Every tree in all the forests on Earth.
Every grain of sand on the beach.
Every drop in the ocean.
None of these even come close to infinity. If you think you have comprehended how big that is, you are wrong. Nothing can be compared to the endless number, and nothing will ever allow any of us to truly understand it. But I'm willing to bet I'm the closest to it. I am not from this universe. The multiverse is the best example of infinity, and I have travelled across it more times than I could possibly count. Yet even my travels do not come close to the colossal giant of unlimited. I invented multiversal travel; perhaps I should have set limits before toying with something so limitless.
At first, it was amazing. More than that - It was like experiencing a miracle. Up until the very moment that I successfully travelled, it was purely theoretical. Proving that it worked in practice changed everything. I was not alone when I pressed the button on that device, but I was once I let go of it. I was in the kitchen, and my family watched as I used it, and presumably saw me disappear. At the time, the device had no proper way of navigating the multiverse or keeping a history of previous destinations, so my original universe has been lost in the boundless flow of everything. My original family probably still think they saw me die that day.
After the transport, things immediately felt different in that room. Small things that you'd never truly notice, but after living there for so long, I think my subconscious knew. The paint strokes on the wall in slightly different directions than before. The tiles of the floor seeming slightly colder than usual. The marble pattern of the countertops just seeming...off. I was seeing something so very familiar, yet not what I knew. The bigger picture hadn't changed, but every tiny detail making it up had.
I avoided finding myself. I left the house as soon as possible and explored the new world. Nothing was substantially new, and I wanted to experience more. So I kept pressing the button. That first week or so had me switching universes at least 20 times a day. It turns out that about half of them don't contain any life - But that's still an infinite amount. 50% of the endlessness is still endless.
It only took a few weeks before I wanted to find another me and speak to them. The times I did were wonderful at first - Experiencing myself from a third-person perspective is something I could hardly wrap my head around. And neither could me - the other me. As selfish as it sounds, meeting myself for the first time is a fond memory I have.
That was 25 years ago. Since then, I have visited realities where our technology has become so much more advanced; They taught me a lot. I've seen Earths with 3 moons, I've witnessed the globe after an apocalypse, and I've experienced a world where humans were not the dominant species. I have done everything twice, and to be honest... I grew tired of it. When you have every possible scenario in the palm of your hand, what's the point?
Every insect on every tree in all the forests on Earth.
Every possible arrangement of every grain of sand on the beach.
Every single molecule of every drop in the ocean, multiplied by a billion.
None of those numbers even come close to the infinity that this device could reach. When you know that your life is 1 in infinity, you have mathematically and scientifically proven yourself to be nothing. 0.
The first time the multiverse truly scared me is not on any of the near-death experiences I've had in my journies. It's when I first found a universe in which I never existed. Nobody knew or cared. My family; my friends; my colleagues - they were all just as happy. If a puzzle piece is not even a requirement to finish the puzzle, why include it in the box?
I've done things I'm not proud of. When I say I've done everything twice, I mean everything - The good and the bad. I've caused extinctions on entire Earths just for fun. The overall number of living beings in the multiverse is always infinite - So do deaths even count? Murdering 8,000,000 people sounds like a lot, but compared to the infinite that is left and always will be left, it's not even a drop in the ocean. Actions have no consequences when you have seen the boundless infinity. I have killed you before.
Don't feel so down about that, though. Those people are all still alive in every other universe. You're still alive in this one. Those actions had a net loss of nothing. I'm not evil - Given infinite possibilities, everyone would eventually do everything. It's just a game of probabilities at that point. You would do it, too.
There was a time when I wished I could still be surprised, and that time was only a few days ago. But I may have wished too hard, because for the first time since I started my travels, I am experiencing something new. In hindsight, it was obvious that something like this would happen eventually, but it simply never crossed my mind.
I met another me. This in itself wasn't a surprise; I meet myself all the time. But this me was different - He had also discovered multiversal travel. He had been travelling for about as long as I had and was growing just as bored with the same old new. I don't know what's less likely - Bumping into each other, or not having bumped into each other sooner.
We shared our experiences, and although neither of us had done anything the other hadn't, it still felt nice. It felt nice that someone could truly understand how alone and insignificant I felt amongst it all. You can imagine my interest when he told me he had a plan that would allow us to truly experience something new.
I jokingly said "Well the only thing we haven't tried,"
He knew the end of the sentence, "is death!"
"Exactly," we both laughed, "is that your plan?"
He smiled as he clarified, "We both think the same way - You know that's not my plan. Because if it were,"
I finished his sentence, "it would be a bad plan. Because even death is insignificant."
We exchanged a melancholy smile, a face I'm used to pulling, but not seeing.
He broke the silence. "It's a bit bigger than that. I'm thinking something like...the death of everyone."
I was confused at first. "Like, taking this entire universe out with us in it? What's even the difference? There are still infinite other universes left. It'd still equate to nothing, mathematically."
"No, my dearest me. I mean everyone. Taking out the multiverse."
My emotions whirred to life for the first time in decades. I felt dread, terror, fear...
"The multiverse?" I asked this with an almost shaky voice. Feeling such a primal emotion felt strange, almost new. Death doesn't scare me, not now that I've experienced it all. But the idea of nothing existing? That's something worth being frightened over.
"Exactly. Here, I've got it all planned out."
He handed me multiple sketches - plans to alter our devices in a way that wouldn't pull the user through the multiverse, but instead, pull reality apart. Not just nearby, but across every single universe. It required both of our devices' parts to succeed.
I've run the numbers again and again. I've found no faults.
"You can't be serious."
"As I said, we both think alike. You know I'm serious."
"I do NOT think like you. This isn't a plan, this is an ending."
"Well perhaps when the author refuses to write an ending, someone needs to step in and force it."
It was only at this point that I realised, just because someone is genetically you, it will never make them you. The only me is me. There is only one of me. There is only one of you. The infinite number of us across the multiverse are identical in every way, but they are not us. Only you will ever get the true privilege of being you.
He spoke again, "It's all or nothing. You know what it's like - Ending one life, a million lives, a TRILLION lives, all total to nothing. The only way to get anything greater than 0 is to go for everything. There are two options here - Insignificance, or the total end of it all... And I'm sick of living the former."
"A single death is not insignificant, it --"
"You spoke it yourself, did you not?"
It began to dawn on me all the horrific acts I've committed in my search for new things to do.
"Yes. But that was then... This is now..."
He knew I wasn't going to help him. Truthfully, I think he knew that from the beginning - He reached into his pocket and pulled out a device. He did this whilst already holding his own in his other hand. I hastily reached into my own pocket to confirm what I already knew, as my pocket was empty.
"I'm sorry we couldn't see eye-to-eye."
With that, he pressed a button, and was gone. He left me stranded in this universe. Your universe.
Needless to say, we're still alive. I just don't know if that's going to last.
Maybe someone stopped him, maybe he just hasn't activated it yet. I cannot predict what is going to happen, and that terrifies me almost as much as his plan itself. It's not a feeling I'm used to anymore.
Maybe nothing will happen. I hope nothing will happen. But I felt it my duty to inform you, so that if you see on the news that something at the distant edge of our galaxy is rapidly moving towards us, at least you'll know what it is. It's the end of everything, ripping apart everything in its path.
Everyone in the other universes will have no idea what's headed for them.
Only this one will.
A 1 in infinity chance - 0% odds of this universe being the one to find out.
And yet here we are.
Maybe that does make this one significant after all.

