I just don't understand why it has to be this way. Time and time and time again we were told "don't put your trust in men" well isn't that EXACTLY what this organization is doing???
How dare they claim to speak for God, especially on such individual, trivial matters like beards and women's pants and college education? I nearly lost my mind under the weight of all that guilt and sense of obligation as a 20-yr old PIMI college kid. WHERE IN THE SCRIPTURES ARE ANY OF THOSE DUMB VIDEOS JUSTIFIED???? HOW is it okay to make us feel like we're doing something wrong by going after the kind of secular work WE ARE GOOD AT and that WE WANT TO DO????? If it does require a 4-year degree, guess what, that is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. It is MY CHOICE. MY LIFE. Armageddon is NOT here yet. Sue me for just trying to make sure I don't have to wonder when I can afford to eat. I couldn't even feel proud of myself when I graduated and I was gaslit so hard I fully believed it was a problem within me, not the org. I want those years of my life back.
Not only was I made to feel there was something wrong with me going to college, I also believed there was something wrong with me for liking "worldly" guys far more than I ever liked any of the uninteresting, uneducated, or just flat out creepy guys in the org. The scriptures say "marry only in the Lord." JWs read: "Marry only the finest pioneeministerial servant/bethelite/eldetop notch JW who loves the org even more than they love you." Yeah, to get all that AND have all the qualities that align with my preferences? No wonder I'm 31 and have never had a serious relationship. I have only ever fallen in (unrequited) love with guys who I found INTERESTING. Never mind their apparent spirituality or dedication to some specific religious doctrine. I want to be able to have real, honest conversations and get to know someone who isn't just trying to put on a facade to please the cult. I've found much higher levels of intelligence and honesty and overall likability among so called "worldly" guys. That appeals to me and maybe one day I'll stand a chance with someone who understands and appreciates me for who I am and where I came from. While I do appreciate that being single is immeasurably better than being in a bad relationship, org-mandated loneliness isn't the solution. I'm 31, but at times I feel that emotionally I'm not a day over 18. Who can say if this is really what was best for me.
The perfectionism. The hamster wheel of activity. The loneliness. The guilt. The boredom. All these things and more that are so deeply embedded and imposed on you in JW world. It cannot be from God. I don't know why I had to go through any of it. I blame my mother. I blame my grandmother. I blame the person who first contacted my grandmother. I feel guilty even typing these words. Maybe I am just selfish or corrupted by the devil. I don't know. I want to scream. I want God himself to just tell me it's okay, that I've done nothing wrong. All I know is I am done. Until I have clear and unquestionable EVIDENCE that this is indeed the way, not just the words of men or the constant emotional torture, I am not going back. I can't. I have let my emotions and my life be hijacked for far too long. I just thank God I never raised any children in this. I never even brought a single person that I know of into the org. I don't want that to be my legacy.
I am done. Screw it all. I've had enough.

I (26F) have a past of pick-me girl/NLOG. I had internalised misoginy and mocked girls who used makeup, had lots of female friends and liked to party. But guess what? I was jealous. Because I wanted to be one of them, but I was weird and unattractive, so they didn't welcome me. I found support in the NLOG world, embracing those things that made my female classmates exclude me. In my tweens and teens, I felt better with boys than girls, but guess what? 1) I still had female friends, but they were also weird and outcasts, 2) my male friends were GAY, far from the popular basketball player who falls in love with girls.
I am happy we stopped associating femininity with stupidity, lack of personality or being mean. I am happy we embrace different kinds of femininity and that there are many women with degrees talking about science or philosophy on Tiktok while dressing high-femme, because they are breaking stereotypes like the "dumb bimbo girl". Like, go on.
But this has gone out of hand. We went from "wearing makeup doesn't make you less intelligent, liking pink is not being stupid, partying is totally fine" to "talking about not wearing makeup is being a pick-me, not liking pink is being a pick-me, not liking parties is being a pick-me". While society as a whole made women feel like they had to choose between being pretty and being smart, it also made women feel like they should choose pretty. Women who weren't attractive, had non-feminine interests and/or were neurodivergent went out of the "pretty" box and were rejected. And when they (we) tried to embrace our uniqueness, we are called pick-me?? Okay, tearing other women down as a revenge ("they laugh at me because I am different, I laugh at them because they are all the same") was not okay, and we started to support women being feminine and not telling them vacuous or dumb for doing so. But when will feminine women defend non-feminine women who are not just lesbians (the only females allowed to be non-feminine and alt without being called pick-me)? Why the trend now is to think that if you don't like feminine things and dare to say that (just like saying you don't like pineapple on pizza) you have internalised misoginy?
Not everything women do is for male approval. If your makeup is for yourself and not for being liked by men, why do you think me not wearing makeup in the morning because I am lazy is something I do for boys? Does doing skincare make me less of a pick-me? Also the whole "not partying": don't you think I'll feel more attractive and liked by men if I had a big group of friends and partied every weekend? I am introverted AND shy, I'd love to have more female friends and be less sensitive to noises and lights, but I end exhausted from work and my sole desire is to lay in bed and watch some videos. Not liking "trash TV" is not being snob or an attempt to be more interesting: I find it just dumbening. And liking some anime is not something I wish would make me more appealing to men: I just enjoy some Japanese cartoons. Period.
TL;DR: not being super feminine, liking "traditionally masculine" things and being introverted are NORMAL things and not ways to catch male attention, NOT EVERYTHING WOMEN DO IS FOR MALE ATTENTION.

Mother's Day is a special occasion dedicated to celebrating the incredible women who have shaped our lives with their love, care, and wisdom. Whether you’re writing a card, posting on social media, or simply sharing a moment with your mom, finding the perfect words can sometimes be challenging. Here’s a collection of heartfelt Mother's Day quotes to help you express your love and gratitude.
Classic Mother’s Day Quotes

1. “A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” – Agatha Christie
2. “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” – Rudyard Kipling
3. “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln
4. “A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.” – Cardinal Mermillod
5. “Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face.” – George Eliot

Inspirational Mother’s Day Quotes

1. “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” – Robert Browning
2. “The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.” – James E. Faust
3. “A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.” – Princess Diana
4. “To the world, you are a mother, but to your family, you are the world.” – Unknown
5. “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” – Unknown

Funny Mother’s Day Quotes

1. “Silence is golden. Unless you have kids, then silence is just suspicious.” – Unknown
2. “Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children.” – Sam Levenson
3. “If at first, you don’t succeed, try doing it the way mom told you to in the beginning.” – Unknown
4. “It’s not easy being a mother. If it were, fathers would do it.” – The Golden Girls
5. “Nothing is really lost until your mom can’t find it.” – Unknown

Quotes for New Moms

1. “Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.” – Linda Wooten
2. “A baby fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty.” – Unknown
3. “There are places in the heart you don’t even know exist until you love a child.” – Anne Lamott
4. “A newborn baby is the beginning of all things – wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.” – Eda LeShan
5. “Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing.” – Ricki Lake

Quotes to Show Gratitude

1. “Thank you for being the guiding light in my life and for always being there when I need you. Happy Mother’s Day!”
2. “You are my greatest teacher, my best friend, and my biggest supporter. Thank you for everything, Mom.”
3. “Your love has shaped me into who I am today. I am eternally grateful for your endless support and encouragement.”
4. “Mom, your selflessness and unconditional love have been my guiding star. Thank you for everything you do.”
5. “I am so blessed to have you as my mother. Your love, kindness, and wisdom are a constant source of inspiration.”

Quotes from Celebrities

1. “My mother is a walking miracle.” – Leonardo DiCaprio
2. “My mother has always been my emotional barometer and my guidance. I was lucky enough to get to have one woman who truly helped me through everything.” – Emma Stone
3. “Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.” – Oprah Winfrey
4. “When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.” – Mitch Albom
5. “There’s no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.” – Jill Churchill

Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to let your mom know just how much she means to you. Whether you choose a classic, inspirational, funny, or heartfelt quote, the key is to express your genuine appreciation and love. Use these quotes to brighten her day, make her smile, and remind her of the special place she holds in your heart. Celebrate the wonderful woman she is with words that will resonate and leave a lasting impression. Happy Mother’s Day!

I’ve posted about my fiancée and his penile issue /peyronies. Well, he did get images done finally. How folks are able to get into urologists within a couple weeks and all that stuff is mind blowing considering it takes at least a few months here. Very jealous!
Urologist 1- Spent 5 mins barely doing anything and complained about previous patient the entire time. Didn’t do any exam and left. Most told was to come back 1 year after any pain subsided. He said it was peyronies. This felt super off to us. Which lead to seeking a second opinion.
Urologist 2- He had this appointment already set up when he saw the first doc however it wasn’t for like 6 months. Finally got in there. Fairly discrete, they had the male PA do the palpitating then the women doctor came in afterwards. She confirmed her colleague felt the scar tissue area and said it was peyronies, however given the description of the curvature warned some curves / twisting cannot be helped by injection. Told to have penetrative sex and scheduled an ultrasound.
Fast forward to imaging appt. He said again, they had a male tech do all the ‘embarrassing’ stuff. Then she came in, injected the viagra stuff in and told him the tech would be back in about 7 mins but to work up an erection in the meantime… as fiancée stated, this was a surprise to him and just freaky as hell. They put porn on and left him to get it up. As he said, no amount of viagra is going to help him in that situation.
By the time tech came back, he said between the needle site aching like crazy, the whole situation and the tech handling his semi erect member, he couldn’t maintain anything. I told him that tech also has a penis and has seen his fair share most likely. Not a great comfort to him, I guess.
Fast forward, after all done he went and waited in another room. Doctor comes in and tells him there was no curvature and that one of two tubes that carries blood into the shaft was damaged not holding blood in place and, as he said, there was a lot of jargon tossed about he didn’t quite understand and next thing he knew he was being scheduled for an inflatable penile implant surgery… he was very confused wth just happened.
And so, since that appointment, he has since called off the scheduled surgery as it didn’t make sense to him. He still gets and maintains erections like a teenager, he performs fine during sex, if not climax much faster than before all this began over a year again due to, as he said, it not feeling like his own penis. There’s just a large bite mark below the head and a twist/curve downward.
So, we discussed this and think a third opinion is justifiable since there’s two diagnosis, add in that the second doc is a surgeon so he’s not convinced she just wants to operate regardless.
Any advice?
It makes no sense to us the second appt they confirmed there was peyronie’s evidenced, however the twist and curve (via photo he showed) would make treatment difficult yet next appt for imagining claims there’s nothing there…
Edit: He is 46, taking 5mg of Taladafil nightly. He’s lost some girth mainly from the bite mark looking area under the head and it now twists to the right and down. Has used the stretchy contraption daily along with manually stretching with his hands throughout the day.

