Mom seduces daughter\

I have known this person since I was 12 yo, she always have been controling and childish like being upset at me for having others friends and not hangout with her as much, so we fought a lot and with time I got feed up with her behavior and I started to cut her of, but everytime we stop talking for months she cames back again everytime, even if I caused a big problem that's unforgivable she will always come back to my life with one way or other. In the first year of high school I cut off all my friends including her cuz I was dealing with depression, so we didn't talk for the all high school period, and she didn't try to comeback cuz I treated her very bad just to make sure that she won't comeback in my life again, but soon after graduating she forgot everything and be friended me again and at the time I was feeling guilty about the way I treated her so I allowed it, and I thought that things maybe changed and she wouldn't use me again or be upset about anything I do or I say.
We were alright, but I noticed that she only talk or come visit me when she needs something and she never attempt to ask about me or how I am without having a reason that benefits her, even if she knew that I'm dealing with something she never asks except if she needed something or someone to talk to about her problems.
A week ago, she visited me talking to talk about one of her ex's, they broke up two years ago, but she told me that she missed him, and asked me to message him just to know if there is someone in his life, and because I don't know him personally I refused hardly and I tried to convince her to not think about him anymore cuz it's not healthy for her, but she got upset at me and said that I'm not a good friend and if I asked to do so she will do it without question (note: I have never asked anything from her ever, accept forgiveness for the way I treated her back at the time, cuz to this day I still feel guilty about it), she went home upset and I didn't think much about it cuz that's the right things to do.
Until yesterday, her mom called me asking to visit her urgently, I went and her mom was crying and told me her daughter loss her vision, she blind now. I went to her room and she was in a terrible situation, she was looking at one direction in the room with tears in her eyes, I started talking to her and comforting her, even if it was hard for me cuz I was sad seeing her in that situation. Then her mom taked me a side and told me that the doctor told her that she have a mental problem cuz her eyes is fine so she figured that her ex is the cause of that, cuz the night before she was thinking about him and telling her mom about how he is the perfect one for her and no one's like him and she wish she can have him back, but the mother think other wise so that got her really angry and maybe that what causes her losing her sight. So her mom asked me to talk to him and telling him what happened to her and see how he gonna react to it, if he reacted poorly then she will know that he is bad for her and she will stop think highly of him. First, I was hesitant but she convinced me, and I did (big mistake I know), that ex is their neighbor, so he knows me but not in a personal level I never talk or even looked at him, so when I called him, I said that I'm his ex's friend and I heard that she is blind and if he knows what happened to her exactly cuz I lost contact with her, the poor guy was shocked just as me when I first saw her in room, but he said that he knows nothing and he can't contact her, cuz she blocked him from everything and she acts like she doesn't know him every time they meet eye to eye (note: he only know that I'm her friend but he doesn't know which friend) at the end he told me if he heard something he will tell me and I should do so too, cuz he is worried about her. Hearing that she was happy and she told me that I should tell her everything cuz he will definitely message me .
I went home feeling terrible about her situation and what I have done, at night he messaged me asking if there is any news and I told him that I talked to her mother and what the doctor said to her, he said he have no way to talk to her but he will be praying for her. After she called me at 1am asking if he called or anything and I told her what he said and she was upset saying that I should have convinced him to visit her instead and I quote " I did all of this just to make him talk to me and you didn't try to convince him to do so" even if I tried by saying that it's alright to talk to her mom cuz they are neighbors.
I didn't slept all night think about the situation and I may have been played by her and her mom, or maybe her mom is played by her too cuz she is the only child so her mom can't say NO. Maybe she is fooling everyone just to get her ex's attention, and I feel super bad for myself, her mom and ex, but I'm afraid that she may be really blind and I'm overthinking it, but in the other hand if I woke up blind my only concern will be my health not other people and I won't ask anyone to do something like this ever, that what make me feel like she is lying at us and we all being manipulated by her.
While writing this she called me, she still didn't get her vision back and she asked me not to talk to him until she asks me to, and to not delete my conversation with him.
I know I'm a bad person for doing what I have done, I feel terrible about the situation, and I wish to find a way to cut her from my life, cuz she traumatized me everytime, and I tried everything in power but she always come back, but what if she lost her sight for real and by doing so I will be more bad, cuz I won't be happy if my friends left me when I have a health condition. I don't know what to do anymore.