So about 3 days ago me & my girlfriend of 2 years had sex. I’ve always worn condoms & she does know of that I am Hsv-2 positive. I been positive for about 7-8 years. During that intercourse towards the end she asked me to remove the condom which I did & continued to have sex but not nearly as long as we were prior to that. Even though she does accept me this way & understood of what could possibly come one day, it’s me who still has a hard time getting over the fact that guilt of passing something onto to someone who doesn’t have herpes. I’m grateful I found love & someone to love me, but just can’t get over doing this to someone else. Feels unfair. What are the chances that I passed this onto her in that small window of unprotected sex. I’ve never been symptomatic. Atleast not to my knowledge so I’d like to believe that I’ve always been asymptomatic. She has yet to experience anything since that day but I know the incubation period is anywhere between 4-12 on average but can also take longer. What worries me & what I would hate most is if she were to have to deal with symptoms I never had to deal with. Hoping someone can be honest & give an idea of the chances I passed this onto her as I said in that small window of unprotected sex.
Thanks guys. God bless.

I've recently come into acquisition of a great many of the Star Trek Books published in the 70s-90s. Mostly it was due to them being insanely cheap at my local comic store (we are talking 30¢ each cheap!).
Mostly these are OG series and TNG. I'm only a recent fan and these novels don't seem to get quite as much love as I'd have expected. I'm curious as to the general consensus that the sub has on the earlier novels. There are so many of them, it's just mind boggling.
I'm starting towards the beginning with the adaptations of the episodes to begin with, then on to the numbered series of OG books. I really enjoy how bite sized these are.
So tell me, what's your general opinion on the early years of Star Trek publishing? I'd like to get a discussion going!

From Globe.com:
The thematic parallels between “Air,” starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and their own friendship are as clear as the baselines on a basketball court.
“Air” tells the story of the creation of Nike’s now-iconic “Air Jordan” sneaker line in 1984 at the advent of Michael Jordan’s NBA career.
Affleck, who directed the film, plays Nike founder Phil Knight. Damon is Sonny Vaccaro, a scout and Nike representative who pleads to convince a skeptical Knight to allow him to spend the fledgling company’s modest basketball budget entirely on Jordan, the third pick in the 1984 NBA Draft.
In separate recent phone conversations, Affleck and Damon both acknowledged that their desire to tell the origin story of Air Jordans was sparked in part by its similarity to the intentions of their Artists Equity production company, which prioritizes providing fair pay to film crews, actors, and other personnel who have seen their paychecks squeezed in the age of streaming. It’s about making sure talent is properly compensated — similar in spirit to what Deloris did for her son. Granted, improving the pay of the craft service staff has considerably less of a financial impact than Jordan’s nearly 40-year Nike windfall.
“I don’t want to claim that it’s in giant radical ways,” said Affleck, who called while waiting to appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Tuesday night, “but even small changes in terms of making owners of the artists in front of and behind the camera, and really dedicating your spending to that, would create a better environment to work and better films.”
Damon noted that with “Air,” the first film produced under the Artists Equity banner, they went over budget in three areas: construction, cast (one that also includes Chris Tucker as Nike executive Howard White, and Chris Messina as Jordan’s agent David Falk), and … food trucks. On set in Santa Monica, “we had five food trucks in our little office park at all times. A coffee truck, a Korean barbecue, a Mexican place, and a couple of others,” said Damon, chuckling. “After having made movies for three decades each, we know what really matters.”
The other theme — that other parallel between the movie and their lives — is the one they say matters even more to them. In the film and real life, Deloris Jordan is a relentless advocate for her son, someone he can lean on and trust, someone who loved him before the world knew his name. Affleck and Damon, who met when they lived blocks from each other in Cambridge, the former 8 years old and the latter 10, have been unwavering in their mutual support, from their meteoric rise to superstardom with 1997′s “Good Will Hunting” through the inevitable turbulence that comes with decades spent in the Hollywood spotlight.
“I love Matt, he’s my best friend, and we just looked at each other at one point and said, ‘Why in the world are we not doing more stuff together?,’” said Affleck, who previously teamed up with Damon on “The Last Duel” two years ago.
“We’re old enough now to look back at 25 years and go, well, who you spend your time with at work turns out to make up a very big part of the quality of your life. If you’re really lucky, you love what you do and you love who you work with, and as they say back home” — he broke into a slightly exaggerated Boston accent — “ya nevah work anothah day in ya life!”
He later brings up the Dunkin’ commercial, featuring him working a drive-thru window in Medford. “We had a couple of hours where people were legitimately surprised and then it kind of blew up, but that’s all we needed,” he said. “We got great stuff because I just was like, ‘let me tell you something, we’re gonna go to Medford, we go to Revere, it’s gonna be spectacular. You guys have gotta trust me. I’m gonna build this campaign and this is a commercial for you guys in a way that’s authentic to the brand. I mean, I already feel like I work for the company anyway since they’re constantly running pictures of me carrying the coffee.”

