I just wanted some insight sa nangyari sakin, me (m20) and my ex is (f21). This Happened like a months ago when my ex suddenly message me out of the blue na she wanted to invited me sa family celebration nila. Take note before this happened break na kami for almost 1 year, add mo pa na we dont have any connections in any socmed kaya magugulat ka na nag message sya suddenly. Going back sa invitation ang pinaka intention nya raw sa pag invite sakin is nung tinanong sya ng father nya kung may naiisip syang iinvite at ako daw una nyang naisip, inadd nya pa na dati nya pa daw ako gusto ipakilala sa family nya but we didn't have a chance during our relationship and I get it naman, and the last thing she mention is for the closure na rin daw and i get it too because during those 1 year post break up namin we have some confusing interaction with each other.
Pumunta ako sakanila medyo distance lugar nila and need ko pa bumyahe, wala naman problem sakin dahil gala ako plus sasagotin nya naman daw transpo ko pabalik if ever so why not. Then nung nakarating na ko after almost 3 hours na byahe sakanila, Pagkadating ko don sa nirent nilang place, maya maya pagkaupo ko sa sofa mother nya agad bumungad sakin, sabi ng ex ko gusto daw ako kausapin ng mother nya and this is my first time meeting her mother, napaisip ako sa sarili ko parang we are not in the right set up for this, pero kinausap ko pa din and we did get along, we talked about our views, interest, and different things and I think her mother liked me. Fast Forward sa family party nila after the dinner, when I was alone sa pool tinawag ako ng ex ko para umakyat upstairs, she introduced me sa ate nya which I know her naman and we have few interaction sa socmed and nagbibiro kung namimiss ko which I didn't answer. After sometime nung bumaba downstairs ate nya and her friend, kami nalang ng ex ko sa room pati pinsan nya and we did play online games na nilalaro namin nung kami pa. After namin maglaro both of them did talk, honestly it was casual not until napunta yon sa usapan regarding their status and recent kausap and wala naman problem sakin as long as wala ako don cause it's frickin awkward, like di ba sila nakakaramdam na I'm there like ex ako, I had to leave the room na awkwardan ako sobra, nung asa labas ako I blend in sa mga friend ng ate nya and played billiards with them, sumunod sakin ex ko sinabi nya kung gusto ko daw pumasok sa room pasok lang daw ako, and sabi ko later nalang since fresh pa yung nangyari earlier. Fast forward again nagsibabaan na mga friend ng ate nya and her cousin mag siswimming sila, don na ko pumasok sa room, bali kami nalang dalawa ng ex ko and this time we did talk regarding our relationship and our unsettled issue in the past, di ko na imemention lahat but ang pinaka main thing lang don na tinanong ko ay regardless ano intention nya kung closure ba talaga or she has other plans pa about samin and she did say wala, tinanong ko din intention nya ano ba talaga gusto nya kase ang unusual ng invitation for an ex sagot nya, ako lang daw talaga pumasok sa isip nya. Then after ng usapan namin I did agree with it sabi ko maybe it was really a closure since I did ask her multiple times just to confirm and akala ko it was the climax eh pero hindi pa pala.
After nung usapan namin sakto tapos na din swimming nung family and friend nya, bumaba na din kaming dalawa dahil mag iinuman na daw. During nung inuman naikot yung baso and we just talked casually naman and asking some question regarding sa ginagawa na namin pero habamg tumatagal I think nagiging clingy na sya towards sakin? Like pag pupunta sya restroom instead na cousin nya kasama nya, ako na tinatawag nya. Everytime na may pupuntahan sya sa loob ng place gusto nya ako yung kasama, like eto pa nung ichacharge nya phone nya upstairs sa room nagpapasama sya sakin and sinamahan ko naman , after non lumabas na sya and humiga sya sa sofa outside ng room and sinabi nya sakin na bantayan ko muna daw sya iidlap lang daw and bintayan ko naman at maya maya umakyat mother nya and sinabihan sya na nagiging alagain daw sya kaya dapat wag sya masyado maglalasing, sagot naman ng ex ko sa mother nya andon naman daw ako kaya okay lamg daw at ang unfair ko di raw ako masyado nagiinom, dinefend naman ako ng mother nya na wala daw mag aalaga sa kanya if susundan ko ginagawa nya (I was shocked di rin naisip ng ex ko na di ako taga sakanila kaya I have to control my liquor) bumaba na kami after ng convo nila. Nung asa baba na kami nagpahinga din yung mga friends nila and later cinontinue na ang inuman tas mga 3am nang madaling araw natapos na ang inuman and asa living room nag kakantahan yung mga friends, tas yung ex ko suddenly invited me na lumabas outside sa gate ng resort and sinamahan ko naman and nakita nya na madilim kaya bumalik nalang kami. Then later sabi nya sakin matutulog na daw sya and samahan ko daw sya upstairs sa room and sinamahan ko sya and nung asa hagdan na kami habang paakyat kami hinahawakan nya kamay ko and binitawan nya lang nung asa pinto na. After nito bumaba na ko, humiga ako sa sofa malayo sa living room and the stair kung asaan mga friends nila and it was a little bit dark and medyo isolated ako from the rest, makalipas mga 10 min kita ko ex ko bumaba and akala ko pupunta syang restroom or sa friends nila since magkakalapit lang, and nagulat ako sakin sya pumunta and biglang humiga sakin na shock ako and may tama na kaya hinayaan ko nalang, we stayed like that for a long time during those time nagiging aggressive sya like she kissed my neck a lot and smelled me, humihigpit pa nga yakap nya. Tas after non pinaayos ko na sya kase nakapatong sya sakin pinaupo ko na and nung nakaupo na kami bigla nya ko hinila pahiga sa dibdib nya tas bumangon ako, tinignan ko yung face nya nakangiti sya honestly asa border na ko ng temptation like lahat ng action nya anyone would do something to her pero napigilan ko Sarili ko, naisip ko kase yung usapan namin before the inuman na wala nga sya plan kaya napigilan ko pa. Kaya up until now naguguluhan talaga ako what is her intention dahil di nag tutugma action nya sa sinasabi nya. I thought it was just a closure pero nagulat ako sa ibang nangyari kaya hangang ngayun na ququestion ko pa. It's not like di kami nag usap pero I didn't buy her reasoning, she said nadala lang daw sya and ginagawa nya din sa iba but di lang ako yung lalake don may iba pa kami kasama, plus bat pa sya sakin pupunta nung hinatid ki na sya na super layo ko from everyone, pede sya pumunta sa mga friend nila na mas accessible, nakakapagtaka ano gusto ng ex ko.

