Of course it's not black and white but you know what I'm talking about.
The ones who obnoxiously pursue anything on two legs and try to win her over by waging a war of attrition like a hyena stalking a dying antelope.
The one's who make everything sexual from the get go regardless of whether or not it's appropriate to the setting with no consideration toward her feelings
The one who can't take no for an answer and implode then go on an abusive tirade about how she's actually beneath them and should be thankful that they were interested etc
The types who know what to say in order to get what they want then leave her high and dry once they've got it
The ones who turn abusive and controlling and leave women traumatized and distrusting of men if they manage to break away from them
Most men I know are not guilty of this sort of degeneracy - I've known a few who were, including a good friend as it turned out (who I promptly cut ties with)
But when you're hiking through the wilderness and a snake slithers across your path, you assume it's venomous even if it's more than likely not.
These days most women will deliberately avert their gaze as they walk past - I'm a tall good looking guy, but I don't take it personally, because I have a female friend who once simply smiled at a guy she passed by who ended up stalking her back to her house where she had to get her dad and brother to run out the front and chase him off. A neighbor told me over a drink recently that several years ago she decided to stay out at a club after her friends headed home and ended up being raped at knifepoint in a park that she was walking through to get back to her apartment. My cousins ex-boyfriend become more and more controlling until he threatened to kill her dog if she went on a bachelorette party, she escaped with the dog in the middle of the night and stayed at her parents house but he stalked her for months and it was a very messy process since they had a house together (I stayed with this guy and honestly never saw any signs that he was a psychopath)
Very extreme examples, but unfortunately such events leave indelible scars on the mind that completely overshadow the many pleasant interactions they have and friendships with authentic and well-meaning guys.
Yes, the guy who's approaching at the mall might be a true gentleman with whom you'll have an amazing lifelong romance, but there's also a chance he's a demented stalker so it isn't worth the risk - best to keep your head down and hope to meet someone through friends or at college etc.
Hammered with lame hypersexual messages on dating apps that seem to have been written by 12 year olds plus all of the horror stories - best to delete the fucking things.
And it's impossible to prove you're a healthy minded well meaning person until they give you the chance.
As a guy I can hardly complain about being prejudged/ misjudged and the barriers I face in dating when women's safety is on the line, but every now and then I find myself getting furious with the way a minority of men have ruined the dating experience for everyone else, or at least made it much more difficult and much more fraught.
And of course women aren't all saints, probably 5% are pure toxic and abuse and manipulate men all the same (one of my friends gf's was violent and abusive toward him and another one cheated on him when they were engaged) and some women reinforce the wrong behaviors by responding well to attention-seekers and assholes and overlook red flags.
But the point is that a small minority really ruin it for the majority and I realize this comes as news to nobody but every now and then I like to vent this to the void.
Agree ? Disagree?

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Hi all,
INTRO (Skip to REPORT if not interested)
After reading Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake last year I became very interested in the potential of psilocybin. I've done a lot of hanging around on Reddit, reading Double Blind and watching a few videos. I was fascinated by the revelatory and therepuetic effects people were reporting.
I obtained some GT spores and a grow bag and within a couple of months had my own little harvest. My partner and I set the date a couple of months back, got everything ready but amazingly she became pregnant so would be my sober trip sitter!
I'm 45 (yes an old new father!), don't drink or smoke, I eat wild protein where possible (hunt deer), gym, BJJ, own a surf school and work part time in terrestrial conservation, lead a simple life. I became interested because I wanted to delve into my theory of what lies beneath the fundamental forces of the universe: electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear forces, gravity. (Hobby natural scientist too).
I've had some rough times like everyone but have been journaling and meditating a lot last couple of months which has been quite freeing.
TRIP REPORT
(First experience of beauty)
1400: 2.5g lemon tek with honey, down the hatch, bits and all. I really don't mind the taste of the GTs.
Just relaxing on the sofa under a big clean white duvet with my partner watching Top Gun Maverick. Half an hour alter touch started to feel fantastic. My arms felt longer when I hugged my partner but nothing else was happening. After an hour I just thought I should do a bit more.
1500: 1.2g lemon tek as above. Half an hour later I saw a pattern appear on a white wall and then the wall started breathing. It was so gentle and natural and looked perfect. It felt like I had been sprinkled with magic dust and been 'let in'. I watched the window blinds appearing to gentle ripple in the breeze (the blinds are inside) in fascination. On my partners skin I saw blood vessels and intricate detail. It softly turned purple and began to move. I was stunned and in rapture at the beauty unfolding around me.
First closed eye visuals revealed a beautiful vaulting interior of a temple drawn in neon lines.
1600:
(Intense come-up)
Then a strong sympathetic nervous system response kicked in and I began yawning, heart rate increased and I needed to walk some energy off. We got the dogs together and put on warm coats. That all felt quite intense! Outside the intensity dropped a little but I was very cold with all the blood dumped to my muscles and away from the superficial skin. I felt very light (b/c blood in muscles I presume). More yawning to supply muscles with oxygen. I was completely aware of reality but could see wonderful neon tints in my dogs fur, movement in leaves, patterns on the grass, vibrancy in wood grain. We walked down to the ocean but it didn't look any different to normal. We passed a lot of other dog walkers, I wondered if I would get paranoid like being heavily stoned, but it was not so.
The adrenaline was coming in strong waves and bringing mild nausea with it. I felt it would be best to go home and face this head on. I had a bit of indecision getting to that point. We had agreed beforehand that the trip sitter would not mock the tripper, but I think a bit of banter and piss-taking would have helped a bit as everything felt a tad serious because of all the adrenaline sloshing around.
1700:
(Headphones and lie down: journey within)
I went upstairs to bed while she stayed downstairs to finish Maverick. I felt I needed to be alone rather than stressing out and having her rub my back and tell me it's ok! Headphones on and Spotify psilocybin playist. I was still getting moving and patterning visuals and my hands were particularly interesting. HR still high, still feeling very adrenalised and awkward. I tried to relax and lean into the stress and feel where it was, but got stuck in a loop.
I can't remember exactly what got me out of it but it might have been 5 seconds of mantra, just thinking 'what the hell' or perhaps the first dose wearing off a bit. Eyes closed, I found myself soaring towards a huge temple wall in the distance full of shapes and faces. Some with jagged teeth. I told myself nothing was here to do me harm.
I could see bright, purple and pink oceanscapes. Suddenly I realised I had sunk into a calmness and was feeling the beauty again. I had a brief moment of self doubt. I brought to mind my recently departed father (we were somewhat estranged) but saw him smiling and sunlit. I saw my ex of 9 years, I thought 'Oh don't let this trip be all about you' (the breakup was very sad but inevitable and we wish eachother the best). But she was soon gently carried away in some bright green lillies and lush aquatic plants. I could feel she was just fine and I wouldn't see her again this trip.
Now I could feel the love that these two people had poured into me. I became aware that we channel the universe's energy by way of chemical energy in our food and all our lives try to radiate the love out. I thought of my mother selflessy doing so much out of love for my sister and I (for as long as I've known her haha) and then tears started streaming. I could see the world as overlapping networks of love spreading out from families into other families. I felt that since the beginning of life love had been leaprfrogging through time via evolutions and down generations driving reproductive behaviours and guiding the ecology of species. 'Cruelties' of nature were the unvierse finding the clearest path for love to continue flowing as energy into the future.
I realised I didn't ever want two people I love to feel hatred towards one another. All of this was set to absolutely gorgeous visuals and colours. The patterns and vaulting scenes had given way to nature-scapes.
I thought of my upcoming fatherhood and saw bright colourful flowers above ground against a white backdrop.
The tears stopped and I opened my eyes. I felt as though I had resolved something or accomplished something very significant.
1800:
(Back in the room)
I went downstairs just as Maverick had finished. The inner journey lasted one hour. I told my partner that I had just experienced something amazing and that now I felt completely clear headed and could feel no further effects. My appetite had returned. I felt absolutely refreshed and calm. I could have stood on a platform and delivered a public speech. Before I wondered if there would be a hangover or some artifacts but I just felt calm and good.
It's a few days later and reflecting back I think I got insight into my question as to what is underliyng the fundamental forces of the universe. Why does it to what it does? Why do we have concentration gradients, electrical charge, electron distribution orbitals and so on? To me it seems that this is the way to continue to spread one love that everything has sprung from.
I've got decent second flush coming on in the grow bag but don't feel any need to go deep within again for a while. I'd like to go back to the breathing walls again, but don't know if I'll get struck by the same bliss as it was so unexpected this first time.
I understand now what people say when they describe these mushrooms as intense and what respect really means. This is unlike anything else I have experienced. It's not a drug, to me it doesn't even feel like medicine. Someone on here described it as a gift, that's what it feels like to me.

