Is k4 herbal incense to ok smoke

I have been tuning in with Christ. I’ve stopped smoking. I’ve stopped watching porn. I’m trying my best to fix the way that I talk my patience my reaction I’ve stop listening to secular music.
I’ve been with my girlfriend for almost a year. We pray together she prays she believes, But she doesn’t do any action. And what I mean by that is I take my relationship with Christ very serious. I am very aware of my sins. I’m very aware of when I do something that I shouldn’t be doing. I’m very aware of when I’m in a place or an area or anything that isn’t like Christ.
My girlfriend on the other hand, I feel as though she’s not giving her 100% to God. We don’t really have any problems with our elationship there’s no unfaithfulness anywhere within our relationship. There’s always seems to be a problem when one specific topic comes up that is just because she’s she lives her life in a way that I do not.
I can see that my lady is still working on things but sometimes I just feel like she isn’t trying. I can understand that sometimes we get comfortable in our sin and think just because God knows how we are that it’s OK but in reality we shouldn’t want to stay where we’re at .. Am I wrong?
Every time we come to this disagreement, it just makes me wonder am I in a unequally yoked relationship. She likes to drink likes to go to parties listen to secular music just in general she’s really into the worldly things even if she’s aware that it’s not OK what she told me was she still young and just wants to have fun which I can understand. I don’t expect her to be perfect and I’m not perfect myself, but I think that there are limits and I think that if you were a true follower of Christ, you would work on the things that you struggle with the things that you know that are wrong & aren’t like Christ bc like I said we can get comfortable in sin & think it’s OK to stay there. And this is an ongoing issue with for me and my lady. I’m not really sure what to do. I pray to God and I feel like he’s telling me that it isn’t gonna work out because we are just on such a different pages in our life
I was watching videos and one video had said that we shouldn’t leave our significant others just because they don’t believe that we should treat them in a Christian matter and we should guide them and lead them to what is right which I’ve been doing but the Bible says to not be unequally yoked. And at the end of the day you can’t force anybody to be a believer or to fix their ways at the end of the day they make their own decisions, and I don’t have control in anything only God does
I really just don’t know what to do. I know she believes but she’s not taking it serious and having a relationship with the Lord is really important to me

For context, I’m using latuda for bipolar 2/anxiety I’ve been on varying doses of latuda since early April. I went from 20mg, to 40mg, to 60mg. I had to stop taking 60mg abt 3 weeks ago because I kept sleeping all the time. When I went back down to 40mg, my chest felt heavy and was still super sleepy in the early evening so I am now down to 20mg (as of 3 days ago). So far it’s been going well except for a bit of anxiety in the evening. I haven’t smoked or drank since late March while I have been figuring out my severe anxiety that comes from my bipolar. My anxiety is no longer nearly as severe but a bit present at times. I want to know when it would be ok to start hitting my dab pen and/or smoking bud. I formerly was a regular weed smoker but stopped due to anxiety and med changes. Hopefully I’ll be off latuda in the coming few months, but it also might be a long term answer which is frustrating considering I’ve heard for some people it doesn’t mix well w weed. Anyone have any experience or advice?

Today is clearly emotionally charged in this reddit and it's setting people off for a major variety of reasons.
The infighting? It's got to stop. If for no other reason than this will fuel DD in her "reddit is abusive" storyline if/when more of her followers find themselves here to see what's being said and shown. I understand that the nature of DD and the things that have happened in the past have made us all very distrustful of...well a lot of things. We can be distrustful without being attacking. I think it's important for everyone to sit with the information we've all read within the last 24 hours and process it/ask questions as needed/process again.
Everyone in this sub is here for a bunch of different reasons. I don't identify myself in this sub for my own safety, however I can say that I have known DD for quite some time now in a private way and was her friend for some time.
I am still personally processing my feelings about everything that was said so that I can best articulate it, however there are many things that stand out.
I do believe that OP is speaking from a position of what they believe to be true - regardless of what people think may or may not be the motivation for what they have posted today. Just because they believe many of what seem like blatant lies from DD doesn't mean they're doing anything other than posting what they believe to be true/what they've been told.
From my own history with DD, everything they posted aligns with many of the patterns DD has followed for many, many years now. I believe very little of what DD told OP is true - this may be my own personal bias and perception. I personally do not believe that DD has DID - this is my own opinion based on my own observations and perceptions. Some redditors do believe she has DID, and that is another opinion. Ultimately, at the end of the day, no one except DD knows for certain as I do believe she ultimately does know the truth. - I will elaborate on this a bit more in a little bit.
The way OP describes friendship with DD to go - absolutely. It is one thing I have said in private conversations to others - DD doesn't make friends, she makes opportunities. She doesn't seem to hold the capacity for meaningful relationships.
Her implying that alters are their own separate people and therefore "not being in control" of the abusive alter (and having an abusive alter in general) aligns with how she views DID to work. If she was in early days of diagnosis, this may be more excusable. Yet she has been "diagnosed" since..what was it 2016/2017? This also supports that she is not in therapy...at least not for DID. No, not to "control" an alter, but to work with the altealter fronting schedules (this is a thing in therapy and is important so that you can manage fronting for therapeutic reasons and avoid impulsive and potentially destructive fronting)/system communication/literally anything remotely like recovery in terms of DID or any mental health disorder at all.
I do not believe the stalker is real. Between it just not making sense, the person who posted about how the laws/court works in the UK (I'm sorry I can't remember the username off the top of my head, but thank you so much for detailing it!) and how it reflects how the laws/court work in the USA in regards to stalking/harassment and it just...the way DD has described it online along with the timeline...I see 0 plausibility of this being real outside of "Someone came to my door and I got scared and called 999). Also, I know you said you'd seen a photo of it, OP, however I can think of many, many ways to fake that picture.
I've had "the emergency friend" several times...and they seem to all follow a pattern...in which none of their emergencies are real. Those "emergencies" happen for a reason - they need your attention because they feel your not paying enough attention to them, so they create an extreme situation in which you feel an obligation to give them that attention so that you are "a good enough friend"...however, they invent each and every one of those emergencies. With what I know about DD from her past and childhood...this is a common pattern for her.
This also goes along with the "bad things would happen" to the system based on OP placing a boundary with DD. You then feel badly for setting a boundary and reverse the boundary - or so is DD's goal in stating this. Even if this were true, that is not the responsibility for someone else to handle and should be taken care of by a trained psychiatric professional.
The obsession with being popular and validated online aligns with what I know about how the DD channel came to be to begin with - no I will not elaborate on this because it could give away not only my identity but the identity on others. You can choose to believe or speculate on this or not if you want. I just know that DD's obsessive, abusive, and "I am the biggest victim on earth" mentality goes back far beyond her youtube years. DD is known for her dramatics and theatrics in efforts to gain attention from others - I don't see attention-getting behavior as a bad thing, necessarily. It stems from unmet needs and that deserves as much respect as any other symptom...until it ruins other peoples lives.
I feel badly about disbelieving the attempts, too. They have lied about attempts in the past, and the neck injury seems...there's something off about it. The symptoms she describes...again those can be faked as well. I hate to think this way, however when it comes to DD, she lies so so much that it's really hard to approach any amount of information from her without immediate gut-distrust.
The red-yellow-green stoplight video was massively problematic, but I'm not going to beat a dead horse on that one. We all know it's problematic. I don't believe DD has agoraphobia, however I also don't believe she was assaulted at a BDSM club. As much as she's claimed she's done the BDSM thing, the way she talks about it points to her having less than a basic knowledge of how that community functions. However, by the same point, yes just like every community, the BDSM community has toxic and abusive people. However, my opinion stems from the amount DD lies. And again, I really hate to think ANYONE would lie about assault...however DD has created an aura to where it's hard to believe anything she says. DD has already accused others of SA/r*pe based on reciprocated flirting that the spontaneously decided they didn't want anymore but made 0 communication about it and then later cried SA. When someone already has a history of lying about SA, it's hard to believe them.
Which is why I've said she has become "the boy who cried wolf" - because she very well could have been SA'd at a BDSM club...however how many people here automatically do not believe her as is?
I'm not, at the moment, going to go more point-by-point on OP's post, as I think I've covered almost everything well enough (if not too much in detail because I'm not very good at typing few words), however what I do believe a lot of this boils down to is OP speaking from what they believe to be true, OP probably not realizing how MUCH they were lied to by DD - and that will take a long time to unravel - and a community of distrustful (understandably so) people who are on edge about anything related to DD.
And you may not believe anything I've said and believe I am blowing smoke out of my ass, and that is perfectly ok. We all come into things through the lens of our own experiences and beliefs. I don't know that any of us will ever know the full truth of DD.
What, above all, I believe to be true though is that DD has committed herself so hard, both online and offline, to the lie and the act...that she has lost any sense of self and any understanding of how to function in this world without her characters and mental illness. Most of us have mental/physical illness AND a life and personality outside of that. DD seems to have nothing beyond mental illness.
And at the end of the day, I pity her. What a sad, sad existence. No amount of money or fans could make her life enviable. And it's not because of things that may or may not have happened to her - it is solely because of the choices she has and continues to make in her life.

Hi everyone. I'm trying to get some advise, but lots of the other Japan-related subs say my post isn't right for their particular sub. (I already connected with one of the Mods for this sub, who agreed that my questions - overall - are more appropriate for here, vs any tourist boards...)
I will be spending 2.5 months living in Tokyo (short-term) starting this September. I need to be in or near to Ikebukuro. While I myself live in NYC, I'm starting to get the sense that as compared to NYC apartments, Tokyo apartments are even smaller, for the most part. When I look at various apartments on VRBO, or Airbnb, I'd describe them more as 'crash pads' or pied-a-terre apartments.
While I do not need anything large or luxurious, I do want (at the very least) a small dining table and chair (vs having to eat from a desk/worktable against the wall) and I'd like a couch or a simple stuffed chair for reading or watching TV. (I'm not a fan of watching TV from bed.) I also want at least 2' of counterspace (but many apartments seem to have zero counterspace...just a small sink and 1-2 electric cooking burners).
I tried Flexstay Inns, but all their rooms appear to be 'smoking rooms'. I tried LeoPalace 21 but they said I could not search for an apartment until 45 days before I arrive into Japan, and that my apartment would not be confirmed until about 30 days beforehand. (I am not comfortable with that timing, and prefer to have my accommodations settled, well in advance.)
Someone else suggested I look into Sakura House, and while the prices look really good, it appears to be more 'hostel style' living. That honestly would be OK with me (though I'll likely be considerably older than most, at 61 years of age), so long as it's not a place full of partying types (which I'm assuming would Not be the case...that guests there would be respectful?).... Has anyone here, or anyone you may know, ever stayed at Sakura House?
Are there any other accommodation options, or websites, that you'd recommend, and where I might be able to make arrangements in advance (vs waiting until 1.5 months before I arrive in Tokyo)?
If I do indeed go with a private rental apartment, do I need to adjust my expectations? Do most Tokyo apts have no living area or kitchen counters? Maybe this is why I'd heard it said before that the Japanese always meet with friends Outside of their respective homes...because they have so little space inside their homes?
Maybe as a way for me to deal with the claustrophobic apartment size, I should just expect that I will be doing more things...spending more time outside of my apartment...and that I really should consider it as simply a place to sleep and to shower?