My brother and I tried sending each other party invites while on Chivarly 2 (I was on PC/PS5 and he was on Xbox One). We tried multiple times, but neither of us received party invites from each other to play. Anyone else having this problem between Xbox and PC/PS5?

I'm going to be honest. I really didn't like Restoration. I could go on about what I didn't like, but suffice it to say, I liked it quite a bit less than the "Shisno Trilogy." So I wanted to think about what a perfect ending to Red vs Blue would have been for me. One of the reasons that Restoration failed in my eyes was because it was going for a story with a large scope and action when the team just didn't have the resources to make it work. So, I'm going to go for the exact opposite of that.
We begin right where Season 17 ended in Wash's hospital room. Carolina and Doc decide to stay with Wash to continue helping him get back on his feet, and the three give a temporary goodbye to the Reds and Blues as rest of the group leaves, not really having anything to do while they wait for Wash to get better. Soon after, Donut would leave as well, given his realization that he didn't really like any of the Reds or Blues anyway in the previous season.
As the Reds and Blues make their way back to Blood Gulch, they meet other people that they met along the way, and we learn about how them and the galaxy has been doing since we last checked up on them. Chorus has finally established a proper peace with the UNSC, Locus is finally a full-time good guy, etc.
Essentially, in this season, there's no real overarching plot or villain. There's not even any action scenes. It would just be dedicated to saying goodbye to each character individually and giving them a good conclusion. and one by one they leave the group, having found some kind of higher purpose or just move on with their life. Lopez probably goes with Donut, Tucker goes to go take care of his kid. Sarge realizes that none of the Reds are taking his shit anymore, and decides to become a drill instructor, and takes Caboose with him because he'd miss that rascal. Sister and Grif decide that they want to go home to make amends with their parents or something, but Grif tells her to go on ahead as he wants to at least see Blood Gulch one last time.
Eventually, once we arrive back in Blood Gulch, it's just Grif and Simmons left. The whole place is empty, as it has been for a very long time. They climb up to the top of Red Base one last time and ponder life's great mysteries.
Simmons: "Hey, you ever wonder why we're here?"
Grif: "What!? It was your idea to come all the way back here in the first place, dipshit!"
Simmons: "No, moron, I meant in the cosmic sense. Like, why we were born and all that shit."
Grif: "Fuck if I know! You missed your chance for philosophizing Eighteen Fucking Seasons ago, do not come to me with this shit now."
Simmons: "God, fine, fuck you, asshole."
There's a pause. Grif breaks the silence by sighing.
Grif: "Look. I don't fucking know why we're here, and I don't give a shit either. But... You know... I guess after all this, I'm kinda glad that I am."
Simmons: "What? Don't give me that, you never wanted to do ANYTHING."
Grif: "Yeah, yeah, save it. It's just like... one of those things that you didn't want to do, but once you do it, you realize just how much fun you were having the whole time. And how much you liked the people you were doing it with, even if you said you hated them all the time."
Simmons: "Grif..."
Grif: "So I guess what I'm saying is... thanks, Simmons. If I had to spend all of my existence in a box canyon with two identical bases at either end and a bunch of idiot soldiers, I'd probably hate it a little bit less if you were there, too."
Simmons: "You know what? Same, buddy."
Then they embrace, or kiss if that's what you'd prefer, and whatever the ending song for this season is begins to play
As the credits play, we see glimpses of how the Reds and Blues are doing since they departed. We see a short vignette for each of them. The final one shows that Wash is starting to do a bit better, and is getting married to Carolina, and they're sending out invitations to all of the Reds and Blues.
There's a post credits scene. We see everyone gather for Wash's wedding, but then an argument starts over something stupid, everybody starts yelling at each other, and then it ends.
...Anyway, that's how I'd do it.

So my son had his 10th birthday party at a jump place on Saturday. He wanted to invite 5 friends. We sent the invites early enough, all went well. Until a few days before the party he said his friend wanted to invite a girl. This girl is not very nice to my son so I told him no, let your friend know I said that wasn’t going to work so it wouldn’t look like my son was at fault. Lo and behold the day of the party the girl shows up with her dad and her 3 siblings. The dad let me know he didn’t get the info till the day prior and all that was written on the ripped paper was the place and time. I asked the girl who invited her and she told me the friend of my son - I let the dad know they were welcome to hang with the party and have cake and pizza but he would have to pay for their entrance fee as they weren’t actually invited. He got his kids and left pretty fast. A few people think I was in the wrong - but that would’ve been an extra $100 I did not plan for. So was I the ahole?