I was aware that Rottweilers are one of the most stereotyped dogs when I got my boy Leo 11 months ago. Recently, people have been getting on my nerves. We go for a long walk every Sunday where primarily dog walkers and cyclists go. Leo is off the lead as he’s great with dogs and people (if I see a dog on the lead he goes on the lead). He has a habit of having to say hello to every dog which I’m working on trying to reduce and keep his attention on me. 75% of people are actually really understanding of him just being a happy-go-lucky pup. However, today someone shouted “no” repeatedly at him as we passed. He was within arms reach of them and us and wasn’t in their space but I shrugged it off as maybe they just don’t like dogs or big dogs so I’m fine with that. The next couple we passed, the man held his wife behind him and acted like Leo was trying to go for them. I can’t reiterate enough that he doesn’t look threatening; he walks past with his tongue hanging out and a big smile. Absolutely nothing he does should cause alarm. It really does frustrate me how people look at him as if he’s just committed a crime for existing and it’s honestly now getting to the point where it’s making me nervous. This shouldn’t be the case as I do have faith in him. I know I’m not the only one who deals with this type of thing on a daily basis and I just want thoughts and opinions on how people deal with this type of stuff as it bothers me and my other half. Sorry for the rant but people just frustrate me sometimes.

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Im F in my 30s (nmnk) and man, is it hard to make friends in DC. I've done the meetups, say hi to people out and about, go to all the dog parks, in several online groups that have hosted many events which I have attended, as well as organized several myself; and I follow up with people. FWIW I am definitely not a wallflower. I've lived in a bunch of cities and haven't felt this anywhere before- usually people are happy to connect with a new potential friend and put in mutual effort. Is it me or are people in DMV all in their own little universe? People are kind and approachable here, but seem to go to social events to check something off a to do list and lack genuine interest or vulnerability to make friends. Ive been here a year and I'm exhausted from trying. I'm thinking it's time to call it and just move somewhere else where people actually want to engage within other humans in meaningful ways. Where have you lived that people actually make efforts to be hospitable, reach out to people, invite them to do stuff, and turn an acquaintance into a friend?
TL;DR: Other DMV women don't seem to be interested in putting any effort into turning new connections into friendships. Where have you lived that people embraced the opportunity to make friends?
Not looking for advice - just want to know where the friendlier places are, and to see if anyone has had a similar experience here.