First of all I don’t think it’s right to start criticizing the writers before it’s confirmed but I’m just trying to make sense of how Rhaena and Daemons relationship(whether father-daughter or sexual relationship) would work. If it’s the later does she seduce him or do they make him “groom” her? Even the loving father thing would be out of character after how they wrote Daemon in season 1. I know they are good writers but I still feel like it will be really hard to convince the audience about their relationship.

I (37F) have 4 biological children (17F, 16M, 12M and 10M) and 4 stepchildren (15F, 13M, 11M and 8F) with my husband (38M).
Yesterday, for Mother’s Day, I wanted to go to a baseball game. I’ve always been a sports fan, growing up, I was all into watching baseball, basketball, etc. I played volleyball in school. No one in my family liked sports and at school, I experienced either allegations of being a lesbian or only watching sports for the hot men, all of these allegations were by the girls in my middle and high school. I still was passionate about sports and even considered majoring in psychical education.
I mentioned this idea a few months back and my biological children all said they didn’t want to go, the only one who was interested was my stepson Axton (13M).
Axton is the jock of the family, like I was. He plays baseball and said he wanted to go with me. Axton is close to me, probably closer than he is to his dad or mom. Axton is a sweet kid, but is one of those kids who has a strong desire for autonomy. He goes to a Montessori school as he flourishes there compared to regular school, where the opposite is true for his siblings and step siblings. He’s always challenging authority, including mine. He can apologize when he’s wrong, but if he believes he was unfairly grounded, he’ll wear that grounding as a badge of honor for sticking up for what he believes in. He can be a real pain sometimes, but he’s also very caring and a good boy at heart.
His biological mother tries to be more of an authority figure, which my husband and I always back her decisions, but it hasn’t worked for her and her relationship with Axton isn’t great. Axton is most open to me and he’s told me he loves his mom, but she hasn’t earned his respect and tells me I’m the only parental figure that has. I see this in how he behaves to, I’m the disciplinarian when it comes to Axton because he’s more likely to listen to me than his father.
A few days after I mentioned the idea, Axton said he was going to the game with me, even if that meant not spending Mother’s Day with his biological mom. Luckily, his mom and stepdad agreed that they shouldn’t force him to do an event with her over going with me, as he’d be happier with me.
Despite asking my kids multiple times, none wanted to come. My husband was working yesterday and my stepkids were with their mom, so it was just Axton and I.
It was a great day, Axton went with me to get a manicure, and even asked if he could have his fingernails done for the first time. We also shopped in some antique stores, and I told Axton he could get whatever he wanted. He ended up getting a few jerseys and buttons and reading cards. I also bought him stuff at the stadium.
When we got home, my kids and stepkids saw what Axton had got, they were jealous and asked why I would buy him so much and my 10 year old said he would’ve gone if he knew he could get gifts out of me. My daughter asked if I made him get the manicure and said manicures weren’t for boys, and he said he got it “because I wanted to, it looked cool”.
After that, we had a discussion with her and discussed her homophobia, but she started to argue with us about Axton and how he always is “rebellious” and she told us we should “punish him harder”, when he does act up, we asked for specific examples but she gave none. Axton certainly does act up and gets grounded, but never does anything morally wrong like bigotry. We told her she wasn’t being constructive in her criticism and to knock it off. They’re all still mad at me about the splurging on Axton, saying this proves “favoritism”, I asked for specific examples and my kids wouldn’t provide any, but said that we should “know what they mean”. AITA?

So my grandmother (mother of my mom) gave birth to 8 daughters, the youngest died a few days after birth(heart problems). But my grandmother had a lot of natural abortions, but this occurred only when she got pregnant with males, (she didn't know they were males, only after she saw the dead fetus ), the longer pregnancy of a boy that my grandma could keep was five months, but then she had another natural abortion. I don't know what happened. Why she only had abortions when she was pregnant with boys? She could have a rejection because of the y-chromosome (i don't know if this is even a thing)? There is a desease with these characteristics, natural abortion to only male fetus?

