like to be an adult when a younger friendcame to me for help with important life advice that they couldn't discuss with their parents. Now it's all gone.
I always wanted to go back and maybe archive as much of it as I could. I mean, I created or used early versions of characters there that are now the main characters of my novels. I left a part of me there so long ago; my young and hopeful self, that I wanted to rediscover. I wanted to find cringe, and laugh, and find hidden gems I didn't remember writing, and meet again those long lost characters that were written by my friends. And primarily, I wanted to reconnect with a handful of people that made life worth living back then. I want to know what became of them.... I've always wondered if they even remember me the way I remember them. I wonder if they moved on,, like I guess I never have. Another thing I learned there towards the end was that I was depressed, and it was that which made me pull away to begin with,, as my friends lives moved forward and money didn't. As I realized I had nothing new to say. They were all going off to college towards the end, and posting was becoming scarce. I think some of them had connected elsewhere by then, but I never did, and I regret it so much now.
My last message was asking them to private message me if they ever wandered through again, because I wanted to keep in touch, knowing full well that meeting place wouldn't last forever. This was years after the RPG had withered away, but the site was still kicking. Even then it was starting to get spammed by bots and no one was cleaning it up. But I never checked back in myself after last post. Every year I've thought about stopping back in, but it was one thing after another. I forgot my password. I lost the link after my old laptop died. I forgot the forum name.
Most of all, it was the feeling that I still had nothing new to say, and surely they would have changed and grown out of this silly old game, and maybe I was just pathetic to even be thinking about it so much. That I was pathetic for it meaning so much to me, and missing it so much still. Year after year I told myself, I need to get back there before it's too late, but it wasn't until tonight that randomly, utterly out of the blue, the forum name came back to me, and found my old log in info, and even a link in the backup of my old laptop. I clicked with an eagerness and apprehension I hadn't felt since I was refreshing that RPG back in the day when it was electric with drama and humor and OOC. Only to find a generic error page. A dry, uncaring placeholder for one of billion forgotten sites where lives once played out in all their naivety, creativity, and eager exploration of who we were.
It's honestly so heart-breaking, because for so many years I thought, yeah, I'll track that link down, figure out my log in, just to see if anyone came back and updated. Did that marriage work out? Did that trip to Korea go well? What have we all grown up to be? Now I'll never know what became of them. I'll never find them again.
I wanted to send them my novel when it's published, like I always said I would. I wanted to know if they recognized the traces of my main character from the RPG in my novel. I wanted to finally have something worth sharing, in all honesty, in all pride, in all maturation. If I am really honest with myself... I haven't actually had real friends since, and I'll always regret pulling away from them, even if it wasn't really in my control. Depression is a bitch like that. I'll always regret it, even if they wouldn't have wanted anything to do with me anymore nowadays anyway. Always. Even if it makes me pathetic. I doubt anyone will even see this much less read it, but that's probably for the better anyway.
Skiltch, Cheesy, Miss F, Dejanor..... I miss you guys. Maybe you'll come across my book someday and feel a little glimmer of something, a tiny trace of recognition you can't put your finger on. I guess, truthfully, it's an image in my mind I can hold onto, because I don't have anything else left.
~ Star

You may have seen some entertainment outlets last week hailing Jeanne du Barry's apparent financial success.

Johnny Depp's 'Jeanne du Barry' enjoys decade-best start for a Cannes opener at French box office
The Hollywood Reporter

Eric Marti, from industry analysts Comscore France, believes the film could reach 850,000 admissions by the end of its theatrical run.
French distributor Le Pacte is even more bullish:

Le Pacte’s boss Jean Labadie, a veteran French producer-distributor who was one of the film’s first backers along with the sales banner Goodfellas (formerly Wild Bunch International), is even more enthusiastic than Marti, saying that “Jeanne du Barry” could garner up to one million admissions in French theaters.
Variety

