My mother died of dementia complications 11 days ago. We were very close.. I was with her most of her final week and held her hand for the final 24 hours up to the time she died. It was a raw, emotional experience as were the days leading up to the funeral and the funeral itself. But since the funeral I've had a total absence of emotion. I think about her and acknowledge she's gone in an intellectual way but I don't feel anything.
I was dreading the post funeral period and thought I would have a really difficult time with it. Instead it's just a complete absence of any feelings, good or bad. Maybe it's some kind of defense mechanism, I don't know. Anybody else have this experience?

After sixty-seven sessions of Curse of Strahd (read all about it here), it was time for a change. So into the wild we went...
My group is nearing the end of Hither, and along the way I've written summaries of each session ("What Just Happened?"), along with interesting/funny quotes from PCs/NPCs ("Certain Things Were Said"), and a list of new characters introduced that session ("Dramatis Personae").
My intention is to write the summaries for each of the five parts of the campaign in a different format. For the Witchlight Carnival, each summary was presented in verse (my own, no machine learning shortcuts!), using the the metre and rhyming structure of various Lewis Carrol poems.
I'd like to share my summaries/poems with you all here, for posterity, and in the hope you'll find them entertaining.
For reference, the players are:

• Holafina (a harengon paladin who has lost three inches of height)
• Skerrek (a kobold druid who has lost the ability to lie)
• Arix (an owlin monk who has lost all sense of direction and is always hungry)
• Jexim (a brash fairy who has lost his diary)
• Sylenos (a beatnik, slacker satyr employed by the Carnival)

NOTE: Lewis Carroll was known to hide secret messages in his poems. I've done the same, revealing the campaign's big twist in one of the poems below. None of my players have picked up on it.

Part I: Welcome to the Witchlight

What Just Happened? (in the style of Jabberwocky)
’Twas twilight when the carnival Did open wide two golden gates, And those with tickets did arrive, Seeking things they had misplaced.
One harengon of curious size, A kobold with a slithy gait, An owlet who possessed two eyes As wide as Annam’s dinner plates.
Yet are we three or are we four? Let’s add vibrations rarefied: A Witchlight hand here to ensure That every guest is Satyrs-fied!
Enter now and taste the sounds, Feel these colours, smell those sights! Kaleidoscopic fun abounds This synaesthesiac’s delight!
Yet where’s the drama? Where’s the tension? Certainly we’ve had a switch (At least in here there is no mention Of that cad von Zarovich).
Instead let’s race a giant snail, Eat candied mushrooms by the pound, Or listen to a gnome assail The tightness of your mother’s gown.
Yet hark! A misadventure glum! Those not heroes please give berth! The best laid plans of love undone By Tasha’s wild unruly mirth
These mirrored halls! This desperate task, To find a luckless paramour A sweet-toothed lass with porcine mask That you could swear you’ve seen before…
’Twas twilight when the carnival Did open wide two golden gates And those with tickets did arrive, Now guided by the wiles of fate.
Dramatis Personae
Arix Specklefoot, a sweet-toothed owlin Holafina, a curiously short harengon Skerrek Tirael, a slithy kobold Sylenos, a cosmic satyr Nicholas Midnight, elderly goblin ticketmaster at the Witchlight Carnival Candlefoot, a mime and not by choice Rubin Sugarwood, a lovesick halfling Ween Sundapple, his laugh-sick paramour Glorange Turple, a poetry gnome
Certain Things Were Said
“I am worried about your ability to sense vibrations that I cannot.” - Skerrek Tirael
“Tymore, goddess of good fortune! Look well upon Shellymoo this day!” - Holafina
“Hate to say it, man, but that gnome really insulted your mother.” - Sylenos
“Snacks?” - Arix Specklefoot

Part II: Lost and Found

What Just Happened? (In the style of The Walrus and the Carpenter )
"The time has come," the Satyr said, "To talk of many things: Of poems—and props—and Jeremy Plum— Of crowns and pixie kings— And why things here keep getting lost— And what this pig-girl means."
"But wait a bit," the Owlin cried, "Before our minds do meet, For some of us are pretty spooked, And I would like a treat!" "No hurry!" said the Satyr, And kicked up cloven feet.
The Owlin and the Kobold Were walking close at hand, They smiled like anything to see The gates of Pixie Land. "If we could only stay a while,” They said, "it would be grand!"
The Satyr sighed so sulkily, Because he thought that Plum Had got no business to be there When all was said and done. (“It's rude of him," the Kobold said, "To try and spoil our fun!")
"Oi, Satyr," said the pixie king, "You've had a pleasant run! Should you be getting back to work?” But answer came there none And this was scarcely odd, because He had real beef with Plum.
Now Arix made a hamster friend Who offered up some clues. The others tried the riding-pug: A pleasant thing to do! (“The pug is fine," the Rabbit said, "But he’s no Shellymoo.”)
"How nice of you to come!” said Plum, "You all are oh-so kind!" Puddlemud said nothing as His teeth began to grind. The Owlin and the Kobold cheered: “That was our FAVORITE ride!”
“A wooden crown," fair Jexim said, Is what we need to come Our way along with golden paint For some un-princely sum.” The others stared, confused, and said: “Now where did YOU come from?”
‘Twas then the party dared approach The famous Mystery Mine Where psychedelic spectacles Broke the Satyr’s mind. (“I really wish,” Zephixo sighed, “You wouldn’t ride while high”).
Next Dirla pulled all kind of things Out of his wagon/portal: Bottles, bunnies, candlesticks, A shining blade of vorpal (Incidentally, there’s a word That kind of rhymes with purple).
“If you put your mind to it And searched for long enough, Do you suppose," the party said, "That you could find our stuff?" "I doubt it," said dear Dirlagraun, And gave a bitter huff.
Then he gave the Harengon The greatest gift by far: A copy of “Gnome On The Run” And bid them au revoir (Morgie would have laughed at that While struggling with slash “R”).
“I do believe,” the Satyr said, “That something is not right, And think we ought to pay a call To Messers Witch and Light.” “I think we ought,” the Owlin said “To first stop for a bite.”
But in their way old Thaco stood, A clown grown grim and surly: “Rabbit! Owlin! Pixie! Skink! You aren’t allowed to be-“ The Fairy interrupted him: “Wait, WHAT did you call me?”
Poor Thaco cried: “Things move too fast! And have since my debut In R-1: To the Aid of Falx From Nineteen Eighty Two! And if you’d seen what I have seen Then you’d smoke bubbles, too!”
Finally he stepped aside, At last the way was clear. The Satyr ambled stealthily With open eyes and ears And pressed them to a wagon large To see what he could hear.
"The time has come," Witch and Light said, "To talk of things galore Of prizes—plans—and kenku pests— and ever so much more— But first we’d better ask inside Those spying at our door!”
Dramatis Personae
Jexim, a puzzled, puzzling fairy Jeremy Plum, operator of the Pixie Kingdom and bestower of silly names Biscuit, a talkative hamster Pinecone, a riding-pug Zephixo, dwarven inventor and mastermind behind the Mystery Mine Ernest Wilde, middle-aged calliope master currently inhabiting the body of his pet monkey Marigold, his button-collecting goblin assistant Dirlagraun, a kindly but inefficient displacer beast, minder of lost children and property Thaco, a bubble-smoking clown who is long past his prime
Certain Things Were Said
"Worried I was, with talk of missing supper." - Arix Specklefoot
"Could you not just purchase a new pair?" - Skerrek Tirael "Not like this, man." - Sylenos
"If you'd see the things I've seen, you'd smoke a bubble pipe, too." - Thaco
"Is this it?" - Dirlagraun "NO." - Everyone

Part III: On the Trail of the Kenku

What Just Happened? (In the style of The Hunting of the Snark)
"Where the heck is our stuff? We just want to know This Harengon ain't getting bigger, Arix has no idea of where to go And lies send poor Skerrek a-quiver!"
"Would you get back to work?" Mister Light cried, Twirling his cane with a smile, "Otherwise find where this kenku pest hides; She's cramping this carnival's style!"
"Well, that was a bust," said our heroes, conferring, "Anyone got a suggestion? If we need to pull strings to get back our things Then there are some folk we should question."
"Time's an illusion, free will a delusion!" Sylenos' mentor decreed, "Get a contusion battling occlusions, Or relax and have some of this…wait, what was I saying?"
Sylenos proclaimed: "A genius flawed!" "A man/dragon ahead of his time." Skerrek looked at his claws; Holafina at paws, And the other two just rolled their eyes
"A centuar I'm not! I just made a bad trade The "Cloppinton's" just serendipitous, Now lend me your aid and you'll maybe persuade These horsies to drop some significance."
Then they took to the skies on a dragonfly ride (Holafina and Skerrek abreast), When you're this high there's just nowhere to hide (And to which Sylenos attests)
Now Skerrek honed on a runaway gnome Who was fleeing the carnage with glee, Holafina struck home and that's it for this poem For the gnome was the kenku, you see.
Dramatis Personae
Mister Witch, a matter-of-fact elf, devoid of pretense Mister Light, a flamboyant elf, luminous and coy Burly, a philosophical, pumpkin-helmeted bugbear Mandragon, a seeker of truth (and not much else) Diana Cloppington, a centaur who is apparently not, operator of the Carousel Northwind, a very forthcoming treant, operator of the Dragonfly Rides
Certain Things Were Said
"There’s something weird going on. For some reason everyone thinks I don’t do anything around the carnival." - Sylenos
"It's true, Miss Cloppinton! We've ALL lost things." - Arix Specklefoot
"Wait, when did we have biscuits?" - Jexim