My wife was just sent a package today by a Boomer relative. It was sent to an address that doesn't exist (despite her relative having previously sent cards to our house using the correct address). Apparently the delivery driver called the aunt to say they couldn't find the address but the aunt insisted it was the correct address (instead of double checking the right address).
Now we're trying to hunt down this package, which we have no idea what it is, and on top of it there's another package getting delivered tomorrow to that same non-existent address. The only thing the aunt has provided is a phone number that's not in service.
And of course the aunt is annoyed with us because we keep asking her questions trying to figure out where these packages are. She won't tell us what they are, since it's supposed to be a surprise, and so every question is apparently an insult because we're trying to ruin the surprise.
This reminds me a lot of a few years ago where we took my parents on a vacation with us. My mom insisted on getting the airfare, even though we had planned to pay for it. The night before the flight I check in to find that my wife's name is wrong on her boarding pass. I called my mom and told her we need to meet at the baggage drop off so that we can get it squared away at the counter. When my wife, daughter and I got to the airport I called my mom who was already through security. So I had to spend 30 minutes at the desk with an agent trying to get the name changed (a process we were told takes 5 days). I was on the verge of buying a 1-way ticket just so my wife could get through security when they were finally able to print off a corrected boarding pass. When we finally got to the gate my mom made a comment about how we nearly missed our flight. When I blamed it on the issue with the boarding pass, she got all defensive and insisted it wasn't her fault (she claimed she had proof at home that we've conveniently never been shown since this happened).
I want to be appreciative, but contrary to the saying, it's not just the thought that counts. And it's ridiculous how they take offense to the fact that they made a mess and you're stuck having to try and clean it up.

For the sake of the story and to avoid confusion the man who I thought was my bio dad I’ll call him NBD and my actual bio dad I’ll call BD, Step dad will be SD, and my mom will just be mom.
Two years ago, I was gifted a 23andMe test, I was excited to find out where I came from ethnically.
When I finally got my results I noticed 3 things immediately, I wasn’t Albanian, I WAS Polish, and it linked me to a great great aunt I never heard about. I called NBD mom and asked her about the great great aunt and she had no idea who it was, so I did my own digging.
I reached out to the great great aunt’s daughter and she listed family names I could look into. I eventually found someone who told me their aunt might know who my real dad was and she’d get back to me. When she finally did get back to me she apologized and said her aunt told her she would not help and that people were entitled to their secrets. I was pissed. I was entitled to the truth!!
I finally reached out to my mom and while busy she told me to send her screenshots and she would get back to me. My mom called an hour later sobbing, apologizing, up-and-down. It was then that the fact NBD wasn’t my dad really hit me. It was really traumatic finding out everything I thought I knew about myself was a lie, like I wasnt a whole person just, fragments. I wanted to be angry or sad but I was just numb. I just wanted to know who my dad really was. my mom told me she had recognized the name and immediately knew who my dad really was. She told me she had called him before calling me back and told him what was happening and that if I wanted a relationship with him, he was more than willing, but if I didn’t want a relationship with him, he was fine with that too. My mom sent me his number and I sent him a text and told him to call me whenever he could.
About a week later, I went to go meet BD for the first time as his daughter that year, my birthday ended up landing on Father’s Day (yay me) so I brought him a first Father’s Day card for a new dad as a joke to break the ice and he had bought me flowers. I was so worried he wasn’t going to like me and that his girlfriend wouldn’t like me either but they are the best!!! They had to be one year old daughter and an adopted his gfs nephew. I gained two new siblings over night. They had another baby girl last year so I added another sibling to the mix
It turned out the aunt that didn’t want to spill the family secrets is my grandmother BD mom. She apologized for not sharing, but she didn’t want me to hear it from her and wanted me to hear it from my mom. It’s been two years and my relationship with BD is amazing he texts me randomly list to let me know he loves me and to check in.
The downside is NBD family is really weird towards me now, I get that they are mad at my mom but it doesn’t feel fair to be treating me differently. Anytime I bring the situation up at all to my mom she begins to feel bad and starts crying so I can’t talk to her. BD is just so chill he doesn’t seem bothered at all so I just don’t bring it up with him really but do occasionally talk through it sometimes with his GF who I now also call mom. I’ve had some not great remarks made to me by family members basically saying that the situation should be kept quiet to avoid embarrassment or that peoples lives were ruined. Like gee thanks sorry I’m an embarrassing bastard child that ruined peoples lives. I feel like some burdensome mistake that people would be better off without and it’s not fair. I didn’t do anything wrong yet how I exist is viewed as a shameful and hushed topic rather then an honest mistake. Don’t get me wrong I’m upset I could have had a present dad rather then someone who wasn’t really around till I was 18 but COME ON. In any case I know I probably need to see a therapist about this, but it’s nice to finally vent my feelings somewhere that isn’t just in my own head. Thanks for listening.
TLDR; 23andMe test revealed my dad wasn’t my dad. I met my bio dad and he’s amazing. Definitely need therapy so cause this was traumatic but also the situation just makes me feel numb?
EXTRA CONTEXT: my mom genuinely thought NBD was my dad if there was even a doubt in her mind she would have checked. Having NBD as my dad was not a choice she would have made for me or her.