Once upon a time in a far off land called, "The South", where very little good happened ever. There lived a boy with a staunch belief in right and wrong and how wrongs need to be righted. One day at school he witnessed the most asinine of the football bros walk past where the special education kids sat multiple times and make fun of them. Once. Twice. Three times.
That was when the Football bro's fate began to change. The boy kissed up to the bro all week, we'll call the bro "Chad" 17M. I, the boy 17M, the following Monday, get invited to sit at the Football bros lunch table. I tell Chad I'll grab his chocolate milk for him. I do grab the chocolate milk, but abscond with it into the kitchen with the lunch ladies. They all watch warily as I open Chad's milk and take a sip. I then empty a decent amount of chocolate flavored laxative into his milk. I stir until it has completely dissolved. I return with his milk, plotting as he drinks. Half an hour into lunch he begins hunching over and guarding his stomach. Now is my time. I switch seats with one of the guys to sit next to Chad. He says something about needing to go to the bathroom. One thing I know about Football bros? They're complete a-holes. I tell the guys I think Chad might pee himself. Every single guy gets up to block him from leaving one after another until the most ungodly shart is heard. They all freeze. They all step aside. He runs from the lunch room, all eyes on him, and is out of school for the rest of the week.
That's what you get for sh*tting on the Special Education Kids.
*bum roasted*

Hey everyone,
I've been invited to this big corporate party, and to be honest, I'm feeling pretty nervous about going alone.
I don't really know anyone else who's going, and the thought of walking into a room filled with people who all seem to know each other is kind of freaking me out. It's like that feeling you get when you're the new kid in school, but this time it's at a work event.
I keep imagining myself standing awkwardly in the corner, having a drink and desperately trying to blend in. And then there's the dreaded small talk, what if I run out of things to say?
So, I'm hoping to get some much-needed advice and reassurance. Have any of you ever been in this spot before? How did you handle it?
And if you have any tips, I'd love to hear them. How do you break the ice and start conversations without feeling like a total dork? How do you make a good impression without coming off as too try-hard?
I know I'm probably overthinking this whole thing, but I can't shake this feeling. Any words of wisdom or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a bunch, and wish me luck!

Hey everyone,
I've been invited to this big corporate party, and to be honest, I'm feeling pretty nervous about going alone.
I don't really know anyone else who's going, and the thought of walking into a room filled with people who all seem to know each other is kind of freaking me out. It's like that feeling you get when you're the new kid in school, but this time it's at a work event.
I keep imagining myself standing awkwardly in the corner, having a drink and desperately trying to blend in. And then there's the dreaded small talk, what if I run out of things to say?
So, I'm hoping to get some much-needed advice and reassurance. Have any of you ever been in this spot before? How did you handle it?
And if you have any tips, I'd love to hear them. How do you break the ice and start conversations without feeling like a total dork? How do you make a good impression without coming off as too try-hard?
I know I'm probably overthinking this whole thing, but I can't shake this feeling. Any words of wisdom or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a bunch, and wish me luck!

Hey everyone,
I've been invited to this big corporate party, and to be honest, I'm feeling pretty nervous about going alone.
I don't really know anyone else who's going, and the thought of walking into a room filled with people who all seem to know each other is kind of freaking me out. It's like that feeling you get when you're the new kid in school, but this time it's at a work event.
I keep imagining myself standing awkwardly in the corner, having a drink and desperately trying to blend in. And then there's the dreaded small talk, what if I run out of things to say?
So, I'm hoping to get some much-needed advice and reassurance. Have any of you ever been in this spot before? How did you handle it?
And if you have any tips, I'd love to hear them. How do you break the ice and start conversations without feeling like a total dork? How do you make a good impression without coming off as too try-hard?
I know I'm probably overthinking this whole thing, but I can't shake this feeling. Any words of wisdom or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a bunch, and wish me luck!

Hello,
I would like to host a birthday party invitation card, something fancy but simple, just to show the event name (xx birthday party), the location, the weather forecast at the day of the event and some other usefull information (maps for location, nearby public transport, etc...)
Something likle Rallly, in fact rallly has some "events" functionality comming soon, but i need it this week.
Is there any app or should I invest some time to do a landing page (i think it may take up to 5/6 hours to do something "static" (i could do a static html+js+css project, no problemo, but this app would help in future events).
The idea is to have something like a canva poste to share on whatsapp birthday party group so everyone can have all the information. It's mandatory for the application to have a mobile view.
Thank you!

I need advice
(Almost 19M here)
I walked long way in improvement with women (confidence, awareness, inner game, aura, psychology, outer game) and finally found a girl I vibe with, connect with and actually felt romantically bond... or in love for the first time ever in my life.
She seemed into me since summer 2023 but we didnt really talk much until February 2024 when she started giving IOIs such as "I wanna get invited to your birthday again", "wanna watch a kickboxing game of yours" or stuff like that. She used to be really touchy with me when I sat next to her in class. I flirted and day by day escalated things - our class planned to have a vila party and she was down to drinking wine with me in the pool of the house. I kinda pussied out and she became cold and distant but I built it again and last night we were to a night club and I had balls and she didnt seem to reject or hesitate me being touchy and flirty. I know she never had experience with that as well so I was trying to comfort her and be gentle and so on sk she let me touch her ass tighs etc she never just pulled off (in contrast I girl I was on a date with just took my hand and throw it lol)being close to me. I kissed her on the cheek little of nowhere, idk I felt it so and she didnt show that she doesnt like it or wants it to stop
Then me she and a female friend of ours left and I suggested I could walk her home or stuff and she just was avoiding me for god's sake, she did not even say a goodbye
She is kinda emotionally undeveloped and acts as she is 12-13
Idk what happened and if I should ask her if something's wrong, but it really hurts

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[First] [Previous] [Next]
When did I allow this to happen? How is it ten at night already? I just played a couple of rounds and it’s already dark outside!

“You should know already that your perception of time is FUBAR. Not to mention these hobbies of ours really don’t help grasping what’s going on.”

It didn’t use to be like this.

“Oh yeah? Can you remember how long you’ve been using the computer?”

Of course I can. It’s been in my life since I was like six or something, when Dad brought home that used computer with all the Dobrand games! But I didn’t pay much attention to it back then…

“That’s not how I remember it. We used to spend entire afternoons playing with the Encyclopedia, and trying out those games we barely understood. Maybe going into the Cartoon Central website too, even if we couldn’t read very well. Face it, we’ve always been addicted to distractions…”

Ok, maybe a little, but–

“And even before we started to use the internet more seriously, we’ve never been very into sleeping at all. Remember how we used to check the channels back then? Zapping and looking for stuff on the TV? Back then everything was so scary and novel at these hours… Now it feels just like a routine. We’ve always been night owls.”

