Cool ways to write bubble letters

Hi there, all! I am a 35-year old male from the United States, and I am looking for a long-term international pen pal. Growing up, my elementary school always had us in pen pal programs with students abroad, and it was such an enlightening experience! One of my closest friends was from a pen pal journey that 20-years later is still going on. Nowadays, the beauty in writing a letter and building a friendship is something I yearn for, as I have been getting deep into reading philosophy (and Letters from a Stoic by Seneca got me into searching for this). Additionally, there is something truly special about the connection of handwriting letters, as it is personal.
To describe myself, I have ADHD, I love drumming, astronomy, technology, meditating, being outdoors, spending ample time with my amazing Wife, reading, writing in my daily journal, fountain pens, playing cards, video games (not too often like I used to), and just thinking about life. Also, I am a hardcore cinephile (I LOVE film!). I am not religious, I am LGBTQIA+ friendly (I am Bisexual), and I am open-minded to all walks of life.
I am looking for a pen pal that would love to discuss philosophy, art (movies, music, etc.), life, astronomy, spirituality, and the world in general. My biggest enjoyment in life is having discussions with new people, while learning from them and their experiences. So, I look forward to making a wonderful friend on this journey, and enjoying great conversation!

My best friend of over 20 years + I had an intense fight on the phone last week. It certainly has not been our first fight but it was (in my opinion) the worst that we've had so far. Things have been good between us lately, we hang out and have fun together. We call each other on the phone and share tons of stuff about our lives with each other, both good and bad. We joke and laugh over text about things together.
Last week my best friend called me and immediately I could tell that they were having a rough week. They mentioned at the beginning of the call that they were having a challenging week at work and their romantic partner who has previously dumped them twice came around with a gift trying to make amends which was really confusing for them. I listened and offered advice and support + generally let them vent. The conversation shifted towards discussing a creative project that we have been working on together for about 6 years. For some dumb reason, I mentioned that I thought they were being "tweaky" and that it might not ever get done. I still feel that way, but I can see now how that was a cheap shot on my part considering how much of an emotional week my friend was having.
It escalated into a yelling match on the phone and that phone call went on for 4.5 hours. I kept trying to get off the phone but they insisted that we work it out. Eventually, the call ended and we didn't speak for about a week.
In that time, I sent a short email apologizing for what I said on the phone about the "tweaky" stuff and saying that I wanted to set a new boundary where I could be allowed to exit a yelling match until we were both more calm.
I got a return email. It was 35 pages long. It went into extreme detail about all of these things that I've done in my life that were problematic for my friend. They brought up romantic relationships of mine from 10+ years ago and my fears of COVID during the pandemic. They brought up a lot of stuff about my money habits, even breaking down what they thought that I spent this past year and speculating (incorrectly) about how much money I have in the bank. Their main point with all of this was to show me what a mess I am even though I've been in therapy for 3 years and am currently in a good live-in relationship and no longer afraid of COVID.
I do admit to dumping a ton of drama on them over the years with relationships and also admit to being terrified of COVID pre-therapy. All that stuff was problematic for them. But I've worked hard on myself with two therapists the past few years and I'm in a much better place. Also we've talked about all of that and I've apologized. It's not the first time that they brought it all up, which is why I started therapy in the first place. I thought that we were past all of this stuff and none of it was related to our actual fight this week.
Side note on the money stuff that they brought up: I've loaned them thousands of dollars in the past and even recently they asked to borrow more money from me when they were laid off, but somehow are still taking me to task on my money habits?
Basically, it's incredibly painful, but I don't feel like I want to be friends with them anymore. I don't think it was cool to bring up all this stuff from my past (that I've worked on fixing) and throw it in my face just to seemingly try to hold a position of superiority over me in a fight that wasn't related to the issues that they brought up.
Also the keeping track of my money thing is weird and creepy to me.
I feel like I won't be able to tell them anything personal in the future if we do stay friends out of a fear of it being used against me at a later date. So to me, the trust feels like it has been broken.
Also, I've never sent a laundry list to someone in a fight, like is that even cool to do at all? It feels punitive like I'm being punished or something.
For what it's worth, I didn't call them names or cuss at them in the emails but they cussed a bunch at me in their email and called me an a**hole.
Am I overreacting to end a 20+ year friendship because of this?

