Cute thing after a fight with a boyfriend

i've been friends w this girl for 7 years (let's call her grace). we have CONSTANTLY been on and off for those 7 years but always ended up friends again. for context, this girl is, to societys standards, PRETTY pretty. she has the ultimate pretty privilege and gets away with any and everything bc she is SO good at manipulation, having a smooth sweet voice, and just looking good in general. she had a period of having sexual actions with alot of boys in a short time span, but, 7 months ago, ended up with a boy and they have been dating since then. she has cheated in her previous relationship of 2 years twice, so me and my own boyfriend had suspicion she would cheat on this boy aswell. i recently got told a few stories by grace's BEST FRIEND (luna) of what grace has been doing in these 7 months. one of these things was talking behind my back to my friends (and luna) abt how she wanted to f^ck my bf, and just do stuff with him. (she said ALOT) she also said she "had him first" until i came along. (i spoke to him when he was 12, theyve been friends since maybe 11? i knew him when he was 11 but we didnt talk.) i was raging. she kept on saying that he tried to kiss her at a park once, when theyve never been to that park alone together. (so, spreading lies). next day, with luna, luna tells me shes said he tried to kiss her ANOTHER TIME. i call her and yelled at her telling her to shut her f^cking trap (infeont of a bunch of old ppl.. whoops) THEEENNN a few days later i went up to her and asked her abt it and her sweet voice made me forgive her for like an hour maybe? but when i got home i messaged her a paragprah basically saying i'm cutting her out of my life. she THEN messages luna saying shit like "____ is a paranoid psycho bitch!" "i will never talk to YOU again but i will talk to your BOYFRIEND! i dont even want your ugly ass bf." and MUCCHHHH more but i don't have the ss (i saw the msgs irl). i wen tto the park with some of my friends the day after, (M, J, L, Me and luna) me and luna tell the other 2 (L already knew). this got me stressed and angry (mainly bc eveyrone was interrupting me) so my boyfriend came up and we walked around, when i came back, graces bf was there and so was an additional like maybe three people? in our firsnd group. luna came to me and said that graces bf forgave her for chetaing four times (we had proof ?!) so i got REALLY mad, AND I SAW GRACE IN THE DISTANCE AND I WAS LIKE naww shes not coming here no way. got more stressed. i ran upt o graces bf and shouted at him saying i hated him so much because i love him (if ykwim) and i hated him and his actions because i care about him so badly, and i just hated him SO much. i teared up and wlaked away (towards where luna, L and my bf was standing, away from the rest as they came to greet me when i strolled baxk up) then i saw grace again and lost my marrrrbles. i shouted, threatened her, screamed, and this was all mainly because she spoke about wanting to f my boyfriend, then called him and ugly ass. did i mention she said he looks like he has a minge? to my face? when i confronted her earlier? he is literally the most mashcline man looking ?? (muscles, stubble, he only has long hair but thats because he is a fan of metal) i did that infeont of about 8 or more of my friends? including my boufriend. i then went to my boyfriend in anger and we walked Way together, he was shocked (because he has NEVER seen me shout like that before) i then cried to him for like maybe thirty minutes or so. i left my friends gc with abut twenty people and have barely spoken to them since. this was last week friday. only people ive properly spoken to since friday was graces bf, L, luna, and my bf. i dont feel terrible, shes been a pathological liar, a horrible person, a manipulator and gaslughter for 7 years now. she has done many more things rvenetly that provoked my snapping but tthose were ainly the things done that affected me and my bf. she has stolen from charity shops and luna even though theyre "best friends", and she attempted to gaslight luna into thinking she just found them (jewlery) somewhere but luna luterally made one of the bracelets stolen.
i am posting this here because most of my friends dont really talk to me anymore, and are just continuing as normal with grace, shutting me out instead of her. shes always been easily forgiven and me and luna assume its for her looks and voice. everybody is still friends wiht her, im the one who has suffered just bevause she tormented me so badly i could not keep it inside anymore
im open to questions abt anything
TLDR; friend was awful, screamed at her in public park infront of whole friendgroup, friends forgave her and treat her as normal but dont talk to me as much. i assume its bc i left the gc but im not so sure.
sorry for bad spelling, rrddit gets really jetlagged and super behind when im typing and i cant be bothered to go through everybspelling with this shitty ass jer lag oh my god i cant even see my self type. sorry for yapping, might be the autism

This is just my theory, having just played through all the games and the remake. I think that certain people, when exposed to the marker, develope an Anti-Marker influence that can spread to people around them. And I think this is shown repeatedly in the games.
They have to fulfill a certain set of criteria first, but I believe we can observe multiple characters that fulfill these requirements.
They have to be people chosen by the marker to create a new marker, they have to be mentally capable enough to combat the madness influenced by the markers (even if its short term and they recover elsewhere), they have to be distrusting in nature, and Im almost certain there is a DNA component to it as well.
So if a person chosen by the marker (to make more markers) is able to fight off the madness and escape a marker, they seem to build up a resistance to it. Not only that, but possibly through themselves spread a anti-marker influence psychically to others they retain close contact with. I think it might have to do with that initial person's responsiveness to things like addictions and trauma.
So in the story, case in point, we see Isaac go through the typical experience of someone chosen to be a marker maker. He is kept relatively sane, the symbols burned into his brain over time and repeat exposure to marker signals and necromorphs, while trying to recombine the marker with its pedestal in one. In that game, he is not special besides being chosen and having an outsider interfere with the markers plan (in the normal ending of the game, trying to get the secret ending in the remake now.) (By the way, for me it is obvious by the creators that they wanted to rewrite the story of 1 in the remake to be as lore accurate as possible to show the changes to Isaac over time.)
So after 1, Isaac has tried to help make a marker and fails, and escapes. Then he is picked up by earthgov and spends 3 years alternating between cryosleep and "therapy" to clean up his brain and get the marker design out of him. After that, in the game he practically speedruns therapy and the grieving process and is able to fight off the marker and destroy it, which I think is the final step towards becoming completely immune to the markers brainwashing.
And I believe this effect is transferable through a few means, (intimate partners, friendship, spit/blood exchange in living humans, possibly through pheromones or sweat touch), as it seems Ellie is completely immune to marker effects, and Carter gets more and more resistant to the markers while being in contact with Isaac.
Its quite possible that human DNA had anti-marker properties influenced by the aliens of 3's world, with this intention in mind, to create a species that could fight back against the Brethren Moons.
Theres also a clear escalation throughout the games that indicate that Isaac could possibly defeat the Brethren Moons. He defeats an aborted moon in 1, then destroys his own marker in 2, then defeats a quasi moon in 3, and with the ending of 3, he should be able to kill a full on brethren moon in the next installment, and possibly wipe out the entire hive mind through killing one.
I dunno, just a theory