Part IV: Through the Looking Glass

What Just Happened? (In the style of A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky)
Now hear the Kenku’s strange reply (As Arix struggles to apply Triage to these pixie guys)
Asking questions, getting nought Set her on a different course: High sabotage without remorse!
And what has got her so irate Is what’s she trying to intimate: Zybilna has been quiet of late!
Ignore the rest, and let’s take flight To confront dear Witch and Light (Surprisingly, they’re quite contrite)
To keep the carnival in motion A tapestry of lies was woven: A deal with the Hourglass Coven!
Who take from those who can’t afford Entrance through the Witchlight’s doors Miscellanea adored
So THAT’s who taken all your junk! Time to find these Hourglass punks! Which way to this Feywild dump?
But first we’ll make a brief aside So Candlefoot can vocalise His mermaid love (now legalised)
Now the pair can tie the knot And while we’re passing time why not Ride the fabled Bubble Pot?
Yet ere you all are translocated (Everybody’s breath now bated) Arix must be coronated!
The time of truth has come at last Hesitation as you pass Though the hallowed looking glass
Are you afraid to lose your minds? What lies ahead? What lies behind? What do you expect to find?
Will Skerrek ever fabricate? Or Holafina emulate A bunny’s median height and weight?
Shall Jexim’s memoirs find acclaim? Can Monty locate Bobbitt Fane? (…hang on, that’s a different game)
Does Arix ever find the door? And will Sylennos flee the cause To study unemployment law?
Dramatis Personae
Kettlesteam, a mischievous patron of Zybilna Paleesha, a mellifluous mermaid, now reunited with Candlefoot
Certain Things Were Said
“Sylenos, perhaps in eight years you can come back and find your lost employment.” - Skerrek
“Ask me where the exit is.” - Arix Specklefoot “Where is the exit?” - Mister Light “I don’t know.” - Arix

it’s been a few days since my last letter; i have no clue what to call these rants except for what they are? letters to an abyss of bystanding entities. it makes me so sad that one day all of you will die. this exact fact is the thing that keeps me up every night and tickles tears out of my eyes all the time. i’m tormented and tortured by fatality. one day my mother will die. one day my uncles will die. one day my friends will die. one day my little cousins will die. one day i’ll die. i’ll be forgotten like 50’s actresses that got booked for a single role then never appeared in anything ever again. mortality has been familiar with me since i was a child. one of my earliest (yet funnest?) memories was attending two funerals in one day. the first funeral was for an aunt on my grandmother’s side, and the second was for a cousin on my grandfather’s side. i remember looking at all of the solemn faces as a 7 year old and simply enjoying the fact that all of my family members were hanging out together, understanding that someone has lost their life and will never come back yet not being phased by it. the first funeral i’ve cried at was my father’s. i’m pretty sure i spent that entire day crying. i was 12 when i woke up in the middle of the night to police standing outside of my bedroom door. i peaked through the crack to see so much commotion in the hallway, not knowing what to do or what to think. hours passed before my mother crept my door open with a weak voice telling me that she’d be leaving me in the house alone to go with my father to the hospital. years later she told me that she already knew he was dead based on a feeling in her stomach. that was the first time in my entire life that i had felt such deep and guttural emptiness. i realized that humans weren’t rubber bands that relied on their elasticity to keep their pacemakers on. i realized that i could die at 12 years old.
these thoughts haunted me well into my teenage years, with those years rounding off with my grandmother’s death. she was a stubborn old woman who didn’t want to see any doctors and yelled at anyone who offered her help. i knew that her time was coming close to running over well before she passed, which haunted me. logistically it made sense, but spiritually? it drove me mad. sometimes i manage to convince myself that i can predict people’s deaths in manic delusional states. sometimes i get “an itch”, then start sobbing thinking about how one of my friends is probably dying as i wipe tears from my eyes. i’m haunted by my own intuition and i question it every day. i question if i can control time and death. i question if life is even worth living if im gonna spend every minute of it waiting for the day that the birds chirp in slow motion and my breath hitches at an uncontrollable rate. i’m terrified.
i hate how much these thoughts control me. i would take any pill that allows me to not think about the concept of death for at least one day. at least one hour. at least one minute. why doesn’t anyone else feel the same way i do? people plan their future without any anxiety and i don’t understand it. why are you planning a cruise for 2 years from now when you could possibly crash in your car on the way there? why are you planning on attending undergrad school when you could get shot tomorrow? why are you beginning things that could abruptly end? why are we living just to die? what am i supposed to do with these thoughts? put them inside of my purse and eat them as snacks whenever the government decides that im too old for assistance? do i spit these words into a bottle douce them in alcohol then chug them back inside until i get poisoning and see the light? what do i do with the amount of thoughts that haunt me every night?
i can’t do anything. it’s the most freeing and dismal thing ive had to realize. i still don’t think i realize it because i cry at any thought of an end-of-the-world situation. i can’t do anything and i can’t escape. if there were a way to make people immortal scientists would’ve done it by now. i just have to accept my fate. these thoughts make me feel like a prisoner on death row screaming and pleading for the electric shock to implode on itself as soon as it reaches an inch away from my forehead. i don’t know what to do. i don’t know how to prevent it from making me sad every day. i want out, but i can’t get out. i don’t know how to end this letter. i just want things to get better. i want to come to terms with these thoughts instead of pushing them away. i want to be the average joe. i don’t want mortality to run my life like a big soccer game. i watch the shot clock as i hyperventilate from my bed. i don’t want to go to sleep anymore.
okay well… if there’s one positive note that i can clench onto as a send off it’s that i’m glad that we’ve invented chocolate. it’s the best creation ever. sweet treats. if humans weren’t here then there’d be no chocolate. or at least any as good as the bars i get from the grocery store. i love those. and nutella. and chocolate wafers. i’d die for one of those. i’m happy again. goodnight. sweet dreams my little mortals. we’re all gonna be alright.

I suppose the title is the TL;DR.
His dad is living in a house that my husband owns ten hours away from us. He's been letting it go to shit, letting the pipes crack and not telling us until he gets a $650 water bill four months later. He's a hoarder, the house is full of bugs and because there's a whole lot of shit in it fumigating it is useless since they just hide in pockets of air. There's mold in it and there's no running water. His dad has COPD. He is refusing to leave the house despite it killing him.
Seven pipes had to be replaced so far and we can't just pay for them all at once! (That's around $500/pipe.) He didn't even fucking tell us that those pipes were replaced and needs to be paid for.
He has lived in the house rent free, and he has ruined the house that my husband owns because he knows that my husband doesn't have a fucking spine to stand up to him.
We've known that he's a hoarder for nearly a decade now and I kept telling my husband "your dad's going to die if we don't do anything about it" and he'll tell me "I know. I'm just stressed out and don't want to think about it."
Well, now he's actually going to die soon if we don't do anything about it, and again he tells me that he's stressed out and don't want to do anything about it. His dad is having frequent black outs. I keep telling my husband to start the process of kicking him out (which doesn't actually require a notice since he's considered as our "guest") but my husband is "too stressed thinking about it."
My husband told me that the place that his grandma lives in right now is going to be vacant because one of her daughters and son-in-laws bought the house next door and will be moving her there with them. They're just trying to fix it up. The one she's currently in has sliding scale rent. That sounds perfect for his dad. He'll be living right next door to his sister, brother-in-law and mother. I keep telling my husband to call his grandma so he can get information on the house and get the landlord's number. He doesn't want to, because "stress."
I've been trying everything that I can fucking do for my husband so he doesn't need to do it. I've been trying to look for another place for his dad that his dad can afford. I've been looking into getting his dad food stamps. Hell, I'll fucking call his grandma, find out where she lives and get the fucking landlord's number myself.
I've been getting input from my grandmother, who's a landlord. She's been a huge help. She told us that since his dad keeps ruining the house and we're going to be pouring all of this money into it, that we should start charging him rent until a house is available for him. She'll help us out with that. The lease wouldn't be given to him until after there's running water again, of course. I just wanted to stop paying for the damn pipes until she can give us further input in person.
I tell this to my husband and he fucking tells me "look, I know that you're trying to help, but I really don't want to think about this right now. It's stressing me out and I'll end up in the hospital again." (He was in the hospital recently. We're not sure why. He denied that it was stress until it was convenient for him.)
He's been "not thinking about this right now" for eight fucking years now. There's no more fucking time to wait! The house is going to collapse and his dad is going to die if he keeps waiting. I dunno which one will come first, but both are inevitable if he doesn't fucking do something. What will happen then? Will he put off his father's funeral because the thought stresses him out so much? Will he let his house just sit as a pile of rubble forever when it happens?
He's only gotten as far as telling his dad that he can't stay in that house without running water, and then letting himself forget that he said that after his dad successfully changed the topic on him by talking about a TV show my husband doesn't even watch.
I don't know what the fuck I can fucking do. We weren't married when he bought the house so my name isn't on the contract, so I can't legally kick his dad out for him. I've been trying my best doing what I can do for him because I know that he won't do it.
If the house collapses it'll be a huge sunken cost fallacy for us, but whatever. I'll be pissed off and at that point I will refuse to help his dad find a place because my husband wouldn't work with me when I tried. His dad will be homeless but it won't be the end of the world for us. But if his dad dies because my husband refused to do anything for him then that will emotionally damage him forever, and the rest of the family will blame him for not doing anything about it sooner, and rightfully so.

DROOLING ON LIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOOTHACHE!? NO WONDER CONSIDERING THEY ADMITTED TO BRUSHING THEIR TEETH “ FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS” - quote EOD 2K24. ALONG WITH THE SUGARY SHIT THEY EAT AND DONT BRUSH THEIR TEETH! DISGUSTING! I HOPE THEY END UP TOOTHLESS JUST LIKE THEIR OWN MOTHER!

Hey all, my grandmother on my father’s side recently died (USA, Indiana). She didn’t have a spouse and my father is also dead. She does have an older sister though. She didn’t leave a will, but I have been told that I am entitled to her property, so no one else in the family can legally access her things. The problem is that I live overseas and can’t travel. So I am reliant on my dads side of the family, but since the funeral there have been suspicions that a cousin is trying to trick me into giving the rights to my grand aunt, who they make decision for. When I indicated that I didn’t want to sign anything without more information and might not want to sell at all, they have cut off communication with me. My mother lives in the states and is advocating for me, but legally she can’t do anything, and we have learned that the home will be foreclosed soon. I don’t know much about this process, but I believe that my best option is to appoint someone as a representative in the states so that they can file for administrative rights in probate court. So my question is whether my understanding of the situation is accurate, and if so, who should I appoint and how can I do that? My mother is my first choice, but I don’t know if I should instead hire an attorney.