Just as the title says! I’m looking at a 2024 Ford Bronco! It’s 2-door, a stick shift, has the 2.3 Eco engine, and we’ve got a deal with the dealership to put a tow and bigger wheels on it. We’re trading my Hyundai for it (it’s an automatic).
I’ve never had a Ford as a daily. My huge complaints are the rev matching (silly question: is there a way to turn it off?) and I’m not in love with the push-button ignition.
Other than that, it’s a really cool car! However, I’m wondering if there’s anything I should know as a first time owner? 🤔

Hi, I'm a transgender singer, been on testosterone for six months. To be honest, based on my family members and their puberty voice changes, and me being a soprano prior, I thought my voice would drop to a tenor at most. Nothing that would stop me from singing Tamino, Aaron Tveit and such. Instead, it's dropped to a low baritone (i feel most comfortable in bass parts so far), and it seems to have shrunk a good bit. I find it hard to sing along to most popular music on the radio without breaking into falsetto (that I do not know how to control yet) or without making my throat sore. Not that I did not expect it breaking, but the drop has been shocking, in a good way. Thing is, I'm still an active vocalist, trying to write melodies and without enough money or time to take up voice lessons. So, I was wondering if there were any cis men on here (or even better, fellow tm singers) that would have any tips on how to extend your range and do proper warmups during an active voice change?? I'm really excited to work with this new scale but I don't know how to quite grasp it without causing any damage.

This is truly a shot in the dark and not really sure my hometown Reddit is the place to ask this but you never know.
So I recently wrote what I believe is a really good screenplay. I’ve been writing since I was 13 (currently 40) but never took it serious until recently. I’ve always been told I have a unique gift for writing blah blah blah. However I never know how to get this stuff in front of people who actually can do something with it.
My question is does anyone know of any ways to get a screenplay to those who can guide me or am I stuck trying to chase a dream that is floundering.
Any POSITIVE guidance or direction would be totally worth it. TIA.

Hey there! Short disclaimer: English isn't my first language, errors may occur!
For context: I am currently in my first year of art school (comic department), and I wanted to hold a presentation about my all time favourite comic (which, as you may have guessed from the title, are the Sonic idw issues). Our teachers are pretty chill, the presentation is not mandatory, so I can have a little fun with it.
What I know: I have read pretty much (almost) all the sonic idw issues (I haven't read all spin-off mini series). I also read some issues from the archie comics! I looked up most of the artists and spend a few hours (I wish I was joking) starring at my favourite panels and analysing them. I have a basic understanding of how a comic is made (still a beginner tho).
The main point: I mainly want to talk about the process of how these comics are made. I know some basics, but I was wondering if there are any good articles or interviews you would recommend to check out. I also want to include some things from the archie comics and talk about the differences between the idw and archie comics (story writing, composition, inking, lettering, etc...). Even fun facts would be super helpful! At first I was planning to yap 2 hours about my favourite pages that have awesome inking, colouring and/or compositions. But I want this presentation to be atleast a little bit informative x'D
I honestly don't really know how/where to start since it's a pretty broad theme. Any help would be super appreciated! :D I know this wasn't super detailed, but I really don't know how to start this small project of mine :')

I’m new to the essays and need some help. I’m used to writing as I do it as a hobby and have written out more professional emails and such for multiple reasons.
But I’m unsure how to format it? I’m on the one where you have to write a mock cover letter and a mini thing about: Speed limit laws. A memorable day of your life. Or, my favorite sport.
Im on Google docs, as I don’t have word. And I know my little sister will have the same struggle so I needed to ask. Even just a photo of how someone else wrote it out will be a big help!

Listening to the is audiobook right now - read by Elliott Gould. It’s incredible. Imagine every film noire trope, almost dripping off of each page. I’m on my 22nd book this year, trying to catch up on classics I never read as a kid, catch up on some of Stephen King’s books I haven’t read yet (and I’ve read over 30 of his books), and sprinkle in some non-fiction as well.
Heard so much about Philip Marlowe. Half way through- this is going to end up being one of my go to recommendations for its ease, excellent writing, and enjoyable story telling. And Elliot Gould is no joke, too.