Me, F14 and my boyfriend M16 have known each other for 2 years. We just recently started dating about 1 month ago but we’ve been bestfriends for 2 years. My boyfriend who I’ll call Marcus has 3 siblings who share a house with him. and a brother who he shares a room with who I’ll call Devin. He has 2 sisters. A 14 year old who I’ll call Maggie and a 11 year old who I’ll call jess. Me and his siblings are very close and I’ve noticed his younger sister jess has a close friend named Mila. Mila has always been weird, before I seen her in person I’d notice I would hear her voice almost all the time in the background while on call with my boyfriend Marcus. It would mostly be her trying to play fight with Marcus and Marcus telling her no and to get out of him and Devin’s room. He would always tell her to stop touching him or he would ask his sister Jess to take Mila back to her room. Me and Marcus are on the phone basically all day everyday. There’s been numerous incidents where Mila would attempt to sit on Marcus’s lap and Marcus would scream and ask her what the f*ck is she doing. He’s tried many times to set boundaries but the girl won’t listen. Once me and Marcus were on the phone after he had just cussed out Mila and Marcus and his brother Devin were talking about times that Mila has been weird. A time occurring when Mila hid in his closet while he was changing and Marcus screamed at her and told his mom. Another time Mila kept trying to find a way into Marcus and Devin’s room after Marcus had locked her out. There were many times where Mila had gotten in trouble for trying to grab Marcus private parts, In one incident of her trying to Marcus had enough and hit her in the face with a metal bucket. This all leads up to me coming over to Marcus’s house for us to hang out in person for the first time in a year. We were in him and Devin’s room and we were laying on the bed cuddling and watching tik toks together like normal teenage couples do when suddenly Mila came in the room. And she saw me and her face dropped, her whole demeanor changed. She asked “Who is SHE?”. I knew how weird that bitch was so I didn’t say anything back, I just kissed Marcus on the lips and ignored her too. Suddenly she went ballistic and just started cussing me out. She started yelling things like “I don’t know who the fuck you think you is”, “you ain’t cute bitch”, “I bet you won’t fight me tho”. Seeing an 11 year old girl try to act tough over a teenage boy who’s rejected her over dozens of times was hilarious. Me, Marcus, and Devin just started laughing. I do boxing and I’ve fought more times than I can count on both hands and Marcus knew that and so did Devin. Marcus just told the little girl to get out. It looked like something straight out of Bad Girls Club. The little girl wouldn’t leave so eventually Marcus got up and called his mom and dad to come get her and she had to leave and go home. But that wasn’t it. The next day me and Marcus planned to go to a beach. His brother was going to be at their grand parents house so that left me, Marcus, Maggie, and Jess. But that wasn’t It. Jess pleaded with their mom and dad to let Mila come and their parents agreed. once I made it to Marcus house I changed into my swimsuit and put a t shirt on over it. While putting on the T shirt I heard moving around in the closet. I knew Marcus and his family were in the living room so I freaked out and opened the closet and it was Mila. Apparently she thought I would be Marcus changing into his swimsuit, so she was trying to hide in the closet to watch. I started screaming at her, I was so mad so I don’t remember the things I said but I remember calling her a “Nasty bitch” and a “weird bitch”. Marcus heard me and he came to the back room and started to cuss her out as well. Soon the whole family had gotten involved. But since Mila is 11 they took it easy on her and we still went to the beach. The whole car ride was uncomfortable, there wasn’t enough room so we had to do this thing called “lap up”. It’s when someone sits on someone else’s lap in a car so that there’s more space. Mila volunteered to sit on Marcus’s lap but it was immediately denied, Instead Marcus sat on my lap and she had a salty face. When we made it to the beach me and Marcus took a bunch of pictures together and Mila tried to be in every single one. She started throwing sand at me and playing it off as just a joke. We eventually went home and Marcus begged me to stay the night so I agreed of course. He had some clothes that I could fit into. Pajama pants and a T shirt. Apparently he wanted to me to stay the night because Mila somehow convinced his parents to let her and they agreed. I slept in his bed and around 3 am I woke up to noises and it was Mila going through my purse and trying on my lip gloss. Since it was so late I didn’t wanna make a fuss so I just woke up Marcus and he handled it. Not in a good way. He smacked Mila and grabbed her by her hair and dragged her out the room

I started this series about a week ago. My friend and I both watch an animated show called Invincible which we both love. He told me if I’m really into animated shows to check out Attack on Titan. I’ve really only watched 2 other anime before; Naruto & Death Note. Ig you can say I haven’t really dug deep into anime. But after watching this so far, it’s clear this is a must watch show even to non-anime viewers. It’s really not hard to get into. For me, it’s always really hard for me to get into any new show, thinking nothing can really meet my expectations. But whenever I do get into something that does it for me, I instantly become obsessed with it and feel the need to binge it all. Been binging aot every night and currently near the end of season 3. (Just watched the episode where they enter the cellar)
There’s so much to say why I think its a masterpiece, but il keep this piece as brief as I can. And I’m aware what I have to say here has probably been said numerous times before. So il try to avoid that.
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I can imagine a lot of non-anime watchers might mistake anime as a genre of its own, not realizing they are categorized in themes of drama, comedy, sports…. Just like any other show. Here are the several themes I classify with AOT: Action, drama, dystopian, political/war, mystery.
The emphasis on War & Politics is a big one for me. They do it so well characterizing war. What a soldier does. What it does to a soldier. The large scale impacts. Also the importance of following orders, trusting your teammates and them putting their trust in you. Also a lot of sacrifice. So many people die for their collective goal of humanities freedom. It’s inspiring. Naruto does this a bit too with the whole thing about working well with your team, following command, ect. But AOT just goes way further with it and really makes it a larger part of the shows identity.
In season 1 when joining the scouts; Erwin asks those joining: “If you were ordered to die, would you do it?”. - That sentence plays huge importance for the story moving froward, and one could argue the situations some soldiers are faced with IRL when in a squad in real major war.
The world of AOT is so dark & gloomy you can get away with adding horror to one of its themes. This dark, gloomy vibe is a large part of the shows’ popular identity. It’s not only dystopian, but it’s also very anti-fascist. The characters are constantly striving for their collective goal of driving humanity towards freedom.
Another thing that makes the show pop out is obviously the Titans themselves. The idea of the titans is so cool because their scale is so wide compared to that of a regular human. Killing them is no easy feat and a titan battle has the main characters odds stacked 10:1. Their power scale makes most people scared shitless, give up and lose hope. And when the main characters do get to win, it just makes it that much more satisfying. (This is much more outlined in the beginning of the show obviously) This is where a lot of the dark gloominess in the show comes from.
Even after season 1 when its more common to see the characters effortlessly kill titans, the odds continue to get stacked against them but it doesn’t get boring at all. The show just evolves and the characters are provoked in more interesting ways.
In terms of the characters; they’re all masterful. My favourite characters right now are Levi, Mikes, and Armin (ESPECIALLY Armin after S3 EP17-18). The characters are all good and you really feel for not just the “good” characters.
The show’s obviously not afraid to kill off characters. In every battle, people die. You can say there are both more important, and lesser important characters dying in these scenes, but none of them ever feel like filler characters. They all feel like they mattered in death. Even the lesser important guys have meaning and you really feel it when these people have to sacrifice themselves for everyone else.
Even the antagonist characters eventually don’t seem like real bad guys. I’m obviously still routing for Eren and the other good guys but you begin to see the show is showing you why the bad guys aren’t bad in their own situations. Having not finished the show yet, there’s still a lot uncovered on why certain antagonists are doing what they’re doing, but it’s clear they have a strong reason for their actions and they really believe their actions are what’s perhaps best for everyone.
The runtime is more or less perfect. 4 seasons, 80-something episodes, 20 minutes each. It’s a perfect amount of time for anyone to get into. And more importantly, there’s NO filler content taking away value from the runtime. Literally 0 filler episodes. The pacing’s pretty good and they try to keep it on the faster side in order to drive the events forward, which I like.
The Plot Twists: Seems to be the biggest reason as to why people say the show’s so good. AOT does plot twists like no other. There’s quite a few “betrayals”, and moments of surprise and they come so unexpected. After seeing how they handle plot twists in this show, I’m seeing a problem in how other shows direct theirs. It’s too common for other shows to foreshadow their plot twists slightly too much, or use blatant flashbacks to allude to what’s coming. If you’re someone who already watches a lot of good shows you can already kind of predict what major things are about to unfold slightly before it happens.
Don’t get me wrong, AOT has many flashbacks too obviously (like in many anime), but they’re used pretty well for the most part. They also have minor foreshadowings too you can say but they’re very very faint and also used correctly.
For where I’m at in the series, I’m obviously referring to in Season 2, where Reiner & Berthold reveal themselves as titans. The way it was done really gives me chills. When they start talking to Eren and reveal themselves, it’s done so faintly and non-dramatic that you kinda miss it. It’s like I clearly heard what they’re saying but it just didn’t register in my mind because of the nature of the directing. They make it so their conversation is “Background Talk” rather than a dramatic reveal. No fancy music or anything like that. Really just gave an eerie vibe to it. I had to replay that scene like 3 times to understand what was going on. Then of course after their undramatic reveal; they use a flashback to explain their characters a bit further (notice how the flashback is used AFTER the reveal not before); and THEN they go to their transformation. It is only in this transformation scene that they saved for the dramatic suspense to be unleashed. Maybe I’m looking to much into the writing but I just think the nature of that plot twist was handled very well. (And of course there’s the minor foreshadowing of Berthold chomping on his hand while the castle is falling. It’s an obvious titan-shifter move, but I think it was handled right).
The action scenes are very well blended in with the dramatic parts to its credit. A common occurrence I see with good action shows is they’re good BECAUSE its more than just action. And other action shows might get undermined for not having enough of it, maybe being covered, or perhaps outshined by the more emotional scenes. I have no problem with this myself in AOT. Even in parts of the story where action is scarce for a bit I have no complaints. Perhaps my perception of this is different than others because I’m able to binge it all at once while many others had to wait up to 10 full years between seasons and parts of seasons to see all the action.
Like I said, the power scale of the titans are really the meat & potatoes of the battles being what they are. The battle strategy is really cool to get into, and how they’re going to outdo their titan opponents (Armin as a character really adds to this for me).
The battles are one thing but the fighting itself is a whole other. The actual combat and the animation of it gets the adrenaline pumping. The whole concept of the ODM gear is genius. Using gas powered grappling hooks to leap throughout their environment like a speeding bullet, and zing around everywhere to take down the titans looks like such an adrenaline rush. It gives me adrenaline just watching them, and hearing the sounds of the gear. Its iconic really. Just the idea of it. Also really fits well with the 19th century setting, the technology being where it is.
Ig I have nothing more to say about the animation. Everyone knows its top tier, along with the gore. Nothing really extra I have to add about it, it’s self explanatory. Ofc can’t forget about the OST as well, just like the ODM gear; it’s iconic, adrenaline-pumping. ‘Nuff said.
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Unfortunately I already spoiled myself with a big plot twist of season 4. Whenever I get into a show like this its always so tempting for me to look at reviews of the show to reinforce why its so good, or do the character quizzes, or look at memes related to the show. That being said its too easy to spoil yourself with this.
I saw what the “final boss” looks like. (His head basically, and who it is). Really wish I didn’t see that yet, but it’s literally so hard to not get spoiled I tried my best. My friend warned me how easy the spoilers go. Told me I can’t google the show, search it on YouTube, ect. Anytime I type the shows name I’m risking anything coming up. I also know that 80% of humanity is wiped out from this “event/person”. Found that out the hard way. Other than that I’m spoiler free. I really wish I didn’t see any of that but it’s my fault ultimately and here I am. I probably shouldn’t be going on this subreddit to begin with. I’m lowering my eyes just going on this sub to post this. Not looking at anything else on this sub, not even daring to scroll to other posts. But with how far I’ve gotten in the series I really can’t hold it in and just really want to let out my thoughts so far on the show on here. Please keep the comments spoiler free for me. Just had to unload and discuss a little with you guys.