PREVIOUS
‘Tick, tick, tick, tick-’
“Stop it.” I said quietly under my breath.
‘-tick, tick, tick-’ Ronové was repeating the sound in time with the pendulum swinging on the clock across the room and it was slowly driving me insane.
“Why are you doing that?”
‘Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick-’
“Shut up!” I shouted finally and at least three sets of unnatural eyes turned to me, “Sorry, voices.”
“You’re possessed?” It was a fairy named Baltzar who asked.
“A little bit.”
“That does explain the witch’s magic.”
‘Tick, tick, tick…’
“What? Oh yeah. It would be nicer if he was helpful though.” I joked, sometimes it was difficult to separate what Ron was thinking to me from what other people were saying. He didn’t answer me then, he was doing something, I won’t pretend to know what.
“Well?” Eric asked tensely, though his expression was perfectly neutral. Actually, I hadn’t seen any flicker of emotion at all in days.
He stood beside Nathaniel’s hospital bed with his arms folded, watching every move Baltzar made with scrutiny. His arm was coated in magic all the way to his collarbone, and his hair was combed back so that his right eye was clearly visible. I had seen him be relaxed about hiding his abnormalities when we were at home. But this was different, it was more like he was displaying them as a warning.
“He’s doing well. His vitals are stable, the salt is largely flushed from his system and his internal energy is reaching an equilibrium.”
“When will he wake.”
Baltzar shrugged, “How should I know? He will wake when his body has the energy to do so.”
Nathaniel was the only one that hadn’t regained consciousness. Calla was the first. I had found her lying in the street and the injury on her side was… Well, I’ve seen roadkill that looked better. Her dress was dirty and torn, and blood pooled around her. I didn’t think she was going to make it.
I pressed my hand firmly on the wound to stem the bleeding but her blood was so slick that I slipped more than once and it welled up between my fingers. ‘She’s not going to make it.’ Ronové commented casually echoing my thoughts, he sounded amused.
“Shut up.” I hissed. I didn’t want to hear anything from Ron at that point. Calla coughed as she tried to talk, blood dribbled out her mouth but whatever she said was inaudible. I think she knew that because she tried again.
“Wh–’s… E..ric?” It still took me a moment to understand.
Around us was chaos and I couldn’t see Eric anywhere, it was like a war zone. A haze of smoke filled the air, making it even harder to see anything. The only light came from freely burning fires and bright fairy magic. Ash fell from the sky like snow once the rain had let up, and to make matters worse it was bitterly cold, I don't know how no one else seemed to realize that.
Achaicus was fighting Lazarus and each blast of energy broke part of the castle, sending clouds of dust and rubble in all directions. It was all I could do to keep Calla somewhat protected from it. I didn’t know what I would do if they came in our direction. The fear in that thought nearly sent me into a panic attack.
“I don’t know where he is, but I'm sure he’s fine.” I tried to soothe her, she was so pale and her eyes slowly closed. “Calla no. You have to stay awake, can you do that for me?”
I patted her cheek gently to force her to open her eyes again and she did for a moment, “Okay, good, that’s good you’re doing great. Just breathe through it.” Was I talking her out of dying? Or coaching her through birth? Truthfully I didn’t know what to say, everything sounded dumb to me.
A shock wave of magic deflected off a sword shattered the windows above us and I did my best to cover her from the falling glass. It was terrifying being on the ground while monsters fought. I had never seen anything quite alike to it. I was definitely going to need to up the dosage on my anxiety meds after this.
I could almost feel Calla’s life slipping away when suddenly someone was beside me, pushing my hands away and replacing them with their own magic hands. “You’ve done well, let me.” It took a solid moment before I understood, it was a ghoul…
Gratefully I let her take over, when I stood I was shaking so bad that my legs felt like jelly. Calla’s blood soaked my shirt and pants, she had lost so much. But, magic can fix that right? I didn’t know. I couldn’t really think.
It was only by chance that I saw Eric, he was pushing his way out of a pile of rubble. It must’ve fallen on him during the fight and I thought he might be hurt so I moved right away to help him.
“I thought you were dead somewhere.” The relief I felt was immeasurable as I assisted him out.
“I’m fine, what about Calla?” He dismissed my concern. His hair and clothes were coated in dust. His right eye was nothing more than an empty socket, his nails were all blackened and his good eye seemed unusually blue. I hadn’t seen him without his monster arm and eye before and I’m ashamed to say I recoiled with the shock of it.
“Charles, focus, tell me about Calla?” he demanded firmly as I fell back on my haunches.
“She, she’s, a ghoul is-”
“And Nathaniel?” He cut me off before I could finish explaining.
“I don’t know he was-” Eric was gone before I could complete the sentence. Apparently he wasn’t injured at all.
After that everything was mostly a blur and I think I might have passed out because when I woke up I was laying on a hospital bed in the infirmary. Calla was in the bed beside mine, and Nathaniel was on the other side of her. Eric was sitting between the two with his cane across his lap and a sword resting close by, ready to be used at any moment.
Now let me tell you, fairy hospitals are weird, well, ‘outdated’ I suppose is a more appropriate term. It’s a wide space with tall timber framed windows along one side, and elaborate landscape paintings decorating the other. Small tables with flower vases ran down the center and there was very little medical equipment. There were no partitions between areas and metal beds with simple linens lined either side of the room in neat rows.
It was a surprisingly cold, sterile place considering the amount of light that shone in. I’m not really sure what I expected. Our beds were on the window side, while Markos was on the other side opposite them. My sister of course sat with him. She had dragged over an empty bed so that she could lay close to him.
There weren’t all that many people in the room, there was a ghoul, Hanta, standing beside the door and Eric looked over when I sat up.
“Good afternoon, Charles,” he commented. He hadn’t recovered fully at that point and the fae magic on his arm was only up to his forearm. But I noticed his fingernails were no longer black and his right eye was restored.
“Afternoon? How long was I out?”
“Only a few hours.” He assured, “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a bus, how’s everyone else?”
“They will be alright.”
“Ahh that’s a relief-” I began but Eric cut me off abruptly.
“You disobeyed me.”
The way he looked at me seemed cold, and the complete lack of emotion in his voice made me feel like I was in trouble, “Yeah… I’m sorry about that.”
“You used a magic I warned you not to, and almost got yourself, and Nathaniel, killed. It would have been unforgivable if you had and I don’t take kindly to what I’m saying being blatantly disregarded. Do you understand?”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to-” I had no good answer for him. He was angry in a way that burned cold and I knew it.
“You should be sorry. You’re important and irreplaceable.” he said it so calmly I wasn’t sure if he meant it, “...and, you saved Calla’s life. If you weren’t there she would have bled out. So I will forgive you, only this one time.”
I understood then that he was scared. I had scared him by putting myself in harms way, and this was his way of telling me.
“It won’t happen again...” I assured softly.
“...Thank you.”
I smiled and it was as I was about to make a terribly lame joke that Calla moved. She winced slightly as she tried to sit up but Eric was quick to stop her. “Don’t move too fast.”
“Where are we..?”
“The infirmary, still at Leúchtend.”
“We won?”
“Yes, Achaicus beat Lazarus.”
She paused for a moment processing, “...Markos?”
“He’ll be fine.”
“And Charles?” she asked next.
“Right here.” I spoke up and she turned to look at me with wide confused eyes. It was the first time I had seen her without make-up, and I was surprised to see that her eyelashes were partially white. Was she part fairy?
“That really hurt when you pressed on my side.” She mumbled the complaint.
“Ahhh, right. Sorry about that.” I was having to apologize a lot for one day.
She reached out to take my hand, squeezing it in hers and catching me off guard, “Thank you.” These people with their monotone and lack of expression, I had no idea if she meant it or not either.
“You, I, welcome?” Good job Charles, that made no sense, I thought bitterly.
‘No kidding.’ Ron answered bored, though I ignored him.
Calla nodded like she understood regardless and turned back to Eric, “I’m so sorry…”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I wasn’t strong enough, you had to fight them on your own. I let you down… I’m useless.”
“Hardly.” he responded simply and tears began to well in her eyes. She needed more than a single word answer and it took Eric a moment to realize it before he elaborated, “Calla, you killed a dragon single handedly. There’s not one other person in this entire castle that could say that.”
“I'm sorry…”
It took Eric some effort, but he stood with his cane and moved close enough to hug her. “Don't be, you have nothing to be sorry for.”
Calla didn’t stay awake long after that, only long enough to have a small amount of food before settling in to sleep more peacefully.
***
Markos was the next to wake the following day and when he did Claire threw her arms around him without any care. Dissolving into relieved sobs. He winced but made no complaint as he slowly returned the hug, pulling her close against him as if it brought him some comfort. She murmured something in his ear and he froze.
“...I beg your pardon?” he asked quietly.
However she didn’t repeat herself, instead she slowly let go of him, holding his face in her hands, “Are you alright? How do you feel?” she asked the questions in rapid fire.
He seemed unable to comprehend what she had said, and it took a moment for him to find his voice again. “I’m okay… How are you here?” He covered one of her hands with his and closed his eyes.
“Oh well... I-”
“She insisted I bring her.” Ávila mused as she entered the room and sat heavily on the edge of Markos’s bed and his eyes snapped open. For a moment he looked feral, like a startled cat, then his expression settled into a hard glare.
“It’s dangerous for her to be here.”
