I just survived my worst year of teaching, and I wonder: Is this the norm at "nicer" schools?
I have taught in public schools for almost ten years. This year, I tried working at the "rich kids" school, as it is called around here, for the first time. I only knew Title 1, but this experience was so horrible that I managed to secure a transfer for next year.
First of all, some teachers run the whole school. While this sounds like a positive, it was actually hard to watch. A handful of teachers make all the decisions for the school.
The "team" that I work with has decided to bully me. At the beginning of the year, one of the teachers who run the school told me that I spoke with her in a disrespectful tone. I was kind of confused by the whole thing, and I tried to apologize. I never meant to be disrespectful. I am actually pretty nice... No one had ever said that I wasn't nice at work before, and I was new and looking for friends, and I just felt so lonely and horrible.
My teammates decided to retaliate against me. They give me looks, make snarky comments, spread rumors about me, and forget to include me in important conversations; it seems that "Google messes up and forgets" to share important docs with me, too, and everything I do gets relayed back to my boss. Since I never break any rules or do anything shady, the boss never seriously raises these complaints to me. I only recently found out about some of the times they complained about me. I am lucky that my boss likes me enough.
On my birthday, I took the day off because I was fatigued by the drama. But then, my coworkers and I planned a fun lesson, so I decided to cancel my day off. Unfortunately, my children caught strep throat for the second time, so I ended up having to put in for a sub in the end. I told them two days in advance that we would have to postpone the lesson. They actually went to the boss again and complained that I wasn't there for our "fun lesson." Oh, and for my birthday, they left me a warm soda on my desk.
They insist on having a "working lunch". Every day, they go to the break room and "work". It is about 90% talking about reality TV. I personally need a break, so I told everyone I was going to take my duty-free lunch. However, the ladies I work with told me, "I value my personal time too much" because I don't want to give up my lunch period.
They also plan very randomly. They don't have team-planning days; instead, every day is a planning day. They plan collaboratively during every conference period. Then, they plan after school for hours. I noticed that we spend hours together just planning.
I have little children and other responsibilities outside of school, so I can't stay past 4:30, which makes them MAD. They have sent me emails about it CC'd to my principal on times when I leave before they finish planning because of my after-school responsibilities, which my principal knows about and understands.
Unfortunately, the planning they do kind of sucks. We NEVER finish. Sometimes I wonder how its possible to not be done! We usually spend all this time making a Google Slide for the lesson. It is just depressing. I have developed anxiety around my conference period.
Over the summer, my kid broke his arm. I needed to take care of my kid. They were unreasonable and insisted on having a meal together before the school year started. Then, the lady who said I had a rude tone told me that I inconvenienced them that day by asking to make our lunch a dinner on a different day, even though they knew my kid had a broken arm (he was only 4 years old at the time).
Last week, I secured a new job, and I was kind of forced into telling them about it, and they managed to tell the whole school somehow. The only reason I told my team is that they wanted to bully me into taking the undesirable teaching position next year, and I thought it would be worse to lie to them.
I also can't plan my own intervention or reading groups because if I do, I am not being "collaborative". I have no outlet to be creative or have joy here. They insist that everyone use the same lesson plan doc and not differentiate it to fit the needs of the class. I tried to ask them if maybe I could plan one little area of it too, and they reminded me that they have been at this school for X number of years. So I stopped asking to participate and started to just go to our "collaborative plannings" and nod.
Did I mention that my principal is a chill and is actually really nice?
I don't get it. The kids here are top-notch, the parents are kind, and the principal is laid back. Why do people have to create problems?
I got my dream job. I am so happy to be leaving here for good.

TLDR: My partner had a very sudden manic episode turned into a psychotic break over the past week, and I'm not handling him being in a psych ward for the time being very well. It's honestly killing me, I'm so worried for him - I'm looking for advice and support on how to cope with this event.
My boyfriend (21M) and I (20F) have been together for nearly 3 years. For 2 years, we were long distance. In August 2023 is when we closed the distance and began living with each other in real life. Last week, the week of May 5th, is when this situation begun.
We frequently took edibles (weed) as part of our routine. Last Tuesday, he did just that - and while he was high, he started to get curious about his parents' finances. He began to text both his mother and father, asking questions about what they've saved up for their retirement. His mom seemed to be dodging his questions a lot, but eventually she told him that she estimated that both she and his father would have around 10-13 million after retirement. Not only this, but she also both implied and outright confirmed that my boyfriend would be inheriting this large amount of money after they pass away. This quickly unlocked a hyperfixation for him, and we began to talk about it together. It's all we talked about for that week, because we thought, why is this something that his mother would lie about? There's absolutely no understandable reason that she would have to lie about this. I should mention that, after Tuesday, he did not take any more edibles or substances, though regardless I feel that weed may have partially played a role in why this happened.
Throughout the week, as he was delving into this hyperfixation, his behavior began to change. I didn't truly notice it at the time, and just thought he was very reasonably acting a bit odd and excited because, this was a life changing thing that was presumably happening for the both of us. I didn't think to question his mother's statement. Me being passive to his behavior and not suspicious of his mother's statement and behavior is something I feel I am to blame for, because it turned out to be a slowly building manic episode. On Friday, May 10th, is when we found out that the 10-13 million inheritance was a lie. He was distraught - absolutely broken. Something snapped in him after that day.
On Saturday, he woke me up at 6-7 am. I suspect that he may not have slept Friday night into Saturday morning. He reassured me that he would be okay, we would both be okay after this, that we would get over it and be able to focus on something else. But very quickly throughout Saturday his behavior shifted drastically, and it turned into a full blown manic episode. For the entire first half of the day, he paced around our apartment, glued to his phone, spamming everyone in his life about the thoughts he had been having. It's normal for him to be on his phone a lot, so I didn't question this. I regret it so much, I should have noticed the signs. It's difficult for me to convey what exactly his thoughts were or what his hyperfixation was, because most of it didn't truly make sense, but the short version of it is that since the inheritance wasn't real, he began to hyperfixate on starting a business from the ground up with both me and his friends. It spiraled from there.
In the evening is when his behavior began to become violent and increasingly more erratic. He began to direct his frustration and anger towards me, starting to hyperfixate on me and our relationship, blaming me for the entire situation. We've had a difficult relationship, but we've always managed to come back full circle either way. He became paranoid of me, believed that I could hurt him, and so much more. It broke my heart. It's more than I can convey into words. Saturday evening into Sunday morning I stayed up all night with him, trying to handle the situation as best as I could, but it only got worse. Eventually, his parents arrived at our apartment. He's always had apprehensions about introducing me to his parents for multiple reasons, especially including the fact that we met online. He believed that they wouldn't understand it, and he didn't have a close relationship with his parents to begin with at all. It sucks that I could only meet them as this situation was going down.
Sunday, May 12th, is when his parents took him to the emergency room. It is only just yesterday that he was admitted into a psychiatric hospital. I'm heartbroken. I'm keeping in contact with his mother, but I haven't gotten many updates from her besides the fact that he's in a hospital and that they're waiting to hear from the doctor. Based on what I've seen with his behavior and researched, it seems that his manic episode eventually turned into a psychotic break. I also suspect that he may have bipolar 1 disorder. I'm not a doctor, but it matches up with everything that I've seen, and I'm devastated. It was horrible. His mother has bipolar disorder, though im not sure what type - though my partner did mention that his mother would have occasional manic episodes.
It's been two days since he's been gone. All I've been doing is grieving. I've eaten very little, all I've been doing is crying, and everything in our apartment reminds me of him. It's incredibly painful to be here without him because we spent all of our time together. I'm also worried about him being in the hospital itself - I don't want him to be mistreated by others or misdiagnosed. Psych hospitals can be very hit or miss, and it terrifies me. It's possible that he could be there for several weeks at the very least given how severe his mental state was. I just don't know what to do, or what this means for us in the future. He hasn't even gotten a diagnosis yet, from what I know. I just feel like I'm being kept in the dark. I don't know anything about what's happening at all. I just want him to be okay. How can I get through this? I don't think I can get through this. What happens when he gets back? Is he gonna be okay? Have any of you experienced what it's like to be kept in a psych hospital? I don't know what to do with myself when he comes back, I don't know how to support myself in the mean time, and I don't know what this means for us or for our relationship. I'm so, so scared. I'm terrified. I love him so much, I just want him to be okay.
I don't have many people around me to support me, so posting here has been my last resort. I feel awful, I feel horrible, I feel like this is all my fault. I feel like if I saw the signs earlier, I could've prevented this, I could've grounded him, I could've brought him down from where he was headed. I don't know what exact mental illness he has yet, I can only assume based on what I've seen. But, has anyone ever been in a similar situation like this? What do I do with myself? I know he's getting the help that he needs, but I can't help but worry for him. I feel super isolated and alone and anxious in our apartment. It's empty here without him, incredibly empty.
If you've read this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read this. It means more to me than you know. So, once more, TLDR: My partner had a very sudden manic episode turned into a psychotic break over the past week, and I'm not handling him being in a psych ward for the time being very well. It's honestly killing me, I'm so worried for him - I'm looking for advice and support on how to cope with this event.

