Hey friends,
I had a good first week, dropped 9 pounds, altho I put 3 of em back on after cheat day and haven't been able to significantly move it down since, just yet.
I've been absolutely blown away by just how much I'm eating, and not out of necessity, but out of a sheer hunger.
First, the stats:

1. 37YO Male, able bodied, active, healthy or, at worst, on the high end of normal of all blood metrics
   
2. 6'3, 213lbs at start, 204 before cheat day on Saturday, Tuesday of week two today, and at 206.8.
   
3. Body fat of 15% at start, 14.3% pre-cheat, and 14.6% today.
   
4. And maybe the most important variable: Vegetarian (lacto ovo)
   
5. Taking Potassium, Calcium as defined in the book, and Magnesium at night for bed. Skipping the PAGG based on research on this sub and other sources.
   

*Standard breakfast * I'm having two eggs with about a half cup of whites with spinach and an assortment of frozen veggies into a scramble, probably a cup of spinach (compressed) and a cup of other frozen veggies , a full can of lentils, 560g)
Invariably hungry three hrs later, and I'll either do a couple spoons of cottage cheese, or suffer thru until a bigger lunch.
Lunch is roasted veggies, marinated in Olive Oil and some harissa spices, sometimes with salsa, and sometimes with tahini (but only if I haven't had the cottage cheese)
Evenings will be a burrito bowl of sorts, lettuce, onions, a shit ton of veggies, totalling about four to five cups worth of veggies, and a combo of black beans and refries beans, with a bunch of salsa.
And even then, I'd get into night time feeling hungry, so I'd finish off with a tbsp of peanut butter and my magnesium tablet before bed.
It's sort of crazy to me how much I am eating.... I have never eaten this much volume so regularly before. I've seen other vegetarians on the sub say they've been fine with some tofu here and there, so I do some extra firm tofu to amp up protein, but usually not more than twice a week.
And I noticed if I drink a pea protein shake with some veggie greens and spinach at breakfast time, I dramatically reduce my hunger thru the day. I know that's breaking a bit of a cardinal rule, but I remembered the book saying that snacking means I wasn't having enough protein, and I figured the best time to do that was breakfast to really make sure the Ratios of breakfast tipped heavily in the favour of protein vs carb/fat.
Roughly speaking, I'm throwing about 150g of protein into my body everyday (including the shake).
Activity wise: I'm usually moving at least 60 mins a day between commuting to meetings by foot and bike, as well as morning walks. I'm also doing the three day a week fifteen minute workouts Tim mentions he did in the book. (kettlebells M and F, dumbbells and sit-ups on W)
All told, by the end of the week, my Garmin watch calculates me as having done about 600 to 700 intensity mins a week, usually in the neighbourhood of 600-900 active calories burned.
I'm asking for the judgement/review because despite feeling like I'm following it as I'm supposed to, I'm sometimes struggling to imagine how this much food is okay to consume Hahaha... And also because the slight uptick on the scale is annoying, post-cheat day.
Also: I'm super tired by 830 pm. Like I'm usually very energetic, but by 830/9 I'm just counting down the hours til bedtime, usually in bed by 1115,and asleep by 1130pm. (I will say that as someone who used to take a long time to fall asleep, I am very nicely fatigued since starting SCD and fall asleep quickly.)
Would love your feedback to know if this is "business as usual", and if anyone has comments on what feels like a setback in the increased weight and fat%, the fatigue, and any other thoughts of advice.

Hello! Names Bird, I signed up for an 8 week training course for Longsword in my state. Fior di Battaglia if anyones curious! It's coming up in a few weeks and I had some questions!
1: I'm not a very bendy guy, and am worried about hurting myself during exertion. What kind of stretches/yoga have you found to help you loosen up?
2: I have flat feet (my left foot can suction cup to wet tile! Complete with a squidward esq "putht" sound!) and wear inserts. Any recommendations on shoes?
3: I've gotten used to moderate exercise and even worked with a trainer before. What level of exercise would this compare to? I've been told it's essentially a full body workout, and it's one or the big reasons I'm interested!
4: what are some things I as a newbie should be aware of to not make myself look like an ass? Special considerations/preparations? Like wrapping my hands with tape or things to avoid?
Thank you so much for any comments, I'm very excited to start in this sport. I've always wanted to learn how to swing a longsword!

I work as a casual at a retail job selling sunglasses. I had been put under probation to be promoted as the assistant manager, which I’m sure was bullcrap anyway, but I was getting the hours for an assistant managers position. My manager (been 2 months since she started) has very incompetent and still doesnt know how to work the POS system still, vapes in the back room, gives discounts to customers like free candy, calls one of the team members a fucking bitch, whenever she sees her, cash has gone missing.. and many other problems which I and the whole team have highlighted to the regional manager, with no solutions. I had basically been running the whole store at this point as we can’t work like that with her.
I had been sick from the flu (which I got from her cuz doesn’t want to wear a mask to work), it was pretty bad, I had fevers up to 101.5, chills and tonsillitis, cold cough and all. So I’ve been calling off work for the last week. I have been giving notice that I can’t work the next day with a cover to my manager. The last time I did it, apparently the cover I sought for worked too much and wasn’t allowed to work. There is no way for me to know this, all I can do is ask if they can work, and they said they could. So I informed my manager at 5:43 pm that I found a cover and my manager said the cover can’t work as it’s over her hours. She still managed to give the cover my shift not sure how. Either way the next day she asked me 2 times if I’m able to come to my next shift I said yes, but then she said, I can’t keep having late notice, people are planning their day, and I obviously need notice to give them notice. Now my problem is how am I supposed to know if I’m upto working the next day or not. In my opinion I still gave her plenty notice. I never once misled her and she herself has left shifts midday cuz she felt sick with no cover. Technically it’s not even my job to search for covers, it’s hers, but I still try to find someone so it’s easy on her. At this point I’m not even allowed to get sick.
After this, she started cutting my hours and even removed some of my shifts all together. I asked her why and she said oh I got an email saying the hours have been reduced, which is bull shit cuz when I went to work, her email is always open to download documents and there was no such email. I called the regional manager and apparently they’ve removed the assistant manager position all together, which they had basically put me on probation for.
Anywho, I know I need to find new work now, but it is just irritating how the management doesn’t see how much money they are losing employing such a person as a manager. I’m not even sure how she was hired as a manager in the first place.