Do I have a chance of getting into dental school??
Hello everyone, I’m applying to dental school this cycle and need some advice. I’m 25 and had a baby last year. Trying to manage college prerequisite, shadowing, volunteering, being club president and a mother has been the hardest thing I’ve been through. I’m really scared that after sacrificing sooo much I still won’t get into dental school. My current gpa is 3.4 my science gpa is 3.3. I’m taking the DAT in July. I’ve shadowed over 600hr, been volunteering since hs. I have more then 2000hr. I was the president of the pre-dental club at my college for two years. And was apart of 4 other clubs. Doing all of this has messed me up in so many ways, I have horrible anxiety that I won’t get in anywhere and that all my hard work will go to waste. My gpa is very low compared to others. But I’ve honestly had a hard process with college. You see my dream is to go to dental school, but due to dump cultural traditions I had to stop going to college some semesters or not be allowed to. But I had to fight everyone for my education. With the help of my mom I was able to go to college without anyone knowing. I know it’s weird but in my family tradition a girl max education is high school. And after that they are suppose to go get married. I was luck enough to fall in love and marry the love of my life and he also supported me. Long story short do you guys think I have a chance of getting in?? And if you have any advice please let me know.

I just ate some fun gummies and I’m feeling loving so here we go.
Aries: the way y’all engage in everything is adorable. I love how I can talk about anything and will even find ways to keep the conversation going despite you not being familiar with the topic. I also love how spontaneous you guys are, if I want to go on a late night drive I know to hit yall up.
Taurus: I love how yall are so sentimental towards material things. Taurus are the ones who will appreciate a gift no matter how ugly or dumb. Specially if they are from someone they really care for. It warms my heart when I see them wear the bracelet I make them or hang up the painting I made for them.
Gemini: I love how yall info dump on things that you’re really into. Please teach me more about that nerdy thing you’ve been consuming lately. I also really love hearing you yap about the mundane things that happened to you throughout your day.
Cancer: I absolutely love spending time at your house or going out to eat with yall. I also love how easy going deep conversations are with yall. Yall make me feel so comfortable being me, yall also have some dark humor that not everyone is aware of haha
Leo: I love how when you compliment a Leo they seem to glow even brighter. Like turning up the brightness. I also absolutely love a big Leo smile. I also love how yall will always advocate for yourselves when you’re being disrespected. Ive been learning to do that a lot more with myself.
Virgo: I love how creative yall are. The creativity goes crazy. The attention to detail is something I absolutely love about yall. Yes please tell me how I should do this thing better because I genuinely wanna know.
Libra: I absolutely love your leadership skills. The way yall also have little rituals for yourself is adorable. I used to have a Libra friend who would pick a dandelion at the start of the season to make a wish on. I never forgot about that and I follow that ritual with myself to this day even after not have spoken to her in years.
Scorpio: I love the way yall are so protective of your loved ones. I love how open and welcoming you are to those who make you feel like you’re allowed to be you. I also love how strict with your boundaries are. I need to be more like yall when it comes to being stern on my boundaries.
Sagittarius: yall make me feel so safe. I feel so comfortable being around you. I feel so free to be myself. I also love how out of pocket yall can be. Yall just blurt the funniest things out loud with a straight face and it kills me every time.
Capricorn: I love yall so much. I love how yall think of yourselves as boring or rigid but I find cute quirky things about yall and fall in love. Most Capricorn friends I have are huge nerds and I love yall for it. I encourage yall to express your personalities more without fear.
Aquarius: I love how different we all are. I always meet a different type of Aquarius and I love how we cannot be contained or tied down by labels. I also love how airheaded we can be. There’s something lowkey cute about the way we tend to space out.
Pisces: I love how freaking adorable yall are. Pisces love too much for their own wellbeing. I love how Pisces will always have hope or faith no matter how dark situations get. Yall also make me laugh every single time you make an impulsive decision and then the consequences come back around and then yall go back and do it again hahaha.