Hi friends, so this is my situation currently. I just got off the waitlist and accepted into a DO school in my state (CA). I was not planning on getting in/going even if I did, so I’ve been ft studying for the MCAT the past 3 months to retake, with the intention of reapplying next May. My app was very strong (I had it reviewed by a few mentors, one of which was involved in admissions at ucsd som), with the exception of my very low mcat score which was a 501.
App details for reference: 3.75 cgpa, 3.68sgpa, ORM, however from very low ses and have a strong background story, adopted etc. BS in neuroscience from ucsd. 1 year working as an EMT on ambulance, 2 years working as an ER tech in underserved community hospital by Mexico border, many many hours of clinical research during my undergrad at ucsd with 4 pubs, Transfer Senator for student government at ucsd, strong LOR from sci prof, 3 docs, 1 was my research PI at ucsd.
Anyway, I now have 2 weeks to decide if I 1. Accept this offer to a DO school yay! (But also RIP my own pride on that MD vs DO garbage, which will I even care about this in 5-10 years??) and graduate med school 2028 and move on w my life since I’m already 25…or 2. Retake MCAT and reapply to hopefully get into an MD but start fall 2026. And all the risks of not doing great on MCAT, not getting anything else on apps etc.
please feel free to leave your advice or wisdom or dm me if you’ve been in a similar situation. no one else in my family or close friend group atm is on this same track so hoping to share this with likeminded individuals who can relate. Thanks guys!

Sigh. I'm a newer nurse [23 F], 10 months of experience. I got hired onto postpartum immediately after graduation and passing the nclex. I am not married to the specialty and do want to go to a different specialty at some point so I can find what I want to pursue higher education in. I like women's health but I'd rather stay away from the obstetrical side for reasons I won't go into now. But I like what I do and I love my patients. My coworkers are alright. My hospital insurance is horrible but I'm covered by parents still, and I've been having problems with the low census policy (see my previous posts) but other than that, everything is pretty good about the floor.
My problem is that I am a creature of the early morning; I work night shift now and it's eating away at my mental and physical health. I've tried everything I can to adjust and I just can't. I talked to my manager about it, she said there were no positions available for days and that one likely wouldn't br available for another year or two. Fair! But I cannot wait that long. So I have applied to day shift nursing positions, and today I got an offer on a medsurg unit in town. Day shift. Like I should be happy about this, but I just have a gnawing feeling medsurg isn't for me. I was a tech in nursing school on a medsurg unit during covid and that made me dislike it, honestly. Aside from the fact that I did not get the best vibe from the director of the department (who interrupted me during the interview and gave unsolicited advice) when I interviewed, they were very transparent that almost all their patients are "very high acuity" and its a common thing on that floor, and that I would be expected to know a lot within my 6 week orientation. And I'm just being honest, that's not my cup of tea. So I'm thinking I'll stay where I am on nights for now. But once i hit my 1 year mark, I plan to look for more options in specialties I'd like. I've applied for wound care, urogyn clinic, school nursing, pre admission testing, and pre and post surgical and have gotten turned down by all I've applied for.
I guess one of my questions or concerns is that, am I being turned down from these jobs because I only have 10 months under my belt? Two rejection letters said they were looking for more experience. Could it be that being in such a specialized area of nursing (mother-baby) is limiting me on my progression? Considering that's the only place I have RN experience??? Have any other postpartum nurses or nurses in a specialty been able to get other positions outside of your specialty? I'm interested in wound care, psychiatry, public health, and rehab nursing. Do I need to to medsurg to get into these specialties if I only have mother baby experience???
Edit: spelling

Me and my girlfriend just broke up and after doing some recent texting I asked her a couple of questions, I'm going to paraphrase it to avoid anything if she sees this since she uses reddit. The story of it is, we dated since highschool and now both of us are in college. She just got her first job after what she wanted to take up in college that would lead to her career didn't work out, it was rough in the beginning since she wanted to quit but after my family and her family giving her encouragement she pushed through it. I had my career path planned out since highschool and everything has been easy for me. For her it hasn't, but still. I'm lost as to what happened. Shes 20 and I'm 21. She started her new career in law enforcement while I'm working in my college and also pursuing my dream degree. During the first initial break up she told me, "i lost interest." I accepted it and left. After some conversation with her Parents they told me shes unsure about what she wants and to give it time. I did and we set up a proper time for us to speak after a week or so of not talking. I had things i reflected on throughout the relationship and spoke to her about them and she did as well. At the end I asked for a second chance (stupid mistake, i guess). I can't remember what she told me after I finished reflecting but i just remember "I think we should be friends" after giving sometime for her to think. Here are the texts that we had the same day just at night.

• Me: Are you saying that you no longer want to be in a relationship with me and that you’re trying to let me down gently?
• Her: Yes, that’s correct.
• Me: So it’s not that you don’t want a relationship at all; it’s just that you don’t want to be with me anymore?
• Her: Yes, exactly.
• Her: I’m not in the right emotional state at the moment.
• Me: Okay, so you fell out of love with me and wanted to move on?
• Her: No, it’s not about falling out of love. My priorities are messed up, and I started feeling disconnected.
• Me: I understand that you’re going through a tough time. But when you love someone, wouldn’t you want to lean on them for support?
• Her: Yes, I tried, but it wasn’t working. That’s why I thought it was best for us to break up.
• Me: Did someone catch your interest at work, perhaps?
• Her: No, when we broke up, I wasn’t interested in anyone else. My focus was on you.
• Me: So how did you feel throughout this process? Leading up to the breakup, when you realized you didn’t want to be with me anymore—what outcome were you hoping for?
• Her: My answer remains the same: my priorities were messed up. I tried to work things out, but it wasn’t successful, I wasn't getting it right. For both our sakes, I felt it was better for us to be apart and grow individually. Ultimately, I wanted us to have clarity and understanding that we care deeply for each other and will always remain connected.

Thats basically it. I know it's probably pretty obvious, whatever the answer is and maybe i cant accept it. But three years? I just don't get what happened. It's not like she has a busy life-style. She works more than me but just has college to focus on besides that, and shes using CHAT-GPT to get by with that and also had me do her essays since i love writing. I have college, an Internship, and a Job and I'm also studying for certifications. I wish i would of asked what her priorities were at got messed up. But I didnt. I was still in shock this happened. I know both of us are still young and everything but even so, what the hell happened? Was it her job? Did life become to much? She sometimes goes through these moments of wanting to just shut down, but usually pulls through and i thought this was one of them but I guess not? Help me reddit, in your eyes what does this mean? I know I have to move on but it sucks. It was an awesome three years. We shared a lot of hobbies together, just for things to fall apart like this?

What does it mean to for my gf(20F) prioritize herself in a long-term relationship with me (21M)?

Me and my girlfriend just broke up and after doing some recent texting I asked her a couple of questions, I'm going to paraphrase it to avoid anything if she sees this since she uses reddit. The story of it is, we dated since highschool and now both of us are in college. She just got her first job after what she wanted to take up in college that would lead to her career didn't work out, it was rough in the beginning since she wanted to quit but after my family and her family giving her encouragement she pushed through it. I had my career path planned out since highschool and everything has been easy for me. For her it hasn't, but still. I'm lost as to what happened. Shes 20 and I'm 21. She started her new career in law enforcement while I'm working in my college and also pursuing my dream degree. During the first initial break up she told me, "i lost interest." I accepted it and left. After some conversation with her Parents they told me shes unsure about what she wants and to give it time. I did and we set up a proper time for us to speak after a week or so of not talking. I had things i reflected on throughout the relationship and spoke to her about them and she did as well. At the end I asked for a second chance (stupid mistake, i guess). I can't remember what she told me after I finished reflecting but i just remember "I think we should be friends" after giving sometime for her to think. Here are the texts that we had the same day just at night.

• Me: Are you saying that you no longer want to be in a relationship with me and that you’re trying to let me down gently?
• Her: Yes, that’s correct.
• Me: So it’s not that you don’t want a relationship at all; it’s just that you don’t want to be with me anymore?
• Her: Yes, exactly.
• Her: I’m not in the right emotional state at the moment.
• Me: Okay, so you fell out of love with me and wanted to move on?
• Her: No, it’s not about falling out of love. My priorities are messed up, and I started feeling disconnected.
• Me: I understand that you’re going through a tough time. But when you love someone, wouldn’t you want to lean on them for support?
• Her: Yes, I tried, but it wasn’t working. That’s why I thought it was best for us to break up.
• Me: Did someone catch your interest at work, perhaps?
• Her: No, when we broke up, I wasn’t interested in anyone else. My focus was on you.
• Me: So how did you feel throughout this process? Leading up to the breakup, when you realized you didn’t want to be with me anymore—what outcome were you hoping for?
• Her: My answer remains the same: my priorities were messed up. I tried to work things out, but it wasn’t successful, I wasn't getting it right. For both our sakes, I felt it was better for us to be apart and grow individually. Ultimately, I wanted us to have clarity and understanding that we care deeply for each other and will always remain connected.

