Hey mom, This semester in college, I found friends that I call family and am dating an incredible and kind person. After struggling with my mental health and illness throughout school, I’m proud to say I got a 4.0 this semester!!! I took a class in a subject I am passionate about and feel like I’ve found purpose in my work and in my life. Before we spoke, I was effectively taking care of myself. I was eating again, exercising, and the like. I fell in love with the kindest, most gentle soul in the entire world.
And all you or dad can talk to me about is my weight and how you can’t see beauty & worth in your own daughter. I don’t want your approval- I’m not sure if I’ve ever had it or if that is even a possibility. You both have curated a system where no matter what I do, no matter what dreams I dream and feelings I have; it is completely irrelevant to you. That’s confusing to me, but I find gratitude in that confusion. I don’t want to understand what it’s like to be you. And that is painful. It’s painful how you watched while my dad physically and emotionally abused me throughout my childhood. It’s also painful how you use what you learn in therapy to make excuses for my abuser, manipulate the situation and assume I am wrong for “being dramatic” or “overly emotional.”
And to you both- you see my success in life as a result of me “having it easy.” When I was younger this was effective in keeping me compliant but thinking about this as an adult makes me realize how full of shit you both are.
This is therapeutic for me, to be able to tell you the truth in such a way that is transparent and honest. If I told you this irl I would not be safe. And that tells me everything I need to know about the kind of person you really are. You are not the mom I would be excited to share the first part of this note with. At the end of the day, this is your loss more than mine. I lost an enabler. You lost a genuine, caring daughter who would have given anything to have a healthy relationship with you.

Hello, I just adopted an 8 week old kitten this past weekend. She was with a foster before I adopted her and the foster noted that one of the kittens in the liter kept having accidents but wasn't sure which kitten it was, now thinking it was mine.
I have been trying to keep track of when she goes to the bathroom, I have been putting her in the litter box every 2 hours and giving her a soft treat when she is done to establish a positive association. She poops in the litter box, she went to the litter box by herself today without me prompting her which was huge! Its more so her peeing while I am playing with her, while she's just sitting with me or when she is sleeping on me in particular.
Sometimes I can see when she has to go, she starts meowing like crazy while coming up to me so I put her in the litter box and she goes right away. It seems to only be me and not my boyfriend, he can lay with her and play with her without any accidents but the second she is with me she pees, although he hasn't had as much time with her just yet since he's been working. She has been fighting me a bit when I put her in the litter box, jumping out almost immediately.
I have a 4 year old cat I adopted 2 years ago, the slow introduction did not work as they met virtually right when I brought her home (she escaped the room I had her in so I could get the kitten set up properly). I have been in contact with the adoption place I got her from, they recommended the Dr Elseys Litter Attractant which I have, it worked right away but she doesn't go in by herself. I also use pretty litter and when she goes to the bathroom it comes up normal.
I did also get her pet insurance right away, I just don't know what else to do or how to help her. I am bringing her to the vet in the morning, but I wanted to see if anyone had similar experiences? I have two more days before I go back to work and I want to make sure she is comfortable and that she is not sick or anything. She is the cutest most playful little thing and I just want to make sure she is happy and healthy! Any advice, insight or help would be greatly appreciated!!

I apologize for the length, I want to give context of my whole journey. I tagged this as a question because I am legitimately lost, but it is also a bit of a rant.
I have had sleep problems since I can remember and I have always had a hard time sleeping at night. When I was about 20 I was diagnosed as having bipolar 2. None of the meds seemed to work very well so I continued research into my symptoms and found narcolepsy. I was surprised that it wasn't what I believed it to be (people who spontaneously fall asleep no matter what they are doing) but it checked way more of my symptoms than bipolar did. (insomnia at night, fragmented sleep, constant fatigue, constant naps, constant vivid dreams, sleep paralysis, etc)
After speaking to a doctor I scheduled a sleep study, and during the initial consultation the doctor was super unprofessional. He was openly flirting with my mom while basically bragging that he was "THE sleep specialist". My mom asked if narcolepsy could co-exist with bipolar disorder or if it better explained my struggles. At this point the doctor said that they are completely different things and that if I already got a bipolar diagnosis then a sleep study would basically be pointless but we could give it a shot anyway.
Before the study, he told me that absolutely under no circumstances was I allowed to fall asleep between MSLT naps because it would invalidate the results. During the MSLT I did everything I could to not sleep. I ended up spending a lot of the day pacing up and down the long hallway in the office so that I didn't fall asleep. When I went over the results with the doctor he told me that my average latency was about 4.5 minutes and that I had multiple SOREMPs (I don't remember how many. He clearly stated that while my symptoms looked like narcolepsy, I didn't have cataplexy and I didn't fall asleep during the time between naps on my MSLT which is something a "real" narcoleptic would do.
Ultimately he told me that even though my symptoms "looked like" narcolepsy, he "wouldn't touch my treatment with a ten foot pole" (his exact words) because if I DID have bipolar disorder, then the treatment for narcolepsy might send me into a manic episode that he "didn't want to be liable for".
Not knowing enough at the time to advocate for myself, I decided to keep getting treatment for bipolar. I quit taking the meds after trying a bunch of stuff.
Years later, after having a family, working a desk job, and gaining weight that I don't have the energy to lose, I decided that I was miserable and sought treatment for bipolar again, and once again the meds didn't help all that much. They had the added benefit of making me gain even more weight. At some point I ended up back on the narcolepsy research train and decided, again, that my symptoms were more completely explained by a sleep disorder. I worked with my doctor to get off of the anti-depressants and mood stabilizers to try a treatment plan that more closely resembled treatment for a hypersomnia disorder.
Once I had some small semblance of regulated wake/sleep cycles, my depression and mood issues evaporated almost instantly. Unless my sleep is messed with, I don't have any kind of depression or irritability.
I got a referral to a sleep specialist who told me during the consultation that my symptoms were "textbook narcolepsy" and scheduled me for a study. I failed to qualify for the MSLT because I didn't sleep enough during my PSG, and because I was ever so slightly over the limit on my arousal events for apnea. Part of this is because I am overweight, and part of it is because it was spring and I have allergies.
The doctor I had a consult with had left the practice in the six months between my initial consult. Another doctor read my results and said that I have apnea from being fat and that I need a cpap and to lose weight. At my follow up appointment I didn't get to speak to a doctor, but a PA. She said that my API was so barely over the threshold that my apnea was likely due to my weight. She asked about my symptoms and why I thought I had narcolepsy. When I described everything she told me that I clearly just have insomnia and need to try cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. She also told me that my medications were basically how they treat narcolepsy anyway and that she didn't understand why I wanted a diagnosis despite the fact that I cannot take sunosi, xyrem, xywav, or several other medications without some kind of hypersomnia diagnosis. She basically said that those meds wouldn't help me anyway, or at least not more than what I am currently taking (lunesta and vyvanse).
This was last June.
Frustrated, I decided to seek a second opinion with another sleep clinic. I FINALLY had the appointment this past week. This office did not have the results from my last test, and they didn't have me fill out basically any paperwork. Once again I got a PA, not a doctor. She told me that if I wanted to try the PSG again that I needed to get my circadian rhythm normalized so I should try light therapy. I have tried light therapy and it didn't. I have tried just about everything short of xyrem or other narcolepsy specific meds.
I don't even know what to do at this point. Even with lunesta and vyvanse I am so tired that I can barely function at work some days. I certainly don't have enough energy to exercise. I still have fragmented sleep, and I still have constant and intense vivid dreams. Light therapy did nothing for me, and when I looked it up almost everything I read said that it is not a suitable treatment for narcolepsy.
How am I supposed to reign in a circadian rhythm that basically doesn't exist?
What help is it to regulate a rhythm that will change the second I stop taking medications, which is a requirement of the sleep study.
Am I crazy for thinking that this is a pointless recommendation?
Am I wrong to be so frustrated with all of these medial professionals?
What can I even do at this point?
I feel so helpless and so angry. But most of all, I feel so, so tired.
I appreciate anyone who took the time to read this whole thing, and I welcome any advice or support you kind folks have to offer.