However, despite that 'record-breaking' opening, the numbers aren't quite adding up for Maïwenn's expensive period drama.
After opening at the Cannes film festival on May 16th, Jeanne du Barry scored 401,481 admissions in its first week — 345,298 in theaters — which is indeed the best start for a Cannes-opener at the French box office since 2013's The Great Gatsby. Depp's PR has, predictably, been celebrating this as a triumphant return to box office success for the 59-year-old, signalling to any onlooking Hollywood producers that he's still a draw for discerning punters. But these numbers start to look less impressive when you scratch the surface.
The film's second week admissions declined by 55% to 156,279, and a further 52% in its third week to 75,653, for a current cumulative total of 631,477 admissions. It has grossed an estimated $4.8m so far, according to Box Office Mojo. Assuming that rate of decline stays consistent across its theatrical run, admissions will plateau at around 700,000 for a total estimated gross of $5.3m, well short of that lofty prediction of one million admissions from Le Pacte. If Comscore's prediction of 850k comes true, that would result in a $6.4m gross, so let's call that the upper estimate.
So how would that stack up against Maïwenn's career so far? Her most successful film, Polisse (2011), achieved 2.4m admissions, grossed $19.8m ($20.3m worldwide) and won the Jury Prize at Cannes 2011. Her most recent film ADN (2021) grossed $2.1m, despite being affected by reduced admissions due to Covid. Jeanne du Barry is tracking closely with Mon Roi (2015), which attracted 745,483 admissions and grossed $5m ($8m WW). In short, JdB is performing close to average for a Maïwenn film, so while Depp's inclusion doesn't appear to have significantly harmed its performance (as expected, he was never cancelled), it certainly hasn't elevated it beyond expectations.
But will it be profitable? The film's production budget was reported by Deadline to be $22.4m, making it one of the most expensive French films of 2022 and one of only three French films with a budget of over €10m. That figure doesn't even include things like marketing and distribution costs, so the film's break-even point will be several million higher. You don't have to be a mathematician to work out that there's going to be a pretty sizeable shortfall there.
PS if you're interested in a detailed breakdown of JdB's numbers, check out film producer (and Amber supporter) Paulo Boccato's threads (#1 and #2), in which he explains that while the film's opening week looks good on the surface, the finer detail shows that it's underperforming relative to its high production budget and wide release.
Now, it must be said that the French release isn't the end of the story: Netflix have acquired streaming rights (in France only) starting 15 months after its theatrical release, and there have been attempts to find an American distributor, although that has proved difficult so far due to Depp's poor reputation in the US film industry. But even if it does end up being shown across the Atlantic, it's difficult to see how the $20m (minimum) gap to profitability is going to be bridged.
So, it's well on course to becoming a flop at the French box office, a US deal might not happen and Netflix probably won't make up the shortfall, which all begs the question: why was this film ever greenlit with a budget so high and a star whose reputation makes it difficult to find distribution in the US? Beware the Depp spin on this one.

Cheddar is a cashback and payments app. Just like Airtime Rewards and LoyalBe, it is a passive earning opportunity - you link a card and once it is set up you get cashback automatically.
Once you card is linked, you get cashback at all of the approved retailers listed in the app. Examples include:
Groceries

• Co-Op (1%)*
• GoPuff (10%)
• Sainsbury's (1%)*
• Tesco (1%)*

Transport

• Trainline (3%)
• Uber (1%)*

Food

• Cafe Nero (1%)*
• Greggs (1%)
• Joe and the Juice (10%)
• Just Eat (1%)
• McDonalds (1%)*
• Starbucks(1%)*

Shopping

• AVON (8%)
• Boohoo/BooHoo Man (8%)
• Foot Locker (6%)
• Green Man Gaming (5%)
  
• Starred retailers are "bonus offers" that are available for the first week when you sign up. After that week, you can get continued access to these offers by referring 2 friends (each two friends adds 30 days of access).
  