Thats basically it. I know it's probably pretty obvious, whatever the answer is and maybe i cant accept it. But three years? I just don't get what happened. It's not like she has a busy life-style. She works more than me but just has college to focus on besides that, and shes using CHAT-GPT to get by with that and also had me do her essays since i love writing. I have college, an Internship, and a Job and I'm also studying for certifications. I wish i would of asked what her priorities were at got messed up. But I didnt. I was still in shock this happened. I know both of us are still young and everything but even so, what the hell happened? Was it her job? Did life become to much? She sometimes goes through these moments of wanting to just shut down, but usually pulls through and i thought this was one of them but I guess not? Help me reddit, in your eyes what does this mean? I know I have to move on but it sucks. It was an awesome three years. We shared a lot of hobbies together, just for things to fall apart like this?
TL;DR: Girlfriend says her priorities got messed up during the relationship and when asked if she fell out of love with me she said no and that shes not in the right place right now and became disconnected. She tried to work on things but it didn't work out, so she thought it was best we split and grow as individuals.

I read a lot of experiences here and I notice that most of the people that have broken up with their pwBPD a long time ago (more than a couple of months) and are still writing here and are seemingly still miserable, all share the same, they seem to hate their ex.
Of course we are not like them, so we don't see everything black or white, therefore that hate is definitely mixed with love. And I believe it is that combination of such opposite feelings for a person that screw people up.
I consider myself very lucky, I was with my exwBPD for 1.5 years before breaking up 9 days ago. I was never painted black, her splitting was mild (at least compared to some things I read here), I was being drained by her though, little by little. I was feeling miserable by the end. But I still wouldn't leave her, I still loved her so much and I was too afraid. Until she messed up badly while drunk, humiliating me. There was no going back after that. So I broke up with her. Alcohol was always my main concern.
I was miserable for the first 4 or 5 days. But I never hated her. We talked and she assumed full responsibility, she apologized, she told me how much she loves me and cares about me, how much she hates having hurt me, she told me she respects me for ending it, that anyone would have done the same.
That's not the important thing. The important thing is that after the first few days of suffering and feeling empty and lonely, for the past 4 or 5 days I have been feeling good, really good. Enjoying my freedom again, connecting with myself, making plans, enjoying my hobbies, reconnecting with friends. And yes, I do still get sad when some memories come, but I allow myself to feel the feelings and the feelings go away. I never expected this journey to become so easy so early. So here is where I come back to my main argument. It is all about hating and loving someone at the same time. That messes with your head.
I have zero hate for my exwBPD. I love her. I realized she is not the right person for me and we should never be together again. I could never have children with her, I could never marry her. I feel so sorry that she has to endure pain everyday because of her condition. I feel for her. I wish I could help her somehow, I would if I knew how, but definitely will never involved getting back together.
Maybe that's what people here should focus on. Try to understand and stop hating. It may take time for the people that were hurt the most. But I think it is the only way. BPD should not be an excuse, but BPD is hell for them, none of us know how it is to live like that, if you could turn that hate into compassion, and from there, start working on yourself, everything should be easier.
Because that's another thing. We all need to take responsibility of our own issues ourselves. In my case I am a codependent with an anxious attachment style. I understand now that I need to work on those things before getting into a relationship again, because if I don't, any relationship will fail, no matter how "normal" or "sane or "healthy" the other person is. We have issues too. All of us. Emotionally healthy people with secure attachment wouldn't normally fall for a BPS. So, we should focus on understanding why we did, and fixing it.
It's easier to hate and blame, I know. But success, in any area, is not easy. It takes hard work. And working hard on yourself is what will bring the ultimate reward.