I held the package close, its precious contents pressed against my spine. The steady beeps that communicated life drove my exhausted legs forward. Even with the combat stimulants running rampant through my blood, my nervous system bringing fibrous polymer muscles to their brink, and a set of assisting servos practically tripling my stride speed, I was exhausted. The sun and its rays bared down on me like a predatory dragon, each ray a fang made of flame, ready to tear open my suit and scorch my skin…but not today.
“Not today!”
I picked my stride up and sent every muscle in my body past overdrive, I tore stone and sand as I sprinted farther forward and collapsed. I had finally made it to one of the only rations of shade on the desolate moon surface. As I hit the ground and retreated into the shade, I removed the pack from my shoulders and gently laid the box down. I opened the zipper that held the sunshade on and looked at the pale figure inside.
“Hello my love, I hope you’re resting well, we finally made it, now just time to wait…and you'll be better again”
I took my helmet off and took a deep breath before beginning to set up camp. I thought back to the mission room, where I was nearly denied entry to Io
“You understand the journey you’re undertaking has never been completed before? This is a mission that as of this moment has a 100% rate of failure. Do you not think it would be wiser to simply say your goodbyes and prepare for a life without her?”
I shook my head as the council stared at me with tired expressions and pained eyes
“I am three times decorated am I not?”
The head minister nodded and shuffled her papers, reading slowly from the top page
“Argon Lethius, 12 tours, 7 rotations, 153 confirmed neutralizations, 3000 pending, strength record unmatched, augmentations class S granted. You’re also the sole surviving candidate of the sky petal program”
The sky petal program, an experimental research project I had taken part in to pay for my wedding. The core concept was simple: graft photovoltaic cells onto our skin and use nanotechnology to create a bio-mechanical ecosystem within the dermis.
The result was going to be humans capable of photosynthesis, making us less susceptible to nutrition based disaster. Rejection however was high in the program and when your body is trying to fight its skin, things get ugly quickly. A dormant gene I had passed on from my mother allowed my body to accept the prosthesis but at great cost, I was now essentially allergic to solar radiation. When I'm planetside I'm just fine, but if I was in an area devoid of atmosphere, the nanotech would go overkill, usually producing energy akin to solar flares from my skin.
“Mr. Lethius, your feats and skills are unmatched, your circumstances are impossible to reproduce and the dedication you’ve shown to this coalition has been unwavering. Which is why we sympathize with your loss, and grieve with you. Crystal was-”
I snapped at her
“Is…she’s still alive”
The minister nodded and corrected herself
“I'm sorry, Crystal is an incredible addition to this council, and we are deeply sorry both internally and externally. But the dragons of Io have no official record, and the sunlight alone could overcharge you in a day, leaving not only our best military asset but also his sick wife stranded without hope of rescue”
I nodded and spoke solemnly
“3 days supply, and a ship to drop me off, if I don't respond in 4 days, come get my body and bury her where we fall. She loves it there. Even if I can't save her, I want her to rest somewhere she would be happy”
I snapped back to the present and finished setting up camp. Unpacking our supplies and connecting a set of solar panels to her cryo-chamber. I watched her take deep breaths through the ventilator as I threw a tarp overhead and began digging into the rockface.
“You’ll be ok my love, by this time tomorrow you’ll be your old self again”
I dug for hours, tearing holes in my suit and flaying the skin from my fingers. As my blood hit the white dirt and stained the cracked surface, I felt a degree of nausea rise up from my stomach. Saliva filled my dry mouth and I bit down on my tongue to prevent the vomit. Bile reached the back of my throat and I dug my fingers into the dirt, searching for the Will to resist my body’s urges. The sun couldn’t take me, my mind couldn’t shake me, I would not buckle before saving her. Before long I couldn't go on, and I needed to rest.
I swallowed hard and sat back, laying down and looking up at the harsh sky.
“Hindsight is 20/20, we can keep trying new things but sometimes this is just how things work out, I’m sorry”
I nodded as the doctor left the room and she sat motionless in her gown.
“That guy didn’t know what he was talking about, there’s so many treatments, we’ll just go to another doctor”
She brushed a strand of hair out of her face and looked up at me
“I’m tired of my love, can we go home?”
I nodded without speaking and embraced her, feeling her slow and weakened heartbeat against my chest, its rhythm in sync with my own.
“Sure, We’ll go home”
That was the last time I saw her awake, she fell asleep on the car ride home…and never woke up. I was able to bring her to the hospital where they revived her, but she was comatose, most likely asleep till the cancer kills her.
“I’m sorry my love”
I looked over at her chamber before bringing my hand up to my face and staring at the mangled flesh of my palms.
“A drop of blood for a question, a thousand heartbeats for an answer”
I heard the voice in my head as if it was a thought I had formulated all on my own, but the voice was different, it didn’t belong to me nor anyone I had ever heard before.
“A single tear for a favor, an entire ocean for its completion”
I crawled to the spot where my blood had dripped into the ground, the sand was stained red but almost completely dry. I leaned over it and thought about my honeymoon, I thought about vacations and work, time together and apart, moments where she was everything. I thought about the idea of my life without her, and then it came like a flood. Tears flowed freely from my eyes and drenched the ground, the first falling square on the red stain in the sand. The liquid pooled on top and a small ribbon of crimson fluid flowed upward into the tear drop. The ribbon danced and waved in a thin line through the microscopic ocean.
“What is your question?”
The voice came from above me now, and as I slowly looked upward, a loomed overhead, blocking the sun from view, and causing my heart to skip a beat.
“What…is your question”
Before me now stood a massive beast, speaking in the voice I had heard in my mind and digging his gargantuan claws into the sand. The tip of each toe ended in a blade that was crystalline and almost translucent. Each blade too had a glowing orange stripe that when shifted, turned the sand underneath him to panes of glass. His arms were broad and powerful, covered in green scales and his maw hung open with a light blue mist emanating from his teeth. He was the dragon, the one from Io who space gods told legends about.
“I…I want to know something about my wife”
He knelt down on his two front arms and brought his eyes to my level, a kindness flowing between his seemingly infinite pupils.
“Your wife. She is a story I myself cannot seem to get over. What do you wish to know?”
I looked up at him and let out a deep breath before gesturing to her
“Can- can she be saved”
His gaze snapped to her case and he slowly moved over to where she slept
“You brought her with you, of course you did, you could never leave her behind.
I crawled over and knelt next to him, tears still flowing from my eyes.
“Please tell me, can she make it?”
He turned around and knelt next to me, putting a massive hand gently on my shoulder and speaking softly.
“My boy, She’s already made it, just not in the direction…you were hoping”
He tapped the monitor screen and it stopped showing vitals, instead displaying a digital sign in dark red letters. I read them aloud to myself.
“Subject deceased, time since last recorded activity. 37 hours 22 minutes 48-49 seconds”
He nodded and spoke calmly
“You wanted to badly for her to live, you saw her living, even when she wasn’t”
I slammed my hand on the crate and opened the lid, picking her up in my arms and putting my ear to her chest.
“Come on, come on. You’re ok, you’re ok”
I clutched her in my arms as silence arrived to my ears. I rocked her and cried into her soft silken hair. Her pale skin had lost its glimmer and I pressed my forehead against her own. I spoke through tears and a tightened throat
‘No, she cant die, I found you! I finally found you! Come on sweetheart you’re ok right? Just wake up. He's here baby we made it, please just wake up, please”
The dragon loomed over head and let out a deep breath, speaking gently, so as not to disturb the silence
“She is gone, and even I cannot save her”
I felt my skin begin flaming as I turned my head back up toward him
“Then what can you do? What can you do if you can’t bring her back to me? Why are you a legend if you cant make her breath again?!?”
He whispered softly into her ears and I felt the wind of the world around me change
“Because I can send you to her”
The planet fell silent and she disappeared along with the dragon. The camp was gone, my hand had been healed, my suit was gone and instead I wore a thin white shirt and loose cotton shorts. I was comfortable, and as I stood to my feet I felt as if my thirst had been quenched, my hunger satiated, I was…ok.
“Hello?”
I called to the emptiness, and before long a soft sullen voice spoke back.
“Hello darling”
She took my face in her hands and turned me around, holding my cheek as my whole body shook
“Hi beautiful”
I brought my hand up to her own and felt her soft warm skin against mine, I pressed my head into her hand and leapt forward, bringing her close and up into the air as I spun her around. She laughed as I gently set her down and wrapped my arms around her.
“I’m sorry you can’t stay”
I looked at her and spoke quickly
“What do you mean I can’t stay? The dragon sent me to you, he sent me to see you, so we can be together again”
She shook her head and kissed my softly, as she pulled away she put her hand on my chest
“It’s not your time hero, I’ll see you eventually, but this is goodbye for now”
I woke up on the sand, the dragon standing over me, holding her body as she began to slowly turn to dust. His tears fell on her degrading body as he handed her to me, and lowered his head.
“I'm sorry, it’s never permanent, did she tell you goodbye?”
I took a deep breath and held her in my arms before walking a few paces forward, and laying her down on the sand. I spoke calmly as tears streamed down my face.
“Yea…she did”
He nodded
“That is more than most get, was she smiling?’
I wiped my eyes and laughed
“Yea…she was”
He fluffed his wings and let the world around us grow heavy with winds
“Then your mission is complete”
I continued to cry as I looked back at him and spoke in a wavering tone
“Did you know I was a general?”
He strolled over and sat next to me, watching her particles flow away with the storm
“You were the most powerful general of all time, incapacitating but never killing, for a man with your rank one must usually commit vast atrocities but you…you never took one life”
I nodded and watched the wind whip and carry sand alongside her body
“I didn’t want to take life, I was reprimanded over and over but I always knew there was a better way, she wanted me to try, to make it so at every opportunity we could fight without ending lives…she hated senseless death…and I think I see why now”
He spoke calmly, wiping his eyes as the last of her bones turned to crystalline dust in the wind
“Her death was not senseless, in fact you'll find that when something as beautiful as her dies, it becomes impossible to make sense of it. That does not mean it happened without sense, and it does not mean her death must be for nothing. When men first meet me, they offer a drop of blood, and that is all I require for the question, but to gain my favor, they must give up a piece of themselves”
I sighed and looked up at him
“What do you need from me then?”
He gestured to where her body had sat moments ago
“You just let the biggest piece of yourself go without a fight. You have paid for more than enough trips to see her”
I nodded and spoke without waiver
“I'm not supposed to keep visiting her though, am I? She won’t be happy till we see eachother again permanently, and if I show up prematurely…she would probably be pissed. So ,I guess now I just live?”
He laid down in the sand and let out a deep groan
“I don’t think I’ve lived in quite some time, I’ve been stranded here for so long, evading capture to exist within my freedom, too afraid to face the cosmos again”
I patted his side and gripped what was essentially his ankle
“You shouldn’t be afraid, fear doesn’t do anything for men like us. Maybe we should sit a while, and see if your fear doesn’t go away”
He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, laying down as I watched the sun rise over the horizon. My heartbeat continued, but as I watched the last of her ashes swirl through the air, I found a modicum of peace, and I thought about her.

Hi, as stated above, I have some physical & mental impairments that affect my every day life, and have caused me to lose multiple jobs. 1st, I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid & still as an adult which causes abnormal behavior in me, that's my main mental disorder. & my main physical disorder is a severe nasal septal perforation that causes me a lot of problems, severe pain daily, & I was diagnosed with Somatic Symptom Disorder, and labeled Seriously Mentally ill due to the severity of symptoms they cause me. Deviated Septum. Atrophic rhinitis due to a doctor tearing out my inferior turbinates, & Chronic recurring Rhinosinusitus. ,I'm also diagnosed with major depression, severe anxiety, recurring panic attacks, sleep apnea. These things cause me a lot of symptoms that are also noted alongside my diagnosis, which are severe pain/constant headaches, insomnia, sleep deprivation, non-restorative sleep, daytime fatigue, occasional dizziness. What's also noted along with the disorders is that get constant recurring nasal infections due to the septal perforation making me more susceptible to Infectious diseases, and I've been constantly on different medications every few months like antibiotics, antifungals, & antivirals. The infections all confirmed by Otolaryngologists, Infectious Disease Specialists, & Labwork. It has become so unmanageable that no matter what I do, I just end up getting another infection, over & over again because of the septal perforation. My doctor also has noted that I have to rinse 4-5x daily because of blood crust forming & pain & to keep infections low, along with taking multiple medications. This long standing nasal disordeinfections has even caused me pituitary disfunction and I have to do hormone replacement therapy for the rest of my life because of it. My sphenoid sinus was so infected & inflamed & spread to my pituitary gland with inflammation that impacted it. My testosterone levels were under 100, and my pituitary wasn't functioning. My doctor even has wrote all of this on accommodation paperwork for my employers, and has suggested different accommodations. My disorders get so unmanageable, that I haven't even been able to adhere to the accommodations. I've been written up at jobs for yawning while talking with clients, have been written for sounding extremely lethargic, for being late/tardy, missing days. In 2021a doctor tried to do septoplasty to fix deviation, but he ended up burning a hole through my septum. & no lawyer I reach out to cares. They have all refused the case saying it won't pay them enough lol. Since then, I've lost multiple jobs because of it. I've been at work and my nose start uncontrollably bleeding. Even tried office work for a few years & still end up getting in trouble and fired for missing work, or for sounding like shit. My doctor even wrote that I have permanent impairments that are unmanageable and that I require surgery to fix the septal perforation. And that his full belief is that I'm unable to sustain employment due to my septal perforation & other disorders i have, and that if I tried to procure even another job, that no matter how simple and mundane it is, I would most definitely end up losing that job again. And that my septal perforation must be repaired in order to start improving my health to make things manageable. And also wrote that I've seem dozens of specialist doctors who say it's too difficult for them to repair, and that I need to see the doctors at the Mayo Clinic, but the Mayo clinic refuses to see me because they don't take medicaid. And that my Somatic Symptom disorder is a result of my septal perforation that exacerbates my mental disorders. My doc wrote up a descriptive letter of all this and said I need to be on SSDI until I can get this septal perforation repaired, and that until it's repaired, I'm living with a permanent unmanageable impairment. & that employment cant be sustained until uts repaired, and that this has even caused me homelessness. & last year SSA STILL DENIED ME. So I'm trying to figure out how to get these jerks to stop playing games with me, and approve me. Any idea? I rather be able to be self sufficient and keep a job than to need disability income, but it's been hard keeping employment. If I could post a picture on here of my nasal cavity, you could see my septal perforation, & the deteriorating/decaying tissue around it, this shit hurts so bad 😓

I... dont really know where to begin, so I'll start with background. I've had flings in the past, but my first long time relationship. We live in california
Tldr: I recieved a phone call after having just seen her the previous day asking to talk, essentially during this reasons boiled down to
"Everything, the long distance, and (i, 29m) dont have initiative" "(i've, 29m) been talking about becoming an electrician, but havent done anything about it"
Back story.
I (29m) have supported my partner (29f) in their passion for Renaissance Faire for the entire time we had been together. She treats this as her livlihood. Has been clear about this, but I had no qualms. Her income is padded from her father at 1000$ a month, a vestige of an agreement to earn a degree (which she still has not, and has not been in school since before we were together)
I have voiced wishing to become an electrician, i love working with my hands, and circuitry is enthralling. I have known people in the field, who have helped me get interviews and attempt entry level positions but each time have been told, the slot was filled before onboarding trully happened for me. Student loans kinda terrify me cause of debt, the trade schools i've found in cali be expensive. Most of my savings before hand went to assisting my grandma with issues that were taken care of.
We both talked about how neither of us was fully in the career we wanted, and how we wanted to see the other grow into it.
When we got together, @24 years old, i was an assistant manager in a deli, after multiple instances of being passed for applied promotions and training those who recieved those promotions.... I had enough.
I got a job at a Hyatt Hotels, becoming a front end (lobby) manager. Hyatt at the time had excellent student programs and loan rates, which fizzled when the location franchised, and we lost a majority of benefits. Found a new job
I've been at a shipping company that works out of a single location for a tech company, Juniper networks. Have DOT driving certs, and multiple forklift certs. Mon-fri 9-5, making good money (close to 30/hr) feel ALOT more comfortable with loans now. Have time for things. The last barely two years, my annual was literally a week ago.
The ONLY reason i havent begun said process of loans is the amount i have been trying to support her in her passion and stay connected. But even with that I was beginning to figure out times for school.
She had begun with 1 faire, then two, then some smaller ones. Trying out different Faires at different times. Just this year attempting all of them.
She has progressively added more and more faires, to the point where she we will not be at home .... 9 months? Of this year. 3 months roughly each faire, back to back at times. One faire is out of state, all the rest are driveable easy.
I say roughly as all the faires dates are up for debate, between the build, run, and teardown, there is variance of up to several weeks. Making planning outside of Faire difficult. I find out these dates through her, but with very little time in between to plan anything
I visit during the close faires, Casa de fruta Northern Ren faire, every weekend. During the farther Faires, like LA southern faire, every other weekend. Of my own volition and wish to see her.
Long distance it may be, but the longest actual time we've been apart for these is only a couple weeks at a time. Literally 2.
I text and call, not quite everyday, but no longer than a few (3ish), most of the time with no response. Again no qualms, just different things happening at different times, blind love yaknow?
I purchased essentially her entire camp, carport, cots, portable matress (trifold queen), tents, tables, stove, etc.
I drove her throughout our relationship, not just to and from Faire, literally everything. She has refused to get a drivers license out of fear. I have mobilized her supplies and camp.
We talked frequently, enjoyed shows, board games, we started heading to amusement parks, (she loves rollercoasters), we would go dancing while she was home, build lego display sets, like i could keep on going.
The last couple times shes come home from Faire, things have felt off. Like i have to reconnect with her at home. When i visit has seemed like either shes masking for me, or at faire.
She started getting too tired to do anything in between the Faires, and would refuse my assistance to get ready. Which was basically laundry and maintenance for camp things.
Sometimes these last couple months i would respond with the energy i recieved. Im human. I dont really know what else to say for that. We would talk about it Then things would go back to how they were.... for a time
Ill admit i have resting grumpy face, and on occaision am grumpy. But I never took it out on her. We had arguments, but never anything that lasted or made us truly angry. Sometimes i would say i need some alone time, just to cool off. But that never lasted for more than an hour or two.
When we began dating, she asked me bring my tone down a bit. Kinda made me realize unintended inflections.
Again these last couple months, she hasnt been rude, nor abusive... just sharp... to the point i feel like i have to apologize for ideas or actions. I brought this up, and things got better.... for a bit
I have dropped the ball on occaision with cleaning around the house, and she brought it up when they happened, but it honestly went both ways.
She ruled over laundry, i ruled over dishes, we'd help each other wipe down surfaces and vacuum. We have cats, and took turns cleaning litter.
We'd helped each other cook, but unless I laid very clear intentions i wanted to cook for her, she'd take over. She preferred cooking, saying "ocd"
Her love languages is much more touch oriented than mime are.
I have never claimed to be fast at anything. In fact literally have compared myself to the Tortoise, from tortoise and the hare. And feel very judged on it all of a sudden.
Looking back... maybe I could have initiated more... but as i began to do so more and more this last year together, i was met with more and more, "tired" or "faire".
I just... feel like a wrung out rag..... and ... i dont know... Used?
She mentioned it not being fair to either of us... just making me wonder if this might actually be better off...
Doesnt feel like it now.