As we get into the new season, I just thought it would be fun to track and discuss the themes and motifs this show has kept up throughout the seasons so far so we can see how they play out in Season 4:)
NOTE: I have not read many spoilers. I don't mind if they come into the discussion, but please mark with a tag for anyone who doesn't want to see them!
Honestly, when I really laid all these out, it made me appreciate the writing so much more, even in moments I didn't really care for the first time around.
Plus analyzing stuff like this is fun for super cool people. Join me!
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• What it Means to Save Someone

This is probably the main theme of the series and the thing that becomes the biggest downfall for all our protagonists. "Saving Someone" has now become something that puts the viewer on edge.
How many times has a character exclaimed "I'm trying to save you," when actually all they're doing is trying to serve their own selfish agenda and alleviate their own guilt or affirm their image of themselves?
I could seriously write a whole essay about this and how it ties to the idea of What it Means to Be a Hero. But feel free to discuss it more in the comments.

• Subverting "Truth, Justice, and the American Way

The Boys is constantly exploring how Vought and The Boys bend the truth to serve their own agenda and are constantly asserting that the definition of truth typically belongs to whoever has the power (Power being another big motif).
Justice vs. Vengeance is also a big one that keeps coming up. Starlight is arguably the only character who is earnestly pursuing true justice on this show and tbh, it cramps everyone's style. MM and Hughie also great characters to follow for this because they are both genuinely trying to do the right thing and are often seduced by Butcher's much more attractive Vengeance call.

• Mother and Father Relationships

This is another one that could turn into a whole essay and one that I'd probably have to go back and take more notes to explore. But I think it really ties into this idea of Power and Responsibility. Because isn't that the cornerstone of what it means to be a parent?
Children are seen by society as the ultimate innocents who must be protected at all costs, but they are so often abused and exploited by the people who are supposed to protect them - Even when it's unintentional. Parents so often see children as extensions of themselves rather than individuals. Simply tools to affirm their own existence or be mirrors of themselves (which ties into the whole selfish "I'm trying to save you" theme).
We see this explored with Ryan a lot, but this was beautifully culminated at the end of S3 when MM realizes he needs to be honest with his daughter about what he's been going through, not to justify his mistakes, but to show her respect and acknowledgement of a two-way relationship.

• Power in the Hands of Women and Power in the Hands of POC

Oh man. This is another one that's like... A whole ass paper.
Super powers are definitely a vehicle to explore societal power with woman and POC on this show and the daunting idea that even with superpowers or wealth, race and gender can still be used as kryptonite.
We see it touched on in the ongoing discussions of how to properly "play the game" and achieve real power.
We see the Power and Women explored pretty in depth in Season 2, but Ashley is a really awesome ongoing exploration of this theme through a gender lens as she rises to power at Vought.
A Train and Noir are an obvious example of this exploration through a racial lens, but it's definitely also been touched on through pretty much every character of color on this show. I think they really got into it in a really interesting way on Gen V as well, but I don't want to bog this down any harder.

• Gender Roles and Toxic Masculinity

Just making sure everyone is on the same page - Toxic Masculinity does NOT mean that masculinity is inherently toxic. It is meant to focus on the unhealthy presentations and expectations of performing the role of "being a man."
Toxic Masculinity really became the focus of Season 3. We see that most clearly in the character of Soldier Boy (though I do worry that due to Jensen Ackles natural charisma, it didn't quite achieve the impact the writers intended), but also in Hughie.
Although many people (including me) felt like it was a disappointing step back for Hughie, I'm actually leaning back the other way on the rewatch. I think that the feeling powerless (which is something we feel as ordinary citizens all the time) moment Hughie had when he realized all the work he did with Neuman was built on a lie probably threw a lot out of whack. It makes perfect sense that the comments about his vulnerability and softness might start hitting a little differently than they used to.
Frenchie and MM on the other hand, are great examples of characters of healthy masculinity in their willingness to share power, be vulnerable, and self reflect so that they are able to support the interests of their loved ones.

• What is REAL Power?