The master of ceremonies glanced at the paper in his hand, and a glimpse of confusion showed on his face.
Something was wrong.
“And the third and last team representing Farcrest. Lowell’s Orphanage!”
Elincia clung to my arm, fear and impotence reflected in her expression. We were supposed to be called Rosebud Fencing Academy during the tournament. I clenched my jaw and glanced across the pavilion, giving [Awareness] free rein. Lord Osgiria gave me a mocking look.
I cursed. Among the nobility, everything was appearances. The fact that Farcrest had to resort to a poor orphanage for representation spoke badly about the state of affairs in the territory. The nobles around us exchanged funny looks.
“Keep your heads up. That’s our call,” I said, loud enough for the whole pavilion to hear us. If nobles thought this would weigh upon our shoulders, they were wrong.
Ilya took position by my right as the team captain, and we entered the crescent-shaped arena. The cheering died. Our magnificent uniforms didn’t fool the crowd anymore. I reached the Marquis's side and saluted the VIP box. Only after Prince Adrien started applauding did the rest of the nobles acknowledge our presence.
The commoners in the stands hesitated to cheer for us. This wasn’t a gentle world. They didn’t care about the kid’s feelings. I glanced over my shoulder. Wolf was unfazed, and Zaon moved his lips, repeating, ‘Nervous is good’ repeatedly. Firana, on the other hand, was furious.
“Tough crowd, uh?” I muttered.
“It’s only expected. Orphans don’t get good classes. There is no reason to cheer for us,” Ilya replied with a grin. “Yet.”
Did she look so mature back at the carriage?
The crowd’s attention lingered on us for an instant before the next team entered the arena. To my surprise, a single team represented the royal family: a group of cadets from the Imperial Academy. Five young cadets dressed in plain black, guided by Holst, entered the arena. The crowd came back to life. Considering the opulence of the other teams, the uniforms of the Imperial Academy cadets were disappointing. Even my group was better suited to the occasion.
Holst stood by my left, saluting the stands with a dull gesture.
“Robert Clarke, good to see you still among the living,” he greeted me with a bored tone.
His words, however, sent a shiver down my spine. Did he know assassins had tried to kill me a few days before? Captain Kiln had sworn to keep it a secret. The coincidences piled up. Holst knew about the attack and asked Lyra Jorn’s help with the library when Luzian Abei had a small army of Scholars and Scribes at his disposal. I couldn’t help but think Holst was still in contact with the culprit.
“Preceptor Holst,” I coldly greeted, my brain too busy to formulate a more wordy sentence.
“I didn’t expect to meet my former students,” he added, looking past me at Ilya and the kids. “Certainly not in these circumstances.”
I swallowed my anger. This was a golden opportunity for the orphanage. Watching the skill of the imperial cadets could help me understand why Sir Janus had been the only commoner in Farcrest to assist the Imperial Academy. Even if we lost the tournament, we could improve our chances of getting them accepted into the Imperial Academy, putting them in the same echelon as nobles.
“Do you trust the ability of your current students to win the tournament?” I asked, examining the cadet’s faces. Three humans, a half-elf, and a harpy. They didn’t seem thrilled to be part of the tournament.
Holst laughed.
“These idiots aren’t my students. These five failed their first year. If they don’t win the tournament, they will be kicked out of the Academy,” he replied, shrugging. “For failures like them, I’d say they are the favorites to win the tournament.”
A glance at the Imperial Academy team revealed their strong shoulders and steady feet. Despite the lack of fashion, they looked like trained warriors instead of pampered noble kids. Their faces had lost the roundness of childhood, and their calm demeanor and sharp eyes revealed an intense training regime. I hoped not to bump into them until the later rounds of the tournament.
Our conversation was cut short because the Osgirian teams entered the arena. First, Lord Osgiria, then Lord Nara, and finally, a man dressed as a knight, followed by a group of kids in mismatched uniforms—each one with the colors of their respective houses. Lord Osgiria stood by Holst's side and greeted the VIP box.
If Captain Kiln were right, our team would fight Lord Nara in the first round. I expected the man to be a merchant with a comically large belly. Instead, he looked like a cunning gray fox. I had to remind myself that buying a way into nobility required a skillful negotiator.
“Three teams, Lord Osgiria? You don’t seem too confident in your chances,” Holst casually said.
The Imperial Academy had to be a powerhouse within the kingdom because Lord Osgiria swallowed any snarky remark.
Lord Herran, a tall and muscular redhead dressed in full warrior attire, entered next. I remembered him from the feast—boisterous, talkative, determined. The black mana-repelling axe hung from his belt, causing my stomach to feel sick if I looked for too long. House Herran only had two teams, one led by Lord Herran himself and the other by a man who could be his twin. Only half of the team members were human; the other half were different flavors of beast folk.
More than half of the kids had bright red hair like their lord. I wondered if red hair was a dominant gene in the Herran Dukedom because the kids looked healthy. There was not a trace of the infamous Habsburg chin. They were tall and robust like their lord.
I tried to glance at the axe’s runes, but Lord Herran was too far away.
“That’s lord Herran and his army of copperhead bastards,” Holst pointed out, laughing at his joke.
I doubted that having a dozen children the same age was normal, even more so for a noble, considering how difficult succession could be. Lord Herran must’ve loved to spread his genes.
“It’s okay for him to present his… illegitimate kids in an official event like this?” I asked.
“Do you like gossip, Robert Clarke?” Holst raised an eyebrow.
“I like to be informed,” I replied.
Holst seemed satisfied with my answer.
“Lord Herran is one of the few Combat Prestige Classes in the kingdom. He has the [Conqueror] Class,” Holst replied. “It’s only natural that he can do whatever he wants. Not even the king has enough power over Lord Herran to stop his… reproductive impulses.”
I nodded. The relationship between the royal house and the great three dukedoms was more complex than I initially thought. According to the stories, Combat Prestige Classes were, in essence, one-man armies that could create whole countries around their power. I wondered what kind of monsters the royal army found in the Deep Farlands to be obliged to retreat.
After Lord Herra, Lord Gairon entered the arena. The Gairon House was arguably the second most powerful family after the royal house, and their uniforms reflected their status. The blue was rich and deep, and the gold shone under the winter sun, seemingly casting the few clouds away. The crowd yelled and cheered. It wasn’t surprising. Lord Gairon was a tall, tanned man with hair the color of ripe wheat—the perfect poster boy and leader of the anti-war faction.
“He has to go down if we want the royal faction to have a chance,” Holst said.
It suddenly hit me. Holst and I technically supported the same faction.
“Lord Gairon is also a Prestige Class?” I asked.
“A [Sacred Knight], yes. Rumor says he reached the mythic level sixty,” Holst replied. “Let’s hope their teams are more… farming inclined.”
The crowd became more tame after the three big houses made their entrance. Lord Vedras received less than half of House Gairon’s support, probably because of the tax disputes between Farcrest and the Vedras dukedom. He had brought three teams.
Duke Jorn’s presence almost caused the arena to become completely silent—Holst told me he was also a high-level Prestige Class, a Shadow Stalker.
“That sounds dangerous,” I pointed out.
“Sellen Jorn is one of the most dangerous men in the kingdom. His mere existence was enough for the king to create a whole new duchy,” Holst said. “Take an Assassin and a Shadow Fencer, mix them, double their powers, and then double them again. That’s a Shadow Stalker in a nutshell.”
I tried to imagine it. The Assassin who attacked the orphanage would have had a hard time with any class without a skill like my mana blades. I had been lucky to have a favorable matchup against him; otherwise, I might have been dead. His capacity to disable my movement was scarily effective. A man with the skills of an Assassin and a Shadow Fencer had dangerous implications.
“Prince Adrien wanted Sellen Jorn as his Master of Assassins, but he didn’t want to leave his people in the north,” Holst said. “Walls, doors, bars, locks, nothing can stop a Shadow Stalker. Only the woven barrier of several high-level Fortifiers can stop him. Or so it’s said.”
Gears turned inside my skull. I wondered if Duke Jorn was involved in the disappearance of the evidence of Raudhan’s poisoning. He certainly had the skill to move unnoticed through the Great Hall. Stealing a box with shards of glass would be a walk in the park for him.
The rest of the teams passed in a blur as my mind reviewed the party's events. Sellen Jorn was undoubtedly suspicious. His lack of presence was as unnerving as it was useful for an infiltration mission. Could he be involved in Raudhan’s poisoning? Lord Vedras had denied the existence of any co-conspirators, and we were almost entirely sure that Raudhan hadn’t been poisoned by Ashroot.
Duke Jorn's political positioning was hard to determine. The northern dukedoms were poor, and just like Farcrest, they served as a bulwark against the Monster Surges. Four families controlled most of the kingdom’s economy and politics. House Gairon, House Herran, House Osgiria, and the Royal Family. The northern dukedoms didn’t benefit from the current trade routes and wouldn’t directly benefit from a new trade route into the Kingdom of Tagabiria.
However, they would benefit from a closer relationship with the royal family.
Duke Jorn had no reason to poison Captain Kiln.
Ilya tugged the sleeve of my jacket, bringing me back to the present. The master of ceremonies was finishing a long speech about the legacy of Stephaniss of Farcrest, the previous lord of the city and the Marquis's grandfather. Even the Marquis seemed bored.
“Prince Adrien will draw the matches for the first round!” The master of ceremonies announced.
Prince Adrien came forward, and an assistant brought a glass bowl filled with small wooden rods. He put his hand in the bowl, picked one randomly, and passed it to his companion. The woman dressed in purple read it out loud, her voice magically amplified. Her pleasant contralto voice made me think she was a singer.
“House Nara versus…” she received the second wooden rod. “Lowell’s Orphanage!”
Just like Captain Kiln had warned me.
I didn’t expect us to be the opening fight. The other teams returned to the pavilion, and a group of Scribes carried the System Shrine Shard embedded in its copper nest to the center of the arena. I assumed it was there to ensure all participants met the requirements for the tournament.
“Let’s go, team,” I said.
We formed next to the Shrine Shard and in front of Lord Nara’s team. The master of ceremonies activated the blue orb, and the kids' names, classes, and levels appeared before us. Luckily, Lord Nara and I were exempt from the crystal ability. Being outed as a Runeweaver wasn’t part of my plans.
Belya Nara, Geomancer Lv.3
Arel Nara, Warrior Lv.5
Lino, Soldier Lv.9
Jan, Archer Lv.3
Aiwin, Courier Lv.7
Firana Aias, Wind Fencer Lv.1
Ilya, Hunter Lv.2
Zaon, Classless Lv.1
Wolf, Classless Lv.1
The System prompts might have been big enough for the crowd to read because a murmur rose from the stands. I didn’t need [Awareness] to understand the commotion. Half of my team was classless in a world where Classes were everything. Lord Nara also seemed to notice the discrepancy between our teams.
“I’m feeling generous today, Mister Caretaker. I will gladly accept your surrender and spare you the embarrassment if you apologize for wasting our time,” Lord Nara said with a mellow, totally fake voice. “You can save the kids the shame of losing in front of their countrymen.”
The master of ceremonies looked at me.
“What do you think, Ilya?” I asked.
“The team is ready, Mister Clarke. We fight,” she replied without any hint of doubt.
Despite Lord Nara’s clever expression, he was underestimating us. I couldn’t blame him. He had lived all his life in a world where value was determined by class and level. Developing an eye for people wasn’t as helpful as on Earth, where it could mean the difference between life and death.
“We fight,” I said.
“Don’t say I didn’t extend the courtesy of an honorable withdrawal,” Lord Nara grinned, his fox-like eyes turned into thin lines.
The master of ceremonies nodded.
“The Rules are simple. The team that loses the coin toss has to choose its first fighter, and then the winning team chooses its opponent. Then, the roles change. Every team has two picks and two counter picks, for a total of four fighters,” the master of ceremonies explained, pulling a gold coin from the pocket.
I nodded. There was a level of strategy involved in the pairing phase. I could pair Firana against their weakest member to ensure a vast point difference. Or I could choose Zaon to keep things equalized. If I were Lord Nara, I would leave the Lv.7 Courier outside the selection. As fast as they were, they weren’t a combatant Class, but on the other hand, even non-combatants could develop useful masteries.
Zaon had a good matchup against the Soldier and the Warrior, as their combat skills were on the ‘basic’ side of the spectrum. However, the Archer, the Geomancer, and the Courier could present a problem to him. Wolf also had a bad matchup against the Archer and the Geomancer because he relied on solid and static positioning to use his muscles. Ilya and Firana had good matchups against the enemy team, but the enemy Geomancer worried me the most. She wasn’t just an Advanced Class, but a relative of Lord Nara.
“Here goes the coin,” the master of ceremonies said. He threw it high and caught it mid-flight.
Lord Nara kindly offered me the call.
“Heads,” I replied with a grin.
“Heads,” the master of ceremonies said, revealing the coin.
[Awareness] didn’t disappoint, but I made a mental note to keep it hidden from Ilya. She wouldn’t be on board with blatant cheating, even if we had the disadvantage. As cunning as Ilya was, strategy and cheats were completely different.
Lord Nara huffed. “Lino, you go first.”
The Soldier kid stepped forward. He was tall, probably a year older than my kids, but [Awareness] told me he was nervous. Soldier Class was painfully close to no class at all.
“Zaon, you go first. Is that okay with you?” I said, hoping the combination of Light-Footed and Lv.2 Longsword Mastery would match a Lv.9 Soldier with a couple of skills under his sleeve.
Zaon nodded.
It was my turn to choose and Lord Nara’s turn to counter-pick. “Ilya, you go second,” I said.
Ilya came forward, prompting a laugh from the rival Fighter.
“Do you want to fight the gnome, Arel?” Lord Nara asked.
“Yes, my lord. I’m confident I can get a ten-point lead over a Gnome Hunter,” Arel Nara replied.
A vein popped on Ilya’s forehead.
“Good. I chose my cousin Arel Nara for the second fight,” Lord Nara said.
Then, Lord Nara selected the Archer boy for the third fight, which put me in a tough spot. The Archer and the Geomancer were hard matchups for Wolf, and I lacked a fifth or sixth member to play around it. Nonetheless, the Archers weren’t known for their vast arsenal of skills.
“Wolf, you go against him,” I said.
Wolf nodded.
“Which leaves us with the last pair,” Lord Nara said with a mocking smile.
“Firana, you go last,” I said.
“Belya, my daughter, will be my last pick,” Lord Nara replied.
The dueling pairs were ready.
“So be it. The tournament's first match will be between Lino the Soldier and Zaon the Elf,” the master of ceremonies said, his voice suddenly amplified again as the Scribes took the System Shrine orb away. “Contestants, please go get your equipment. May the System bless you all.”
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I am 30 years old with a gf and planning to move from the Marina district of SF to the East Bay and wondering which towns and neighborhoods are the most similar. Marina folks sometimes get a bad rep but I enjoy seeing people/couples who take care of their appearance and go to the gym. Also, I don't really go to the bars so the "frat" reputation doesn't bother me. There are spectacular views of the city and bridge here and tons of parks. I am looking for somewhere similar in the East Bay and want to avoid super liberal places like Oakland or Berkeley. Really looking at Orinda to Walnut Creek and down to Pleasanton with everything in between. Walnut Creek seems like a good transition from SF as it has a sizeable downtown area. Danville and San Ramon are appealing since they don't have BART running through them. Any suggestions are very much appreciated!