Writer's Block? Befriend the Beast: Pro Tips to Turn Blockades into Bestsellers (With Prompts So Crazy They Might Work)

Ah, writer's block. That ever-present nemesis, the blank page's evil twin, the creativity-sucking gremlin that haunts every writer's dreams (or lack thereof). But what if I told you writer's block isn't your enemy, but a misunderstood ally? A twisted muse, a forced sabbatical from the mundane, a chance to shake things up and unleash your inner writing gremlin in the most productive way possible?
Befriending the Block:
Professional authors know the struggle is real. Here's what they say about turning blockades into stepping stones:

• Embrace the Pause: Jodi Picoult: "Writer's block is a sign that something isn't working. Step away, recharge, and come back with fresh eyes."
• Declutter Your Mind: Neil Gaiman: "Sometimes you have to let go of an idea to make space for a better one."
• Experiment, Even If It's Weird: Haruki Murakami: "Don't be afraid to try something strange. The most original ideas often come from unexpected places."

Now, let's get insane with prompts that will have your muse doing a double take:
1. Genre Blender: Combine two wildly different genres. Write a historical romance with zombies, a cyberpunk detective novel set in ancient Rome, or a space opera with a grumpy cat detective as the protagonist.
2. Alternate Reality: Imagine your story taking place in a world obsessed with something ridiculous. Think "everyone communicates only through emojis" or "unicorns are the primary mode of transportation."
3. Flash Forward, Way Forward: Skip to the very end of your story. Write the final scene, then work your way back, filling in the gaps with the most outrageous plot twists imaginable.
4. Dream Weaver: Describe a bizarre dream in excruciating detail. Then, analyze it like a cryptic message from your subconscious, using it as the foundation for your story.
5. Character Chaos: Write a scene where your characters are forced to switch bodies (think Freaky Friday, but with your characters). How does it change their perspectives? What hilarious misunderstandings ensue?
6. Found Object Frenzy: Grab the weirdest thing you can find (rusty spork, deflated balloon animal, taxidermied squirrel) and write a story centered around it. Bonus points for incorporating its bizarre history.
7. Unsolved Mystery: Choose a real-life unsolved mystery (Jack the Ripper, the Bermuda Triangle) and write a fictional account from the perspective of the perpetrator or a hidden witness.
8. Headline Hijinks: Rip a random headline from the news and turn it into the most outlandish story you can imagine. Aliens behind the stock market crash? Sentient self-driving cars waging war on pigeons? Go wild!
9. Animal Antics: Write your story entirely from the perspective of an animal character. A grumpy cat narrates a love triangle, a wise old owl dispenses philosophical advice, a hyperactive squirrel chronicles a daring heist.
10. Time Travel Tango: Send your characters on a time travel adventure with a twist. They can't change the past, but their actions have unforeseen consequences in the present. Think butterfly effect on steroids.
Remember, these prompts are just springboards. Let your imagination run wild, embrace the absurd, and don't be afraid to delve into the depths of your weirdness. You never know what hidden gem you might unearth from the rubble of writer's block. So, unleash your inner gremlin, write with abandon, and remember: sometimes, the best stories are born from the most unexpected places. Now get writing, you beautiful block-busting wordsmiths!

be me; ex LizarDM
be also me; Adonis Valintellis (Tiefling Paladin), Thalia Milakos (Human Ranger) and Zaahir Kehmet (Earth Genasi Wizard)
the soldier stifled a yawn as he patrolled the sandy beaches of Kalikos
clouds hid the island from the moon’s spectral glow, casting the land into darkness and turning the often silver seas black as coal
his shift had been a long one and just as boring as expected
where once his mind had been sharp and alert, it now lingered on thoughts of a cold drink and a warm bed
his eyes scanned the shore superficially, passing over the same stones and grassy knolls he’d seen a hundred times before
on any other night, he may have noticed the discrepancies in the shoreline
the new rock that appeared almost boat-like on second glance
but alas, his mind was a thousand miles away, and the javelin hit him without warning
the soldier collapsed to his knees, gasping for air like a fish on land
his armour had spared him from the worst of the damage, but the javelin had done its job
stunned and winded, he was rendered defenceless against the four figures that emerged from the darkness
a thought crossed his mind to sound the alarm; but his limbs refused to move and his lungs pleaded for breath
one member of the pack split from the rest. A stout dwarf with a full beard and a grim expression
they approached the helpless man, drawing a sharply curved short sword from their belt
the soldier tried to move
tried to yell
but the dwarf closed the distance between them and cut his throat, putting a violent end to his struggles
wiping the blood clean from his weapon, Oryk hauled the body behind cover before jogging to catch up with his companions
the Order of the Twins moved like shadows in the night. Their passage muffled by the spells woven about their feet
that said, their infiltration still proved easier than expected
skirting the edges of the island, the party avoided common paths and watchful eyes; slipping between gaps in the meagre defences they encountered
their route took them just below the peak of the island; where a lavish home stared out across the ocean
in the distance, tiny twinkling lights just barely outlined the Athosi mainland
the house itself was lit up like a beacon in the night, and roaming globules of fire identified the few guards on rotation. Six or seven at most
less than a third of what they had anticipated
counting their blessings, the small band of adventurers navigated the narrow pathways around the house and approached the island’s southern side, where a lonely dirt road wound its way towards a grove of trees
they moved swiftly and silently through the long grass that grew on either side, but they needn’t have bothered
the road was unguarded, and the entrance to the grove lay bare
“this is too easy,” Cyrene whispered; fidgeting nervously with an iron band around her wrist. “Where are the rest of the guards?”
she, like the rest of her companions, had a dishevelled look to her appearance
a thinness to her features that implied more than a couple missed meals
Oryk shot her a stern look, and the half orc immediately shut her mouth
turning his gaze to the two half elves to his rear, he was answered with obedient silence
Maia had always been thin, but now she was practically gaunt
her eyes carried a weight, and an ugly scar split her lip on the left side
Iris, her sister, had once identified herself with long curly hair
now, it was cut short, and crudely so. As if done with an altogether uncaring hand
both twins wore the same iron band as Cyrene around their left wrist
a thin piece of metal that coiled around their limb like a snake
with a commanding wave of his hand, Oryk led the party through the grove’s northern entrance and into the trees beyond
moving like ghosts between the thin trunks and shallow underbrush, the group made good progress before they heard the sudden snap of a twig in the darkness
Oryk raised a fist and the advance came to an abrupt stop, scanning their surroundings with tense expressions
a series of soft whispers drifted between the trees, accompanied by the rustling of leaves and groaning of branches
the dwarven fighter drew his sica and his companions complied, unsheathing their weapons in response
they began to spot lithe, feminine figures peering out at them from behind the trees. Staring at the strangers with bright, emerald eyes
the women had skin like mottled bark, and hair that plumed about them like foliage
“dryads,” Cyrene declared, lowering her rhomphaia with the faintest hint of relief
Iris and Maia exchanged a look before lowering their own weapons, albeit keeping them close at hand
Oryk, however, raised his short sword threateningly, and pointed it at the nearest nature spirit
“get back in your trees and stay there. Interfere, and we will not hesitate to kill you”
the dryad in question retreated, but the others stood their ground as a frantic whispering filled the trees around them
something dangerous glimmered in Oryk’s eyes, and his fingers tightened around the hilt of his sica
“NOW!” he suddenly bellowed, his voice deep and commanding
the drayds scattered into the trees, leaving a myriad of foul curses and even fouler odours in their wake
Oryk gave a satisfied grunt and turned to leave, only to nearly walk into the dryad that now stood in his way
a spirit with speckled, ashy skin and a stern, stubborn expression
Oryk approached them with his weapon raised
“get out of my way,” he growled. “I won’t ask a third time”
the dryad stared down at him like a disapproving adult would a petulant child, and when it spoke, it did so with a voice like wind through a canopy
“if you were wise, you would return to your masters. You will not find what you seek here”
its eyes lifted to the party, as if directing its words to them
with a snarl, Oryk swiped at the dryad, only to be met by a cloud of pollen and stinging nettles
cursing aloud between bouts of frantic coughing, the dwarf fled the swarm and started rubbing his eyes, which had already begun streaming with tears
muttering under her breath, Cyrene approached his side and laid a hand on his shoulder
“come now, let me see”
lowering his hands to his side, Oryk turned to face her with a grimace, his eyes puffy and red
“Archons above, Oryk,” Cyrene cursed. “You should know better than to taunt a dryad”
as the words left her mouth, the band on her wrist suddenly tightened and the half orc gave a small yelp of pain
glaring at her through bloodshot eyes, Oryk gave the cleric a venomous look
“and you should know better than to speak out of line”
Cyrene’s hands fumbled at the metal around her wrist, refusing to meet the dwarf’s cruel gaze
the cuff continued to coil and squeeze; writhing like a living being as Cyrene frantically whispered a foreign chant beneath her breath
the words seemed to appease the magic item, and it loosened its grip in response
witnessing this cruel display of discipline, the twins began unconsciously massaging the band around their own wrists; as if reminiscing on a similar experience
shaking the pain from her arm, Cyrene set to work curing Oryk’s ailment, uttering a slew of healing spells
with his eyesight restored, Oryk sheathed his weapon and pushed past Cyrene, wandering into the trees
with little other choice other than to follow, the group set off after him
the party walked for some time before a sound other than buzzing insects and murmured curses reached their ears
a low, rumbling that echoed through the trees. Like a dull droning that came in ebbs and flows
once more the group came to a stop, and before Oryk could even turn to look towards the twins, they had already begun to move
creeping forward with the lightest of footsteps, Maia and Iris stealthily approached the sound, deftly avoiding any stray branches or betraying stones
the droning grew louder and louder, until the pair had stopped just shy of its source
peering around a trunk with sharp blue eyes, Maia scanned what lay ahead
the trees parted around an ancient oak, its roots deep and its branches tall
a hollow sat about half way up the trunk. A small opening just wide enough to put a hand or two inside
but the tree was not so interesting as what lay beneath
coiled around the trunk was a creature with a long, serpentine body
its scales, green and flecked with brown, were hard and interlocked like shields in a phalanx
its head, immense and filled with razor sharp teeth, lay curled just below the hollow of the tree
the low rumbling emanated from the monster’s chest, as it uttered a long, prolonged snore
Maia’s jaw tightened and her eyes flitted over to her sister
Iris’ face had gone pale, and her hand had instinctively dropped to grab at the empty sheath on her belt
a prize taken by their employer
the twins locked eyes, and shared a moment of profound fear
wetting her suddenly very dry lips, Maia gestured back towards the trees and Iris nodded in silent agreement
the two stealthily retreated, keeping their footsteps light all the way back to their comrades
Oryk almost jumped when the twins materialised beside him, emerging from the darkness without warning
“well?” he hissed, his voice rising above the droning snores. “What did you find?”
Iris frantically gestured for the dwarf to quiet down, as Maia shot a terrified glance back in the direction of the oak tree
only when they heard the low droning of the monster’s snores did the pair relax enough to answer
“dragon”
the word held in the air like a curse
Cyrene’s eyes widened, and had it not been for the band on her wrist, she most certainly would have uttered a prayer
even Oryk’s permanently affixed scowl faded as the blood drained from his face
when he finally spoke, he did so with no semblance of his usual condescension
“...how big?”
“8 meters,” Iris answered. “No more than 12”
Oryk nodded, his brow knitting together as he dropped into a crouch
“a juvenile,” he thought aloud. “Hasn’t reached full adulthood. Scorch marks?”
“none that we could see”
“good. Then either it’s too young to breathe fire, or it spits poison”
his eyes narrowed to points as he mulled things over in his head
the group kept quiet, forced to listen to the distant, droning snores as their leader considered their options
after a long stretch of time, Oryk took a sharp inhale and straightened his posture
“it’s asleep?”
his eyes shifted to Maia, and the half elf tensed
“we think so but…”
“we don’t know for certain,” Iris quickly interrupted. “We’ve never encountered a dragon before. We should call off the mission and come back more prepared”
a deadly silence fell over the group as the dwarf went still
“call off the mission?” he repeated
his voice was calm, but the words held a distinct edge to them
like the blade of a meticulously sharpened knife
“and since when did you make the calls in this party?”
Maia shot her sister a look, and Iris lowered her eyes
“never,” she answered
“that’s right. Never,” Oryk reiterated, holding the half elf in his steely gaze. “We do things my way, as we always have”
Iris’ clamped her mouth shut and the dwarvish fighter turned to look at his other companions
“unless you have all forgotten what awaits us if we fail? What will happen if we come back empty handed?”
he was met with silence and a slow shake of Cyrene’s head
“failure isn’t an option,” he continued. “If the drakon is asleep, we need to act now”
his gaze shifted to Maia
“so can you do what I need you to?”
the half elf swallowed and tried to slow her racing heartbeat
“I think so,” she meekly answered
“good. The rest of us will wait in position. We’ll flank the tree from three sides and-”
“-I’ll do it,” Iris suddenly interjected
Oryk’s teeth flashed in a grimace before he turned to face her
“I’ll retrieve the objective,” Iris clarified, meeting the dwarf’s gaze
“Maia is quieter,” Oryk bluntly retorted. “She stands a better chance of getting to the tree than you do”
“but with my magic-”
“-your magic that we need for the escape,” he interrupted. “We have a plan, stick to it”
he turned back to the front and began drawing out a rough plan in the dirt with his sica
“-while Maia sneaks in, we hold here to provide support. Once we have what we came for, we leave back through the northern exit”
Iris’ eye twitched, and Maia reached out to drop a hand on her sister’s arm
“Iris-” she quietly started
but her warning went unheeded, and Iris spoke up again
“what’s the point of saving my magic if we don’t get what we came for?” she argued
Oryk spun with a stormy expression, pointing his blade to her chest
“because I said so!” he snapped. “And you will do what you’re told!”
he may have stood half a head shorter than Iris, but in that moment, Oryk felt like a giant, and in the silence of the trees, his voice sounded like a clap of thunder
Iris’ face paled and Oryk realised what he had done
instinctively, the party held their breath; anticipating a monstrous roar, or the crash of falling trees
but after a few tense seconds, all they heard was the rhythmic rumbling of distant snores
the group letting out a collective sigh of relief that cut through the tension like a knife
tension that returned the moment Oryk opened his mouth
“do you want to be sent across the Chronaean?” he hissed. “Do you want to leave your sister alone?”
Iris’ eyes shifted to Cyrene, searching for some glimmer of support
instead, the half orc looked away, leaving the half elf to face their leader alone
“of course I don’t,” Iris mumbled
“exactly,” Oryk spat. “Stay in line, do what you’re told, and keep your mouth shut”
he turned to Maia with an expression that encouraged absolute obedience
“get the objective, and get out. Nod if you understand”
Maia gave a slight jerk of her head
“good. Now get moving”
the dwarf stormed off into the trees, and Cyrene quickly shot up to follow him
Maia and Iris exchanged a look of resignation before joining their trusted comrades