So, just for context, I'm talking about a rp in a fantasy world where bratty, power-drunk princess that can weild ferromancy, which is exceedingly rare in this world. She has to go on a diplomatic mission to a neighbouring kingdom with a knight, and that's what kicks off a major change in her attitude.
I'm not sure if this is the right place to do this, but I need to get this off my chest. I've just been presumably ghosted by my rp partner after telling him that his response wasn't cutting in the most polite way I could think of. I understand that doing that is kinda egotistical, but I just couldn't immerse myself within the story with a character that acted the way his did.
Now, I'm all for audacious characters in roleplay, in fact, having two strong-willed characters clash is one of my favorite things to see in a story. But there is a fine line between audacity and straight up idiocy, and I believe my partner crossed it a few times. An in-world explanation of how his character was allowed to get away with being so snarky and carefree was because he had saved the prince's life even though he was a commoner and a thief, and therefore had earned a lot of favor from both the prince and the king.
In spite of this, my partner did everything in his power to get his character on the princess' bad side: having his character throw backhanded insults towards the royal family, using vulgar language towards her, and generally making light of everything that was said to him, even when it was confidential information.
Of course, the princess, being the way she is, didn't take kindly to having such a person being the one to accompany her anywhere, let alone a diplomatic mission. She uses her magic to put him in check, threatening to crush him within his armor, but I have another one of my characters swoop in to defuse the situation so that he doesn't end up injured.
Instead of taking the hint, my partner has his character fly into a rage and threaten to kill the princess. All the while he talks about how 'untamable' and 'audacious' his character is outside of the dialogue, comparing this very serious, very incriminating act to him giving the prince a light slap on the shoulder in the past.
Now, if I was to write the princess in character, she'd instantly rid herself of him, ending the rp right there and then. Seeing as he's a knight in a full set of armor, it wouldn't take much effort for someone who can control metal. I instead opt to tell my partner that his response just won't work given the nature of the rp. (Keep in mind that both of our characters are still within the castle, so he can't even pull the "I'm the only ally you have out here" card yet.)
In response, he simply defends his 'complex' character, stating that he has every right to threaten the princess' life because 'he grew up fighting, and it's a natural response' and when I tell him that he can't have his character throw vulgarities that don't even fit the fantastical setting we're playing in, he gets extremely defensive, saying that I'm trying to take away his agency in the rp we've barely even started.
Now I wonder: is this my fault? Did I make my character too overpowered and difficult to interact with? I don't know if I was in the wrong here, so I'd like to know what all of you think.

Begin rant:
I read X-Men in the 90s, I got a ton of backissues back then, and I ended up having hundreds of comics that I still have today. I got out of it a couple of times, when Age of Apocalypse came along, I thought they really cancelled all of the main series, and I was pretty upset. A few years later, I found out that was only temporary, so I started collecting again until around the time of "The New X-Men" which had poor art, bad storylines, and they killed some of my favorite characters like Colossus and Psylocke.
I was really excited for X-Men 97, until I saw the first trailer...... where it had Gambit riding Wolverine like a lawn mower and charging his claws.
That was one of the dumbest scenes I had ever seen, something that a 10 year old would come up with, and they actually animated it. In that retcon they gave Wolverine super strength so a 6'5'' man could stand on top of him and it didn't phase his running, and they gave him invincibility so his claws exploding didn't hurt him at all.
From what I can tell the whole series is like that, power retcon after power retcon, story retcon after story retcon, fanboy after fanboy going "nO thAt's bAdaSS." One of the reasons the X-Men was interesting is that they didn't just keep on giving them new powers back in the 70s-90s, sure it happened occasionally, but most of the time it was finding new ways to use their powers. Like when Colossus fought Juggernaught, Juggernaught gets him into a hold, and to escape Colossus reverts to his smaller human form to slip out and then changes again. They didn't do this stand on a running Wolverine b/s.
I had a discussion in another form of I thought of one of the stupidest things they could do and I said "next, since Cyclops can now push himself back with backblast, they will have him flying around like Banshee", and a user responded "that sounds pretty badass". I didn't even know how to respond to someone liking the stupid idea I proposed.
BACK IN MY DAY.... there would have been a bunch of letters to Marvel appearing in X-Mail saying "STOP DOING THIS STUPID STUFF", but now days there's a mindless cult following eating every stupid retcon up like it's the most brilliant thing ever.
The only good thing I can see that came from that series was it actually got me interested in X-Men again. Now with all the digital comics, I can actually go back and read stories that I couldn't buy back in the day.
End rant.