Frowning and feeling the voice creeping on me more than usual, I finally close the game and my computer, standing up and turning on the lights to look at my room. The floor is still filthy, the plates are still scattered about… opening my closet, I not only see what remains of my clean clothes and the old montgomery hanging, but also the old bamboo blade I used to train with.

“Yeah. Remember that? How everyone looks for a local sport to practice and you chose fucking kendo? Not sure if that was just the weaboo in you, or you are just that pretentious.”

I pick up the long stick and take a look at it from the sides. Four bamboo sticks, held together tightly by leather straps and string. It’s elegant in its simplicity, firm enough to hurt a little when hit by it, but not strong enough to really harm, mostly thanks to the white leather covering its tip. The handle has the dark stains of sweat coming from the months of use.

“Before you left it incomplete, like everything in your life.”

Sigh.

I put the blade back in the closet and then turn around, grabbing the many plates and cups that were piling up in the room and walking the dark way over to the kitchen to clean them up.

“Cleaning plates in the middle of the night. That’s the kind of stuff Venus did back when she was here, just to call your attention.”

Ignoring this annoying voice is getting harder… I am tempted to pick up the S.O.S. pill, but if I do that I can say goodbye to my agency for the entire night and maybe even a few hours after waking up. Urgh.

“Guess you’re stuck with me, huh?”

Biting my lower lip, I try to focus on the task at hand, cleaning each plate as carefully as I can and trying to ignore the feeling of grease building up on my hands. Saints above, it is so disgusting! I can’t stand it, really. But if I keep letting the plates stack up, I’ll never do it.

“Look at you trying to be responsible. So silly. You’ll just let them stack up again soon enough.”

“What matters is that you are trying your best.”

Ah, there She is. Still talking from the corner of the room… Her kindness has always felt fabricated to me. Fake.

“It’s hard to accept mercy from yourself.”

You are not me.

The glugging of the drain interrupts me before I can start arguing again. With a heavy sigh, I let the water run away to clean my hands for a moment, and then, now that everything is clean and in place, I close it and walk back to my cave and take a seat back beside the window, opening the blinds just to see the darkness of a misty winter night in Saüle.

“Maybe it’s time to sleep after all.”

“You’ll just start rolling around, kicking and stirring all night.”

“You’ll eventually fall asleep!”

“Or maybe you won't. Let’s just keep playing until the Sun rises.”

I’ll do you both one better and just go back to the living room to check Dejima.

“Oh right! It has been a few hours, hasn’t it?”

“If you are so eager to be disappointed…”

Taking the computer back to the dining table and reconnecting it to the Tripolar Edge Router is easy enough, and yet I still feel the anticipation killing me. My hands tremble a bit as I type the address again, and even more when I have to wait the eternity until it loads.

My post… it got answers! Four answers to be exact! It’s not much but, considering how few users are online at a given time here, it’s good!

“omg it’s so cute when people actually come and use the ‘Introductions’ spot. I mean it, it’s great. It’s also cool to see new faces here, welcome! My dms are open if you want to ask anything.” — GalaxyTaco

“Hey there! We are all glad to have you here! If you have any doubts or questions, throw them my way and I’ll see to answer them whenever I can!” — Ventotto

“Fresh meat, bring out the paddles! Just kidding, welcome in, kid. Hope to see ya in the chatbox one day.” — jeepcreep

“Welcome. Complete your profile data.". — ογδόντα

Three of these are mods, so that was to be expected… but this ‘GalaxyTaco’ guy. He seems like a nice fella. Maybe trying to gun for mod too, or maybe just a legitimately friendly person! Whatever the case, the Helenian mod had made a fantastic point. I did have to complete the profile stuff.

“Does it have to be now? It’s late…”

Yes, it does. I click back to my profile and, well, it asks stuff like ‘Email’, ‘Country’, ‘Languages Spoken’ and ‘Gender’, all easy to answer.

Email: [simple.times@gamail.com]()
Country: Wohl.
Languages Spoken: Wohlian, Dobrand.
Gender: I’d rather not say.

“What sort of stupid answer was that?! Are you really this delusional!?”

Please. Just… let me have this…

“Don’t come crying when they learn you’re a man and you get all embarrassed.“

“Are they a man? Have you not stopped for a second to think that maybe they would be more comfortable as a–”

Shut up.

Both of you. You are looking way too deep into this. I’ll leave it as it is and that’s final.

With a huff, I go to the next section of the profile… ‘Referred to by:’

Oh no.

“Well, time to skip that one.”

There was no way I could just say ‘Ah, I found it in a book’ without getting strange looks. Not to mention the book itself told me not to talk about it for anything.

Next.

‘Mystical Specialization’.

“Saints damn it.”

I could just copy the specialization from some other profile, but then what if they decided to ask me about it? Well, that wouldn’t be a problem if I decided not to get in the chatbox at all… but I won’t advance in my investigation at all if I don’t talk to people, right?

I decide to just leave it open, for now.

Finally, I just gotta put a ‘Comment’ in the end of my profile… hmmm…

Comment: ‘Please don’t kill me.’

“A little on the nose?”

It’s all in good humor. I hope.

With that done, I don’t waste time on making a signature for myself (yet) and go straight to check on the Chatbox.

Four people: ‘GalaxyTaco’, ‘Ventotto’, ‘souseiseki’ and… uh… ‘Canned Tea’.

I take a deep breath… and log in.