Maia stood in position by the edge of the clearing, mentally projecting her path to and from the hollow
it was a simple job, really
dart across the open ground
jump up to the low branch on the left side
climb over to the main trunk
grab the objective
and do it all again
simple
if it weren’t for the dragon in the way
Maia's heart began to pound in her chest until she felt a hand fall gently across her arm
she turned, meeting Iris' concerned gaze
“you don’t have to do this,” her sister whispered; practically breathing the words into Maia’s ear
“yes I do,” Maia answered, keeping her voice just as quiet. “You heard Oryk. We can’t go back empty handed”
“f*ck Oryk,” Iris cursed. “We’re only here because of him”
in spite of herself, a grim smile lifted the corner of Maia’s lips
it was a rare thing to hear Iris curse
“we could run, you know. Make a break for the mainland”
Maia’s smile dropped in an instant
“Iris, no”
“why not?” Iris replied earnestly. “We can make it. I know we can”
“they’ll catch us. And even if they don’t, what then? We’ve got nowhere to hide. No friends to help us. We’d be on our own”
“we’ve been alone before. We survived, didn’t we?”
Iris’ words were hopeful, but they couldn’t hide the desperation beneath
when Maia didn’t seem convinced, Iris took her sister’s face into her hands
“please don’t do this. I can’t lose you”
Maia’s eyes softened, and she placed her hands atop Iris’
“that’s why I have to do this”
she took a deep breath and tried to put on a half convincing smile
“you don’t have to worry about me. I’ve got this. I promise”
Iris’ thumb traced the scar across her sister’s lip
“I’m older. It’s my job to worry about you”
a frown fell across Maia’s face
“older by 10 minutes”
“and I’ll never let you forget it”
Iris pulled her sister into a tight hug
“don’t you dare get yourself caught”
“when have I ever?”
the two reluctantly parted, and Iris held her sister at an arm’s length
“remember. Once you have it-”
“-run like the Hounds of Chaon are after me”
a smile touched Iris’ lips, and the shadows rose up to swallow her
when they parted, the monk was gone
inhaling a slow, shaky breath, Maia composed herself, and refocused on the tree
30ft to the centre
branch on the left side
over the dragon
down to the hollow
reverse and get out
she exhaled slowly, letting the shake fade from her breath
she had this
Maia broke from the tree line, moving in a swift but stealthy manner
every step carefully laid. Every movement intentional
the dragon’s snores rumbled like thunder, growing louder with each step
before she knew it, she was beneath the low branch
taking a quick stutter step to gain momentum, she threw herself upwards, catching the branch with both hands
thankfully, the branch held firm, and Maia swung her legs up and around it
shimmying along inch by inch, she drew closer to the trunk itself, inadvertently holding her breath as she passed over the sleeping body of the dragon
its breath reeked up close. Like spoiled fruit and vinegar
it took all her strength not to gag
before she knew it, she was at the trunk of the tree and at the next step of her plan
hoisting herself up to a crouched position, she flattened her body against the side of the trunk and began sliding her foot along its length
eventually, she found a suitable foothold and began clambering across to a more central position
the hollow was just beneath her now
and beneath that, the massive head of the dragon
this close, she realised just how easily such a creature could snap her up
with her small frame, she’d be gone in one or two bites
pushing such morbid thoughts out of her mind, she leaned down until her head and arm were low enough to reach inside the hollow
her lungs were beginning to burn from holding her breath for so long, but she dared not exhale
she wasn't sure how good a dragon's senses were, but she wasn't keen to find out either
reaching her arm into the hollow, her fingers touched loose leaves and knotted wood
she pushed a little deeper, searching for any sign of her prize
something cold
something metal
but instead, she felt the hard back of the hollow
frowning, she pressed again, but still felt only the rear of the hollow
had she somehow missed it?
her fingers scrambled around, but continued to feel only wood and leaves
her lungs were really burning now, and she could feel her face flushing with colour from being upside down
regardless, she removed her arm and leaned her head down further, trying to peer inside
in the black gloom of a moonless night, a human wouldn’t have been able to see a thing
but even with her enhanced elvish sight, Maia was granted only the slightest advantage
just enough to make out the shape of the interior and the contents within
dried leaves
knotted wood
a couple insect husks
and nothing else
sure she had somehow made a mistake, she looked again and again
but with each scan, the truth became undeniable
“you will not find what you seek, here”
the dryad’s words echoed in Maia’s head, and with a cold sense of dread, she realised that the spirit hadn’t been speaking rhetorically
the amulet wasn’t here
and with that realisation, Maia’s lungs could hold on no longer
her breath escaped all at once, her awkward position driving the air out in an undignified huff
she clamped a hand over her mouth, but the damage had been done
she had made a sound, however small, and already her breath was mixing with the cool air
time slowed to a crawl as the dragon’s snores came to a stop
she watched in terror as its head, mere inches below her, began to stir
its nostrils flared; drawing breath with a deep, rasping inhale, and its eyes rolled in their sockets
the dragon’s jaws cracked open, revealing a black, forked tongue and rows of fetid teeth
rancid breath assaulted Maia’s senses, making her stomach turn and her head spin
she waited for the creature to open its eyes
to see the tiny morsel dangling helplessly above it
but they never did
to her greatest relief, the dragon remained asleep and blissfully unaware of her presence
relief swiftly turned to dismay, however, as the dragon proceeded to shift; its scales rippling like water across its long, serpentine body
the tree shook violently as the monster scraped against its surface, shearing away bark and causing branches to groan and sway
wrapping her arms around whatever she could find, Maia clung desperately as the shaking threatened to throw her loose
after what felt like an eternity, the vibrations mercifully ended, and the dragon returned to its snoring
but even after the tree had long fallen still, Maia found herself unable move; as if every single muscle in her body had frozen solid
in a moment of clarity, she realised that her hand had found her dagger in the chaos, and that the weapon was now clutched in an iron grip at her side
she almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation
as if a dagger would keep her safe if the dragon had actually awoken
nonetheless, she kept it in her hand, unwilling to relinquish the one defence she had
lifting her gaze to scan the surrounding treeline, she spotted the pale faces of her companions waiting in position. Intently following her progress with their eyes
Iris looked just as high sprung as she was. All but ready to throw herself into the open in order to save her sister
Maia silently prayed that her twin could keep her composure for just a little longer
wetting her incredibly dry lips, the rogue began scaling the tree; taking care to avoid any of the small twigs and leaves that had been shaken loose by the dragon’s shifting
upon reaching her chosen branch she paused, taking a moment to slow her racing heart beat
in spite of everything telling her otherwise, she needed to calm down
stress would lead to mistakes
and mistakes would lead to her death
feeling her muscles relax ever so slightly, Maia continued, stretching her body out to reach the low branch
her feet found purchase, and the rogue began creeping along its length
a few more steps and she’d be home free
“Maia!”
a single word
muffled and distorted, and yet agonisingly loud
Maia’s eyes dropped to the bronze surface of her dagger and saw a young woman’s face staring back at her, their eyes grey and piercing
there was a flash of familiarity in the half elf’s mind, but in that moment, she could barely recall her own name
a million thoughts raced through her mind as her heart pounded like a drum in her ears
one thought, however, screamed louder than the rest
run
Maia’s feet moved before the thought had even finished forming, propelling her from the branch a split second before it detonated into an explosion of jagged splinters
she hit the ground hard, feeling something give in her shoulder
she didn’t have time to dwell on it, as an earth shattering roar tore the world asunder
her feet were under her in an instant, and she broke into a sprint, not daring to look behind her
she knew that if she turned, all she would see is a flash of green scales and a mouth full of fangs closing in to end her life
the air began to reek of rotten fruit and then a body collided with her, throwing her aside
a cloud of noxious fumes ripped through the space she had just occupied, causing grass to shrivel and trees to wither
she felt hands on her arms and shoulders, and then Iris was yelling at her, hauling her to her feet amidst pained racking coughs
they didn’t have time to stop, barrelling through the trees in a mad dash to get away
as furious roars filled the air behind them, Iris stumbled through the underbrush, her legs unsteady beneath her
Maia looped an arm under her shoulder, and now the twins were supporting each other in a tangle of limbs
minutes passed. Or maybe just seconds. And then the two broke from the tree line onto an open road
sea winds rushed up to meet them, and Iris' legs fully gave out as she began greedily sucking in gasps of fresh air
“come on!” Maia urged, trying to drag her sister to her feet
but Iris was of no use now, her eyes bulging and her face flushed with colour
something ripped its way out of the underbrush and Maia turned sharply, instinctively raising the dagger that was still clutched in a death grip
instead of the dragon she was expecting, she found Cyrene and her rhomphaia, halfway through a cut that would have cleaved her in two
recognising each other at the same time, the pair lowered their weapons and turned to the wheezing half elf at their feet
concern flashing across her face, Cyrene dropped to her knees in preparation to cast a spell
before she could begin, however, Oryk emerged from the grove, blood splattered across his hands
“we don’t have time for that. Get her up!”
he raced past them, leading the charge back towards the beach
with a grunt of exertion, Cyrene lifted Iris into her arms like a baby, shoving her rhomphaia into Maia's hands
keeping a wary eye on her sister, Maia followed the half orc as she began jogging after their leader
as they ran, Oryk settled into pace beside Maia, shooting her a questioning look between grunts of breath
“do you have it?”
the half elf's shoulders fell, and she quietly shook her head
“it wasn’t there”
Oryk’s face turned a dark shade of red, and a vein bulged in his head
“what do you mean it wasn’t there?!”
“the amulet is gone. We missed it”
a stream of vile curses flowed from Oryk’s lips, and Maia wisely chose to keep her eyes forward and mouth shut
they reached the beach in record time, and Cyrene carefully laid Iris down into their waiting boat
as Oryk and Maia began pushing the vessel into the rolling surf, the dwarf gave her a hateful glare
“hells spare you when they find out we failed”
“we...haven’t...failed...yet”
Oryk turned his ire on Iris, who lay curled across the edge of the boat trying her best to suck in what air she could
“we...know...where...its...going,” she continued between strained, wheezing breaths. “We...still...have...time...”
leaping into the boat with a splash of water, Oryk waited just long enough for his companions to get in before heaving away with the oars
“we’d better. For all our sakes”
he sliced through the water with powerful strokes, driving them into deeper and darker waters
Maia slunk down beside Iris, taking her sister’s hand into her own
Iris dropped her head onto Maia’s shoulder, and the twins watched as the shores of Kalikos drifted further and further away