This account is not for vulnerability but let me be vulnerable once in a while because it fucking hurts so much. "In the Stars" by Benson Boone keeps on repeat, I want to wallow myself in sadness and tears even just for a while until I accepted the fact that you're gone, FOR REAL.
Remember June 2012 when I decided to change career, the career that I am passionate. You're welcoming freshman, transferees and unit earners that time, naisip ko na lang bigla "Ay!Shuding ites!" because your feminine side was screaming, but boy I was wrong personality mo lang talaga pala yun. You're a 3rd year student, and I was a 2nd year irregular student that time. May mga subjects kayo na nakuha ko kasi masyado kong inoverload ang sarili ko non since I wanted to finish it as much as possible, masyado akong nagdwell sa pressure na I am getting older to have my dream career. I never thought na magiging kaklase kita given na magkaiba tayo ng major, nasa English ka, nasa Mathematics naman ako. Sinasabi nila whenever your block has someone new you entertain them dahil ayaw mo na naoOP (out of place) sila, which is doon lahat nagstart.
From chikka to talking to being my confidant. Maraming nangyari sa buhay natin non, hindi natin akalain na yung mga vacant periods ko is magiging vacant periods mo din noon kaya kahit magkaiba ang major natin we still have the time catch-up, exchange ideas and even help one another sa mga plans for the school activities. And then June 2013 came, you even asked me kung pwepwede ba akong sumali sa organization ninyo for our department dahil you love may suggestions and even you admire my creativity (pakulo) sa department natin. I said yes, kahit wala akong bilib noon sa sarili ko, you were running for President and I am for Vice-President. At sa di inaasahang pagkakataon, tayong dalawa yung napasama sa organization na yun. Alam mo mga panahon na yun, nagkakaroon na ako ng tiwala sa sarili ko kasi kaya ko pala. Doon pa lang ang laki na ng pasasalamat ko sayo kasi ikaw yung naging bridge towards what I am now. Sa tambalan natin, doon naimpress at naging active ang department natin dahil sa mga pinaggagagawa nating mga trip. Perfect couple nga daw kung magiging tayo man, but we were committed that time kaya we respect our boundaries.
Halos malapit na ang graduation non, so I have to handle most of the task. Nahirapan but still you find time to help me kahit yung pumunta sa bahay namin in the middle of the night para lang matapos yung mga reports and plans. Halos ikaw na nga ang kilala ng nanay ko na bf ko that time, tinawanan lang natin 'to. In that short amount of time, we've became bestfriends. Graduation mo noon, I even gave you flowers to congratulate you hindi mo ineexpect pero kinilig ka. First time nilang makakita ng babae ang nagbibigay ng flower sa lalaki. Though, you were busy having your career you consistently checking-up on me, there was no single day na hindi mo ako itetext, and sharing your life for that day. That's when I knew I am falling for you but I choose our friendship over that petty feelings.
Busy tayo having our own careers pero we do friendly dates, and a lot of sharing life updates. One night, you called and was crying, I knew something was up, so, pinapunta kita sa bahay to tell me everything. Nabuntis mo yung gf mo that time and wala kang magawa kundi pakasalan yung gf mo. There's a lot in your mind pero comfort ko lang yung ibinigay sayo and a few solutions. The day of your wedding came, wala akong ganap pero I attended dahil you requested na umattend ako. I wouldn't miss the wedding of my bestfriend. Tinawag ka ng parents mo para you'll walk down the aisle na pero that time you choose to hug me and say this fucking word that put me into tears during your wedding and my "what ifs" for months. "Alam mo bang mahal na kita simula pa nung niligawan kita to be the Vice-President of our org? Sorry hindi ko inamin because I choose to respect our boundaries and commitment, pinangako ko na bago ako pumasok sa buhay kong ito masabi ko man lang yan sayo."
After that, we parted ways, iniwasan na kita as much as possible because you have to divert you feelings for me to your wife and to your kids and masaya ako na you're building your dream family with her, having you career and such. The last hug I received from you was nung dumalaw ako at nasa hospital ka pa. Telling me pagod ka na and you wanted to rest, I cried, I wanted to confess everything to you but I heldback. Nakakapangsisi pala no? Alam ko nasa gilid kita ngayon para icheck 'tong letter ko sayo. Please hug me because I do not know what to do - selfish, I know pero paano ko 'to tatanggapin? Ngayon alam kong alam mo na ngayon kung ano nararamdaman ko para sayo, na hindi ko na masasabi ito ng buhay ka pa. Albeit it fucking hurts but the thought of no more sufferings na for you, makes me at ease. Guide your loved ones Ken until we meet again. I love you!

What has happened to the New York Knicks?
Injuries:

• The New York Knicks are facing significant challenges due to injuries. All-Star forward Julius Randle is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
• They’ve also lost Bojan Bogdanovic (shooting specialist), Mitchell Robinson (defensive center), and OG Anunoby (key midseason acquisition) who pulled his hamstring in game two of the conference semifinals against Indiana.
• Coach Tom Thibodeau's preference for a short rotation has exacerbated the impact of these injuries, leaving the team short-handed and tired.

Are any injured players returning?

• Robinson, Bogdanovic, and Randle: Done for the year.
• Anunoby: He is possibly out for the postseason due to his hamstring injury.

How can the Knicks win without these players?

• Effort and Teamwork: The team thrives on maximum effort and has a strong core with Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and Jalen Brunson (the Villanova Three).
• Home Court Advantage: Madison Square Garden’s energy can significantly boost the team, especially for a potential game seven.

Are the Pacers really this good?

• The Pacers’ fast-paced, high-scoring style contrasts with the Knicks’ more methodical approach. Their success in games three and four can be attributed to the Knicks' fatigue and depleted roster rather than them being a superior team.

Future Prospects?

• Against the Celtics: The winner of this series faces a tough challenge against Boston, but the Knicks’ mental toughness gives them a fighting chance.
• Long-term Outlook: Even if the Knicks fall short this year, they are well-positioned for the future with a solid front office, valuable assets, and the emergence of Jalen Brunson as a top player.

Should Knicks fans feel silly for being excited?

• Not at all! Despite the current struggles, this season marks significant progress for the Knicks. Their achievements and potential for future success are reasons for genuine excitement.
• Perspective: Given the team's history and recent performance, this season has already been a notable success, with promising prospects for further improvement.
  
• It’s natural to feel intense emotions about your team’s performance. Sports are a source of passion and community, especially for long-suffering fan bases like the Knicks. Enjoy the highs, endure the lows, and know better days are ahead.
  

In conclusion, the Knicks' recent struggles are due to unfortunate injuries and fatigue. While the immediate future looks challenging, the team's long-term prospects are brighter than in years. Keep the faith and enjoy the ride!