Found this very interesting interview. Read the tl;dr part if you hate reading longass walls of text.
Note: Page 1 is mostly about Ryou's early days as a struggling novelist, then mangaka assistant and then mangaka and workflows during analog and digital era, the only important part is that Boy's Abyss is... not much of a culmination of her mangaka career, but a work where she can satisfy her ego the most, so i skipped them due to time. Pages 2, 3 and 4 have more info about Abyss.
PART 2: ABOUT BACKGROUND DESCRIPTIONS THAT SUPPORTS THE HUMAN DRAMA
Sauce: https://youngjump.jp/comic_award/interview/2024/05/index2.html
--How do you decide on the locations for your works?
It depends, but I tend to choose places where I have spent time in the past or places that remain in my memory.
--I see. Is there anything important to remember in order to recall the right location for the scene?
You can't open a drawer where there isn't one, so I think it's important to look at various places on a regular basis to increase the number of drawers.
--In "Shounen no Abyss", bridges seem to appear many times in important scenes, including in the first episode. Is this intentional?
Yes, it is. In the first episode, I put the bridge as a kind of borderline between life and death, and I think that the readers came to feel the danger from the bridge. So I may have consciously chosen to use a bridge in decisive scenes. Also, since Reiji is a person who cannot decide for himself whether to live or die, I have him hovering on the bridge, which is between life and death.
(Footnote for a panel from ch. 2: From the second chapter, "Incognito Date". The location of the bridge makes us feel more that Reiji is wandering between life and death.)
--I see. By having them perform on the bridge, you are also conveying the character's condition and humanity.
(Footnote with a page from ch.87: From episode 87, "After the dream". In episode 87, which is set in Tokyo, Reiji's wavering state of mind is expressed in detail using a bridge as a stage.)
--I feel that the timing of the rain is also very well thought out.
Rain is an indispensable element in a gloomy work like this, so I often think about the weather from the plotting stage. Also, when I draw rain, I imagine myself being in the rain. It is cold, my clothes stick to my skin, it gets in my eyes.... I hope that the reader can feel these things.
(Footnote with the page where Akira betrays Shino'oka and gives in to Yuko's temptation in ch102: From Chapter 102, "Amid the Overflowing Water". The texture of the rain effectively shows Nozoe's inclined mind.)
--you have to think about what kind of environment the person is in and what kind of air he/she breathes.
I think it depends on the type of work. For my works, that kind of accumulation is important, but there are also works where other things are important. I think you should think about it according to the kind of work you want to paint.
PART 3: ABOUT THE PICTURE DESIGN THAT SUPPORTS THE WORK
Sauce: https://youngjump.jp/comic_award/interview/2024/05/index3.html
--I assume that it was difficult to learn to draw pictures from a place with no experience in manga.
I learned by trial and error while actually drawing. Even now, I still have a hard time with drawings.
--I see. I (the interviewer) like the pictures in "Shounen no Abyss" very much because they match the content of the story, but it seems to me that you have changed the design of the pictures quite a bit from your past works. How did you decide on the style?
When I started my first serial, "Hoboreru Hanabi", I didn't have time to choose the style yet, so I drew what I could draw at the time. From the next serial, "Himegoto: Juukyuusai no Seifuku," I started to think about "making the eyes a little bigger" or "adding deformation.
--In the next serial work, "Hatsukoi Zombie," you used a much more deformed style of drawing. Why is that?
I think it was because it was serialized in a shounen magazine called "Shounen Sunday. I was conscious of the drawings of Rumiko Takahashi, who I have been a fan of for a long time.
--Did you have the medium of "Weekly Young Jump" in mind when you created the artwork for "Shounen no Abyss"?
If anything, I tried to make the design more in line with the content of the book. Considering the content, for example, it was difficult to use the same body size and eye size as the characters in "Hatsukoi Zombie". However, in the case of "Shounen no Abyss," the reality line differs slightly from character to character, and the way in which deformation is added is different for each character.
--Do you have any advice for new artists who want to improve their drawing?
I think it is important to be aware of the importance of observing what you are drawing. If you just draw from your imagination, you will end up with buildings whose structures you don't know, or wrinkled clothes that don't convey the texture of the wearer's clothing, which is a habit of mine. The result is a worldview that is not convincing. In this age of the Internet and other sources of information, it is important to observe the subject matter carefully and draw it, rather than making rough guesses.
--Do you still search for materials when you draw props, backgrounds, etc.?
Yes, I do. For example, I think about "What kind of room would this person live in?", "What kind of shoes would she wear?", "What kind of car would she drive? I think that the accumulation of such details leads to the sense of daily life that is conveyed in the work.
From episode 19, "seducer". The decor and accessories in Chako's room give us a sense of her life. (there was a page from that chapter i can't put in the post, gomwnnasai, gomennasai, gomennasai....)
End of part 3
PART 4: ABOUT WEEKLY SERIALIZATIONS (this is the important shit)
Sauce: https://youngjump.jp/comic_award/interview/2024/05/index4.html
-I feel that "Shounen no Abyss" has a great live-action feel to it. The characters' actions and the development of the story are unpredictable, and each time I am surprised to see how the story will unfold. Do you have a rough idea of how the story will unfold?
There is a general flow of the story, but basically, I myself draw the story while excitedly thinking, "Well, what will this person say or do on the next page?" In a nutshell, is this a romcom in which Reiji meets a variety of women and decides who he will fall in love (or into the abyss)? It's something like that (T/N: Ryou answered like questioning and answering to herself in the last paragraph of this section)
--I have heard that the starting point of the project for "Shounen no Abyss" was "a story about a double suicide" Do you often draw the story with the theme in mind?
Yes, I decide on the axis to some extent at the beginning. If there is nothing at all, the project itself will not be communicated, and it will be difficult to start a serialization.
--I think that in a weekly serialization, it is necessary to attract the reader intensely in the first episode. What were you conscious of in the first episode of "Shounen no Abyss"?
It's an ensemble piece, so I was conscious of showing all the main characters in the first episode. I also decided to make a memorable appearance of the heroine, Nagi, in the last part of the episode. I also thought about the order of the characters that Reiji meets. First, he meets Shiba-chan, who is outside of his interest, and then he meets and talks with his friend Chako. Then his childhood friend Gen would appear, and things would take a turn for the worse. Then, his family, which is the most painful existence for Reiji, makes an appearance. Then he crosses paths with a mysterious man, and finally a beautiful and bewitching woman appears. In order to make it easier for the reader to enter the world of the work, I made the flow of the story gradually fall into darkness.
--It's like Reiji is going down a flight of stairs one step at a time.
Yes, Nagi is waiting for him when he descends the last step. I changed the background accordingly. When he is with his friend Chako, the sun is out, and when the sun begins to set, he meets his family, and by the time he meets Nagi, it's already nighttime.
--I'm so impressed...! You have built in the backgrounds and elaborated on the details.
(Footnote for 2 pages from the 1st chapter that were shown: Both are from the first episode, "The Boy from That Town". He meets his friend Chako on his way to school in the daylight, but by the time he meets his family, it is dark and shadowy outside. The contrast of the background also depicts Reiji's descent into darkness.)
--What are the most important things outside of your work when working on a weekly series?
Physical strength is important. I also think it is important to keep your mind clear and avoid unnecessary stress. There are many times when I think, "I should have done this better," or "It will be difficult this time because I did that last time," but there is no use in overthinking things, so I try to switch over as soon as possible.
--Finally, do you have any advice for new artists?
I think it is important to have a lot of input while you are young, and to push your luck a little in creating your work.
--Thank you for your valuable talk!
Now, the tl;dr:
-2: Bridges in this manga are used as a gate between life and death.
-1: rain is important in this manga to depict the characters' overflowing emotions.
0: Ryou had to choose carefully the type of atmosphere and air for this manga.
1: Ryou drew Drowning Fireworks on a rush and could define a proper style, she shifts styles according to the tone and magazine shenis doing her works for.
2: She had to study locations and interior plaves to depict characters, their lives and mental states.
3: Boy's Abyss is a romcom on its structure. And the characters were introduced in a way you could instantly get familiarized with from the start, as it's an ensemble work.
4: characters were introduced in a way you can feel Reiji is going downstairs into the abyss. Yuri being the first because she's the character he's the least interested into, Chako next because she's the sun, the light, she's Kana Arima... okno, and Nagi last because she's Chako's thematical opposite and had to have an impactful introduction. and the endgame and endgoal are already decided since day one. Nagi is waiting for Reiji to do the last step
5: a good physical condition, being resourceful and brave enough are the keys for a successful weekly story.
That's it. See ya tomorrow.