First Post: https://www.reddit.com/CradledDnDStories/comments/x8zwpv/athos_1_a_new_world_of_opportunity/
Last Post: https://www.reddit.com/CradledDnDStories/comments/1b2taqi/athos_35_mirror_mirro
Next Post:

I currently (40M) had my ex (35F) completely destroy our relationship while I was working out of town for a few months. This happened a year ago and wish I had these stories as a resource while going through it. I have just started to use Reddit and been reading the experiences of others here and have decided to share my story in hopes it will maybe help others. That way some good may come from some of the worst times of my life.
A little backstory for context for the story and insight to some of the decisions I made. When I turned 30 I left the major city in my Province (it is like a state if you are an American) because buying just a simple house is over a million dollars and I don't make near enough to afford that. My goal was to move to somewhere more rural to buy a house, meet someone, get married and have a child or two. It was my only dream I had and believed I could attain it. I lived out in the bush on my step dads property in a run down trailer I bought so I could save money for the first 3 years. I had my dog but the loneliness of living in the middle of nowhere had got to me. By then I had saved a fair amount of money, so I decided to move into the town. It was nice, it cut my commute down by 40 minutes, I had started to make a few friends and no longer felt so isolated. It was through my friends I met my future ex. Let's call her Kali. She had a long term boyfriend when we first met. Their relationship ended a couple of years after meeting her and we started dating a few months after.
We mostly had a great relationship for the next 4 years. The only thing was it was on again off again. She would dump me after I did anything really special for her for a week and beg me to take her back. It was like clockwork. I used to think it was because of her depression and that she didn't believe she deserved to be truly happy. Nowadays I actually think she might have been cheating the whole time and just felt guilty about it when I did nice stuff for her but I will never know the truth. I don't care what the reality is anymore anyway, Time has a funny way of making stuff like that irrelevant. We did have one bigger break of about 5 months. When it happened I took time off work to travel in my RV the whole time. From spring to summer. I really didn't like the town I lived in and decided to use that time to check out the rest of my Provence to figure out where I wanted to restart my life. She was basically the only reason I stayed for so long. I did have a decent job and family close by but most people I met there were not good people. Lots of drug users, liars, and general scumbags. I had only a few real friends there. After I got back and had decided where I was going to move to she had decided she wanted me back. She begged me to stay and be with her. She told me that she wanted to get serious. We started making real progress about getting married, having kids and looking at buying a house. Everything was coming up Milhouse and I couldn't be happier. So You can probably guess this is when my tale becomes interesting for you and life got real bad for me.
My career is seasonal. I work from spring to the end of fall and can go on unemployment insurance or find work. My dad had asked if I could help on his farm breeding horses that winter when I had still planned to leave my town. I had promised him that I would because it would give me a place to stay before people in my field of work would be looking for employees. This had been agreed upon before me and Kali had got back together. Now I have always been a man of my word. It's something I take great pride in. I have always hated liars. I don't mind a little embellishment to make a story more fun or if two people's stories are different as long as they both believe that was how the events happened. Everyone remembers things slightly off. She was upset that I had intended to keep my word to my dad but I had every second weekend off. The town my dad is in was only a 2 hour drive. So I told her I would be back twice monthly for weekends and that it would only be for 4 months. For the first two months everything seemed fine. During this time I started to look at rings to pop the question and booked an expensive spa for two days in May to propose. There was only one weird thing that happened during the first two months. On one of my visits she confided in me that her brother's wife had cheated on him and that their newborn baby was most likely not his. I was shocked that she not only knew but didn't plan to tell him. She said she didn't want to tell him for fear of breaking up the family. I told her that he has the right to know and that she was being a bad sister by knowing and not telling him. I also informed her if he found out she knew and didn't say anything that he would most likely kick her out of his life. She made me swear I wouldn't tell him. Even though I thought it was wrong I did agree to not say anything. It did get me wondering how she could not only not tell him but stay friends with someone that could do that to her brother. I think that's when I started to question her morals. The third month she asked that I didn't come out because she was "sick". I told her I didn't care, I could still come out and take care of her. She convinced me that she didn't want me to come so I just worked on the farm instead. I switched weekends so I could come out the next instead of in two weekends. The weekend she was "sick" her phone was off the whole time, lasting into the week. She told me her phone went through the washing machine. She was actually on a bender but I didn't learn that till later.
So I head out the following weekend. As soon as I arrive I start getting super sketchy vibes. I was already weirded out about the stuff with her brother and ghosting me for 4 days as we talked/texted multiple times a day normally. At first she acts great to me, cooks me steak and we go out to the bush to have a fire in the snow. At the fire she really started drinking heavily. She then mentions a guy she had been hanging with lets call him Brad. So alarm bells start going through my head. We go back to her house and she keeps drinking. I wanted to keep a clear head so I only had three beers all evening. She put her phone down unlocked because of how drunk she was and I took it to the bathroom with me to look up texts between them. I felt so guilty for doing it at first but once I see the text between the two of them the guilt is replaced with rage. I go to her room to confront her and she breaks down. First, how dare I go through her phone, this never would have happened if I would have broken my promise to my dad, nothing really happened between them, blah, blah, blah. I was furious and drove off. She blows up my phone the whole time. I don't answer. Ten minutes after I left her mother called me. She lives at her moms house. I took the call and her mom said she is freaking out and has harmed herself. I decide to go back and she has a bandage wrapped around her arm. Her mom hid all the sharp objects she could find. She was having a full on panic attack and begs me to not leave. I told her I would stay if she told me the truth. She admits to hooking up with him one time just that last weekend when she asked me not to come out. It kind of matches the messages and I believe her. I stay there till she falls asleep. Once she does I send Brad a text saying that she has a boyfriend with some screen shots of our conversations me and her have had that week. I was about to drive back to the farm when the dude called her phone. I pick up the call and tell him I am her boyfriend. He asks if that was a joke and I assure him it is not. He said he didn't know and actually apologized. I tell him that I'm pissed but if he didn't know I couldn't blame him. I should have asked him more questions but I was tired, not thinking straight and just wanted to go back to the Farm even though it was two am by this point. I get home and crash. Turned my ringer off because I know once she wakes up she will start calling like crazy. After getting the horses in for the night I decided to look at my phone for the first time all day. Around thirty missed calls and a ton of texts. I decide I need another day before I talk to her. Now while the whole day all I can think about is that it was just one time, she seems to be genuinely remorseful about it, how I'm 39 and really want children before I get too old. I took a call from her the next day on Sunday in the morning. She is still wasted. She hadn't stopped drinking since I was there Friday. We talk and I tell her that I am really upset but am willing to give us another chance. I still was in love with her and wanted to have kids, get married and buy a house with her. It was the dream I felt I worked so hard for. She was so happy I took her back and swore to me nothing like this would ever happen again. Basically I was a fool lol.
So I decided on my next set of days off to borrow my stepdads summer home on the river so we can have the place to ourselves. I grab food that she loves so I can cook her dinner and try to make it very romantic. I want to rekindle my love with her so I wanted to go all out on an amazing weekend. I pick her up and she is already a little drunk. I kind of wanted to hang sober but I don't wanna mess up with her so don't say anything thinking we can do a sober day when I take her out to go shopping and dinner the next day. When we get there she gets hammered. Kali had brought a big of bottle fireball on top of a bunch of white claws. I again didn't really drink that night. Once she was drunk and tired I carried her to the bed. As Kali is in my arms she looks up at me and says in slurred words "I don't know why you even felt threatened by Joe" I ask "what did you just say?". "I don't know why you even felt threatened by Brad" she replied. I put her to bed and my mind starts racing. Now her ex before me has a really close name to the one she said first but I also know she has a friend named Joe I only met a couple of times. They were not close or even hung out but were more like acquaintances. I go in her purse to look at her phone again but the battery is dead and I can't find her charger. I have an Iphone so I can't charge it up to look. I didn't sleep that well that night with everything going on in my head. I woke up at 6 am to her being very loud on the phone. I went out to the living room and she had drank all the booze left over from the night before. I ask her who she was on the phone with and she tells me an uber to leave. I ask why is she going to leave? Kali tells me she is upset that I tried to get into her phone. Guess I didn't put it back in her purse. Must have been out of sorts and forgot. I tell her I can drive her once I go to the washroom and get some clothes on. I go to do that, come out of the washroom to see Kali has already left. She was so drunk that she had left half her stuff behind. I decided to have breakfast before bringing her stuff to her house. After breakfast I packed her stuff into my SUV and noticed it had snowed that night. I could see her footprints out into the driveway. While Dropping off her stuff I noticed there were no footprints leading to her house, so I tried calling Kali. No answer. I left her stuff in the snow and decided to drive by her brothers and sisters house to see if there were footprints going into any of their houses but there were none. I sent her a nasty text about knowing she didn't go home, to go be with Brad or Joe or whoever and never call me again. It was a lot more profane than that but that's the gist of it. Cleaned up the house my stepdad lent me and back off to the farm yet again. The next day she blows up my phone and again I wait another day to talk to her. She tells me that she went home but I know that can't be true from the snow, but she says I must have been mistaken. She apologizes for getting drunk and leavening and that she is going to stop drinking after her birthday in two weeks. She has rented a hotel in the town I'm in for her birthday and wants to spend it with me. I agree just because I have to know the truth and want to look at her phone to make sure I am not crazy. She had gaslit me to the point I was questioning what I saw with my own eyes. A couple of days later I decided to send Joe a message on Facebook to see if he would give me the truth. I get a text from her telling me not to bug her friend and that she is embarrassed. I apologize and tell her I am excited about her birthday soon.
The weekend of her birthday comes so I go to meet her at the hotel. She brought her sister and other friend along. It actually is a really fun time. The girls did coke the first night into the second evening. I don't really like it but I figured she can let loose especially if she is going to stop drinking after her birthday. I also knew by Saturday night that they would all crash hard so it would give me time to look at her phone so I could know the truth. As I mentioned the weekend was really fun so I felt bad about going into her phone yet again. I did it anyway and my whole world came crashing down. Now I figured that I would maybe see Brad or Joe texts and Facebook messages. Seemed like Brad was done but Joe and her were totally hooking up. I also found out that she had slept with 3 other guys. I also saw she was using coke all the time now. She did it maybe three times a year when we dated but now it was every weekend. It looked like she started using regularly right before I left for the farm. Joe helped get it for her too, out of all the guys he was the one she hung with the most. Turns out he was also a meth head who was trying to quit for her. She also went to his house the morning she left the other weekend to hook up and buy coke. I was floored. I just staired and took screen shots till the early morning. I decided I wasn't just going to dump her but I wanted to ruin her life not realizing she was already doing that all by herself but hindsight is 20 20. So I started coming up with a plan of what I was going to do. I woke up the next morning and acted like everything was fine and went back to the farm. I was still so upset and didn't want to harm myself or others so had a family friend take my firearms for a while. I don't think I would have used them on myself or others but I knew I wasn't thinking clearly and didn't want them in my house while I was like that.
I didn't have to see her till I moved back because the next set I had off I had tickets for a concert in the city I used to live in. During that time all I thought about was how I was going to do something to ruin her life. I came up with some small things but my main plan was to pretend like we were fine and ghost her when my contract was up with my boss next winter. I had promised him another year after kali and I had gotten back together. Just typing it out makes me look back and cringe that I was so crazy. When I went to the city for the concert I told my best friend, my brother and a few others my plan. No one liked it and thought I should just go no contact, cut her straight out of my life. That probably was the smart thing to do but emotion was clouding my judgement. Also you all would get this story. They even informed me that because I would be lying to her, that I would be compromising my morals and turning into a worse person they didn't recognize. I either didn't see it that way or care. I have a hard time recalling what my brain was thinking during that time. All seems like a haze now that it's been a year. I think I was really upset that my dream and all I had worked for was ruined. A friend later said I may have been in love with the dream and not her. Maybe that's the reason I kept up all this insanity.
My time on the farm had come to an end and I was moving back to the town me and my ex lived in. I was set with my plan, excited to implement it and have what I considered just. But you know what they say of the best laid plans. My ex wanted to go to hang at her brothers as a welcome home party. I went but ended up drinking. Heavily drinking, to the point of black out. I don't remember much from that night but have had it recounted for me. I woke up in the drunk tank. Guess I couldn't lie and play it cool then huh? The story I was told later is, while at her brothers I had gotten drunk and loud. Kept waking up the new baby and we were asked to leave. So we caught a cab and I confronted her in the cab but all I could do was call her a lying, cheating, whore on repeat. She got upset and ran into the house locking me out. I had a bunch of my stuff in her house so I went to the door and demanded she let me in. All the while still only referring to her as the aforementioned 3 words. She told me to leave but my jacket and wallet were inside. It was below freezing at night still and probably wouldn't have made it home in the state I was in. I then kicked in her door to keep calling her LCW and grab my stuff. She was on the phone to the police, so I was taken away by them. One of the lowest points in my life. It still brings me so much shame to this day but it is what happened and I am not going to sugar coat it. I never laid a finger on her and I am so happy that I hadn't. Laying hands on women in that way is one of the scummiest things a man can do. I had to go back to her house once they let me out because my stuff was still there. I apologized to her mom who had been at her boyfriends that evening promising to repair the door for her. Kali begged me to talk to her and like an idiot I didn't just leave. I told her I saw everything and she only admitted to Brad and Joe. Lying about them and the others the whole time. Even when I brought up the screen shots she still couldn't come clean. I left just shaking my head. There is still a ton to this story but this is long enough. I could do a part 2 if there is interest. Catching you folks up to where I am now and the messed up things that happened in between.