Hi! I am 21F, American, looking for men ~21-25. About me- I’m average height and slim- I am conventionally attractive. I prefer men on the taller side with a thin to athletic build. I have no tolerance for substance use/smoking/alcohol and looking for the same (social drinking is OK). I am an atheist and not looking for someone religious. I’m also not political. I am located on the East Coast but open to starting with a LDR with the right person. I was fortunate to have a stable, comfortable upbringing and have a very close relationship with my family- again, looking for someone with the same.
I earned my degree early. Seeking someone well-educated and driven in his career, and finances. I am heavily family oriented and value stability- 💍 and kids, a good education, etc. and leaning more traditional in this regard. My family is everything to me!
I am looking for a man I can trust and aspires to/believes in providing a good life for his partner (and eventually, children). I also value reliability, maturity, generosity, and proactivity- to me, actions and consistency are key. Lastly, all the love languages are important to me but Acts of Service is my #1.
In my free time I like to bake, paint, try new restaurants, shop, and video game (looking for my forever player 2!). Generally lean more towards being a homebody for solo plans but enjoy going out with friends to eat, shop, salon, etc. I also love to travel and hope to see as much of the world as I can together with my loved ones. And of course when I’m in a relationship I want to spend as much time as I can with my s/o :)
I value my time and don’t want to waste anyone else’s, either- DM me with a description if you are a match for what I am seeking (and I, you).

 Full social on bio. Learn to discern modern modern cannabis profiles so you know what u buy before you leave the dispensary . 

Ok so some of it is my fault and some of it isnt tbh
My fault: - I argue with my parents more than my brother. When my brother was a teen like me, he used to get yelled at and smacked but he would accept it more, I argue more with my parents and they always make sure to tell me when I argue back that im way worse than my brother and not just him but especially my mom makes me feel like im the worst person in the world - They always mention how my brother was more caring, Recently i forgot my moms birthday, i wished her on the same day, but she was hinting it to me, I definetly would have forgot if she didnt hint at it, i sent her a gift but I felt so bad, I cried so much because i felt so stupid, i cried so much i could barely breath, my brother however wished her happy birthday hours before I did. I asked and my mom mentioned in a passive aggressive way how my brother called her twice about her birthday. I feel so bad
Stuff that might not be my fault idk
-My dad always gets angry at me and mentions how im a pussy or feminine or stuff. Im closeted and gay so i am more feminine. But also im only 14, my brother is 21 and in the military so i thought it was more obvious but apparently not because my dad always yells at me in arguments about this, my dad is also very homophobic so this is a reason that he likes my brother more
-My parents dont see my brothers imperfections as much. He has live in different countries outside of our country for 3 years. and hasnt visited for more than a month. But also my parents dont judge my brother as much. He used to get blackout drunk and smoke cigars, obviously they cant do much because he is legal but for me when i have a couple of unhealthy foods i will get yelled at. My brother also took a hit of a vape in middle school. Not terrible but even when he was young they didnt tell him.
-I get okay grades and go to a better school than my brother did but its still not enough for them. My brother went to a ghetto middle school. Even then he got Bs and Cs. I get As and Bs, i go to a more prestigous school in my area. My mom yells at me when i get a B, saying how my life is going to be ruined. Saying how im not going to suceed in life. I recently exceeded the standard on my finals. My mom still criticized me for the grades being SLIGHTLY (10 ish points lower, mind you they were out of 3000) lower than my previous grade score. My brother never got yelled at for bad grades

Hey guys, I need some guidance.
I’ll preface this by saying I don’t know much about cars, so I’ll try to be as informative as I can from what I got.
Yesterday I went for an oil change and they suggested I get my fuel system cleaned, which I figured I might as well get it taken care of. I have a long drive this weekend and wanted to make sure I was covering my bases.
After getting everything done and staying in their parking lot a few minutes to burn off the cleaner(get the white smoke out?) I drove off and instantly my car started losing power and jerking. I pulled into a Walgreens nearby, parked it, then walked back to Valvoline to have one of their guys check the car. The car would start but instantly stall. We could keep it on by instantly revving the engine once we turned it on but letting it idle would instantly stall it. A couple of their other guys came out and they had no idea what was going on so they called their manager. He came out, check it out for a good while(I was at the Walgreens’ parking lot for about 5 hours), and thinks it was the MAP and MAF sensors that got flooded due to their machine possibly malfunctioning? The car would start and stay on only if the sensors were unplugged but the car’s RPMs would go erratic and bounce from .5 to 2 by itself. He ordered the parts for me but they won’t be here until tomorrow or Saturday, which screwed me over for my trip this weekend.
I’m currently car-less now because of this and can’t afford to have this avalanche into further issues down the road. Is there anything I should be on the lookout for? Should I have them bring out a mechanic to verify that my car is ok if the sensors do stop the issues? Should I have asked them to get me a rental? Can the constant stalling of the engine cause any engine issues? It’s a 2020 Elantra so I wouldn’t be a fan of having to deal with engine issues on a car I’m just about to pay off.
Thanks in advance, guys.
TLDR: Valvoline cleaned my fuel system and took my car out of commission for the next 2-3 days. Not sure what I should be on the lookout for to make sure I’m not getting screwed and/or ending up with damage to my vehicle.

I've been living in a local rental I found through roomies.com for about six months now.
And over the last six months, the first person that also lived here (Who turned out NOT to be the person who had posted the ad on roomies) physically assaulted me, berated me daily, and would later steal my switch, $500 worth of accessories, and other things when he moved out. But I had no evidence as I was gone, and the landlord agent (Which is what the person I've been renting from refers to themselves as) did nothing.
Even when the other person was berating me, the only response I got from the landlord agent was "just don't engage him'.
When that person moved out, he also stole more than $100 worth of my groceries as well, but I digress.
The landlord then moved in this 53 year old woman I got along with at first. But she has turned out to be controlling, manipulative, psychotic, a gaslighter and projector, and perhaps equally important to being severely unbalanced, a severe alcoholic, and not a nice one at that. I will work at my job 8-10 hours a day, walk my dogs for a couple hours to not be at home on top of that, and come home, sit in my room. She will then be loudly screaming at me or about me from outside my door regularly and saying that I'm a POS and a fucking loser with no friends and so forth.
And in March, the landlord moved in his girlfriend. With no disclosure, it turns out his girlfriend got drunk and shot and killed her last roommate by shooting him pointblank in the head, and spent almost a decade in prison. And I only figured this out on my own.
And now for the last month plus, the two women have gone out of their way to plant evidence that I'm somehow 'stealing mail' that still ends up at the house, in the common area. And moved all my meager groceries and dry goods into one cupboard and locked the pantry because they accused me of stealing their food.
In the meantime, they've been actually stealing my food, throwing it away, and continuing this pattern of harassment.
And the landlord's only response over these months about them is verbatim, "I know. They're very overly emotional and psychologically harassing. Just don't engage them."
And I don't. I am in therapy, and go every week. When I'm not at work, I'm either gone with the dogs for an hour or two so I don't have to be home, or at the gym. I'm home just long enough to sit in my room, sleep, and read, basically.
And with them antagonizing me, they personaly have put eviction notices on my door more than four times this month that the landlord would later tell me he told them not to do. Basically eviction notices for any trumped up thing they can make up. Literally.
I wish I was being hyperbolic. I'm not innocent of having my own issues in general, but as I said, I"m in therapy, and literally don't leave my room if I don't absolutely have to when I'm actually at the house. But I try to work 7 days a week just to not be at the house.
I don't drink. I don't do drugs. I don't smoke. I really do just read, watch movies, and try to find some semblance of peace in this lifew where I can.
But now I officially was told by the landlord (agent) that I have to be out by the 1st. Allegedly because the homeowner wants their home back. He told me originally the homeowner wanted it back to be home in June. Now he's saying maybe by the end of June. And his girlfriend and the other person are clearly not doing anything toward moving out.
And that's fine. But I only found this out within the last week at most. And I don't drive because of health issues with my heart. And I don't get paid until the fourth. The main reason I've continued to live here is it's very close to work, so I can walk to work, walk home, take the pups to the park. and then go to the gym all within walkign distance.
I make ok money at my job here, I've been here six years. But not great money. I love the people I work with and the clientele. And I'm also actually supposed to start a new position making almost triple the second week of June.
But for now, I need to figure something out to at least get me and the pups through the next couple to few weeks. I've looked at all the usual resources, roomies, craigslist, weeklys,etc and so forth. But as I insinuated, I don't have a lot of money right now, though I'm working 50 plus hours a week currently so next pay period should be more than enough to at least be a start until the next job kicks in.
So I'm in the proverbial rock and hard place. And it's not as though I want to stay here. It's been so psychologically taxing even being here, it's wearing on my psyche. Thoughts of self-harm when I wake up every day to two people who go out of their way to make my life more stressful.
I actually had to call the cops on them last week, because the older one came home from a five day vacation while I was at work. And before I walked in the door, I could hear them going on tangents about what a POS I am, and then when I got there, they began threatening me, and saying that I have no place in the kitchen nor any place to put my groceries and they were gonna throw all my groceries away. And I tried to record it once I got my bearings to the best of my ability. So I took the dogs, and left, and called the cops to get out of it.
I've never been involved with these people in any capacity besides co-tenancy. I've never initiated a conversation, much less an argument. I don't even really try to use the kitchen because I get harassed every time I use it. I've lost 10 lbs in the last week.
And as another example, with me and the dogs literally never being in the common area, I was essentially either not here, or sleeping for two straight days. And I got home from work a few days ago, to the landlord getting ready to take their dogs for a walk. And they were cleaning up dog poop from the house courtyard, and began chastising me for my dogs pooping in the courtyard. ANd the two tenants began chiming in "that's not my dogs poop" and "this is a community, we pick up after dogs even if they aren't ours" which isn't true at all. And as I said, I don't even take the dogs into the common area or courtyard, we only leave my room to take them for 2-3 mile walks to the park and go there.
I just don't know what to do anymore. Even typing this out makes me wonder why I even bother anymore. I'm just trying to figure out how to keep my head up and find a home with peace. And IDK what to do anymore.