“She’s fine. Can’t lift a sword though.”
“They’re heavy.” Claire agreed, looking apologetic.
“What happened to Lazarus?”
“Achaicus beat him in combat and he is currently imprisoned under guard.”
“How many guards? Is he weakened? Is there salt?” He asked, gradually getting more irritated as he tried to get out of the bed.
“Relax, broken man. Everything is under control. Lazarus is well guarded.”
“And then who is protecting Dunkel if you’re here?” He growled, still annoyed.
“Tougo is at Dunkel and Achaicus is in control here. No one is going to attack anyone. And if they do, they’ll regret it.”
He didn’t seem satisfied with her answers, but Claire urging him to lay back down subdued him as Ávila continued to chatter away. I won’t pretend to understand how fairy magic and healing works, but apparently broken bones would only take a few days to mend. Not that he seemed pleased with even that, he was up and walking by the next day, despite Claire insisting he rest.
***
Days passed and Eric rarely left the room. The longest he was gone was only a few hours and that was only when Ávila agreed to stay in his place. There was a ghoul on guard at the door at all times and Achaicus visited regularly.
He sat beside Nathaniel on the opposite side of Eric and the pair of them waited for hours at a time in silence.
“Achaicus,” It was a female fairy who spoke, not anyone I knew, and two others accompanied her. It was regular that someone would come looking for him with some request or another, and he would often reluctantly leave. “The repair team are having trouble matching the mortar color to the original. They would like to know which alternative color you would prefer-”
“Get out.” Eric said calmly.
“But I-”
“Don't make me repeat myself. If the matter isn’t urgent, don’t interrupt.”
The woman looked unsure, her bright yellow eyes flicking to Achaicus for confirmation. “Pick whatever color is closest to the original.”
“Of course my lord.” She bowed appreciatively before leaving.
“You don’t have to answer their stupid questions.” Eric told him annoyed.
“I do…”
“No, you don’t.”
“I’m the leader, it’s my job now to handle any issues that arise.”
“Get Molly to deal with it.”
“If you would allow her into the room, perhaps I could.”
“With her gift? I think not.” he muttered as he got up and limped away to speak with someone at the doors. I couldn’t hear what was said, but I was sure he was barring anyone else from entering unless it was life or death.
“I see your attitude problem never went away.” Achaicus muttered, though he seemed grateful despite his words.
“I heard that.” Eric commented, lightly tugging on his hair on the way past when he returned.
“Don’t pull my hair.”
“I’ll do what I like.”
“Then I’ll have you thrown into the dungeons.”
“Please.” Eric snorted, they were surprisingly amicable, in a hostile kind of way.
“I don’t know how Nathaniel stands you.”
“Same way you do.”
“With a knife to the eye?”
“Careful, I’m sure you remember what happened last time you commented on my eyes.”
Achaicus looked shocked, his ears heating with embarrassment. It was clear Eric had mentioned something they weren’t supposed to talk about and it took him a full moment to process before he could respond, “I was drunk!”
“So was I.”
“I can’t leave you two alone for a second can I?” Nathaniel asked softly and they both paused.
“Brother…” Achaicus murmured, turning his full attention to Nathaniel and hugging him tightly, “Finally…”
“You’re still in bandages, how long has it been?” He returned the hug gently patting his brother’s hair to soothe him.
“Never mind about me.”
“It’s been four days.” Eric answered for him.
“And… Our father?”
“Securely locked up.” Achaicus assured as he slowly let go, “But you, you look awful. And you need to cut your hair, it’s getting too long.”
“Like you’re one to talk.”
Achaicus chuckled, “I’m glad you’re awake…”
“I didn’t expect to be.” he answered honestly.
“Don’t say things like that.” Eric scolded him and he looked apologetic.
“Were you hurt?”
“He had not a scratch on him.” Achaicus answered before Eric could.
“...I’m so glad…”
“Yeah, okay, why don’t you worry about yourself?” Eric grumbled uncomfortably.
For a moment it looked like Nathaniel was going to question him further however a commotion at the door drew their attention.
“I-I was told n-not to let anyone in..”
“Nonsense, I’m their mother.”
“It’s fine Hanta,” Eric called casually, and the woman quickly sidestepped him.
She was slender with no curves, and surprisingly young. It looked like she was in her 30’s at most and I chose not to even try and work out the math on that. Her hair was long and white with a red-ish hue, while her eyes were the same purple as Markos’s. She was wearing a black dress and matching gloves all the way to her elbows.
“Mother, what are you doing here?” Nathaniel asked coldly and she stopped awkwardly.
“...You’re my son’s…”
Neither answered but I recognised their expressions. It was the same one Claire and I had the one time we had accidentally ran into our parents while we were out shopping. Polite, awkward, uncertainty. Like they didn’t want to talk to her, but didn’t know how to tell her to leave.
The woman looked to Eric and he nodded slightly so she continued, “I- well… I know, I haven’t been much of a mother to you… I couldn’t protect you from your father as I should have… But I would like to remedy that… If I could… may I hug you..?”
“...No..” Nathaniel answered for them both quietly, tensely.
“Oh… I see, that’s okay… I deserve that. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright. I’m glad to see you’re both okay.” Again she was met with silence as neither of her son’s answered and she shifted her weight awkwardly, “Right, well… Please come see me when you are able so that we might talk. If you want… I mean, I would like that… if you could…”
“Good day, mother.” Achaicus bid her farewell curtly, and she gave a small bow before departing.
The whole interaction made me uncomfortable, the woman was trying. That was more than Claire’s and my mother ever did. It hurt to watch and the awkward silence that followed only made it worse as the weight hung heavy in the air.
“You should speak with her.” Eric said gently.
“Since when were you on her side? And why should we? She never did anything to help us.” Nathaniel answered bitterly but Achaicus looked less sure.
Eric didn’t get the chance to respond before the doors opened and Baltzar returned with Markos. “It’s good to see you’re awake. Now you can put a muzzle on your dog, his barking was becoming tiresome.”
“Careful Baltzar, his bite is far worse than his bark.” Markos mused.
“I’m not a dog, so you had both better shut up.” Eric snapped in response.
“See, now that is exactly what I’m talking about, and I'm sure you can imagine my dismay when I learned commands don’t work on him.”
“Then I’m sure your dismay will only increase when you learn that my brother prefers not to command his pet.”
“He’s in fact extremely willful, and commands often backfire when given to him, so I prefer not to waste my efforts giving them. Now what is it that you want?”
Baltzar looked displeased while Eric’s expression didn’t change, “I came to inform Achaicus that we have been unable to locate Radomir, or Belle, and there are a handful of guards unaccounted for.”
‘Ahhh, your old friend.’ Ronové mused and I felt a chill run down my spine.
“Quiet.” I mumbled under my breath, though no one seemed to notice as they continued.
“I would suggest Radomir has likely fled to Europe with a small group, and that we should expect a visit from Ælfric.” Markos speculated casually although the notion seemed to make everyone nervous.
“I’ve already sent a letter to our grandfather, hopefully it will arrive before Radomir.” Achaicus muttered, rubbing his temples.
It was then that the doors to the infirmary were pushed open with some force. “Listen you fucking shit- Let me into this fucking room!” Killian shouted, his bright eyes were crazed with rage and it looked like he had run the entire way from wherever he had been.
“I-I really can’t, I-I’ve been given strict instructions-” Hanta looked distressed, this was the third time he had been forced to tell someone they weren’t allowed to enter and he looked more than a little flustered.
Baltzar rolled his eyes, “Calm down Killian, it’s not like we can’t hear you from the doorway, what is it?”
“Lazarus is fucking, gone!”
Achaicus and Nathaniel both tensed, while Baltzar clicked his tongue in annoyance. “What do you mean gone?!”
“I mean, his cell is fucking EMPTY.”
“That’s not possible.” Markos hissed, “I double checked his containment myself.”
“What do you think then? I’m just making this shit up!? He’s not fucking in there!”
“Well, what is in there?”
It took Killian a second to understand what he meant, “Nothing, there’s nothing. No traces of anything, no magic, no signs of a struggle, nothing, just salt. It’s like he vanished.”
“So send the guards out. I want everyone searching for him all the way to the borders of our lands.” Achaicus spoke up at last.
“Brother, I need to return to Dunkel in case he attacks the castle.” Nathaniel added.
“You don't need to do any of that, it’s pointless, and you’re in no state to travel let alone defend a castle.” Eric sighed, he was the only one who hadn’t reacted to the news in any way.
“You sound certain. How can you be sure?”
“Lazarus isn’t a concern, you need to rest…” he spoke more gently to Nathaniel and he hesitated slightly, though he said nothing more.
“What’s that mean he’s not a concern? If he attacks us now we can mark this as the shortest reign in history, or an altogether failed take over!” Baltzar sneered but Markos spoke up.
“...The Orphan is right. Lazarus has been sitting in a room with salt and received no medical attention. He’s slow and weak. He won't attack Dunkel, it’s more likely he will simply try to flee to Grosartig like Radomir and searching will waste resources. If we simply set up barrier points instead, we’ll know where he is when he crosses one.”
“You’re always just so smart aren’t you Markos?”
“It's just simple logic, Baltzar. If the orphan can come to the same conclusion, I’m sure you can too.”
“Fine, want to place a wager on when he will cross a barrier point?”
Markos smiled, “Certainly.”
***
With the new development most of them left. Although Markos was forced to stay because Claire refused to let him leave after he began bleeding through his bandages. Hanta swapped out for Yura, though she was more interested in talking to Nathaniel. Or at least she was, until Eric told her to leave so he could rest in no uncertain terms, and then he took over the watch himself when she departed.