this is something i’ve gone back and forth with for as long as i can remember, but especially since meeting my (25f) husband (26m) 8 years ago.
before him, i was adamant i did not want children. the idea always left me uneasy, made me uncomfortable. as a child i was never the typical play with baby dolls, play pretend mom sort of kid. it made me wildly uncomfortable to picture myself as someone’s mother even as a child. however, my husband is the absolute love and light of my life and loving someone so unconditionally and fully has shifted my perspective over the years. he would be an amazing father and it makes me want to create a life with him that has half his dna.
in 2019 we bought a house. a few months after, despite me having an IUD, i ended up pregnant. i was 20 at the time, we were dead broke (buying a house that young will do that to you), and i was deep in the trenches of my (multiple) mental illness. i struggled for a few weeks trying to decide what i wanted. my husband told me he loved me and if i wanted to keep it, he was nothing but happy and excited. he never pressured me one way or another. in the end i made the choice to terminate the pregnancy. it was an extremely painful decision, but i knew i was in no place financially, mentally or in my maturity to bring a life into this world. it felt like i would be doing an injustice to my child and making a horribly irresponsible choice.
i’ve never considered myself to be an overly sentimental type. i terminated the pregnancy at 6 weeks, it was little more than a raspberry seed. they gave me a picture of my ultrasound at the appointment to confirm my pregnancy and 5 years later, i still have it. it’s tucked away and mostly forgotten about but i have it, couldn’t bring myself to throw it away.
i know now that even though i regret it occasionally or wonder how my life would have turned out, i made the best choice i could have. i was not ready to be someone’s mother. no one close to me in my life was having children yet and i was not ready to be the first to break that barrier and feel the weight of becoming a mother with no one to relate to.
now, three of the people closest to me in my life have had children in the last year and a half and my best friend is currently pregnant. attending their baby showers has filled my chest with this ache and anxiety. like this deep sadness? that i’m not experiencing this beautiful thing and not sure if i ever will. maybe it’s like the most fucked up biological case of fomo but i can’t help the way it makes me feel.
when i think about my husband and i as parents, i see good things but my biggest fear in the world is how much a child would change our dynamic and that there is no guarantee it wouldn’t drive us apart. for context, my husband and i literally never fight. not in the unhealthy “don’t communicate our feelings with each other and let it built into quiet resentment” way, but that we literally just have nothing to fight about. we do okay for ourselves financially, he manages all the bills/budgeting. we have healthy communication and a very affectionate and loving relationship. he is my best friend, i could spend every second in his presence and never get tired of him. he is the love of my life.
but i don’t have any strong examples from my own life of people who have not had their life flipped upside down by having children. maybe their foundation was week to begin with and a child was the draw that broke the camels back, but i can’t shake the anxiety that kids ruin relationships. i know logically this isn’t true, but watching my parents extremely toxic and messy divorce has left a lasting impression on me that somehow the stress of me and my brother existing were largely to blame. all of my friends growing up always had single/divorced parents. i’ve watched from a distance countless couples fall apart shortly after having children. i would rather never have a child than ever ever lose my husband.
that being said, i still can’t shake the extremely foreign feeling of maternal desire. i don’t know what to do with it or how to make it better. i don’t really know why im writing this, maybe just to get it off my chest or get some outside perspective.
TLDR: i’ve gone my whole life not wanting children until very recently i am second guessing my life long conviction and it has left me extremely confused.

I am [21F] and was raised in an Indian household. My parents are somewhat conservative/strict and interrogate everything I want to do. They are nice to me but they snap really quickly at me when I disagree with them.
For context, I went to a college outside of my hometown and I made a dumb plan of graduating early. I’m an electrical engineering major. I failed a couple classes because I rushed things and now at the summer of 2024 I have one class left (senior project II) which I can only take in the fall in-person. I live in a big city (don’t want to share my state’s name) and the class is located in another big city 200 miles away. This summer I am at my parents house not taking any classes.
I don’t want to be at my parents house at all, I want to be independent and live on my own. I love university because I love partying, hanging with friends, having sex with guys, wearing what I like, and living by my own schedule. At my parents house I have no friends and whenever I want to do something like even go out for a walk they won’t give me space.
I tried looking for internships outside of town but no luck. The only one I got was the remote internship which I worked for the last two years (summers). The last two summers were total hell. I was called a “fat bitch” for wanting to wear regular summer clothes and before that I was called dumb for refusing to hangout with a guy they wanted me to date. I had no friends those summers and every time I was around my parents (they pretty much wfh).
I don’t want to work the remote one because they will extend me a co-op and then full time and my parents will say the most logical thing for me to do financially is stay at their place. I am pretending like the remote job rejected me. I asked them if I can move to the town my class is offered in a month earlier but they said it’s an illogical move. My dad keeps nagging me to look online for remote positions and my mom keeps pushing me to talk to employers in town. All I want is to move out and not live with them. My dad even said that I want to move out because I have a boyfriend in the town my class is offered in. It’s nothing like that. All throughout high school I’ve been deprived of a normal American teen live. I finally lived it in college and now my life is gone again. My dad even said what’s wrong with being at home, we let you eat what you want as if eating is the only thing in my life.
I don’t have a car nor am I added on my parents insurance. I have a drivers license though and around 20k saved up. I’ll probably be stuck here for the rest of my life or at least for my youth. My entire 21 and 22 years are probably going to be at home rotting away. I’ll never meet men in the next five years. I’ll have no friends and no drama or anything interesting in my life. Sometimes I wonder if studying a hard degree was worth it. I feel like just ending everything. Even if i get a job out of town that’s in person my parents may not let me go. My mom is also fixated on me marrying an Indian man and she’s after the ones who don’t like me and have a no personality.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: a lot of them
My sister was an irresponsible teen mom with mental illness. To sum it up she would get pregnant any time a boyfriend and her were in trouble of breaking up.
This process started when I was 13. She promptly abandoned the baby to my parents who were in their early 40s and gave 0Fs. They put taking care of the baby completely on me, because “she only sleeps for you”, “you’re such a good babysitter!”, “I just can’t now!”. So my sister would take off for months and leave the baby, my parents would take off for days and leave us. I’d go to school, come home, and care for an infant. By the time I was 21 my sister had repeated the process 2 more times. She’d spend perhaps a two weeks every year with her children so she could illegally file for child support and food stamps.
The rest of the time? I raised her children. I was the sole provider for my family. My 3 nieces and my 2 now disabled parents. Every dollar I made went to giving the girls a blessed life. I dropped out of college to take care of them and started a small business. Every day from the time I woke up to till bedtime baths and stories, I was caring for them. When they were sick? I took them to the hospital. I taught them to read, write, bath, walk, talk. (Due to poverty and issues with my parents I was never able to file for custody- aunts don’t have rights in most states even though my sister had abandoned them, my parents refused to file for custody in any way- it was, a mess, but I stayed for them).
In time tragedy stuck, my sister began blackmailing us to keep the children. It was a disaster I was too naive and young to see coming. At 14, after returning for visiting her mum, my niece attempted suicide (I wasn’t aware she had been abused while with her mum). I had to BRIBE her mother to stay with her in the hospital because the hospital refused to allow me to stay with her. I took her to therapy but her mom insisted she be removed and she still had rights. Her school thought it was a result of bullying.
Years later while with their mother for 4 days, my sister hit my niece. It was caught on video, my nieces were taken by CPS, and because they were across state lines at the time I had to fight the legal system to get them placed with me. It took 3 years, $60k, and it bankrupted me. I made weekly trips to see my eldest niece in foster care. Across state lines this was nearly 800 a week for 3 years.
My sister surrendered my other nieces to their father and blackmailed me to keep fighting to get her own children back with the promise of finally signing over rights. Eventually she got my eldest niece back. She convinced the girl to stay with her so “she could be a real mom!”. Cps said she wanted to go with her mum and so my family placement case was closed. She lived with her a year. That ended HORRIFICALLY. In the end my sister SOLD her paternal rights to my parents to allow my niece to come home and live with us. The trauma from my sister and the system had broken my niece. My niece admitted her mum had been abusive nearly every time they’d ever seen eachother (even exposing her to drugs and during that year to being SAed) but she had never told me out of the hope someday her mum would really love her. Even with therapy she was so broken. She hurt herself again and again. I went half mad unable to help her, depression was overwhelming. Every other day we were at the hospital or therapist. Every month she’d be hospitalized for a suicide attempt and I’d sit with her in the hospital holding her hand while we waited. I’d excuse myself to hide in the hospital bathroom and sob I unable to help her.
So many ambulances, so many medicines, so many doctors, so many 4am phone calls, so many horrors. Eventually she refused medication and started using drugs. I begged her to go to rehab, I tried so hard to help her and support her in every way I could. Her life was spiraling. She became pregnant and addicted to meth, she became violent and unstable. It was a horrifying year. Eventually, after she assaulted a cop, I told her enough. She had to stop. I wouldn’t support her anymore. She would go to rehab or she was no longer welcomed in my home.
She was 18. She left and went to live with a new boyfriend. Eventually she got clean with him, lost rights to her baby with CPS involvement and got pregnant again refusing to consider birth control implants. After she got clean she began speaking to me again. I’m struggling with her pregnancy as I know she’s not fully recovered, nor stable enough to raise a child, nor mature. But I am proud she is clean and trying to gather herself together again, even if she won’t go to rehab/therapy as I’ve begged. The other day we were driving and she said this:
“You will never understand what it’s like to be a mother. I knew the moment I had my baby (the one she lost due to meth use) it’s just completely different connection. You’re JUST an aunt. You have no idea what it’s like to be a mother, you’ve never had kids and never will” and something in me just split in 2. I told her I never want to silence her emotions or invalidate her opinions but I needed a bit of silence and didn’t want to speak the rest of the trip. I dropped her at her apt, went home and cried. I’m in my mid 30s now and I’ve spent 20 years taking care of another woman’s children (minus the years my poor niece spent in foster care). So much tragedy. I blame myself completely for not knowing my sister was hurting my eldest niece, it’s my fault my nieces were lost. My fault they suffered. When they were lost I went to therapy to handle the grief. I couldn’t look at a child without sobbing. I realized I would never have my own children. I’ve never recovered from losing my nieces, never forgiven myself for their suffering. I failed them so terribly.
Her words just haunt me. She isn’t wrong, I’m not her mother and never will be, even though I’ve raised her since I was 13 and she was an infant.