So my cousin came to visit my family this past week. It was just her it’s her first time visiting. She’s staying with my parents and my sister that’s a sophomore in high school. I live in my own house like 25min away.
I haven’t been able to go to my parents house all week but I finally went yesterday for Mother’s Day.
Apparently she hasn’t really came out of her room. I think because she’s really not that used to my family. I have always been close to my cousins dad and I would go and visit them in Florida often. I mostly hung out with him and her brother. I was always really nice and cool with them.
So when I went over she started coming out of the room more just felt more comfortable. I suggested we all go out for ice cream for Mother’s Day. So my parents, her, and my sister went. They went in their car and I went in my own car. As we are sitting in the ice cream shop nobody is talking. My parents aren’t talking my sister isn’t even making conversation with her. So I started talking asking about how school is going, her sports etc… I think she liked that and started talking a lot.
Then as we are leaving my cousin asks me if I’m going back to my parents house. I tell her I am and she asks infront of them if she can ride back with me. I tell her sure I think my parents were surprised, they don’t really know how close of a relationship I have to her dad.
So we ride back and we’re just talking about when they were little growing up playing video games etc..
When we get home, my parents haven’t gotten home yet. So I tell her well let’s go wait for them. As I’m starting to open my car she immediately asks me do you talk to anyone in Florida?
So her asking if she could ride back to my parents house with me and her asking that right as I’m reaching for my door made me think maybe she wanted to talk about something. So I tell her no, then she kind of starts telling me about things she doesn’t like with some of our family members in Florida. At this point I do feel kinda weird. I’m having a conversation with an 8th grader in my car and then my parents get home. And when my mom sees me and her inside the car talking. As everybody goes inside my mom starts making a waving motion for us to come inside. She did it in way where I could tell she might have been thinking something was strange.
After that we got out and went inside.
Later on she started asking about things to do in our city. One thing people in my city do is walk around this really close lake at night. There’s a hill there and you can see a cool view of the city. I told her we should take her. So I tell my parents and my sister to take my cousin to the lake. They agree but once we get there my parents didn’t want to walk around it. They’re getting older and there’s some steep hills around so they said they would just wait by a bench. My sister didn’t want to walk either.
We brought my cousin all this way and they didn’t want to walk with us. So I take her up to the hill we talk about the family I try to give some advice etc..
The whole thing has left me uneasy. With the way my mom reacted when she saw us in the car. Them seeing me really sociable with her at the ice cream place. I’m not that sociable with my own family but I saw her and her brother grow up. Me a 31 year old spending time with an 8th grader.
How her mom or dad could interpret “yeah I hung out with my 31 year old cousin.”
I don’t know why I feel this way I never meant to cross a line. I was just trying to be nice but the way things are now a days. People’s minds might have their own perspective.
TLDR: cousin came to visit from Florida. She’s been staying at my parents. She’s hasn’t really been the sociable this weeks until I finally went over this weekend. She feels really comfortable with me and she wanted to spend alot of time with me but it’s left me feeling uneasy on how people might think about that

Discussing gripes with 343's storytelling in the games, one was that I thought the Banished and Atriox were a much more interesting looking/designed/written Covenant-like faction than Jul 'Mdama and his Covenant (talking exclusively within the games). This led me to think that the Banished should have been build up way back then during Halo 4's development, and they should have been the main Covenant-like faction in Halo 4's story and beyond.
Their motives are much more precise, they are actually different looking in a good way with cool different armor and physical appearance that still is reminescent of the old games but still feel like their own thing instead of a brand new replacement. Most important they have their own name - The Banished - and for being a new enemy faction that's important, whereas Jul's Covenant didn't even have a name and was clearly a more lazy attempt to keep more Covenant enemies without them actually being the Covenant. The Banished is a much cooler compromise where these guys have a new name, different armor, vehicles and weapons that feel new but also familiar, Atriox is a more present antagonist (though he should be way more). The Banished just has a lot of personality to them. It would also sell us more on a new status quo in the Halo universe.
It also fits extremely well with Halo 3's conclusion with the Brutes being the main "Elite" type leader enemies, while still not removing Elites from the scene. Just imagine the Banished already being familiar to players and lore fans for more than a decade, how much more lore could they have by now (ideally, with the Didact still being the main threat).
What are your opinions on this?