Set up Cheddar to get automatic cashback

• Download Cheddar by clicking here > > Use code TIGHTAS if required.
• Link your credit or debit card with the app
• Make a purchase to get cashback on your shopping!

Then refer your friends to get continued access to the Bonus Offers!
Also check out the similar apps: AirTime Rewards, and LoyalBe. These can all be used at the same time to maximise cashback.
Links:
Cheddar by clicking here ^{[no ref](https://get.cheddar.me/})

​
#playstation2 #flight #adventure --
Star Wars Starfighter For Sony PlayStation 2. If you're looking for a great mission-based video game, you should give this game a try. There are plenty of thrilling and interesting missions in Star Wars Starfighter. Players will navigate the sky and galaxy and engage in space battles while riding breath taking star ships such as the Naboo N-1. Have courage and protect the galaxy while fighting against the Trade Federation. Experience exhilarating air, and space combat with Star Wars Starfighter, this should be a wonderful game for star wars fans. --
Hey check out similar videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uKspxQ89s&list=PLVduyMnVQjzNYPljUBqwgAXdMPQ9CEKWY

Author's Note: This original work had once been created in hopes to be an original Star Wars story. The author has adapted the story to be its own original work taking place in the franchise. In particular, the author has chosen between the movies of Episode 6 and 7. Main characters, battles and other major events will either be cut out or referenced. This is not a fanfiction. All characters were created from the author aside other characters, such as the sentient species, items like blasters, were created and rightfully owned by Lucasfilm.
17 Standards Years Ago
She recalled the day when her brother was gone for good. Little Sorella was 6 years old. She and her brother, Dearthair, 12 were on their own in Kail.
Kail was Coruscant's smaller twin, on the grassland planet Miero. The town had stone adobes of shops and homes, everyone full of giddy and glow. Out to the south laid Neero, a spaceport settlement. On the occasion, some folk traveled to Neero to obtain exotic goods to sell back in Kail.
Despite the hearty prosperity of Kail, Sorella, and Dearthair were orphans. They hid in their ruined home, once full of glee and joy, now faded, cracked, and sloppy. Clothes, pots, pans, holograms, and drawers with emptiness now occupied the home.
Their parents ventured to Neero, trusting Dearthair to take care of the place while they were gone.
Later that day, an investigator visited the home to confirm that their parents, had died while protecting a kid from being taken away by traffickers.
With no parents, they were brought to the next town, Grangor. Yet, both knew, they couldn't stay there. The foster center was a heap, a dump. The caregiver didn't care about the kids trashing the place, she just wanted her money from the adoption fee to bid and brag about how she won another bet on Odupiendo racing. The children there began to form groups, making turfs and destroying each other's territory.
Not to mention, the possibility of separation. Their chances were even higher considering families of Grangor could only afford for 2 children to raise. They knew if either one of them left, they would no longer be the family they once knew before.
So by the next day, Sorella and Dearthair escaped and stayed in Kail. All it became was their next worst nightmare. The town had been ransacked by raiders. The community now had to use its funds to restore what was lost. And that meant raising prices and trips to Neero to resell exotic goods for better deals.
Despite this, they went back to their home and pondered about the food they would eat and how they could keep the place up.
At first, they begged for a bit. And when begging didn't work, one would pickpocket the distracted fool. They used any credit they acquired to quiet the rumbles in their stomachs.
Dearthair even began to ask for jobs around town but no one wanted to hire them. Not enough money to pay, one vendor noted. Had they not used the funds, there would've been a chance.