I moved from country A to country B looking for a better future and helped by my half brother who wasn’t raised with me.
Exhibit A: When I arrived, the first month was nice BUT THEN, he would take every little interaction and turned into a power dynamic where I had to show submission and tolerate his maltreatment in order to keep a roof under my head. He would say things such as “If you don’t like it, you can go” knowing very well I was new in the country and had nowhere to go. But I honestly, didn’t like the fact I had to wake up at 5 AM to go to work and then spent my day after work in college until 10 PM to then arrive and find a party in my assigned bedroom, so I left …. Because of that, we are enemies and he hates me ??????
Exhibit B: I had a boyfriend that found an apartment for me, later he cheated on me and was abusive. He broke up with me so I let him go, then he wanted me back and I said NO. Now he has partnered up with the landlord to evict me ????????????????
I am in therapy and I know you won’t believe me but I’m a good and decent human, HOWEVER, when I don’t comply, people aim to destroy me.
WHY?

Good afternoon. I (23F) have been struggling with my mother-in-law (MIL) and sister-in-laws (SILs) because they keep making inappropriate comments and jokes about me that make me feel insecure and embarrassed, but I don't know how to deal with those or respond to them.
I grew up without parents, and I don't really have any relatives. So, I was excited to have a family when I married my husband. And, I am grateful how they were welcoming of me.
I try to spend time with them as a family, and they like including me to things, so I'm again grateful, but it sometimes is hard because of those. They make comments and jokes about my figure. I am short and skinny, and I'm not really curvy either while my husband's family are all tall and big and athletic. And, they keep talking like "how can you birth Our Last Name's baby when you have such a cute little hip?" or "I'm worried that my grandkid won't have enough to eat because there is no space for milk to come out."
And after they say that, they all say they are just concerned or saying those because I'm cute.
A couple weeks ago, they invited me to a spa/hot springs trip, and I was so excited because it was the first time that I was going on a family trip, and they were like that whole trip. They even pulled a prank telling that they go to hot tub without clothes but I don't have to feel pressured to do the same, so I went out like that even though I was really embarrassed because I wanted to be a part and also didn't want them to feel weird, but they all had bathing suits on and whole time they talked about my body like that..
And, when I looked little upset, they told me they do that because we are family now and they think as me as their little sister and daughter. And, I am trying my best to win their approval, and I'm trying hard to be a part of family, and I think I do a lot for them too. So, I don't know what to do when they say things like that because I don't want to make things weird or make them not like me.
I brought this up to my husband, and I think he talked to them about it, and he said that it will be good now. Then later, they told me they were really disappointed that I told him about the girl talks and what happened among the women in the family, and I can tell them if I don't want to hang out with them. So, I feel like I can't talk to my husband about it..
And one time, my SILs took me out for a night to get drink, and they started talking about their s*x lives, and I was just staying quite because I'm not used to talking about that kind of things. But, they were saying that we are sisters now, and that's what sisters talk about. So I opened up, and honestly there wasn't much to talk about because I've only been with my husband. They kept asking questions, and it was little uncomfortable, but I felt like I had sisters.
But then later, they started talking and joking about what I told them even around my MIL like "did you know she was such a goody two shoes? she was a v*rgin until My Husband's Name" then they were like "what? there is nothing wrong with that?" And even now, they keep talking about things I told them like things I like and my private times and things like that...
They say that's what sisters do/ girls in the family do, and I really want to be a part and don't want them to not like me, but I'm so not used to this because I never really had sisters or family, so I don't know how to deal with this. And, I feel like I can't talk to my husband about it because I feel like I'm betraying them by talking to him. What do I do..?

So, for context, me and my boyfriend (I’m 16, he 15) have been together for a year (since February of 2023) and we’re in an online relationship. We haven’t actually met each other, but we know what each other looks like and ages and we live 40-50 minutes apart.
Recently, he’s beginning to act different towards me. Hs best friend and my best friend are exes, so me and his best friend are sworn enemies/at each others throats and we have little to no mutual friends. He is always with his friends and spends little to no time with me. Im always messaging him first, starting conversations, hell, I even say good morning and good night first and it’s been happening for as long as I can remember (unless I fall asleep while talking to him and he says good morning). Currently, I haven’t talked to him because I forgot to text him one day.
Being the person I am, I just thought “maybe he’ll text me first!” Nope. No reply. This goes on for a week. He’s always “too scared to talk to me” which I understand , but it’s been a year since we’ve been together and he knows I’m rarely mad at him. I give him his space to play with his friends, which I feel like he prioritizes more than me. I remember I wanted to my two friends to him yesterday and they messaged him to check up on him. Five minutes prior, I messaged him apologizing if I had upset him in any way, and guess what? I had to wait half an hour for a reply, and they had to wait ten minutes. And he said that he had been feeling down lately and tried to space himself between certain people and him, but at the same time, he’d go and talk to his friends and play Fortnite with them for 3+ hours. I’m not “certain people” or some friend He talks to every two days I’m his boyfriend, and if anyone, I should be knowing about at least a third of his problems. He’s always so secretive.
Just today, he put him and someone else forming a heart with their hands on his story (my friend sent me a screenshot) and I was heartbroken. By the way, we don’t talk outside of discord, he doesn’t even send me TikTok’s or Instagram reels, or play together unless it’s something he wants to like Fortnite. I remember we played VRC every Saturday at 10pm and after two weeks, I had to start begging him to play with me. Ultimately, i stopped asking him after another incident where I had gave him an extra hour to play his game. After an hour, I messaged him if he was ready and just replied “I just got off my game” and I was expecting him to get on. I sit on my living room couch waiting for him to join, but after 10 minutes, I decided to (without his awareness, go online in the same game he “just got off”, only to see him online. I cried my ass off that night.
From here on, I’m just going to speak about incidents from my perspective. On our one year anniversary, I had spent weeks on animal crossing trying to make my island cute and presentable to him just for him to not be able to make it. So, instead of trying to play another game, we just spent our one year anniversary, as always, in discord talking. He also is not the best at communicating. Whenever someone tries to be serious with him, he just sends a stupid video/photo not relevant to the message at all and doesn’t respond afterwards and it makes me feel as if he would do the same to me. There was also a separate time where I was in a gc with him, his best friend, and a couple of their friends whom I don’t know. A month after the friend group we were in split up, I saw them shit talking me. And in that moment, I was like “you know what, let them say what they want, I don’t even meS with them anymore so there’s no point in saying anything” until he comes online. Instead of being a good boyfriend and defending me, he joins them. And you know what was worse? Me and him were playing a game at the moment. WHILE he was doing that. Not only, but he said “oh it would be so fun if we (talking to his best friend) played with so-and-so” is it not fun playing with me? When he was finally done bitching, He told them he was too tired to play anymore. Not me, his boyfriend, but his friends, so I got off. No Check ins, no dms asking why I left, nothing. But you know what really pissed me off? Literally TEN minutes after I got off, he’s on the game with his friends. I love him so much, but he breaks my heart.
By the way, you know what’s funny? I’ve been trying SO hard and putting SO much effort into our relationship with zero experience or past relationships whatsoever, but he’s been in so many yet fails to treat me properly.