Call me the Memetranslator, because I speak fluent Meme and can explain every Meme. In reality all of this is nonesense though, so do not take anything here seriously. Als I am not affiliated with anyone, including DFV. You tell me if its correct or not. If DFV sees this and wants me to not post these translations any further, write me a message. If DFV wants me to continue... same.
First Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1789807772542067105
This is a gamer going from his layed back pose to a more concentrated one. It tells us that it is go time now! It has begun!
Second Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790034263603139012
The first Part shows Thanos with the gamestop symbol. It means Gamestop is Thanos and Gamestop did something itself! The second part shows Roaring Kitty as Wolverine awakening. And in case you did not see Keith Gills face superimposed over Wolverine, it is made more clear with the Kitty outline on the Heartratemonitor. So basically this meme tells us, that Gamestop did something, which is why Roaring Kitty/DFV/Keith Gill is back.
What did Roaring Kitty see? Well... just you wait, the memes tell us.
Third Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790041813379850491
We were told it is over. It is not over until we say its over! Roaring Kitty has awakened! Wake up and be ready!
​
Fourth Meme:
https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790049362846117942
This is a big one! It shows a gamestop-coded Car driving back into the green. It means the Buyback from gamestop will leed to the green! This continues the meme from the 4th of June 2021: On June 4th of 2021, Roaring Kitty posted this: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1400124740291923968
It shows the first Part of the Scene from Ready Player one, before he drives back to win basically. But it does not show the second Part. Because Gamestop did not buy BACK Shares!
What does it mean? It means Roaring Kitty wanted to see Gamestop do a buyback of shares. That did not happen though. After that moment he slowed down with memeposting and posted memes of frustration, among them a declaration, that he does not love Ryan Cohen. I will show that meme later, its the "love actually" one, because that one came back also! He expected the Buyback to finish the shorts, but Ryan did not do that, so he fell out of love with him and went silent shortly after, as the buyback was crucial to fucking the shorts somehow.
Fifth Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790056912664601031
Get ready to fight, every notch/Options Step brings in more money, because of the Gamma Squeeze! And do not sell all winning options... take as many shares out of the options as possible, to help the Gamma Squeeze. (this is what the Blood on the Blade Part in the beginning is all about) But the opposition is numerous and getting ready to fight. When he moves, everybody needs to move! Coded in Red and Green, so basically he might be telling us to watch out for signals from the memes, as he they will tell us what the stock will do... though I think most people misinterpret the memes anyway and also I am not sure about the signal part. It may just be that we need to find the signals for ourselves. But we definetly need to move!
​
sixth Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790064464357724451
He Moves!
Seventh Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790072011810812231
A Reiteration of the "When I say 'run', RUN!"
Eigth Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790079562866360327
Everybody needs to work together, this is the LAST TIME! THIS IS IT! THE TIME IS NOW! And apparently some friends also showed up... some whales, that I do not know maybe.
Ninth Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790087112282239085
Its the Showdown from "the good the bad the ugly", with the musiv from that showdown played from a live Metallica Concert (They play that before they start their music as an intro) So its Showdown-Time! Unfortunatelly I do not know the Symbol that is superimposed over Thor, but it probably identifies some entity that is in this fight.
Tenth Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790094668237259040
A Red coded Meme... could mean stock will go down short term .... maybe reading too much into this though. Also tells us that Hell is coming with this. Omnious!
Eleventh Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790102212619669909
Another Big one. Gamestop pushed the Red Button, that they did not push in 2021. That Button being the Share Buyback? Its Another Continuation from a Meme from June 4th 2021: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1400863669895024643
That same day, right in the meme before that one, he declares he does not love R.C.. This Meme is the explanation why: Gamestop (R.C.) Did NOT Push the Red button back then.
The good news is, now apparently Gamestop did push the red button/do the buyback/maybe something else(Gamestop as a holding company related).
Twelvth Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790109766389477525
"No Fighting" means, do not fight the downtrend. Let the memes guide you! You will need your money in the coming weeks!
Thirteenth Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790170162265460831
Roaring Kitty is in this and has been waiting and planning all this time that the stock was beat down. But every action is followed by a reaction. Could mean that when stock is beaten down, it WILL go up again. And it will be quite a fuckin thing. Another Red Coded Meme though. Come Hang, chill, wait. And in the End it will be green after the red. Maybe. To be honest, all Memes that could mean that we should do a certain action are not all that super clear and I might be misinterpreting them. Which is funny, considering the "Did I make myself clear" in the end..... because to me that part is not clear at all!
Fourteenth Meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790396654971224430
Dont test me! Go back to sleep! Could mean that Roaring Kitty wanted to go back to sleep by media and the shorts. and he is like "dont test me", cause he is a one hit killer. Probably means he could just openly say what he knows and then shorts would be finished. Because coded meme messages WILL be interpreted wrongly.
Fifteenth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790404203715887238
Kitty/DFV feels Bears, Shorts and Media did fuck around with him and now they will find out. Now he is stopping "being the better person" and trying to follow their "rules". What follows is kitty ranting about the neysayers/Shorts, saying bears are fucking idiots basically!
Sixteenth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790411757120561628
Kitty comes to us. He Needs our help and we need to not ask any questions, not now not later. Seventeenth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790419301976903884
mainly green coded Video.
Eighteenth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790426851409817615 Basically because of the SEC(Security), a lot of planning is/was needed for this, as well as maaaaany people. because this is different because it has never been done before. The Goal is JUST UP.
Nineteenth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790434400494116873
This whole thing needed a whole lot of Paperwork and dancing around. Interestingly it mentions "Loophole", which could just mean that a way for the squeeze was found, building upon the eighteenth memes themes. Could also point towards Loopring, who worked together with Gamestop on the NFT-Marketplace. Could be a stretch though.
Twentieth meme: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790441953659687421
There is a signal that was sent, that was also seen by the bad guys. So I assume, whatever signal DFV saw, he is saying the Shorts also saw that signal.... and they are afraid. And a red coded Message: "FEAR IS A TOOL!" So, he might tell us to not fear the red days. Fear is just a tool. Could also mean that Shorts being afraid is good, because that fear is a tool. Cause when the shorts see the signal, some might flip and buy in. Which would good because THATS WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!
Twentyfirst: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790449499506192405
Coded green: A guy in front of a PC stays with a friend. Could mean Kitty is the friend and redditors collectively in front of their PCs stay and dont leave DFV alone! He may again ask us to be with him in this.
Twentysecond: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790457051115847720
Lots to unpack. A Requel means its happening again.... means the squeeze of 2021 is happening again. This is not just a company turnaround, it indeed is A SQUEEZE! And the Movie about that Sneeze fucking sucked basically.
Twentythird: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790464599575167004
Kitty comes for the Bears. He is back. This time, every bear will be a victim!
Twentyfourth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790472153470759217
DFV is supposed to be the Guy with the haircut. Basically he has the Shorts by the balls now. Now that DFV has seen the Buyback by Gamestop, he has his gun on the Short Sellers. Short Sellers are squirming and trying to shake off paperhands with a bit of money, but he is just grinning because of that ridiculous offer. Of course Shorts/Bears call him names and stuff. Then a Call/Margin Call comes in. This Meme will have a follow up meme! The Follow up Meme will be what happens after the Call, which is the Haircut guy shooting the Short guy and it will be posted once some Short-Hedge-Fund or Bank goes down because of this bet.
Another somewhat related meme was posted on June 9th 2021. https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1402641643694477317
That time DFV is the haircut guy and he is flipping the coin, which is GAMESTOP-coded. So he was waiting for a signal from Gamestop to be able to shoot his shot. He himself could NOT do what he was waiting for from GAMESTOP. I guess he was still waiting for the Buyback back then, but it was evident that it wasnt coming (and too late anyway). I bet DFV was pissed that GME did no buyback, but NOW they did, which is why he has posted the current meme.
Twentyfifth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790532552828289526
The Prisoner says "GAMESTOP"! In case its not clear, that means DFV is talking about GME. And he is ALL IN!
Twentysixth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790713748866371690
Gamestop looking Sexy and throwing us kisses! They send us the signal! (the buyback?)
Twentyseventh: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790717515523658119
Gamestop is doing something extraordinary. They do it in the open and we could see it. Maybe something with electricity. But we are not really looking.
And whatever it is, it will BEAT DOWN the Bears.
Could mean that Gamestop is buying back its stock to put it onto a NFT-Stock Market, which is why Gamestop registered as a holding company. But this is just baseless speculation.
Twentyeigth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790721293089964126
Everybody Hold, gamestop is preping something. It means we should hold, because Gamestop is preping something against whoever tried to kill Short and distort Gamestop and did short and distord Blockbuster and others.
Twentyninth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790725065585439065
Gamestops milk was poisened. Means the short and distord left moles in the company that tried to destroy it from within.
Thirty: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790728848226521547
Against all the odds, Kitty or R.C. went into this short and distort sheme, to try to win against short sellers.
Thirtyfirst: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790732615022195139
Kitty does not take the comments of the Media laying down, he fights back. Kitty mentions Wutang. Maybe it has something to do with the rumor that Wutangs one of a kind Album was somehow unter the control of R.C.. Dont know if its a cheecky call back or if this story is actually real.
Thirtysecond: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790736391124774975
Moon Night-Fortnite-Day n night are the Key motifs. So here is the thing with Fortnite: A Fortnight is 2 Weeks. In 2 Weeks, at the beginning of June, the 3 Year LEAPS expire. Moon Night is invulnerable basically.
Now this could hint towards Shorts being invulnarable because of their LEAPS, until those LEAPS expire in 2 Weeks. Then their silly game is over. Thats why everything happening right now is just the OVERTURE (See Second Meme)
Thirtythird: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790740164848861227
Media are disrespecting Kitty and he is fine with it.
Thirtyfourth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790743946764644659
I think he is saying He is a redditor and Redditors are like him. Reddit brought him Gamestop and he brought Gamestop to redditors. Something like that. And the first thing one should do to follow his Thesis is try to "Defend the Bear Case". Trying to defend the other side of a trade will show how fucked the other side actually is. Maybe that is why he and redditors know that Gamestop will explode into the green. Cause the Bear Case.... its not that good.
​
Thirty fifth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790747714440892825
DFV is telling us he is not following some get rich quick sheme. He is not a gambler degenerate. He has a plan, he makes the memes, he does not follow them! He knows and people should hear his side. Also its a play on parts of the Next Meme, he is telling us he made the memes.
Thirty sixth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790751492451754012
He is telling us that Ryan Cohen did a lot of the planing and the getting the people together, but people listen to "Avocado-in-my-anus", which is an alternate account of DFV. Is it really though? Well he told us in the last meme, that he is the one that made the memes. And Avocado-in-my-anus made 3 Memes on Cat Day.
Thirty-seventh: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790755264733626879
Again a continuation from the last meme. People saying DFV is running the whole GME Thing... meanwhile what is supposed to be DFV is just drawing dicks/making Memes. He tries to tell us, that it is R.C. doing the whole company stuff and that he has nothing to do with it basically.
Thirtieigth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790759048985612468
A continuation from the last few memes. R.C. vs DFV, who is in charge? They both say they will not. Quill is R.C., Thor is DFV. DFV kind of wants to be in charge, but begrudgingly lets R.C. do his thing. I think this plays on DFVs Anger in 2021, that R.C. did not push the red button/do the buyback back then.
Thirtyninth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790762813868175516
This is basically a repeat and rewind of a Meme posted on June 4th 2021: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1400844797229912065
In 2021, DFV was mad, that R.C. did not push the button/do the buyback and told us clearly that he did not like R.C. anymore with this meme. Now in 2024, he rewinds that meme and tells us, that he thought that at the time in 2021, but that the investment thesis evolved over time and he now sees R.C. as a supermode.
So basically he saw what R.C. was doing in 2024, which he did not in 2021 and he likes R.C. again now. Probably because R.C. pushed the button and also did some plan with loopholes and stuff that DFV may not have thought about.
Number Forty: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790766591526735887 So, R.C. had a plan and 3 years later it comes to fruition. He does mirror some of R.C.s emotes. Also he tells us "People say it cant squeeze again"..... he says it will.
​
Fortyone: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790770363627921776 Too many awards on his last post. Maybe too many eyes on him and his plan?
Forty two
https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790774146994966570 DFV transformed fully into his internet persona, because of the last meme.
​
Forty three: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790777913245421806 Too much drama around Kitty in 2021. This might be the explanation why he went dark-mode.
forty four: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790781688848450012 People want to know what the fuck Kitty was doing all these 3 years. He tells us he was waiting for this. Because it is part of the Plan. What is this? I think it is GME Buying back stock before the expiration of the LEAPS in the beginning of June. So yea, thats what he saw and why he came back.
​
Forty five: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790785463118348420 It does not matter that he, DFV, is back. The whole Squeeze Plan matters. And it is getting executed right now. Why does he say we? Because everyone holding GME is part of it. It think the many DRSed hodlers of GME are indeed part of the plan and necessary!
Forty Six: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790789242513433071 The Goofy "I will do it again" Meme. DFV will do it again.... and by "it" I think he means he will again buy a shit ton of options and stock. And I think he will post it. OR Its the shorts that are doing it again. And its shorting, but I dont know if its referring to back in 2021 and their shorting until now, under the cover of LEAPS or if it is now before June, or whatever. We will see.
Forty Seven: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790793012936851665
He tells the GME investors that say they lost money because of DFV: SHUT UP BITCH! Continued in next meme.
Fortyeight: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790796790360363016
He tells us, that last memes "Shut up, Bitch" was too good of a line to not use and that it was not meant for all redditors, but for one guy that apparently was crying about losing money because of DFV. Dont know who, I am not into reddit drama. Basically DFV just liked the line as a meme, because its funny. And he will continue to post coded memes, even if people dont understand them.
Forty-nine: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790800562654691686 DFV thinks everybody thinks he is crazy with his memes and Media slandered him.
Fifty: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790804340673789978 Continues the last meme and that people think he is a freak with his memes. But he tells us the memes bring out the people that are like him... freaks. He is talking to us oldscool redditors and webpeople that the mediapeople cant seem to get their head wrapped around. If you ever rolled your eyes at the media misusing uncomplicated memes.... yea, he is talking about you. You come to twitter to hear his trumpet/Memes!
Fifty one: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790808112741630320
DFV is the Redhanded-guy and that bears can do nothing against him. It is red-coded. But definetly Bears can do nothing against DFV and he is keeping them up. Which I think is definetly true.
Fifty two: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790812277530034448 Jim Cramer asked for this meme and DFV made it in a few minutes, just to fuck with him. Though it does show Kitty behind a chair, coded in Computershare colors and with a teddy, which is the name of R.C. Company of Kids Books. And Kitty behind the whole thing, hiding. Jo, does Teddy play into all of this??? If so this meme is one hundred layers deep. Personally I think Teddy might be important to do some stuff that Gamestop itself can not do, like for example "buy Calls on GME", but this meme is mainly there to fuck with Jim Cramer.
Fifty Three: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790815662203617755 The stock goes down, just to fuck with us.... UNTIL!!!!!!! Well, what happens after "until" will probably follow in a later meme, when shorts lose control of their button. Probably in the beginning of June, or when R.C. announces the buyback and a higher than expected number of shares locked down. No more Mr. Nice Guy for the shorts then. so keep your eyes out. Oh, and the stock will stop going down then.
Fifty four: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790819440617033914 Shorts try to crucify Kitty and Gamestop.... it speaks about the stock going down as a tool from the shorts to make us afraid. And we only ask: Is that the best you can do?
Fifty Five: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790823211745063394 Shorts taunt us, beat us down and try to make us doubt..... but the soundtrack :-D Basically this is a game for us and we will whop their asses, no matter what shorts do.... like the beatdown on the stock right now.
​
Fifty six: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790826988019528035
Now, this is interesting: Shorts made this whole thing happen. They sold before they bought. They dropped it. So it WILL go back up. It... WILL.... GO....... UP!!!!!! You feel it yet?
Fifty Seven: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790830761542664192
Continuation: Do you have a girlfriend that tells you to sell and stop listening to the mad people on Reddit? Do you have people around you, telling you the squeeze-narrative is bullshit? Trust your instinct. This continues the last meme, while you can not see the stock going up right now, it was dropped. So it will go back up. Thats the law of nature, even if it was perverted.... or turned around.
Fifty Eigth: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790834536403574936
A Person is fleeing with a hidden GME Share in his pocket. It means we were running and holding GME for a long time and are tired, but we STAND UP, with GME IN OUR HANDS! I am not really "tired", but thats what the meme says.
Fifty Nine: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1790894938277695671
In this meme, DFV explains to us, how he found Gamestop. Due Diligence, time, pressure and making memes, basically. In 2021 they tried to lock away DFV, but all the departments of the state found no wrongdoing... just his reddit posts, tweets and live streams.
It only takes pressure and time and DFV studied meticulously. Now I did not know every mentioned meme, so he may not have posted them. He may have posted them though and it might lead to another account of him. I doubt it would be more fruitful in information than his twitter account. After all, thats where the freaks at! And one last thing. He laments that apparently noone looked at his streams...I guess thats where all the information was after all. I think it shows content from his Gamestop-Explanation video, but I am unsure, because it is quarter before 4 AM and I am tired and I will go to bed after posting this.
Thanks for reading. Everything is made up of course, I have no idea what DFV is thinking, but it seems clear, that when you look at the whole situation, as we all did, we would come to the same conclusion, as we all did. Shorts did not close and GME seems to be a good investment. Also, look closer!.... thats the main theme. And stop doubting yourself.... yea, thats pretty much it.
So TLDR: The first days of June is where some of the magic will happen in the LEAPS. Meanwhile, R.C. has a plan with Gamestop and the buyback plays a role in it. And that plan does enable the ability for a killshot against the shorts. And it will explode in the green like never before. Also: Learn Memeish
To DFV: Write me what you think about it, if you want.