20 years is enough for me in this world. I can't stand it anymore. My gf says she loves me; I can't believe her, How can she loves me? I can't even love myself. I goddamn hate myself. I can't stand myself. I wish everything ends. 12 hours of sleep isn't enough I am tired and sleepy everyday. Is my end near?

I have read so many horror stories about purchasing from the Google Store, that I have told myself in the past that I wouldn't use it. However that changed recently when my SIL dropped my 6 Pro, cracking the screen. Google was offering $306 trade-in value on a 7 Pro, whilst Best Buy and T-mobile were offering $58 and $37 respectively.
Well, I received my phone quickly (being sure to request signature release, which FedEx ignored until I told the driver I needed to sign for it), as well as the trade-in kit. I wiped the old phone, made a video of it turning on and placing it into the kit, and shipped it off.
Got an email two days later saying that the phone had been received, was evaluated, and that I would be receiving $356 in compensation... $50 more than I was initially quoted.
Anyways like I said, I've seen so many negative stories about this whole purchase process, that I thought I'd never go through with it myself. I'm glad I did as it netted me nearly $300 more than the next best offer.
I hope everyone else that goes through this process has as successful a transaction as I did.
That is all! Cheers

I've been struggling with suicidal thoughts and self-harm for nearly 5 years now and I've already tried asking someone for help and they promised they wouldn't tell anyone but the next day, my dad knew, my grandma knew, all of my family friends knew and so did random strangers I didn't even know. I got yelled a real bad for multiple days, and it really sucked. That was 2 years ago and I only stopped sh for like a month as they forgot and then just continued on. I've recently started trusting my teacher more because she noticed I was scratching myself a lot I anxiety and pulled me out of class to ask if I'm okay. It scared me at first, a lot, but it's nice to know that she cares. She was really sweet and asked me to please stop doing that. I can't really stop but it made me think, maybe I can be okay. I want to ask for help, really badly. She's the first adult I've trusted in a long time and she didn't even tell anyone! Or the other teachers are good at hiding it. I'm really scared though, teachers have to report that sorta stuff and I really don't want my dad to know or for him to be accused of abuse! He's trying to be better and I don't want to be given back to my mom. I'd rather die. I just really want someone, an adult to trust and tell you know?? Please, help me.

For all our sakes XD, either imagine Sonic Characters like Faunus, or RWBY characters like Mobians.
Later I will continue Cinder Month with a satire.

Scenario One: Hammer Senpai

Nora: I could take her in a fight!
Knuckles: No...
Nora: But...
Knuckles: Look you're strong kid. But Amy is a different monster.
Amy: Hiya!
Nora: How strong is she?
She asks as Amy takes her by the hand, and guides her away. Nora finally feeling fear even when Amy is smiling cutely.
Knuckles: May the Ancient Walkers have mercy on her...
---
Nora: Sooooo we're a lot alike?
Amy: Oh? Yeah!
Nora: We both love Pink, we got awesome hammers!
Amy: And we're adorable yet badass!
Nora: And we both like broody bois!
Amy: What....? No....?
Nora: I mean.... You and Shadow aren't a thing?
Amy: Mouth opens and closes then opens again then closes again, as her brain tries to process that. Then a massive blush starts to spread through her whole body. As she finally realizes... Oh shit he's hot!
Ren: Huh... So you do respect her.
Shadow: Hnn. Yes why?
Ren: Just saying.
Shadow: Like you don't tell yours the same?
Ren: I... well...
Shadow: Take it from me. You won't always have her around. Cherish it while you still can. He says thinking of Maria Robotnik.

Scenario Two: Future Warning!

Ruby: And we've thought of everything?
Time Portal opens up and Silver shows up.
Silver: I'M FROM THE FUTURE! AND CINDER!
Vanishes, off to go deal with other problems in the past.
Ruby: Oh yeah... I forgot about Cinder.
Emerald: Phew that was a close one.
Penny: For real. One of us might have died.
---
Cinder: NOOOO MY NEFARIOUS PLAN FOILED!!!! WHYYYYYYY?!!!!!

Scenario Three: Joke Villains.

Cinder: Well I don't belong here.
Infinite: I thought so too once...
Cinder:....
Neo Metal Sonic: I was so fucking cool and then they just... dumbed me down and don't even let me speak anymore.
Eggman: Oh puh lease you're all whiners. The key is to be entertaining and fucking terrifying at the same time!
Everyone: SHUT IT EGGMAN!
Eggman: Later Haters!
Struts out like he owns the room. Then punts Salem and Adam in there.

Scenario Four: Robo Meet Up

Penny: Woah you have a physical body but made of data? Fascinating!
Nicole: Thanks I also used to control a badass city made of Nanites, had a cool chinese dress at one point, would've liked to keep that.
Shard: You still rock the current look.
Nicole Blushes at Shard's compliment, who then shyly looks away.
Penny: Huh... Tries to process what's going on there. So you have... Eyes biink as she web searchs. Are romantically involved?
Shard and Nicole: WOAH WOAH WOAH I UH IT'S UH!!!
Omega: Yes. I find it sickening. I prefer it when things are on fire.
Belle: Please no... I don't like fire.
Omega: Because you're made of inferior material.
Gemerl: Take. That. Back.
Omega: Make. Me.
Penny: And they're fighting! She sounds cheerful as the big brawl begins.
Nicole: They do this every week. Yet still good friends.
Belle: What about you Penny? is there anyone you're really close to?
Penny: Well... Thinks of a girl in a red cloak.