Hi everyone, FTM here and I hired a postpartum doula for 2 overnights/week for the first 6 weeks to help my partner and I get some additional support and sleep, as well as learn from someone who’s been there. After night 1, I am questioning this decision.
Baby was being fussy adjusting to her new space at home after being in the hospital for her first 4 days of life. My husband and the doula were working together to calm baby and get her to sleep in her crib in the nursery while I tried to fall asleep in the bedroom after feeding her. Seemed eventually they got it figured out, husband came to bed and then I woke up a bit later before the next feed to pee and walked into the nursery to find the doula in the dark reclined in the recliner with blankets covering her upper body and sleeping baby loosely swaddled and on her back cradled between the doulas outstretched legs. I was really surprised to see this and asked if she was staying awake with the baby and she said, “oh I’m dozing in and out, this was the only way baby would fall and stay asleep.”
This feels like a huge red flag out of the gate as it goes against all safe sleeping advice out there that I’ve seen/heard and our pediatrician literally said no sleeping while baby is on you at our appt the other day. She also doesn’t seem to swaddle well…coming from the hospital where the nurses were all pro swaddlers, I’d expect a pp doula to be a pro swaddler as well, knowing how to gently wrangle baby to get a nice taut and secure swaddle, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case bc when she brought swaddled baby to me to feed, baby was loosely wrapped with limbs moving and squirming.
On the one hand I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and talk to her about this to improve the situation, but on the other hand I want to just tell her it’s not going to work out after that first night.
Any thoughts from pp doulas or others out there on this?

My MIL & FIL live in a 3 bedroom lake house about 4 hours from us. My husband’s aunt and 2 adult cousins are flying in from Alaska for July 4th. The only come to the state every two years. But will be on our side of the state the week after. My MIL has been asking us about coming up for the 4th since Nov. He agreed without talking with me. I have seen her several times since then and have said “I’m not sure what we have going on”. We have been together for 5 years and have spent 3 July 4th’s with them. So there’s somewhat of an expectation that we go up there for the 4th. We didn’t last year because I was 9 months pregnant.
My husband (35) and I (28) have a 10 month old. I don’t want to go for a multitude of reasons. His father has made several derogatory comments about my body that make it hard for me to want to go spend the weekend around him in a swimsuit.
I have several safety concerns regarding my daughter. They have several large dogs and 2 have displayed aggression. 4 unfixed males so there’s a dog fight almost every time we’re there. We’ve been up there 2x since she was born and both times we were promised the dogs would stay put up & they weren’t. Several times my MIL encouraged the dogs to get near my daughter. I have voiced my concerns about this several times and each time my concerns are validated but when we’re physically there the dogs end up getting out and staying out.
They have a very steep/slippery walk to their dock and the only safe way to get out there is through the back yard where they keep the large agressive dogs. Their boat is quite old and has had a number of mechanical issues. They also usually let the dogs on the boat with them.
This is where I think I may be being a bit petty. His brother and SIL are coming into town splitting their time up between his parents and our house May 25- June 7th. They are spending the first week (Memorial Day Weekend) with his parents. My husband originally wanted us to drive separately so he could spend the whole week up there. I refused to drive with my baby 4 hours through two major cities alone. So we agreed to be there for 2-3 days. My family planned a vacation to the beach to spread my grandma’s ashes June 13-18. Everyone is going, aunts uncles, my parents, siblings, nephew, etc. We planned on going but bc his brother and SIL are going to be here the two weeks before we can’t go on my family trip. He can’t miss that much work during wheat harvest. (He’s a John Deere mechanic). I could still go but I don’t want to bc it’s his first Father’s Day and his birthday and that just feels wrong. My thought process is since I’m missing my family vacation because of his family I don’t want to spend the 4th with his parents. We will have been there the month before. I’d rather spend it with my family (who will likely be gathering for the 4th but haven’t confirmed plans yet).
His parents have been an issue with us off and on for years. I knew how he was about his parents before we got married. He would go up there monthly. This is the only source of contention in our marriage but it is a big one. I don’t know how to talk with him about this without bringing up the same points I’ve discussed several times. It feels we have reached an impasse. Should I just suck it up and go for the 4th or dig my heels in and cause contention and likely a fight?

I’ve suspected for years that something was wrong with me internally, but wrote off a lot of my own symptoms in denial and mistrust in most doctors. More strange symptoms have started to appear recently, and my research pointed to endo. Brought concerns to my new OB who seems highly competent and validated the expertise I have on my body as well as what I’ve learned from research. She agreed that it’s all consistent with endo, prescribed me the minipill after running thru all the options, because that’s what I wanted to try first for my symptoms, and we scheduled the ultrasound for today.
I’m nervous for a few reasons. #1, I feel like my symptoms aren’t as “bad” compared to what most women with endo describe. Maybe I just have a “mild” level of the condition, if I have it? So that’s making me doubt, but I have had heavy bleeding the entire time I’ve had a period. I’m talking twice the “normal” range of blood loss, and basically every 3 weeks. Those 2 factors are already exhausting, combined with pain, frequent nausea and difficulty eating otherwise, recurring yeast infections, and irregular bleeding. Lately my depression has also been getting worse, I can’t keep weight on, and my moods are all over the place.
I’m also reading now that a lot of people miss their diagnosis with an ultrasound (often depending on whether or not the tech specializes in vaginal ultrasound readings) but get it confirmed once they go back for a lap. So reason #2 I'm nervous is that they might not find anything today, at least not on my ovaries, and we're gonna have to draw out this process even more to figure out what's wrong with me. I'm already missing a bunch of work just for these appointments, thank god we have great insurance and my bosses have been very understanding.
I'm just rambling at this point. I just want a confirmed yes or no diagnosis already-- I know something is wrong with my body and it's not a new intuition. I might still ask for the lap if they don't find anything today, just to be sure. Either way, I'll be trying the minipill for a while. Best case scenario here is that I just have chronically imbalanced progesterone and estrogen, and the consequences of that mimic endo. And the good thing is that these concerns have kind of spooked me awake into taking more intentional and prompt care of my health.