Okay so a little background- My husband and I (28F and 32M) have been together and married for 9 years, we have just welcomed our baby girl last July- the first grand baby of both families, everyone was thrilled. Our baby recieves a lot of attention from my husband’s parents since we live around the corner from them.
I have a sister in law, Camie (26). She LOVES kids and has voiced how much she would love a baby. Camie and her boyfriend have some issues. They always complain to her parents about how they can never afford things, leaving my inlaws to foot the bill, such as: a lawn mower, getting their dog spayed, patio furniture & a vacation to mexico.
There are a couple people that voiced concern about them starting a family.. Her dad- my FIL, has been adiment about her boyfriend getting serious about their relationship first (putting a ring on it), before they think about having a child. Camie agreed, but stated that it will be a while before they got married as it would be expensive. Her sister, my other SIL- has been hearing up and down about their issues/fights. It seems that every other week they are split up for a day or two before reconnecting. We hardly see Camie’s boyfriend as they usually get into a fight before she makes the trip over to where we live, so he doesn’t come with her.
A couple of months ago Camie asked me what I thought of her having a baby since she was lonely at home. I did not lie, I said I didn’t think it was the best idea since her boyfriend is hardly around, both work wise and emotionally. Plus, they have only been together for a little over a year. Skip to last week, Camie comes to visit us with her boyfriend. She gathers us all at the table for a ‘family photo’ before her boyfriend says ‘Sayyy…. Camie’s pregnant!’ As he takes a video. Her sister, with a straight face says “is this a joke?”. Her father, frowns through his smile and looks down at the ground. My husband, shakes his head and walks away. I, put on a huge smile and say Oh my gosh congratulations!. We all gather ourselves up to wish her congratulations, but there are clear bad vibes going on. She doesn’t notice.
Camie, Upon reviewing the video, texted me, very upset that her announcement video was a dud and that her family was not supportive. She was upset, stating, how could everyone be so excited for me? And not for her?. I told her, that everyone might not be super excited at first and that’s okay, it’s just a bit jarring to hear this news.
Camie name calls me and her family a bunch of a holes who don’t respect her decision as a grown woman.
AITA for telling her the pregnancy wasn’t exactly wanted by everyone? Or does she deserve the flack

Chapter 1

Concept art for Sybil
Of Men and Ghost Ships, Book 1: Chapter 17
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First, Carter met an AI who looked like an old-earth pirate, and now he met an alien who looked like an old-earth viking. Well, if that viking stood nearly eight feet tall, had fangs and claws that could put some daggers to shame, and a bony carapace armor seemingly covering most of his vital organs. He wasn't sure if he just had some odd luck when it came to encountering the weirdest entities the universe had to offer or if he was at the butt of some galactic joke.
Carter showed Erik how to use the goo dispenser, to which the larger alien made a face but managed to politely keep any complaints to himself as they both got a bowl and sat down at a table with Sybil's two robotic guards passively waiting not far from the table. As he sat down, Cater couldn't help but ask. "So, Erik, huh?"
Before he could ask his question, the behemoth of a man laughed. "Yes, it's a human name. I was 'raised,' for lack of a better term, by pirates who gave me the name. No, I don't know where I came from or even if there are more like me somewhere out there. Long story short, I got my freedom the hard way, and ever since, I've just been trying to get by in this galaxy!"
That answered several of Carter's questions without him having to ask them. " Get asked those a lot, do you?"
Erik nodded while he tried a spoonful of the much, then looked down at the bowl with surprise before taking another bite. "You could say that! Probably the most common questions I get right after people screaming incoherently or begging for their lives. Not that those are questions, but I kinda feel like they're implied, if you know what I mean!"
Carter nodded cautiously. "Do you get that a lot? People begging for their lives, I mean?"
The bigger alien grinned. "Well, yeah! And more than half the time, I didn't even do anything to warrant it! Guess I'm just too big and scary for my own good!"
Carter made a show of taking a bite of his own mint-flavored sludge. "And the other half of the time?"
Erik shrugged, but Carter couldn't help but notice his grin became just a bit more predatory. "Well, let's just say I don't start many fights, but I sure do end a lot of them! Guess I seem like an easy mark or something!"
Carter suspected it was the "or something" but decided not to push the issue. Instead, he figured maybe he could bring up some common ground. "So, not a big fan of pirates then?"
The larger alien shook his head., "No, I like them just fine! Why, they're just about my favorite thing to test the sharpness of my axes on!"
Carter looked at his dining companion skeptically. "Axes? Really? In this day and age?"
Erik laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I know, they're not the most efficient weapons out there, and I'm not above using some more traditional armaments in a pinch, but I tell ya, there's nothing more satisfying than cleaving through a battle suite in hand-to-hand combat with a good heavy axe! Sides, I got used to them back when I fought as a gladiator."
Carter supposed he should have been ready for a crazy story, but he still found himself surprised for the umpteenth time in one conversation. "Wait, wait, wait... You were a gladiator? Like as in an arena, fight to the death kinda thing?"
Erik laughed again. "Yeah, pretty much! However I ended up fighting monsters more than people. There weren't many pirates willing to get in the ring with me, even with a battle suit, and I wasn't willing to kill any ordinary folk who got thrown in with me. Thankfully, I was too big a draw for them to just execute for refusing to kill normals, though I'm sorry to say they didn't get out of the situation any better than if I had. Still, I've killed more than my fair share of wild beasties! They even managed to bring in this giant wolf-like monster with a bladed tail. It was the size of a moose! I kid you not! I got no idea where they found that monster, but it would have killed me for sure if it hadn't been for Vanessa backing me up. Even then, we were both out of commission for the better part of a month after that one. Well, we might have been fit to go a bit before that, but that was the one that made us decide it would be considerably better for our health if we got out of the gladiator business sooner rather than later!"
Oddly enough, Carter found himself grinning along with Erik despite the nature of the story. There was just something about the guy that made listening to him ramble on about stuff kinda fun. Despite his thick accent, or maybe partially because of it, the man was a heck of a storyteller. However, now that the story seemed to have come to an end, the larger alien seemed to think for a moment before asking his own question. "So tell me, captain, where's the rest of your crew? The only ones I've seen since coming aboard are you and your robotic monsters!" He pointed back at the two escorts Sybil provided.
Carter looked askance at the alien. "I invited two aliens who look like they might be able to pick a fight with a full squad of commandos and come out on top, and you're wondering where my crew is?"
Erik kind of nodded and laughed again. "Yeah, I guess that tracks! No sense puttin' everyone at risk when you don't know nothin' about us, and we won't be here very long, is there? Speaking of, how much longer is my friend's treatment gonna take?"
The word "friend" was a surprising choice. Was Erik just using it as a general term, or did he really consider the kid he'd hauled onboard the ship a friend? Carter supposed it didn't matter. Instead, he figured he might as well find out. "Hey, Sybil, how's the treatment going?"
The girl appeared. "Well, the patient looks like he'll pull through. However, given the nature of his injury and how long it's been since he received it, we cannot save his foot. We're discussing whether he would like a temporary replacement or if he'd rather a replacement be grown in a better-stocked facility."
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Alen looked at the disturbingly attractive woman in shock. "What do you mean you're gonna lop off my foot?"
The woman in red just looked annoyed with him for some reason. "I mean just that. Your foot is too badly damaged to save. I can fit you with a temporary replacement, but that'll come with some unpleasant side effects while you adjust and again if it's removed. Alternatively, you could just wait and have an organic replacement grown at another facility and bypass the side effects, but you will be short a foot for however long that takes. Now choose. It'll determine where I cut through the bone and nerves."
Having just woken up from his drugged sleep, Alen had assumed the surgery was over, but apparently, they were still in the middle of treatment. His head was still somewhat groggy as he fought through the haze to understand and decide. "Um, well, I don't know when I'll be able to get anything better, but...uh...how unpleasant are we talking here?"
The attractive woman crossed her arms and glared at him as if he was wasting her valuable time. "It varies from one individual to the next, but the side effects can range from mild discomfort to occasional sharp pains strong enough to require medical intervention."
That was when another voice spoke up from behind Alen. He quickly realized it was Vanessa. "Is it not possible for you to deaden the pain receptors in the area while leaving enough nerve function to enable the use of the replacement?"
The woman in red shook her head. "Pain is an essential tool, especially if we're fitting him with a temporary replacement. It'll let him know if something's gone wrong. Without it, he could get an infection or even tear something without realizing it. It's better to err on the side of leaving too much sensation than too little. It can always be adjusted at a proper facility as needed."
On the one hand, that really sounded unpleasant. But on the other hand, who knew how soon Alen could get a replacement grown? What would he do in the meantime? "Uh... I guess...if I have to pick one... I'll take the temporary replacement..."
The lady in red gave only a brief acknowledgment. "About time." Then, before Alen could have second thoughts, the world went dark again.
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The girl nodded as if receiving some unheard report. "Well, that settles it. He'll be getting a temporary replacement. It'll take a bit longer as we'll have to fit him with some attachments for the augmatics. A rough approximation puts the remaining time at an hour and a half. We should finish cannibalizing the pirate vessel shortly afterward."
Carter turned toward his guest. "Well, there you have it..."
However, the girl interrupted him again before he could finish his thoughts. "Sir, we've got more incoming. There are more of them, and they're more dispersed this time..."
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Poor Alen! That dude has definitely not had it easy as of late!
My Wiki has all my chapters and stories, including the short series and stories that I write for an occasional change of pace or style!
As a reminder, "Of Men and Dragons" Books 1 and 2 are available to purchase in e-book or physical form. (Both softcover and hardcovers are available!) Book 3 is almost done being edited, so I'll just have to get the cover art and formatting done, and it will be available to purchase as well! Hopefully, in no more than a month or two! (Barring more Amazon drama like last time... fingers crossed!)
OMAD Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NCPP3PP
OMAD Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ7FQ1ZJ