Trigger warning ⚠️
Mention of death
We had to cancel going to the Mother’s Day lunch for my husband’s mom because we had to take our 17 month old to the ER because he was struggling to breathe due to a bad viral infection. We first went to the after hours clinic at the children’s hospital and the doctor assessed him and sent him to the ER. She said he was really working hard to breathe. We lost our first baby due to a stillbirth so I already have so much anxiety anytime he gets sick.
Fast forward to today and my husband gets a call from my mother in law stating that she is upset because we didn’t get her a gift. My son is still sick and we haven’t gone hardly anywhere, when did she expect us to deliver her a gift?
Then she went on to say how her other daughter in law got her such a beautiful Mother’s Day basket. She also told my husband that I don’t deserve my gift that she got me because we didn’t get her anything.
I told my husband that if she even tries to give him the gift to give to me, don’t accept it. She has a lot of money to blow on whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She has so much stuff. Expensive things. We are struggling to pay bills. Why is she so greedy?
She hasn’t called or sent a text to me to ask how my son is doing. I sent her a text on Mother’s Day wishing her a happy Mother’s Day and I never got a response back. Still haven’t. And that was after spending 7 hours at the hospital with a very sick baby.
This is honestly the icing on the cake. There have been so many things that she has done in the past to hurt our family. She is vindictive. She will be sweet as sugar to your face one day, and the next day turn on you for stuff that she’s conjured up in her head.
A couple of days after I got home from the hospital after losing our daughter (and almost losing my life), she told my husband that she could tell I didn’t want her around and she was offended. I couldn’t even see straight due to the hell I had been through, yet she was concerned about me not wanting her around?
When we told her I was pregnant with our son, her first response was “I don’t know how to deal with boys.” You had two sons. Idiot.
She has treated my mom like garbage due to jealousy. She did not attend my father’s funeral. There are so many things and it would take way too long to write them out here, but she is an awful person.
Have any of you ever been in a situation similar and how was your response? Have you cut your mother-in-law out of your baby’s life?
She doesn’t make an effort with our son at all. She goes every weekend to help her other son with his daughter while his wife works. Well she told us that she wasn’t going one weekend (this was a few weeks ago) and said how much she’d miss her granddaughter, but she will go weeks without seeing my son or even making an effort.

Trigger warning ⚠️
Mention of death
We had to cancel going to the Mother’s Day lunch for my husband’s mom because we had to take our 17 month old to the ER because he was struggling to breathe due to a bad viral infection. We first went to the after hours clinic at the children’s hospital and the doctor assessed him and sent him to the ER. She said he was really working hard to breathe. We lost our first baby due to a stillbirth so I already have so much anxiety anytime he gets sick.
Fast forward to today and my husband gets a call from my mother in law stating that she is upset because we didn’t get her a gift. My son is still sick and we haven’t gone hardly anywhere, when did she expect us to deliver her a gift?
Then she went on to say how her other daughter in law got her such a beautiful Mother’s Day basket. She also told my husband that I don’t deserve my gift that she got me because we didn’t get her anything.
I told my husband that if she even tries to give him the gift to give to me, don’t accept it. She has a lot of money to blow on whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She has so much stuff. Expensive things. We are struggling to pay bills. Why is she so greedy?
She hasn’t called or sent a text to me to ask how my son is doing. I sent her a text on Mother’s Day wishing her a happy Mother’s Day and I never got a response back. Still haven’t. And that was after spending 7 hours at the hospital with a very sick baby.
This is honestly the icing on the cake. There have been so many things that she has done in the past to hurt our family. She is vindictive. She will be sweet as sugar to your face one day, and the next day turn on you for stuff that she’s conjured up in her head.
A couple of days after I got home from the hospital after losing our daughter (and almost losing my life), she told my husband that she could tell I didn’t want her around and she was offended. I couldn’t even see straight due to the hell I had been through, yet she was concerned about me not wanting her around?
When we told her I was pregnant with our son, her first response was “I don’t know how to deal with boys.” You had two sons. Idiot.
She has treated my mom like garbage due to jealousy. She did not attend my father’s funeral. There are so many things and it would take way too long to write them out here, but she is an awful person.
Have any of you ever been in a situation similar and how was your response? Have you cut your mother-in-law out of your baby’s life?
She doesn’t make an effort with our son at all. She goes every weekend to help her other son with his daughter while his wife works. Well she told us that she wasn’t going one weekend (this was a few weeks ago) and said how much she’d miss her granddaughter, but she will go weeks without seeing my son or even making an effort.