So I’ve been in a relationship since last 8 months, I’m a F(25) years old . Our relationship was very good in the beginning because my bf (27) was exactly what I wanted from my partner in a relationship. He was very loving , caring , didn’t have a bunch of girls on social media, never talked with any female or any female friendships . So in short he was an ideal person for me . Because I’ve been cheated on in my past relationships. So it was all going good until I realised that he is addicted to marijuana so much , he lied to me that only smoked weed a few times a month but later when I went to his city to meet him ( he lived in different city upto 200 km away ) but we used to meet every week . I found out he smoked 3-4 times a day and had all stoner friends , I talked about the issue with my sister she replied if you don’t want to marry him so you shouldn’t see weed smoking as an issue , also he had good qualities for example no female friends so I didn’t want to breakup with him because of one bad habit , also I asked him if he will ever stop smoking to which he replied yes he will stop when he wants to stop , since he had also given up on alcohol since one last year and was a boxer so I believed him . But as time went on I found out he was very aggressive , he used to shout at me over senseless issues and small things. I wanted to put up with his aggression as well because I thought he is loyal and takes care of me , and he promised to fix his behavior , but real problem started when I went for a manicure , the manicure master was from his city and she warned me that they don’t have faithful men there as far as she had experienced. I wanted to trust my bf but I didn’t want to be a fool so one day I asked him if we can get eachother’s phone password, he gave me but when I started to read few messages he got very mad said it’s from the past and I shouldn’t be checking his phone , to which I agreed but the thought of him getting aggressive when I touched his phone bothered me so much ! So I mentioned if you can’t give me your phone without getting aggressive we should breakup then so he instantly grabbed me and pushed me and started to punch the bed , I was so scared , I called my sister and he instantly left me alone in my apartment. I understand I shouldn’t have mentioned about breaking up but we were so close I had even met his mom and family . We were in love with eachother so it shouldn’t be a problem to always shout when your partner checks your phone, it made me doubt him , after he came back to apartment I warned him not to ever push or grab me again . He apologised and I took him back. Because he is Russian so I think for Russians it’s normal to grab their women (some of my Russian girlfriends said that to me ) . So time passed but he was still getting episodes of aggression sometime and our relationship also grew closer . So one time I went to his city without informing him . I wanted to surprise him . We spent very nice time together . While coming back him he gets a strange text on his telegram ( some girl messages him that where he is , he promised to meet her near aircraft building and give her the apartment keys ) . This text sounds like he was gonna hookup with some other girl while I was away but I didn’t tell him anything I just asked him who she is , he replied he doesn’t know her , I said ok if you don’t know this girl then let me text her by myself and ask who she is on your behalf . He gave me his phone but was continuously yelling at me that I’m crazy and I’ll regret , I was shocked because I didn’t say anything bad I only asked let me reply her by myself , but he was restless and shouting at me calling me names . It hurt my heart when I heard him calling me names while I was replying to this girl , turned out it was some stupid girl who by mistake texted my bf ,she wanted to text her driver ( since my boyfriend had booked a photoshoot for me on online website , called her so that’s where she got the number from) in short he wasn’t cheating , but I felt sad because he was yelling at me because I asked him if I can reply to the girl by myself even after being in a serious relationship with me he didn’t give me his phone safely . He had also checked my phone so many times but I never yelled at him because I had nothing to hide . So I mentioned I’ll go back to my city as I was hurt , instead of calming me down and saying sorry for yelling he fought with me and said I can fuck off . He left me on street alone in night while I called Uber , but it wasn’t safe to travel in night so I shamelessly went back to his apartment,he expected me to sleep next to him as if nothing had happened without any apology . It drove me crazy and I started to complain , he refused to listen so I started to shout at him . He shouted back and pushed me. I was done because I had asked to never raise hands at me , so I pushed him back but ofcourse he is an athlete with very strong body , he pushed me so many times and hit me with a blow when I was calling for help ( but blow wasn’t that hard ) he also tried to cover my mouth by the pillow but without hurting me .then the fight got worst because he snatched my an blackmailed that he will take my parents number and inform about our relationship. I’m from a Muslim family so it’s not allowed to have a bf . I begged him to delete the number he didn’t ,also he had hurt my spine and wasn’t gonna take me to the hospital for xray so I called myself an ambulance and also police on him for hitting me. I told them he smokes marijuana ( I regretted it too much ) but he was left safely with no charges , while I was in hospital getting my Xray done . So all night I cried and stayed in hotel room and next day went back to my city , I had blocked him but he contacted me again on my bank app . Also I regretted for calling police on him so I responded and we got back together but after this our relationship was broken! He now and then used to deceive me that he will move in with me but never came , blocked me unblocked me , also when i bought him birthday gift he fought with so I couldn’t go for his birthday 😞. I had planned so many things for this day . Then he again contacts me and we get back he says his life is hard and shit , and I support him emotionally I told him ok don’t worry don’t move in with me ,if you want to work , then work. But 2 weeks back he blocked me again said he needs to focus on work and my life isn’t good with him . I was in shock so I message him he doesn’t give any sensible answer . But he still texts me on holiday and finally I message him again we got back in relationship, and decide to meet , he says if I come he won’t let me touch his phone because he is talking to one girl who he considers like his sister . I replied I wasn’t planning on checking his phone but I get shocked because in my head he never communicated with any girl before , I asked him to show me chat , he sent me filtered voice messages and selective few screenshots, I noticed him telling her that he smiled when she texted , also they met 3 times . I called him and asked if they met he denied because he thought I wouldn’t understand conversation since he sent filtered messages, also the chat was in Russian and he thought I wouldn’t understand but I do speak Russian so it wasn’t a problem for me . Then I asked him again why he lied he replied I’m crazy and I’m looking for something which isn’t there as he was just normally talking to her since they we were friends before our relationship but he stopped talking to every single girl during 8 months of relationship.i also noticed he took so much care of her it was visible from the chat . I don’t know what to do ! I’m so hurt because I never cheated on him and if I had male friends I never hide messages from him because I never talk to them in the way he was talking to her . Also I don’t know which messages he hid because he only sent me half of the chat only

Ok so I might sound stupid. I have only been having instant coffee from like Nescafé/Bru etc my whole life. I’ve had black coffee before. We have a CCD coffee machine at our office and I’ve had americanos from there and honestly I’ve never really felt a MAJOR MAJOR difference between any of them. I have had cold brew cans from blue tokai too and some other milk based coffees from various outlets.
After some thorough research on this thread/other subReddits and the GOAT Mr. hoffman’s channel, I decided giving a shot to speciality coffee and ordered myself Ettika estate from BT and the instacuppa French press and brewed myself a black coffee using James Hoffman’s method and holy shit am I blown out. Not only the taste is amazing but I feel like I’ve never had coffee in my life up until this point. Even the hit is like smoking weed for the first time. Maybe it’s a placebo which it probably is but I think I might get addicted to the speciality coffee world now. What’s next? Mokapot? Aeropress? Cold brews?
I’m hyped and a little concerned lmao. Also could anyone explain if the caffeine hit is expected to be this different from regular coffe and can I expect this every time lol.

“Tch….you’re a real pain in the ass, woman”
Lucifer grew more and more annoyed fighting Mary, pointing at her.
“But it’s all futile, you should surrender while you still have time”
Mary looked at her burnt arm, which got a bit better thanks to the myrrh.
“You should listen to your own advice then, Devil, you of all people should know the power of a Saint is far greater than yours”
Lucifer looked at his gauntlet, then at his broken wing.
“Lucky hits, I bet you didn’t even mean for your…thing, to wrap around my wing, not like you can actually control it freely”
Lucifer then grabs his sword, and slowly steps closer to Mary as she winds up the thurible.
“THE TWO FIGHTERS ARE APPROACHING, WILL THIS BE THE FINAL CLASH OF THIS ROUND OF RAGNAROK?”
Heimdall announced, and Lucifer immediately charges at Mary, shield forwards to deflect any hits from Mary, and then stabs her in the side, but the sword simply bounces off, as Mary manages to catch the blade with the rope of the thurible.
“What? What the hell is that rope made out of?”
Lucifer was surprised at Mary using the rope to deflect the sword, not listening to his Helmet as he warned him of an incoming hit, Mary swinging her thurible and hitting him on the side, slightly denting his Armor of Pride and knocking him off, Mary winding up another swing.
“HUMANITY’S CHAMPIONS LANDS A CLEAN HIT ON LUCIFER! HIS ARMOR HAS BEEN DENTED!”
Lucifer spits blood as he gets up, pressing a hand on his left side where Mary hit him, right on the ribcage.
“You……damn….it hurts…..”
Mary winds up her thurible in front of her, using it like a shield.
“Underestimating the opponent, and overestimating yourself at the same time, the two worst mistakes one could make during a fight”
Mary says to Lucifer, who was still shocked at getting hit.
“You…..no…I will NOT be defeated by a mere human! NOT AGAIN!”
Lucifer yells at the top of his lungs, startling Göll.
“Why’s he yelling like that?!?! And what does he mean by Not Again?”
She asks Brunhilde and Gabriel.
“Oh, weird that you don’t know, but Lucifer had a massive influence on humanity once he fell, as humans, thanks to their free will, are very easy to sway”
Gabriel answered, Brunhilde continuing her explanation.
“Especially in the earlier ages of Humanity, as his subordinates, like Mot, Seth, Asura, Mara, Baal-Zebul, Moloch, etc. began using humans to their advantage, spreading misery and chaos, and fueling himself with more and more sins to increase his powers”
Göll looked incredulous at Brunhilde and Gabriel.
“To make things worse for him, the Gods saw the chaos he was causing, and decided to send and train various heroes to combat him and his subordinates, most notably Perseus, Theseus, David, Gilgamesh, and the Savior, Jesus Christ”
Brunhilde kept going.
“Lucifer was able to personally corrupt some warriors, and even recruited human empires with the promise of power, before he noticed Jesus traveling a desert alone, and decided to try and corrupt him too”
Gabriel added on.
“But he failed, didn’t he?”
Göll asked, Brunhilde nodding.
“He did, and after that, he decided to convince the people to kill him but that instead created the first martyr, and after some time, and many other martyrs created by the hands of the Roman Empire, Lucifer finally gave up, and retreated back to Helheim, knowing that a human defeated him, even in death”
Gabriel finished, as then, Lucifer grabbed his sword, extending it greatly.
“SATAN! SWORD OF WRATH! ABADDON PLAGUES!”
He slashes at Mary, who decides to avoid hitting the sword, tangling it with the rope of her thurible, before Lucifer decides to snap the blade himself with his gauntlets, spilling pitch black smoke directly into Mary’s eyes, as she recoils.
“MAMMON! GAUNTLETS OF GREED! JUDAS HAND!”
Lucifer’s gauntlets turned gold, and as Mary sprayed incense to get rid of the smoke, Lucifer hit her directly on the face, sending her flying.
“LUCIFER BLINDS THE VIRGIN MARY! AND SENT HER FLYING WITH A RIGHT HOOK TO THE FACE!”
The gods' audience began to cheer, as the humans grew concerned.
“MARY!”
Lilith screamed, while Zeus scoffed.
“This is concerning….it took him this long to land a direct hit, right after he suffered a much bigger one”
Artemis was analyzing Mary.
“Not even that, all his previous attacks barely did anything to her, those secretions from her flail covered the burns”
Hermes then interrupts Artemis.
“Perhaps….could she be immune to most of his attacks? Think about it, she’s only been hurt by attacks that are either her own, like those caltrops, or the boiling oil, meaning she might be weak to fire attacks”
Zeus looked at Hermes.
“You might be onto something, we just need to pray he realizes”
Mary got back up from the hit, with both of her cheeks punctured due to Lucifer’s gauntlets still having the golden spikes, as she holds her jaw.
“Ouch…..you’re getting too reckless”
She says to Lucifer, who started to charge at her with his sword, Mary forced to run away and find an opportunity to wind up enough to hit him again, before she notices Lucifer’s boots were glowing, and jumps as he stomps the ground, creating another earthquake.
“LUCIFER! ARMOR OF PRIDE! JERICHO QUAKES!”
The debris creates a massive cloud of dust, Mary standing on top of a boulder after it dissipates, winding up and seeing Lucifer’s spear absorbing water again.
“-THIRST OF SODOM!”
Lucifer shoots the entire water spear head, Mary forced to strike it with her thurible from range, jumping off into another boulder to avoid getting splashed by the boiling water.
“Slippery little bitch! Stop running away!”
Lucifer then grabs his hook, and throws it at Mary, who hid behind a wall, the hook piercing through it and ensnaring her again.
“LUCIFER HAS ENSNARED MARY ONCE AGAIN!”
Mary tried to free herself, but the Hook squeezed her every time she moved, as Lucifer grabbed his spear.
“This ends now”