Im just being honest, i love the development of artificial intelligence and im 100% in for it.
Just not the way open Ai continues to develop it. As well as other big organizations.
In my somewhat normal brain i could not understand how you can just develop one of the most powerful tools created in the last 10 years and instead of building it solely for stuff where we need it the most like research or science they use it to capitalize on " cool products" that no one really asked for or no one really needs or even knows how to use accordingly.
It just gives me the idea they would rather see the world burn then to see it prosper.
Look i like there stuff, its quite impressive. But handling artificial intelligence takes quite some human intelligence to begin with. These tools are like two edged swords that continuously get sharper on both sides.
There is also a clear bad side to making tools to accessible. Consequences we don't even see yet and we currently slowly start to see with the internet and smart devices.
Artificial intelligence is extremely complex and has capabilities far beyond our human intellectual capacities.
Even if you don't think this way, we as a community know far more about artificial intelligence than cooperations and governments that have zero clue about machine learning and deep learning etc.
We are the ones that should step up for the direction that artificial intelligence takes and not stay silent about it.

hi. i’m not as well versed in pc knowledge as id like to be so apologies upfront. i recently built a pc with the help of my boyfriend and friends, and i’m loving it. however, it is loud. it is not extremely loud, but after spending 2k on this build it’s a little too loud for my liking.
After playing around with the fans we decided that the culprit is the fans of my aio. Now, i’m not sure what to do going forward. My boyfriend is saying that it’s because my cpu runs very hot, so i should skip water cooling and switch to air cooling. I’m not opposed but i’d really like to stay with water cooling if possible, i really love the way it looks.
I, on the other hand, believe that it simply is just not the greatest aio, and if i replace it with an NZXT Kraken for a bit more money it would solve my problem.
This is why I am making this post, because I am not sure if i should listen to my boyfriend who knows more about pc’s than i, or if i should stick with my gut and stay with water cooling. what do yall think? any advice or tips would be well appreciated!
here are my specs: cpu: amd 7 7700x ram: teamgroup t-force delta 32gb ddr5-6000 gpu: geforce rtx 4070 motherboard: b650 aorus elite ax ice amd am5 atx cooler: lian li galahad II trinity 240 mm case: nzxt h6 flow atx mid-tower psu: corsair rm750 750 watt 80 plus gold fully modular ssd: inland tn470 2tb ssd + lian li UNI fan SL infinity fluid dynamic

I am seeking someone with whom I can engage in deep conversations, exchanging thoughts on how we live our lives, our perspectives, and what we make of existence as we await our inevitable demise. I am looking for someone whose outlook on life aligns with mine, with whom we can collectively find the best way to live out our allotted time. Together, we will share our plans and goals, discussing our understanding of various matters.
I would be delighted if you, upon deciding to write to me, could explain why you chose to do so and share a bit about yourself, to streamline our initial conversations.
Some of my reflections and views on life: - I've come to realize that happiness for me won't come from having a big house, an expensive car, or even a family. Happiness, for me, lies in improving people's lives. Eventually, I'll die (like everyone else), and if I only live for myself, it would be meaningless—everything will go with me to the grave. But if I create something that improves people's lives, something that remains even after I'm gone, it gives meaning to my own life and brings me hope and happiness. I'm willing to dedicate my life to this, to improving the lives of others. - I'm interested in philosophy not just as a hobby, but as a necessity for determining the direction of life and how to approach it, understanding what to do in this life. - I often ponder the meaning of life in the face of inevitable death (because what comes after death greatly influences what to do with life). - I'm interested in what to do in life and how to spend it. The typical scenario of finding a job with good pay, buying a house, starting a family, retiring, and dying doesn't appeal to me (but I don't have anything against it). If you resonate with these sentiments, I eagerly await your response.