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Me and my girlfriend just broke up and after doing some recent texting I asked her a couple of questions, I'm going to paraphrase it to avoid anything if she sees this since she uses reddit. The story of it is, we dated since highschool and now both of us are in college. She just got her first job after what she wanted to take up in college that would lead to her career didn't work out, it was rough in the beginning since she wanted to quit but after my family and her family giving her encouragement she pushed through it. I had my career path planned out since highschool and everything has been easy for me. For her it hasn't, but still. I'm lost as to what happened. Shes 20 and I'm 21. She started her new career in law enforcement while I'm working in my college and also pursuing my dream degree. During the first initial break up she told me, "i lost interest." I accepted it and left. After some conversation with her Parents they told me shes unsure about what she wants and to give it time. I did and we set up a proper time for us to speak after a week or so of not talking. I had things i reflected on throughout the relationship and spoke to her about them and she did as well. At the end I asked for a second chance (stupid mistake, i guess). I can't remember what she told me after I finished reflecting but i just remember "I think we should be friends" after giving sometime for her to think. Here are the texts that we had the same day just at night.

• Me: Are you saying that you no longer want to be in a relationship with me and that you’re trying to let me down gently?
• Her: Yes, that’s correct.
• Me: So it’s not that you don’t want a relationship at all; it’s just that you don’t want to be with me anymore?
• Her: Yes, exactly.
• Her: I’m not in the right emotional state at the moment.
• Me: Okay, so you fell out of love with me and wanted to move on?
• Her: No, it’s not about falling out of love. My priorities are messed up, and I started feeling disconnected.
• Me: I understand that you’re going through a tough time. But when you love someone, wouldn’t you want to lean on them for support?
• Her: Yes, I tried, but it wasn’t working. That’s why I thought it was best for us to break up.
• Me: Did someone catch your interest at work, perhaps?
• Her: No, when we broke up, I wasn’t interested in anyone else. My focus was on you.
• Me: So how did you feel throughout this process? Leading up to the breakup, when you realized you didn’t want to be with me anymore—what outcome were you hoping for?
• Her: My answer remains the same: my priorities were messed up. I tried to work things out, but it wasn’t successful, I wasn't getting it right. For both our sakes, I felt it was better for us to be apart and grow individually. Ultimately, I wanted us to have clarity and understanding that we care deeply for each other and will always remain connected.

Thats basically it. I know it's probably pretty obvious, whatever the answer is and maybe i cant accept it. But three years? I just don't get what happened. It's not like she has a busy life-style. She works more than me but just has college to focus on besides that, and shes using CHAT-GPT to get by with that and also had me do her essays since i love writing. I have college, an Internship, and a Job and I'm also studying for certifications. I wish i would of asked what her priorities were at got messed up. But I didnt. I was still in shock this happened. I know both of us are still young and everything but even so, what the hell happened? Was it her job? Did life become to much? She sometimes goes through these moments of wanting to just shut down, but usually pulls through and i thought this was one of them but I guess not? Help me reddit, in your eyes what does this mean? I know I have to move on but it sucks. It was an awesome three years. We shared a lot of hobbies together, just for things to fall apart like this?
TL;DR: Girlfriend says her priorities got messed up during the relationship and when asked if she fell out of love with me she said no and that shes not in the right place right now. She tried to work on things but it didn't work out, so she thought it was best we split and grow as individuals.

Me and my girlfriend just broke up and after doing some recent texting I asked her a couple of questions, I'm going to paraphrase it to avoid anything if she sees this since she uses reddit. The story of it is, we dated since highschool and now both of us are in college. She just got her first job after what she wanted to take up in college that would lead to her career didn't work out, it was rough in the beginning since she wanted to quit but after my family and her family giving her encouragement she pushed through it. I had my career path planned out since highschool and everything has been easy for me. For her it hasn't, but still. I'm lost as to what happened. Shes 20 and I'm 21. She started her new career in law enforcement while I'm working in my college and also pursuing my dream degree. During the first initial break up she told me, "i lost interest." I accepted it and left. After some conversation with her Parents they told me shes unsure about what she wants and to give it time. I did and we set up a proper time for us to speak after a week or so of not talking. I had things i reflected on throughout the relationship and spoke to her about them and she did as well. At the end I asked for a second chance (stupid mistake, i guess). I can't remember what she told me after I finished reflecting but i just remember "I think we should be friends" after giving sometime for her to think. Here are the texts that we had the same day just at night.

• Me: Are you saying that you no longer want to be in a relationship with me and that you’re trying to let me down gently?
• Her: Yes, that’s correct.
• Me: So it’s not that you don’t want a relationship at all; it’s just that you don’t want to be with me anymore?
• Her: Yes, exactly.
• Her: I’m not in the right emotional state at the moment.
• Me: Okay, so you fell out of love with me and wanted to move on?
• Her: No, it’s not about falling out of love. My priorities are messed up, and I started feeling disconnected.
• Me: I understand that you’re going through a tough time. But when you love someone, wouldn’t you want to lean on them for support?
• Her: Yes, I tried, but it wasn’t working. That’s why I thought it was best for us to break up.
• Me: Did someone catch your interest at work, perhaps?
• Her: No, when we broke up, I wasn’t interested in anyone else. My focus was on you.
• Me: So how did you feel throughout this process? Leading up to the breakup, when you realized you didn’t want to be with me anymore—what outcome were you hoping for?
• Her: My answer remains the same: my priorities were messed up. I tried to work things out, but it wasn’t successful, I wasn't getting it right. For both our sakes, I felt it was better for us to be apart and grow individually. Ultimately, I wanted us to have clarity and understanding that we care deeply for each other and will always remain connected.

Thats basically it. I know it's probably pretty obvious, whatever the answer is and maybe i cant accept it. But three years? I just don't get what happened. It's not like she has a busy life-style. She works more than me but just has college to focus on besides that, and shes using CHAT-GPT to get by with that and also had me do her essays since i love writing. I have college, an Internship, and a Job and I'm also studying for certifications. I wish i would of asked what her priorities were at got messed up. But I didnt. I was still in shock this happened. I know both of us are still young and everything but even so, what the hell happened? Was it her job? Did life become to much? She sometimes goes through these moments of wanting to just shut down, but usually pulls through and i thought this was one of them but I guess not? Help me reddit, in your eyes what does this mean? I know I have to move on but it sucks. It was an awesome three years. We shared a lot of hobbies together, just for things to fall apart like this?