Scenario Five: Family Reunion

Cardin: Hey...
Velvet: Cardin not right now.
She says exasperated not wanting to deal with the bully right now.
Velvet: I'm meeting my family in a few seconds, cousins mostly. And I don't have time for whatever stunt you want to pull.
Cardin: Look I just-
He was cut off by a cold metallic hand squeezing his shoulder tightly.
Bunnie: Now Sugah, she told ya that she dun wan to deal with ya right now.
Vailla: Oh my... Bunnie, don't get so violent in public. I am sure he is a nice young man.
Cream: Maybe he could help out with setting up tea?
Cardin: I uh...
Gulps surrounded by the rabbits.
Cardin: Would be happy to!
---
Smash cut to Cardin dressed in a pink dress, and playing tea time with Cream, wondering what choices in his life led up to this moment and then turns around nearly jumping out of his skin as he sees Shadow there, looking the same as ever, Edgy, dark and terrifying save for a pink bow in his hair.
Shadow: Pass the sugar. If you would. Please and Thank you.
He still says super seriously.
Shadow: And mind your manners, she will use a gun on you if you don't.
Cardin: Nods shakily.

Final Scenario: Princess Time.

Sally: So let's see what I am dealing with here.
She takes out her reading classes and clipboard. Sonic idly blushes seeing how cute she looks as a business type.
Sally: From what I can see. You're a spoiled brat.
Weiss: HEY!
Sally: You're not officially a princess but you still ran away.
Blake: That's not fai-
Blaze: Shuts her up with a singular glare and crossed arms.
Sally: Listen. It's not about fairness, the kind of positions that you two are in, you're going to have to step up.
Blaze: I will train you both to be stronger. Especially you. She says with a pointed look at Blake.
Blake: I am not wea-
Blaze flicks her with a single fiery finger, shattering Blake's aura.
Blaze: We have a long way to go.
She picks up Blake like a kitten and flies away with fire bursting from her feet like rockets.
Sally: As for you. You said you wanted to do right by your family, but your family has a business. And you can't just be some fighter... SO!
Slams a big book on the table, breaking it just a bit.
Sally: Time for some studying, I would ask Nicole for help, but it's her vacation time.
Weiss:.... Ughhhh....Sinks down into the chair.

And that's all folks.

I have the amazing luck to live minutes walking away from a cheap taco truck in San Francisco. It's called El Tonayense. It's like $4 for a small taco.
I cook 1/2 cup Durum Semolina pasta (without salt of course).
I then mix the pasta with the taco meat(beef) that I bough from the taco truck. The meat has a lime flavor. Then I mix in 1/2 teaspoon of McCormick crushed red peppers. Then I mix in 2 tablespoons of Costco minced garlic that I heated on high for a minute. Then I squeeze a lime that the taco truck gave me ontu the pasta. Then I poach an egg.
I season the poached egg with the leftover seasonings from the pasta.
Uber Cheap(less than $5 a serving).
Uber Flavorful.
Uber Easy (No thinking whatsoever!).
Uber quick!
Does anybody else love half cooking?

I'm going to one of those bi-yearly doctor visits and vaccines. The problem? My fresh self-harm cuts are near the place where they give the vaccine and I'd still have to roll my whole sleeve up. I've tried putting makeup on them but it doesn't work. I'm gonna try to make her vaccinate me on my other shoulder but I'm scared she'll make me do the left one and my dad and doctor will see because she always used to do my left and I totally forgot it's in only 3 days.

Im really questioning how battlefield 2042 runs so poorly, like i can have it on my suggested settings and it will still run like shit. In Battlefield 5 i could have all my graphics on ultra without the game even stuttering, tho in Battlefield 2042 i can have nearly all my settings set to low and the game will still stutter a little bit, and when i turn it up it gets much worse. I dont know why my PC can handle Battlefield 5, but not Battlefield 2042. im suspecting it could be the anto cheat system, i feel like most games that use "Easy Anti-cheat" runs poorly for me or it of course just could be my PC thats too bad for Battlefield 2042.

I want to have sex all the time but she doesn’t, we’re just different people and that’s okay because I love her and I’m not a pushy person and respect her deeply. But I want to fuck. What do I do? I can make her cum and squirt easily and then I will finish after she’s done, but it It just isn’t enough. 😔

Hello, just got a Zwift Hub & I spotted a few weird things.

• the SIM mode (free ride) feels like I do not really have the simulation from the trainer, hills/downhills feels nearly the same
• I tried the ERG mode and in 9/10 tries I have the reduce/increase effort commands even though I am (or should be...) in the ERG mode & it should handle the difficulty for me. I am in the right (low) gearing & right cadence to get ERG mode - but no luck

I am connected through a companion app - you can see my setup in the screenshots , well from a phone
Did anybody had some issues? Yes, I have calibrated the unit multiple times using the integrated spindown calibration procedure. I contacted also a Zwift.
Thanks :)

Up for grabs today is a catch and release from one of my favorite makers! PayPal FF, CONUS ship only, and no trades at this time…
Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/LXWnBUH
Brian Brown took the knife world by storm with the production version of his now infamous custom Yeager. When he dropped the Raptor, I knew I had to try it, and finally found the build I liked most (this Urban EDC Supply exclusive distressed blue ano) here on the Swap last week. I was immediately blown away by how smooth this is! I carefully took it apart for a good cleaning, then re-lubed and reassembled. Now, it’s absolute butter! Unfortunately for me, the handle is just too narrow for my preferences. It doesn’t seem to stop the huge love that this knife gets from most though! It’s just not for me. Please be aware this one has been used a bit and shows a little ano wear. It also seems a bit roughed up near the top of the show side scale. The blade has been sharpened to a mirror edge by a previous owner. As best I can tell, the blade itself shows no scratches. Comes with everything you see in the pic. Asking what I paid + priority shipping: $285 PayPal FF to your door!
Pics/Vid: https://imgur.com/a/85yrK1F
Thanks for taking the time to look! Again, PayPal FF, CONUS shipping, and no trades. Have a great Friday and weekend!