However, sometimes, if the shipments they received or the abundance of the crop were good, a few of the family friends they knew would stop by and give the siblings food. One of them, Kli, a Zeltron, tried her best to visit often, cleaning their home and cooked meals. She told them she would have offered her place but unfortunately, due to audits visiting, she did not want to risk them being taken back to foster care. (After all, for her, it was hard to lie. She hated telling a lie).
The siblings didn't mind, they appreciated the help.
They did eventually stop pickpocketing aside Dearthair who had gotten better at it. He promised to stop but he figured a few credits wouldn't hurt.
He was almost caught once at the same time as the day Sorella last saw him.
Dearthair was eyeing around a restaurant, searching for a clumsy idiot. There were a few visitors from other worlds here, whining and belching their sorrows away about some rumored war. This prompted Dearthair to steal without worry. Who would even notice? Even the bartenders would be too busy to give these drunks their drinks and people chatted about their life at tables.
As he passed by a few patrons, talk fumbled into the air. "Did you hear?" a Rodian stammered. "They're taking the children....just come in and start shooting..."
"What is the New Republic going to do about it? Nothing!" a Twi'lek snapped.
"I've heard that they use certain techniques....they don't remember who they were," an elderly man huffed.
Dearthair grumbled. None of these clients seemed to be carrying a huge sum of credits. Most looked down on their luck. Then there was...
He spotted a drunken human fool, slamming his credits on the counter. The human had on shiny boots with a blaster at his side, and gold linings on his coat toppled with a furry vest. "Moar!" he yelped. "Dang tenders....can't even affurd a proper dr...visit Kail they said, the best place to hide and..."
Dearthair slithered by the human's side, eyeing the gold before his eyes. He glimpsed around the room, checking for onlookers one last night in case anyone had the idea to look.
He stopped as he felt the human turn to him. "Hey kid...cun you tell sumone to hurry it up? I hit the jackpot today!"
"Oh, did you?" Dearthair said, raising his eyebrows.
"Sure did," the human burped. "Got me a hefty bounty and now I lay here low. I heard this place was the besst. It's gone to crap. You all this money for nothing....you might as well just take off to another place....they say a storm's brewing....so run if you an..."
"Really, huh?" Dearthair continued, now secretly roaming his hand in the human's coat pockets, scrambling for credits.
"Kid, listen to me, HIC-UP, you're better off on your own if I were you." The human sneezed and tossed his credits on the counter to the bartender. "Yo tender, gimme another one of those bluey thingies. The watchmacallit with the special."
"That's unfortunate," Dearthair hummed, now counting how many credits he had in his hand before shoving it in his pocket.
The human swirled around in his seat, causing Dearthair to flinch. He froze, terrified that he was caught. The human hadn't seen it but the way his eyes stared at the boy...it was like he knew.
He proved to be wrong as he sighed. "Kid, I know I...HI-CUP...may look like a fool but...never turn your back down on an offer. Look around...no one's coming to help you. The town got ransacked by raiders and do you get? Nothing. You have to use everything on your own to 'fix' your problems. Yet if it was Neero, oh, for sure, let's make it all pretty and shiny for the tourists. And yet they stop the imports because of the darn fear of theft."
"Well, everyone helps when they can," Dearthiar noted. "A little bit of help can go a long way."
"Yeah, but to be a man...you have to learn to be on your own. You wanna be someone's babysitter fine. They admire you more though...when you can show you can stand on your own two feet. That's what everyone wants. So guess what...if this upcoming war starts and the New Republic ain't doing a lick of Bantha dong to help....then my allegiance is to those who offer me a place."
The human glanced at his new drink sitting quietly, took one long chug, and laid his head on the counter to sleep.
Dearthair breathed in and out, full of relief. The other customers were still busy with their worries. Digging in for a few more credits, he booked out of the restaurant, heading back home.