Tav has connected to the Chatbox.
souseiseki: byeeee canny!! <3
GalaxyTaco: bye dude
Canned Tea has disconnected from the Chatbox.
souseiseki: … who tf are u o.o

Fuck. That was fast. Immediately singled out and everything, oh no. I panic, unable to really write any answers, when suddenly:

GalaxyTaco: sou that’s tav! the new peep? you saw the introductions post right??
souseiseki: oh right o.o i don’t care for those
GalaxyTaco: how’s it going dude? man, if youre wohlian it must be fucking late!
Tav: Hi, hi n.nUu
Tav: Yeah, it’s a bit late but I can’t sleep u.u
GalaxyTaco: hah, been there…
Canned Tea has connected to the Chatbox.

The guy came back again? What gives??

Canned Tea: sorry tav, didn’t see you come in.
Canned Tea: don’t want you to think Im avoiding ya.

The fear WAS in my brain, to be honest. I can’t help but smile a bit when the guy returns to clarify.

Tav: Oh it’s all good! n.n thank you though uwu
souseiseki: don’t cuddle this f**got Canny o.o

I wince. Oof. That’s… wow.

Canned Tea: sou.
Canned Tea: i’ve told you not to shittalk like that, girl.
souseiseki: sorry, slipped off my mind
Canned Tea: anyways, now im going to sleep.
Canned Tea: welcome in Tav. i’ll be seeing ya later.
Tav: For sure! n.n bye Canned Tea!
Canned Tea: just call me canny, girl.
Canned Tea: see ya.
Canned Tea has disconnected from the Chatbox.

I feel my face burning for a moment there. Am I blushing!? Fuck.

“Welp, you’re proving souseiseki right, at least.”

Shut the fuck up.

@ Ventotto: Hmm. I’ve told him not to assume gender like that.
GalaxyTaco: Holy shit 28 ur alive!!! O.o
GalaxyTaco: Now THAT is surprising.
@ Ventotto: I was about to leave but, like Canny, I wanted to say welcome again to Tav.
Ventotto: I hope you find your spot here soon. If you have anything you’d want translated and analyzed, go to the Translation subforum. Ok?
Tav: For sure! Thank you uwu
@ Ventotto: See you all later.
@ Ventotto has disconnected from the Chatbox.
souseiseki: i’m not staying here with you losers o.o
souseiseki: bye.
souseiseki has disconnected from the Chatbox

“Well bitch I didn’t want to talk with you either!” I practically snarl in real life, taking a deep breath and rubbing my temples. “Urgh. Not even an hour in and I’m already fed up with someone…”

GalaxyTaco: bah pay her no mind dude.
GalaxyTaco: she’s just Like That™
Tav: I’ll try…
Tav: Thank you for the welcome post, by the way uwu
Tav: I was worried no one would answer… u.u
GalaxyTaco: not gonna lie dure, that was a big possibility!
GalaxyTaco: people here ain’t the most social, honestly.
GalaxyTaco: speaking of, that reminds me!
GalaxyTaco: how DID you find the forum? if someone gave you the link but didn’t show you the ropes, that’s kind of an asshole move to pull!

Damn it all. That question again! This guy seemed nice so he probably didn’t mean anything by it but, it was a little frustrating to have to give explanations like that. Then again, this was supposed to be a secret of sorts, so I shouldn’t be that surprised I guess? But well, surprised or not, I need an answer to give. Come on, brain, make up something! An excuse! Anything!

“How the Hells do you want us to make up something if we know nothing of mages and such!? Are you stupid!?”

“We do know something. This ‘Elysium’ place seems to be important, maybe mentioning it would be enough to throw GalaxyTaco off your scent!”

“He’s not an idiot. Using jargon without really understanding it is a great way to look like an outsider.”

“Remind me again why we can’t just tell him the truth…?”

“The woman from the book, Humiko, told us not to talk about it if we can avoid it.”

“Well then, can we avoid it now…?”

…

GalaxyTaco: ah shit dude, sorry to cut this short but I gotta go get lunch
GalaxyTaco: talk to you later!
GalaxyTaco has disconnected from the Chatbox.

I deflate for a moment there, closing my eyes. Lucky break, I guess! Or at least, I think it is … until I get a notification from the forum: a direct message! Clicking the icon, I can see it’s from GalaxyTaco.

Sorry for the intense question but, it’s kind of important.
If you don’t fill your profile soon, 82’s totally gonna ban you.
You weren’t referred here by anyone you can mention, huh?
Let’s talk more privately.
[tacomadeofgalaxies@messages.com]()
Don’t disconnect from the TER when talking, that way no sleeper government can check on us.
I’ll be up after lunch.
Trust me, it’s important.—- GalaxyTaco

Oh shit. I was read like a book.

A part of me is relieved the guy is worried about me… but then, the suspicions arise. What if this guy is working with the mods? Or worse, with the cloaks! I haven’t even encountered these people and yet their presence around me fills me with dread and anxiety, mostly because I have no idea what to expect from them!

But another part of me is simply desperate for having someone to talk to about this, and he did say that while I keep the TER (which I assume is the Tripolar Edge Router) on, no orgs can check on me. So maybe…

“You’re gonna regret that.”

Maybe. But we will see about that when we get there.