Okay, so I'm a huge fan of Rick Riordan. I love the Percy Jackson books and the expanded universe they take place in. So I decided to give his other novel Daughter of the Deep a shot.
So I read it on my own a few months ago and I'm currently revisiting it in Audiobook form.
Honestly... I kinda have mixed feelings if I'm being honest.
I can't in good conscience call it a bad book because I do think it's a good book. It's well written, has a really cool premise, really fascinating ideas and it does a good job making you emphasize with the main character Ana Dakkar.
But there's one big hang up I had that just puts a shadow over the entire book that makes it difficult for me to get past. And I really really just need to talk about it.
Okay, so spoilers past this point,
So for those who haven't read it, the premise of the novel involves the main character Ana Dakkar who's attending this school for Marine Biology called Harding-Pencroft, which has a rivalry with another school Land Institute.
To make a long story short, it turns out both schools were founded by the protagonists of the novels "The Mysterious Island" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" respectively which as it turns out were secretly works of nonfiction. Captain Nemo is real and Ana is his descendant. The two schools' rivalry is all about what the legacy of Captain Nemo should be. Either sharing his technological advancements with the world (Land Institute.) or keeping them hidden to make sure no one misuses them (Harding Pencroft).
That's all well and good but what bothers me and what kinda wrecks the novel for me is the inciting incident that kicks off the story.
Namely, Land Institute using a high-tech submarine destroyed Harding Pencroft potentially killing hundreds of innocent high schoolers and faculty.
I mean...what!? You're gonna open with that Rick? You're gonna open with potentially over a hundred people getting their lives snuffed out!?
It was just such a dark moment that it invoked "Too Bleak Stopped Caring" for me.
And it just continues. The novel just keeps going on about this. It keeps coming back to that point. How the characters mourn the family and friends they lost.
It also made me really hard to just...buy Land Institute doing this. Like... no one had reservations over killing one hundred people? NO ONE!? I understand LI is supposed to be like this "Hardcore military academy" but I still... I just don't buy that no one had reservations about killing a bunch of people like that.
Honestly, I was tempted to stop reading/listening in disgust when it got to a point where the characters look at a news broadcast and it showed some parents weeping.
Rick. Buddy. If you're reading this (I doubt you are) I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to make me hate LI as villains so I want to see them get taken down, but this doesn't make me hate LI, it makes me hate the story for forcing me to experience this!
They only hint that maybe some people survived towards the end but Rick really really should have implied that earlier (Or better yet just revealed most everyone got out at the end), because otherwise it just made an already pretty depressing book even more depressing than it had to be.
And there's another twist in the book that frankly makes it worse and adds to the "No one had reservations about this?" issue I stated earlier but I'm not gonna spoil it. If you've read the book you know what I'm talking about.
No joke this is probably the most depressing book I've read from Rick. Yes even more than the Burning Maze. Especially because aside from some references to Finding Nemo here and there, his trademark humor isn't really present in it. The whole thing is just soul-draining at points.
No one wonder one of his next books was Chalice of the Gods. He probably needed something easy and lighthearted after writing this.
You know though? Maybe it's just a me thing. Maybe I'm just too much of a softie for this book. Every other review I've read is just people gushing over how good it is; so there's a decent chance, that this is just a me problem.
Look if you like this book, more power to you. I totally see why. Like I said, I don't think it's bad. I think it is really good.
It's just that one part I really have a hard time getting past...

Helloooooo,
Just venting, really.
I crossed paths with an amazing human last September, while we were both travelling through Spain. We know we're not meant for a long-term thing as we want different things out of life, but it was still an extraordinary experience. You know the Before Sunset-Sunrise trilogy? Well, it puts those movies to shame.
We kept in touch, took a break, and then reconnected in April. I didn't purposefully stop myself from dating or looking for a better match. I'd still meet people but those connections fell short. He's mostly very attentive and flirtatious, but sometimes he becomes distant. He never leaves me on read, and is a prompt replier, but his tone sounds flat sometimes. I addressed it and he explained that it was a symptom of a brain injury he'd had, that sometimes he just disconnects and I'm not the first person who's pointed it out either. And that he's not a fuckboi who's lost interest.
As it turns out, I'm going to be in his continent this summer for a family vacay. I suggested meeting up and he got scared of making a commitment of any sort (he doesn't know where he'll be himself at the time, and what if one/both of us meet/s someone). I know it's not personal but it was still disappointing... If you read through our texts, it's the most sensual erotic novella you'd ever see. Wtf was the point of all that if he doesn't jump at the chance of fulfilling those? Anyway, we left it at a "we'll see when you get here" type of thing. I assured him that there's no pressure, that if he happens to be in a place that I already want to visit, we could hang out, but I won't go out of my way for him.
But you know what? That's not good enough for me. I understand his hesitation (because luckily for him I'm a super empath), but I won't lower my standards anymore. I deserve consistency, I deserve someone who's excited to see me, hell, who'll even buy me a plane ticket and book the nicest room and plan out all the fun activities, who'll ask me where I'd liked to be wined and dined.
I'm ending things with him. The next time he sends me a cute message or a reel, I already have a typed-out message which I will copy-paste. That if he wants to make solid plans and have regular communication with me, then he's welcome to keep writing. But if he can't, then to not contact me at all. No more breadcrumbs. Thank you, and best of luck.
It's a real fucking shame, but I'm grateful I'm able to do this.
Thank you for listening. Virtual hugs welcome.