Okay, I apologize in advance because this is a long and overall kind of intense story.
TW: SA Accusations, Self Harm, like a little bit of every bad thing
So for some context; in my eighth grade to freshman year of high school, I was in a relationship with a girl we'll name Sarah. We met when I had some weird personality shift and fully switched my life around to become extroverted, and I had asked her out. She was "quirky" i guess, and that tended to let me see past her blatant flaws as "fun additions" rather than harmful attributes.
Ever since I was younger, for an irrelevant reason, I've been an extremely emotionally shut off person. There was only one person in my entire life, including every single family member, that i ever told about the aforementioned emotionally shut-off reason. As my relationship with Sarah continued, it slowly descended from playful romantic moments to an emotional dependency where she'd shut herself off from me, and force me to pull her back by supporting her relentlessly. It was pretty blatantly manipulative, but in hindsight it was hard to tell. Our relationship lasted around 9 months. Sarah slowly got more and more brutal to me, until I felt the relationship crack and decided the only way to patch the hole up was to tell her information I'd never told her about myself. A very good example was that I had, for almost half a year, issues with self-harm. This was extremely private, and I told her I never wanted it brought up in conversations that weren't relaxed, because i mentally wouldn't be in the right position.
Less than 2 days later, she said something insensitive and then texted me after not responding in 5 minutes begging me not to commit suicide. Eventually, I got covid and was quarantined for a week or two, and over the time grew to enjoy it because it was fully separate from Sarah. I realized this, and broke up with her.
She then proceeded to tell every person all the private information I'd ever told her, and tried to spread lies related to cheating, sexual assault, etc. This briefly turned some friends against me, before it became blatant she was lying since she just wasn't particularly good at it. I don't know how severe all this sounds to other people, so I'll tell a part that will immediately explain it:
When we broke up from our 3/4ths of a year relationship, in less than a week after our break up, she jerked a guy off in our school's attached library while she made eye contact with my friends.
After all this happened, I vowed not to enter a relationship for at least a year, so I could work on myself. I turned to weightlifting, felt way more confident in my body, lost some weight but still maintained an overall chubby shape, and headed back to therapy for a bit.
Over these 2-2.5 years, I became happy and confident in myself. Then I met, who I'll call, Chloe. In my honest opinion, she's the most attractive person I've ever met and I hope to god its not some limerence or honeymoon phase. She's funny, "quirky" but actually kind, and one of the only people I've met in my age group who's smarter than me in pretty much every way. We met and became at best acquaintances, I was scared to actually progress to a asking-her-out phase so I tried to get help from a friend (We'll call Brick). Brick was overall shitty, and she decided to tell Chloe behind my back. Chloe was going through a hard time with a family friend's kid making unwanted moves on her, in which Chloe ended up telling me this in the same conversation i planned to ask her out. So I waited, some stuff happened with the family friend over summer break and she had to wait until the middle-end of summer to tell this guy they were never dating and he was delusional.
SO. After summer break, another friend told me about Brick telling Chloe, and I confronted Brick, who lied and then almost immediately gave up and got mad at Chloe for *taking my side*. Inevitably, both Chloe and I unfriended Brick and cut her out, but still we weren't close. Eventually, I straight up asked her out and we went from there. Now here's the thing. I wouldn't call this a flaw, but Chloe is an extremely awkward person. She fumbles around physical contact, didn't really address the actual fact we were in a relationship to me, very rarely talked about me to other people. Now I personally am extremely proud of being in a relationship with her, but i understand it just being an innate trait. One big issue is that she doesn't compliment me, ever. She calls me sweet when I do something sappy, and that's it. Honestly though, that's not the biggest issue.
I found, throughout the relationship, there's times where I CAN'T touch her. I don't mean that she won't let me, I mean that I won't let me, like there's something fundamental that screams for me to stop. I get a moment of contemplation thinking back on my relationship with Sarah, and I get scared that maybe Chloe is uncomfortable and I'm pushing a boundary. And this isn't just physical touch; it's everything romantic or even communicative. I've managed to push past it to get her flowers on valentine's day, hug her when she's feeling sad, etc., but in our relationship that's been since October, SIX MONTHS, we've never kissed. I just can't do it. If she made the first move I'd be all for it, but she doesn't and something in my core tells me its because she doesn't want me to. It makes me feel unbelievably unattractive, and it pairs a lot with the fact that she's never once complimented anything but me being "sweet". She's never said I looked good (which is one of the few things i feel genuinely comfortable saying to her and do as much as possible as the only way to remedy the fact that i can't even kiss her), she's never mentioned anything impressive i've ever done. All of this combined makes me feel crazy, like my behavior is unwarranted. Is there any way to overcome this? i understand communication, but i physically can't do it, i genuinely can't bear the thought of making Chloe uncomfortable.

So a little backstory, I am 18 years old and consider myself fairly attractive but haven’t really had much experience with any girls until now. My best friend has a girlfriend who introduced me to her best friend who is this very beautiful, smart and funny girl who’s way above my league imo. Turns out she really likes me and one time I go home with her from the club but don’t lose my virginity because I was so stressed I couldn’t get an erection. We keep talking and meeting and everything is perfect for about 3 months, I even lost my virginity with her. I knew for a while that her ex boyfriend had treated her like shit when they were together so I always tried to be positive and nice when around her and she seems so happy with me but one day it all changes. I get a message from her saying we need to talk. She tells me that she isn’t ready for a relationship because of how it went last time with her ex. She also tells me that she is dealing with a lot of very serious and personal stuff she hasn’t told anyone but her family. A year ago she tried to commit suicide with pills because she was so depressed, she went to the hospital for a week. She also told me her family was a mess and that her parents hated each other, and the final thing she told me which hurt my heart the most was that she had been sexually assaulted two years ago by another guy. She tells me she needs a break from our relationship and some space to figure out everything but that she wants to continue when she is ready. I tell her i am ready to wait for her and that I am still here if she needs to talk to someone. Although it was very hard for me to hear she wanted a break I still stayed positive because I wanted to wait for her. The next day she tells me that we need to talk again. She tells me we need to break up for good and that its not me its her. She told me that I was the nicest guy she has ever been with and that I treated her better than anyone else. I couldn’t believe it, I cried for hours and tried telling her that I really just want to be with her and support her, but I also told her that if she wants to end it we will. We ended it on a positive note and she even told me she would consider me in the future but I still feel that its my fault, that I could have done something differently and we would still be together. I don’t want any other girl I only want her. I just don’t know what to do because I can’t be just friends with her and I can’t hate her either. I thought it was really done then and there and was going to try to move on but she still texted me today asking why I didn’t go to school this morning. Why would she still be texting me if she is the one who wanted to end it. I just want to confess my love to her but I am afraid it will just push her further away I just don’t know what to say to her, I need more answers

Rulers of the Outer World was stumping me to no end and while I am by no means an expert gamer, I prefer completing difficult challenges with my own strategies before taking to YouTube and seeing what the pros do. After a particularly harrowing night staying up until 4:30am and getting wrecked by Virtual Sephiroth, I decided to take a break and switch to the Legendary Challenges. Cait Sith was the most annoying but still, I managed to clear it which opened up the Zack and Sephiroth fights…
Nevertheless, I decided to give them a whirl because I had gotten sick of Rulers at that point.
Enter To be a Hero.
Cleared it on my first attempt via a casual “mess-around” run where I just wanted to play with Sephiroth (our time with him in the first chapter was way too short) and take virtual photos. You can see in the video that I was practically re-learning to play Sephiroth on the fly and was amazed that I was getting through each round in spite of the rocky start, not to mention Cloud is running a Buster Sword build purely for aesthetics.
Now it’s time for the big one, Bonds of Friendship.
Okay. From everything I was reading, the Sephiroth Challenge is more fun than anything else considering how OP he is so it is perfectly reasonable to clear it even on a blind run with enough luck on your side. Zack? Different story and oooof, did this challenge throw me through the wringer. Still, I managed to clear it after two days and was absolutely flabbergasted watching speed run videos afterwards with the vaunted “Wind Killer” build. Suffice it to say, I probably should have sucked it up and watched a guide or two beforehand as that would have saved me a lot of headache but still, it was a nice feeling of accomplishment knowing that I was able to clear this bout my way.
Finally, I came back to my most hated enemy — Rulers of the Outer World.
After some more failed attempts, I cracked and looked up a few guides. The “Yuffie Dance Attack” seemed perfectly viable and I was this close to implementing it until I stumbled upon a video that showed how to perfect parry Shadowy Chains for those of us (mostly old guys like me) who have lost the lightning fast reflexes from the days of their youth. It’s an infinitely sound strategy that I had never thought of and upon utilizing it, I finally managed to take out Virtual Sephiroth and earn the Götterdämmerung. My run through Rulers was a protracted battle of attrition that required two parts to encompass but still, I am proud of this achievement and will be happily spamming Brumal Form or any other meta setup the next time I give this challenge a whirl.
If you are curious, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
I am curious to know if anyone else here has had a similar experience to my own. From everything I have gathered, it would appear that the majority of the player base cleared Rulers first and then used the Götterdämmerung to make life easier with Zack and Sephiroth. After seeing so many rage about Bonds of Friendship, I am somewhat shocked that I managed to clear that before the Outer World.
To conclude, I have always been intimidated by FromSoft games due to their high difficulty spike and the fact that I would have an extremely difficult time fitting it into my busy schedule. I was this close to purchasing Sekiro back in the summer of 2020 but work finally picked up again so of course, I had to put gaming on the back burner. A lot of my friends have tried to convince me to give Elden Ring a shot but again, the learning curve dissuaded me. I enjoy platinuming games but usually prefer simple affairs as I am far from being an expert gamer. Remake was definitely challenging but fair as there were only a couple trophies that truly tested me. With Rebirth, I was tested over and over again to the point that I got numb to it. Hell, I spent an entire weekend on the Chocobo Races alone as I am basically crap at the racing genre.
Now having earned the Platinum, I have a question for all the FromSoft players on this forum. How would you rank Rebirth’s platinum compared to Elden and Sekiro? If I was able to survive the Brutal and Legendary Challenges here, would I stand a chance against Malenia even without elite players carrying me? What about the Sword Saint?

26F Diagnosed with IBS, GERD, and POTS. I currently take Lansoprazole, Metoprolol, Hailey 24Fe (birth control), and Vyvanse.
Ever since I was around 19-20 years old, my weight would change pretty drastically from year to year. I did swim and track in high school and I worked out consistently throughout college (aerial silks, weights, and yoga). I started college at around 115lbs (for reference I’m 5’3). By sophomore year, I was almost 130lbs. I thought, freshman 15, it happens to a lot of people, and I adjusted my eating habits to be less junk / fast food. By junior year, I was about 112lbs. Senior year, I was 120lbs give or take. I never really TRIED to gain or lose weight.
Surprisingly, I stayed at 120lbs throughout covid/lockdown despite no longer working out. Around mid-2021, I started to not be able to keep down food, throwing up most of my meals, feeling full all the time, and I lost weight very quickly, I was down to 100lbs in three months. Obviously, I was concerned and went to the doctor and they first did a pregnancy test (negative), then bloodwork. Everything came back normal except my T3/T4 (can’t remember exactly) showed a slight hyperthyroidism. I was sent to an endocrinologist who ran another pregnancy test (negative) and more bloodwork, she said everything was fine and normal. My primary doctor was having me drink protein smoothies instead of eating meals and taking prenatal vitamins to make sure I was getting enough nutrients in the mean time, and that kept me stable at 100lbs. Still, most of the time I felt full no matter if I had eaten or not and I would throw up most solid food.
Since I had just started a new bipolar medication (Latuda) right before the vomiting started, my psych took me off that (didn’t help) and put me on Abilify instead (which I ended up switching from a few months later to Lamotrigine because it gave me tardive dyskinesia). I also took a break from my birth control for most of 2022 to see if that effecting my hormones was causing it (no, it wasn’t).
It was around SeptembeOctober of 2021 that I experienced my first POTS fainting episode. We didn’t know what was happening so my boyfriend brought me to the ER, but by the time I got there I was already recovering from it so the doctors there didn’t take me seriously, especially since COVID was still big. I would have a few more fainting spells and then an abnormal EKG from an urgent care in October 2022 before I was diagnosed with POTS by a cardiologist.
During that time in mid to late 2022, I also had a vaginal ultrasound done (check for ovarian or uterine cancer / cysts; none, ovaries multi-follicular); a regular ultrasound to check my pancreas, kidneys, liver, etc. (family history of pancreatic cancer; all clear and normal); and an endoscopy/colonoscopy (signs of slight inflammation; diagnosed with IBS and GERD). After the IBS/GERD diagnosis, I was put on the lansoprazole, which did help a lot and got me back up to 120lbs by 2023. Once I had the IBS/GERD and POTS diagnoses, my primary doctor basically said, “We don’t know what’s causing them, so we’re just going to treat those symptoms for now.”
Now it’s 2024 and in the past 4 months I’ve now GAINED almost 20 lbs despite still eating less than I did before I started not being able to eat in 2021 and with almost no change to my diet otherwise beyond adding extra salt to help with the POTS symptoms, and I’ve actually been MORE active lately by trying to take my dogs on walks around our neighborhood (dependent on how bad POTS is that day).
Other symptoms I experience are migraines, fatigue, joint pain (particularly in my neck, back, and fingers), and brain fog. Also have family history of hypothyroidism and hydrocephalus.
Whenever I try to search about drastic fluctuations in weight, the results are all about the normal daily fluctuations people have, which makes me think that drastically losing 20lbs in 3 months without trying, slowly gaining it back over a year, and then suddenly gaining 20lbs in 3 months without trying over the span of a couple years isn’t something that typically happens to people. So doctors of Reddit, what do you think could cause it?