Throway acct. I (40m) had an encounter with someone on 4/30, kiss and oral sex. 2-3 days ago I started feeling tingling to my lips. It felt pronounced and tender, as well as a bit of a sore throat. I started researching and symptoms match up...started freaking out a but. Still am, anxiety is through the roof. As I looked up treatment I also reached out to Dr to make appt. Soonest is a week out. They also seem lacking knowledge on contraction as what I was advised doesn't line up with most of what I've read. Primarily that you cant contract unless the person had an active OB. They did not. I have access to Famciclovir and dosed 750mg twice that first day and now 500mg twice a day. I'm on day two. The tingling has subsided but I'm pretty sure I see small pimples coming on both sides of my lips although very small. Honestly hard to notice unless you close up and point them out. Hell, I sometimes have a hard time seeing and it only gives me hope.
Ive also been feeling the tingling in the genital/scrotum to anus area. Nothing noted on there but I cant deny that feeling comes and goes. I cant get confirmation for at least another week if not longer. The antivirals surpress possible results and this is fairly early to test no? and this is the first OB I've ever experienced (although pending confirm but symptoms match up). I'm avoiding kissing/sex with my partner and am holding onto dear life that I'm wrong but its seems fairly evident I'm not. I guess Im just waiting for confirmation to break the news? Once I do I know I lose them. No question. my partner and I had sex/oral on 5/2. I don't know what Id do with myself if I passed this on to them, and If I didn't it seems now its inevitable if they were to stay. Besides the extreme level of constant stress, Im scheduled for a surgery tomorrow, minor but involves general anesthesia. I read that triggers and I guess im just waiting to see if that flares and fully confirms for me? Im a mess internally right now. This was the best person to ever happen to me. I know what Im about to lose. Im so ashamed and dissapointed.
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Throw away account, just in case. But this is a very unique situation so if the other party ever sees this, they’ll know it’s them…[for reference my ex and I are both in our early 20’s and this all takes place in Virginia] I (F) was with my ex (M, well call him Tom) for about 5 years, we were married for the last 2 years of it. We had a daughter together before we got married as well. We separated back in fall of 2023, my choice for many reasons including I was tired of parenting a 20 something year old, we lived in his family’s home and with years of manipulating I became totally isolated, I was a stay at home parent and had little to no access to finances, and by the end of it his anger issues got the best of him and he became violent and physically abusive towards me and our daughter. I left for our own safety and to gain back some of my independence again. I’ve posted that story on Reddit as well in more detail, on a separate account.
Toms current living situation involves him, he maternal grandfather, maternal grandmother (both in their 70’s), and first cousin (M, preteen aged, well call him George ). They all live in a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom and they’re all living their full time. Tom’s sister lives two doors down with her husband and four sons.
George’s parents have their own living situation, it’s his mom, his dad, his sister, and his brother, and they live in a motel room that is setup like a hotel room that would have two queen beds and maybe a small living area in the same room. They don’t keep George bc they don’t care to parent his ASD and have pushed the responsibility onto the grandparents, but not legal guardianship or anything like that, so that the parents can still benefit from him on tax returns or state benefits. George’s dad is a tier 3 sex offender that was convicted for taking indecent liberties with a minor, in the early 2000’s. Unfortunately George, his two siblings, along with Tom’s sisters kids, have all shown signs of learned sexual behaviors, or sexual abuse, or violent and destructive behaviors, but no one takes action bc their family doesn’t want to start drama.
Tom, and his entire maternal family have sexual or violent offenses or histories including the one above, 911 calls for violence within the family, all the way to murder committed by two of his immediate family members. To say the family is insanely unstable and unpredictable is an understatement. So now we’re at today…
Just over a week ago my daughter went to Toms overnight and when she came home she said George had touched her private areas, we have had a talk about how she should always tell me if anyone ever does xyz and she knows who her safe people are etc. I had a throughout conversation with her letting her lead anything that was said and I just asked her to elaborate on things. She knew exactly what she was wanting to tell me and she never strayed from her story or any details. She’s young, but she’s very smart and aware, I trust that she’s telling the truth. She also said her and George share a room, Tom has told me George sleeps on the living room cough whether my kid is there or not but she’s said this many times and has even said there’s 2 beds in her room. She says George also spanks her, yells at her, and hits her, but that her dad just tells him no and that it continues…
I talked to her more than once but after deciding for myself that she’s telling the truth and isn’t mixing her story up, I called CPS. I did also call Tom so he knew what she had said but he said our daughter was lying, it never happened, and showed no concern. I made the report with all the details above, the next day a family member of mine said I should also make a police report so I did. That turned into a second county CPS being sent the report and the police department opening their own investigation. Two days after that I was able to go to the court house and get a preliminary protective order, which was granted.
I have to go back to court this week for the hearing for the protective order. Today I called both CPS’s for updates and they both said they can’t investigate it because the abuse or neglect wasn’t done by the care giver directly, I don’t understand how that makes sense in this situation bc they possibly share a room and her father is ordered by our custody agreement not to leave her with anyone unless I personally agree to it. In the past his family has put my daughter in harms way and I don’t trust that they’re attentive enough to watch her and all the other small children there, especially due to the grandparents ages.
I am currently pursuing a show cause because he’s been late on child support and hasn’t paid the full amount, has left our daughter at home with family while he went to the strip club and got absolutely plastered, George’s dad is also ordered in our custody order to have no contact whatsoever with our daughter and has been at Tom’s house when she’s there. He also neglects to change her diapers before she rashes, doesn’t care to buy underwear despite her potty training currently, doesn’t bathe her properly or at all, doesn’t wash her clothes before returning her back to me. There’s more to that, but that’s the basics of it all.
So now my hands are tied, there’s two court orders. Our custody order, and a protective order. I don’t know which one I legally am meant to uphold to first. George lives at her dads house so she can’t go there without breaking the protective order, but if I refuse to give her to Tom, I may be at fault for breaking the custody order… I called the court to see if an emergency custody order was possible but they said not if I already have a custody order in place. What do I do? I’m still waiting on updates from the investigators and looking for more answers elsewhere, I feel like my hands are tied. She isn’t due to go back to Tom until the dry end of this month or early next month. What should I do?

Have learned so much following this forum for the last year or so (using different account for privacy). Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences on this crazy journey! I have a question and was hoping for advice here.
50 and in peri stage, still have regular periods, albeit they just started to change about a month ago. I have had a decade of insomnia, anxiety, hot flashes at night, urinary issues etc that I’ve only just recently realized are related to this peri stage. No Dr had ever mentioned before and my friends have all been going through this recently so that’s how I’ve become enlightened lol.
So I started HRT last week thru MIDI and was prescribed estradiol .0375 and 100mg progesterone. The first 48 hours I felt amazing! Body aches and pain - GONE. Energy levels - off the charts. Mood - amazing. Sleep - great!
Then day 3….aches came back, and the insomnia has been crushing. Up at night 1,2,3am and it’s brutal. Before HRT I was sleeping well with nightly trazadone. Now the trazadone is barely effective!
Anyone know what the heck might be happening here? I have a follow up appointment on Monday, but am tempted to take the patch off and discontinue the progesterone asap so that maybe I can be achy and moody but actually get some sleep.
Any thoughts or personal experiences would be appreciated!

One of my clients (and 1 man show me by proxy) is having a "fun" time combatting a scammer. They have had several intrusions into their M365 accounts because of recycled passwords, volunteering information on scam forms, etc. I've tried educating them, but they have a fairly high turnover rate and a few employees that are of that older generation that trust anything they see on the screen in front of them. It's been almost a year since we've had a mailbox compromised, so I call that progress???
Current situation is that we now have 2 different users that "reached out" to vendors requesting financial changes to their accounts. One email originated from a fraudulent Gmail address (formatted as f.last.company@gmail.com), one from a spoofed domain; so 2 different issues. We found this out because the vendor contacted my client via phone to confirm a requested change - thank goodness for that!
Question 1 - So, how does one report to Gmail a spoofed email address without having the email headers? Is it possible to get the account banned or closed? I found a form on Gmail support but it wanted headers, message subject/body, etc that we don't have since it was sent to the vendor. Have their IT report it?
Question 2 - On the fraudulent domain (the scammer just registered this a few weeks ago) they used a typo of the company name and set up apparently legit mailbox structure for communicating with people. ie: f.last@compan.com instead of f.last@company.com - I've already filed an abuse report at the site it was registered at but with little hope of getting it dealt with.
Any suggestions on how to help shore up this client against these types of attacks? Yes, we have DKIM, SPF, etc already in place, but other than trying to register all permutations of the domain misspellings? All advice will be appreciated - I'm feeling a little out of my league here!

I have only recently (4 weeks ago) developed very severe dry eyes - like completely out of nowhere. I have only ever had type 1/flushing but I can only imagine this is the beginning of my ocular rosacea journey. I was a daily contact lens wearer but have not been able to wear them at all for a month.
I don't have any eye discharge or even a ton of gritty/foreign body feeling....yet. Just so incredibly dry and red dilated blood vessels that make me look insane. What is everyone's lineup for dry, red eyes?
So far I have tried:

• Hycosan Extra drops - 2% Hyaluronic acid
  
• Hycosan Intense drops - 2% Hyaluronic acid and Ection (this is supposed to be the best but I honestly feel more relief at the level down with Extra)
  
• Hycosan Night/Hydro Night ointment - vitamin A ointment (woke up with redder eyes than the night before)
  
• Olopatadine prescription drops - to rule out allergy
  
• Optase Tea Tree oil eyelid wipes - morning and night
  

Things have been going ok. Extension is good, but needs stretching daily as I sleep on my side with bent knees. Flexion on track. Made a commitment to nutrition and have gone from 23%ish body fat to 14% today. Lifting upper body 3x a week and PT in clinic 2x a week and everyday at home. Dying to do cardio and yoga but knee is not ready.
Been off crutches and brace since week 4. Limping bad until yesterday (8 weeks).
Around 5 weeks I tried riding my bike around the neighborhood and my knee blew up with fluid. Subsided a bit and at 6 weeks I tried to do zone 2 on my trainer, knee blew up again. So stiff and hard to walk without limping. Can spin with no resistance but any power has caused big consequences.
Got my knee drained yesterday. The difference has been immediate 24 hours out. The limp is 95% gone, stiffness massively reduced. Going to still chill out on pushing the bike cardio for a few weeks to try and ensure the fluid stays away.
Overall I'm optimistic and hope to be trail riding the mountain bike come September. Hopefully come June I can ride around town without much consequence. Gonna go to a music festival for a day next weekend, we'll see how long I last.