My bf '28M' broke up with me '27F' several months ago after being together for almost 4 years. He continues to say that we're broken up but that he's not sure he wants to stay broken up. I find that to be unfair to me because I feel like I'm being strung along. He says he just needs time to think and that as much as he wants and loves me he's not sure we are for one another. He still wants to cuddle and call me his babe but without the title that being in a relationship brings. He hasn't told a single member of his family but he's told his friends. He says he doesn't want his family to know unless the breakup becomes final. It's really confusing to me and I don't understand. I recently reached out to a guy '26M' and we've been talking for about 2 days. He is not a love interest due to the fact that we're not compatible emotionally and he doesn't want a partner or family in the future. I find myself fantasizing about him because well...he did really well at pleasuring me years ago. My bf is currently my ex so I felt like it was probably OK. Then I woke up this morning after texting Joe practically all night and felt an intense amount of guilt. I know it's not technically cheating but I feel like I'm not who I thought I was. My ex and got into a fight a couple nights ago because I was opening up about how much the uncertainty was affecting me he fell asleep. I got up and was like "idk what it is about my distress that is so damn calming that it puts you right to sleep." I will admit I got emotional and started to go off and after a couple minutes of arguing he said "Yeah this isn't going to work" and I responded with "Thank you for finally giving me an answer" and then told him that it was okay and that I don't want us to be on bad terms despite our relationship being over. I hugged him and began moving my things to the spare bedroom and he started crying and saying "Wait no I'm sorry, give me more time please. I love you". I just hugged him and told him that I love him too. If you are a man PLEASE tell me what you think of this and also tell me if I'm a cheater. Don't hold back- if I'm for the streets I probably deserve it. Girls opinions are totally welcome and wanted and welcome too!!
TDLR: My partner broke up with me and I am talking with another man despite knowing that our breakup hasn't been 100% finalized.
Edit*** He seems so bothered by the idea of me moving on despite being the one who initiated a break up.
Edit*** repost

I met this guy during the last week of my college year, and he was the first guy that entire school year that I really hit it off with. It's pretty rare for me to click with someone so quickly, so I was particularly happy about the rapport we were quickly building. I was looking forward to seeing him next school year until I realized he actually didn't go to my college and was just visiting his sister. He goes to this community college in an entirely different state. He's expressed how much he hates it there, and he's actually planning on transferring to my college the school year after this coming one. So not after this summer vacation but in roughly a year. By a convenient turn of events, our conversation granted me a natural chance to ask for his number. I want to underline how I only hung out with him (with our mutual friend groups) for two days before I had to move back home. But even though I think myself a fairly oblivious person, I could tell our interest in each other was mutual. Asking for his number was a bit daunting, but he's the one who texted first. But here's where the problem comes in.
He and I are not good texters. But I don't feel like I know him enough to call him. When I text him, it's like we're dumping information to each other, trying our very best to incorporate our personalities, but it doesn't come close to face-to-face interaction, obviously. I feel like I'm sharing so much information about myself that I could've instead shared in-person to pack a bigger punch to the emotional aspect of our relationship. I don't want to end up info-dumping everything about myself to him in the stalest possible way. I feel like I'm sabotaging a lot of intriguing conversations we could've had in-person, because I was just too excited about talking to him immediately that I felt like I just had to ask for his number, or else I'd regret it. He's the first guy that I saw a lot of potential in our relationship, but obviously, two days was not enough time to effectively flesh ourselves out.
It seems like we're always fighting for our lives in that chat box and I can't help but mourn the good conversations our current topic could lead to if we discussed them in person. But when we text, we're just giving each other all the information and none of the memorable experiences. I have other friends who I text where our conversations are enjoyable, and I try telling myself to just text him like any other friend I'd text, but it feels different than just casually checking up on a friend, because for all the friends I have, our relationship is already established, and we usually know each other for weeks or months in person before we seamlessly incorporate texting into our relationship. But he and I didn't necessarily get a chance to solidify our relationship before I left, and without that solidification, texting just doesn't come as natural to me.
I feel bad because I'm the one who made the first move. We finally found a natural end to our previous conversation, and I'm 80% sure he wants to keep texting, but I'm contemplating on whether or not I should just end it there and wait for him to naturally return to my life a year later, or trudge through our dry conversations in hopes that sometime along the way, we'll break that wall of staleness.
I never thought I'd bring this to reddit, but this is the first time I've felt this attracted to someone's aura/vibes, especially in such a short period of time, and I don't want our texting to sabotage our potential future interactions that count. I might be overthinking things, but I have no idea what to do.

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Hello all. Seeking some advice/opinions/perspective from the wise women here. Long post coming! I (35F) have been dating my boyfriend (40M) for about 15 months. He has a daughter (7 yo) who up until approximately 5 months ago was living with her mother in another state. Five months ago, the mother got into some trouble with the law (drug use issues), resulting in him now having his daughter full time in the state we live in.
The first ~12 months of our relationship, I grew accustomed to it just being him and I (we live separately but ~15 minutes away from each other) - going to dinner, happy hour, concerts, plan trips, etc. Doing whatever we want/whenever we want. Having his daughter around full time obviously has changed the dynamic. Although the three of us spend time together often, I can't help but start to have doubts about the relationship moving forward. It is an evolving situation but his plan is to fight for full legal custody of his daughter, but he has not started the process yet so not sure what it will look like in the future if/how the mother will have more involvement. He is great guy, I love him and we get along well and I was enjoying the trajectory of our relationship, but I can't help but miss the way things were for the first year of our relationship. He has no immediate family nearby to help out so I know this has been an adjustment for him as well - taking care of her, balancing work, and his relationship with me. His daughter is a great kid and we have fun together, but just not sure if I "fit" into the equation. I do not have any children of my own and have never really envisioned myself having children or becoming a stepmom. I was hopeful of a future together - moving in together, marriage, etc. but feel now that the new situation will cause a delay in these plans and not sure I am the right person to take on a full 'step mom' role. I am not opposed to dating men with children, I think it's just the fact that right now he is caretaker 100% of the time has made it difficult for us to have solo dates (maybe 4 in the last 5 months) and even intimate time. It's a tough situation due to the mother's history of drug use and I think he is absolutely doing the right thing for his daughter to keep her safe. He is doing his best - I think it is just up to me to decide if I fit in.
Anyone ever been in a similar situation? How did you navigate it? I feel hesitant to "discard" this relationship prematurely without knowing how the future situation with the two parents/custody will evolve. But also feel torn that I don't want to waste time in a situation that isn't 'ideal' for me. Any input/guidance/words of wisdom are appreciated!