So this is round 3, and just a few things I’ve observed that help for me:
1: eat the choco bar sooner rather than later after your evening soup. This way the fat and minimal protein in the soup can help to buffer what insulin response the choco bar causes, as it is quite sweet. The first two rounds I waited so I’d have a pre-bedtime snack and it sent me into a voracious hanger-fest.
2: refrigerate the choco bar! I know it advises heating it but refrigerating it solidifies the fats and changes the texture. You have to chew a lot more and it makes it easier to take smaller bites. (I discovered this by accident once it had started to melt in my purse on a particularly hot day and I put it in the fridge to resolidify, and forgot about it)
3: the soups - don’t use so much water that the thickening starch can’t do its job. When the soup is thicker, it’s so much more satisfying and flavorful, and at least for me my stomach and mouth felt I was getting something far more substantial. Besides, you’re drinking f***tons of water throughout the day.
4: on the days you have the crackers with lunch, crumble one into the soup like croutons. You’re welcome.
5: when things get desperate, or you’re feeling completely beat due to low sodium, heat up some water with salt and a pinch of dried herbs/spices (as allowed by Prolon- no orange peel, no sugar, no psyllium but glucomannan could be ok). I have smoked salt and it really is basically a fake broth.
Anyway hope this helps someone!

I was in an AN/BN treatment for a few months and got out almost a year ago, have been able to maintain weight healthily, still have body image issues but have finally come to understand that the disorder will never make me happy and that it will just keep me spiralling down and down. The issue is since being able to eat again I’ve lost all interest in food, and the times I have to eat I have lost if problems with textures and nausea. Now it’s been fearing mold in my food. If it has bread it is moldy and there is nothing you can tell me to convince me other than picking it apart and asking everyone if there are any green spots I’m missing. If there is bread and I know it’s not moldy it will still taste and smell moldy to me. This is so much scarier because with the other Eds I felt like I was in control to some degree, that it was my choice to not eat. Now no matter how much I want to eat is it impossible to do so without checking for bad parts and getting rid of parts I don’t like and also need to be a lil high to have some resemblance of an apetite. I know it’s not good to smoke weed when eating all the time but i feel I have no choice because if I quit and lose weight I will either go back to the other Ed’s (unlikely) or have the treatment team think that and force me to get help for something I litterally don’t have anymore (well I do but am managing ok on my own with) when I tell them abt it (which I did in the treatment program because there was physical discomfort abt eating) they would just tell me to get used to it and it will go away, it never went away and is just getting worse. I wish I could just eat what I like, be able to try what I don’t, and be able to trust my own sences so that if there is actual moldy bread I’ll be able to tell the difference from all the other moldy tasting bread I’ve forced my way through eating.

Ok so I couldn't control myself and got the choco musk al rehab 50 ml perfume after being recommended that many times. I was so conflicted over the perfume that it took me forever to even decide on an opinion.
So whoever said it is the perfect chocolate gourmand scent was absolutely right, however as long as you smell from afar. So let's say you sprayed on your wrists then don't try to put your nose to the wrist. This is because up close at least to me smells like smoke. However from a far, uff what a delicious chocolate scent. Rarely the smoke smell wafts in but truly it is all chocolate. Very gourmand and like brownies and fudge. I don't smell any vanilla.
In terms of longevity, it last very long on me and perfumes tend to not last on me. I spray on my clothes too so that helps I guess. It also projects well. But be careful how much you spray because after a while it can truly become nauseating kind of like eating too much chocolate.
Overall verdict definitely worth the price. I am sure there r better chocolate perfumes like montales chocolate greedy (which I unfortunately can't get a sample of). However, this truly is a cheapie goody (I even got it on sale, so yay me). I am definitely going to try other al rehab (french coffee, dalal, lovely and golden). It was a blind buy so I am happy at its success.

I thought I would give my two cents on this issue of Yasuke in Assasins Creed. I am aware I am not a proper historian by any means nor a prolific icon on any social media especially reddit but I thought I would give my take as at least a person who like many of us have been let down by the state of the triple AAA gaming industry and the broader landscape of media entertainment and the they often controversy entail. I don’t know if it will or strengthen arguments but I am a brown man that hates the state of DEI and the mass tokenistic and insincere pandering by corporations to appeal to minorities.
Now before I start need to at least analyse the criticism of this and unpack the core problem/s. Because it seems like a mixture of multiple gripes and issues tangled together in a tumultuous ball of yarn that has ‘Yasuke’ at the centre. Most because its not like Cleopatra where there black-washing and revising history entirely as of now Now the main issues that seem to be at the core of the problem, surrounding the characters of Assasins Creed Shadows (and not the ridiculous price are the following):

1. Yasuke’s status as a real historical figure and a samurai:

1. Prioritisation to pander towards one minoirty group over another through not having an East Asian or more specificilly Japanese male protagonist,

1. Playing as a charcater who belongs to the ethnic majority of a region the video game is set in

1. The involvement of Sweet Baby Inc

1. Historical accuracy of real life and going against the game lore + fantasy

~1) Yasuke The Phony:~
Yasuke was indeed a real historical figure but his title of the first Foreign Samurai has been highly contested. This is mostly evident in the few records kept of his service both in Japan and prior to his arrival. We know he was taken from somewhere in Africa (probably east) as a child due to his strength and height.First he was servant brought from India when Alessandro Valignano came to Japan and there were written and artistic sources to confirm this. It is estimated that he served Nobunaga and lived in Japan for three years. Additionally, he was one of many Africans brought to Japan as servants for the Portuguese. Now due to the limited resources and our understanding of both Yasuke and key figures in the time along with some much-needed context the definitive answer to him being samurai is contestable.
Many points of contention from academics and general public can be listed below that point to him not being a samurai:
He wasn’t forced to commit seppuku when both Nobunaga and Nobutada had been killed, samurai had to be born into their class and he was foreigner, he could have not qualified as a samurai as it takes at least five years of extensive training in combat, arts and academics to reach the esteemed rank considering he was only under Nobunaga for one year, he was considered a ‘bushi’ and even if you wore samurai armour you were not part of the class, he was a weapons retainer.
While I personally lean towards the possibility of him being a samurai I am very positive that under Nobunaga’s service he definitely had a role that would have been a bodyguard. For one the Jesuit’s could not employ soldiers in their work so they would use bodyguards instead as a loophole. We do know that Yasuke was briefly in India with Jesuits where he was trained in combat…Also the average height of a samurai around the time were between 5ft 2 and maybe maxing out at 5ft 7 (about 155 – 165cm tall)… Now Yasuke was 182 cm tall (6ft2) so having this tall, muscular man who had inbuilt nighttime camo and mind you described as having the strength of ten men. It would be an idiotic decision too not have him in a combat role or as an intimidation factor when he was said to have the strength of ten men.
Now back to the infamous point of not being forced to commit suicide by sword and rather escorted back to the Jesuit…For starters the Akechi Mitsuhide who betrayed Oda forced both Nobunaga and Nobutada to commit seppuku (not done in one sitting but separate incident in the same day). Many say that because Yasuke wasn’t forced to commit seppuku and rather forcibly escorted to a Jesuit mission nearby. Thus he wasn’t a samurai because suicide by sword was the custom when captured. Mitsuhide didn’t consider him a human being but rather sub-human due to being non-Japanese (not because of skin colour which I am aware is indicative of nationality in the time period when immigration was not really a thing but I digress). Similar attitudes and views in regards to foreigners and non-Japanese are also present in Japan. An example can mostly be seen how native Japanese treat foreigners of non-Japanese background in comparison those those with a Japanese heritage. Japanese people will be less harsh towards certain social behaviours that foreigners exhibit because you they were not born or intrenched long enough in the culture or make that assumption due to different appearance. On the other hand, a person of Japanese heritage that was born and raised abroad will have harsher consequences by Japanese society for a lack of adherence to social and cultural norms due to perceived kinship based on appearance alone. They expect them to learn the intricacies and practices of their culture.
It's also worth mentioning that the term samurai did not exist in the Sengoku period to distinguish them and came only 20 years later (around the same time William Adams washed ashore). The term ninja also came into existence much later and that historical records were a lot more comprehensive and abundant during the Edo period. Additionally it has become easy to dismiss the possibility of his ascension to samurai because of the terms ‘weapons bearer’ and incorrectly refer to him as a slave. The man was given a short sword, land, a house and made a member of his vassal (basically a part of his entourage). Diminishing his role would be like the equivalent of disrespecting the grounds keeper of the Whitehouse (not the best comparison) but the point is that even if he was a butler to Oda it was to highly regarded role it was how he was serving. Now this isn’t supposed to conclude that he is definitely a samurai but rather condemn by critiquing a common problem this Yasuke controversy caused…The notion that concluding Yasuke wasn’t a samurai because of absent evidence is equally wrong as too say he was a samurai. In fact people also were said to have been given partial status as samurai but as said earlier the distinction was never made between the levels of warriors until much later. Now although he may have not likely been a samurai he would have at the minimum had a protective semi-combative role rather than a mere slave.