With Anthony joining the black jackets in the lounge, he felt like he had fully proven himself after his meltdown to get eliminated in Season 11 and Van was happy for Anthony as he had worked his ass off all season and said the final 6 was a strong ass 6 and it was going to be tough to beat anyone in black jackets but he wasn't letting up now. Nick said somehow despite their being less drama that this had been tougher than all stars as he felt the pressure of being a favourite and Paula said she didn't actually expect to this well having been gone from Hells Kitchen for 16 years but was very proud to show she could still work a line after so many years away. Chef Ramsay welcomed back his black jackets and said to show how proud he was of them all getting this far, he reunited them with their families to give them a boost for the next service and said the reward for the next challenge would be spending time with their family with Nick saying this was the exact boost he needed to kick on in the competition. Ramsay said the next challenge was one of his favourites as it was time for the fusion challenge and Nikki said this was the challenge she was looking forward to as she had become a great fusion chef since season 19 and Paula said she could still remember getting a fusion dish on the menu in Season 5 so it was time to relieve her glory days of Hells Kitchen Season 5.
It was King of the Hill with the chefs taking a seat in the chair until a better dish beat them and was being judged by Chef Curtis Stone who said he was very excited for some amazing fusion. First up was Nick with his fusion of Indian and Spanish which he said wouldn't be his ideal fusion as he presented his cod which Stone said was a strong effort, the only issue being there wasn't enough Indian spice in there but it was a good dish as Nick sat in the chair. Next up was Paula with the fusion of Mexican and Japanese which Paula said would not be her first choice and her pork ended up being a bit muddled with flavours as well as having underseasoned daikon and Nick remained in the chair. Anthony was up next with a fusion of France and Thai, and unfortunately his hanger steak was overcooked as well as Stone describing it as a Thai dish with some asparagus lumped in there to make it French as Nick remained in the chair. Kanae was up next with a fusion of Thai and Spanish, and her salmon was praised as being almost perfect and the dish of the day so far as Kanae took a place in the chair to dethrone Nick and Kanae claimed the reign of Queen Kanae was beginning. Van was next with Chinese and Mexican and he also had a superb effort with his snapper with Stone saying the levels had gone up but said Kanae's dish just had the edge! Nikki was up last with French and Indian, and her duck was cooked perfectly as well as combining both cuisines superbly to give Nikki the throne and the victory!
Nikki said to not only get the 2nd black jacket but win the 1st black jacket challenge showed she was here for business this time round and she got to enjoy a lunch and day out with her family while it was ice delivery day for the other 5 black jackets and Anthony said he still thinks about when he overloaded Hells Kitchen with ice. The Chefs had no dinner service tonight so came back the next day refreshed and Chef Ramsay said there was a big challenge coming up in tonights dinner service as the chefs would be facing off against another team of all stars! Out came the first all star who was Season 21 winner Alex Belew and Alex was pumped to take on a team of new all stars and Anthony knew what was up, it was gonna be winners returning. Out came Season 19 winner Kori, Season 17 winner Michelle, Season 18 winner Ariel, Season 20 winner Trenton and Season 12 winner Scott Commings, and Van said this was serious game time tonight as if the all stars could beat a team of winners, it showed Chef Ramsay they had the best black jacket squad of all time. It was noted by Nick that when Scott and Trenton came out, Scott shook everyones hand but Trenton said he'd rather not as it was a competition and Nick said that gave him even more motivation to win tonight and maybe he might be finally able to beat Michelle in a season. Chef Ramsay said both teams could add 2 appetizers and 2 entrees to tonights menu and the black jackets added a tortellini and a tuna tartare appetizer as well as a NY strip and pork entree. The returning winners were less cohesive in picking a menu as Michelle and Trenton disgareed on the entrees and Ariel said it didn't matter what went on the menu as long as they all agreed as they got a shrimp pasta, a squid salad as well as a veal and fillet entree.
The returning winners had Ariel and Kori on appetizers and Kori did admit to being a little nervous to come back as she didn't want to tank on her return on Hells Kitchen but her and Ariel's first risottos and pastas came out perfect and with Michelle serving perfect scallops, Kori said it was just like riding a bike. Ariel continued to have a great service but Kori ended up 2 minutes behind on pasta somehow, and Ariel expected a bit better from Kori than struggling on such a simple dish but Kori did finally complete the ticket as the winners finished appetizers in quick fashion. Scott was happy to be on the garnish station and was extremely vocal as usual with Michelle on fish, and Alex and Trenton on the meat station getting the first 6 top out despite Trenton complaining that Scott doesn't need to count down every 10 seconds as they know what they're doing. Michelle had a strong service on fish but ended up ignoring Alex and Trenton's cry to wait as their steaks and lamb weren't ready to serve her snapper. Alex and Trenton did catch up eventually as the winners continued to serve nice entrees going into the last few tables. Despite claiming he was the prince,of steak, Trenton served an overcooked NY Strip and then served a rare strip on the refire and Alex didn't know how Trenton managed to mess up twice on his own dish. With Alex's help, Trenton got organized and the returning winners completed a strong service with Scott noting that was the easiest service he's had in Hells Kitchen.
Nick and Kanae were on appetizers for the black jackets and Kanae was confident of beating the winners as half of them are probably in their 60s by now and her and Nick worked very well together to serve delicious risottos and carbonara. Anthony on fish ended up dragging on lobster as he hadn't dropped it early enough and Ramsay said we should never wait for lobster as Anthony bounced back to finish the ticket. Nick and Kanae continued to have great services as the black jackets finished appetizers ahead of the winners and Van on garnish was pumped to have his best service yet to lead his team to victory. Nikki and Paula on meat served perfect fillets and duck, and the black jackets finished the first half of entrees in great fashion with Anthony serving nice salmon. Van though started dragging on mashed potato and was unresponsive to Chef Ramsay on a time on mashed potato as Van finally caught up with Paula and Nikki. Nikki continued to have a great service but Paula got behind a minute on lamb and was struggling to stay organized as she had 1 duck ready and 1 not before she finally caught up again, and Ramsay said the bounce backs had been strong all night and to keep it up. Anthony though on a late ticket, realized the skin had fallen off his salmon and had to refire and him and Van's timing went completely off as Anthony served raw salmon and Van mushy cauliflower! Anthony and Van did fight back and the black jackets completed a relatively good service.
Chef Ramsay announced that while 92% of the diners in the red kitchen were happy, the winners had 98% satisfied so the returning winners won and Nick said he still can't beat Michelle. The black jackets had to come up with 2 for elimination and both Kanae and Nick said Van was the first nomination for his issues on garnish but Van said he was by himself and everyone on garnish gets in the weeds at least once and was nominating Anthony and Paula as there was 2 on meat and still issues. Paula said it wasn't her best service but Anthony was the main issue and the team did finally decide on Van and Anthony as the 2 nominees. Despite Anthony pleading for one more chance after his first bad service, Ramsay eliminated ANTHONY for losing control of his station but told him to keep his jacket for being a force all season and said he was happy he invited him back. Van was relieved to survive after his first bad service but tomorrow he was coming back with a vengeance and Nikki said she'd had a couple of great days and was gonna keep it up for the rest of the season to win the whole thing.
Vote HERE for the next 2 chefs to be eliminated!
https://strawpoll.com/GeZAOELbbnV
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lZdCZ5yphKY-xzgCoYI23gLu5dxegS4eB5BC-Slk9ac/edit#gid=0