I’m not too sure if this is the right place to post this. Hell, I don’t know if anyone’s even gonna see it. I want to start this off by saying that this story isn’t to be taken lightly. I don’t want you to read this and try to copy what is done, instead take it as a warning. A warning to never play this game, a warning I wish I had gotten before I made that mistake.
I lived almost my entire life in the middle of Delaware, if you forgot that was a state I wouldn’t blame you. In my neighborhood there were 3 kids I always played with everyday. Kyle, Jimmy, and Seth. Our houses were close enough to each other that we played together whenever we had the chance.
We did all the typical things a couple 13 year old boys would do. Swimming in the local pool, going to the Walmart and buying nothing, or just hang in one of our basements and being jack-asses. It was almost a Disney-like childhood. Sleepovers were nothing new for us, I think we had one almost every weekend. What was new was not having any parents there to watch us.
Seth offered to host the next one and included that his parents were gonna be gone for the night. They were staying down at the beach and told Seth it would be fine for him to invite us over. Fine for him, not so much for the rest of us. I think me and the other guys pleaded and begged our parent’s multiple times to let us go.
Our parents knew each other and trusted us but the idea of 4 pre-pubescent boys being alone in a house was any parents worse nightmare. Somehow, by the grace of god, they agreed the night before. After all this time, I still wish they had denied us. Maybe things would have ended differently.
I wanna tell you about the events that happened that night that changed me into who I am. It changed my life and every families that was involved in it. This is the night I played Hide and Seek with my friends.
“Hide and Seek? Won’t that get boring with just 4 of us?” I asked suspiciously as I took a handful of Doritos from the bowl on the table. It was about 10:30pm when Kyle suggested we play a game so we could try and stay up later.
“Yeah man and besides, we have an Xbox.” Jimmy pointed out. Seth came walking down the basement with some sodas in hand, almost dropping the cans
“What are you guys talking about? You better not be thinking of touching my controller with your greasy hands Jimmy, not after last time.”
“It was an accident! I got you a new one.” Jimmy responded before chuckling a bit.
“No guys, I saw this on the internet a few nights ago. We have to try it.” Kyle said. He almost sounded like he was pleading with us.
Kyle was always the kind of kid to believe in spooky things. Ghost, werewolves, demons. You name it, Kyle probably believed it. I remember one time he somehow got us all to go in the woods with him during the winter to look for dog people that a YouTuber said was out near us. We all got the flu after that.
“Oh god, another one of these? Is it gonna be like that dog thing again?” Seth chimed in.
“It’s not like that, this one is real. I promise dude.” Kyle seemed genuine about it. I almost felt bad as the other guys called him stupid for it.
“Alright man, we try your game for a bit. Then if it’s a bust, we play Xbox.” I suggested. Kyles face lite up as he got some paper out of his bag.
“Who said you were in charge of deciding when to play my Xbox?” Seth questioned. I just shushed him as Kyle got some more stuff out of his bag. Candles, lighters, a knife. I would have hated to see what would happen if we said no to his idea.
“Alright, first. We gotta turn all the lights off. Not a single one can be on during the game.” We looked at each other before we went off to get the house started. I had been in Seth’s house almost as much as mine but there’s strangeness to it when the lights were all off. We got back to the basement where we found Kyle lighting the candles and placing them on the ground around the paper. As we sat around him I could see some words on the paper. “Ready or Not, here it comes”
“What’s that for?” I pointed as Kyle placed the last candle down.
“That’s to start the game. I saw these Indian guys play it and they said you have to start the game just like this or it doesn’t work.” Kyle answered as he slowly pulled the knife up and turned to face us.
“Now, we have to cut ourselves.”
“Like Sarah from home room?” Jimmy chuckled
“I thought that was a rumor?” Seth remarked as he leaned towards Jimmy
“Guys! Focus! Just a small prick on your finger. Then you put it on the paper.” Kyle demanded as he slowly pressed the knife tip into his finger
“This feels very, extreme. Is this safe to play?” I asked, seeing Kyle whence as blood slowly pooled on the top of his finger
“I think so, the guys seemed like they were having fun when they did it.” He held the knife towards me next, the guys watched as I reluctantly took the knife and plucked my finger. I did encourage us to play this for Kyle sake, I couldn’t chicken out now. The other two did the same, Jimmy had more tears then the rest of us but when he finished he handed the knife back to Kyle.
“Now?” Seth asked, rubbing his finger on his Pokémon pajama bottoms.
“Now, repeat after me.” We all listened to Kyle and repeated
“ 1, 2, 3. Ready or not, come find me.” We stared at each other. Silence filled the basement as our eyes kept darting to see if anything happened.
“Do you hear that?” Seth whispered We listened as the most quiet fart escaped him. He fell on his back and laughed. Jimmy joined him and so did I. We laughed and laughed, I looked to see if Kyle found it as amusing but was met with sadness. He looked almost heart broken, I knew he lived for these kinda things and for it to not work most have broken him. I moved to him and smiled
“Hey, at least we didn’t have to sit out in negative degrees to get results this time huh?” He smiled slight back
“Yeah I guess you’re right. I don’t know how those guys made it look so convincing.”
“CGI probably, my dad says that’s how most things are done like that.” Seth said as he got up to go turn the light back on. Before he hit the switch, a loud thud filled the room. I’ll never forget the look on his face as he rushed back to the floor where we were all sitting.
“W-what was that?” Jimmy whispered to me. I didn’t know what to say until Kyle reluctantly chimed in.
“It’s him, the seeker.” We sat still as another thud could be heard. Like it was right above us.
“What the fuck dude? S-Seth? Did you invite someone else over? Duncan or Josh maybe?” Jimmy was frantic with his questions as his eyes filled with tears.
“No, it’s him.” Kyle answered before Seth could respond.
“Who?” I asked
“The seeker. The person who plays the game with us.”
“Well tell him we don’t wanna play anymore.” Seth demanded, making sure to keep his voice down.
“We can’t, they said he plays until everyone is found.”
“What do you mean until we’re found?” I asked, I kept looking at the stairs. My brain was trying to wrap around what was happening while also trying to keep reason in it.
“It’s like hide and seek. We play until we’re all found or he can’t find us.” Kyle answered
“Ok, let’s go get found so the game can be over.” Seth tried to stand before Kyle pulled him down.
“No, we don’t wanna be found. Bad things happen if we’re found.” Kyle looked at the carpet as he said it. The thud got louder, almost like it was searching the house.
“Ok, ok. Then we should just stay down here right? If we hide down here it won’t find us….h-how long do we have to hide man?” I stuttered as I waited for Kyle to answer.
“I…I don’t know.”
We sat there in silence, thuds and crashes from upstairs made the silence somehow louder. I had wished it was all a prank. Seth and Jimmy loved pulling those and Kyle was usually the target for them. But I knew it wasn’t that, I knew this was real. I don’t know how it was but at that moment there was something upstairs, tearing the house apart trying to find us.
We stayed like that until Seth finally spoke “Let’s run.”
“What?” Kyle mumbled out, his face covered by his hands. Tears were rolling down his cheeks.
“Let’s run, the doors not to far from the basement entrance. We unlock it and run to a neighbors.” Seth looked for nods or any sign of agreement. Jimmy nodded and I slowly shook yes. I looked at Kyle, grabbing his leg and squeezing it.
“Come on man, we’re definitely faster than it. We’ll be out before it even sees us.” I smiled at him.
He looked up and slowly smiled, nodding. We all slowly moved to the base of the basement stairs. Looking down into a dark basement is scary, but looking up into a dark house is another whole kind of fear. I don’t know how long we took going up those steps but it felt like ages, we were slowly ascending into what could be our end. Seth held the doorknob and just stared at it. I knew he didn’t wanna be the one to open it, to potentially be the one to see what ever it was that was on the other side. I scooted around Jimmy and slowly turned to knob.
The door silently opened, the house was almost pitch dark. The only light we had was from the moon herself, shining into the windows and illuminating the destroyed house. He quietly but quickly moved towards the front door. I peered into the living room to see the chairs and couches turned upside down, some side table doors ripped off they hinges.
“Hurry up man.” Jimmy urged Seth on as he fumbled slightly with the deadbolt. I looked to see Kyle slight behind, close to the basement door. I moved over to get him ready to run
“Let’s go Kyle, we gotta get-“ I almost finished my words as I watched his face turn from scared to horrified. I turned slightly to see Jimmy on the floor crawling away from the door.
I’m not sure even after all this time how to describe what we saw that night. I had wished it was just a man. Some man that was in the house with us but it sadly wasn’t. The best I can try and give a description is to think of a Picasso painting. It had a crookedness to it. Its arm jagged and legs crumbled as it towered over Seth. Seth didn’t move, he didn’t try and fight. All he could do was stand there and look up to see its eyes peering down at him. It picked Seth up and like a rag doll threw him into the living room. A mean and disgusting noise came from his body as he hit the wall of the fireplace. I quickly got Jimmy to his feet and Kyle to snap out of his gaze. Me and Kyle ran to the bathroom as Jimmy made his to the kitchen. I locked the door as I tried to catch my own heart from jumping out my chest. “J-Jimmy? Where-“
My question was shortly answered as I heard Jimmy whimpering and crying outside the room. I unlocked the door and peaked out the crack. I watched “it” linger its way towards him and all I could hear was wet sounds. I quickly shut the door and relocked it. My mind didn’t really process what had just happened in what couldn’t have been more than 3 minutes. My two friends I had been with almost my entire life were gone, just like that. I sat on the cold tile floor as I listened to the thudding from outside. My breathing was dull as I looked to see Kyle shaking by the toilet. I slowly moved my self over and gave him a hug. I knew what he was thinking, I knew the horrible things he was saying to himself in his mind. I didn’t know how to tell him that what was happening wasn’t his fault. I’m not sure that even now I could find the words to tell him that.
“We’ll be fine, we just gotta stay here. It won’t find us.” I tried to reassure him.
“No, it will find us. We can’t stay here.”
“Kyle, Seth and Jimmy are dead. We can’t go back out there and run. I don’t know why we thought it would work.”
“No we…we…I need to get to the basement.” Kyle said, he looked up at me.
“Why? It’s a dead end there. It will-“
“Maybe, I can try and end the game. Rip the paper up…something, I don’t know.” I didn’t know what to say.
On one hand it was the only idea we had besides hiding and waiting to be found. On the other, I couldn’t bring myself to put that hope in his mind. To encourage him just to watch as it fails, He knew this as he came to his own conclusion.
“I’ll go down there, and you head for the coat closet. If it doesn’t work I’ll run back up and I’ll head there to hide with you. Ok?” He nodded to himself. I just stared at him as I nodded back slight. We stood up and slowly unlocked the door. It wasn’t anywhere we could see, which made it all more frightening. We slowly made our way to the basement door
“Good Luck” I whispered to him. He smiled and went our separate ways in the house. I quickly got in the coat closet that was almost directly in front of the basement door, and Kyle made his way down stairs.
That was the last I saw of Kyle, it wasn’t long after I heard loud thudding outside the closet door that quickly went down the stairs. All I could do was sit there, and listen as I heard the silent screams and the pounding of flesh over and over and over again. Soon the hits became more wet, and the screams became more silent.
I sat in the closet and accepted my fate. I slight covered myself with a fallen coat as I heard the thudding move around the house. It was only a matter of time before it got me, before it ripped the door open and I would be met with its horrifying figure. I looked out the slits of the closet door and saw the moon light shining through the windows.
I’m not sure when I fell asleep or even how I did. My body must have been so exhausted that it decided sleep was more important than survival. My eyes slowly opened to see daylight peering though the house. The night was gone and the day had come to save me. Although I was relieved I still forced my eyes shut. The small amount of what I saw was enough to make me do it. I saw the closet door was open, I didn’t wanna have them open as it might slowly peer from the corner and look at me. I didn’t want my last image to be that. I just kept them closed and covered my ears. And then I felt it. Thuds.
I could feel the thudding get closer, closer, closer. Two hands grabbed me, this was it. My flight or fight kicked in and I started to fight. Kicking, hitting, screaming. Anything I could think of I was doing.
“Calm down son, calm down. You’re safe.” Those words hit me like a wall, a calmness I hadn’t felt since the day before came over me. My eyes slowly opened to see the face of a young man kneeling in front of me, his hands holding my arms. He was a police officer.
“It’s gonna be alright.” He reassured me again as he slowly brought me to my feet. He walked me out of the closet and faintly said “Keep your eyes down kid, I’ll lead you out.” I think he said it more for himself, cause I knew what he didn’t want me to see.
Seth was laying in the living room, he’s body bruised from the impact with the wall and his bones broken.Jimmy was on the kitchen counter, multiple wounds and slashes were found on him. Kyle…I’m not sure what really happened to him. The reports on his body never came out. I just know I’ll never forget those sounds from when I hid in the closet.
Seth’s parents moved away almost immediately after the incident. Just left, didn’t take a single thing from that house. It was later taken down, I guess no one wanted to live in a house where something like that could happen.
I saw Jimmy and Kyles parents every once and awhile when I walked around the neighborhood. They would give me small smiles and waves and I would return them back. No more, no less. After high school I moved away for college, my parents knew why and never argued that I should stay closer.
That was a little more than 15 years ago. Few weeks back my dad called to tell me mom had passed away. He offered if I wanted to stay at home for the funeral, stay in my old room. I hesitated. I thought of that night every day for the past 15 years, never really bringing myself to wanna be back in that neighborhood. I refused and opted for a hotel a few miles away in town.
And that’s where I am now, in my bed writing my tale. I want you to take it as a warning, cause as I write this I know I’m not alone. It’s here, it’s in the closet of the hotel room. I can just make out its outline. It’s crooked legs crouching to fit inside, its arms slight poking out from some clothes, and its eyes staring at me. It knows I see it, and it knows I’m writing about that night. I’m not sure why now it decided to finish the game from all those years ago but here we are. Once I finish and close my laptop, it will kill me. My father will have to bury his son just moments after burying my mother.
I say this again, this tale is a warning. If I could I would go back and tell myself to never play that game. I would tell my parents to never let us have that sleep over. I would do everything in my power to stop that night from happening, to be able to save my friends. So please, I beg and plead to you, don’t play this game. Cause if you do, whether your ready or not…
He’s coming to find you

(I’m also not sure how they would all fit in a timeline so just keep that in mind when reading this)
Percy is revealed as the “lover” and/or biological father of the twins. I think it will be a big revelation in the first ep with flashbacks from then (when they had their romance) to now (where everyone is going to cordelia’s funeral and more things are revealed? idk)
Mortimer and the whole beaufort company. I think he will end up loosing the company because of some legal clause where you need to be blood and especially if the father theory is right he will have nothing linking him to the company other then his last name. If this is the case he will suck up to the twins to earn his spot back in the company and all the money.
Lydia keeps the baby probably because at the end of the finale she seems to be attached to it, and it might become a love triangle between Her, Sutton and Cyril. (I added Cyril because she may pretend it’s his child as he would be a more ‘appropriate’ choice that won’t result in scandal.) If they go the Cyril route Lydia will become parallel with her mother. If they go the Sutton route which is more then likely (I really really hope they dont! I HATE SUTTON) but it will just become like PLL with the ‘ezria’ ship, Where they glossed over it and potentially glorified it.
Finally to james and ruby, I think James will briefly break up with Ruby once the company is passed down to him and just try to focus on the company and oxford, after a while i think he will leave oxford (The only reason he would have stayed was for Ruby and his mother). Ruby probably gets in trouble from the school because of Mortimer and potentially risking her Oxford admission. So they probably would have had mutual short break-up but upon arriving at oxford they sleep together again? Idk i feel like it would be a bit repetitive and use that storyline again.
These are just my ideas let me know yours!!