2. Prioritisation to pander towards one minoirty group:
Many have complained that having a Japanese male protagonist should have been in the game. Now for me it is honestly a mixed bag. I can understand the de facto logic of playing as a Japanese person in feudal Japan but by having a foreign samurai and female ninja as playable protagonists allows Shadow’s narrative and visuals to stand out from other video games that depict historically accurate samurai. This is especially true when considering the recent release and praise for Ghost of Tsushima (GoT) and Rise of Ronin (ROR). Therefore, while I would have preferred the standard route of having a male Japanese historical figure who was a renowned warrior and figure I honestly believe that future video games could replace the expectation currently placed on Assassins Creed, especially with the success of East Asian ethnic groups in our modern socio-cultural landscape. I mean you East Asians are eating good with how it took 5 years for Jung Kim to get into the MCU but 12 years for Dev Patel to become John Vick. (This is a joke of course but it does highlight a serious point…About this DEI.) To be honest its tragic because the whole fixation on DEI-ly bread in the media will literally treat you like the god awful Hwhite man when it’s a story about your own country but the moment your in the West you guys get the victim card back.
And honestly there was probably lots of potential for having a female ninja as she would have had to not rely so much on strength but knowing what weed companies be smoking they probably are not going to do something meaningful. Now as for Japanese outlash towards Yasuke is honestly overblown! Mostly because he has been prominently depicted as a samurai and or swordsman in Japan through various media with equally diverging adherence to historical accuracy and authenticity even before the terrible Netflix anime. You would think that there would have been outrage in Japan for this depiction in 2021 but nope only seems to happen three years later. And while im not denying that lots of Japanese fans would be disappointed or angry a lot are ok with his depiction of samurai like they always have but are aware of how their history is being perverted by the west too fuel the woke narrative.
Now if you remember who is making this game then you will realise Yasuke being a main protagonist is slightly overblown. Yes, he was most likely used for DEI but if we also combine this with the fact the bad press other Ubisoft projects have been getting lately such as Star Wars: Outlaws and Skull and Bones especially with the current state of the socio-political landscape it’s not surprising in the slightest that the outrage would happened and reached boiling point so rapidly.
Hypothetically speaking if a video game studio that was more well received and favoured by gamers created the same project such as Sucker Punch… Better yet if this was created in Ubisoft’s prime or better yet after AC: Origins the Punch the controversy in regard to the group identity of the protagonists would be less of an issue unfortunately nowadays all the good examples of representation get targeted because of idiots that cant write competent original stories.
God of War Ragnarök for example featured for the first time characters that appear Black in the form of Angrboda and Hildisvíni which created a lot of controversy as they were dealing with Norse mythology and it is set in the Nordic countries the first place you think of when I say Black people. (I say appear because since the subjects in question aren’t humans they wouldn’t have this concept of race). This was most likely a result of DEI with some arguing that since Angrboda was described as ‘blue’ in mythology which was also used to refer to people of darker complexions most notably Africans it is acceptable, but I digress. The main point is that despite the fears created enough trust was placed by fans and gamers alike in Santa Monica studios due their stellar reputation. Thus, the trepidation despite still apparent was drowned out by the excitement and love for the previous game and in the end faith ultimately prevailed. In fact when the game it finally released the reception was overwhelmingly positive and race-swapping as a result of DEI was mostly overlooked as the developers were competent and focused on creating an enjoyable playable experience. Sadly I don’t think Ubisoft has any sort of semblance of a brain or backbone to pull of wonders at this stage.

~3. Playing as a character who belongs to a majority group from the region:~
This argument is easily dismantled if you dive into the Assassins Creed Video Games. Revelations had an Italian man in Turkey, Black Flag had a Welsh man in the Caribbean, Valhalla had a Norse/Scandinavian man in England. Now a black man in Japan who is contested to be a samurai is ok so long as he is WRITTEN WELL! (which is not gonna happen).
~4. Sweet Baby Inc is not involved with shit!~
Sweet Baby inc. as you know doesn’t have a good reputation and while they are definitely a problem they are not the problem only symptom of it. The only ‘evidence’ of any collaboration the infamous company has with the project is that they are followed by the AC: shadows lead writer who is arguably a leftist extremist evident by the twitter bio of the she/her pronouns. This is honestly lofty and an uncredible as it is not listed as project they are a part of. While it is easy to look at the state of the triple AAA gaming industry, from property level prices, diminishing quality with the creativity of a dead donkey coupled with how it constantly shoves a neo-Marxist socio-political and ideological agenda down our throats. Sweet Baby is only a fish in this giant tidal wave of turds as they are one of many consultancy groups that would intend to make money off ‘wokeism’. It would be the equivalent of assuming that one producer, director or even writer in Hollywood is ruining our films when we see a trailer for an obviously woke film just because the project’s director follows them on social media or appreciates there. It’s just a bold triggering statement to rile us up and vent our frustrations. If we used deductive reasoning and recalled upon the various events that demonstrate the permeance of wokeism we would realise that the division responsible for helming this bland, bloated, blundering behemoth of beluga shite is Ubisoft Quebec, in Canada.
A country as you know that is notorious for being the most active fighter on the front for the West to push ‘THE MESSAGE’ (as the drinker would say). So considering the tyranny and radical Marxism that Justin Castro has on the country and how powerful his government has been in implementing this agenda in the fabric of Canadian society is it not more logical to say that these Leftists are just creating a project that endorses the values and attitudes that the government propagates? In fact Canada is so instrumental in the pushing this ideological agenda it is the headquarters and base of operations for the DEI-stopia and with their notorious contributions such as adding ‘two spirit’ to the Alphabet acronym, imprisoning individuals for incorrect usage of someone’s pronouns and even your child undergo gender transition therapy without your consent or knowledge. In fact with the way they are going is it any wonder they want to declare war on South Africa for the title of the “Rainbow nation”. Sweet Baby is only getting the treatment they deserve because of their clear hijacking of The Suicide Squad video game which exposed them to collective wrath of the persistent and resilient people on the frontlines defending our escapism from this blatant preposterous political propaganda. After all “bad publicity is still publicity” because the exposure will probably lead to these blood-sucking parasites getting sought after by other delusional dastardly dags who are reluctant to meet their DEI-ly Dose of Woke. This ‘bad press’ only makes them stronger so don’t go blaming them…Save it for Canada.

~5. Historical accuracy and fantasy of real life and going against the game~

Fiction is defined as a type of literature that describes imaginary people and events, not real ones. Now this seems to contradict the idea of History which is essentially about true events that have occurred in our past. Historical Fiction is set in a real place, during a culturally recognizable time. The details and the action in the story can be a mix of actual events and ones from the author's or creators’ imagination as they fill in the gaps. Characters can be pure fiction or based on real people. An essential element of historical fiction is that it is set in the past and pays attention to the manners, social conditions, and other details of the depicted period.

This means that while you have the liberty to be creative in what you conjure like a fiction story as an author and writer you are still bound by a certain level of historical accuracy for immersions sake. Assassin’s Creed 1 most did this by removing the crossbow that was seen in the trailer this value and emphasis on being as historically authentic as possible showed the attention to detail from the developers but sadly as we know was lost in subsequent games. Now historical accuracy regarding the franchise and especially is somewhat tricky to navigate as they have introduced Sci-fi elements as previously stated as well. Additionally the fact that no one has sought to define the parameters that fall under historical accuracy when it comes to the real life events that AC is based on so I will take a stab at it (pun intended). One such creative license is of course having Yasuke being a samurai but if he becomes the Shogun or something ridiculous then yeah there stretching it pal.

Of course, this only applies to the aspects involving human stories and time periods but ultimately how they choose to unravel or progress the story via gaps in the records of reality will of course make it fiction. If historical fiction had to be as reflective of reality as possible then you would be left with a lack of creativity and some pretty big gaps. Assasin’s Creed should be historically accurate in regard to retelling key events and depicting the backdrop that constitutes the time period. Now considering the premise of the franchise is dependent upon the idea of two secret organisations with polarising ideologies founded in ancient times battling and operating in the shadows throughout various historical settings and times to determine the fate of mankind and the world… One could say “Everything is permitted”. Of course that does not mean you simply say “fuck off” to historical accuracy its honestly dependent on how much the writer wants to abide by it and considering that The AC lore is supposed to closely mirror ours in how history unfolds with some Assassin-esque alterations obviously for the greater over arcing story and to not be called a documentary… The series is not trying to be as faithful to the real life lore as the showrunners of Shogun nor are they reaching the biblical accuracy of Ridley Scots Gladiator. If somebody is complaining about historical accuracy of the franchise because it has created expectations to do so since birth then we should ask ourselves what are the ratios of historical accuracy to creative licence. Is it 50 – 50, 70 to 30? If you can say that then you can make your case better at least.

Now if your saying that the lack of adhering to historical accuracy because a lack of it will lead too problematic, revisionism fuelled by a political and ideological agenda… That’s somewhat more of a valid point…Especially with the leaks we have been getting such as the director wanting to put a foreign protagonist because of his inability to understand Japanese culture and society or the latest statement that Yasuke and Naoe will be part of the Alphabet Axis in probably the most politician type answer to hit the gaming press. This is also apparent considering the historian they hired is notoriously getting traction for her work on exploring homosexual relations in Japan from pre-1700’s (most notably “Yaoi”) amongst Buddhists and Boys. If they want to make the characters have romance options with men or woman that’s fine. The problem will be if they portray such relationships as commonplace were like they what they did for Odyssey. It will also be ok to call out the game for such liberty with history if they feature Africans outside of their role’s as servants to the Jesuit’s or in places of prominent power and authority. This of course would be revisionism and the only African person close to ever having the potential to wield more power than his fellow patrons is Yasuke because he was lucky enough to receive the attention of Oda Nobunaga who was probably the most likely the feudal lord in the period to do such a thing. Now while like Cleopatra this is very different. The game doesn’t promote Afro-centric ideas that the Japanese were black, or that the samurai were black so that GI Jane 2 can make her daughter feel better by claiming fact.

Now for those who say “Why do you care it’s fantasy.” Are also missing the point. Just because it is not real doesn’t mean that all logic and rules set for the world can be broken. A good explanation can be found in my paraphrasing and understanding of J.R.R Tolkien’s quote. It goes something along the lines of you only need to suspend your disbelief once. And that is for the world and laws of the universe that govern the fictional world it to exist. You cannot or should not suspend your disbelief a second time to rationalise when the rules established are broken or the possibilities based on inference are non-feasible. In Dragon ball human beings are capable of incredible feats of strength and almost mystical feats if they train hard enough. One such example if being able to run as fast as a moving car which is not innate but earned through discipline.
If it was established that humans were as strong in the franchise as they were in real life and suddenly Krillin (a human) ran as fast as a car or some other ability that was not discussed and it occurred, during a pivotal moment in the story that is not explained and breaks the rules of the established world. Then you cannot rationalise it just for being fiction! There is a literal reason why fiction stories 99% of the time don’t end like “an then a wizard appeared and cast a spell to make everything better or they woke up and realised it was all a dream.” Your goal should be to bend the rules of the established rules but not break it so that you could not plan ahead.