I'd like to preface that this is not a problem player post even though I vent a bit about my players here. They're all great, I'm just worried that I don't know how to make this combination of people work
So here's the thing: I've been a GM for around 8 years now and can consider myself lucky enough to say that I've never had any issues with players. I guess this is mostly because I've only ever played with people who are also friends outside of the game and do other things together.
Recently I've started mastering Shadow of the Dragon Queen for a part of my friend group that isn't all that experienced in D&D. We have our Warlock, played by my boyfriend. He's only been in one campaign before which I did not participate in but outside of being a little slow on some of the more obscure rules, there is no issue with him and he seems to be having a good time
Next is our Paladin, no issues with her either. She has no previous experience and takes the longest time to learn rules so she can be a bit shy at the table but she's trying her best
The Barbarian is also an entirely new player. They can be a bit of a clown, which is not good for our Cleric
The Cleric is our youngest player. He's never played TTRPGs before but has been doing LARP for years. Even took my boyfriend and me to an event once but I don't think it's something for me
The Artificer is our most experienced player and I have both played with him as well as GM'd for him before. His experience however causes frustration for him in regards to the less experienced players
The Rogue actually hasn't played yet. I only recently allowed him to join, firstly because he only recently asked and secondly because I was apprehensive to invite him. The other game he is in is with a much smaller group where if one player is missing, the session is cancelled and he has a habit of cancelling a few days before a session. That game is in so bad of a state due to this that we manage to play roughly every six months. At least in this game we're enough people present so that he can miss sessions without the rest of us facing a problem
But now to the problem at hand: While I think all of these players are lovely (they're engaged, clearly all having fun for the most part, proactive, creative and helpful), they don't really make for a good group. The signs of this were not immediately apparent. During session zero, they all broadly stated that they had no specific expectations, especially the newcomers. They were just happy to be there and see how it goes. Now that we've played a few sessions, the reality seems to be that there are two camps among them. The Artificer, Warlock and Paladin, who wish to play the story as provided and the Barbarian and the Cleric who just want to do what they deem funniest. They go along with the story because they don't have the full support of the party but they certainly slow down progress, which especially annoys the Artificer player
I'm certainly a lenient GM when it comes to joke actions. Usually they're harmless shenanigans at least at my other tables. How it usually goes is either a player says they want to do something dumb, I say "Really?" and they either back down or of they actually want to try, I let them roll and fail, succeed or allow a smaller success to happen that's still funny enough to satisfy the desire for a laugh, all depending on how badly a success would derail the campaign. But with these two it's a situation of "Give them a finger and they'll take your entire hand"
I've already stopped doing voices for NPCs, which hurts me greatly because it's such a fun thing to do but the Cleric imitates every accent or voice I do when replying. He even imitates my own speech pattern if I voice an NPC with just my own voice. I asked him to stop because it's confusing me and there is nothing about his character that would suggest he'd do this, he didn't. Thus I now only paraphrase NPC dialogue
A lot of these shenanigans hold up the campaign. (Repeatedly trying to knock down an entire building because I mentioned in passing that some of the walls seem to be in disrepair, stating that they will now start up a railway corporation because some of the images in the module implied that gnomes have invented the steam engine, the Barbarian having to be convinced to fight if they're not the only one who benefits from winning and so on and so on). The Artificer is explicitly unhappy because he just wants the story to continue. He isn't even necessarily against a lighter tone or goofing around, the problem is that there are two other people who overdo it. Nobody else has room to be silly. Reacting to some of these behaviours with somewhat realistic consequences has shown no effect, especially since I have to keep a bit on the softer side of things so we don't loose too much time. I don't want to punish the entire group for something only two of them had a part in
And I don't know about telling them to tone it down and to stay in line because they're certainly creative and engaged players. They just seem so hyperfocused on their own bs that they not only ignore me but also everyone else who is present
How can I manage these two completely different sets of players at the same table?

Hello, potential bride here. We are in the planning stages of our wedding and it feels like the costs are snowballing. We were planning a destination wedding. I would skip a bachelorette and bridal party because I don’t particularly love those and think it’ll make it more reasonable for guests. We would ask folks to not give presents or donate to our favorite animal rescue.
That being said, we met with the planner and the costs are almost double what we originally discussed. Partially because the guest list has grown (thanks to groom’s mom inviting many friends) and partially because we want to provide 3 days of programming if people are going to be coming out for it.
All brides I’ve spoken to recently had their parents pay for their wedding. My parents aren’t around and the groom’s parents are willing to contribute a small amount.
So my question is…is it worth it? The planning? The money? The stress? To those who had destination weddings would you do it again? To those who paid for it themselves would you do it again?
I’d be happy to elope but my fiance really wants a wedding with family and friends.