Context: This happened almost exactly a year ago. My husband (I’ll call him Dave) and I are now F25 and M24. MIL is 52, FIL is 53, and they are fundie southern Baptist. I am not religious and Dave is somewhere in between.
Short backstory: When I started dating my now-husband (3 years prior to marriage), they were unaware that he was questioning his religious beliefs and he didn’t tell them because he knew they’d stop funding his education. You can imagine that it went terribly when they found out six months into our relationship that I am not religious. I hadn’t met them yet due to distance and yet, his mother went on a tirade saying, and I quote, “a relationship with her will lead you to a life of hell and destruction.” She didn’t come around and actually meet me until 6 or 8 months after that. When she did meet me, she acted like nothing had ever happened and gave me a hug and told me she just LOVED me (?!?!).
Wedding story: At the very beginning of wedding planning, Dave decided not to invite his paternal uncle to the wedding due to active addiction. Nothing against people struggling with addiction, it’s just that this uncle has been known to show up to things high and has been violent in the past. He also got my husband drunk when he was like 8 and other sketchy behavior. So not good vibes there. MIL told him “it’s your wedding, but” your grandma isn’t going to like that. He said that’s fine, she doesn’t have to like it. Despite his mother complaining that she’ll “never hear the end of it” he still didn’t invite the uncle and when the grandparents RSVP’d they did so for just the two of them and the uncles two kids that they have custody of. We thought, “great! No trouble.” WRONG.
The night before our wedding, after the rehearsal dinner, at 9pm, Dave’s mother called him and said “your uncle is here, and he’s coming to the wedding.” Dave said no. She started yelling at him so he hung up on her. After calming down and telling me what was up, we decided to both call her back and calmly tell her that he won’t be allowed at the venue and remind her that we’d made this boundary very clear months ago at the very beginning of wedding planning. She did not take that well and said some nasty things about my family to me and then said “if he’s not allowed, then we’re not coming!” We both go “okay!” And my husband once again hung up on her.
Our officiant was a family friend of my husband’s and is a levelheaded and understanding individual. He called Dave and asked for our side of the story. He agreed that what his mother said was nasty and unnecessary, and assured us that they wouldn’t just not show up to their own son’s wedding. He said he couldn’t promise that Dave’s grandparents would show up, which he understood. Dave made sure to tell the officiant that he didn’t want his parents there before the wedding because of them stressing him out and that he didn’t want them to be nasty to me on my wedding day. This is significant because we were doing pictures before the wedding, but Dave said that he has moved their pictures to after the ceremony before the reception.
The day of the wedding, they showed up to the ceremony along with the entire rest of Dave’s family, minus the grandparents and the uncle’s kids. The ceremony went well, it was beautiful, but afterwards they refused to get me in any of their pictures and then when we made it over to the reception hall, not a single member of Dave’s family was there. They had all left. Including his maternal side of the family, who didn’t have anything to do with the paternal uncle drama. They’d all just abandoned him. He was initially upset, but we did have a great time at our reception and look back on it fondly. I have a large family so it didn’t look empty and they love Dave so he was supported. My entire family was appalled and disgusted at Dave’s family.
Aftermath: I have not spoken a word to a single member of his family a day since. I plan to keep it that way. I removed them all from social media and ignored the one time MIL texted me since. She wished me good luck on my first day of medical school about two months after the wedding. My husband has spoken to his mother only once about the actual wedding. This is because she cried and screamed and guilt tripped him for “turning his back on family.” Side eye. She also said a lot of nasty things about me and blames me for being the one to stir things up. Since then, he has only spoken to his mother a handful of times. Dave generally ignores her calls and texts with a few minor exceptions. She has called him crying twice now to ask if she’s going to have to live the rest of her life without her son. Dave says that he’s still hurt by her and that he needs time to process things in therapy before making an attempt to repair their relationship. That’s where we stand today!

My mom died in September and I'm just now graduating. I am hosting a grad party and it's open invitation except to one person who I explicitly told was not invited which is my dad. Tid bit info my dad is a cheating narcissist abusive homophobic jerk who only cares about himself and how he feels and he ditched my mom about 8 years ago. He used to stay in a different state with his baby momma until my mom died. The very first thing he did when he saw me at her funeral was grab my arm and forcefully pull aside to talk about what's going on and just him trying to convince me and my brother to stay with him. Needless to say he threw up a storm about how my mother alienated him and so did my family members and I don't know him and he doesn't know us BUT HE HAD MY WHOLE LIFE TO KNOW ME and he once forgot how old or when his first sons birthday was and he's never celebrated holidays,events, or even birthdays and was usually making those days really negative and making everyone feel bad. I basically threatened him to not show up or else I'd punch him cuz he kept saying stuff about my mom and family and just calling me toxic when I have had this conversation with him before when I tell him multiple times that I love him but don't want him in my life and why and it's just so emotionally draining. He's genuinely an awful person and has hurt me both physically and verbally so badly that can't stand the thought of him ruining another day that's supposed to be happy. Tbh I'll probably just ask my grandparents to take him away or if that doesn't work and he escalates things I'll just call non emergency services and see if there's anything they can do and to clarify no I do not feel safe around him especially right now after him repeatedly bringing up my mom when she's not even here anymore and I literally haven't had a real therapist to help me with my grief so just having him push my buttons this far when I try to be understanding with his behavior but this is my final straw. Idk my friends have brushed me off because they said it's to be expected and fair but it doesn't change the fact that it still hurts. He's biologically my dad but he's never really been a dad to me just someone who was like a teenager and then was just a freaking jerk so to have him just continue this behavior while him trying to say he's getting better and is becoming a better dad is just so infuriating and tiring at the same time. I just wanted to vent this I'm sorry for anyone who's been through worse I do understand that my situation isn't unique I'm just really emotionally drained and so close to graduating and I just want to apologize for all this.

Alt account, mid 20s m
I’ll try not to make this too long, but I’m genuinely hurt and I can’t really see anything that will make things better. For context, I got to therapy and am on anti depressants. I don’t think I’m a great person or anything, but I just don’t know how much more I can give. If the post is too long I apologize in advance, I don’t want people to feel like they need to read all this stuff.
P.S. I have already called a friend and they are on the way to help me. I just wanted to get my feelings out somewhere others can see. I haven’t done this before so bear with me… also I have ADhD so if shit gets over explained that’s just how it goes. I’m working on it
My family has a pretty bad codependency problem and I’ve always been seen as “the mediator” or “third party”. More or less it just meant that I was always involved in everyone else’s issues and they would look to me because I was the most understanding. I genuinely have a hard time even writing that because something deep in my brain feels wired to say it’s fake, but in my heart it feels true.
To get to the point, one of my siblings and I have been having issues for a couple months now. It all started when I felt uncomfortable about a carpool offer they had given me for a family event. For more context, my family events tend to take 4 hours and this sibling would often “have other plans” once we left so I’d be out for waaaay longer than I anticipated. I know it’s stupid to say that I don’t wanna be outside all the time but I genuinely just need some time alone. I’ll also add that this is not the only thing I’m dealing with. I got a high stress job, a friends funeral and changes to my lifestyle that are all adding to this mess.
This is not the first time, or even second time this has happened. This sibling has had issues with everyone in the family and was about to completely run away before I told them that I still want them in my life and that I can help them re aclimate with the family. It just sucks that they kinda threw me away and don’t even care that I’m hurt. I’m trying to be strong and not just give into this recurring behavior but it just feels overwhelming.
My family keeps telling me that I need to reach out first and that I need to be the bigger person. I get calls from my mother where she just slips in how I should fix this saying stuff like “well I know you didn’t do anything, but you know how this goes”, “they just react that way, you need to be the bigger person” “they will do what they want, just forget about what happened”
Idk, I just genuinely feel like nothing makes sense anymore. I’ve been doing everything I can to make my family happy and they just continue to need more. I just can’t take any more of the pain from them. I mean for fucks sale my mom still talks about shit I told her makes me uncomfortable or upset by saying “oh I know you said you don’t wanna talk about this but we need to”. Lately they’ve been using the threat of calling my brother over so that I’m forced to talk things out.
I’ve been told my entire life that I was always too late with my complaints. Like when someone did something wrong and I finally got the courage to tell them, they would always say that I took too long or that I’m being dramatic. It’s gotten to the point that I don’t even know if I’m being too sensitive right now. Like this kind of emotional processing wasn’t even a thing before I moved out.
I do really love my family and I have accepted that the past is the past, but it feels like they want me to just forget without them having to do anything. I have year of these issues that are piled up and I’m only just not getting to deal with them, but the weight of all this family pressure just makes me want to lock myself up and never talk again.
I feel like I’m the problem, my whole family has issues and I shouldn’t just assume that mine are more important. I so badly want to just forgotten so I can just live with the hurt and not hurt them anymore. I have a part of me that wants to be happy, and a part that wants to be a good son, brother,whatever. I don’t think I can do both and maybe that’s something I need to live with.
I feel like a broken person and I’m at my last rope. I have a very deep love someone which is why I’m fighting, but I just don’t know if this family is worth all this pain.
Thanks to anyone who read the whole thing, this is definitely too long. Definitely spiraled at the end there. I have someone with me no so I’m just gonna post this and…. Idk I guess figure it out from here
For those going through their own struggles, I hope you know that you are always worth something to someone. I’ve been blinded by negativity for a long time and I hope someone can take something positive from this. Shit sucks, but the moments of light is what keeps me going at this point.
Peace and love ❤️ trying to keep this positive

My grandmother died this past weekend. She was quite a silly personality, but she also cared about tradition and Catholicism (she was polish).
My family are all not catholic, except for me and my now deceased grandmother. They are protestants.
My cousin rang me yesterday to say that the family isn't having a catholic funeral for my nana. I have explained to my family on several occasions now that the one thing my grandmother said she wanted is a polish catholic funeral, she used to get visibly upset when my mother would tell her she wouldn't have one.
My cousin then told me that she wants everybody to go to the funeral dressed in bright colours, because "nana was a bright personality". I live in England, where the traditional funeral colour is black.
I can't help but feel like this entire funeral is a slap in the face to my nana. My family is saying that they're wanting to sing songs and give talks honouring my nana, but they'll be disrespecting all of her wishes while doing that. My nana was always treated like a bit of a joke while she was alive with everyone laughing at her because she was a bit silly/clumsy at times, and it just feels like this same disrespect is now happening post death.
I've talked to my priest about it and he's said that he can help me arrange a mass in honour of my nana with a polish catholic priest.
All this to say - should I attend the funeral that my family is putting on for nana? I can't decide if it's more disrespectful to not go and miss out on her body being carried to its grave etc, or to go and act like I support what's happening.
ATA: my family is holding a protestant funeral for my polish catholic nana even though my nana said she wanted a polish catholic funeral while alive, and telling everyone to wear bright colours even though in my country we wear black. Should I attend?