~First~
(Writing, writing, writing: Muse crashes, burns and refuses to respond. Great.)
The Buzz on the Spin
“That’s the third time the call was dropped.” Hoagie states the obvious.
“From what I can tell they’re being hacked like it’s the latest fad. Even if our call goes through clean it’s going to be seen by an audience of several billion at least.” Demon replies. His tiny little girl is sitting on his shoulder so everyone’s watching their language, even Zsebreza. Sure, Kathy was growing quick and was developing a good sense of humour, but not even Minisi wanted to be responsible for teaching her the naughty words.
It takes several more tries with the bridge crew chuckling at things before suddenly the link is accepted to find a thoroughly unamused Asian Man glaring at them. The man then lets out a breath. “Two hundred and eighty six separate calls with the image of a woman presenting herself. I have never been simultaneously flattered and insulted.”
“Spoiled for choice sir?” Demon asks.
There is a moment of a pause as the man’s eyebrow quirks in frustration. “Yes.”
“I’m afraid it’s a common issue the galaxy over sir, we humans are hot commodity. Even a hideous slob of a man would find himself inundated with attention. A competent man with goals, ideals and motivation? A feast before the starving sir.” Hoagie says.
“Clearly Officer Eastman.” He says before relaxing a little. “I am Observer Wu. I have been charged by the nations of Earth with baring impartial witness to what has occurred the galaxy over. I have already spoken to several pockets of humanity, including but not limited to three other space stations, the newly risen nobility of Vucsa and of course, The Dauntless and the Embassy on Centris.”
“So what are you looking for? We’ve sent back numerous eyewitness testimonies and as much in the way of resources and proof of our claims that can survive the damaging effects of Cruel Space. A fair portion of exotic material and cadavers were actually supplied from this very station. What more do you need?”
“I just wish to speak with people. I will be communicating with and travelling to every major locations where humans have touched in the galaxy. To see the truth of things with unclouded eyes.” Observer Wu says and there are some nods. “Now then, if you could describe your location and posting please?”
“Certainly, we’ll do that in reverse though if you don’t mind.”
“I do not.”
“We are posted here to both ensure that we have friendly contacts in an area of interest and to learn more about the galaxy at large. Between ourselves and our fellows posted at other stations we are writing the operations manual for how to maintain, police, administrate, protect and supply a fully functional space station with a substantial permanent population. We’re also recruiting and keeping our eyes out for unusual technologies, tactics and techniques. This station alone contains a permanent population that rivals several first world nations on Earth with an industrial capacity well beyond what those nations can provide.”
“Can it now? This station is self sustaining? Food, air and other such supplies?”
“It turns out that a great deal of air is released by harvesting asteroids. Most of them contain a large amount of ice, even when they’re primarily minerals of some kind. Food is grown in hydroponics on such a scale we outright export it. The mining provides the metals and other materials for further products and again, hydroponics of a different source give us oils which leads to plastics, cloth comes in too. The station is completely self sustaining at this point. If the rest of the galaxy was to vanish then all we need are some rocks and we can keep this place going forever.” Demon explains and Observer Wu nods.
“And have you learned about these techniques and technologies?”
“Yes, however many of them are reliant upon Axiom.”
“And the control of the station?” He asks and Minisi pokes at a few of them with her tentacles to get people to shift away. “And you are... the woman in charge I believe?”
“Indeed. Although not for too much longer. I’ve had my fun but the station has become a tedium. I will admit that your species showing up has broken up the monotony a touch, but only enough to give me enough time to really make sure my heiress has this place on lock and with an unmatched command crew.”
“And you’re fine with them having that level of power?” Observer Wu asks and Minisi has a tentacle point right down at Hoagie.
“This one has been in charge of over ten percent of my station. The most productive Agriculture Decks we have are in his power, both officially and unofficially. The businesswomen there fear the flamingo shirts!”
“Hey, I got flowers on at least half of them.” Hoagie protests and she turns to him.
“Hey hey hey! Station boss or not, no horning on my hubby!” Zsebreza says buzzing into view and pressing back on the woman who leans back in amusement.
“You Charbis are so easy to rile up...” She says fondly as Zsebreza sheathes her weapon while still giving her a massive stinkeye.
“So that video was not an elaborate prank in horrific taste.” Observer Wu notes.
“Reality is stranger than fiction sir.” Hoagie notes.
“Indeed it is, and now that you’ve confused me, I am going to return the favour.” Observer Wu states and Hoagie looks from side to side and everyone else is equally baffled.
“Sir?” Hoagie asks as Observer Wu presses a button on his armrest and requests for a certain passenger to be sent up. “What is this...”
He freezes entirely as the camera shifts and he can see... “Mom?”
“Daniel!” Janet Eastman says with a smile. “And... one of those... things that got you.”
“I told you we needed to edit that video.” Zsebreza says.
“But it would clearly have been faked in some way and...” Hoagie trails off. “I... are you alright? The way out of Cruel Space is no fun.”
“It.. it was not pleasant, but I worked in the kitchens for most of it and it kept me busy.” She says.
“Familiar territory then.”
“A starship mess hall is NOTHING like a Corner Bistro in New York.” Janet says and he chuckles.
“Are you sure you’re alright? I mean... the rail shot into orbit, the initial training...”
“I’m part of the civilian experiment. To see how easy or hard it is to get people out of our little corner of the galaxy.”
“And the verdict Miss Hoagie’s mother?” Minisi asks in an amused tone.
“Something needs to be done about the zero-gravity trip. It’s too much. I’ve needed some chemical help to stay calm during parts of the trip.”
“Yeah, it’s not much better when you’re trained for it.” Hoagie says. “Are you coming here?”
“Of course! Those videos were horrifying! If those girls are walking all over you like that then I don’t care if I’m numbered two hundred to one or two thousand to one! I didn’t work my butt off as a waitress when you were a little boy just to see a bunch of bees walk all over you! So I’m putting you on notice!” She growls out.
“Okay lady, I’m giving you the private number, because I love that attitude. And because we need to get ahead of this before there’s a war kicked off.” Zsebreza promises.
“There is no war that’s going to kick off. Mother, Charbis are a very defensive species and refuse to let people see their relaxed state unless they have absolute trust. No exceptions. That’s why you’ve never seen them in anything less than one of their most agitated states. When not safely in the hive a Charbis is only a few moments away from violence.”
“Is the hive like a beehive?”
“It’s not made of waxy hexagons. It’s a bunker with innumerable defences and very comfortable on the inside. They’re so reinforced and secure that it’s the most defensive part on the station barring the other Hives.”
“Hey, you’re really pushing it...”
“I haven’t said anything secret. I haven’t shown anything secret. Anyone with working eyes can see a Hive is nearly impossible to attack if they want to live, and with how wealthy and good with crops Charbis are in general, any idiot can figure out that they have plenty within the hive.”
“Well... yes, but the idea that anyone has any idea what the hives are like...” Zsebreza says and then Janet’s eyes widen as she realizes exactly what she’s seeing.
“Oh! It’s like THAT! No wonder you haven’t bothered running. It’s not too different from home was it?”
“Tough on the outside, everything you want inside? Pretty much.” Hoagie says and a very relieved Janet lets out a sigh of relief.
“Good. I’m still coming over though.”
“But, what about back home? Aren’t you?”
“Daniel. It’s okay. The old building was... well it was soon to be decommissioned anyway.”
“Oh... and I suppose the little place out back...”
“Gone too.” Janet says.
“I see.” Hoagie says.
“Are you alright?” Zsebreza asks and he nods.
“Yeah it just... the place I grew up is gone. Even if there was a way back to Earth, a true way, then I still couldn’t got home again.”
“Everyone leaves home eventually. Not everyone can go back.” Janet says. “Still. Don’t think you’re keeping me away, just because I’ve gotten an idea about you young lady. I’m coming to make sure you’re treating my little boy right. If this is a woman’s galaxy, then this woman is making sure her boy is with the best in the galaxy. Understand me?!”
“Mom!”
“Daniel.” She says even as he gives one of his fellows a dirty look when they snort. They put their hands up and back away. “So fierce young man. Now...”
•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•×•
He simply watches the video feed as mother and son speak. Trying to get a grip on the body language of the alien creatures. There’s a great deal of play and movement around the Charbis Bee woman, the ears are a massive tell on the Ikiya-Mas girl and the Mnenmi seemed utterly passive, in control. The men seemed either comfortable or excited and things seemed to be matching up.
Of course Mother Eastman was an open book to his practised eye, worried, putting on a brave front but the kind of woman who had given up her life to raise a child properly and was now chasing him out of not only maternal duty, but a sense of emptiness now that her great struggle was finished.
He knew her story. A sad tale of how to people, neither with families, had found each other and then shortly as life seemed to be picking up for the happy ending, an accident had taken the father, leaving a single mother to mourn and raise a child alone. A woman with no really marketable skills beyond being a woman and having a sympathetic story. She had been hired and remained hired at a moderately successful Bistro for over a decade, even being held on because she had a teenage son at home working a part time to help out.
Sad story, but one that had given her and the boy spines of steel. Still, open book regardless and...
His communicator goes off and he checks it. It is a text from an unknown number.
-Enjoying the show? ~Minisi
His eyebrows climb up a little and he reconsiders his thoughts on the octopus alien. She’s clearly very aware of things, and likely has the implants required to communicate without being obvious. Or he’s looking at a body double. Either way, she’s tipped her hand for... some reason. Which is bothering him. Why did she reveal this?
There is no way to determine without further interaction. So he replies with a simple yes.
-Good, a voyeur who doesn’t even enjoy the show is just a bore.
Is she just mocking him? This seems to be more mockery than anything. So he asks a simple question.
-Why does it matter?
-It doesn’t. You’re a prickly one aren’t you?
-Yes, I am. Is there an issue?
-Not at all.
Well that’s not useful. Is she just poking him for entertainment? She still hasn’t moved at all beyond basic shows of amusement as mother and son make plans to get her to the station and the Charbis daughter in law is putting on a clearly fake show of protesting having the woman be brought into the hive.
A hand falls onto his shoulder and he jumps in his seat a little before turning to see a smiling, but old and withered face. “Can I help you?”
“I was just wondering if I could make use of the communication relays next. As entertaining as the last few months were, I do think I should give a proper warning to my approach. If only to see how the boy responds.”
“Do you think he will respond poorly?”
“Only if he’s changed far more than I’d expect. But who knows? The mystery is half the fun of life now, isn’t it?” The elderly man says. Observer Wu considers for a few moments. This man had broken into his personal office without setting off an alarm, without alerting the guards and all the while needing a cane and with his joints audibly creaking.
“If you tell me how you broke in Mister Koga, then I think I can accommodate you.”
“Oh that? Easy enough, follow me lad, I’ll show you where you need a few more eyes. Or lasers! Lasers are always fun. Not as much as a guard dog, but having a poor inu in the vents is just cruel no matter how much you dislike chihuahuas.”
“That was rather specific.”
“I was suppose it was wasn’t it? Anyways, this way young man.”
~First~ Last