Hit me with your theories so far…
From what I’ve heard so far and also the extra information that was added in at the last minute…
I think JO died after some sort of fight with someone in that house, and I think the dog was minimally involved. I think it was accidental not intentional. I do think this is some kind of coverup but I don’t think lots of people are involved, I think lots may have unwittingly followed, ie. Sloppy investigation. Eg. How could you take a blood ‘speck’ into consideration when a sample has been placed in plastic party cups stored in a shopping bag and photographed right near the rear of the car. They might as well of just poured it over her car. I would not be trusting over any of the physical evidence if that is considered acceptable. I think the actual police investigation is just awful in terms of biased connections and considering any other alternatives. That house should have been searched. I think even if KR is guilty that you couldn’t vote guilty given the poor investigation, the amount of witnesses that are incredibly unreliable. My background is in medicine (dr) and the autopsy does not fit, I really want to see an MRI though rather than just photos. I wonder if the pathologist wasn’t given the ‘scenario’ if she would have given a different impression?
What do you guys think? 💭

Like most of you, I've sampled quite a few items ranging from food, to electronics, and household items. For the items I liked, I often either buy more or continue to use them following the review. I've even purchased accessories and additional equipment and supplies to keep the item functioning.
After sampling quite a few air purifying units, I got a really nice high-end unit to sample. Retail at the time of sampling was a little over $800 if I remember. Yeah, that nice. And honestly it's been phenomenal, so I foreshadowed, when the air filter became dirty enough to warrant it to be replaced, I went online to find anew. Now I've owned and replaced air filter on air purifiers before for very little. This was much higher end, so I expected to pay a bit more. Maybe 2 or 3 times the amount I'd normally spend, which was roughly under $10 per filter.
Well, I found the replacement filters; $99 each. I figured it was just a manufacturer charging extra so looked elsewhere. Nope, this was the cost of the air filters in general. Even when I looked at a third-party option is was $80 and at that point, I might as well spend the extra $20 for the real deal.
I say all this to make a point. I love sampling and testing items. It legitimately brings me joy and I even enjoy writing the review. But more importantly, sampling these higher end products reminds me why I stick to the more budget-friendly options. Sure the $800 air purifier worked great, but I got similar results running four $50 units, and for my needs, that's fine by me. That said, I'm now considering listing this on FB Marketplace 😅
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**This post was partly to talk about a first-world problem as well as see who's still active in this sub-Reddit.

Something I find interesting is how Christi talks about how near the end of her and Chloe’s time on the show, they were constantly left out and she would eat lunch alone and stuff because she didn’t have kelly. But I recall Holly and Jill saying that she was the one isolating herself after kelly left and constantly creating this division for herself. But I also recall in the earlier seasons Melissa saying that Maddie worried about her bc she would be excluded from dinner dates and other activities when cameras weren’t rolling. I’m sure Christi spearheaded this not inviting Melissa places. It’s just funny bc truly what goes around comes around. Do I think it’s sad that anyone would feel left out or eat alone? Yes. But it’s like wow now you see how Melissa felt all those times

My daughter has been invited to a birthday party for her school friend however the parents are doing a joint party, including the older sibling. The older sibling is in the same school and is known to my daughter but they're not friends as they're in different year groups.
What would you say is the etiquette for buying gift(s)? She's been invited to their party by both of them so should we get a gift for both or do we just buy for the one in the same year and ignore the elder sibling?
It seems rude to attend a party for someone and not get a gift but then again, we hardly know the kid.
Just wondered what others would do? I'm leaning towards not getting a second gift but didn't want to look an arse.

Is this a crush or developing feelings? What am I to make of this?
My[M48] wife's[F45] (now 15 years together) behaviour is causing me sleepless nights and with me overthinking everything it seems like she has feelings for, or a crush on another man (M55), (her friend's husband).
First off, I don't know the guy very well. He works in Dubai and is not at home all that much. We haven't broken 3 sentences to each other yet. She knows him better, it's her friend's husband. From previous visits and interactions, I perceive him to be quite a flirt. My wife loves his stories and his dancing... ...he starts dancing after a couple of drinks, and she does too.
We were invited to their place for a BBQ on Saturday, early afternoon, and a bunch of their other friends were present too. When he is back home from Dubai, the BBQ social tends to run late into the night with a fair amount of drinking. On this occasion, we had to leave by early evening due to other responsibilities. They live out of town and not close enough to drive back and forth.
So sometime during the afternoon, she was standing next to him at the grill, talking for a while, I heard her yelling joyously "We're going to Dubai?1 YEAH!, we're going to Dubai!" And I thought to my self, "Pff, luckily she doesn't have a passport." Only because on a previous BBQ, earlier this year, when they were all liquored up, she ended up spending the long weekend with them (him and his wife and some friends) on a weekend getaway.
Long story short: it's time to go, to get back to town on time, and I get up to start gathering our things, she stays seated and tells me she's staying, I can drop our kid off at sport and somebody will bring her home later tonight.
I ignored her comment. Continued to pack our cooler bag and started saying goodbye to everybody. I'm loading the car about 5 minutes later, ready to go and she's nowhere to be found. So me, my daughter and her friend start walking back to the other side of the house where everybody is. We found her tucked in beneath his arm, acting out a little "I don't want to go!"-tantrum. Running back and forth, "I wanna stay, I wanna stay!" arms around his waist.
So there you have it, very publically... My wife everybody! Does not want to go home!"
When I think back now, surely somebody must have noticed the expression on my face. I didn't say anything, I turned around and got in the car. Did not look in hetheir direction again. It felt like ages before she eventually got in the car and I drove off. We drove home in silence and I went to bed early, alone.
I'm not sure what to make of this behaviour, it's *** disturbing for me. She did pick up on my quiet mood the following day and did offer a general apology. I don’t know where to take this from here, it’s been a couple of nights and I can’t seem to move past it or what to make of it?

my childhood best friend is getting married later this summer.
I got an invite to the wedding, but I am not in the wedding party and didnt get an invite to the bachelor party this past weekend.
Obviously this was hurtful so I changed my RSVP to no. The groom reached out and I told him I could no longer afford it.
I thought we were closer than that but to leave me out entirely is unexcusable. Weve been close for over 20 years and the other groomsmen are all college era friends.
Is it permissible for me to now uninvite him to my own upcoming wedding?
If so, how would I handle telling him I don't want him there anymore?
IMO not worth reaching out to tell them I'm hurt from not being included. Whats done is done.