By popular demand, I guess...
I was kinda just being a smart-ass, but some of you wanted more so here it is: epilogues for every NPC as if they didn't continue to travel with Gorion's Ward and instead just decided to live their own life. Obviously, there are some implied alignment changes here.
This turned out to be longer than I expected and I kinda just threw it all together while I was working. Please excuse any typos or sloppy writing.
I want to apologize for one thing, though. Viconia's epilogue really only works if GW is a male, so I had to make that assumption for the sake of her story. If it matters any, I easily play just as many female GWs as I do male GWs. In fact, I probably play more female GWs because I don't care for the romances, frequently play the canon party, and want to nip the lame Jah romance in the bud.
But, to have them all in one place, I included my original smart-ass epilogues with the additional ones I created. Now, every character from BG1 and BG2 has an epilogue. I don't have the EE characters, though, because I play the original games and don't really know them.
So, just for funsies, which one is your favorite and why?
"Anomen continued to wait at the Copper Coronet for a party of adventurers willing to travel with him. Maybe it was the grating sound of his voice, or perhaps the way he leered at women, but he continued to remain alone. Eventually, he needed to find work to make ends meet. With Gorion's Ward having disbanded the slave traders and pit fights, Hendak had to find a new form of entertainment for the patrons. As such, he invented an all male review ladies night, and Anomen found work as a 'dancer'. He left the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart to join the less noble order of the pole. He also renounced his faith to Helm and instead allied himself with Waukeen because if you wanna see some groin, you gotta have some coin."
"Despite Gorion's Ward clearing the trolls from her keep, Nalia was not able to reclaim her lands and instead lost her estate to Lord Roenall. The lord offered to let her retain residence in her family's ancestral home, but only in exchange for her hand in marriage. Nalia found the proposition to be repugnant. Instead, she salvaged whatever wealth she could from her family's keep and moved to Athkatla to start a new life. She no longer helped the less fortunate, as she was now among their numbers and had her own problems. Nalia's lack of any practical skills combined with her sense of entitlement sent her into a life of failure followed by drinking and debauchery. She now spends more time back at the Copper Coronet than anywhere else. It is hard to say where she squanders her wealth more, the alcohol, or on the dancers during Ladies Night."
"After the incident with the Planar Sphere, Valygar was finally free of his past, could retire to his cabin, and pursue his true passion: writing. Ironically, the only inspiration he found ended up stemming from his family's checkered past. Valygar's only works that even had middling success were 'Tuesdays with Lavok' and 'Dude, Where's My Planar Sphere', with the latter being made into a production at the Five Flagoons Theater."
"Haer'Dalis continued to work as a performer at the Five Flagoons Theater. Unfortunately, it struggled due to poor management. It might have turned out better if an outside agent with fresh ideas had stepped in, but Gorion's Ward had better things to do than be a bard. While the work was generally steady, the returns were not great and the material was a little low-brow for Haer'Dalis' liking. The tiefling realized he reached rock bottom when he was cast as the lead in a play about a buffoon who apparently lost a plane-shifting apparatus the size of a small castle and had to find it before his parents returned from Neverwinter. After the opening night, he took his own life in his dressing room. His body was found the next morning with a note saying, 'Art is dead and I am art, so I shall join art in death.' Biff the Understudy stepped in for Haer'Dalis despite never having an opportunity to read the script. Nevertheless, the production was a resounding success and launched Biff's career to new heights."
“A heartbroken Garrick found work as a character actor at the Five Flagoons Theater, but eventually gained more success as a writer and director. He found it to be a mostly agreeable situation, aside from a tiefling primadonna who would constantly belittle his work and call it ”trite" and “drivel”. Fortunately, that situation worked itself out in time and Garrick found Biff to be much easier to direct. With the tiefling gone, his ideas had room to grow. He invented a new kind of love story, one where the protagonist doesn't always get the girl at the end but the journey to that ending would be quite amusing. He labeled this genre “the Comedy of Romance” and the works were mostly based on his own life. His plays were quite popular among the commoners, with his top selling shows being 'Sleepless in Saradush', 'Silverymoon Linings Playbook', and 'Crazy Rich Aasimars'. He eventually fully transitioned off the stage into the director's chair. By the peak of his fame, he was married to none other than Queen Ellesime."
“Aerie continued to work at the circus and WOULD NOT SHUT UP ABOUT HER DAMN WINGS. Even Quayle eventually grew sick of hearing about it. This put strain on their relationship. Things took a turn for the better when Ribald Barterman acquired a new curiosity for his shop. It was a magical ring which he sold to Quayle at a reduced rate out of sympathy. This ”treasure" was actually a cursed Ring of Deafness, which Quayle found to be anything but a curse and wore it for the rest of his days."
“Xzar and Montaron were both slain at the hands of the Athkatla Harpers, but this is actually where their story begins. Xzar, as he had done so many times before, had a backup plan of an arcane nature should death befall either he or the halfling. Their mortal essences were pulled to a pocket plane he created. There they could be channeled into restored bodies cloned at his estate. With this particular round of ritual, Xzar had incidentally made a slight error in the incantation and the two found themselves in a time suspended state in Xzar's pocket plane. It was only five minutes for the rest of the world, but it was fifty years for them. This turned out to be a pivot point in their relationship. Having only each other's company in this shadowy void, they were finally able to work out their feelings for each other. When they had returned to the prime material plane, they discovered their mutual animosity was replaced with love. Rather than pick up their life where they left off with the Zhentarim, they decided to pack it all in, moved to Bryn Shander, and start a bed and breakfast. Montaron rediscovered his halfling roots and love for the culinary arts while Xzar would perform seances to connect guests with their late loved ones. Scones and Bones became an overnight success and was consistently listed as a “must see” in Volo's travel guides. In their golden years, the couple co-wrote a memoir of their journey, ‘Brokeback Montaron’, which is sold in bookstores everywhere."
“After briefly crossing paths with Gorion's Ward, Mazzy Fentan continued her crusade as a de facto halfling paladin. She eventually found herself petitioning for membership at the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart in Athkatla after she had singlehandedly saved a village from an ancient dracolich. Despite the extent of her virtue and accomplishment, her petition was denied on the basis that halflings could not possibly be real paladins. This inspired her next crusade, one to break down vocational barriers for all demihuman races. Why couldn't halflings be paladins or dwarves be wizards? And why did gnomes always have to be illusionists? It simply made no goddamn sense. She began to get traction with her quest when she attended lectures by the wizards of the (sword) coast in Candlekeep. With their help, she ushered Faerun into a new edition era where there would be no vocational barriers for adventurers based on their race. Soon, the world began to see roguish halflings that also venerated Helm, while tending to the wilds as a druid. Half-orc bards also studied as wizards while manifesting natural arcane abilities as sorcerers. Tiefling paladins took their crusades to the wilderness and served as rangers, while sidelining as clergy to Mystra. The world was now a liberated place, free to not make any goddamn sense in a myriad of new ways. At one point, Lady Mazzy Fentan of Trademeet (now formally a paladin) crossed paths with a dwarven shadowdancebard and in that moment she regretted everything. Seriously, just take a moment and picture that. It would look fucking ridiculous.”
“Yeslick's clanhome was flooded once again. Despondent and without options, he took work at a smithy in Baldur's Gate but never stopped dreaming of finding both a clan and a home. He found a way to bring this dream to life after a courageous halfling paladin broke down the barriers for, among other things, dwarves to be wizards. Yeslick had an idea. He studied magic diligently until he was able to cast two spells of great importance: Water Breathing and Permanence. He then searched the lands for other clanless dwarves who would be willing to try something new. With the new clan he formed, Yeslick permanently gave all his fellow clansman the ability to breath underwater. They then moved into the flooded Cloakwood Mines and built the first underwater dwarven stronghold. Using his arcane powers, Yeslick also developed the ability to speak with the marine life that shared this stronghold. And, with that, the clan Aquadwarf was born. At one point, Valygar visited and wrote a play based on Yeslick's story. However, he couldn't even get it to stage at the Five Flagoons Theater. The illustrious director Garrick was quoted as saying, “A hero that can breath underwater and talk to fish? Nobody would go for that!"
“Keldorn finally retired from the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart and looked forward to a much simpler life. He rekindled his marriage with Lady Maria and life seemed to improve. It was rather early on when the couple discovered that Maria had become pregnant again. It was also not long after that when Peony, the housekeeper, also became pregnant. Maria started to ask Keldorn about this, but Keldorn started to get defensive and asked, ”Hey, who's the Inquisitor here?" Then Keldorn started to do the math with her to track the conception of Maria's pregnancy. She certainly did not want him to get to the end of that equation, so she quickly changed the subject. She suggested getting a new maid, but Keldorn chastised her for abandoning someone in their time of need who had been like family for years. He forbade Peony's departure claiming that his god, Torm, would not stand for it. Maria then made a passive aggressive comment about Torm being the god of loyalty, but she was mostly just muttering under her breath to get the last word in. Eventually, both children were born and had probably the most awkward upbringing of anyone in Faerun."
“After Gorion's Ward helped Coran take down a wyvern, the rogue brought the beast's head back to the mayor of Beregost for the reward and accolades. He thought this put him in a position to be a hero of great renown and perhaps, just maybe, people would stop mocking him for his flashy attire and completely superfluous eye mask. They didn't. He only gained acceptance when he crossed paths with a ranger who seemed indifferent towards Coran's keen fashion sense. Coran traveled the Sword Coast with his ranger sidekick, righting the wrongs against the ‘little guy’ and taking the law into their own hands when needed. This partnership dissolved when he discovered that the ranger thought Coran was the sidekick. As if! Coran tried to correct the ranger, whose argument was, 'Really, man, if that outfit doesn't scream sidekick then I'm Elminster's twin brother.' The ranger was not related to Elminster and shared no resemblance.
“Kivan never was able to get his revenge on Tazok. Unbeknownst to him, that honor was taken by Gorion's Ward. His thirst for vengeance continued to eat away at him until he found himself in a bat infested cave in the wilderness. It was then he snapped. He turned the cave into his secret hideaway, put together a disguise and started wandering the sword coast looking for evil-doers to punish. He would leave his calling card wherever he saved the day, a token of a bat with longer ears like an elf. And bats already had rather long ears so these bat ears were almost comically obtrusive. Nevertheless, his deeds were generally appreciated and the people stared calling him Bat-elf. For a short spell, another elf tagged along with him and tried to help, but he was so flamboyantly dressed that one could pick his sidekick out of the shadows blindfolded. Kivan eventually had to send him on his way. Unfortunately, his vigilante crusade abruptly ended after receiving a cease and decist order from DC Comics. Kivan could fight both monster and marauder all day, but his 14 Constitution wouldn't hold up against a lawsuit for trademark infringement.”
“Skie was deeply affected by both the death of her brother and the assassination of her father. And yes, her father was actually murdered and didn't lol-jk back to life in some crappy DLC. In any event, through these traumas, she came to realize the puerility of what she thought was her brilliant criminal masterminding. Instead, she decided to settle down and live a more responsible life as an upstanding citizen of Baldur's Gate. She took the reins of her father's estate after his death and rose to prominence as one of the Grand Dukes of the city. She maintained her relationship with Eldoth for quite some time, inexplicably, as he refused to get a job because he didn't want to take attention from his band which he swore was going to make it. However, the bard spent most of the day either lounging at Skie’s estate or gambling away his allowance with games of three-dragon-ante at the Helm and Cloak. Eventually, inspired by the book “Men Are From Menzoberranzan, Women Are From Immilmar," she decided to call it quits with Eldoth and sent him packing. Shortly thereafter, she met a man who was nothing like Eldoth and they settled down together to start a family."
“Eldoth's dreams of being a world-famous musician fronting the greatest band in Faerun never reached fruition. This was partly because he didn't actually have a band and partly because he didn't have the talent to write music. Instead, he just had a lute he purchased at Lucky Aello's Discount Store that only had one A-string and was missing the E-string. Also, Eldoth could only play power chords and he couldn't really sing and play at the same time. Most of the time he would just strum a chord or two and then talk about what the song would do next, often describing a solo and half playing it on an ”air lute" (while he was still holding an actual lute, mind you) to give people the idea as to how the song would sound when it was finally written. Yeah, he was one of those guys. After Skie kicked him to the curb, he bounced between various barmaids who clearly had low self-esteem, but not low enough to keep him around for long. Eventually, he got one of them pregnant and was forced into a shotgun wedding by the barmaid's father. He now works in the kitchen at the same inn as his barmaid wife. She helps the customers up front and he cooks eggs in the back. Eldoth continues to tell himself that this experience will just provide inspiration for his music and that someday he was going to get the band back together."
“After being rescued by Gorion's Ward, Xan made his way to Baldur's Gate to regroup. He spent an inordinate amount of time beating himself up over his failures and trying to muster the gumption to continue his quest to unravel the political turmoil of the region. However, it took him months to get to this point, and by that time, Gorion's Ward already sorted out the problems in the region. Discovering this, he deemed himself a failure yet again and sunk into a deeper depression. He pulled himself out of it when he met a woman who lost most of her family to violent deaths during the iron crisis, yet she still kept herself together and became a local success in a few short years. Xan immediately fell in love with the recently single Skie Silvershield and began to court her. They eventually married and started a family. At Xan's insistence, and inspired by his wife's name, their two daughters were named Sunshine and Rainbow. Xan was a staunch supporter of his wife's career and stayed home to raise the kids. When they were older and needed less attending, he followed a new dream and became a motivational speaker.”