It’s the reason why AC Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla made fans go… “HEY YO WHAT THE FUCK!” when it added fantastical elements such as mythological creatures, immortality, and other foreign mumbo jumbo. Even when the franchise introduced aliens while arguably still a WTF! Was ultimately the execution of this plot point that resulted in it being less jarring. In other words, the Aliens were still a possibility with some explanation that could integrate into the lore of the universe created. The moment the fantastical and supernatural elements were added in with the recent titles (except Mirage which stayed away from these elements) it failed to follow a process of coherent narrative integration to justify its presence.

~Summary:~
The decision for Ubisoft to make their protagonists a black samurai, Yasuke and female ninja for their upcoming game Assassin's Creed Shadows had the potential to create a compelling and unique narrative that differentiates itself from other historically accurate Samurai Video games through using a degree of creative license that is well known in the series to explore unique perspectives with two obscure historical figures that easily blend into the franchise mythos. However, due to the poor reputation of Ubisoft, the current goal of the entertainment in multi-media enforce politics and inside information regarding the development team, has led to the company’s choice of an African protagonist in feudal Japan to become more controversial than intended which is especially true when he most likely used by Western corporations to promote and push a socio-ideological and political agenda to pander to minorities whilst displaying the most audacious form of hypocrisy of the far left by making an Asian male lead absent in a country he is native and cause outrage on both sides of the political isles.

We cant continue to obsess over the detachment and all the weird symptoms. Do the obvious things that are good for you in order to heal the DPDR. And then keep at them for so long that you have forgotten why this is so fcking important. I just messed up again. for a couple of months i would smoke weed again occationally. Nothing serious. But this so easily leads me back to a way worse dpdr. I feel like im almost right back at where i was 5 years ago when i first got it, not as much anxiety anymore, but the random conversations with people, or especially groups of people where i suddenly cannot be comfortable with the emotions that im presenting. The masking of smiling become too much and i dissosiate and dont have the faintest interest in being social. But, it is those moderately stimulating social experiences that are going to mend us from the DPDR and most importantly fulfill us. This takes so much time tho and we gotta be ok with being too tired some days. Stick to the healty pillars. No drugs; for me as little alc as possible, same sleep schedule almost all the time and most importantly be social. Being social is obviously where humans, time immemorial, have found their mode of assiosiation - the remedy to dpdr. It is unfortunatly the experience most of us so painfully get reminded of our illness.
I usually find myself in a negative feedback-loop when it hits me sometimes. I have been social, but felt so weird in that experience. Nothing distinctly weird have come out of my mind, but i am painfully aware that my reaction to something isn't good, but too dissosiated to recouperate. I don't always think i seem weird, but due to my dissosiation i always feel like im 5 seconds away from a situation where i cannot react normally. It is not really a social anxiety thing anymore, just a mode of being to stimulated from the dpdr. My pupils are almost cronically dialated, and i have visual flickering for the most part. Stuff happening in my visual field is extremely salient and i often think there are people in the corner of my eyes before i look at it and its just an object.
Sometimes the hypocondria comes back. I know i have dpdr and that is the issue, but all these co-morbid symptoms by themselves can so often seem like an early stage of all my worst nightmares: schizofrenia, borderline personality disorder, or dissosiative identity disorder. Now i dont really talk about these problems with anyone. I used to when i had it way worse. I told my parents and a couple of friends after a while. Now i just tell people im tired or act non-challant when in reality its simple hard dissosiation but also alot of anxiety, its a weird ambivolent dichotomy...
Shoot me a message if anyone relates to some of my anecdotes. I would like to hear someone with similar experiences, having had it for a while and coping with the ups and downs. What made you actually, finally and completely come out of the illness? And another question: Having come out of it after some years, does anyone think the experience can be channeled and used correctly thus becoming a blessing?

Back in 2005, I started playing. One of my friends who got me in guided me to create a 2nd character just to hold things I would need (mats and stuff) for my main (warlock, alchemy and herbalism). Long story short, that toon is now my full-fledged bank alt with all tabs open and the best of the guild perks for hearth and such. Not all, because it was never an actively run guild.
A few months ago, I moved all my toons out of the guild I was officer in because of a dramatic switch in guild focus and I didnt feel I was able to fit in anylonger (after 6+ years). It's ok, no biggie, it was a quiet leave with no drama. I moved all my toons (15 in total) into my bank alt guild and have been soloing since.
With the new expansion coming up, I would like to extend invites to people who prefer to have some of the guild perks and a place to land even if their focus is soloing or small group runs. It will be an 18+ mature guild - I dont have a filter for cussing, but do not tolerate hate speach, blatant sexism or racism. Those are all no go. My only rule is "Dont be an arsehole."
Anyone who is interested, please apply in game at the Guild Search dialog, searching for "Company of the Stone." I am quick to act when I am online. I am usually on for a couple hours during the week after work (after 5:30pm EST) or on the weekends for several hours in the mornings. Just say in the request you saw it on wowguilds .
I have set up a the following, just in case I ever wanted to go live:
Discord - https://discord.gg/TpN5aq7zqV
Subreddit - CompanyoftheStone
Guilds of Wow - https://guildsofwow.com/company-of-the-stone
I have no idea if anything will come of this, but if you are a solo player or looking for a relaxing and quiet guild (for the moment at least) swing over and check us out. I am just kinda putting this out there just in case there are others who are looking for the same thing.
We can be open to Horde, but never actually run with the other faction in this setting.

I thought I would give my two cents on this issue of Yasuke in Assasins Creed. I am aware I am not a proper historian by any means nor a prolific icon on any social media especially reddit but I thought I would give my take as at least a person who like many of us have been let down by the state of the triple AAA gaming industry and the broader landscape of media entertainment and the they often controversy entail. I don’t know if it will or strengthen arguments but I am a brown man that hates the state of DEI and the mass tokenistic and insincere pandering by corporations to appeal to minorities.
Now before I start need to at least analyse the criticism of this and unpack the core problem/s. Because it seems like a mixture of multiple gripes and issues tangled together in a tumultuous ball of yarn that has ‘Yasuke’ at the centre. Most because its not like Cleopatra where there black-washing and revising history entirely as of now Now the main issues that seem to be at the core of the problem, surrounding the characters of Assasins Creed Shadows (and not the ridiculous price are the following):

1. Yasuke’s status as a real historical figure and a samurai:

1. Prioritisation to pander towards one minoirty group over another through not having an East Asian or more specificilly Japanese male protagonist,

1. Playing as a charcater who belongs to the ethnic majority of a region the video game is set in

1. The involvement of Sweet Baby Inc

1. Historical accuracy of real life and going against the game lore + fantasy

~1) Yasuke The Phony:~
Yasuke was indeed a real historical figure but his title of the first Foreign Samurai has been highly contested. This is mostly evident in the few records kept of his service both in Japan and prior to his arrival. We know he was taken from somewhere in Africa (probably east) as a child due to his strength and height.First he was servant brought from India when Alessandro Valignano came to Japan and there were written and artistic sources to confirm this. It is estimated that he served Nobunaga and lived in Japan for three years. Additionally, he was one of many Africans brought to Japan as servants for the Portuguese. Now due to the limited resources and our understanding of both Yasuke and key figures in the time along with some much-needed context the definitive answer to him being samurai is contestable.
Many points of contention from academics and general public can be listed below that point to him not being a samurai:
He wasn’t forced to commit seppuku when both Nobunaga and Nobutada had been killed, samurai had to be born into their class and he was foreigner, he could have not qualified as a samurai as it takes at least five years of extensive training in combat, arts and academics to reach the esteemed rank considering he was only under Nobunaga for one year, he was considered a ‘bushi’ and even if you wore samurai armour you were not part of the class, he was a weapons retainer.
While I personally lean towards the possibility of him being a samurai I am very positive that under Nobunaga’s service he definitely had a role that would have been a bodyguard. For one the Jesuit’s could not employ soldiers in their work so they would use bodyguards instead as a loophole. We do know that Yasuke was briefly in India with Jesuits where he was trained in combat…Also the average height of a samurai around the time were between 5ft 2 and maybe maxing out at 5ft 7 (about 155 – 165cm tall)… Now Yasuke was 182 cm tall (6ft2) so having this tall, muscular man who had inbuilt nighttime camo and mind you described as having the strength of ten men. It would be an idiotic decision too not have him in a combat role or as an intimidation factor when he was said to have the strength of ten men.
Now back to the infamous point of not being forced to commit suicide by sword and rather escorted back to the Jesuit…For starters the Akechi Mitsuhide who betrayed Oda forced both Nobunaga and Nobutada to commit seppuku (not done in one sitting but separate incident in the same day). Many say that because Yasuke wasn’t forced to commit seppuku and rather forcibly escorted to a Jesuit mission nearby. Thus he wasn’t a samurai because suicide by sword was the custom when captured. Mitsuhide didn’t consider him a human being but rather sub-human due to being non-Japanese (not because of skin colour which I am aware is indicative of nationality in the time period when immigration was not really a thing but I digress). Similar attitudes and views in regards to foreigners and non-Japanese are also present in Japan. An example can mostly be seen how native Japanese treat foreigners of non-Japanese background in comparison those those with a Japanese heritage. Japanese people will be less harsh towards certain social behaviours that foreigners exhibit because you they were not born or intrenched long enough in the culture or make that assumption due to different appearance. On the other hand, a person of Japanese heritage that was born and raised abroad will have harsher consequences by Japanese society for a lack of adherence to social and cultural norms due to perceived kinship based on appearance alone. They expect them to learn the intricacies and practices of their culture.
It's also worth mentioning that the term samurai did not exist in the Sengoku period to distinguish them and came only 20 years later (around the same time William Adams washed ashore). The term ninja also came into existence much later and that historical records were a lot more comprehensive and abundant during the Edo period. Additionally it has become easy to dismiss the possibility of his ascension to samurai because of the terms ‘weapons bearer’ and incorrectly refer to him as a slave. The man was given a short sword, land, a house and made a member of his vassal (basically a part of his entourage). Diminishing his role would be like the equivalent of disrespecting the grounds keeper of the Whitehouse (not the best comparison) but the point is that even if he was a butler to Oda it was to highly regarded role it was how he was serving. Now this isn’t supposed to conclude that he is definitely a samurai but rather condemn by critiquing a common problem this Yasuke controversy caused…The notion that concluding Yasuke wasn’t a samurai because of absent evidence is equally wrong as too say he was a samurai. In fact people also were said to have been given partial status as samurai but as said earlier the distinction was never made between the levels of warriors until much later. Now although he may have not likely been a samurai he would have at the minimum had a protective semi-combative role rather than a mere slave.
Edit: From further digging apparently historians agree he was highly regarded by Nobunaga and held position as some kind of warrior or combatant. However contention comes from whether or not he was a full fledged samurai or if he was granted some of the privileges making him a half samurai rather than the propagated myth by the deniers saying he was a glorified slave and exotic pet to laud over.
2. Prioritisation to pander towards one minoirty group:
Many have complained that having a Japanese male protagonist should have been in the game. Now for me it is honestly a mixed bag. I can understand the de facto logic of playing as a Japanese person in feudal Japan but by having a foreign samurai and female ninja as playable protagonists allows Shadow’s narrative and visuals to stand out from other video games that depict historically accurate samurai. This is especially true when considering the recent release and praise for Ghost of Tsushima (GoT) and Rise of Ronin (ROR). Therefore, while I would have preferred the standard route of having a male Japanese historical figure who was a renowned warrior and figure I honestly believe that future video games could replace the expectation currently placed on Assassins Creed, especially with the success of East Asian ethnic groups in our modern socio-cultural landscape. I mean you East Asians are eating good with how it took 5 years for Jung Kim to get into the MCU but 12 years for Dev Patel to become John Vick. (This is a joke of course but it does highlight a serious point…About this DEI.) To be honest its tragic because the whole fixation on DEI-ly bread in the media will literally treat you like the god awful Hwhite man when it’s a story about your own country but the moment your in the West you guys get the victim card back.
And honestly there was probably lots of potential for having a female ninja as she would have had to not rely so much on strength but knowing what weed companies be smoking they probably are not going to do something meaningful. Now as for Japanese outlash towards Yasuke is honestly overblown! Mostly because he has been prominently depicted as a samurai and or swordsman in Japan through various media with equally diverging adherence to historical accuracy and authenticity even before the terrible Netflix anime. You would think that there would have been outrage in Japan for this depiction in 2021 but nope only seems to happen three years later. And while im not denying that lots of Japanese fans would be disappointed or angry a lot are ok with his depiction of samurai like they always have but are aware of how their history is being perverted by the west too fuel the woke narrative.
Now if you remember who is making this game then you will realise Yasuke being a main protagonist is slightly overblown. Yes, he was most likely used for DEI but if we also combine this with the fact the bad press other Ubisoft projects have been getting lately such as Star Wars: Outlaws and Skull and Bones especially with the current state of the socio-political landscape it’s not surprising in the slightest that the outrage would happened and reached boiling point so rapidly.
Hypothetically speaking if a video game studio that was more well received and favoured by gamers created the same project such as Sucker Punch… Better yet if this was created in Ubisoft’s prime or better yet after AC: Origins the Punch the controversy in regard to the group identity of the protagonists would be less of an issue unfortunately nowadays all the good examples of representation get targeted because of idiots that cant write competent original stories.
God of War Ragnarök for example featured for the first time characters that appear Black in the form of Angrboda and Hildisvíni which created a lot of controversy as they were dealing with Norse mythology and it is set in the Nordic countries the first place you think of when I say Black people. (I say appear because since the subjects in question aren’t humans they wouldn’t have this concept of race). This was most likely a result of DEI with some arguing that since Angrboda was described as ‘blue’ in mythology which was also used to refer to people of darker complexions most notably Africans it is acceptable, but I digress. The main point is that despite the fears created enough trust was placed by fans and gamers alike in Santa Monica studios due their stellar reputation. Thus, the trepidation despite still apparent was drowned out by the excitement and love for the previous game and in the end faith ultimately prevailed. In fact when the game it finally released the reception was overwhelmingly positive and race-swapping as a result of DEI was mostly overlooked as the developers were competent and focused on creating an enjoyable playable experience. Sadly I don’t think Ubisoft has any sort of semblance of a brain or backbone to pull of wonders at this stage.