He knocked on the door and sounded the bell, alerting Sorella he was there. She led him in and they counted the credits.
"1,000 credits," Dearthair noted. "Enough for 2 loaves of bread, some pieces of fruit, blue milk, porridge from Kali's and maybe we'll have enough to buy The Last Starfighter." He nodded to the holoprojector they had propped by the window along with a few holograms.
"Can't wait to watch that one, I heard from Yue it was a good show," Sorella said.
They went out to buy the items and returned home happily. Yet, Dearthair's mind did not venture off from the human's words. Even when watching The Last Starfighter, he kept thinking back to that old kook's speech. Were they truly doomed to be there?
Well, he knew the guy was drunk but still...his words held some truth.
Kail was surely picking its place back up but time proved other areas were now suffering. Neero was barely getting any more exotic goods, causing another economic shift, leaving Kail to sell only what they produced around them. And last of Grangor, pfff, who knows. And with words about war, kidnappings, and no one helping....it made Dearthair wonder how he could escape this.
He stared at Sorella, intentively interested in the hologram. She had become a bit of a handful now. Kli wasn't around as much considering she was preparing her shop for inspection. Sorella once had almost set the house on fire by trying to cook some food. Or that other time when she tried to take some strange "candy" from an alien, he had to swipe her away.
He was the one who had to take charge, making sure they had food, she wasn't going anywhere she shouldn't be, keep aware of who was at the door, and how to pickpocket....come to think of it, he surely could've survived by himself. Still, he knew Sorella was all that was left of the family he knew.
His parents...they would be so proud of him, doing all he could to provide for himself and his sister. Yet, there was only so much he could do now.
"Hey, Sorella?" he asked as the hologram ended, the hero fading in the blue light. "Do you ever think about...getting away from here?"
Sorella thought for a bit. "I don't know...I mean...I like it here. It can be rebuilt. We just need to get more money."
Dearthair felt his heart clenched. "Well, what if you had to get away from here....and go anywhere else?"
"Well, yeah, I would go but then I go back over here," Sorella beamed.
"What is it that you love about it here?"
"Well, how it used to be. Remember when Kli would give us those Oprair cakes, Ronen with the Swirly Tumblers, Jei let us play with the Pikies. This...is home to me. I can't imagine leaving it." Sorella's eyes glistened with tears. "And Mom...Dad..."
Dearthair swung his head. He circuited his eyes back to Sorella only, seeing her stare into space, more tears plundering down.
He felt guilty seeing her eyes like that. It would eat him up next, reminding him about his parents. It reminded him though what a baby she was...she could never keep her emotions in check. She was always so sensitive when it came to things that bothered her, like when he told her to be careful about cooking.
"Are we going to go away?"
Sorella's eyes were now on Dearthair, awaiting an answer.
Dearthair shook his head. "The only one coming and going is me," he said, patting her head. "You're staying here."
Sorella laughed. She yawned and got up, heading towards her room. "Goodnight, Dearthair," she said. "Thanks for always looking out for me, brother."
Dearthair smiled. "Of course," he said, his eyes averted away. "Anything to keep family together."
She didn't remember the exact time, but it happened at the darkest hour of the night. Sorella woke up to hearing screams, and loud wails booming through the atmosphere.
Then came the smoke. She sniffed the air, a wisp of charcoal and harsh heat filling her lungs. She coughed a little before getting up, wondering if maybe it was Dearthair this time trying to cook (he had his moments too).
Instead of the glare from the windows, she saw bright gleams of blazes erupting around the other homes.
"What?" she gasped, checking around and seeing the chaos unfold before her eyes.
A few of the homes were destroyed, either eaten alive by the pulsing inferno or shattered apart.
People were running everywhere, bellows echoing and confusion amassing.