⚠️ WARNING: Maasverse Spoilers—Proceed with Caution ⚠️

-----------------
Part 1: Characters and Courts - YOU ARE HERE
Part 2: World Map, Items, Terms & Other
-----------------

Well, here we go. A master list of all things ACOTAR + the "real" world.

Now, do I believe every single name and location on this list was chosen by SJM with a specific real-world allusion in mind? Of course not. But when you look at the similarities, you'd be hard pressed to deny some of their very probable relations.
As far as this list goes, I've provided what was within my ability to find—coupling each with that which made the most sense relationally—though several definitions would appear to have zero connection to the story at large.
I can't promise perfection. Heck, I can't even promise 100% accuracy (though I did cross-reference the more obscure sources). And I will gladly welcome any missing pieces and/or additional insight you may have.
\Note: If a character or place/item is minor enough, I've included a reminder of their book roles.*

So come on, friends. Let's dive on in.

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UK + IRELAND

PRYTHIAN

A combination of Prydain, the old Welsh name for Britain, and Brython, which translates to “Ancient Britons” from Welsh.

HYBERN

A riff of Hibernia, the Classical Latin name for Ireland.

​
Artist of Prythian map: P-dulcis on redbubble

*A continuing list of world map related locations is provided in Part 2 of this post (see link above)

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MAIN CHARACTERS

RHYSAND

Rhys (also Rhŷs) is Welsh in origin and means "ardent, enthusiasm." It has deep roots in Welsh culture and is the name of several famous Welsh kings and noblemen, including Rhys ap Thomas, a solider who rose to prominence during the Wars of the Roses.

FEYRE ARCHERON

Feyre is a variant of Feyre and is Old English in origin. It means "fair, beautiful." A similar name in Old Norse is Freyja (also spelled Freya), meaning "Lady," denotes a woman of nobility. In Norse mythology, Freyja is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, and war.
In Greek mythology, the Archeron is one of the five rivers of the Underworld and is often the principal river through which the ferryman Charon transports the dead. It said to be the River of Woe or the River of Misery.

CASSIAN

Cassian is Latin in origin, means "son of Cassius," and denotes one of the oldest families in Rome. Arguably the most well known Cassius was one of the leading instigators of Julius Caesar's assassination plot.

AZRIEL

Azriel is Hebrew in origin meaning "God is my help." In some religions, Azrael is the benevolent angel of death who carries souls of the deceased to the afterlife.

MORRIGAN

The Morrígan is a Celtic goddess associated with war and fate and is seen as a guardian of the earth and its people. Her name means "great queen" or "phantom queen."

AMREN

Amram is of Hebrew origin and means "exalted people." It is the Biblical name of Moses' father.
Note: This tracks with Amren being able to interpret The Book of Breathings which is a play on the very real The Books of Breathing, a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary texts.

NESTA

Nesta is the Welsh version of Agnes meaning "pure, holy." May also have potential connections to Nestor, a legendary Greek king who was known as a great warrior and for the sage advice he offered younger soldiers.

ELAIN

Elain is Welsh in origin and means "fawn." Elaine is associated with the Greek name Helen meaning "light, bright one."
Fun fact: Elain is an anagram of Aelin.

NYX

Nyx is the Greek mythological goddess and personification of the Night. She is the mother of Day (Hemera) and Darkness (Erebus). She often appears alongside other celestial deities such as Selene, Helios, and Eos.

ILLYRIANS

EMERIE

Emerie has Old German origins and means "home strength, brave, powerful."

ENALIUS

In Greek mythology Enyalius is a son of Ares but is also a byname for the god of war. He is often seen as the god of soldiers and warriors from the Ares cult.

DEVLON

Devlon is Gaelic in origin and related to the name Devlin meaning "fierce courage."

BALTHAZAR

Balthazar is Akkadian in origin meaning "God protects the King." It is a name commonly attributed to the wise man who gifted myrrh to the Christ child (the myrrh symbolizing the future death of a king). It is an alternate form of King Belshazzar who played a pivotal role in a coup d'état that overthrew a Neo-Babylonian king.
ACOTAR role: Balthazar helped Nesta during the Blood Rite.

PROTEUS

Proteus is a prophetic sea god in Greek mythology and means "versatile, mutable, capable of assuming many forms."
ACOTAR role: Proteus is Emerie's father and was killed in the war with Hybern.

BELLIUS

May refer to Belus, the Babylonian god of war.
ACOTAR role: Bellius is Emerie's cousin and was slain by Cassian during the Blood Rite.

KALLON

No clear references found, but kalon in Ancient Greek translates to "ideal perfect beauty."
ACOTAR role: Kallon incited the Illyrians against the Night Court leaders and was ultimately slain during the Blood Rite.

HEWN CITY

KEIR

Keir is Gaelic, meaning "dark," and is related to the Irish name Ciarán. In Greek mythology, the Keres (singular being Ker) were female death spirits who personified violent death. There is a suggested connection between the Keres and the Valkyries of Norse mythology, each representing opposite ideals; the Valkyries being benevolent deities in death, versus the Keres representing feasting destruction.

THANATOS

In Greek mythology, Thanatos is the personification of death. He is a minor figure, often referred to but rarely appearing in person (I see what you did there, SJM).
ACOTAR role: Thanatos is mentioned briefly by Keir during the alliance meeting with Eris.

THE LIBRARY

CLOTHO

In ancient Greek mythology, Clotho is the youngest goddess of the Three Fates and spins the thread of human life. Her name means "spinner."

MERRILL

Merrill is of British origin meaning "sparkling sea, sea-bright."

GWYNETH BERDARA

Gwyneth is Welsh in origin and means "blessed, happiness." In Irish mythology, the Lady Gwyn is a headless woman (cough, Catrin, cough) who chases wanderers at night. In Arthurian mythology, Guinevere has an evil half-sister—"False" Guinevere—who bewitches Arthur.

ANANKE

Ananke means "necessity, fate personified." In Greek mythology she is one of the primordial deities and is the personification of necessity and inevitability.
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

DEIRDRE

Deirdre is Gaelic in origin and means "broken-hearted, wanderer." The name is associated with a tragic heroine in Irish mythology.
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

ILANA

Illana is Hebrew in origin nd means "tree, bright light." It stems from the name Elena and is potentially related to the name Ileana, a beautiful young female fairy in various myths.
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

LORELEI

Lorelei in German in origin and means "alluring, temptress." In German folklore, she is a siren-like seductress.
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

ROSLIN

Roslin is Scottish in origin and means "rose, red-haired."
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who joins in the training to become a Valkyrie.

RIVEN

Riven derives from Old Norse meaning "to split, tear asunder."
ACOTAR role: A Priestess who avoids contact with strangers and whose background is unknown.

SIDE CHARACTERS

MADJA

Madja is Slavic in origin and may mean "splendid, noble one." In Arabic it means "the women with glory." It is related to the name Madeleine meaning "from Magdala."

NUALA

Nuala is Irish in origin and means "fair shouldered one." In modern Irish storytelling it means "born of the sea." It is considered a diminutive form of the name Fionnuala, a mythological figure who was the daughter of a sea god.