I have been really digging around all of the greats from all of the different genres of music trying to find who has has the best tone. This isn't about who has the highest technical ability or fastest playing just best tone. And through everyone I have listened to Jesse McGuire has to take the prize. His tone is so pure and powerful it sounds like it was created in a laboratory. I'm not the biggest jazz fan but god damn his tone is something that every time I hear it nearly brings me to tears and then I find myself running to my practice room to start practicing. Who in your eyes has the best tone?

So I walked into Costco and saw cheap generic vodka and i saw the name brand goose which was 2x more expensive.
I’ve experimented with my body and it takes about 3 shots of vodka to get me drunk. If I take 3 shots of the generic vodka vs 3 shots of goose , will there be a difference?
I mean I don’t understand, is it the taste ? What’s causing the gap in price . Will I be more drunk or get drunk longer with goose because it’s more expensive?

So recently I moved from the official Antistasi file to Antistasi plus and I noticed the incognito mode isn't nearly as useful in plus as it is in the regular. Having vests on while in civilian vehicles prevents undercover, and even worse in my opinion, you can't seem to get anywhere near outposts, military bases, airbases and even the police stations (military administration) without the garison recognizing you immediately. Is there something I'm missing or are the days of walking into an outpost with a backpack filled with grenades just not possible in Antistasi plus. I get it's definitely more realistic that way, but it makes it damn near impossible for a solo like myself. I couldn't find any information about this online so if someone could help me it would be greatly appreciated.