What the hell was going on?
"Dearthair! Kail's on fire!" Sorella yelled, running to her brother's room. She went inside to see he wasn't there. "Dearthair?"
BOOM!
The house shook wildly. Sorella stumbled to keep her balance. She ducked under a table, stayed for a few minutes, and then bolted out to the door again, to peek.
She now saw one of the sources of the chaos. Before her eyes was a white armored abomination, its hideous nightmarish visor scanning around for its next victim. Behind its body, it held a giant tank and in its hands, a huge gun with a nozzle. The abomination aimed the nozzle at a home and enraptured its flames from the gun. It engulfed the house in seconds.
Sorella gulped, stepping back inside her home. Danger lurked behind her as she twirled around to see flames were now entering her home.
Sorella shrieked and scampered out.
She took no notice of the abomination known as the Flametrooper, eyeing her running away. "We have one here, near the homes," he noted.
Sorella mindlessly searched around. "Dearhair!" she cried, wondering where he was. She even looked for the adults, any familiar faces but no one stopped, they continue to run without care.
"Help!"
Sorella turned to see a kid like her now snatched up by another abomination. This one had a different visor, its helmets more delicate with design and he carried no tank, just a blaster in his hand. "That's almost all of them!" the second abomination, the Stormtrooper said, carrying the struggling kid away.
Sorella felt a verge of tears and bellows in her body but she knew she had to escape. In times of danger like this taught by Dearthair, she knew she had to run.
She darted past a couple more homes before she then saw one of the Stormtroopers takes notice of her. "Get her!"
She crawled through gaps, between walls, under trenches, anywhere to get away from the horrid monsters.
She never turned around.
Sorella made it safe once she had entered a small hole in a broken-down store, its entrance blocked by the fallen beam supports. The troopers behind her attempted to fight their way in, clashing with the beams. She ran to the back entrance and shut the door, hoping for some reason at least that would stop them.
She turned around to see another nightmare. The Stormtroopers with the kids were heading inside large vehicles. Kids all stuck together, hugging one another and crying. A few bodies laid on the ground. Some folks still fought the troopers, which unfortunately ended in their demise.
"You won't take him away from me!" a mother yelled. She was on the ground the second she jumped at a trooper.
Sorella hid behind a crate, peering from above. She spotted him.
"Dearthair?" she said, seeing a familiar figure. He was guided by two Stormtroopers, heading inside one of the large vehicles.
"No, Dearthair!" Sorella yelled.
She foolishly ran forward, only to be picked up by someone. Kli held her in her arms, rampantly charging towards a land speeder.
"No, my brother!"
"We'll find him," Kli said. "I'm sorry, Sorella, there's nothing we can do. You will die!"
"I don't care, I don't want them to take my brother!".
Sorella's eyes misted. Her vision blurred as she turned from the inferno of homes to the somber kids in vehicles and looked back to the land speeder, a few others joining them. There were the last of parents, shopkeepers, and their children.
"Hit it!" Kli said as she strapped herself and Sorella in.
"No, Dearthair!" Sorella said, turning around.
The pad to the vehicle closed up, sealing the familiar figure's fate.
"No! Turn back! Turn back!" Sorella pleaded. "Mom...Dad...brother!"
No one gave her any recognition as the land speeder surged forward, Kili holding Sorella tightly, trying to calm her.
"We have to tell everyone about this," Kli hollered. Get the New Republic, contact the other planets around us and..."
She never finished her words as a huge blast exploded behind them, sending the vehicle tumbling.
All Sorella remembered from this part was that she was flying in the air for a bit and hit the ground, knocking her to sleep.
Thanks for reading this if you made it to the end! This is my first time writing in a while (I know I probably messed up some stuff) and I'm all about improving at my craft. Critique away every little bit, just help me to know what I can do to improve!