In 1945, the United States underwent Operation Paperclip which gave over 1,600 German scientists, engineers and technicians sanctuary and absolution of their crimes in exchange for the continuation of their research.
In 1953 those same individuals came up with and executed MK Ultra, an illegal human experiment that used its citizens (targeting schools, hospitals and prisons) as test subjects.
In 1954 the Plum Island was turned into a research center for diseases.
In 1975 the first documented case of Lyme disease occurred. Rumored to have escaped Plum Island.
In 2005 the DHS announced that all the work done at Plum Island would be continued in Kansas. Not just the center of the continental United States, but also home to crops seen in grocery stores all over the country.
The following is a true story.
Getting into work, one of the first things I do is check my mail. I’ve been a reporter for years and have amassed fans who like to write in and give me leads. Most of the time these leads don't amount to much (Sometimes I wonder if people send me things because of my apophenia and they are trying to get me off their scent), but every once in a while I strike gold.
I had been working at Whisper Alley Echos for a few months by the time I got my first lead. The package I got was small and when I opened it I saw a DVD that had the words “play me” written in black marker on it. Not knowing what was on it, I waited until I got home to put it on. Not just because I didnt know what was on it, but I was also busy working on a different project about how everyone in a nearby town just went missing. The official story is that they all went on vacation or went to visit a relative and decided to stay. I dont know about you, but I found that suspicious.
After getting home and shifting gears to get into the movie mood (popcorn, blinds pulled, etc…) I popped the DVD in and began watching.
There were dozens of different videos to pick from, some ranging from a minute to half an hour. Instead of picking one at random, I just played them in order. After all, all their titles were dates and times and I didnt want to miss anything that might make sense later.
The first video featured a tardigrade, at the time I didnt know what it was, but the scientist doing the voice over described it as being a microscopic animal as well as being extremely resilient. This went on for several minutes and for a moment it felt as though I was watching a nature documentary instead of something given to me by a government whistleblower.
The next few videos featured footage of the tardigrades being given something called “BB-F828” and the changes it caused.
The voiceover talked about how a tardigrade (this time he called them water bears and the two terms were interchangeable from this point on) was showing signs of several thousand generations of evolution in only a few days. Even though I know nothing about science, I could see that the thing on the television was not the same animal that was shown in the first video.
While they were never “cute”, at least they never looked like predators, but after a few videos I saw that the tardigrades were covered in what appeared to be padding. In a later video this padding would change into being chitin-like armor.
The last video was filmed two months after the water bears were given BB-F828 and in it the scientists could see them even without a microscope.
The next morning I went into work and started writing on my computer, copying notes from my small notebook. However by the time I started the second draft, Andrea, the office secretary, dropped a letter off at my desk.
It was the first time I got a letter about an “inside scoop” two days in a row.
The letter said that they were the ones who sent the DVD and if I wanted to know more I would have to go to The Rats Skeleton (a bar that used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. Because of this the place feels as though its a front for a comic book villain. The owners have leaned into this and did everything they could to reinforce this feeling with sparse lighting and everything that isn't red velvet on the walls being painted black) at a specific time.
Usually I wouldn't go meet strangers after getting an anonymous letter that tells me to come alone, but its a small town and I didn't have much going on that particular Thursday.
Parking behind the Merc (short for mercantile, where most of the grocery and general shopping is done in town), I descended the stairs and made my way to the back of the bar. There I found a woman that didnt look like she slept in days. Since no one else was in that back area I figured she must have been the person I was there to see.
“Hey, I’m Daniel West. Am I—”
“Sit” the woman said, motioning across from her. I sat down and asked her for her name but she didn’t want to answer me and when i asked for it a second time she claimed it was Jane, but there is no doubt that was not her real name.
“What made you reach out, Jane?”
“You saw the video?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“And?”
“I have a lot of questions” I answered.
“Figured you would” Jane said. “Ask.”
“Well, first” I said, my journalistic inexperience showing as I went through my pocket notebook. “Who are you and why do you know all this?”
“Name isnt important” Jane answered. “Let me start from the beginning. We thought we were working on human survivability” Jane answered. “I thought that I was working for some company that had a government contract. That might be true, it might not be. Either way lots of money and resources have been put into this.”
“I saw the video” I answered. “What exactly was it that I was watching?”
Janes eyes were frantic as she looked at the stairs behind me. When I turned around to see what she was looking at I saw a local descending the steps and approach the bar. She only answered my question when she was convinced that the man wasn't eavesdropping, still, she spoke in whispers.
“We were working on human survivability.”
“You said that. What does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Consider we civilize mars and the long term effects from the static radiation there. Or another planet that demands thicker bones because of increased gravity? Evolution might give us those things eventually but what if we need it now? In this generation?”
“So you made super humans?”
Jane was annoyed and slapped the table. No one was around to hear or see her but I still looked around anyways.
“We didn’t work on humans. We piggybacked off of some other countries' genetic research and made some breakthroughs of our own. When—-“
“Other countries?” I interrupted instead of letting her talk.
“Yeah” Jane said with a shrug. “Some countries aren’t tied down by the same code of ethics as ours.”
“That’s why you got a hold of me? To tell—-“
“We were working on small parts. At first individual genes, building from that success we went on to more complex organisms. Eventually, hopefully, test on humans.”
“But you never made it that far?”
“No” Jane said, taking a sip from her glass. “We tested BB-F828 on other things, building up towards human testing.”
“Okay, like what?”
Jane inhaled through her nose and looked at me as though she wasnt sure if I could be trusted. Then she sighed when she realized it was too late not to trust me, she had already went too far to turn back. “What do you think has the best chance of not only surviving a planet wide disaster, but also thrive in it?”
“Cockroaches” I answered.
Jane nodded. “Sure. Lots of people would agree with you, however that wouldn't be the best pick.”
“Oh? Then what would be?”
“Rats.”
I laughed.
“They are tough and can thrive anywhere. Even before BB-F828 they are smarter than roaches, plus rats have a complicated social hierarchy, similar to humans. Remember, I didn't just say survive. I said thrive.”
“So you tested all this on rats?”
Jane nodded. “We did.”
I waited for Jane to continue, but thanks to her staring off into space due to lack of sleep, she waited longer.
“What happened?”
Janes eyes drifted back at me, she was running on fumes. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Rats, right?” she asked while pulling a folder out from the seat next to her. She set it on the table and slid it over to me. “Here, take a peek.”
I opened it, expecting redacted pages of ‘evidence’ and while I got some of that, it was the photos that drew my attention the most. At first the photos were individual rats and a designated number they received instead of a name.
“How many rats did you experiment—” I started, but my voice trailed off when I came across a photo of the one rat with unique markings on its back now appearing to be bred for a war on pleasant dreams. Its eyes were pearly gray, teeth became tusks, its whiskers were thick and barbed. According to the scale it was on when the second photo was taken it weighed twenty nine point four kilos.
“A few hundred?” Jane answered, though it was obvious that it was just a guess. “They were paired off and put in different environments to see how they adapt.”
“Why would you pair them off?”
“I think it was to see if some would branch out and become their own species” Jane answered as she checked her watch. Seeing the time she sped up. “See, when something with BB-F828 finds itself in a desert, it might adapt to the point that it grows a hump like a camel. Or grow gills if they are in the ocean. The original purpose was for human survivability on other planets. We thought if we could discover how the adaptations work, and it could be repeated exactly the same over and over again, we could do something for humans. After all you wouldn't want anything unexpected to happen when you're in the middle of growing another set of arms or a dorsal fin, right?”Jane said. “But to do this we needed lots of subjects and all in their own environments. Each one had their own surprises, after all, evolution is random. Favors some things over others. One species can branch out to be dozens or hundreds. Thousands with enough time and environmental factors. When the tardigrades started displaying more predatory behavior we thought it was due to the change in diet and the increase in protein, but now we think its due to the rapid change. It drives them insane. All of this was surprising, but none as surprising as the ‘dirt rats’.”
“Wait. They are all insane? Also, dirt rats?” I asked, flipping the photo over to show the next one. This one revealed what I thought was a bear, but when I was about to flip it over to look at the next one I noticed its teeth. Thats when I noticed that it was a huge, muscular rat.
“Six breeding pairs, all kept in an empty pool full of dirt. They weren't given enough room to get out of the dirt, so they had to adapt to living in it. Anyways, because they are in the dirt its harder to keep track of what they are doing. Because of that, by the time we discovered that they had burrowed their way out of the facility it was too late. They were gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean?”
“Escaped,” Jane whispered. “And they are growing.”
“Growing?”
“Last I heard, they were nearly sixty feet but we honestly don't know. It's not like we can compare them to anything else.”
“Sixty feet?” I laughed. “Someone would have saw them by—”
“Underground” Jane said with a shake of her head. “They are underground. I know it's hard to believe, but how else can you explain those earthquakes in Chicago? New York?”
“Are you saying there are giant rats under those cities?”
“I am saying they aren't rats anymore. They are something else entirely. I am saying six breeding pairs might not sound like a lot, but rats reproduce so quickly it's terrifying. I am saying that they are so big and there are so many of them that they are causing those earthquakes. I am saying that due to their size they burn off lots of calories and some have evolved to hibernating.”
“Why hibernation?”
“No idea, but when they wake up they are going to be very hungry. Ravenous.”
“Any idea when that might be?” I asked.
Jane shrugged. “Some already have. We just covered it up.”
It might have been my apophenia talking, but with that statement I started seeing the bigger picture and asked Jane about the town that went missing (The story I was working on before her DVD reached me). Jane gave me the politician's answer, saying something without actually saying something, and that was enough to confirm that I was indeed on the right track.
Unfortunately Jane and I did not speak for much longer, she got a call that freaked her out and she took off. Before she left she took the folder and the pictures I was still going through. I haven't seen or heard from her since and have dropped the story about the disappearances that have secretly been plaguing our country.
WAE