So much for a heartwarming reunion, so much for peace. When Keyaruga finally thought about having a moment of rest, Panakea showed up. When he thought nothing would happen for at least a day, he met with his love. And now, it was a red sunset that casted its crimson shadow over Buranikka. On omen of evil, an omen of change.
“Despite everything, she still… remembers me. Remembers us. Norn never forgets, no matter what. The only problem, though, is that she won’t accept me now. She may look like a cute little girl, but she’s also a fully competent warlord, with which we’re on different sides.” The man spoke, standing at the door to the corridor. He carried the white sphere, the one and only thing that could make a breakthrough from the current state. “Only a battle will judge us.” The healer admitted, glancing at the bed. Freia sat there, combing Eve’s hair. Setsuna, in turn, listened while in a handstand.
“Uh-hu-u-uh!” The she-wolf muttered, doing a cartwheel to stand upright. “We will win.” She assured him, sitting on the edge of the bed. Honestly, her smile and words were everything Keyaruga needed not to give in to his angst. The gray-haired girl accepted his pain, and now crawled to Freia to heal the magician with her touch. At least a little bit.
“Certainly.” Keyaruga responded optimistically. He had to. Otherwise, his whole redo would be for nothing. And if having the best strategist in Jioral on Margurth’s side still wasn’t bad enough, he’d end up shackled in Norn’s residence for sure.
No doubt, she’s already prepared a chastity cage for me. Brrr, no way I’m signing up for that.
“Freia, are you alright?” The hero asked, approaching the sorceress. He couldn’t leave yet, even though Tidir had already provided Keyaruga with an isolated room in the attic.
“You shouldn’t worry about me.” The pink-haired girl spoke phlegmatically. She allowed Setsuna to massage her back and shoulders, but inside her soul there was still a skirmish ongoing. She thought of each self-accusation, countered it with numerous excuses, just to realize there was no coming back and fixing what was already done. “Move forward, Keyaru. This thing must become your new weapon. Take it, claim it, and… save my sister. She must’ve been counting on you.” The princess stated, still focused on the black-winged maiden before her. So much evil was caused by her, so many torments had Keyaru suffered. And yet, he forgave her, loud and clear. Now only one thing stood between the girl and her inner peace. Something, only she could attain throughout the long self-reflection. “This orb should’ve been yours from the very beginning.”
“I see. Eve, do you have something to say?” The man deliberately wondered, looking at the queen-to-be, who retained her silence up to that point.
“Hmm… No. Dealing with princesses is your thing. Sorry, I can’t help you with that.” The kokuyoku scion responded, giving the lad a brief look. She thought he was just a calculating cutthroat, someone who’s whole interest resided in violence and sex. Now, that she saw his worries, his inner side, she couldn’t help but find him slightly attractive. Especially after how he stood against Hawkeye. Only… “So… Are you really immortal?”
“I am, birdie. I am.” The Hero of Healing grinned a little. He formed an endearing smile, warm and bright. Alas, underneath it there was only cold. After all, Blade almost killed him, and she was way beneath Organ Trist’s mastery. “Take care, girls. I’ll be back soon.”
“Uh-huh. Setsuna’s waiting.”
Thanks. That’s all I need to hear.
…
“Go in, nura (brother).” The blue-feathered deity uttered, closing the door behind the red-haired man. And so, the man found himself in a dark cramped room, filled with nothing but ages-old dust and stains. He sat behind a small table, looking at the perfectly round object of divine origins. No one could enter without the host’s permission, so Keyaruga was safe from outer distractions.
Brother, huh? You don’t sound too happy saying that, Tidir.
“Ha-a-a…” The man exhaled, rubbed his forehead, and then touched the orb with his right hand. The brand had resonated, bizarre white light erupted from it. Up until now, that was a hard object of unknown properties. Now, the healer knew – the white sphere was actually a solidified chunk of godly energy. After a new hero poured his ambitions into the raw armament’s form, it was ready to morph into whatever its new owner deems fit.
But what would it be? Josephine, for example, wished for a shining gilded sword that would allow her to murder her jailers right after she got it from Flare’s hands. It was bright and decorated, it embodied every wish and aspiration the broken girl kept inside her tormented soul. But despite Ragnarok’s golden, inlayed look, it was crude and unbalanced. But even worse, it was ultimately a crutch for a powerless girl. A lesson – do not wish for something you can get taken away from you.
In Bullet’s case, it was Taslam, the massive magic-spitting cannon. Although not without decorative incrustations of its own, the silver armament was not the primary weapon for the veteran of reconnaissance. After all, the massive black man was not ‘born’ a hero. This was the title he got through research, a few shady deals and the assassination of the previous Hero of Cannon. One could think a weapon of such scale wouldn’t be a spy’s choice. They would be wrong, especially when Bullet draws Taslam’s true form – a small pistol he could hide in his sleeve. A second lesson – do not wish for something to brag with, practicality is always preferable to showing off.
And finally, there was Flare. Her armament was represented by Vanargand, an unbreakable staff, allegedly made from the mythical world tree itself. Its twisted, chaotic, branches around a cold blue orb represented the princess’ dominative nature, but in terms of functionality, it was tuned to amplify all possible elements of her bottomless magic pool, whereas a regular magic staff only worked with one, like her current mystical tool boosted nothing but fire. The last lesson was to have something that amplifies your own innate strength, but is not limited by its primary function.
Keyaruga would only get one chance in his entire life. That’s why he carried the orb with his right hand covered with a green glove. No need to hide the mark from Blade, but still, better safe than sorry.
“I wish I could’ve given it more thought.” The lad lamented, pondering on his promise to Norn. And Hawkeye. The last Champion of Jioral stood between him and the princess. An all-seeing demigod needed to go away. “What I wish… is a tool of vengeance. A means of strength. Something that’d amplify my healing powers. And… a guarantee of true immortality. If I die, my girls would be sad. If I die, what was the point of the redo? If I die… how can I complete my vengeance?”
He lied to Eve. Keyaruga was far from true immortality, and they both knew it. Even after all the body modifications, he still remained a human. Someone, who can get knocked out and murdered with ease, but what’s even more critical, his pain threshold was high, but not limitless. One couldn’t forget about Bloodbringer and her sinister living weapon, after all.
I can kill people with one touch. But can I do it through a full plate armor? Can I heal myself while unconscious? Can I exceed the range of an extended arm? No. No! I have to overcome this! Weapons are tools of murder, and I already have plenty. Think, pray, desire your perfect form. Something for a Hero of Healing.
And so, a clear form started to form inside of Keyaruga’s mind. His passion resonated with the wild streams of primordial hue, the energy took form, and finally, the orb began to form a will of its own.
“THOUGH HATH DESIRETH ME, HERO?” A mighty voice resonated throughout the premise. It belonged to a mighty aged man, although much too distorted to confuse it with a real person.
“Yes, I do! Give me your everything!” The lad exclaimed, feeling winds of magic carve inside his very soul. A thrilling power was only rivaled by the man’s force of will.
“DOTH THOUGH DESIRETH TO SAVE THE WORLD?” The spirit inquired. A question was ritualistically asked to each and every hero. Problem is, all of them had pretty different ideas about how, why, and to what extent the world must be preserved. But to be sure…
“Of course I do! I love this world! I made it! I want to live in it, to have all the fun and happiness! I want to preserve those I love and crush those I hate completely! I want to claim my prize! So… how can I not wish to save this wretched world?”
“ALLOWETH ME TO LEND THY MY STRENGTH.” With that said, the wraith began merging itself to the man. Raw energy began mixing with the healer’s own mana, the hero’s mark resonating with the artifact during the process.
“Good! Now listen to my wish! I want to pierce my foes at range, to be immortal! And I want to be safe! Now take my desired form!”
And so, the chaotic winds began taking form. A Vortex of magical might began swirling around the man’s left arm, as he raised the cracked sphere to the ceiling. What lacked substance began taking mass; what lacked direction, was given focus; what had no form, took the shape of a gruesome gauntlet of pink and blue. It was alive, it had an eye, and it was more, much more than just a piece of armor.
“MY NAME THOU NEVER SHOULD FORGET, GEORGIUS – THOU CALL ME THAT!”
“Forget? How can I? Georgius, my holy armor, my property!” The lad spoke, staring at his gauntlet with clenched teeth, while the divine armament bound itself to the man’s muscles, nerves, and veins. Georgius was much more than just an indestructible chunk of metal, although even that offered much in terms of practicality. No, it was a net, a living spell that now dwelled inside the man’s body and soul.
Keyaruga understood Georgius, and vice-versa. They were both now inseparable entities, one complementing the other. First things first…
“Let’s check its primary feature.” The lad muttered, grabbing a poisoned knife from his right gauntlet. A swing, a stab, and the blade pierced his left biceps. Naturally, right? But the sheet of poisoned metal was pushed out by the extracorporeal power, and no trace of the wound remained. Georgius even mended the fabric of Keyaruga’s shirt.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-a! With that, I’m not gonna die!” The healer scoffed, rolling his armored fingers. The gauntlet didn’t confine his movements; it didn’t even make his hand sweat. The armament wouldn’t even require any attention paid to it, as Georgius safely absorbed the ambient mana and filtered it for its master’s safe usage. It would keep the man alive no matter what.