I realized recently that I kind of use Reddit as a diary. The place to share things that I wouldn't normally be able to and reflect on what I have been through.
So welcome to my mind I guess, and I find someone talkative and animated amazingly attractive.
It's honestly super important to me because on the talkative and extroverted scale I am very high up and basically spend all day just trying to experience new things and talk to people where I can.
I absolutely LIVE for a good conversation and find myself growing stressed and bent out of shape if I find myself isolated. I often annoy or overwhelm quieter, more shy folks so I want someone to match my energy and have the type of relationship where we stay up until 3 in the morning doing absolutely nothing but sharing stories and flirting when you find a real connection.
Everything you have to say to me would be important even the most mundane of stories and you would be my priority.
I wouldn't call myself clingy and I realize you have a life, I don't want to know what you're up to all the time and I won't keep tabs on you. But realize I genuinely care about what you're life is like, and find great joy in spending time with someone and if you can't make time for that then what's the point of being together?
Maybe I just want someone to adore me as much as I adore them. Someone I can build a future with and gives me motivation and happiness.
I don't really have an idea of what you would look like. I don't really have a "type" whereas most men seem to have a list of traits their ideal woman should have like a coffee drink or something. Hair color, eye color, and nationality never mattered to me though I do find shorter women more attractive (I am six feet tall myself). Hopefully you're not old enough to be my mother or so young it would be creepy.
I want to slow down and relax with someone and be stupid together. Go out and explore the world because shared experiences are always so much more special in my memories than ones where I was alone.
I've been working too hard and been too on my own lately so I dare you to make me stop and think for a moment.
I got time I promise.

I’m out of words.
A close friend of mine went to a club in Montreal for the first time. She told me how many guys harassed her and her friends, how she and her friends had to repeatedly say no, how they had to watch their drinks at all times, how a group of guys were watching all night waiting for girls to get very drunk, grabbing one of them without consent, … A club is supposed to let you have fun! Not feel unsafe! Not LITERALLY be unsafe!
Before anyone dares to say “that’s just the way it is”, let me just tell you that you NEED to stop normalizing this bullshit. This shit ain’t normal. Harassment ain't normal! Don't normalize it! Call it out!
Most often I hear guys saying how they’d always go to the club when they were younger and had so much fun. Meanwhile, (nearly if not) every woman who went to the bar has a story about getting harassed. There's an OBVIOUS problem here. What's being done about it?
I’m saddened by the fact my friends who are women, unlike their peers who are men, can’t simply enjoy going to the club without dealing with harassment constantly just because there are a ton of men out there who think it's acceptable to harass women. Consent can be learned. This behaviour shouldn't be tolerated. Creeps should be THROWN OUT or thrown in jail.
Clubs NEED trained female staff security. Clubs need to give severe and deserved consequences to the men who won’t respect a woman’s space. And if they won't, then law has to enter the chat to bring justice.
People need to KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS because women should be able to feel safe. So, to the men reading this, speak up, call out your friends when they do something that ain't right, hold other guys accountable when they do something they shouldn’t and make jokes that aren’t actually jokes, talk about this huge issue to raise awareness. Genuinely. Your voice is needed.
And if you feel attacked by this post, a post made by a young woman in Montreal who just wants women to be able to feel safe when they go to clubs, then you're a part of the problem and you gotta figure this shit out.
You're probably wondering : how is one post going to change anything? Well it's by starting the discussion by talking about it that people can be aware of it and speak up regarding it too. We can't leave this problem in the shadows. It's not fair. Women deserve better.

This question is out of curiosity. I’ve never had a relationship before as well. Regardless of what you think of age gap relationships, I do wonder if it’s realistic.
At the end of the day, I’ll take what I can get.
I’ve wasted enough of my life. I’d be willing to date someone 28 to 32, but on condition that kids are never on the table.
I'm not saying all women 25 and above want kids and marriage, but I do bet they want something serious and committed; yes I dare say something very adult.
I'm just not ready for that type of relationship yet where most of my days are work and doing errands. I very still much want to go out until 4 in the morning on a Saturday. And I'd be cool with it if it was almost every Saturday. I feel people my age are past that now.
I just want my first relationship to be fun as it can be even though I’m in adulthood now.
So yes, as a male that's never ever had a girlfriend ever, I much prefer women on the younger end. If that makes me a creepy pervert, so be it. But that's not the point of post.
I just want to know if it's feasible to be in age gap relationship like that despite it being unlikely. I do recognize that at the end of the day, women prefer men their age.