“Beasts all over the shop…You’ll be one of them, sooner or later…”
The strange Hunter turned around and exhaled. His breath was visible against the night’s air.
He’s bloodlusted. Aegis, I hope you have a plan.
Shimmer saw Elpis step back slightly, with a shocked expression on her face. She shakily raised a claw and pointed at something on the ground.
No. It… it can’t be.
That’s… horrible.
A shattered red jeweled necklace lay strewn across the ground, beside the mangled corpse of the Silkwing.
The Hivewing in front of the three swung his axe to the side. As it was a trick weapon, he was able to change its form on command. The axe had two forms: a shortened form that acted sort of like a sword, and an extended form specialized in crowd control and reach.
He extended his axe and Shimmer heard a low snarl from his throat.
“Do we kill him?” Elpis asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
“We don't have a choice. Steel yourself.” Aegis muttered and brandished his silksabers. The blades gleamed in the soft light of the three moons.
The hunter was taller than all of them, one head taller than Aegis and two taller than Shimmer and Elpis. Black tattered robes clung to him, marking him a Shadowhunter. Blood from tonight’s hunt stained the black fabric, showcasing his expertise and experience in the hunt. He wore a rounded dark-gray hat, and bloodied bandages covered his eyes. Shimmer wondered if he could even see.
Corpses of both beasts and dragons were scattered about the square-shaped courtyard, an equal amount of gravestones breaking up the open space. His teeth were uneven as if he had been eating and chewing rough bones. Blood dripped from his mouth down his neck, and his Hivewing stingers flexed in anticipation.
“Be careful,” Aegis started, “He’s going to use magic. Elpis, don’t use any of yours.” He told the hybrid dragon beside him, and she nodded.
The hunter walked slowly around them, searching for a weakness in their structure, and then spat out a lump of coagulated blood.
“That stench of squalid blood. No beast will be spared.” He half-muttered and half-growled. He tipped his hat respectfully, before lunging at Elpis. She dove to the side, and tried to retaliate with her scythe, but just slightly missed.
This hunter was agile, surprisingly so considering how old he looked. Shimmer gripped the handle of her silkhammer, knowing it wasn’t the time to strike. She stepped backward, seeking cover behind a grave, while Aegis leaped forward with the intent to pierce the frenzied hunter’s heart. Once again, the hunter rolled to the side and sent his axe hurtling towards the smaller Silkwing. Shimmer felt fear grip her heart, but Aegis avoided the blade. He fell back and motioned for Elpis to stay back.
“A sporting hunt. But alas, I’ve forgotten to ask your name.” Aegis growled, and the hunter laughed a sick, disturbing laugh.
“The name’s Gascoigne.” He shot back, and jumped into the air, slamming his axe down where Aegis was a split second ago. Shimmer’s ears rung from the sound of the impact. Her antennae subconsciously curled in defensively.
“Gascoigne. That’s a nice name. I’ll tell Ludwig you were a proud hunter till the end.” Aegis replied and sent his twin blades slicing into the hunter’s thigh. He recoiled, and a gleeful laugh escaped his bloodied mouth.
“Hehe… the sweet stench of blood. Just… just marvelous!” He exclaimed and raised his off-talon towards Aegis.
“Aegis! Get down!” Shimmer called, and a burst of flame erupted from the hunter’s claws across the courtyard. The limited magic the Hivewing had that he was willing to use in this hunt.
Aegis fell back, hissing in pain as a few stray flames singed his tail. The hunter chuckled under his breath, and Elpis took advantage of the opening he had presented her. She thrust the blade of her scythe toward him, opting for its sword form as of now, and the hunter knocked the blow aside. He countered with a kick to the Ice-Hivewing’s ribs, and she was sent to the ground. She coughed up a spurt of blue Icewing blood, and the hunter lifted his axe for a finishing blow.
Shimmer roared out and swung her hammer toward the hunter. The silk connected it to her wrists as it flew through the air, and it hit the hunter square in his side just as his axe was falling. He was sent into the opposite side of the courtyard, coughing and sputtering, but with a faint smirk on his face. Shimmer was in disbelief; how was he not dead?
“Ooh, what’s that smell… the sweet blood, ooh, it sings to me! It's enough to make a dragon sick.” Gascoigne laughed hollowly. He raised his talon, and Shimmer quickly rolled to the side as a ball of flame soared past her horns.
He’s going to turn at this rate.
Shimmer hid under a gravestone as a tree behind her erupted in flames, and Aegis jumped into the air. He beat his four wings ferociously before diving into the hunter. He caught both of Aegis’ horns, and he twisted his head. Aegis fell to the ground, and Gascoigne slashed his axe down across the Silkwing’s leg. Aegis cried out, and Shimmer’s heart ached. She pushed herself up, ignoring the raging fire around her, and she threw her hammer up in the air and aimed it towards the hunter. He narrowly evaded the heavy impact of the stone before Shimmer heard a metal clang behind her.
Elpis, scythe in one talon, approached Gascoigne. She had the little music box in her other.
Elpis played the music box and a song of eerie notes filled the courtyard.
The hunter stumbled back, clawing at his face, and Elpis shot Shimmer a look, her face telling her to make sure Aegis was okay.
Elpis advanced on the struggling hunter, and Shimmer leaped over to her Silkwing partner, who was injured on the ground. She felt tears welling in her eyes, but she knew this wasn’t the time to cry.
“Aegis. Look at me. Look at me.” She repeated, and he lifted his head weakly. His leg had a massive gash in it, but he could probably still walk, just with a limp.
“Ah, Shimmer. I’m alright. I’ll be back in the fight. Go, help Elpis. I’ll join back soon enough.” He groaned, and the pair heard a roar behind them.
Elpis was locked in a duel with Gascoigne, and the hunter’s stray fireballs met with blasts of frostbreath. For the first time in the battle, the hunter had a slight look of fear on his face. Elpis was relentless, her burial blade swiftly countering and stopping any attempt Gascoigne made at advancing. Aegis crawled back and attempted to stand, using a grave for support.
“Shimmer! I can’t hold him for long!” Elpis called, and Shimmer nodded. She took the hammer in her claws and swung it around her side, and in a clockwise circle in the air. It was the perfect counterweight to her body weight. She hoisted it up further into the air and then brought it crashing down onto the hunter.
It struck Gascoigne directly on the spine, and he fell to the ground.
He screamed in pain.
And then, a bright light flashed from his body.
His screams deepened in tone, morphing to be more animalistic. His posture fell forward, and his muscles rippled through his body. He grew in size, and more of his bloodied garb ripped from the size change.
Fur sprouted from seemingly random places on the Hivewing’s body, and his claws extended. His face shifted, his features becoming more and more distorted. His black hat fell to the ground.
The bandages around his eyes stayed, as well as the black-tattered garb that marked him as once a Hunter.
He was no longer a Hunter. Moons above, he wasn’t even a dragon anymore.
He was now a beast.
Shimmer’s heart pounded in her chest. She stared at the transformation for a split second, before reeling in her hammer. She took it in her right talon and dove behind a gravestone, wary of the spreading flames.
Elpis, on the other claw, held her blade in front of her. Shimmer heard a rasping cough escape the Ice-HiveWing’s throat, but she didn’t break her stance.
The beast that was once Gascoigne whipped around toward Elpis, and launched himself at her, with a ferocity Shimmer had never seen even in beasts.
Elpis sidestepped quickly. The beast slammed into the wall with a loud roar, and Shimmer spied Aegis in her peripheral vision struggling to stand. He winced as he stood on his injured leg, but didn’t cry out. He brandished his two blades as the beast charged at him.
“Aegis!” Shimmer cried.
He’s going to get hit. That beast will kill him.
Aegis ignored her, and as soon as the beast was within a wingspan from him he twisted his body in such a way that he narrowly avoided the savage charge. He elegantly sliced his twin blades across the beast’s hide, and the creature howled before rapidly turning to face him.
Shimmer flew into the air. “Get away from him!” She yelled before bringing the weight of her hammer down on the beast. It flattened part of his ribcage, but it seemed impervious to the pain. It did knock him to the ground, though, giving Aegis a moment to cut through what was once two of the hunter’s wings.
The beast quickly got back on its claws before sending a flurry of swipes towards Shimmer. She dodged to the side and readied her hammer for another strike.
That was before the beast kicked her square in her chest, its sharp, ravenous claws digging in and tearing her scales. Shimmer fell back, a slight gasp escaping her mouth, and she stumbled back into the wall. She lost her footing and fell to the ground, and gazed up at the beast locked on her.
“Aegis! Help!” She yelled, and not even a second later her Silkwing partner crashed into the beast. They fell to the ground, grappling with each other before Shimmer heard a familiar song fill the courtyard.
Elpis was cranking the music box, its ominous lullaby breaking up the noise of the fight. The beast stopped attacking Aegis and instead clawed at its face. It growled and screamed in pain, drawing blood from its very own fur and scales.
“Now! Kill it!” She yelled through the song, and Aegis nodded before driving his two blades through the beast’s skull.
They stuck, and the beast roared before throwing him off. It crawled and thrashed about on the ground, clearly not dead, and the two new blades stuck to his head pointed out like new horns.
Now’s my chance.
Shimmer stumbled to her claws and wound her hammer up into the air. With every last bit of her strength, she brought it down on the flailing beast.
It crushed what was left of the hunter.
Silence filled the courtyard, only broken by a few stray notes from the music box, the pained breathing of the three hunters in the area, and the howls and screams from other places in the Hive.
Shimmer breathed a sigh of relief, before collapsing.
I did it. We did it.
Gascoigne was free.
…
“I brought you water.”
Shimmer opened her eyes and found herself in her familiar hospital room.
The morning sun’s rays lit the room, and Shimmer felt very little pain from her chest.
It had been three days since that night.
Shimmer fixed her gaze on the purple-orange Silkwing sitting beside her and smiled.
“Thanks. I’m feeling much better, we should get going to Bloodworm soon. It’s today, remember?” Shimmer asked, and he nodded. Of course, he remembered.
The summons for every hunter to come to Bloodworm Hive. Ludwig, The Holy Blade had requested them all. He no doubt planned an attack. A shame really, the hive was only newly rebuilt. And now it was going to be the site of a horrid, savage warzone.
“I remember. Are you sure you’re feeling okay? Ludwig would understand if you couldn’t come,” Aegis asked, and she spied a hint of worry on his face.
“I’m fine. I need to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. I’ll come.” She sighed and took a sip from the canteen that Aegis had brought. It tasted wonderful, he had put something in to flavor it.
“Honeydew?” She guessed, and Aegis smiled.
“Yep. It’s your favorite, right?” He asked, and she nodded. She opened her arms, and he hugged her tight.
“I love you,” Shimmer whispered in his ear.
“I love you too. I pray to Clearsight that we’ll both be safe today. I can’t bear to lose you.” Aegis replied. He pulled away and gazed out the window.
Shimmer quickly drank the rest of the honeydew-flavored water before getting out of bed. She joined him at the window and was slightly surprised by what she saw.
Almost all of the hunters of Jewel Hive were preparing, some of them already flying in the direction of Bloodworm. They were all sharpening their trick weapons, mixing poisons, or saying goodbye to loved ones.
“We should get going. It’ll be midmorning when we get there, I don’t want to be late.” Shimmer suggested, and Aegis put a wing around her.
“Now? I need to get my stuff, and you do too. Join me at the workshop.” He asked, and she slid her head in the curve of his neck as he led her out of her sick room.
…
Shimmer beat her wings strong and fast against the morning savanna winds.
She saw what looked to be several hundred, maybe even a thousand dragons gathered around a hill. All of them had a colored garb fluttering proudly from their neck. Around ninety percent of the garbs were white, and the rest were black.
They were all different tribes and a fair amount of hybrids were scattered about as well. The gathered hunters were mostly Pantalan, but a good few were from Pyrrhia as well.
Shimmer and Aegis landed a short distance away from the hill, and all around them the sounds of dragons conversing and laughing with each other.
The sun was high in the sky, but it wasn’t quite noon yet.
“You see anyone you recognize?” Aegis asked, and Shimmer shook her head.
“There’s too many dragons here. It’s too much.” She whimpered, and Aegis pulled her close. He knew she didn’t do well in crowds. That was partly why she became a Shadowhunter. To work alone or with no more than a few other dragons.
“You’re safe with me.” He comforted her, and she leaned against him.
She had always hated being with a lot of other dragons. Aegis said it sounded like she had anxiety, which made sense. It didn’t do much to alleviate that fear, though.
None of them are thinking about you. They’re all busy with their own stuff.
Just take deep breaths.
“Do you want to move away? There’s fewer dragons over there,” He asked and pointed a claw across from them.
“…No, no I’m fine.” She whispered, and Aegis sighed.
“Alright. If you want to move, don’t be afraid to ask. I don’t mind it.”
Shimmer shook her head quickly, before the pair heard a loud voice from the top of the hill. They both looked up and saw the legendary hunter himself: Ludwig.
The menacing Nightwing stood proudly, his holy silver sword slung across his shoulder. His partner Memoria stood beside him, her tail twined around his. She had a bored look on her face as she stared at the crowd. The voices of the dragons fell silent, and Shimmer felt like she could breathe again.
The Nightwing’s loud voice echoed through the plain. “Dear Hunters.” He paused, his heroic voice inspiring pride and triumph in Shimmer, even though he had barely started.
“I’m sure all of you know why we’re here. Behind me, Bloodworm Hive stands proud against the horizon. Yet I am more than certain you all know what lies inside.” He paused and pointed his sword toward the dark shape of the Hive.
“Beasts. A few thousand. I think it’s time we put them out of their misery. That is why we are here. A battle of the ages, one that will go down in history. We, the brave heroes, fighting against evil. We will be reveled, we will be honored. We will protect the dragons we hold dear to our hearts, and save those we can yet save.” His speech roused the crowd, and Shimmer felt herself stand a little taller.
“The plan is simple. The Hunters of the Sun will lead the charge from the front. I have already talked to the leaders of the charge. The Shadowhunters will pick the stray beasts off from behind. We will attack at dusk when half the sun is hidden from the eye.” He gestured with his sword at the rising sun, and he extended his wings. His massive wingspan seemed to fill the sky, and Shimmer's heart swelled with pride.
He held his sword up to the heavens, and it transformed. It grew larger, into the shape of a claymore, and it turned a shade of sacred jade. It glowed with an otherworldly light, and the crowd was enamored by the display.
“Now, hunters. Spend the rest of today preparing. The hunt is on tonight. Ludwig, The Holy Blade will be with all of you in spirit.” He bellowed, and the crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
Shimmer saw a proud, triumphant look in Aegis’ eyes, and she felt the same. Ludwig’s blade captivated her. The blade of legend, inspiring all who lay eyes on it.
Ludwig would be with them tonight. The best, the greatest, the strongest hunter ever.
Tonight, the hunters would not know defeat.
Nor would they ever, with Ludwig alive and at their side.
May the good blood guide your way,
Ultima_8