Is my boyfriend emotionally cheating on me?
Is my boyfriend emotionally cheating on me?
My boyfriend ISTP 9w8 (22) and I ENFX 7w6 (26) started an online relationship turned real life which I met him in August, and the relationship was official 1/1.
However, when I got to know him (Let’s call him Trevor) summer leading to fall, it was mostly platonic, and a little flirting. However, he didn’t know of my age so I assumed I was too old for him for 4-5 years so I just engaged in the community online texting and not through Whatsapp.
However, starting in October, everything was smooth until he talked to this girl, let’s name her Lara. She is a “mean girl”, and she playfully flirts with everyone. He started to talk to her and banter with her meanly with a specific kind of humor, always flirt with her, talk about sexual topics with her and say things like “I’ll drop my EP a day early for you” and “Mad submissive”. It felt like he didn’t like her for her but flirts with her for god knows what reason!
The thing is, I liked him throughout the whole fall, so me and my friends seeing it they were always asking if they were together. She flirts with everyone, but he only bantered with her. So I concluded it to 3 reasonings of why: 1) he finds her the youthful option and he is pragmatic in choosing a mate 2) He wants her validation 3) he genuinely likes her.
Then came around 12/28 when we got closer and closer and I sort of told him how I felt through music and we talked everyday after. However on 12/30 he ignored me for a whole day to talk to her even saying things like bruised minge(?) which means vagina in slang. And voice notes her a lot with a jump in his voice.
After we got together on 1/1 which we grew really close we would call hours a day. The flirting mostly stopped but there were times on 1/30 and 2/5 and 2/18 where he would still have that jump in his voice and sends us the same memes and such. I confronted him on why he says he saw her as entertainment and felt empty so he flirts a lot and he said I made him stop liking mean girls? He said he likes chasing thrills and feeling something. And I always saw it as a validation thing because he never liked her just the idea of her as he didn’t know her that well as it was like that from the get go but it was always banter as he showed me his dms with her and he only has me on WhatsApp which we bonded over a companionship bond (calling every day for 2 hours, saying I love you, deepest darkest secret sharing, being there for eachother) and laughing a lot than a fire bond. We even visited each other and we held hands a lot and cuddled and slept with eachother. He told me his insecurities and darkest thoughts and we hanged out with eachother everyday for months just us alone on call and he even said he would be content with us me to talk to not the community at large
Still, it kind of hurt. Because we were together. And I liked him before. I asked him in a call one month later and asked if he thought she was cute, he said “of course she’s cute, she’s absolutely silly” which shocked and saddened me. I broke up with him.
Why do you think he did that, does he have a type, was he chasing validation and thrills, or he genuinely likes her?
Also did he emotionally cheat on me because it really hurt when he hyper fixated on her for banter.
Please help.

I just binged watched the series. Gotta say the first 6 episodes were great. However it really lost its momentum after that. I give it 7/10
I would've changed a few things that i think would've been better.
Ps this is just my opinion. This is more of a rant but i hope u enjoy.
These are the problems/potential solutions with the show in my opinion.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
With the first episode and the first scene. I think showing the quick fight scene with one of the exiled Ninjas was kind of a waste of action that could've been used somewhere else. I also think they should've shown the face hologram reveal here. I think the face hologram kinda ruined it in a way since the best action was from Higan with that hologram on his face. We don't see his real face til the best action of the show is done. I think it would be cool if the audience sees his true face while the world he is in sees the hologram face. Maybe a scene at the grocery store while he looks in the window sees his reflection and its the hologram face while the audience sees his real face. My second gripe with Episode 1 is the best episode of the whole series. It is the episode that pulls you in and makes you watch the whole series. But as much as i loved the episode i feel like they should have stretched it out into 2 episodes. Like I said at the beginning with the unknown exiles ninja getting his very own fight scene yet Mari (Higan's wife) she barely showed any action throughout the whole show. I wish they just showed the ending of the exiled ninja where he is executed. Then shifts to Higan and his family living their best life while 1 by 1 exiled ninjas are killed. Then the night of the family's demise we see Mari show her skills as a ninja. Maybe a side by side shot of both of them fighting/killing. Maybe showing that just by the sheer numbers and the fact that she was protecting her son then going all out would lead to her downfall. I think stretching out that sequence with Mari showing her skills would've been better than showing a random exile showing off only to be killed off in a min. I think by the time Higan is in the hospital clutching his fist as he is in the hospital bed would be a great way to end episode 1. Then the hospital scene would be extended. Showing the fight scene where the fbi guy discovered the bodies. Then the whole scene for when Higan burns down his home and puts on the mask would be episode 2. I think extending episode 1 into 2 episodes would have been better.
For the side characters none of them really stuck out for me. Except for Emma and maybe Dilly. As for Morris he really wasn't necessary in the plot. I feel like Emma should have played a more prominent role over Morris given the backstory she has and her relationship with Mari (Higan's wife). She like many others had potential that was wasted. I think if she was the main side character the story would flow better. It felt like to me that Morris was just thrown in there for nothing. As well as the former chief of the ninja clan that Higan was apart of. He is portrayed as a healer that use to be with the clan but turns out he is the dead former head. He used some ninjutsu technique that kept his head alive. I feel like his presence should have played either a bigger role than it did or shouldn't have existed to begin with.
As for the villains i can say all of them were unfortunately disappointing. Especially Zai and Yamari who had the biggest potential. As for the other villains (afro guy, little pervert, Joseph, etc.) they felt like they were just added to the story to fill in the episodes. Joseph had too much screen time. I believe he should've been more of a subordinate than a "partner" with Yamari. Following his orders instead being a whiny annoying little shit. Yamari fell flat as well had a kool ninjutsu technique that he only used once. I was expecting a big show down between him and Higan but it didn't live up to the hype. Zai had the most upside former friend of Higan and Mari who was left behind when they fled to be a normal married couple while he stayed in the clan. Out of all the characters Zai had the most development. Solid backstory but his transition from big bad to anti hero/villain was sloppy.
For the mech and Ninjutsu stuff. This was could've been so good ninjutsu mixed with Mech could have been cool but how it was executed turned into mech beating the shit out of ninjutsu. I would have had the mech be used as like a booster to the ninja and his techniques making his/her ninjutsu techniques even more destructive/powerful. But instead we got ninjutsu getting demoralized by the new tech mech. I wished they explored the techniques more and if and how the mechs could boost the effects of said techniques.Which ultimately started the downfall of Ninja Kamui.
Now the main character Higan
I liked his true design not the hologram face. Especially his mask. I was disappointed that the mask was destroyed so soon. His character for the first couple episodes was good. But he went from this rage filled demon out for vengeance into a moody middle age man. His development was weird and not satisfying. His ending was disappointing as well.
What i would change with Higan would be that he didn't survive his death at the hands of the assassins. He used some ninjutsu technique that has allowed him to live a little longer. I think this would go well with the fast pace that we had the first few episodes. With each passing episode Higan gets more reckless and ruthless knowing his time is limited and running out. I think Higan should've died after completing his vengeance. I think he wouldn't want to live anymore especially without his wife and son. I also think a few episodes seeing his upbringing with Mari and Zai would have been better than the fights with the little pervert and Afro guy. I think it would have been cool for Zai to get redemption and live on for Higan and Mari.
Episode 1 would be stretched into 2 episodes
Episode 2-5 wouldn't change that much while episode 6-9 would be the backstory of Higan and the other seeing what drove them away in more detail. Episode 10-13 would be the Higan facing Zai, Emma death, final showdown between Higan and Yamari. With NO CGI FIGHTS
Again this is just my opinion i really did like the show but it definitely wasted a ton of potential everywhere