One would think that it was enough for just some testing of the artifact’s ability to enhance healing and defense, that its offensive capabilities were impossible to probe in an attic, where even a mouse wouldn’t dare to show up. Well, that would be wrong, as the red-eyed lad had already unsheathed his alloyed saber and rested his elbow on the table.
“Ha-ha-a!” Then, he started cutting. Slamming the light curved sword against the powerful limb was a wasted effort, much more so with the gruesome eye keeping track for each and every wound, but Keyaruga proceeded. “MORE-E-E-E!!! DE-E-E-EPER!!! PHA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!” The gargling laugh mixed with slicing and squashing of meat and cleaving of bones above his own elbow resonated with the utmost excitement in the hero’s brain. Strike after strike, he deliberately mutilated his own body just to see what would happen if one manages to cut off his left arm, to lacerate his veins and tendrils. Blood ruptured just to stop in a moment. Wounds reopened right after fading in green mist. And finally, after a whole minute of zealous self-torture, Keyaruga cast away his saber, grabbed his left hand, and ripped it off altogether. All while guffawing murderously. “HA-HA-HA-HA! WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW, GEORGIUS?!!!”
The answer didn’t take long, as right in front of the healer’s eyes, the gauntlet on the severed hand turned into purple dust, along with leather bracers, dangling bloodied cloth and a few throwing needles. All of it returned to where it was supposed to be – on a fresh new left arm. It even was so kind as to erase the crimson stains from all over the man’s body. This kindness didn’t extend to what dripped on his boots from the dismembered arm, though.
“I’m starting to fall in love with you, Georgius!” Keyaruga sneered, unhinged by his own ambiguous commentary. He remained with an extra limb. Of course he used it for more experimentation.
Let’s leave it here, two steps away, and…
The man extended his left arm, focused his will, and called upon his magic. A second and the flesh of the severed arm wriggled in convulsions. Another and it returned to normal… Well, with every bone and tendril mercilessly ruined. Georgius gave the lad so much needed distance, even if it was limited by a bare meter, but no control whatsoever. He would never heal someone with that in his right mind. Holding the arm directly, though, was a completely different story. The touch gave the lad the utmost will over his patients, or victims. But more than anything, all the pain and fear were barred from his psyche. Alas, that wouldn’t allow for copying skills, but nobody forbade the lad from using his right arm. And even if he wanted to use the left one, just a single thought made Georgius completely and utterly disappear. It was still there; ready to come back in an instant.
Fuck, it’s so awesome; I’m getting so hard right now!
…
“…and then I had him poisoned, thrown into the dungeon. I beat him, had him raped, drugged, tortured…
And while Keyaruga enjoyed his new toy, Setsuna was far, far away from having any sort of fun. She listened to Freia, heeded her every word, every description, and every little notion. The two of them sat on the bed, and the she-wolf was furious. It was a rare occasion to see her frown, let alone openly grinding her teeth. Eve had retreated to her room just in time to spare herself from hearing and seeing the worst.
“…after all of that, I really did deserve the fire rod between my legs,” the princess admonished, unable to raise her head. Freia was desperate, but she couldn’t hide the truth any longer. Not after Hawkeye crushed her spirit just by referencing her sins. “What I didn’t deserve, though, is his lov-!”
That was it, Setsuna’s patience had run out, and she grabbed the sorceress by the throat. With the power of both hands, the huntress easily overpowered the magician, she could end her simply by squeezing a little harder, or scratching her carotid artery a little too deep.
“GHHHH!!!” The she-wolf growled, consumed by rage. All those nightmares, all those traumas – it was her fault, she did it to him, she…
She didn’t even struggle.
“…you… YOU!!!” The huntress’ grip had weakened, she couldn’t go on like that, her hands slipped, but the fury didn’t go anywhere.
“Kha-kha-kha-a… A-a-a… Haa… Kha…” Freia’s face was morbidly red, her breath was rugged, and even her eyes looked like they would pop out of their sockets every second now. “Kha-a… Se… tty…” But even in that sorry state, the girl never raised a hand against her friend. One swing, and the huntress would be burned by flames, scourged by a lightning, her brain would pop out on the edge of a sharp flying icicle… And yet, despite all of those possibilities, the heroine insisted on calling her possible murderer… by a friendly pet name.
“GRRR! What?!” She roared, still unsure what to do with the pink-haired girl. She was a part of their family, their pack… And someone they would be better off without. Right? Alas, whether that was true or not, Freia herself shared that ridiculous thought.
“Before you kill me… Promise me one thing.” The princess all but demanded. Her voice was faint, but there was power, a true regal authority in it. “Promise, you’d never leave him! Keyaruga… I don’t think he believes anyone can love him! Promise me you’ll take care of Evy and Norn! They have nothing to do with it! Promise…”
“No.” But Setsuna refused.
“B-but why?”
“Because Setsuna…”
…
Keyaruga returned. He pushed the door open and entered the room. His fervor wasn’t that high ever since the lad successfully broken the chain Flare put him on, ever since he burned the vile arrogant witch from the inside.
“Freia! Setsuna! Let’s fuck!” The hero yelled, as his eyes rolled all over the place. There was passion, there was zeal, and, most importantly…
“Haa… Set… ty!..” …his feelings were shared here, two naked girls, with one clearly dominating the other. The huntress held the sorceress from the back, Setsuna played with Freia’s nipple, she twitched her puffy vulva, teased her erect clitoris. All the while the huntress kept gently and caringly biting the princess’ ear. “Keya… ruga…” The caster helplessly pleaded, reaching for the towering man, but the she-wolf’s grip was just too strong.
“You start with Freia.” Setsuna proclaimed, patting her prey’s puffy lips.
“That’s a bold thing to hear from you.” Keyaruga sneered, all while getting rid of his equipment. What was just a normal arousal grew into a burning passion, as his raging erection urged him to drop the trousers as fast as possible. “Still, who am I to refuse a lady?”
And so, the lad jumped into the bed in all of his naked glory. His rod was on fire, his heart’s pounding resonated all the way to his temples, and his sex drive became unstoppable at that point.
“You’re gorgeous, Freia.” Keyaruga said, caressing the girl’s sweaty cheek. While he was gone, Setsuna made sure Freia was hot and wet; this was her tribute to the leader of their small pack. “I wanna fuck you silly.” The lad whispered heatedly, claiming his shivering bounty. She was moist, she was panting, and most importantly – the sorceress was in mad love.
“A-A-A-H!” Barely did the huntress let go of her, before the girl got on top of her man. She leant on his chest and lowered her hips, letting the hard penis pierce her dripping vagina. “You’re… mine now.” The princess declared, accepting the lad’s meaty stick all the way to the twitching balls.
“Well-well, care to explain what’s happened? Anybody?” The healer wondered with a mischievous grin on his face. He never missed a chance to get a firm grip on Freia’s bouncing ass; and neither did he deny himself from leaving a bunch of hickeys on her neck.
Nobody cared for conversation anymore. One was too busy moaning, while bouncing on the man’s rod, another was muffledly panting, all while pleasing herself. Setsuna dared not intervene, but neither would she miss a chance to follow Eve’s example.
Freia embraced Keyaruga, rubbing her sweaty body against his torso. Strangely enough, the girl deliberately avoided looking him in the eyes. She even turned her back to the man. And while her trained spine and round buttcheeks did look enticing, just having a beauty riding his dick wasn’t really enough to the hero.
“Hey, Freia…” Keyaruga spoke, lifting himself in a sitting position. That way, he could once again embrace his lovely princess. “You don’t have to fuck me out of guilt, you know.” The healer admonished, bending the girl in to take her doggy-style.
“I don- AHH!!!” There was no place for excuses. No moment of reflection, nothing but a primal lust and desire. Freia was his trophy, while he and Norn had a long story behind them? As if it mattered at all right now. “A-A-H!!! KEYARUGA!!!” She yelled, as the lad ravaged her. Gripping onto the bedsheets, the sorceress could do nothing but drown in pleasure. “A-A-A-A-A-A-A-H!!!” She was on the verge, orgasm after orgasm; she was led, or rather dragged, to the highest peak of ecstasy.
A wave of pure joy had covered Freia from her head down to her toes, she trembled, drooled, she even got a small puddle underneath her butt. These five minutes were so intense, she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe properly. And yet…
“Get up. Master’s not finished.” Setsuna demanded, crawling near the girl. And indeed, Keyaruga’s penis was still far from ejaculating.
“She’s right. You and I have a lo-o-o-ot to do!” The hero uttered, grabbing Freia’s butt.
…
It’s been… how much time? Twenty? Thirty minutes? An hour? Even more? It was hard to tell after countless orgasms the two enjoyed together. Freia looked more like a dirty rag, than anything else. Her pink hair was all messy; she was sticky with sweat and reeked of semen, leaking right from her loose vagina. But even so, she clung to the Hero of Healing, who didn’t really seem any better, napping with a string of saliva drooling from his mouth.
Only Setsuna remained awake. She didn’t take any part in their love, other than masturbating right beside them. There was an undisputed reason for such a behavior. Specifically, Freia had told her everything; down to the most gruesome detail of how she abused the drug-addicted boy she now called master. The sorceress had expected retribution, a swift and brutal death by the ice claws, knowing she could leave her beloved man for Norn.
But, well, what kind of keeper would Setsuna be if she didn’t direct that lunacy into a fine night for two broken souls? The huntress would get her turn her turn the next day. Now, though, she covered Keyaruga and Freia with a blanket and lied beside him.
Silently, the she-wolf took the lad’s hand and pressed it against her breast. After all, it was kindness and warmth that kept his nightmares at bay.