Exciting news! 🎉 Our latest blog post, "Most Active Investors 2023: May Edition", is now live!
This monthly update delivers the most comprehensive analysis of VC landscape from January to May 2023. Unveiling the major players in pre-seed, seed, Series A, and Series B investments, we provide a deeper understanding of current VC trends and the biggest checks of May 2023. 🚀
Key highlights include:

• Pre-seed stage domination by Y Combinator, TechStars, and Antler. 💼-- -TechStars and San Diego Angel Conference leading seed stage investments. 🌱
  
• Andreessen Horowitz and General Catalyst marking a high activity in Series A. 💡
  
• Andreessen Horowitz, Bpifrance, and Battery Ventures making a strong impression in Series B investments. 🎯
  

Stay ahead of the curve and make more informed decisions with our detailed analysis. Join the conversation and share your thoughts - we're eager to hear what you think!
Link to the blog post will be in the first comment below. 👇

VentureCapital #InvestmentTrends #VC2023

About Apple
Three friends gathered in a garage without even knowing they were about to start something that would revolutionize the history of technology. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne started to produce miniature computers, and that is how Apple was born on April 1, 1976, in Cupertino, in the Silicon Valley, California.
The first computer released for the market was the Apple 1, made by Wozniak, but the company just took off in 1977 when the Apple 2 was presented at a computer fair. In 1980, when the Apple 3 was launched, the company started to explore the international market. In the meantime, they went through a big crisis in the same decade when Wozniak had a plane crash and Steve Jobs took over as CEO. Steve later quit the company and returned only in 1996 when Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy.
From that time on, Apple started to build products and programs that revolutionized the industry, and with this, it created an opportunity for a highly potential brand. It created the iMac, a laptop that caught the attention of the young public, the iPod that allows you to listen to music anywhere, the iPhone, a smartphone with super functionalities and entertainment, and the iPad, a tablet similar to a laptop with great mobility and connectivity. The company also launched iTunes, a player that you can use to store, organize, and synchronize music for other gadgets.
Over time, new products have been launched, and more people have enjoyed the brand. Apple has been a well-renowned brand all over the world, and its products can be found in every corner, even after Steve’s death in 2011. We can say that this was his legacy.
Learning With Apple
Dedicating oneself to this is the most creative and innovative thing one can do, as it will serve as a reference. Consequently, when it comes to being a reference for reality, your brand will become a great source of inspiration. Here are some things that entrepreneurs can learn from Apple’s journey:
Look for all growth possibilities to invest in a business. The third co-founder of Apple, Ronald Wayne, sold his stake twelve days after the company was created. Today, his stake would be worth billions.
Improving the product creates expectations and sharpens the consumer’s interest. The launches of all brands are highly anticipated, as the technology surprises with each change.
Offer expert support. In addition to sales, if the customer needs any repairs or if there are any faults in the cell phone, only Apple itself will have the ideal solution. This is due to the originality of the materials. Apple’s mission is to develop products that empower people by integrating accessibility features into every gadget, software, and service. Do you believe they are on the right path? We, from the APPLE FAN METAVERSE, believe they are, and that is why we are here to follow the same ideals, modeling the best of Apple, because we too want to become a reference as a token to all who are Apple fans, just like we are.
Check them out: https://linktr.ee/Applefanmetas

Their is meaning in suffering. All the growth in the world comes from experiencing it and growing based off of it. It will make you stronger. Happiness makes you settle comparatively and changes you in different ways than suffering does. Generally theirs a balancing of the two but as to not complicate the things: to live in this world modernly the best way possible would be to suffer at least 30% of your life with the rest being happiness. Too much suffering wouldn’t be a good life and too little suffering would mean a lack of growth and eventually the suffering would hit back harder. If you experience 100% happiness even the prickle of a finger can ruin your entire day. If everything you see is suffering the slightest compliment could make your day. Both rules apply there.
All of this is great and it means I do need to suffer. Suffering isn’t something I’m avoiding as it’s necessary to prevent further suffering. That’s right… suffering is required so that you don’t build up the wrong persona and have a reality check but because of your ego and already developed mind cannot change as a person and instead end up doing things that will cause more suffering within your life. But, because life and existence are so unbelievably useless, I will continue to fight against life as a concept and find a way to end it even if it’s meaningless.