Well, after 3 cancellations and a lot of me chasing them to pin down plans, the conversation with LO finally happened. As I expected it was thoroughly anticlimactic.
LO made it clear that this whole experience has been more emotionally intense for me than it has been for them. In other words, they don’t really care. We talked, I apologized, they accepted my apology, and we hung out for several hours.
I am proud of myself for staying calm enough to apologize and listen to their actual feelings. I am annoyed however because I still fell into my fawn response and didn’t voice any of the disrespectful things they do that trigger me. So I ended the conversation feeling one down and waiting on them (yet again) to define the terms of our friendship going forward.
I finally know LO doesn’t care about me. I feel free. Not sad really. Just annoyed I wasted so much time on this person.
I also met a young part of me that wants to be held and did an ideal parent meditation that helped me realize why I’m addicted to LO.
LO triggers me back to the feelings of not belonging and loneliness I felt from early childhood. We have such similar trauma that my parts feel like I can redeem my childhood wounds by convincing them to love me. It’s the same dynamic I had with my mom and other caregivers.
I spent some time with those parts and helped them unburden. I also had an amazing date with a really cute person last night, which helped. (Not feeling another LO coming on, just genuinely had a good time). I am going to keep working on addressing my attachment issues so I don’t keep trying to get my emotional needs met from LO or other suitors by playing out old patterns from childhood.
I feel free. I am more fed up and burnt out with LO than anything at this point. They don’t like me, I’ll never understand why, and it’s not my responsibility to convince them to love me or to save them from their own very similar wounds. They’re just a person, one who increasingly treats me poorly.
One piece that stood out for me was listening to LO complain about how badly the men they are dating are treating them. That the things these men are doing are the exact same things LO does to me and I find triggering, and also that the things LO wants from these men is what I offered (emotional support, care, consistency). I feel like Chappell Roan wrote “Good Luck, Babe” for this exact type of situation. I have compassion for LO, and obviously these men are behaving terribly, but it just strikes me as ironic that, here I am, right here ready to love you exactly like you want, and…crickets.
This experience forced me to heal from the last cobwebs of my childhood emotional neglect trauma so that I can finally find healthy love, love myself, and live my life on my own terms.
I don’t need LO. I need myself and the solid people in my life who do choose me and want me always.

Hi. My son is on the autism spectrum and receives benefits from New York through its self-direction Medicaid waiver program. He will likely need our help for the rest of his life. My wife and I care for him, and we are planning for retirement. We would like to move to a low tax state like Florida, but we don't know 1) how difficult it is to qualify for self-direction and 2) how generous are the benefits in any given state. Does anyone know how other states' self direction programs compare with NY?

Hi! My, 28f, birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I don’t know what to do. My birthday and my brother’s birthday are really close together, and growing up, we were celebrated jointly. Celebrated is a loose term. My mom would make a cake, and then scream at us for being ungrateful. Gifts would be used as weapons, like “I got you __ for your birthday, and this is how you treat me?” “I went out of my way to do ___ and I wouldn’t have done that if I knew how immature and selfish you are” etc. etc. so.. birthdays have; 1. Never been my own thing 2. Have always been really emotional 3. Are a day I simply do not like in general.
However, I’m trying to break the tradition of birthdays being terrible. In the last couple of years, I’ve moved away from home, and I’ve tried to throw a parties for the last two years with my friends. No one shows.
In the last two years, I have planned parties, reserved spaces, made cakes, brought food, helped pick up supplies, brought gifts, etc. for several of my friend’s birthdays. It makes me genuinely happy to do these things for the people I care about, but it kind of sucks that I’ve done stuff like this for two years, and no one’s even showed up for my birthday hangouts at the bar or at my house… last year I mentioned to a friend I’ve known for over a decade that I really wanted an actual birthday party, I wasn't expecting her to do any sort of planning, i handled all of that. but day of she was really tired and didn't make it.
I do not know if my expectations for a birthday are too high, if I'm trying too hard to make up for a childhood of bad birthdays, idfk.
Has anyone experienced anything similar to this? Should I even try to celebrate with my friends? advice is appreciated.

Well, I think i should've put this in offmychest because this post is pretty much a vent but a little advice is appreciated.
For context, I'm in my late teens. I just graduated highschool and will be starting college later this year. I have a sister who's a few years younger than me.
Growing up, I was pretty much "daddy's little princess". He spoilt both my sister and me rotten ffs. We were a really happy family. He taught me everything he could and was ALWAYS there for us kids, no matter what. He always encouraged us to take up any hobby we wanted, drove us himself to and from classes, and I can't even talk about the books, toys and other things he got for us without it being an understatement. He was literally my superhero. When i was a kid, i seriously thought that my dad was the strongest and smartest person in the whole wide world. Not to mention, he was a really really good human being too. Even if a person totally unrelated to him reached out for help, he'd do his best to help them in a heartbeat. I love him so much, and could love no one else as much as him because he's literally the best dad ever.
Exactly a month ago, he had a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage unexpectedly. It was a huge shock seeing my dad unconscious on the floor with his head in a puddle of blood when we woke up in the morning. It was the last thing i expected to say the very least. My sister's birthday was on the previous day, so I put together a small party for her even if she refused and dad thanked me for taking care of my sister and told me that it was the best birthday he had ever witnessed in his life (it wasn't extravagant or anything, literally a small family gathering with cake and some snacks). The thing is, he didn't have high blood pressure, nor did he hurt his head (we didn't hear anything if he supposedly hit his head and fell down and he had no external injuries other than a black eye). We traveled and he drove a few hours on the day before my sister's birthday. Everything was completely normal and we actually had a great time together. He was in a coma for nearly two weeks and then was on life support for around another week after being diagnosed brain dead, because my mom and I needed time to process everything that was going on. We tried everything out there to try and get some response, from the regular medical things to sound therapy, accupressure, homeopathy and anything anyone suggested would work. But unfortunately, he didn't make it and faced a natural death a week or so ago (as in we didn't have to decide when to take him off life support)
They're doing funeral stuff and i don't want to be a part of anything because I'm being delusional and thinking that he's gonna come back. We have a golden retriever, who i take care of to keep me busy during the day and also because dad let me keep it as an emotional support animal, without which i would've committed again. At other times of the day, i just can't get myself to get out of bed. I feel really nauseous, my legs always feel tingly and almost like they're burning and I'm shaky sometimes. I've been on continuous medication and therapy for over a year now. My psychiatrist didn't want to diagnose me since he didn't want me to live with a label of a mental illness but a family doctor informally told us that I had BPD. I've gotten so much better with all the support I've gotten because at one point I used to attempt every other day to try to escape reality. At this point of time, both my parents were with me most of the time trying to provide as much support as they physically could, leaving my sister out a lot. I have some horrible things i don't remember doing as a child from my own memory that my sister told me about. My parents have endured so much and when things finally got better, this happened.
My dad worked with online security and stuff in the past so he was really scared of me getting into trouble. For context, I sent nudes to my bf (both of us were minors) two years ago and got caught because my phone was hacked. I didn't get to have a phone for nearly two years and though it seems like a bad thing, I did pretty well in school. Yeah well he was probably really stressed when I told him I'd still be talking to my bf once I finished school. I was originally supposed to study abroad, that might've caused him a lot of stress, knowing I'd be alone. He wasn't really okay with me dating either cuz he was paranoid guys would hurt me and ruin my life and he was also a little conservative too. Knowing that stress can be a cause of a SAH, I'm pretty sure I'm the cause for his death (I have this gruesome feeling that i physically feel when i mentioned that he died or anything like that). My little sister hates me for it, since she feels it was me who stressed him out with my mental issues. My mom's being as supportive as she can buy she's devastated too. I still take meds, and therapy. I have a LOT of family support, which I'm very grateful for, and also my bf who's been very patient with me. Everyone's literally taking time out of their day to tend to us and help us out. I've seen so many people who I'd never heard of or even seen in my life bawl their eyes when they visited dad at the hospital. That's just how much everyone loves him. I've been trying my best to stay strong but i just can't believe I lost him. I try telling myself to stop being delusional and that he isn't out on a work trip, but inside I'm just hoping my superhero fighter dad will be back all safe and sound. I visited him at the hospital a few times a day everyday and i always told him positive things and how much i loved him even if he could probably not hear anything, but when I saw him lifeless, I almost passed out. I couldn't believe that he was gone. I mean the doctors had told us that he'd only push until his heart could so it wasn't unexpected. He also had complications with blood clotting that added to the problem. I really have no idea what to do because the last thing he'd want is me laying in bed most of the day.
Tl;Dr : I lost my dad around a week ago and even with the help from medication, therapy and family and friends support I'm not able to get out of bed or accept that he's gone. Any advice on how I can get better is much appreciated
Sorry guys this post is all over the place, I'm sleep deprived even if I'm in bed most of the day and i have no idea what I'm saying, and i have no idea how to put my emotions in words

I have a Leo right now and saving up for a crested gecko. Questions: A person said that cresteds don’t need heat or UVB. Is that true? I am planning to go bioactive but have never done bioactive before. Any tips/advice for making a bioactive tank? I want to get a younger one. Some people say they can go into an adult tank right away but others say that stresses babys out. Can I put a baby in an adult tank right away? What are the best plants to keep in a bioactive crested tank? Should I go bioactive right away, or wait till the gecko becomes an adult?
I would love any tips about caring for crested geckos!