21(I think) male (or at least amab) I'm not sure what to write but I wanna post something so I'm just vomiting some thoughts until I post or delete my draft again.
I'm not sure if I'm actually suicidal, or mentally ill at all but I think that's just the illness gaslighting me.
I know that I don't actually wanna die and it's fixable somehow but it feels so unrealistic. It's getting worse for the past few weeks/months and I know that I was happy to be alive before and probably will be when my depressive episode is over.
I know that I won't kill myself but I'm sad about that. a few weeks ago, I had a random wave of motivation so I visited the social worker at my school and got a list of therapists to call and a little script so I know what and how to say it (social anxiety) but I haven't done anything and my motivation is gone again. just asked a friend to call for me, maybe that's getting anywhere.
but I cannot imagine that it helps. right now, on an emotional level, I have no hope that it's getting better.
no hope for therapy, no courage to kill myself, it's a stalemate. I noticed that I care less about the future, so I live more and more like it's my last day and then have to deal with the consequences the next day. i stopped showering, brushing my teeth, eating healthy, i constantly go to bed way too late even tho I'm extremely tired all the time. it's not like I can't sleep, I just refuse to try.
maybe I just try to get more and more miserable until I'm finally able to kill myself.
I'm porn addicted and keep relapsing since my breakup one and a half months ago. I'm a feminist and hate the porn industry but I kinda stopped caring? I don't know if I could stop if I cared more or if I'm just addicted severely enough that I'm actually unable to.
I feel like I'm not allowed to feel this bad. I don't deserve depression, if you know what I mean. I didn't get traumatized (or just don't realize?), I was a social outcast but I have friends now, I don't struggle with money, in fact I am very privileged because my parents have a lot of money.
I do struggle with every day tasks tho (I think I have autism, adhd or both), maybe that's enough to hate being alive?
my original plan was a train, but I don't really wanna traumatize an innocent train conductor so maybe od? but I barely managed to get my hands on weed, I don't think I'm able to acquire lethal medications. also thought about guns, but I wouldn't know where to get those either. I recently read an autopsy report of someone who killed themselves by swallowing sodium hydroxide and it said that they died a few hours after digestion, even tho I'm a chemistry nerd, that sounds a bit too painful for a coward like me.
when I was in middle school, I spend some time on a suicide note but now I'm just tired of living so I don't bother with that, too much effort.
I think that my emotional bond with friends and family is the only thing keeping me alive, but maybe I'd still be too incompetent if I was alone.

I’m writing an AU where the Long Night hits during the Dance of the Dragons. The fic will cover about five years, with some timeskips, but that’s not my main problem. My main problem is the fact that with the Long Night comes the Prince that was Promised prophecy, and I have no idea who to make the Prince. Green claimants are out because I don’t like them, and some of the Black side’s claimants (like Daemon and Rhaenyra) feel way too mary-sue-ish. My closest idea is Nettles, by making her the either daughter or granddaughter of a Summer IslandeNorthern marriage, and pointing out her unusual way of claiming Sheepstealer in my canon. Also, she seems like the claimant least likely to get me in the center of a flame war if I ever get to posting this on AO3 and it becomes known. Any advice?

I've had the goal of going for a PhD for some time now and I've been published in three papers, soon to be a fourth after this summer. However, in my classes I've been doing about a B+ average and I'm getting nervous that my GPA is going to really hurt me.
I am a double major in biology and biochemistry, I have strong relationships with PIs and professors who have agreed to write recommendation letters for me.
Everyone I've talked to has seemed confident that I'll get into a grad school, but I'm worried that I've shot myself in the foot and I'll have to reorganize my plans for after my undergraduate. I'm just worried that I've set my sights too high and I'm going to have a really tough time getting only rejections later.