CERRIDWEN

Cerridwen is an enchantress in Welsh mythology. She is said to possess the cauldron of poetic inspiration and is regarded by many as the Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration.

RITA

Rita stems from the name Margarita and comes from the Greek word meaning "pearl." The Greeks promoted pearls as a symbol of honesty and integrity.
ACOTAR role: Rita owns the "how does the IC not know the clientele is gay" bar.

SEVENDA

No clear connection found, though venda in Latin means "sell" while sev means "strew, spread" and enda means "end." Could also potentially be related to the number seven.
ACOTAR role: Owns a restaurant the IC frequents.

NEVE

Neve is of Latin origin and means "snow."
ACOTAR role: The jeweler from whom Rhys buys jewelry for Amren in ACOFAS.

POLINA

Polina has Latin origins and derives from Apollo, though it could also be seen as a variant of Paulina/Paul meaning "little, the younger."
ACOTAR role: The faerie who owned Feyre's art studio before her untimely death.

RESSINA

Resina means "resin of the pine." Plants secret resin as a protective response, guarding them from insects and pathogens.
ACOTAR role: Ressina opens the art studio with Feyre. She has green skin and stood outside her shop in response to Hybern's attack on Velaris, protecting the terrified faeries inside.

ARANEA

Aranea is Greek in origin and denotes a genus of orb-weaving spiders.
ACOTAR role: Aranea is the weaver who created the Void cloth.

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MAIN CHARACTERS

TAMLIN

From the "Ballad of Tam Lin," a legendary ballad from the borderlands of Scotland. Reminiscent of the fairytale Beauty & the Beast where a mortal woman plucks a rose and encounters a man in the forest, later learning he is captive to faeries. She must hold onto him as he is transformed into various beasts and upon his rescue, the faerie Queen muses that she should have taken out his eyes (Lucien, anyone?) or capture his heart (Tamlin's stone heart) to prevent his escape.

LUCIEN

Lucien is French in origin and means "light." Lucian was also the name of a Hellenized Syrian satirist who was known for his tongue-in-cheek style is said to be the inventor of comic dialogue.

ALIS

Alis is a variant of Alice and translates to "noble, exalted."

SIDE CHARACTERS

IANTHE

Ianthe is Greek in origin and means "she who delights." In Greek mythology she is a water-nymph daughter of Oceanus and a companion to Persephone when she was abducted by Hades.

ANDRAS

Andras has Welsh origins and means "manly, brave."

BRON

Bron is Old English and means "brown."

HART

Hart has Irish origins and means "hero, brave, firm." A hart is also the term for a male deer and in Celtic mythology, the white hart is said to appear when one is transgressing a taboo (Tamlin's whipping of his other sentry comes to mind).

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MAIN CHARACTERS

BERON VANSERRA

Beron is French in origin and is a pet form of the name Bero meaning "bear."
Vanserra is a combination of the prefix van meaning "from, of" and serra meaning "saw, view from a high place" or "mountain range." Vanserra can be said to mean "of the mountains."

ERIS

In ancient Greek mythology, Eris is the Greek goddess of strife and discord. Her Roman equivalent, Discord, is the goddess of chaos. She is associated with the war goddess Enyo who is frequently associated with the war god Ares.

SIDE CHARACTERS

JESMINDA

Jesminder is Indian in origin meaning "flower queen."

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MAIN CHARACTERS

TARQUIN

Tarquin is of Latin origin and means "ruler, strong soldier." Two of the seven kings of Rome bore the name.

VARIAN

Varian is of Latin origin and means "variable."

CRESSEIDA

Cressida derives from Chryseis and means "golden." She is a character associated with the Trojan War and is the archetype of a faithless lover.

SIDE CHARACTERS

NOSTRUS

Nostrum comes from the Latin noster meaning "our, ours." Nostos is an Ancient Greek literary theme concerning an epic hero returning home, often by sea. It is deemed a high level of heroism or greatness and focuses on the hero retaining or elevating their identity while often resisting temptation.
ACOTAR role: The High Lord prior to Tarquin who was slain by Amarantha after participating in a rebellion Under the Mountain.

BRUTIUS

May refer to the Latin name Brutus meaning "heavy, dull."
ACOTAR role: Mercifully slain by Rhys Under the Mountain after his attempted escape.

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MAIN CHARACTERS

HELION

Helios is the Ancient Greek god personifying the sun. He is often depicted with a solar crown and drives a horse-drawn chariot through the sky. He played a significant role in ancient magic and spells and is the son of the Titan Theia and brother to Selene.

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MAIN CHARACTERS

KALLIAS

Callias is Greek in origin and means "beauty, beautiful voice." He is a diplomatic and wealthy figure in Ancient Greece.

VIVIANNE

From the Latin word vivianus meaning "alive." Commonly associated with the Irish name Bébinn meaning "beautiful, fair one" and is the name of an underworld goddess in both Irish and Welsh mythology.

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THESAN

Thesan is the Etruscan goddess of the dawn. Greeks identified her with Eos, the goddess and personification of the dawn. She is sometimes depicted with wings.

NUAN

Nuan is Mandarin and means "warm, genial."

THE PEREGRYN

The peregrine is a falcon renowned for its speed.
Fun fact: The peregrine is the fastest member of the animal kingdom and can reach speeds of over 200mph.

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AMARANTHA

Amaranths is Greek in origin and means "unfading." The amaranthus flower, often deep red in color, is said to symbolize immortality as it blooms for so long.

BRANNAGH

Brannagh is of Irish origin and denotes a "beautiful female with hair dark as a raven."

DAGDAN

In Irish mythology, the Dagda is considered the chief god of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. His name means "the good god, the great god."

CLYTHIA

In Greek mythology, Clytia is a water nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Helios left her for another woman after coming under the influence of Aphrodite. Clytia exposed the affair to the other woman's father, but eventually lost herself in mourning for Helios's love. Her name means "glorious, renowned."
ACOTAR role: Amarantha's sister.

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HISTORICAL FIGURES

THEIA

Theia is a Titan and is the Ancient Greek goddess of sight and vision. She is the parent of Helios, Selene, and Eos. She is most known not for her own role, but for that of her childrens'. Her name means "goddess, godly."

SILENE

Selene is the Ancient Greek goddess and personification of the moon. She is the daughter of Hyperion and Theia and sister to Helios and Eos.

HELENA

Comes from the Green name Helen meaning "shining light." There are various Helens in Greek mythology: Helen of Troy, Helen a friend to Aphrodite, and Helene the Amazonian who fought Achilles.

FIONN

Fionn is of Irish origin and means "fair-haired." In Irish folklore, Fionn Mac Cumhaill was a leader of a band of young hunter-warriors.

PELIAS

Pelias is Greek in origin and means "rock pigeon." Pelias was the king of Ioclus while Peleus was the king of Phthia. Peleus was husband to Thetis, father to Achilles, and left several (men and women) dead in his wake, both through means of accident and betrayal, fleeing more than once to escape punishment.

OLEANNA

Oleanna derives from the Greek name Helene meaning "sun ray, shining light."
ACOTAR role: The High Priestess who dipped Gwydion in the Cauldron.

REPORTED DECEASED

CATRIN BERDARA

Catrin is Greek in origin and means "clear, pure." It's commonly used in Wales and is connected with the ancient goddess Hecate, who is the goddess of witchcraft, sorcery, and necromancy.

MINOR CHARACTERS

TANWYN

Tanwan is of Welsh origin and means "white fire."
ACOTAR role: Tanwyn was a Valkyrie and Cassian's former lover.