There wasn’t really a lot to do in the meantime. I was too afraid to leave the room without someone else with me, and Ron must’ve run out of the energy to torment me so he was quiet as well. Vaguely I was aware that I was supposed to be in court, but I tried to think about other things instead of my torpedoed career.
When Calla woke up I talked with her for a while. She's a little bit hard to talk to only because she’s so similar to Eric. She doesn't hold conversation organically, answers questions minimally and her only hobbies are training and sharpening weapons. I could see why my sister doesn't like her, Claire likes people who can talk for hours and Calla was not like that.
At dusk Eric closed all the curtains and woke Nathaniel when Achaicus arrived with a trolley of food for us. Initially Molly had tried to enter the room with him, but Eric was quick to intercept her, “You’re not welcome in here. Get out.”
“I’m simply helping my master.” she responded calmly.
“I don’t care. I said get out. You know full well you are not to enter this room.”
“So snarky little orphan, what’s got you so tense?”
“Out.” he repeated, his hand moving to the sword on his hip and she smiled.
“Very well.”
“She means no harm.” Achaicus complained.
“I said she’s not allowed in and I mean it. Unless you want me to-”
“No. No. I understand.”
“Good.”
Nathaniel looked curious as did I, “I would love to know what he has over you brother~”
“It’s nothing.”
“I could command him to tell me you realize-” He stopped surprised when Eric covered his mouth with his hand.
“Command me, and I swear I’ll make you regret it. Now, shut up and eat your food.” he mused slowly letting him go once his point was made. Though Nathaniel still looked shocked as Eric came to sit beside me instead. “Don't eat the fresh meat. That’s only for the fae.”
I didn’t need him to remind me what it was.
Once dinner was over, Achaicus left and Hanta returned to guard the door. Truthfully I don’t remember falling asleep, I had been talking to Eric, then the next thing I knew I was out like a light.
I woke groggily to the sound of hushed voices, it was an ungodly hour of the morning. I couldn’t read the clock across the room but I didn’t need to. Moonlight streamed in through the only open window, it was beside Nathaniel’s bed and I guessed Eric must have opened it for him. Beside me Calla was sleeping peacefully, her soft breathing was rhythmic and soothing. Across the room my sister had dragged another bed over to Markos’s so that she could lay next to him and they were sleeping still.
At the farthest end of the room Hanta had barricaded the door with a bed and was laying down on it. I assume he too was asleep since I couldn’t see the glow of his eyes and slowly I came to realize the voices were Eric and Nathaniel speaking quietly to one another.
“Stop being so cryptic, where were you?” Nathaniel was asking, though he struggled to keep his eyes open as Eric was petting his hair, slowly lulling him into sleep.
“Can you just go back to sleep already?”
“You did get lost didn't you?” he teased and Eric looked bemused.
“No, I was there. Now hush, let’s not forget you weren’t supposed to be in that courtyard.”
“…Are you mad at me?”
“Yes.” Eric answered evenly, “You put yourself and Charles in danger. Lied to him to get him to do what you wanted. What exactly was your plan if you didn’t find Achaicus..?”
“Doesn’t matter…”
“You planned on offering yourself to him in exchange for me didn't you?”
“…It would have worked..”
“That’s not the point. I wanted you safe, and you willfully disregarded what I wanted only to make yourself feel better.”
“I couldn’t let you get hurt...”
“I asked you to trust me and you didn’t.” Nathaniel looked guilty as Eric appeared annoyed. However after a moment he sighed, letting it go as he continued more gently. “Please don’t do anything like that again alright? I thought I would lose you both, and Calla. It wasn’t fun.”
“I’m sorry…”
“...You’re forgiven.”
Nathaniel seemed relieved to hear it, he closed his eyes for a moment and I assumed he would sleep, but instead he spoke again. “I thought about what you said, you know...”
“Did you?” He mused, resting his cheek on the mattress as he continued to pet Nathaniel’s hair, “I wasn’t sure you would remember.”
“I do remember.”
“And..?”
Nathaniel hesitated, taking in a deep breath, “… I don’t have to do what you asked of me. There is nothing stopping me from commanding you to do as I wish.” He began though Eric remained perfectly calm. If I didn’t know him better I would have said he looked bored. “However, I understand that if I were to do only what I wanted, you would be unhappy. It’s not my desire to make you miserable… So I will agree to your terms. You have nothing to fear from me, I won’t command you again.”
Eric sat up mildly surprised, as if he had been expecting him to say something else. “Do you mean that?”
“Yes… I’ve tried keeping you against your will, and I’ve tried letting you go. Neither of those things made me happy.”
“What would make you happy?”
“...If you stayed near.” he mumbled honestly but Eric didn’t answer him, he was waiting for something? I couldn’t say what it might have been, but Nathaniel seemed to understand. “Please don’t make me say the words...”
“Is it so difficult?” he sighed and Nathaniel averted his gaze, it looked like he regretted saying anything. However Eric gently tilted his chin up and I couldn’t see past him as he leaned in closer. I think he might have said something but I didn’t hear it. Or maybe there was some weird cultural thing I didn’t know about?
When Eric pulled away Nathaniel looked uncertain, if not mildly embarrassed. “...Does that mean you’ll stay?”
“I’ll stay some of the time. I still have work to do, and I need to help Charles… I sort of got him fired from his job.”
“I thought you fixed that?”
“I tried… but he missed his court date for me. It was yesterday…”
“...I can compel anyone you need me to.”
Eric smiled tightly, “Don’t tempt me. More wrongs don’t make things right.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“If you have to ask for permission to ask, I'm inclined to say no.”
“You said my father was of no concern, how did you know that?”
“Let’s not talk about that right now…”
“You know something don’t you?”
“Nathaniel, please… trust me, not tonight.”
The fae regarded him for a long moment, “I want you to take my car again, stop riding that death trap.” he bargained instead.
“I suppose that means you’re not giving my bike back?”
“What are you talking about? I don’t have it.” he said bemused and Eric scoffed.
“Please. I know it was you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but if someone’s stolen your motorcycle I owe them a word of gratitude.”
“You truly don’t have it?”
“Regrettably no.”
“I’d like to say I only saved you for my bike, so finding out you don’t have it is unfortunate.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” he chuckled quietly and Eric rolled his eyes.
“You’re insufferable.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes…” I thought I saw Eric smile when he spoke and Nathaniel leaned in close to him so that I couldn’t see between them. Neither of them spoke again, or if they did I didn’t hear it. Not that I was really paying attention anymore.
I’m not sure how much time passed as I drifted between wakefulness and dreamless sleep, but it felt like hours before I got up to use the restroom. Moving painstakingly slow, trying to be as quiet as I could so that I wouldn’t disturb anyone. By then Eric was asleep, leaning on the bed over Nathaniel and they didn’t stir as I passed.
The most challenging part about getting out of the rooms was getting past Hanta. Thankfully he had left a small gap between himself and the door and I managed to squeeze through.
In the hall it was dark and quiet, “I could use a little help.” I whispered.
‘What’s the matter, can't see in the dark?’ Ronové taunted.
“Obviously not.”
‘That must be a ‘weird cultural thing’.’
“It doesn’t even make sense, why would my lack of eyes be cultural?”
‘Hopeless.’ he mused, but the hall suddenly brightened as my eyes enhanced.
“Thanks.” I grumbled.
Being able to see more made the area only slightly less terrifying and when I heard voices coming from the hall ahead I panicked. I didn’t want to run into any fae in the dark. Without a second thought about it I ducked into the nearest room, closing the door quietly without looking around.
“Stop being ridiculous, his aura is human.”
“Baltzar, I fucking, SWEAR he was dead! I saw it with my own eyes, but he crawled out of the rubble like a fucking- I don’t even know!”
“You also thought Markos and his pet were dead, but you were clearly mistaken. Now I have better things to do than entertain your paranoia.”
“I’m not crazy, I know what I fucking saw! Can you check him with your magic or something-” he stopped abruptly. They were right outside the door, and I realized I must’ve hidden exactly where they intended to go.
“Who’s there?”
“What are you two conspiring about?” I recognized Markos’s voice.
“Nothing, Killian is paranoid. He thinks Nathaniel’s pet isn’t human.”
“Human’s don’t get, fucking, stabbed and buried in rubble and walk away without a scratch!” Killian hissed.
“Nothing does, so clearly you were mistaken.” Markos assured.
“I’m not-!”
“Killian.” Baltzar warned and Killian lowered his voice automatically.
“Fucks sake.”
“Why are you up at this hour then Markos?”
“Paranoia.”
“Checking the halls for Lazarus?”
“It doesn’t hurt to be vigilant.”
“You just can’t stand the thought of losing. There’s no way he’s still in the castle.”
“You can never be too careful.”
Baltzar snorted, “Right.”
“I suggest you return to your quarters now, lurking in the halls doesn’t look good.” Markos mused casually, though the threat in his words wasn’t subtle and I heard footsteps departing.
‘Makes you wonder why he’s lurking in the halls doesn’t it?’ Ron commented bemused.I didn’t answer, if I spoke now I was sure he would hear me.
“You can come out now, Charles.” Markos commented and I froze. Momentarily considering whether or not I believed he truly knew I was there. “I know you’re there, don’t play games.”
Reluctantly I opened the door to see Markos leaning against the wall with his arms folded, his purple eyes glowing in the darkness. “You shouldn’t walk about the halls without someone accompanying you.”
“I’m a big boy, I think I can find the bathroom on my own.”
“Is that why you’re hiding in the armory?”
“...No.”
“You’re a weak bag of flesh in a castle of the fae. Best to watch your step. Now come, I’ll take you back.”
I didn’t move, “Why are you out here?”
‘That’s not smart Charlie boy.’ Ronové commented tensely.
“I don’t need to explain myself to you.” he answered simply as he began to walk expecting me to follow.
I was beginning to understand why Eric guarded his emotions so carefully. This was a dangerous place, and we were in dangerous company.
NEXT
Chapter list