In January my contract finished and I decided (in February) to put my sim on a 30 day rolling plan to use up until I moved abroad (in April) so I could cancel at any time. When I went into store the sales advisor assured me that this was done and I left. I then realised a few days later that the advisor had signed me onto a 2 year contract so I went back into store and spoke to the manager, not to complain as I understand that mistakes can be made by anyone. Anyways, at this point I decide that I wanted to give my 30 day termination notice and the manager sat with me and sorted all this out for me. I have now moved abroad and am still getting billed because it turns out that the incompetent manager signed me up for a 2 year contract also.
I’m out of my 14 day change of mind period.
I remember which store I went to and also the name of the person who served me. Will be putting in an official complaint and won’t stop until the relevant parties are dealt with appropriately. It seems like three doesn’t care about customer service anymore and just aims to bang as many sales through the till as possible. This commission driven mentality may cause someone to get sacked if my problem is not solved.
Please could I have some advice on how to deal with this? As I currently live abroad and calling to the UK is expensive and I’m out of my 14 day change mind period.

Hi all, I am somewhat new to this game (been logging in daily for almost a month) and I think I'm starting to wrap my head around since of the nuances.
I am working on planning out my daily priorities going forward the next few weeks to make sure I am optimally grinding content to improve my knight. I want to share my thoughts and ask to be corrected or given some more insights you could offer about a path of less resistance.
I am level 37 and just entered the realm of fire.
Here is my current plan, given what I'm seeing in the game so far:
XP - I currently plan to grind XP up to level 40, then stop trying to level up quickly, and focus on powering up my geagauntlet/heroes
Weapons and Armor - After hitting 40, I should immediately begin working toward mythic gear - all the armor and pick a weapon (I don't see much love for the hammer, it seems most go for axe or sword, opinions and insights welcome). Am I correct in believing that the best way to rush these is to grind roaming monsters and bounties? How do players feel about spending gems to force legendary+ rewards on bounties?
Gauntlet - I only have the Chaotic and Champion gauntlet. I'm working on unlocking others, and most of my cores have gone into the Champion gauntlet so far, since I unlocked it 1st. My understanding now is that I should shift my focus over to the Chaos gauntlet for long term investment. Is this correct? Why or why not?
Heroes - I don't know how to start trying to actually work toward getting the legendary and unique ones that don't just 'luck' into my lap. The one low rarity hero I see as an obvious stand-out is Titania (Rare Healer mage with wings), I'm pushing her rank up asap. Any other rare or epic heroes I should be pumping up before bothering with the others?
Minions - is there a less obnoxious way to get better minions than just clicking on every single hunt at every single difficulty until I stumble on one? I feel helpless with this part, luckily I barely care about PvP.
Charms - I can't seem to figure out charms. I've gotten some good ones as rewards but otherwise I feel blind here. How do I work toward getting good charms for my eventual mythic gear?
What else do I need to be focusing on to maximize my growth per day?

HEADS UP IT IS PRETTY LONG IM SORRY FOR I DID TRY MAKING IT SMALL BUT THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO IM SUPER SORRY IDK IF U WOULD READ IT IF U DO TYSM also there is also or grammar mistakes and alot of typos i think if u dont understand do tell i will explain also if u want the list of manhwas i will def send it here
i was making a list of manhwas i wanted to read this summer there was this manhwa i read couple months back i forgot to take note of the title but from what i remember there was this girl who had white hair she met the emperor's second son like he was being bullied by the crown prince since i think he was illegitimate but she became friends with him and she became really close to his mom as well. As they got older the girl was catching feelings and for him but he wasnt, he had eyes for another but she ended up marrying someone else cause she had no choice so they were separated and he came over to the white haired girls place all drunk and shish so she comforted her even tho it did hurt her. Later his mom did something that angered the crown prince that led to her execution the illegitimate child did what ever he could to protect her but fail so his mother was gone he took revenge against his father and brother and became the emperor he married the white haired girl cause he didnt want to lose the ones he loved promised the dad he would take care of her. They were going to have a baby but it ended up as a miscarriage and the now emperor was hurt to see her in pain he tried to comfort her, later she moved on. She knew he didnt have feelings for it did really hurt but what hurt the most was hearing that his former love has return and invited them to some event, but the now emperor, reassure that he doesnt love her or anything and were just going there in respect, so they went greeted them and his former love made a scene claiming that her kid is his son and he was flabbergasted(i hope that made u laugh) and did know what to do. I dont remember what happen after that but they were home he was say that he wont marry her or anything and wont make that kid the crown prince but would make the kid he would have with white haired girl the crown prince. the former lover would and see him with the kid ofc, and in that time the white haired girl was planning a divorce and she found she was going have a baby she made sure the emperor wouldnt find out and called the docter from her dad's (hope that made sense) the came rushing and everything to see if his daughter was okay. moving forward yk she told the emperor aka husband she want divorce which angered him so he trapped her but then her dad helped and she was living with him telling him her plan to live peacefully and away from everything to which the dad gave the approval of. On her way out she met the former lover and told her to take care and everything and explained she was leaving. Which surprisingly she was anger abt it i dont remember why, OH- AND apparently the son is the emperor nephew which u later find out but ya continuing when she left, reached her dad's was okay for some time then finally left the place and her loving dad told if she ever need anything just ask he would help. she was living with a maid and she changed her appearance if i remember correctly it was pink hair and pink eyes and she was living happily but the emperor was doing what ever he could to find her he didnt succeed he even went to her dad, the dad wouldnt even tell her and that where it ended AND i also just remembered when she found out she was yk pregent and the dad was there the emperor came rushing but the would let him in or see him and told him you failed to keep the promise ya thats all.
THANKS FOR READING THIS MEANS ALOT IF THIS DOES RING A BELL PLEASE DO TELL THE NAME THANKS.

So I'm rereading the series and I've had an idea a That might explain why Lysander is acting the way he is. Because in most of Dark Age, he is given reason time and again that the Peerless Scar suck as a group. They backstab, they abandoned their men and care more for glory than the good of the Society. So why does he keep fighting to bring back the Society? I don't think he's really in control.
Hear me out, we know Octavia removed his memories about his mother with the Pandemonium Chair. And was told she only used it twice. I think the second time, she implanted her conscience or memories into Lysander right around the end of Morning Star. When the Jackle was holding the moon hostage, she realized that she might need a backup plan for her backup plan. Because Lysander was always being groomed to take her place after her. But realizing that Lysander is kinda easy to mulpulate due to him being a kid, she needed to ensure that he will try to protect the society. So, she used the Pandemonium Chair to implant her desire to rule the Society into him. And the trigger was the Mind's Eye.
See, it wasn't till Dark Age that he actually used the Mind's Eye at full potential. When he was getting hunted by Ajax's men, he activated it to take them out. But his attitude kinda changes at that point. Before, he was shocked at violence of war and all the people getting tortured. But afterward, he seems distant about it. Example is he was horrified by the fact that his targeting system helped Ajax blow up a town full civilians but when he later talks to the Fear Knight and is asked about his kills, he just state about a hundred or so.
The biggest hint was during his travels across Mercury before he got caught. He stayed at a farm for a bit and actually thinks he might just stay there and forget the war. But he said there was this inch, this pull to keep going. That he needs to lead. I think it might lead to his undoing because his guilt over Cassius death might cause the memories to start leaking and driving himself insane.

I have tickets for my daughter & I to see luke combs but it’s taking everything in me not to sell the tickets or just blow them off completely (we have plans on saturday focused on her so i’m not worried about her being disappointed, she doesn’t care).
I want to go so bad. I want to enjoy this experience with my baby but everything about it is making my skin crawl. how can I force myself to push through to enjoy the concert?
send help :(