OSIAN

Osian is Welsh meaning "young deer" and derives from the Irish legendary poet and warrior Oisín, who was regarded as the greatest poet of Ireland and a warrior of the Fianna (small warrior-hunter bands). He was a demigod son of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and Sadhbh.
ACOTAR role: The author of A Brief History of the Great Sieges

RABATH

Rabath is an anagram of Bharat, one of the names of India. Derived from the Sanskrit word bharata, meaning "to bear, be maintained" it can also mean "one who is engaged in search of knowledge."
ACOTAR role: Lord of the Western Wind and ancestor to Merrill.

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JURIAN

Jurian is Greek in origin and means "farmer, earthworker."

GRAYSEN

Graysen is of English origin and translates to "son of the steward/gray-haired man."

NOLAN

Nolan is Irish in origin and denotes a "child of nobility, champion."
ACOTAR role: Nolan is Graysen's father.

ISAAC HALE

Isaac is Hebrew in origin and means "one who laughs or rejoices." Hale is Old English in origin and means "nook, recess" and denoted someone who lived in a nook or hollow.

TOMAS MANDRAY

Thomas is Hebrew in origin and means "twin." No clear reference to Mandray, though Mandrew is Greek and means "man, warrior."
ACOTAR role: Tomas was Nesta's former betrothed.

CLARE BEDDOR

Clare is French in origin and means "bright, clear." No reference found for Beddor.

AUNT RIPLEIGH

Ripleigh is Old English and means "shouting man's meadow." It is connected to the name Ripley meaning "strip of clearing in the woods."
ACOTAR role: Aunt Ripleigh is the feigned aunt Feyre takes care of.

Ms. Laurent

Laurent is French in origin and means "from Laurentum" and "bay laurel."
ACOTAR role: Ms. Laurent is the mortal caretaker of the Archeron estate.

BRIAR

Briar is of British origin and means "thorny bush of wild roses, brambles."
ACOTAR role: Briar is the mortal woman rescued by Feyre and Azriel.

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HUMAN QUEENS

VASSA

Vasilissa is Greek in origin and means "queen, empress." It is also the name of a Christian child martyr who was left unharmed during her capture, but after her release was slain in a field as she prayed.

BRIALLYN

Briallen is a Welsh name meaning "primrose." Primrose comes from the Latin word meaning "first" and the primrose flower often represents youth and renewal (SJM, you dog—this may be my favorite tongue-in-cheek naming thing you did).
ACOTAR role: Briallyn is the first queen who enters the Cauldron and is rewarded with immortality as a withered old hag.

DEMETRA

Demeter was the mother of Persephone, an Ancient Greek goddess of the harvest and an emblem of growth.
ACOTAR role: Demetra was the golden queen who provided the mortal half of The Book of Breathings to the Night Court and was subsequently slain by the Attor.

ANDROMACHE

Andromache means "fighter of men." In Greek mythology, she was representative of the suffering of Trojan women during the war and was famous for her virtue and fidelity. Andromache was also the name of a famous Greek Amazonian who fell at Troy.
ACOTAR role: Andromache was the former mortal lover of Mor.

FAE CHARACTERS

DRAKON

Drakon is of Greek origin and means "dragon."

NEPHELLE

In Greek mythology Nephele, meaning "cloud," is a cloud nymph who is considered the goddess of loyalty, generosity, peace, and shyness.

THE SERAPHIM

A seraph is a celestial being regarded as belonging to the highest order of angels in Christian angelology.

HUMAN CHARACTERS

MIRYAM

Miriam of of Hebrew origin and means "sea of sorrow." She is the Biblical daughter of Amram and Jochebed and sister to Aaron and Moses.

URSTIN

No plausible connections found. Potentially an anagram for Rustin, an English name meaning "Rust's estate" or Surtin, a Middle English name meaning "reliable, trustworthy."
ACOTAR role: Urstin is a cousin of the Archerons via their mother.

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MAIN CHARACTERS

THE SURIEL

Suriel is a Hebrew name meaning "God's prince, divine authority." May also reference Sariel, an angel from Judais tradition, one of the seven holy angels. He is considered to be a primordial power invoked for his protective powers.

ATTOR

Possibly an altered form of the German tatter meaning "goblin, puppet." Likely inspired by the Ahool, a bat or primate-like winged cryptid said to live in the jungles of Indonesia.

DEATH GODS

THE BONE CARVER

Self-explanatory.

STRYGA AKA THE WEAVER

Stryzga is a female demon in Slavic mythology similar to a vampire. Stryzga stems from the mythological Strix of Ancient Greece, referring to birds of ill omen (and also witches) who fed on human flesh and blood.

KOSCHEI

Koschei is a common villain in East Slavic tales. He is often given the epithet of "the Immortal, the Deathless" and is said to hide his death inside nested objects for protection. He often takes the role of a malevolent rival figure who competes or entraps a male hero's love interest.
Fun note: The love interest trapping tidbit has interesting connotations for both Lucien (regarding Vassa) and Azriel (regarding Eris). For a breakdown of the Azriel x Koschei scene in ACOSF, see HERE.

PRISON INMATES

BRYAXIS

Bryaxis was a famous Ancient Greek sculptor. His name may mean "delight, lust."

LANTHYS

No information or connections found (and it is KILLING me).

LUBIA

In Albanian mythology, the lubia is a multi-headed, serpentine-like, female watestorm demon-dragon. Her irresistible taste of flesh leans toward that of young girls.
ACOTAR role: Also called Seven-Headed Lubia, imprisoned for preying on girls on the western coast of Prythian.

ANNIS

The Black Annis is a bogeyman in English folklore, depicted as a blue-faced witch with iron claws who has a taste for human flesh, especially that of children.
ACOTAR role: Also called Blue Annis, imprisoned for her craving of female flesh.

VESPERUS

In Greek mythology, Hesperus is the Evening Star. Her Roman equivalent is named Vesper.
ACOTAR role: Vesperus is the Asteri found beneath the Prison.

MINOR CHARACTERS

MIDDENGARD WYRM

Midgard is the realm of human beings in Norse mythology, ie Earth. Wrym is an Old Norse word and refers to a wingless and limbless dragon.

THE BOGGE

Bogge is a Middle English word meaning "frightening specter" from which the term bogeyman originated. Bogeyman have no specific appearance and conceptions vary drastically by culture.
Fun fact: A boggart is a supernatural being from English folklore and also derives from the term bogge (Harry Potter facts, yo).

NAGA

Throughout various Asian religious traditions, Angus are a divine or semi-divine race of half-human, half-serpent beings residing in the netherworld.
Fun fact: A female naga is called a Nagi or a Nagini (more HP facts, yo).

MARTAX

A manticore is a Persian mythological creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. The martax describe in ACOTAR has a head like a lion's and three rows of teeth. A manticore has the body of a lion and eats its victims whole with its three rows of teeth. The term manticore stems from Latin and Ancient Greek.

PUCA

Púca is Irish for "spirit, ghost" while puca is Old English for "goblin." They were said to be shape-changers.

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https://preview.redd.it/kjbnychpse0d1.png?width=840&format=png&auto=webp&s=0cbc744820cea4c2fa5e16ec64c127001ba0de10
MEALLAN

Meallán is Irish in origin meaning "small pleasant one."
ACOTAR role: Helion's pegasus.

ELLIA

Ellia is of various origins and can translate to "beautiful fairy maiden" with hints to the "Otherworld."
ACOTAR role: Mor's horse.