Demographics

• Gender: Male
• Race/Ethnicity: Asian
• Residence: United Kingdom
• Type of School: Competitive/Grammar School
• Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): None

Intended Major(s): Mechanical Engineering OR Aero/Astro (WILL REQUIRE FINANCIAL AID!!)
Academics

• GPA (UW/W): School Doesn't Do GPAs
• Rank (or percentile): Probably around 10 of 240
• # of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: Full IB Diploma
• Junior Year Course Load: HL Maths, Chem, Physics SL French, Geography, English Lit & Perf

Standardized Testing
List the highest scores earned and all scores that were reported.

• SAT I: 1500 (730RW, 770M)
• AP/IB Predicted: HL Maths (6) HL Physics (7) HL Chem (7) SL Geography (7) SL English Lit & Perf (6) French (6). So a 42/45
• Other (ex. IELTS, TOEFL, etc.): n/a

Extracurriculars/Activities
List all extracurricular involvements, including leadership roles, time commitments, major achievements, etc.

1. Fundraising for Various Charities (Bake Sales/100mile walks etc...) - Grade 11
2. Volunteer EditoContributor for National Environmental Blog - Grade 11 (Probably in Grade 12 too)
3. Founded and Chaired Rocketry Club (F-Class Rockets capable of Mach 0.8-1) - Grade 11 (Probably in Grade 12 too)
4. Founded and Chaired Engineering Society - Grade 11 (Probably in Grade 12 too)
5. Class Rep to School Council - Grade 10
6. MARSBalloon Project Member with Thales - Grade 11
7. MOOC Engineering Course with Dartmouth/eDX - Grade 11
8. Virtual Work Experience at BAE Systems - Grade 10
9. Mechanisms Work Experience at SSTL - Grade 11
10. Imperial College London Summer Physics Research Program (Competitive) - Grade 11

Awards/Honors
List all awards and honors submitted on your application.