I realized recently that I kind of use Reddit as a diary. The place to share things that I wouldn't normally be able to and reflect on what I have been through.
So welcome to my mind I guess, and I find someone talkative and animated amazingly attractive.
It's honestly super important to me because on the talkative and extroverted scale I am very high up and basically spend all day just trying to experience new things and talk to people where I can.
I absolutely LIVE for a good conversation and find myself growing stressed and bent out of shape if I find myself isolated. I often annoy or overwhelm quieter, more shy folks so I want someone to match my energy and have the type of relationship where we stay up until 3 in the morning doing absolutely nothing but sharing stories and flirting when you find a real connection.
Everything you have to say to me would be important even the most mundane of stories and you would be my priority.
I wouldn't call myself clingy and I realize you have a life, I don't want to know what you're up to all the time and I won't keep tabs on you. But realize I genuinely care about what you're life is like, and find great joy in spending time with someone and if you can't make time for that then what's the point of being together?
Maybe I just want someone to adore me as much as I adore them. Someone I can build a future with and gives me motivation and happiness.
I don't really have an idea of what you would look like. I don't really have a "type" whereas most men seem to have a list of traits their ideal woman should have like a coffee drink or something. Hair color, eye color, and nationality never mattered to me though I do find shorter women more attractive (I am six feet tall myself). Hopefully you're not old enough to be my mother or so young it would be creepy.
I want to slow down and relax with someone and be stupid together. Go out and explore the world because shared experiences are always so much more special in my memories than ones where I was alone.
I've been working too hard and been too on my own lately so I dare you to make me stop and think for a moment.
I got time I promise.

So the answer to this might be obvious, but I'm struggling because it's a delicate situation(s).
I have two residents that have daughters who are their POA and are complete nightmares. Both these people seem eager to hop on any small thing and will write paragraphs about how it's unacceptable and even blown things out of proportion and called state and installed cameras in the rooms (our IT department is coming to remove them this week as this is against our privacy policy).
Some examples include: reporting the fact that all caregivers have keys (that are turned in at the end of their shift) to the state because if someone forgot to turn it in and took it home, some random might take the key and come in and rape her mom. Same person also reported that a window (that she opened and didn't close) wasn't closed and locked because again, someone might come in and rape her mom. Same person also reported one of the painters doing our building for being on his cell phone with his boss because "he could have been taking pictures of her". Obviously, all reports came back as unfounded.
The other one had a problem with how the dermatologist had written an order for clobetasol and triamcinolone for 14 days on, 7 days off, then repeat AS NEEDED for flares and that we dared to make it PRN after her skin had remained clear. When she had a flare up, she was outraged that I'd made the order scheduled again after notifying her doctor. She also accused our maintenance director of making her raised toilet seat "unsafe" (aka fixing it so it actually fit and didn't slide around after she had first installed it, which led to her mom falling). She's threatened to call APS multiple times, but hasn't.
While these people are a massive headache to deal with, what really gets me is how the residents always feel the need to apologize for their daughters and tell us that they are happy and tell the staff and I that they appreciate us. They literally beg us not to call them or let them know if anything comes up like a fall, their blood sugar is high, or anything similar because "I don't want her to yell at me again". I've heard them yelling and talking shit about the staff, which then always turn into long winded emails laced with vitriol and aggressive tones and backhanded "thanks for taking care of this yesterday when I asked about it TWO WEEKS AGO" and the like.
We are planning to meet with each of them to discuss their concerns as this has been their standard form of communication for months now despite making multiple attempts to establish and request calm, constructive communication.
How have you guys dealt with these kinds of people before? Any success in establishing a better relationship short of telling them that they're reactionary, aggressive, and their own parents are scared of them? Lol but seriously, the amount of hours I've spent trying to placate these women is insane, and I can't continue with this, so any tips or experiences are very much appreciated!

I am now older (43f) and wiser and far more subtle in my petty revenge ...but, at this time? I was younger (21) angry, petty, spurred on my an equally petty friend (22f then), and he deserved it.
I had a get together for Halloween with a few friends. It was the usual early 20s social situation with drinks, cards and tequila shots. (I know... I know.)
A guy I had previously had a fling with (truly nothing serious--he was just tall, cute as all hell and had adorable dimples but our personalities didn't mesh) was invited as a friend. No big deal.
Card game turned into Texas Hold Em and bizarre dares after you were out of poker chips. My "ex" was losing BADLY. What started as us daring him to strip somehow escalated to him running outside, nude and in 2 feet of snow, to the pond behind the apartment buildings to acquire a cup of water... and then escalated to him going, in VERY sloppy drag, to the grocery store to buy an eggplant, lube, and condoms.
Now... this is all ridiculous already. (Tequila is a bad decision, kids!) A truly memorable but insane night that can ONLY be survived or created in your early 20s.
My friend (who spurred me on) and him began flirting and things escalated a bit between them. There were photos of him in drag taken, and photos of him with my friend as well.
They made plans to see a movie a couple days later after a few calls...
He never showed up and then ghosted her.
Could we have blown it off and moved on?
Absolutely.
Did we?
Hell freaking no.
We did a bit of online stalking and found out he not only HAD A GIRLFRIEND but was LIVING with her! (Where do these people find the time for this... and how do you NOT ask questions when your man doesn't come home?!)
We hatched a plan.
We took the photos and printed them... of him in drag flirting with my friend, nude with the cup, and doing lap dances on guys in drag.
We sent them, 1 by 1 in an order telling a story... every other day... by mail... to his girlfriend.
Did we stop there?
HELL NO.
We signed him up for drag clothing catalogs and sex toys created especially for gay men. We sent him about $200 worth of the most bizarre "eggplant" items we could find including straws, a hat that sort of resembled a penis shaped Pope hat, etc.
After 2 weeks of those packages... that we made sure would be delivered when HE was gone and SHE was home (but addressed to him and, in quotes, his goofy name from that night) we did 1 more thing...
20 lbs of the most powder fine glitter we could find in a glitter bomb.
She dumped him within a month... and he's a cheater to this day in his relationships.
The lesson?
Don't cheat... and don't piss off 2 petty women at the same time.

Biting the bullet here .. I wrote a book, and I'm embarrassed to share, but I would love someone to read and provide feedback?
Few of my friends are readers and the two who are just had babies so they don't have time to read right now. I'm embarrassed to share, but proud of the achievement. Would love for someone to actually read it and provide feedback? 😅
BLURB
In a world ravaged by a devastating apocalypse, a diverse group of survivors defy the bleak landscape to seek sanctuary amidst the chaos. When battle-hardened ex-soldiers Austin and Ben, along with their survivalist group, stumble upon the enigmatic Beth fighting for her life, their fates become intertwined in unexpected ways.
As trust grows and a passionate connection ignites between Beth and Ben, their fragile bond is tested when a ruthless gang seizes control. Branded by captivity, the group is torn apart as the men are condemned to gruelling labour on the desolate Alcatraz island, while Beth becomes a pawn in the hands of the sadistic leader, Marcus.
Struggling to adapt and survive in her new reality, Beth discovers strength she never knew she possessed, her heart torn between loyalty to Austin and love for Ben. Meanwhile, as the imprisoned men meticulously plan an audacious escape, they face harrowing choices that will determine their fate and that of the women left behind.
With each heartbeat echoing with uncertainty, Beth's yearning for reunion with her friends propels her through a treacherous journey of self-discovery and resilience against insurmountable odds. Will destiny reunite them, or will the shadows of despair cast a permanent divide?
Embark on an exhilarating odyssey filled with passion, treachery, and unyielding determination in this gripping narrative of love, betrayal, and the unyielding spirit that dares to endure.
TROPES
Love Triangle, Military Exploits, The Love Interest, Black-and-White Morality, Forced Proximity, Dystopian, End of Human Race, The Cliffhanger, Gaslighting
TRIGGER WARNINGS
This book contains themes and content that may be disturbing or triggering to some readers. Reader discretion is advised. The following themes are present throughout the narrative:

• Murder
• Abuse
• Rape
• Child murder
• Death
• Sickness
• Hunger
• Torture

Please be aware that the depiction of these themes is intended for mature audiences and may evoke strong emotional responses. If you find any of these topics distressing, consider carefully before proceeding with reading. Additionally, if you are sensitive to graphic or violent content, please take necessary precautions while engaging with this material.
LINK
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1C13RP https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CW1C13RP https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CW1C13RP https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CW1C13RP

I don't even know why I thought to bring this here lol it was just a thought I put into words. Kate is my favourite representation of a female character in a romantic lead for multiple reasons. Many people who have come forward say that they resonate with her and Edwina because of their Indian/South Asian heritage(please correct me if I got it wrong) and to see them represented on such a grand scale is a game-changer. I wholeheartedly agree with this but I am not Indian/South Asian(I am black) so the reason behind Kate being my favourite character is different. I am tall and I struggled with being comfortable with my height for the longest time and honestly, watching romcoms and seeing average height FMC's didn't help lmao. When tall women of colour were finally getting represented on screen they always had the "cool girl" persona, which I have no problem with but still. It's either they were strong female leads and feminists who did not care about love or viewed it as non-existent or they had strong beliefs which would get undermined by mere things like love. Now I am a hopeless romantic but I also have a set of firm beliefs and everywhere I looked the media made it seem as if you can't be both. So when I finally got introduced to Kate it was such a fresh take on a character that I found myself resonating with A LOT. Not only is Kate set on her beliefs and is very vocal about them, but she also believes in love and dare I say is a hopeless romantic. To see these two aspects which I had seen pitted against each other for so long be encompassed by one tall gorgeous woman......my little heart couldn't take it. I have never related to a character more than I do Kate. It felt like little old me was getting represented as well. I will forever love Kate and Simone Ashley for bringing her to life so well. This alone makes me certain that season 2 will forever remain my favourite despite all the other seasons to come and I'm not even saying this out of spite or anything but simply because I gravitate more towards characters that I feel represent me.

I realized recently that I kind of use Reddit as a diary. The place to share things that I wouldn't normally be able to and reflect on what I have been through.
So welcome to my mind I guess, and I find someone talkative and animated amazingly attractive.
It's honestly super important to me because on the talkative and extroverted scale I am very high up and basically spend all day just trying to experience new things and talk to people where I can.
I absolutely LIVE for a good conversation and find myself growing stressed and bent out of shape if I find myself isolated. I often annoy or overwhelm quieter, more shy folks so I want someone to match my energy and have the type of relationship where we stay up until 3 in the morning doing absolutely nothing but sharing stories and flirting when you find a real connection.
Everything you have to say to me would be important even the most mundane of stories and you would be my priority.
I wouldn't call myself clingy and I realize you have a life, I don't want to know what you're up to all the time and I won't keep tabs on you. But realize I genuinely care about what you're life is like, and find great joy in spending time with someone and if you can't make time for that then what's the point of being together?
Maybe I just want someone to adore me as much as I adore them. Someone I can build a future with and gives me motivation and happiness.
I don't really have an idea of what you would look like. I don't really have a "type" whereas most men seem to have a list of traits their ideal woman should have like a coffee drink or something. Hair color, eye color, and nationality never mattered to me though I do find shorter women more attractive (I am six feet tall myself). Hopefully you're not old enough to be my mother or so young it would be creepy.
I want to slow down and relax with someone and be stupid together. Go out and explore the world because shared experiences are always so much more special in my memories than ones where I was alone.
I've been working too hard and been too on my own lately so I dare you to make me stop and think for a moment.
I got time I promise.