After I made my first 1,000 rounds, I've never had to make or buy anymore since. How? Well, I'm not entirely sure. But, I think I have a pretty good idea. and NO, I don't have the "find more ammo in containers" perk.
So, I have always loved the luck skill. I think after I leveled it up to 15, it's causing the enemies to drop way more of my ammo type. For example, today as a test, I went to do some events with only 500 rounds. I'm not sure how long it was, but I think it was only a few events later and now I had 1,500 rounds. Mind you, there was a lot of shooting because 1 of those events was the scorched event.
I've tried this with the Gatling gun, mainly, and also the Gauss rifle. Anything else, I feel like it fires to quickly and you waste a lot of ammo, either by misses or the DPS just being too bad.
So, just try it out for a few events and see if it works for you. Personally, it seems like after the 15 luck, they are definitely 100% dropping up to 50 5mm rounds, and frequently too! I never run out of ammo, and mean while, I get to pick up all the other types of ammo they drop, that I never use, so that just gets banked while I continue to gain even more ammo. My ammo stores are stocked right now, and it feels good not having to worry about it. Not having to worry about getting lead or gunpowder. It takes a lot of stress off of playing.
​
This would be great for new players to use while you figure out what your end game weapon is gonna be.
I recommend going to the vendor bot Phoenix in Watoga shopping plaza and buying the Gatling gun plan, and then creating your own and pimping it out as much as you can. DO NOT worry about putting an extra large mag on, just leave that alone. Don't put a bayonet on either. But DO get a good 3 star legendary mod on that thing right away! Take the time and effort to get the right one, pick something that suits your play style. ALSO, You should level up Strength to 15, too and get ALL of the heavy gun perks. There's 4 cards for strength, 3 damage and 1 damage resist. There's 1 in Luck, too. I think it's the 1 that boosts your heavy guns damage while in power armor or something. Check all the perk cards and get anything that boosts heavy guns and you can't go wrong!

Rude customers anger me. I have gotten multiple one-star ratings unfairly and was wondering how I should go about handling them. Here is a little story for you all. This experience as a shopper really grinded my gears today. It starts with me waiting for batches and chilling at the local bar. I only take orders with 5 items or fewer so I can come back and get my seat at the bar. I was on my 5th batch and decided to take a slightly bigger order of 35 items. It was also extremely far, which was about 15 miles. I had to go to this Ralphs all the way by the beach which was a very stressful experience. I was a little busy taking a few shots before leaving and I had tried to Along the drive my customer scolded me about being too slow and I must start my batch in 5 minutes or I am going to automatically get a four-star rating. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
I absolutely hate Ralphs. everything is so expensive and the aisles are not even arranged in alphabetical order. The customer specifically wanted organic bananas. They were completely out of organic bananas. What kind of store runs out of bananas? I attempted to replace it with regular bananas which they did have. I got an angry message stating that she needs it to be organic. I replied back with "Who cares a banana is a banana". I didn't like the customer's condescending and rude tone in the message. Here is the thing with organic or regular they all taste the same so really it doesn't matter. Do people really get that butthurt that their precious organic food is out of stock? anyways I lied and said I found it and replaced the regular banana bag with an organic banana bag. When I was ready to check out, I got a message saying that the customer saying that they did not approve of my milk substitution. They wanted whole milk but I replaced it with 2%. the first time I replaced it with whole milk because they wanted a specific brand and they didn't have it. I just gave him 2%, because who drinks whole milk nowadays anyways it's 2023. This milk also had to be organic believe it or not. I had to get out of line and fix it. After waiting in line for about 10 minutes, I finally check out and sit in more traffic. This person lived in a stupid neighborhood because the only way to get there efficiently is to take a toll road.
I wish Instacart could pay extra for toll road coverage which I will complain about. I finally get to the customer's house. I rang the doorbell and a short, fat, frumpy white woman came and snatched my bags. No wonder she wanted whole milk I say to myself. She was still unhappy with my service and she kind of scolded me about my replacements and my attitude toward it. As I left, I politely asked if she could put 5 on gas. She angrily told me to have a nice day slamming the door right in my face. The next morning, I woke up with a one-star review with a long message flamming me. I decided to report it to Instacart explaining the situation. Is there anything else that can be done to take my one-star review off my profile?
​
​