1. Competed in the International Geography Bee European Regionals - Grade 11 (Qualified for International Championships in 2024)
2. Physics Achievement Award at School - Grade 10
3. Jack Petchey Achievement Award (Received $250 which I spent towards school Physical Ed Department) - Grade 8
4. Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award - Grade 9

Colleges Considering:

1. Stanford EA??
2. Princeton
3. University of Pennsylvania
4. Pomona College (Emailed Prof expressing interest in their Dual Degree Program with Caltech)

Posted on a forum, but curious to get others thoughts here. What is Rivian doing with returns? I got to wondering if these are ending up in the S/T shop. Are they listing these for sale somewhere else? Using for parts?

Use this thread to share your portfolio, purchases, sales, ideas, concerns, and anything else!
This thread is also for asking questions about which is the best broker for you, which broker offers [feature] and other basic questions about platforms and their functionality.

PART EIGHT HUNDRED AND ELEVEN
[Previous Chapter] [The Beginning] [Patreon+2]
Thursday
“What about you?” Skylar asked, turning under Angus’ hands to face him. “How does the most feared war commander in all existence end up chaperoning one of my human employees?”
“Mason lives with Llyr and his family. I’m … on loan to them.”
Skylar’s frown deepened. “I thought Llyr lived in San Francisco. And his kids and grandson are scattered to every other part of the world.”
“It’s a really long story, Sky.”
Skylar’s eyes suddenly widened in shocked delight. “He’s got a new family!” She didn’t ask, and it was clear Llyr’s family wasn’t a new occurrence since Mason was in his twenties and not Llyr’s style of ‘friend’. “Oh, this is the one thing I have missed about being on the outside of the pryde. Did he end up having more girls? Is that where Mason fits in? As a boyfriend?”
Angus chuckled. “Llyr had a boy. One a little younger than Mason. He roomed with five men to go to college, and they’re still all roommates now.”
“So Llyr’s running a frat house?”
Skylar’s face was priceless, and Angus pinched his lips together to keep from laughing as he shook his head. “No, not at all. Only two of them were going to college. The other four were … well, three of them were working. The fourth one got into trouble recently, which is why Llyr moved in to make sure it didn’t touch Sam.”
“Wait … Sam? Sam Wilcott is Llyr’s son?” Skylar asked in shock. “Mason’s talked about him…” she snapped her fingers. “…about how he’s heavily into Greenpeace where the freaking ocean is concerned. How did I not make that realm-damned connection before now?”
“A lot of people are passionate about planetary conservation without being descended directly from the Mystallian ocean god.”
“And how did Fisk take it?”
“Fisk dropped everything to keep his baby brother happy. Dismantled most of his supertrawler fleet and sold off the rest. They’ve actually become quite close.”
“Wow. Of all the possibilities, I would not have made that call.” Skylar shook her head and pulled away from Angus. “The number of people who’ve said it’s a big old world out there, but in reality, it’s getting smaller every day. An old friend of mine reached out to me, asking if I had a service dog for a client of his. Less than a week later…” she looked up at him. “I’m here with you, talking about life bonding.”
When she put it like that, it was a little coincidental, and Angus found himself fighting a frown. Then again, what did it matter if the Eechee had made an end-run around their defiance? Skylar had made it clear she wasn’t interested in a mate, and he’d done likewise. The only way to get past all of their arguments was to put them in each other’s orbit under different circumstances and let things happen of their own accord.
Of course, the order to kick everyone out so that he would lower his guard, thinking there were no females around, was a little bit devious if someone were to ask his opinion. Especially when Skylar heard the same order and thought the same of him.
Which reminded him. “How were you able to avoid being kicked out of the state?”
“I told you…”
“No, you didn’t.”
Skylar huffed. “I told you I was on the outs with the pryde. The Eechee gave me a direct order that unless my name was included in the order, I was to ignore all orders. That way, I wouldn’t answer the summons every time there was an incursion at the border that had us scrambling in numbers.” She paused and tilted her head to one side. “Were you really as bad as they said?”
So, she’d heard about him growing up. She must have, reaching maturity in the early seventies, put her hatching somewhere in the late thirties. Still decades after Coraltin had been slain.
“I was reaching breaking point,” Angus admitted, not wanting to think ill of the Eechee. “Poppa was getting ready to force me into a breeding box, and like you, I’d have quite possibly killed the female rather than bonded with her.”
“Two peas in a pod,” Skylar murmured. She then looked up at him. “Your father won’t be happy you’re with me. You know that, right?”
“That is the least of my concerns.” Until he finds out.
Skylar chuckled. “Liar.”
Angus laughed as well, then rolled a hand to invite her back to her seat to finish breakfast. “I have your van here in the garage,” he said as she slid into her spot. She stiffened, but he carried on. “I know it’s important to you, but I’d like you to consider the danger it poses to the people around you. Seriously. Everything on it is worn out. If you want it left untouched, for sentimentality’s sake, it has to stay off the road. I now know how you’ve been getting around in it to this point, and it’s not fair on Sonya and the others when they get stuck in the middle of nowhere and can’t pick it up and realm-step to their destination.”
He pierced a piece of steak and held it to her lips in compromise. “You had transmission fluid all over you the night we picked up that cat from your employee’s apartment. The two seconds you were out of sight to fetch your van was all it took to get utterly covered in the stuff, Sky. I’m not an expert on cars, but even I know that’s disastrous.”
“Chester was my first car,” she admitted after taking his offering, not burring up the way she had in the past. “People didn’t drive very much in Bhutan when I first got there, and even now, where I have the training facility, it’s more of a … pack horse and donkey type of area. It’s quiet. Peaceful. No pollution.”
“If you wanted to get Chester back on the road, I can vouch for the mechanic Mason spoke of yesterday. It’s another of the roommates. Or rather, it’s the girlfriend of one of the other roommates, who moved in after Llyr and Sam’s mother did.”
“So … is Sam…”
“Hybrid,” Angus answered, cutting to the point. “Llyr finally found a strong woman that can handle his unique brand of smothering.”
“And they only have one child?”
“More are on the way,” Angus said with a grin.
“Ooooh,” Skylar purred, helping herself to another breakfast steak. But then her face fell. “Wait. A multiple hybrid birth?”
Of course, her training would be all over that. “The Eechee has it under control. Tiacor has been assigned to stay with Ivy until she’s needed.”
“I know Tiacor. She’s good and definitely a no-nonsense…”
“I saw. Llyr got more than he bargained for when the Eechee assigned her to Ivy. Apparently, he was expecting someone to rubberstamp his views of her weakness…”
Skylar almost spat out the chunk of meat she was chewing on. “Not a chance with Tiacor! She and Medical Commander Kaipo have butted heads more than once over medical procedures before the medical commander pulled rank to make her back down. Even then, it was begrudgingly.”
“Really?” That was news to Angus. His brother didn’t usually let any other female healer than Bee argue with him, and that was because their clutch-mate couldn’t be ordered to stand down. Something to look into later … once his travel restrictions were lifted. “Also, Llyr’s whole household is shielded from the veil.”
That had Skylar sitting up once more. “As in Mason?”
Angus nodded. “He wears one of the Eechee’s bracelets as an anklet to keep his hands free for work. The others either have bracelets or tattoos.”
Skylar rubbed her hands together. “Why so many?”
“It was a gift from the Eechee since the six of them were close.”
“I still don’t…”
“Sam grew up an only child. No cousins. No playmates. He didn’t even know about Llyr’s other kids until recently. The five men he lived with are the closest thing he’s had to brothers, and even though he has a real one living in China now, he won’t walk away from them.” Angus felt bad about twisting the truth until it resembled a pretzel, but explaining Robbie’s part in this wasn’t his story to tell.
“Why wouldn’t Llyr tell Sam about his other kids?”
“It’s complicated, but they’re all together now, and that’s the main thing.”
“You know, Mason almost walked in on me doing my reports up the other morning. I have a tiered table set up that allows me to fill them out fifteen at a time. He didn’t see it, otherwise I’d have used the phrase with the complete expectation of him turning a blind eye.”
“And then you’d have been outed a lot sooner than last night. He knows exactly what that phrase is all about. They all do.”
‘Now that it’s not a bachelor pad anymore, how many of the girlfriends have moved in?”
“You’re assuming they’re all into girls.”
Skylar didn’t miss a beat. “Boyfriends then. How many significant others are there?”
Thinking about Boyd and Lucas, Angus grinned. “That gets complicated too. But three significant others have since moved into the apartment since Llyr set them all up, including Sam’s mother.” He saw Skylar frown and quickly added, “Ivy is dead against marriage. Llyr’s fighting an uphill battle trying to talk her into taking the family name when even Sam won’t because they’re the last two of her family.”
“That’s going to cause trouble in time to come. Especially for the boy.”
“Mm-hmmm.” It went without saying.
“So, the apartment’s gone from a bachelor pad to a hippy commune?”
“Wrong era and definitely zero recreational drugs, but … otherwise, yes,” Angus agreed. “Llyr bought out two floors of their apartment building and brought in the family to segregate them from everyone else while linking all the apartments together so everyone could have their own space. So far, there’s an art studio, a formal office, and I think there’s a mechanic’s workshop and maybe a music studio going in.”
“So far,” Skylar laughed, around a mouthful of bear.
“Yeah, no matter what interest they have, there’s a member of the family that can give them their dream space. Clefton is coming in for Sam’s girl, and Rory is on the books for Charlie. Though if Rory doesn’t get his ass into gear and come and help soon, I might send some pryde to motivate him.”
Skylar chuckled deeply, then lifted the bowl into her lap and twisted to rest against Angus’ side. He wasn’t going to go as far as to curl his arm around her in a cuddle, but when he started to on the pretence of reaching for his next piece of steak, she didn’t dissuade it. “That sounds positively human of you.”
“Coming from you, I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“Are you okay with me thinking about what you said?”
“Of course. My only point of caution is one you’ve brought up already. My parents won’t be happy with this arrangement, and if Poppa gets any hint of what we’re planning, he could very well sit on you to save your fertility, send me back to the border for six months to build up mine, and still have us breed like regular true gryps when he orders me home to you.” He felt Skylar stiffen and shushed her, brushing his fingertips up and down her bicep. “I’m just putting it all on the table for you to appreciate, Sky. I like you a lot, and I like our plan, but I’ll wait until you’re ready to meet me halfway, for as long as I’m able.”
“Our plan?” she asked with a sharp arch of her eyebrow.
“Okay, my plan that you agree is in our best interest even though you haven’t committed to it yet.” He smirked at her petulance. “The two of us together is what makes it ours.”
* * *
((All comments welcome. Good or bad, I'd love to hear your thoughts 🥰🤗))
I made a family tree/diagram of the Mystallian family that can be found here
For more of my work including WPs: Angel466 or an index of previous WPS here.
FULL INDEX OF BOB THE HOBO TO DATE CAN BE FOUND HERE!!