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For Part 2: World Map, Items, Terms & Other, click HERE

If you're reading this, I'm sorry you're here and going through this terrible "disease". I promise it gets better and it becomes more manageable. We tend to work our lives around this. Everyone is different and I'm just sharing part of my story that has recently come to light.
Now onto something that had recently come up at work (I work in healthcare) and some background information. I've been having a "flare up" of menieres and vestibular migraine symptoms, but have only truly been diagnosed with menieres. Prior to Covid, I had my symptoms under control and was able to eat whatever I wanted, but lived a generally healthy lifestyle. Also as someone that works in a major healthcare facility they have started mandating flu vaccines. I have always opted out of getting them until they started mandating us to get them yearly and a simple doctors note was no longer enough.
November 2021 I was given flu vaccine (normal vaccine) then in December 2021 I had my first infection of Covid 19. By January 2022 I was having a flare up of similar symptoms that I am having today. Symptoms ranging from severe vertigo (think drop attacks), slight dizziness, ringing in the ears, ear fullness, migraine, light sensitivity, and sound sensitivity. The drop attacks and any sort of vertigo would last seconds up to a minute at most. I was given a single IT steroid injection (that's what controls my MD). It didn't stop any of the vertigo I was having, but I simply would wait it out because back then I was worried that if I continued steroid injections they would one day not work at all for me. These symptoms would last till April-May 2022. Things would be under control after that.
July 2022- I get my second Covid infection and yet continued to have menieres symptoms under control.
November 2022, I decided to try to go vegan and vegetarian for awhile to see if I could eat healthier and improve some other health issues. I opted to get egg free flu vaccine. No issues and continued to have symptoms under control.
November 2023, I go to get flu vaccine and planned to get egg free version as I did previous year. I'm no longer eating vegan or vegetarian but have continued to eat a healthy lifestyle and work on just eating a balanced diet. The nurse decides to tell me I should get regular version of flu vaccine because egg free version actually has more "live" virus in it. So I take her advice and get the regular version as I did in 2021. By January 2024, my symptoms are back out of control. All the previous symptoms as I did in 2021 except I had also aura with migraine. February 2024, I received another single steroid IT injection. I also stopped hormonal birth control (due to having aura). Only thing resolved was aura and ear fullness.
It's now May and I feel my symptoms are finally starting to resolve once again. It've been over a week since I've had a drop attack. It's been 4 months since I've drove a car. I'm 4 sessions into physical therapy. Have had 1 perfect brain MRI. 3 failed migraine medications and 2 other medications I have not yet tried due to wanting to wait it out. My coworker decides to ask me about the flu vaccine and if I had it. She has severe vertigo from her flu vaccine (she doesn't have MD). This is how I have linked all this together. I will not be getting the flu vaccine anymore. I'm guessing it creates an uptick of inflammation in my body. 2025, I will fight to decline it and see if I have the same reaction next year.
We are all in charge of our health- we have to advocate for ourselves in what we feel is right for our own situation.
I'm not here to tell you to get it or not to. This is just my encounter with it. I'm not pro vaccine nor anti vaccine. I'm curious to know if anyone else here has a similar pattern of symptoms returning after vaccines or any medications? This is just some food for thought for those of you out there that are doing everything right but still not sure what's going on.

My most recent diet I’m down 8lbs in 6 weeks but according to the eufy scale (which I know it isn’t accurate, but it seems fairly consistent) my loss has come from 4.9 fat and 3.1 muscle. My body fat % is still at 22%. I can gain weight fairly easily, both muscle and fat go up, and then both muscle and fat go down. Im smaller overall, clothes looser, a bit visibly leaner, but definitely have lost muscle size in six weeks.
My TDEE is ~2600, I’ve been eating for 6 weeks around 2100 with 170g protein. I’m male, 39, currently 166lbs. Lifting weights with progressive overload 4 days a week, all my lifts have gone up reps or weight during the cut. 1 day of boxing, then some light cardio 2-3 days a week. 8-10k steps a day. Sleep 8hrs a night. 1gal water a day. I’ve tracked all my food; my numbers are exactly where they’re “supposed to be”. No cheat days, always hit my protein targets. My diet is high protein vegetarian. Lots of eggs, yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, whey and casein shakes, fake meats. Supplements are creatine, fish oil, D, zinc. Medications are wellbutrin and low dose 5mg adderall.
Wondering if I’m missing something easy I’m not thinking of, or something medical to think about. Know there isn’t an easy answer, but wondering if anyone has had similar issues and some ideas of things to look into. Trying to get a lower BF% but really struggling to lose fat while keeping muscle. Thanks.

45f Medications- telmesartan and amlodipine for blood pressure, 1-2 times per week smoke weed and drink alcohol.
I occasionally have this problem where I wake up gasping for air like I breathed my spit the wrong way or something. However, last night I woke up fully choking on my vomit (I had one drink about 5 hours before this happened) it took me about a minute and a half to clear it out and start breathing somewhat normally again. And then about 5 minutes after starting to relax I coughed up a mouthful of vomit. I thought it had just been stuck in my throat. This morning I woke up feeling like I have the very beginning of a chest cold; a deep cough, tightness in my chest and a general sense of icky tiredness and I have coughed up a little phlegm that has a sour taste like vomit a few times.
Did I aspirate my own vomit, and should I see my doctor or will these symptoms dissipate on their own?
Thank you 😊

I have a self diagnosed TFCC tear in my right wrist (I am 100% positive this is what it is, I had the same thing about a year ago, rested, rehabbed a bit and it was mostly better, but after another unrelated injury on my opposite arm, the pain has returned full force and I cannot afford to see a doctor about it rn).
I do a lot of pushing exercises and I am getting back to climbing after about a month off for another injury in my opposite arm. The past 2 weeks I have been climbing 2x a week, and I’ve been lifting consistently 2-3x a week for the past 3 months. I’ve noticed since climbing again my pain has returned with a vengeance. It’s not as noticeable WHILE climbing but after it is super sore. The pain is very noticeable while doing any push related lift or exercise with supination or my wrist or holding one weight. Tricep push downs, shoulder press with dumbbells, bench with dumbbells, etc.
So my question is, and I’ve read a lot of the threads on here, but what can I still do while I’m resting it? I’m going to purchase a wrist widget to wear daily while I’m resting and take at least 2-3 full weeks off climbing and any pushing activities. I know I’ll probably need a full 1-3 months to recover but I’ll reassess pain levels in a few weeks. In the meantime I am planning to focus on legs and cardio, but if I can get any type of muscle group in, I’d still like to. I am very focused on my strength training right now, so any thing I can still train would be great.
I was thinking that I could maybe still do non-supinated lat pull down, but I can’t really think of any other arm lifts I can do without irritating it. I also realize I shouldn’t do any leg lifts that require me to hold a weight - even back squats put my wrists up and back which is likely a bad idea. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

I was diagnosed with (indeterminate) colitis 3 years ago but it was managed fine by diet. Then I had a baby 2 years ago and was diagnosed with seronegative RA that has been well managed by hydroxychloroquine.
About 2 months ago all hell broke loose and my joints and stomach (and mouth sores! And alopecia!) all brought out the crazy at once. A taper of prednisone has calmed it all down for now but my doctors are trying to figure out what to do next. Step 1 is getting a colonoscopy next week.
Is anyone else dealing with both issues? What medicines are you on for managing both? Would love to hear other people’s experiences.

Like the title says, I literally just started this new job and I'm only 1 day in but I already feel like crap. I've never been in great shape, but this job is a lot more physical than I was led to believe during interviews and I have a feeling it's not going to get easier. I'm almost 30, which isn't old, but I've spent the past 12 years constantly pushing my body past where I'm comfortable for every job and I feel it every day. This new job has me outside and on my feet constantly moving for 8+ hours with no real time to stop and sit and it honestly seems like a 2-person operation that I have to do alone. I have other interviews set up, but I'm just not sure if I should just suck up the pain and keep with this current job. The last thing I want to do is be a quiter or feel like a failure, but I don't want to be so miserable on my days off that I can't spend time with my family.
If you were me - out of shape, overweight and already just burnt out from everything, with a kid and family that rely on you to keep the home going in everyway minus financial, what would you do? Would you tough out the job you're lucky to have that pays okay, or would you take the hit for a couple weeks financially and feel like a failure but at least you'd feel better physically?