I don't know how to structure this but here goes hehe I'm sorry its really long there are a lot of details.
I'm (19f) a freshman in college. Around 6 weeks ago I got paired with 3 people for a group project for one my classes. One of my group members, let's call him S (19m) was very nice. One day our group met up at college to discuss the project and I didnt have a ride back so I asked S to book me an uber. He was reluctant because its not safe in my country and my house was far from college, so S offered to give me a ride home in his car. I need to add that S lives in the opposite direction from me so this was like a really huge favour on his part and he was really nice about so I agreed.
The car ride was really nice and we talked about a lot of stuff and and I bought him a coffee from near my house to return the favour and to not feel like I owe him anything since he's a new friend. Fast forward a few days and we started texting a lot and it was really fun. One day I was sitting alone at college so he came and sat with me for a while and gave me company. I got to know that he's a really nice person and I enjoyed his company as a friend. We had our midterms so we didn't meet then but would text every couple days. He was usually the first to text me. After midterms we were texting and I told him we should hangout outside college someday and he was into it. He invited me to go to some event but I couldn't cos I was sick and it was too far. A few days later I asked him to go somewhere with me but he couldn't come cos it was too far.
ANYWAYS it was all nice and friendly up until now. Another friend of mine, K (20F), who is good friends with S's bff, D (19M) texted me. Keep in mind that both K and D are in different colleges. K told me that D asked her about me and he told her that S thinks that I like him?? And D wanted K to confirm or deny that and K was like no she doesn't like him. D then asked K who I liked and to show him a picture and K said no of course and told me the whole thing. I found this really weird and icky because S was the one who had been extra nice to me and thats why I was reciprocating the niceness you know??
Anyways fast forward a couple days and S texts me and he was lowkey flirting. College finally reopened and S walked past me like 3 times and I said hi everytime and he did not respond in a very friendly way so I was like ok?? Later that day he commented nice stuff on my ig post and then ignored me at college again the next day and I was like wtf man. At this point I took this as a challenge and even though I liked him as friend before now I kind of did start liking him as more lol. I posted an ig story and he replied a flirty thing and I was like say this to me irl so he said u never meet me irl SO we decided to hang out the next day. Come next day and he ignores me in our morning class and then texted me at the time we were supposed to meet. We hung out and talked for more than an hour and it was reallyyy nice and then I had to leave so he said ill walk u to ur car but he met his friends on the way so he said OK u go ahead and he said bye. This was disappointing to me.
Then the next day he ignores me AGAIN and I went up to him and I said hi and he literally just looked at me for 2 seconds and went off with his friends and I was like wtffff. Its been a couple days since then and im genuinely really confused. Because he is SUCH a nice person when he chooses to be and its really fun with him but then he doesn't acknowledge me and its just messing with my brain??? So can someone please explain why he's being so hot and cold and give me a list of possibilities ok thank u
TLDR: my (19f) friend (19m) is very nice to me somedays and other days he ignores me and he told his friend who told my friend that he thinks i like him. the friendship was on the brink of becoming a situationship but now hes gone cold on me and its really confusing.

I posted something yesterday. Just a silly idea of mine about a post I want to do. It consists on making a fantasy story based on what you pals tell me. Sadly, I didn't get nearly enough replies/ideas. I did post pretty late so I guess that's my bad. If you want to go check it out, you can go on my profile. It shouldn't be far since I don't post a lot. :)