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TL:DR; FDS provides financial info like Bloomberg. Bloomberg announced their own AI. AI only goes up.
FactSet (FDS) is well-positioned to take advantage of the current AI hype in the financial data analysis space. With over 96 APIs in their catalog, FDS has a vast array of data and services that could be enhanced by partnering with an AI language model like ChatGPT. Moreover, FDS has already made strides in natural language processing (NLP) with their Factset Query Language (FQL), which allows users to make natural language queries to financial data. However, FDS could further improve their NLP capabilities by leveraging the recent advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) which Bloomberg has recently done with BloombergGPT. This could enable FDS to develop more sophisticated natural language interfaces and improve the accuracy and speed of financial data analysis. Additionally, FDS has a strong reputation in the financial data space and is one of the few publicly traded companies that provide financial data, making it an attractive partner for AI language models and financial institutions looking for reliable data sources.
FDS hasn’t confirmed that they’re using LLMs yet, but they probably are given that they mention GPT in a job posting. They also have several blog posts on ChatGPT as well.
FDS can leverage its 96 APIs in their catalog in a similar way to WolframAlpha’s collaboration with OpenAI. If they hook it up with ChatGPT or something similar, it can use these APIs to do financial analysis just like how WolframAlpha enables ChatGPT to do math. It also allows the user to provide a query in natural language instead of needing to know how to code/read the API.
Just like the Bloomberg Query Language, FDS has Factset Query Language (FQL). FQL allows making interaction with financial data to be more natural. For example, “Show me companies with sales greater than the average sales of companies in the S&P 500.” would translate to “FF_SALES(ANN,0)>UAVG(FG_CONSTITUENTS(SP50,0,CLOSE),FF_SALES(ANN,0))”. This feature allows users to ask queries in plain language without needing to write complex code or have extensive knowledge of financial terms.
One thing to worry about is AI “hallucinations” in which the AI provides inaccurate information which would obviously be bad for financial analysts. There are two types of hallucinations: open-domain, and closed-domain. Closed-domain hallucinations refer to situations where the AI makes something up, but the information was already in its context. A good example of this is asking ChatGPT to summarize something, but it provides an extra detail that was never given. Research shows good progress on reducing closed-domain hallucinations via clever prompting and reward model training. If you watch the WolframAlpha demo, they mention working with OpenAI to create a special version of GPT4, and it shows since it is reliably using WolframAlpha’s output. The same techniques can be done for FDS’s APIs to reduce inaccuracies.
Just like every other AI stock that has gone up by an absurd amount, once FDS announces usage of ChatGPT, it’s going to moon. Some of the AI stocks are just regarded and don’t make any sense, but FDS is a legit use-case, so it has long term prospects as well.