“Korgan had his revenge against his backstabbing crew and employer, but he felt...empty. It was done, but he felt no satisfaction. Disgruntled and disappointed, he decided to lose himself in his cups at the Copper Coronet. Even this did nothing to alleviate his malaise. One night, having passed out drunk in a peasant room at the Copper Coronet, he dreamt of that final fight but something was different. In the background of the battle, there was a glow coming from the door of a shack and he heard the whispering of a language that sounded like it was from Kara-Tur. When he woke the next morning, Korgan returned to the rooftop and found the shack from his dream. He knocked and was greeted by a priest of Illmater. Korgan told the priest of his dream and he was led into the backroom where he found a man from Kara-Tur infirm and huddled over a cup of tea. The priest explained that he had just reincarnated this man of the faith using a heart delivered by a passing adventurer. Korgan took this as a sign, converted to the faith, and the two paired up to help those in suffering as a result of the schemes of others. The tales of Korgan and Yoshimo were not only told in many of a tavern by the bards, but also collected in graphic serials that were popular among the children of Athkatla.”
“Ajantis' death sent him into an afterlife at Everwatch, the realm of Helm. For his honor and diligence, the devout knight was granted an audience with his patron. Ajantis then told Helm what utter bullshit the god was. I mean, c'mon, he's the god of protection, the Vigilant One, and he couldn't protect a group of knights from a dragon's cheap illusion spell that a mage even tried to dispel with True Sight? It was like Helm wasn't even trying. Helm was stunned by the confrontation but also had no valid defense. Ajantis called Helm to a trial that was mediated by Tyr. After careful deliberation, Tyr determined that Helm was sleeping on the job and the judgment was to demote him to a lesser deity. Now, Helm was the patron of guards, but not actual guards that ever see action, just the ceremonial ones whose weapons and armor are super shiny and probably not even real. Ajantis was then granted Helm's old portfolio and became a god that truly protected his followers.”
“Viconia left Athkatla's government district perplexed. She was rescued from burning at the stake by Gorion's Ward and then immediately dismissed. She found this to be unusual behavior for a male. She was accustomed to men either trying to bed her or kill her, but this casual indifference was completely new. Viconia came to be obsessed with Gorion's Ward from a distance. She spiraled into a fantasy where the two of them had a future together. It was pretty bad. There were some extremely embarrassing vision boards involved and that wasn't even the worst of it. When her mania reached critical mass, her obsession actually collapsed and she had an epiphany. She came to realize that she did not need this man, or any for that matter. She started on a journey of self discovery and took a moral inventory of her past relationships. She wrote about it in the book, “Men Are From Menzoberranzan, Women Are From Immilmar”. She then used the revenue from the book sales to open Athkatla's first feminist bookstore. In Her Words became a mecca for women, particularly those who felt trapped in bad relationships. The community that emerged here created the group, Friends of Galia, which strove to free women from abusive relationships. Eventually, the bookstore expanded to include an apartment block above that became a shelter for such women. Occasionally, the partners of these victims would come around to In Her Words in an attempt to drag their partners back home. You can probably guess how a confrontation between a drunken 0-level commoner and a Drow priestess of Shar ends."
“Faldorn was defeated by Jaheira in Trademeet and lost her title of Arch-Druid. In truth, she was relieved to be relieved of the position. Years of pushing forward the Shadow Druid agenda led Faldorn to realize that she had lost touch with the real Faldorn along the way. After some soul-searching, she reinvented herself as a lifestyle guru and developed an entire line of organic health and beauty products under the name, She-Wolf. Both her products and seminars were all the rage in Athkatla, specifically among noblewomen who clearly had too much free time. Faldorn eventually gave up her residence in natural environs for a lavish estate in Athkatla's government district. Her following soon pressured her to petition to join the Council of Six after the fall of the Cowled Wizards left the position open (aside from a short-term replacement). Her petition was a success and she soon found herself on the Council of Six. Under her leadership, she created created the FDAA, the Food and Drink Association of Athkatla. Now, instead of draconian rules governing magic in the city, equally restrictive rules and standards were applied to the food and drink that the people consumed.”
“Barely surviving being gravely wounded by Irenicus, Tiax left Spellhold for Athkatla where he intended to do what he did best: rule. Learning from his past campaign mistakes in Baldur's Gate, he changed his slogan from ”Tiax Rules!" to “Make Athkatla Great Again”. Of course, what he thought would make Athkatla great was putting himself in charge as a despotic leader. But, he toned down that aspect of his platform and instead focused on the history of scheming and backroom dealing of the Cowled Wizards (as if he was any less evil or scheming) and promised the people he would be different than all the other corrupt politicians. Miraculously, despite his obviously apparent character flaws, he succeeded in replacing the Cowled Wizards' representative on the Council of Six. He decided to take their stance on restrictive magic to the next level and banned magic entirely. Since he didn't study the arcane himself, it was no skin of his nose. This move undermined his support base leaving him with only the most backwards and ignorant followers. He was ultimately removed from his position when he insisted the city build a wall around the planar sphere and was expecting that the city's wizards would be the ones to pay for it. After his removal, his few remaining extreme supporters organized an invasion of the main government building under the guise of freedom of assembly. All nine of these “rebels” were rounded up, tried, and sent to prison. Tiax was convicted of treason and reincarnated in Spellhold, which was now just a common prison. After his eventual release, he was prohibited from seeking any position of power in Amn."
"Edwin Odesseiron continued to lay low with the Shadow Thieves for a while. The Cowled Wizards suffered a crippling blow as a side effect of the conflict between Gorion's Ward and Irenicus. Edwin decided to step in and finish the job. His thought was that he could wipe out the Cowled Wizard remnants and then take credit for their defeat, thereby gaining him more clout among the Red Wizards of Thay. After many conspicuous mage battles in the streets of Athkatla, he succeeded. However, the people who noticed his efforts the most were actually the people of Athkatla. They were tired of living under the Cowled Wizards' iron fist and Edwin was lauded as a liberator and hero. He even had a statue in his image raised in Waukeen's Promenade. Edwin was initially nonplussed over people finally giving him the credit he always felt he so rightfully deserved. But, he quickly came to accept their praise and bought in to being a champion for the people. Edwin continued his agenda of liberation when a clearly insane gnome who found his way on the Council of Six tried to ban magic entirely in the city. Edwin and his followers were primarily responsible for having the madman removed from his seat.
“Shar-Teel, Safana, Branwen, and Alora all happened to cross paths with each other at Elfsong one evening. Shar-Teel was looking to fight a man, Safana was looking to shag a man, Branwen was recently petrified by a man, and Alora was just excited to be somewhere new. The four got to talking with each other and, despite having wildly different personalities, seemed to hit it off. Shar-Teel was sarcastic and aggressive, Safana was self-absorbed and man-hungry, Alora was kind and sweet, and Branwen was the matriarch of the group. You wouldn't think this lot would get along, but they actually did, and their differences merely become the fuel for innocuous hi-jinks week after week.”
"With Gorion's Ward's help, Cernd was able to rescue his child that he then abandoned again at the druid grove near Trademeet. He promised that he would return to raise the child, he just needed to run to the general shop in Trademeet for some pipeweed. He never returned, but that was pretty obvious since he didn’t even smoke. Cernd continued to wander Faerun. It came to light in Cormyr that Cernd had actually married, and had children, with numerous women in Cormyr, Amn, the Sword Coast, Tethyr, Calimshan, Turmish, Halruaa, Icewind Dale, Chondath, Sembia, Impiltur, the Silver Marches, and even the Troll Hills (don't ask). Furthermore, it was discovered that Cernd was not actually a druid, just a werewolf that had a Ring of Goodberries. The druid con was so that he could have a reason to abandon his wives and children and move on to a new situation. You would be surprised at how many women could fall for a guy that can conjure an impromptu picnic in the park. Unfortunately for Cernd, Cormyr was not the kind of place to run afoul of the legal system. For the crime of bigamy, he was sentenced to life in prison. He never set foot near a druid grove again, but he was allowed to participate in a work-release program tending to the gardens of nobles.
“Kagain returned to his shop and grew even more bitter, but not over what the death of Entar Silvershield's son had done to his reputation and business. Instead, he resented that even the Enhanced Edition of the game didn't give him a remotely decent companion quest. By Moradin's hammer, Cernd even had a pretty involved companion quest and the story there both starts and ends with a deadbeat dad! Also, Kagain can regenerate! Korgan can't even do that. And another thing! He was sick of people confusing the two of them as if all dwarves look alike or something. Ok, granted, they're both old dwarves with greying beards, but Korgan's beard is tied while Kagain's beard is brushed out. Of course, none of this made sense to anyone, even to Kagain who never actually crossed paths with Cernd or Korgan. However, the dwarf had nothing to do with his time except stand in his shop, isolated and alone, until he was done in by insanity and plantar fasciitis.”
“The death of Khalid shook Jaheira to the core. She convinced herself that she could never love again, certainly not so soon after his death nor with anyone that would be a child in her eyes. That would be absurd and rather tacky. After her escape from Irenicus' prison and deposing Faldorn from the druid grove, she took over as Arch-Druid. Being a Harper just wouldn't be the same without Khalid. However, the grove would allow her to explore a new, but comfortingly familiar, phase of life. She had barely been installed as the Arch-Druid when Cernd dropped off his child and disappeared again. He did not even stay long enough to tell Jaheira the child's name. Knowing he would likely not return, she named the child Khalid after her lost love. Realizing there were other children our there without families to care for them, Jahaeira would send her subordinates to wander nearby lands and bring them to the grove for a better life. Perhaps not surprisingly, many of these children happened to be Cernd's. She eventually renamed the grove to Kinder Garden in honor of the grove's new purpose of giving these children a kinder upbringing. Jaheira's headstrong personality served her well with these lost children, who all loved her as they would any mother. The Kinder Garden became the most thriving druid grove in all of Faerun. Jaheira eventually died in 1547 DR, with hundreds of children haven been rescued in her lifetime, and a memorial was erected in her honor at the grove. The inscription read, 'Nature's Servant Awaits.'"
“After being freed from Irenicus' dungeon, Minsc put his boots on the ground at the Copper Coronet. Being the simple man that he was, he found himself unwittingly recruited into fighting in the gladiator pits (before Gorion's Ward was able to free the slaves). Yet again, Minsc took a blow to the head. But this time, its effects were something completely new. No longer was he the slow-witted evil-slaying ranger, armed to the teeth and packing a hamster. Instead, his intelligence and wisdom started to blossom and he explored, through dissertation, the impact of modern civilization on the overall ecosystem of Faerun. Indeed, before Minsc started his work, the people of Faerun didn't even have the concept of an ”ecosystem". He left Athkatla to pursue a residency at Jaheira's grove where he could study and work in peace. He published works like, “The Intersection of Geopolitics and Biodiversity: Living More but Dying Sooner”, “The Essential Symbiosis Between the Savage and Civilization”, and “Moral Urbanization: Seeking a More Comprehensive Prosperity”. Minsc continued his studies and writing and ultimately produced enough groundbreaking works to have his own annex in Candlekeep. It was shortly after the dedication of this annex that Minsc disappeared from Faerun, never to be seen again."
“Jan Jansen's fate was the most impressive of all as his endeavors shaped the very fabric of Faerun for centuries to come. His story truly serves as a moral lesson for everyone and we should heed its virtue quite seriously. Helping Lissa and Jaella planted a seed of regret in Lissa with regards to her marriage to Vaelag. Speaking of seeds, this reminds Jan of a time when he was helping his Uncle Scratchy with his turnip farm. However, Uncle Scratchy was hoodwinked and the seeds he received were actually purple carrot seeds. You can imagine Uncle Scratchy's surprise when they sprouted and he suddenly had a field of purple carrots. Well, as you probably know, you can't make turnip stew, or turnip casserole, or turnip pie with purple carrots. But it just so happened there was a mage tower nearby and the resident mage needed a vast number of carrots. Apparently, her plan was to animate them as a kind of vegetable army to combat a myconid infestation in cave system rather close to her tower. Of course, animated carrots are quite self-assured and were immune to myconoid's confusion spores. Anyway, Jan had a once-removed cousin, Bobil, that was lost in those caves when he was a young gnome. He had wandered so deep that he found himself in the den of a solitary xvart who was obsessed with a magic ring. Bobil happened to purloin that ring but it turned out to not be magic at all. However, it was still worth enough for Bobil to buy himself a nice cottage in Trademeet. He then started his own turnip farm and had better luck than Uncle Scratchy. Wait, what were we talking about, again?”
“Boo continued his mission to study the sentient life forms of Faerun and determine their potential impact on the metaverse. He preferred the continued company of Minsc due to the ranger's kindness and protectiveness. Boo found this to be quite valuable in his current miniaturized state. Even after Minsc's accident, where his intellect began to expand, Minsc never lost his good heart and inherent kindness and the two remained the best of friends. It was a number of years later that the term of Boo's mission was complete. A team of his fellow people arrived on a spelljammer to collect the giant miniaturized space hamster. Minsc (and Boo) were on a retreat in a remote part of the Neverwinter Wood when a vessel shaped like a giant acorn landed in a nearby clearing. A number of human-sized anthropomorphic hamster-like beings, who called themselves the Ysoki, emerged and met with Boo. One had a strange crystalline device which it used to restore Boo to his proper size. Minsc naturally remained composed while all this was happening. He and Boo talked often and he knew this day would be coming. Boo returned to the spelljammer with his brethren to debrief on the mission. The Ysoki wanted to bring a sample back to their homeworld for further learning and study. Boo offered Minsc for the task, as the exemplar human would fit in nicely with the Ysoki's advanced culture and society. Everyone was in agreement and made the offer to the ranger. Minsc felt like he had made every contribution he could to the people of Faerun, so he accepted and boarded the ship. Boo, excited to finally be on a spelljammer again, took the helm and plotted a course for his homeworld. At his side sat his friend and faithful companion, Minsc.”