~3. Playing as a character who belongs to a majority group from the region:~
This argument is easily dismantled if you dive into the Assassins Creed Video Games. Revelations had an Italian man in Turkey, Black Flag had a Welsh man in the Caribbean, Valhalla had a Norse/Scandinavian man in England. Now a black man in Japan who is contested to be a samurai is ok so long as he is WRITTEN WELL! (which is not gonna happen).
~4. Sweet Baby Inc is not involved with shit!~
Sweet Baby inc. as you know doesn’t have a good reputation and while they are definitely a problem they are not the problem only symptom of it. The only ‘evidence’ of any collaboration the infamous company has with the project is that they are followed by the AC: shadows lead writer who is arguably a leftist extremist evident by the twitter bio of the she/her pronouns. This is honestly lofty and an uncredible as it is not listed as project they are a part of. While it is easy to look at the state of the triple AAA gaming industry, from property level prices, diminishing quality with the creativity of a dead donkey coupled with how it constantly shoves a neo-Marxist socio-political and ideological agenda down our throats. Sweet Baby is only a fish in this giant tidal wave of turds as they are one of many consultancy groups that would intend to make money off ‘wokeism’. It would be the equivalent of assuming that one producer, director or even writer in Hollywood is ruining our films when we see a trailer for an obviously woke film just because the project’s director follows them on social media or appreciates there. It’s just a bold triggering statement to rile us up and vent our frustrations. If we used deductive reasoning and recalled upon the various events that demonstrate the permeance of wokeism we would realise that the division responsible for helming this bland, bloated, blundering behemoth of beluga shite is Ubisoft Quebec, in Canada.
A country as you know that is notorious for being the most active fighter on the front for the West to push ‘THE MESSAGE’ (as the drinker would say). So considering the tyranny and radical Marxism that Justin Castro has on the country and how powerful his government has been in implementing this agenda in the fabric of Canadian society is it not more logical to say that these Leftists are just creating a project that endorses the values and attitudes that the government propagates? In fact Canada is so instrumental in the pushing this ideological agenda it is the headquarters and base of operations for the DEI-stopia and with their notorious contributions such as adding ‘two spirit’ to the Alphabet acronym, imprisoning individuals for incorrect usage of someone’s pronouns and even your child undergo gender transition therapy without your consent or knowledge. In fact with the way they are going is it any wonder they want to declare war on South Africa for the title of the “Rainbow nation”. Sweet Baby is only getting the treatment they deserve because of their clear hijacking of The Suicide Squad video game which exposed them to collective wrath of the persistent and resilient people on the frontlines defending our escapism from this blatant preposterous political propaganda. After all “bad publicity is still publicity” because the exposure will probably lead to these blood-sucking parasites getting sought after by other delusional dastardly dags who are reluctant to meet their DEI-ly Dose of Woke. This ‘bad press’ only makes them stronger so don’t go blaming them…Save it for Canada.

~5. Historical accuracy and fantasy of real life and going against the game~

Fiction is defined as a type of literature that describes imaginary people and events, not real ones. Now this seems to contradict the idea of History which is essentially about true events that have occurred in our past. Historical Fiction is set in a real place, during a culturally recognizable time. The details and the action in the story can be a mix of actual events and ones from the author's or creators’ imagination as they fill in the gaps. Characters can be pure fiction or based on real people. An essential element of historical fiction is that it is set in the past and pays attention to the manners, social conditions, and other details of the depicted period.

This means that while you have the liberty to be creative in what you conjure like a fiction story as an author and writer you are still bound by a certain level of historical accuracy for immersions sake. Assassin’s Creed 1 most did this by removing the crossbow that was seen in the trailer this value and emphasis on being as historically authentic as possible showed the attention to detail from the developers but sadly as we know was lost in subsequent games. Now historical accuracy regarding the franchise and especially is somewhat tricky to navigate as they have introduced Sci-fi elements as previously stated as well. Additionally the fact that no one has sought to define the parameters that fall under historical accuracy when it comes to the real life events that AC is based on so I will take a stab at it (pun intended). One such creative license is of course having Yasuke being a samurai but if he becomes the Shogun or something ridiculous then yeah there stretching it pal.

Of course, this only applies to the aspects involving human stories and time periods but ultimately how they choose to unravel or progress the story via gaps in the records of reality will of course make it fiction. If historical fiction had to be as reflective of reality as possible then you would be left with a lack of creativity and some pretty big gaps. Assasin’s Creed should be historically accurate in regard to retelling key events and depicting the backdrop that constitutes the time period. Now considering the premise of the franchise is dependent upon the idea of two secret organisations with polarising ideologies founded in ancient times battling and operating in the shadows throughout various historical settings and times to determine the fate of mankind and the world… One could say “Everything is permitted”. Of course that does not mean you simply say “fuck off” to historical accuracy its honestly dependent on how much the writer wants to abide by it and considering that The AC lore is supposed to closely mirror ours in how history unfolds with some Assassin-esque alterations obviously for the greater over arcing story and to not be called a documentary… The series is not trying to be as faithful to the real life lore as the showrunners of Shogun nor are they reaching the biblical accuracy of Ridley Scots Gladiator. If somebody is complaining about historical accuracy of the franchise because it has created expectations to do so since birth then we should ask ourselves what are the ratios of historical accuracy to creative licence. Is it 50 – 50, 70 to 30? If you can say that then you can make your case better at least.

Now if your saying that the lack of adhering to historical accuracy because a lack of it will lead too problematic, revisionism fuelled by a political and ideological agenda… That’s somewhat more of a valid point…Especially with the leaks we have been getting such as the director wanting to put a foreign protagonist because of his inability to understand Japanese culture and society or the latest statement that Yasuke and Naoe will be part of the Alphabet Axis in probably the most politician type answer to hit the gaming press. This is also apparent considering the historian they hired is notoriously getting traction for her work on exploring homosexual relations in Japan from pre-1700’s (most notably “Yaoi”) amongst Buddhists and Boys. If they want to make the characters have romance options with men or woman that’s fine. The problem will be if they portray such relationships as commonplace were like they what they did for Odyssey. It will also be ok to call out the game for such liberty with history if they feature Africans outside of their role’s as servants to the Jesuit’s or in places of prominent power and authority. This of course would be revisionism and the only African person close to ever having the potential to wield more power than his fellow patrons is Yasuke because he was lucky enough to receive the attention of Oda Nobunaga who was probably the most likely the feudal lord in the period to do such a thing. Now while like Cleopatra this is very different. The game doesn’t promote Afro-centric ideas that the Japanese were black, or that the samurai were black so that GI Jane 2 can make her daughter feel better by claiming fact.

Now for those who say “Why do you care it’s fantasy.” Are also missing the point. Just because it is not real doesn’t mean that all logic and rules set for the world can be broken. A good explanation can be found in my paraphrasing and understanding of J.R.R Tolkien’s quote. It goes something along the lines of you only need to suspend your disbelief once. And that is for the world and laws of the universe that govern the fictional world it to exist. You cannot or should not suspend your disbelief a second time to rationalise when the rules established are broken or the possibilities based on inference are non-feasible. In Dragon ball human beings are capable of incredible feats of strength and almost mystical feats if they train hard enough. One such example if being able to run as fast as a moving car which is not innate but earned through discipline.
If it was established that humans were as strong in the franchise as they were in real life and suddenly Krillin (a human) ran as fast as a car or some other ability that was not discussed and it occurred, during a pivotal moment in the story that is not explained and breaks the rules of the established world. Then you cannot rationalise it just for being fiction! There is a literal reason why fiction stories 99% of the time don’t end like “an then a wizard appeared and cast a spell to make everything better or they woke up and realised it was all a dream.” Your goal should be to bend the rules of the established rules but not break it so that you could not plan ahead.