I feel like I’m going crazy lol
I think I might actually be the only person who sees this as what my two best friends do to their partners as wrong. I feel like I’m living in the twilight zone whenever I try to talk about how uncomfortable their abuse makes me to feel to our other friends or to my sister and they just brush it off as “hahaha their toxicas 🥰” or as a funny little quirky thing women do bc of men being stupid or whatever. That has been the response from every person I’ve tried to talk to this about, or they try to defend them because their partners like other girls instagram photos or they glanced at some girl in public, or sometimes they simply just think it’s a good thing.
I think it’s so insanely fucked up. When one of the couples fight in public, they’ll hit, slap, punch their boyfriend, call them all sorts of fucked up names, have went as far as bringing up their dead loved ones, and I can see the frustration and love leave their partners faces. And it’s so fucked up when me or one of my friends check up with them and the reason why they did all that shit was because he dared to even make the smallest talk towards another woman.
When I first noticed the abuse, I will admit, I thought they had to have done something to deserve it; yes, I was a piece of shit for thinking this way. But when I would closely analyze what would lead to my two best friends literally being abusive pieces of shit, it is literally because their partners would be a decent human being towards anyone female, whether it was fake laughing at a female waitresses joke, or picking up a woman’s bag, or literally looking at a woman for far too long, this would flip this switch in both of my best friends brains where they turn into abusive pieces of shits.
I can’t ignore it for any longer. I thought, maybe if I stayed to myself, both of them would have some sense and breakup with their partners. But after witnessing what happened over the weekend, I think these two men need help and I think my two best friends need help. On Saturday, my group of friends went to a house party, including one of my best friends and her partner. I was immediately wary when I saw that they came, silently praying they wouldn’t fight in public, especially at this very low-key house party.
Well I was wrong. Not only did they have their usual fits of rage, hitting, cussing each other out, but her boyfriend finally snapped and just screamed everything he was holding in. He was kicked out, she was being comforted, and I felt so horrible for letting it get this bad. I haven’t talked to both of my friends ever since that night. Their abuse has been enabled by almost everyone we know; they think it’s funny, think it’s powerful, or that their boyfriends deserved it. I feel so uncomfortable being the only person in our friend group to think of this as morally wrong. They share memes about hurting their boyfriends! It’s all just been so normalized for so long.
How do I confront my two best friends, and by extent, my whole entire friend group, about their abusive behavior? I do think they have the capacity to change but not without being confronted. I want to hold an intervention but I would be the only one against their behavior. I also want to reach out to their partners but I don’t want to trigger my two best friends. Thank you reading my endless rant. All advice is appreciated.
TLDR; My two best friends (F22, F21) are physically and verbally abusive to their partners (M22, M22). This lead to one of them literally breaking down at a house party we were at. None of my friends or my two best friends see what they do as wrong. How can I confront their abusive behavior and stop them?

This is an expansion of a recent post and also incorporates some ideas from this theory (by u/ndependent-Design17). Throughout the series the reader is repeatedly reminded that "only death can pay for life" — that magic, especially powerful magic, comes at great cost.

"Only death can pay for life, my lord. A great gift requires a great sacrifice.”

Davos, ASOS
This phrase or variations of this phrase are repeated by Melisandre, Mirri, etc. at various points throughout the series. That which follows is a highly speculative theory on the nature of the cost of magic in the series. Specifically, that souls are central to the exercise of magic and can be used as magic currency.

1. establishing the concept of the soul

Oh, to be sure, there is much we do not understand. The years pass in their hundreds and their thousands, and what does any man see of life but a few summers, a few winters? We look at mountains and call them eternal, and so they seem… but in the course of time, mountains rise and fall, rivers change their courses, stars fall from the sky, and great cities sink beneath the sea. Even gods die, we think. Everything changes.

Bran, AGOT
What happens after we die? Is there some part of us that lives on or do we simply cease to exist. These are fundamental questions that are essentially unanswerable in life but not in ASOIAF. The reader is given a point-of-view account of death in the prologue of ADWD. After unsuccessfully attempting to steal the body of Thistle, a wildling spearwife, Varamyr dies and briefly becomes a disembodied consciousness:

The white world turned and fell away. For a moment it was as if he were inside the weirwood, gazing out through carved red eyes as a dying man twitched feebly on the ground and a madwoman danced blind and bloody underneath the moon, weeping red tears and ripping at her clothes. Then both were gone and he was rising, melting, his spirit borne on some cold wind. He was in the snow and in the clouds, he was a sparrow, a squirrel, an oak. A horned owl flew silently between his trees, hunting a hare; Varamyr was inside the owl, inside the hare, inside the trees. Deep below the frozen ground, earthworms burrowed blindly in the dark, and he was them as well. I am the wood, and everything that’s in it, he thought, exulting.

Prologue, ADWD
Afterward his "spirit," or soul, is eventually transferred into a body of wolf and he begins his second life. This event, and the process of skin-changing more generally, appears to involve projection or transfer of a soul from one body into another. The process of projecting or transferring souls to either animal vessels or the weirwoods is central to the magic of the Children of the Forest.

“Someone else was in the raven,” he told Lord Brynden, once he had returned to his own skin. “Some girl. I felt her.”
“A woman, of those who sing the song of earth,” his teacher said. “Long dead, yet a part of her remains, just as a part of you would remain in Summer if your boy’s flesh were to die upon the morrow. A shadow on the soul. She will not harm you.”
"Do all the birds have singers in them?"
“All,” Lord Brynden said.

Bran, ADWD
After death a "shadow on the soul" of the Singers remain in the crows. The soul of Orell is also described as living on in the body of his eagle after his death.
This process appears to take two forms: the soul can be temporarily projected from one body into another (e.g., as happens when Bran skin-changes into Hodor) or can be permanently transferred as is described in the separate examples above.
These transferred souls merge with their recipient, at least to some degree, and may decay over time:

"The wolf is part of you from that day on, and you’re part of him. Both of you will change.”
Other beasts were best left alone, the hunter had declared. Cats were vain and cruel, always ready to turn on you. Elk and deer were prey; wear their skins too long, and even the bravest man became a coward. Bears, boars, badgers, weasels … Haggon did not hold with such. “Some skins you never want to wear, boy. You won’t like what you’d become.” Birds were the worst, to hear him tell it. “Men were not meant to leave the earth. Spend too much time in the clouds and you never want to come back down again.
...
"They say you forget," Haggon had told him, a few weeks before his own death.
"When the man's flesh dies, his spirit lives on inside the beast, but every day his memory fades, and the beast becomes a little less a warg, a little more a wolf, until nothing of the man is left and only the beast remains."

Prologue, ADWD
Bran is provided with similar warnings about the danger of spending too much time in Summer's skin by Jojen.
The Bran that appears to Jon-Ghost in the vision in ACOK is also likely the lingering soul of a non-contemporary Bran, contained in the weirwoods and communicating from the future.

The weirwood had his brother’s face. Had his brother always had three eyes?
Not always, came the silent shout. Not before the crow.
He sniffed at the bark, smelled wolf and tree and boy, but behind that there were other scents, the rich brown smell of warm earth and the hard grey smell of stone and something else, something terrible. Death, he knew. He was smelling death. He cringed back, his hair bristling, and bared his fangs.
"Don’t be afraid, I like it in the dark. No one can see you, but you can see them. But first you have to open your eyes. See? Like this." And the tree reached down and touched him.

Jon, ACOK
There is more information about this in the Time Traveling Bran series. Briefly, the version of Bran in this vision does not appear to be contemporaneous because likes the dark, is able to open Jon's third eye, smells of death, etc. (This is well outside of the scope of this theory however.)

2. shadow magic requires souls

As above the reader is repeatedly reminded throughout the series that "only death can pay for life." What is specifically being sacrificed, though? Is the magic being fueled by the blood of the sacrificed or by something else?
To answer this let us examine one of the most concrete example of magic in the series, the use or exchange of Stannis Baratheon's "life-fire" in order for Melisandre to manifest the shadows used to kill Renly Baratheon and Courtney Penrose.

Shadows only live when given birth by light, and the king's fires burn so low I dare not draw off any more to make another son. It might well kill him."
Melisandre moved closer.
"With another man, though... a man whose flames still burn hot and high... if you truly wish to serve your king's cause, come to my chamber one night. I could give you pleasure such as you have never known, and with your life-fire I could make..."

Davos, ASOS
According to this explanation, the cost of producing these shadow appears to have been part of his "life-fire," or soul. The shadow is specifically described as having the shape Stannis supporting this. Whether this applies to other types of magic — specifically blood magic or fire magic — is less clear but shadow magic very much appears to require the use of souls.
This type of exchange is also directly referenced in the story of the Night's King provided by Old Nan:

A woman was his downfall; a woman glimpsed from atop the Wall, with skin as white as the moon and eyes like blue stars. Fearing nothing, he chased her and caught her and loved her, though her skin was cold as ice, and when he gave his seed to her he gave his soul as well. (Credit to u/DigLost5791 for this reference.)

Bran, ASOS
Stannis is described by Davos afterward as follows:

The look of him was a shock. He seemed ten years older than the man that Davos had left at Storm’s End when he set sail for the Blackwater and the battle that would be their undoing. The king’s close-cropped beard was spiderwebbed with grey hairs, and he had dropped two stone or more of weight. He had never been a fleshy man, but now the bones moved beneath his skin like spears, fighting to cut free. Even his crown seemed too large for his head. His eyes were blue pits lost in deep hollows, and the shape of a skull could be seen beneath his face.

Davos, ASOS
Asha later describes Stannis as appearing life a "man with one foot in the grave."

What little flesh he’d carried on his tall, spare frame at Deepwood Motte had melted away during the march. The shape of his skull could be seen under his skin, and his jaw was clenched so hard Asha feared his teeth might shatter.

Asha, ADWD
These descriptions seem appropriate for a character that has lost part of their "life-fire" or soul.
Throughout the series Stannis is forced to make a series of increasingly difficult decisions. The most significant of these decisions regards the fate of his nephew, Eric Storm. Melisandre repeatedly urges him to "give [her] the boy," presumably to be burned, but is rebuffed by Stannis.

“I know the cost! Last night, gazing into that hearth, I saw things in the flames as well. I saw a king, a crown of fire on his brows, burning… burning, Davos. His own crown consumed his flesh and turned him into ash. Do you think I need Melisandre to tell me what that means? Or you?” The king moved, so his shadow fell upon King’s Landing.
"…what is the life of one bastard boy against a kingdom?”
“Everything,” said Davos, softly.