So I (580M) was recently sliced by an enormous magical sword 14 times and split apart, killing me. My mother (12,000F) organized me a funeral (cost 10,000,000 gil) without asking me (580M) at all. I (25M) was unable to make it because I (25M) was dead (a few years). At the funeral I heard my former co-workers (11,000M, 10,000M, 9,000M) and other recently split apart family members talking about how they wish I could be there and now I feel bad for not showing up. AITA?

1) How hurt Conrad must have been the last few episodes culminating in the ultimate hurt in the exile scene. He was going through the worst time in his life with his mom so close to dying and his girlfriend showed him zero compassion at all, wouldn't let him talk, and then dumped him. He was already beating himself up for forgetting the corsage and not being able to be a happy, fun guy at the prom for Bellly and then she breaks up with him. Then his mom dies two weeks later so now he is grieving the love of his life dumping him and his mom's death at practically he same time. He has a panic attack at his mother's funeral and the girl he loves tells him to go to hell. Then six weeks after his mom passed and he is still grieving this horrible and profound loss and needing his brother the most, his ex-girlfriend makes out with his brother on his car and then decides to date him so now he is losing brother in a way too.
2) I wonder if part of the reason Conrad said we loved each other instead of we do love each other is because he was so hurt by the way Belly treated him at the prom and his mother's funeral. I wouldn't blame him if a part of him was still still very hurt both her actions and words at both events.
3) Belly knew that Susannah was dying and it was causing her to feel sad and her grades were slipping yet she didn't stop to consider how sad Conrad must have been when Susannah was his own mother? I really hope we get a scene where Belly realizes, "Oh crap, Conrad was acting the way he was at prom because his mom was close to death not because he wanted to dump me and oh my gosh I dumped him when he needed met most.".
4) How hurt Conrad must have been when his little brother who needs more then ever, makes out with the girl he loves on his car at his college. I mean Jere was really all of his immediate family he had left since he doesn't want anything to do with his dad at the point and now he feels like he has lost his brother too. His brother who forced him to admit that he was still in love with Belly and then chose to get with Belly anyway. So now at the end of Season 2, Conrad must feel so damn hurt, alone, betrayed, and maybe even angry too. Anger at the unfairness of all it all.

I built up a character of breton spellsword Wielding sword and spell.
Cedric, who inherited his nord mother's height, strength and physic And his breton father's hair, eyes and magical potent.
Cedric, as a bastard son, was born and raised by his mother, lived as a common poor boy in the back alley of a city until the age of 9.
After the Great War, his father, a rich farm-owner, earned an important role in the province, founded a noble family with his abandunt wealth and new role in the castle. He decided to take the responsibility of Cedric and his mother, not for the charity, but the pride and image of the high rank.
So Cedric had a basic education and sword training as the one technically inherited a noble blood, but treated very poorly, the contrast between him and his brothers from the different mother, the mistress of the manor, was stark.
The life of the nobles and wealthy riches Cedric'd seen was meaningless to him, as the life as a bastard son of a newly-up-ranked rich noble was traumatic.
By the time passes growing up, Cedric had dreamed of exploring his mother's homeland, Skyrim, since his mother told many tales and legends of the land for ages.
And in the age of 25, when his mother passed because of suffering critical disease, the dying of his mother's became the turning point of his life.
After the funeral, Cedric suddenly left the manor before the sunrise, after he 'burrowed' several jewels of his father's.
In case of being caught by the guards for thievery, as his father was the man who'd surely report his own bastard son, Cedric tried to cross the border illegally, and by his terrible luck, captured by the Legion on the Campaign of capturing Ulfric.
So that's the brief story of my character Cedric.
I think it's ok but still I consider the breton customs and culture in High Rock.
I'm not quite sure the concept of his father. The wealthy farm-owner who wasn't actually a noble in High Rock but earned the chance to become the one because of the Great War, as the lord of the land his father's been living lost many resourceful men to run his land.
Cuz as far as I know High Rock is like a western Europe in Medieval Age, mixed with British and French culture. I'm not sure I can say that the change of ranks was available in the medieval europe.
Whaddya think bros

i’ll tell you guys mine. i went to high school with this girl, and she got pregnant after we graduated, after she had the baby i went and looked at her instagram and she made a post about her placenta. in the post she wrote this whole long caption about how important placenta’s are and yada yada. i thought okay… why would someone post this? scrolls to the next image thats of the organ laying in a dirt ditch HUH?? so after reading the caption, she decided to freeze the organ in her kitchen freezer for like idk how long but it was months i think. and then she decided to basically hold a memorial/funeral for it to “return it to the earth”
i mean i’d rather see that than her eating it like i know some people do.
so id like to ask you all, whats the weirdest thing you’ve seen or heard of a mother doing?