It’s the reason why AC Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla made fans go… “HEY YO WHAT THE FUCK!” when it added fantastical elements such as mythological creatures, immortality, and other foreign mumbo jumbo. Even when the franchise introduced aliens while arguably still a WTF! Was ultimately the execution of this plot point that resulted in it being less jarring. In other words, the Aliens were still a possibility with some explanation that could integrate into the lore of the universe created. The moment the fantastical and supernatural elements were added in with the recent titles (except Mirage which stayed away from these elements) it failed to follow a process of coherent narrative integration to justify its presence.

~Summary:~
The decision for Ubisoft to make their protagonists a black samurai, Yasuke and female ninja for their upcoming game Assassin's Creed Shadows had the potential to create a compelling and unique narrative that differentiates itself from other historically accurate Samurai Video games through using a degree of creative license that is well known in the series to explore unique perspectives with two obscure historical figures that easily blend into the franchise mythos. However, due to the poor reputation of Ubisoft, the current goal of the entertainment in multi-media enforce politics and inside information regarding the development team, has led to the company’s choice of an African protagonist in feudal Japan to become more controversial than intended which is especially true when he most likely used by Western corporations to promote and push a socio-ideological and political agenda to pander to minorities whilst displaying the most audacious form of hypocrisy of the far left by making an Asian male lead absent in a country he is native and cause outrage on both sides of the political isles.

LONG POST WARNING!
TL,DR: the title of the post sums it up quite neatly.
All of these stories are heartbreaking, but I think mine may be one of the more complex ones.
Thankfully there are no children involved, unless we count the adorable Goldendoodle we share. :)
I’ll make this as brief as I can:
We run a business together. Started it during Covid. It’s grown beyond our wildest dreams.
We’ll call my ex Rebecca.
We got engaged last summer, and were planning our wedding for this December.
Shes an alcoholic. She used to be functional. These days she’s barely holding on.
A few months back, we’d grown to the point where we had to hire a new, very senior team member - let’s call him Corey.
Rebecca didn’t want to hire Corey. I REALLY liked him. We had similar backgrounds. He fit the bill in lots of ways. I talked her into hiring him.
Rebecca goes out waaaay too much with a specific crew of people who work for us. They’re mostly younger, and I know for a first-hand-fact that a few of them are a little intimidsted to say no to a random weekday night of heavy drinking. Before her drinking got completely out of hand, I used to go out with them a lot. But I stopped, and I told her many times why: when she drinks in “boss mode”, she can be particularly awful. Mean to service people at restaurants. Usually cruel to me. Fun stuff like that.
Corey became part of the drinking crew, which I started calling “the sycophants”.
About 5 weeks ago, she stayed out later than normal one night, and I wasn’t happy about it. The next day, she told me she wanted a couple of days of space to think about why she does these things, our future, etc. I fought it, but begrudgingly agreed. Two days later she actually had her bridesmaids fitting thing, and from what she told me, and all the IG stories, it seemed like they had a blast.
She kept moving the goalpost. A few days turned into a week. That turned into a month. Our agreement to go to couples counseling turned into her deciding she didn’t want to. A month turned into maybe two months apart. Then she postponed the wedding. Then she took her ring off. Then she told me we weren’t together anymore. But - she was always very clear about it being hopefully temporary, and that she wanted to work through our problems. Deal with separate shit first, both aligned then come back together.
I noticed her and Corey getting very close. Another person who works for us randomly brought it up to me also. I expressed these suspicions to Rebecca, and she insisted that nothing was happening.
One day about three weeks ago, I’m traveling for work. I get an email in the morning from one of my neighbors: can you please have this car moved that’s partially blocking our driveway, it’s been here for two days.
It was Corey’s car. He attached a picture of it.
She claims it was only overnight, and that the whole “sycophant crew” crashed there after a night of heavy drinking. I actually do have lots of independent proof that 4 people slept there, including Corey, and that at least that night, he shared the couch with someone else. This I know for sure. However, earlier in the day, all those other people were at our office. Both Corey and Rebecca “worked from home”. This could easily have been the two days my neighbor was referencing.
I FaceTime her and show her the email. She admits it looks terrible, but explains how everyone else slept over, but also gives the tiniest amount of grace, saying she knows how bad it looks, and that she understands why I’m mad, but to please believe her that nothing is happening.
I travel internationally for a week. Prior to this, I’m hotel surfing. We talk a few times while I’m gone, and things seem to be ok-ish, I’m feeling slightly positive that we can work on some problems and figure this out. After all, I love her.
I realize now how odd the timing of this next thing is: Corey has to go to a friends wedding in Australia, he’s gone for like 10 days. Rebecca still wants some time to be apart, and I volunteer to spend a month in our Mexico office. Three birds one stone. She can work on her, I can work on me, and I solve a business problem in the process. But this week, the week before I leave, suddenly it’s ok for me to be back in the house. Sleeping in the spare bedroom of course. But things are, I don’t know, sort of normal. We eat dinner together. We watch TV. It’s ok.
Except…every night since I’ve been here, she’s gotten drunk. Sometimes at the house, or she goes out. Tonight she went out with ANOTHER person who works for us, but this woman isn’t a sycophant, so I don’t think much of it.
It’s midnight. I’m in the kitchen literally washing her dirty dishes, just to be nice. I hear the electronic lock of our front door. But I don’t see her come up the stairs. I call her name - nothing. Weird. I look outside.
I see her pressed up against the house, about 10 feet from the door, FaceTiming someone. I ask what’s she’s doing, who she’s taking to. Without so much as a goodbye to whoever it was, she just pulls out her AirPods and says “no one”.
She refuses to come inside. I finally convince her. She’s HAMMERED drunk. I ask again who she was talking to. She says a mutual friend of ours. I tell her bullshit. Then she says it was another mutual friend. Then she said it was one of our clients.
I ask to see her call log. She refuses. I ask again. She unlocks her phone and scrolls down a bit, then shows me. So stupid. Like we don’t all know what the top of a call log looks like - and you can literally see the timestamps. I tell her to scroll up. She locks her phone and refuses.
Then she admits she was FaceTiming Corey, from Australia. But she still insists that he’s just “her friend”.
I beg her to come clean. Just tell me everything, be honest, and we can do this in an un-messy way. She refuses. Says she’s done nothing wrong. That she’s not even having an emotional affair.
I say ok, then you shouldn’t have a problem showing me your text thread with him. I very obviously see her delete her entire iMessage history with him. She lies about doing it, then says she did it by mistake.
I once again tell her to come clean. She again refuses. I then ask her to convince me that all of this stuff is a giant coincidence. She refuses to do that either. I tell her if she doesn’t come clean, I’m telling every single person we know about this - but ONLY what I know, no speculation or slander. Essentially I could just give them the link to this post!
I leave, come to our office because there’s no way I’m sleeping. And here I still sit, wondering what the fuck I’m going to do about life…but just as importantly, this company.
I guess really all I’m looking for by posting this is either confirmation that I’m not crazy and reading into all this…or tell me if I’m crazy and I’m reading into all this.
From where I sit, I don’t have a smoking gun, but holy shit are there a lot of spent shell casing laying around everywhere.
EDIT to all those asking about what I was getting out of this. We’re co-founders; she’s the CEO, I’m the CXO. From every perspective, she has much more of a stake than I do. Not to mention…and the reason I fell in love with her in the first place, is that when she doesn’t suck, she’s fucking brilliant. If we do 100 dollars worth of business, she’s responsible for 80 of them. Essentially what I’ve been doing for the past few hours is crafting my exit strategy. Then, lawyer.

Ok wow. I smoked some crack and I worked out a mega trade. I had to use two different trades to get it to work:
Rockets get:
Donovon Mitchell, now they have a perennial star to add to Sengun. They do not lose Amen or Jabari.
Caviliers get:
Cameron Johnson, Josh Giddey, 6 first round picks. By adding Giddey they get a starter to play SG and look to still compete. Johnson becomes an extremely valuable 6th man. With 5 first round picks this draft including 3 they have plenty of pieces to maneuver around the draft to fill out the roster to add more talent and plan for the future.
Knicks get:
Bridges. I assume they are going to lose Hartenstein this summer. Now they are able to have a roster that features Brunson, OG, Hart, Bridges, Randle, Robinson, Donte. They are ready for the championship run. I debated sending Jeff Green there for some extra bench piece but I needed to make the money work.
Thunder get:
Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Suggs, Caleb Martin. After getting pummeled on the glass vs Dallas they add a valuable prize to help out. Suggs is a buy low candidate with a lot of potential. Caleb Martin is another 3 and D vet with playoff experience.
Heat get:
Dort, and sign and trade for Claxton. Pat Riley gets pissy that he doesnt get Mitchell but he cashes in and gets Bam some help down low with a huge sign and trade for Nix Claxton. Dort comes along as well and Heat Culture gets cultured again. They get ready to run it back with Rozier, Dort, Butler, Bam,and Claxton by being a formidable defensive force in the east.
Magic get:
Tyler Herro. Magic finally get another scorer to play off Banchero.
Nets get:
Anthony Black, Orlando Robinson, Jalen Green, Jock Landale, Jeff Green, 7 firsts. The Nets now own their future as they completely blow up the roster. Green gets a chance to solidify himself as a #1 while on the last year of his rookie deal. Nets either decide he's worth it and re-sign him or trade him in Feb for picks. Black gets a chance to play and show his ability and why he was a lotto pick. Landale, Robinson, Green are all fillers to make the money work. Landale likely to be waived on his deal.
Why I think it works? Every team fills a lot of holes and gets what they want. Rockets get a star without losing a prized possesionn. Cavs get 2 solid players and are equipped for the future. Knicks get the final piece for their championship contention. Thunder cash in on their surplus of guards and take on some more shooters. Nets are no longer stuck in purgortary and control their own future while having a player who can still develop into a great player. Heat become a stronger defensive force. Magic get another scorer.
Who do I think says no? Probably the Thunder or Heat. Thunder are giving up 2 players and picks for a S&T and two guys on walk years. As a business they do need to prepare the likes of Chet and Williams. The expiring's are valuble and I know they still like Dort and Giddey. So maybe it works out. The Nets are going to be upset but they now have a chance to get better odds for a Cooper Flagg or Cam Boozer without having to worry about the Rockets swapping picks. (not sure if i Missed any but all picks and swaps are going back to Brooklyn)