In 1945, the United States underwent Operation Paperclip which gave over 1,600 German scientists, engineers and technicians sanctuary and absolution of their crimes in exchange for the continuation of their research.
In 1953 those same individuals came up with and executed MK Ultra, an illegal human experiment that used its citizens (targeting schools, hospitals and prisons) as test subjects.
In 1954 the Plum Island was turned into a research center for diseases.
In 1975 the first documented case of Lyme disease occurred. Rumored to have escaped Plum Island.
In 2005 the DHS announced that all the work done at Plum Island would be continued in Kansas. Not just the center of the continental United States, but also home to crops seen in grocery stores all over the country.
The following is a true story.
Getting into work, one of the first things I do is check my mail. I’ve been a reporter for years and have amassed fans who like to write in and give me leads. Most of the time these leads don't amount to much (Sometimes I wonder if people send me things because of my apophenia and they are trying to get me off their scent), but every once in a while I strike gold.
I had been working at Whisper Alley Echos for a few months by the time I got my first lead. The package I got was small and when I opened it I saw a DVD that had the words “play me” written in black marker on it. Not knowing what was on it, I waited until I got home to put it on. Not just because I didnt know what was on it, but I was also busy working on a different project about how everyone in a nearby town just went missing. The official story is that they all went on vacation or went to visit a relative and decided to stay. I dont know about you, but I found that suspicious.
After getting home and shifting gears to get into the movie mood (popcorn, blinds pulled, etc…) I popped the DVD in and began watching.
There were dozens of different videos to pick from, some ranging from a minute to half an hour. Instead of picking one at random, I just played them in order. After all, all their titles were dates and times and I didnt want to miss anything that might make sense later.
The first video featured a tardigrade, at the time I didnt know what it was, but the scientist doing the voice over described it as being a microscopic animal as well as being extremely resilient. This went on for several minutes and for a moment it felt as though I was watching a nature documentary instead of something given to me by a government whistleblower.
The next few videos featured footage of the tardigrades being given something called “BB-F828” and the changes it caused.
The voiceover talked about how a tardigrade (this time he called them water bears and the two terms were interchangeable from this point on) was showing signs of several thousand generations of evolution in only a few days. Even though I know nothing about science, I could see that the thing on the television was not the same animal that was shown in the first video.
While they were never “cute”, at least they never looked like predators, but after a few videos I saw that the tardigrades were covered in what appeared to be padding. In a later video this padding would change into being chitin-like armor.
The last video was filmed two months after the water bears were given BB-F828 and in it the scientists could see them even without a microscope.
The next morning I went into work and started writing on my computer, copying notes from my small notebook. However by the time I started the second draft, Andrea, the office secretary, dropped a letter off at my desk.
It was the first time I got a letter about an “inside scoop” two days in a row.
The letter said that they were the ones who sent the DVD and if I wanted to know more I would have to go to The Rats Skeleton (a bar that used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. Because of this the place feels as though its a front for a comic book villain. The owners have leaned into this and did everything they could to reinforce this feeling with sparse lighting and everything that isn't red velvet on the walls being painted black) at a specific time.
Usually I wouldn't go meet strangers after getting an anonymous letter that tells me to come alone, but its a small town and I didn't have much going on that particular Thursday.
Parking behind the Merc (short for mercantile, where most of the grocery and general shopping is done in town), I descended the stairs and made my way to the back of the bar. There I found a woman that didnt look like she slept in days. Since no one else was in that back area I figured she must have been the person I was there to see.
“Hey, I’m Daniel West. Am I—”
“Sit” the woman said, motioning across from her. I sat down and asked her for her name but she didn’t want to answer me and when i asked for it a second time she claimed it was Jane, but there is no doubt that was not her real name.
“What made you reach out, Jane?”
“You saw the video?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“And?”
“I have a lot of questions” I answered.
“Figured you would” Jane said. “Ask.”
“Well, first” I said, my journalistic inexperience showing as I went through my pocket notebook. “Who are you and why do you know all this?”
“Name isnt important” Jane answered. “Let me start from the beginning. We thought we were working on human survivability” Jane answered. “I thought that I was working for some company that had a government contract. That might be true, it might not be. Either way lots of money and resources have been put into this.”
“I saw the video” I answered. “What exactly was it that I was watching?”
Janes eyes were frantic as she looked at the stairs behind me. When I turned around to see what she was looking at I saw a local descending the steps and approach the bar. She only answered my question when she was convinced that the man wasn't eavesdropping, still, she spoke in whispers.
“We were working on human survivability.”
“You said that. What does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Consider we civilize mars and the long term effects from the static radiation there. Or another planet that demands thicker bones because of increased gravity? Evolution might give us those things eventually but what if we need it now? In this generation?”
“So you made super humans?”
Jane was annoyed and slapped the table. No one was around to hear or see her but I still looked around anyways.
“We didn’t work on humans. We piggybacked off of some other countries' genetic research and made some breakthroughs of our own. When—-“
“Other countries?” I interrupted instead of letting her talk.
“Yeah” Jane said with a shrug. “Some countries aren’t tied down by the same code of ethics as ours.”
“That’s why you got a hold of me? To tell—-“
“We were working on small parts. At first individual genes, building from that success we went on to more complex organisms. Eventually, hopefully, test on humans.”
“But you never made it that far?”
“No” Jane said, taking a sip from her glass. “We tested BB-F828 on other things, building up towards human testing.”
“Okay, like what?”
Jane inhaled through her nose and looked at me as though she wasnt sure if I could be trusted. Then she sighed when she realized it was too late not to trust me, she had already went too far to turn back. “What do you think has the best chance of not only surviving a planet wide disaster, but also thrive in it?”
“Cockroaches” I answered.
Jane nodded. “Sure. Lots of people would agree with you, however that wouldn't be the best pick.”
“Oh? Then what would be?”
“Rats.”
I laughed.
“They are tough and can thrive anywhere. Even before BB-F828 they are smarter than roaches, plus rats have a complicated social hierarchy, similar to humans. Remember, I didn't just say survive. I said thrive.”
“So you tested all this on rats?”
Jane nodded. “We did.”
I waited for Jane to continue, but thanks to her staring off into space due to lack of sleep, she waited longer.
“What happened?”
Janes eyes drifted back at me, she was running on fumes. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Rats, right?” she asked while pulling a folder out from the seat next to her. She set it on the table and slid it over to me. “Here, take a peek.”
I opened it, expecting redacted pages of ‘evidence’ and while I got some of that, it was the photos that drew my attention the most. At first the photos were individual rats and a designated number they received instead of a name.
“How many rats did you experiment—” I started, but my voice trailed off when I came across a photo of the one rat with unique markings on its back now appearing to be bred for a war on pleasant dreams. Its eyes were pearly gray, teeth became tusks, its whiskers were thick and barbed. According to the scale it was on when the second photo was taken it weighed twenty nine point four kilos.
“A few hundred?” Jane answered, though it was obvious that it was just a guess. “They were paired off and put in different environments to see how they adapt.”
“Why would you pair them off?”
“I think it was to see if some would branch out and become their own species” Jane answered as she checked her watch. Seeing the time she sped up. “See, when something with BB-F828 finds itself in a desert, it might adapt to the point that it grows a hump like a camel. Or grow gills if they are in the ocean. The original purpose was for human survivability on other planets. We thought if we could discover how the adaptations work, and it could be repeated exactly the same over and over again, we could do something for humans. After all you wouldn't want anything unexpected to happen when you're in the middle of growing another set of arms or a dorsal fin, right?”Jane said. “But to do this we needed lots of subjects and all in their own environments. Each one had their own surprises, after all, evolution is random. Favors some things over others. One species can branch out to be dozens or hundreds. Thousands with enough time and environmental factors. When the tardigrades started displaying more predatory behavior we thought it was due to the change in diet and the increase in protein, but now we think its due to the rapid change. It drives them insane. All of this was surprising, but none as surprising as the ‘dirt rats’.”
“Wait. They are all insane? Also, dirt rats?” I asked, flipping the photo over to show the next one. This one revealed what I thought was a bear, but when I was about to flip it over to look at the next one I noticed its teeth. Thats when I noticed that it was a huge, muscular rat.
“Six breeding pairs, all kept in an empty pool full of dirt. They weren't given enough room to get out of the dirt, so they had to adapt to living in it. Anyways, because they are in the dirt its harder to keep track of what they are doing. Because of that, by the time we discovered that they had burrowed their way out of the facility it was too late. They were gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean?”
“Escaped,” Jane whispered. “And they are growing.”
“Growing?”
“Last I heard, they were nearly sixty feet but we honestly don't know. It's not like we can compare them to anything else.”
“Sixty feet?” I laughed. “Someone would have saw them by—”
“Underground” Jane said with a shake of her head. “They are underground. I know it's hard to believe, but how else can you explain those earthquakes in Chicago? New York?”
“Are you saying there are giant rats under those cities?”
“I am saying they aren't rats anymore. They are something else entirely. I am saying six breeding pairs might not sound like a lot, but rats reproduce so quickly it's terrifying. I am saying that they are so big and there are so many of them that they are causing those earthquakes. I am saying that due to their size they burn off lots of calories and some have evolved to hibernating.”
“Why hibernation?”
“No idea, but when they wake up they are going to be very hungry. Ravenous.”
“Any idea when that might be?” I asked.
Jane shrugged. “Some already have. We just covered it up.”
It might have been my apophenia talking, but with that statement I started seeing the bigger picture and asked Jane about the town that went missing (The story I was working on before her DVD reached me). Jane gave me the politician's answer, saying something without actually saying something, and that was enough to confirm that I was indeed on the right track.
Unfortunately Jane and I did not speak for much longer, she got a call that freaked her out and she took off. Before she left she took the folder and the pictures I was still going through. I haven't seen or heard from her since and have dropped the story about the disappearances that have secretly been plaguing our country.
WAE

Disclaimer: this isn't directly about a dental issue, but rather an encounter I had with dental-adjacent professionals. If this is the wrong subreddit for this, please do let me know.
I got my wisdom teeth extracted today. I, foolishly, assumed that when my oral surgeon told me I would "be asleep" during the procedure, that they would be using gaseous general anesthesia because I did not know there were other forms of sedation that fit that description.
I was actually sedated using an IV line. I have intense trypanophobia, and because I truly was not expecting to see a needle while I was awake, I freaked out. I started sobbing and incoherently begging for them not to use it, which I was very embarrassed about but couldn't seem to stop myself from doing. It felt like I'd lost control of my own voice.
Everyone was as kind as could be expected, though it was very obvious that they just wanted to be over with it, understandably. So I tried my best to take slow, deep breaths and calm myself.
Before I could even process what was happening I felt a white hot jab in my arm, and screamed. It wasn't a conscious decision, because I knew logically that I was in absolutely no danger whatsoever, but nonetheless it aggressively tore its way out of my throat. Immediately, the oral surgeon's demeanor did a 180. They stared straight into my eyes and told me that I needed to stop, and that I was disrupting the clinical environment. That I simply did not need to do that, which logically I knew was fully true. I have no memories after that, presumably that was around when the sedation kicked in.
I've felt absolutely horrible for the rest of the day. I hate making life worse for busy, stressed out medical staff, but I've done it yet again, and I don't know how to live with myself. I've thought about emailing a formal apology to the oral surgeon and everyone else in the room, but I don't remember their names and I'm not sure how I'd trace them back. Not doing anything is eating away at my soul, though. What would you want your patient to do in this situation?
Edit: corrected typo

My fiancée (31 F) and I (26 F) have been together for 6 years. Lots of ups and downs back and forth… the usual. My fiancée is super family oriented no matter how cruddy they are to her. I enjoy some to most of her family members but they can be and want a lot and she is a people pleaser. We both lost our mothers young and we are the ones that the siblings depend on/look up to the most. Sometime last year towards the end of the year (2023) there came a time when I was looking through her iPad to look for gift ideas for Christmas. While I was looking a text had popped up from her cousin that had my name in it. Curious I opened it and the message read “(my name) did what? Ohh naahh 😂🤣” I read through more and she was talking about getting her passport and some other things but it seemed messages were missing. When she had arrived home I had asked her to see her phone, she handed it to me and asked for what. I opened the messages and the missing messages were voice recordings that didn’t transpire to her iPad that she had sent to her cousin. I started to play the first one (more than a minute long) and she immediately snatched her phone from me. I asked her if she was talking shit to her cousin about me, she got mad, denied it, changed her passwords, all of that! Fast forward to a few days ago, she finally owned up to gossiping with her cousin about me but kept saying she didn’t feel it was talking shit because it was the truth. About a year or two into our relationship we would all chill out, hang out, have girls night and it was great! Somewhere along the way her cousins energy shifted. It didn’t generally bother me, just due to the fact that it was her family, but I thought it weird. One of the boundaries we established in the beginning of our relationship was not discussing any of our issues with families just due to turmoil you tend to unintentionally create. Lately I have been feeling like she’s been doing it with one of her sisters. There are things that I do that she doesn’t like or agree with or feels she can’t talk to me about so she goes to her sister. I feel like that initial situation with her cousin has caused me to feel insecure and now anytime she talks to her family around the time we have a disagreement I feel like she’s doing it again. What is IT… I don’t know. I don’t feel like the things she is saying isn’t true but I definitely feel the way that she vents it to her family members would never be how she would verbalize it to me. I feel she would disrespect me behind my back but not to my face. Not to say that I would want the upfront disrespect, but I know that she wouldn’t yet I feel she has no problem doing it behind my back. Am I tripping?

Hi! I am new to Reddit, but I’ve been struggling with PCOS for a while and I’ve been diagnosed since I was about 21. I go almost a year without having a period and when I do it lasts about 9 days and slightly heavy. Anyway, I really want to have my period consistently, and ovulate consistently as well too. I saw on here that many of you suggested inositol, so I’ve been on that for about a week (I know it takes time) I am just gassy/have to go #2 a lot lol. (500mg which is a low dose?)
My OBGYN told me to lose like 5% of my body weight and last summer I worked really hard and lost about 40 pounds (more than 5%). Since then I’ve maintained that weight loss even though I’m still obese I have been working on slowly improving my diet/activity levels.
I am tired of being tired, and I just want to have my regular cycles back. I don’t know if it’s stress, or hormones, etc but I feel like so disheartened. My OBGYN said when I lost weight I’d probably get my cycle back and I didn’t.
Also any tips for vaginal dryness?

My cat is estimated to be about 11 years old. Maybe a little older.
She has had IBD since I rescued her 6 years ago. Earlier this year, she was diagnosed with stage 2 kidney failure and severe arthritis. She is on subcutaneous fluids at home and has urinary incontinence due to the kidney failure. It has mostly been while she sleeps, which is manageable. I wash her bed several times a week. I also have piddle pads all over the laundry room where her litter boxes are in case she dribbles before or after going in the litter box. Honestly our apartment smells daily despite me spending countless time cleaning. However, it’s getting notably worse. The past week, she has had urinary incontinence while awake and crawling all over me or the couch every single day. Twice so far since I got home 5 hours ago actually. My boyfriend and I previously said we would happily do all we can to deal with the incontinence in her sleep, but while awake is much more difficult to deal with. Diapers are not an option for a SLEW of reasons. Confining her will upset her and decease her quality of life in my eyes.
I love her so unbelievably much. I sob just thinking about being without her one day. But I have spent THOUSANDS of dollars over the past 6+ months alone. She is malnourished and lost a significant amount of weight over the past year. We all figured she probably wouldn’t make it more than another year, best case. But I always said I would do all I could as long as she was happy. But I cannot for the life of me figure out how to manage her worsening urinary incontinence without affecting her quality of life, and even if I was willing to do so, no solution seems ideal.
At this point, I have started to consider the possibility that I may need to put her down soon. I feel SO guilty because she is still happy. But I cannot manage her dribbling urine everywhere she goes. I also don’t know how many more multiple hundred dollar vet visits I have in me, particularly since she is chronically ill and can’t just be “fixed” no matter how many times I try to treat an acute issue.
Has anyone ever had to put a cat down for similar reasons? Or while the cat was still happy and seemingly had quality of life? I am seriously struggling 😔