Davos, ASOS
Is the life of this bastard boy worth the lives of millions that would die if the Others break through the Wall? Making a deal with the devil and literally selling his soul in pursuit of some greater good seems very appropriate for his character, thematically. The description of his flesh turning to ash in this vision is representative also supports this interpretation.

3. blood and fire magic

As opposed to the creation of the shadows described above, we are also provided an example of so-called blood magic in the leech burning ritual.

“Give me the boy, Your Grace. It is the surer way. The better way. Give me the boy and I shall wake the stone dragon.”
...
Melisandre bowed her head stiffly, and said, “As my king commands.” Reaching up her left sleeve with her right hand, she flung a handful of powder into the brazier. The coals roared. As pale flames writhed atop them, the red woman retrieved the silver dish and brought it to the king. Davos watched her lift the lid. Beneath were three large black leeches, fat with blood. The boy’s blood, Davos knew. A king’s blood. Stannis stretched forth a hand, and his fingers closed around one of the leeches.
“Say the name,” Melisandre commanded.

Davos, ASOS
Following this ritual all of the mentioned individuals do die but do so as the part of separate conspiracies (e.g., Robb Stark is betrayed by the Freys and Boltons, Joffrey Baratheon by Littlefinger and the Tyrells, etc.) which were already in place. It is left intentionally ambiguous by the author but it does not appear that the ritual meaningfully contributed to their deaths.
The creation of the shadows is said by Melisandre to have required part of Stannis' "life-fire" or soul. Could it be that the leech burning ritual was unsuccessful because blood alone is not sufficient as a sacrifice?
These forms of magic are frequently described in the community as "shadow magic" and "blood magic." These concepts — "fire and blood" and "flame and shadow" — are highly associated with one another in the text:

“Shadow?" Davos felt his flesh prickling. "A shadow is a thing of darkness."
”You are more ignorant than a child, ser knight. There are no shadows in the dark. Shadows are the servants of light, the children of fire. The brightest flame casts the darkest shadows."

Davos, ACOK
I speculate that these are different expressions of the same concept; that all of these fall under the general umbrella of fire magic and share common principles. "Fire consumes and in the end there's nothing left."

4. dancing shadows

The tent was aglow with the light of braziers within. Through the blood-spattered sandsilk, she glimpsed shadows moving.
Mirri Maz Duur was dancing, and not alone.
...
No, Dany wanted to say, no, not that, you mustn’t, but when she opened her mouth, a long wail of pain escaped, and the sweat broke over her skin. What was wrong with them, couldn’t they see?
Inside the tent the shapes were dancing, circling the brazier and the bloody bath, dark against the sandsilk, and some did not look human. She glimpsed the shadow of a great wolf, and another like a man wreathed in flames.
“The Lamb Woman knows the secrets of the birthing bed,” Irri said. “She said so, I heard her.”
“Yes,” Doreah agreed, “I heard her too.”
No, she shouted, or perhaps she only thought it, for no whisper of sound escaped her lips. She was being carried. Her eyes opened to gaze up at a flat dead sky, black and bleak and starless. Please, no. The sound of Mirri Maz Duur’s voice grew louder, until it filled the world. The shapes! She screamed. The dancers!
Ser Jorah carried her inside the tent.

Daenerys, AGOT
The introduction of shadow magic in the series is provided above with Mirri Max Duur. Following this ritual Drogo is described as a lifeless husk:

"He seems to like the warmth, Princess," Ser Jorah said. "His eyes follow the sun, though he does not see it. He can walk after a fashion. He will go where you lead him, but no farther. He will eat if you put food in his mouth, drink if you dribble water on his lips."

Daenerys, AGOT
It has previously been speculated that Mirri "reverse skin-changed" Drogo (e.g., "strength of the mount go into the rider, strength of the beast go into the man."). The description provided is less consistent with a horse soul inhabiting a human body than it is with the complete or near-complete absence of a soul. It appears more likely in retrospect that Mirri sacrificed part of Drogo's soul to summon the shadows and likely as a means to kill Daenerys' unborn child.

“The stallion who mounts the world will burn no cities now. His khalasar shall trample no nations into dust."

Daenerys, AGOT

5. reanimation

If "only death can pay for life" and souls are used as a form of magical currency how does one explain the reanimation or resurrection process?
There is a paucity of information on the reanimation of the dead in the series. The resurrection of Beric Dondarrion, for example, appears to be different in fundamental ways from that of the wights or Cold Hands. (We are potentially given a point-of-view account of this process if you accept that Victarion died in ADWD.)

“Thoros, how many times have you brought me back now?”
The red priest bowed his head. “It is R’hllor who brings you back, my lord. The Lord of Light. I am only his instrument.”
“How many times?” Lord Beric insisted.
“Six,” Thoros said reluctantly.
“And each time is harder. You have grown reckless, my lord. Is death so very sweet?”
Arya, ASOS

There is no immediately identifiable magical cost for these "kisses of life," at least at first glance. Thoros later tells us that he breathed part of his "flames" or soul into Beric:

“That first time, his lordship had a hole right through him and blood in his mouth, I knew there was no hope. So when his poor torn chest stopped moving, I gave him the good god's own kiss to send him on his way. I filled my mouth with fire and breathed the flames inside him, down his throat to lungs and heart and soul. The last kiss it is called, and many a time I saw the old priests bestow it on the Lord's servants as they died." (Credit to u/watchersontheweb for providing this quote in the initial thread.)

Arya, ASOS
Thoros is also described as appearing very different after performing this ritual several times in a way that is not entirely dissimilar to the changes in Stannis’ appearance referenced above.

“Here’s the wizard, skinny squirrel. You’ll get your answers now.”
He pointed toward the fire, where Tom Sevenstrings stood talking to a tall thin man with oddments of old armor buckled on over his ratty pink robes. That can’t be Thoros of Myr. Arya remembered the red priest as fat, with a smooth face and a shiny bald head. This man had a droopy face and a full head of shaggy grey hair.
...
“Thoros of Myr. You used to shave your head.”
“To betoken a humble heart, but in truth my heart was vain. Besides, I lost my razor in the woods.” The priest slapped his belly. “I am less than I was, but more. A year in the wild will melt the flesh off a man. Would that I could find a tailor to take in my skin. I might look young again, and pretty maids would shower me with kisses.”

Arya, ASOS
Thoros attributes these changes to his renewed devotion to the Red God and spending "a year in the wild" as above although he is not exactly forthcoming with Arya about the resurrection process. It is also likely that he does not entirely understand what specifically is being exchanged here.
Later he describes Beric giving the "kiss of life" to the corpse of Catelyn Stark:

“The Freys slashed her throat from ear to ear. When we found her by the river she was three days dead. Harwin begged me to give her the kiss of life, but it had been too long. I would not do it, so Lord Beric put his lips to hers instead, and the flame of life passed from him to her. And… she rose. May the Lord of Light protect us. She rose.”

Brienne, AFFC
Notably, this process produces a reanimated Catelyn (a.k.a. Lady Stoneheart). The soul of Beric, or at least whatever is left of his soul at this point in the series, is consumed in order to resurrect Catelyn and not transferred.

6. cold shadows (wild speculation)

The terms "white shadows," "pale shadows," and "cold shadows" are repeated used to describe the Others. The Others are also highly associated with ghosts — the spirits or souls of the dead bound to the earth. (The forrest in which they are introduced is literally called the Haunted Forrest.)

The Others made no sound.
Will saw movement from the corner of his eye. Pale shapes gliding through the wood. He turned his head, glimpsed a white shadow in the darkness. Then it was gone. Branches stirred gently in the wind, scratching at one another with wooden fingers. Will opened his mouth to call down a warning, and the words seemed to freeze in his throat. Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps it had only been a bird, a reflection on the snow, some trick of the moonlight. What had he seen, after all?
“Will, where are you?” Ser Waymar called up. “Can you see anything?” He was turning in a slow circle, suddenly wary, his sword in hand. He must have felt them, as Will felt them. There was nothing to see. “Answer me! Why is it so cold?” It was cold.
Shivering, Will clung more tightly to his perch. His face pressed hard against the trunk of the sentinel. He could feel the sweet, sticky sap on his cheek. A shadow emerged from the dark of the wood. It stood in front of Royce. Tall, it was, and gaunt and hard as old bones, with flesh pale as milk. Its armor seemed to change color as it moved; here it was white as new-fallen snow, there black as shadow, everywhere dappled with the deep grey-green of the trees. The patterns ran like moonlight on water with every step it took. Will heard the breath go out of Ser Waymar Royce in a long hiss. ...
The Other slid forward on silent feet. In its hand was a longsword like none that Will had ever seen. No human metal had gone into the forging of that blade. It was alive with moonlight, translucent, a shard of crystal so thin that it seemed almost to vanish when seen edge-on. There was a faint blue shimmer to the thing, a ghost-light that played around its edges, and somehow Will knew it was sharper than any razor.

Prologue, AGOT
This is again highly speculative but it seems reasonable to consider that these cold shadows are not "ice demons" or "ice zombies" but are in fact ghosts, the spirits or souls of men that are bound to the earth through magic by the Children of the Forest. (The textual evidence of the creation of the Others by the Children has previously been discussed at length in the community in separate posts.) "Fire consumes, but cold preserves."
This would explain several of the unusual characteristics of the Others described by Tormund:

“Tormund,” Jon said, as they watched four old women pull a cartful of children toward the gate, “tell me of our foe. I would know all there is to know of the Others.”
The wildling rubbed his mouth. “Not here,” he mumbled, “not this side o’ your Wall.” The old man glanced uneasily toward the trees in their white mantles. “They’re never far, you know. They won’t come out by day, not when that old sun’s shining, but don’t think that means they went away. Shadows never go away. Might be you don’t see them, but they’re always clinging to your heels.”
...
Tormund turned back.
"You know nothing. You killed a dead man, aye, I heard. Mance killed a hundred. A man can fight the dead, but when their masters come, when the white mists rise up… how do you fight a mist, crow? Shadows with teeth … air so cold it hurts to breathe, like a knife inside your chest … you do not know, you cannot know … can your sword cut cold?"

Jon, ADWD
A reasonable interpretation of this information is that the Others are present during the day, at least in some capacity, and are only able to assume corporeal form at night.
The Others are also described as "going lightly upon the snow" which would also supports the idea that they are ghosts:

“The white walkers go lightly on the snow,” the ranger said. “You’ll find no prints to mark their passage.”

Samwell, ASOS

7. conclusions

This highly speculative theory attempts to reconcile several seemingly disparate concepts in the series related to magic, namely the actual nature of magical sacrifice ("only death can pay for life") and shadows or shadow magic. More specifically, I suggest that souls are the primary magical currency and can be consumed using fire magic to summon shadows, create glamours, etc. I also speculate that similar processes took place during Mirri Maz Duur's shadow-binding ritual in AGOT and during the repeated resurrections of Berric Dondarrion in ASOS. I further suggest that the Others are ghosts, the spirits or souls of the dead bound to the earth.
EDIT: edited several times to address formatting issues