This is the final theme I'll mention because it's a big one and I think it's going to be important in the upcoming season. Where does real power come from? Money? Strength? Social influence? Knowledge? Relationships?
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Okay I'm tired of typing and it's likely that only four people will comment on this if I'm lucky.
I hope you enjoy discussing (feel free to add your own big themes if I missed any) and I hope that being aware of these themes make the upcoming season more fun to watch.

I’m about to post a slightly edited version of a comment I (35f) left on someone else’s recent post. We’re working on it, but I need support in supporting my partner (48m, father of my 2-year-old twins) through his addiction. Anyone who suffers from this or is with someone who suffers from this knows it isn’t something you just talk to anyone about. 1. it’s embarrassing 2. they tend to immediately tell you to write the person off bc they’re “disgusting” and too far gone 3. you love the person and don’t want others to think or talk negatively about them.
Anyway, here is a very, very short summary of what I’m currently dealing with, and what I have dealt with for much longer than my comment (the copy/paste below) portrays.
Idk, I just need someone who gets it. I’ve cried the last two times we’ve had sex because this relapse was the first one that shocked me. I’d truly believed that he was clean, whereas I’d always doubted him before. Now I feel like I have lost the ability to talk freely about my feelings with my best friend, because I don’t want to kick him while he’s down, and everything that needs to be said (for now) has been said. That doesn’t mean the hurt or paranoia (?) just evaporates.
Keep in mind I was replying to someone else, so there are parts that relate directly to that comment.
Here it is (edited to make more sense in this context):
i’ve been deeeep in the trenches with my partner, too. he has been seeing a counselor (who also suffered from porn addiction) on and off for two years. he loves him; that is key. when he sees him weekly, he is good. he has relapsed a few times, despite the “fail safe” of me having complete access to his phone via “myactivity.google.com”. we are logged into his gmail on our respective phones, and even incognito use shows up as “used google chrome”, but it will have no additional details attached, signaling incognito. yes, he has deleted activity during relapses, but sooner or later, they’ll miss something. guarantee it. Tbh, checking his activity online is secondary. His “tells” are setting earlier alarms (more time in the morning while everyone else sleeps), taking an abnormal amount of time “changing the wash over”, constantly having “stomach issues” which cause him to be in the locked bathroom, sometimes for an hour+, and so on.
I know that it’s just like any addiction. HE has to want it. I was addicted to opiates, and I know that no one can force you or convince you to get clean. I also know how hard it is and how easy it is to relapse and justify as “just this one time.” what matters most to me are the following points: 1. he willingly goes to counseling 2. he does not push back on me checking on his usage and instead asks me to please check his activity so he’s less likely to relapse, knowing something could (will) slip through the cracks 3. when he has relapsed, and I called him on it, his very first reaction was to call his counselor. he did not try to justify or lie.
all that being said, i’m at my breaking point. it cannot happen again without him coming to me and telling me he slipped, rather than me finding out on my own. I have asked again and again only for honesty, not perfection. (struggling with my own addiction, I know temptation sometimes wins. it’s not ok, but what’s worse is deceit,) I will not do it again. I cannot let it consume me. He knows I mean it. When I caught him this past time, I did not cry, did not pack bags, did not yell. I told him I was sorry he was overwhelmed enough to feel that relapse was worth it, and I believed in him. but enough was enough, and I would love and support from a distance. (edit: if I’m being honest, this isn’t true. I said all of that in May 2023. we have since moved six states away from everyone we know and love, and everything I own is here. the government won’t pay to ship all of my things back like they paid to get them here when he was hired into his current job. I no longer have a house or a job there, and because public transportation is so readily available, we didn’t replace my car when it had to be scrapped; I have nothing of my own, even though my mom would let us live with her in a heartbeat. I gave him another chance because not doing so was harder. If it happens again, I don’t care about my stuff. The twins and I will go home and stay with my mom. Stuff is stuff. My babies living in a healthy environment is the most important thing in the world to me—my feelings are secondary. for now, staying here is what’s best, as their father and I are continuing to work through it, as outlined below.)
I went as far as to email his counselor, and he (bf) thanked me for it, surprisingly. I knew ethically he couldn’t respond, but I want him to have 100% truth so he could help accordingly. He put my bf on a strict plan, and he has been sticking to it. The most important thing is that he has ZERO phone usage when he is home, except to check bus/metro times or when his daughter, who lives in another state, is playing softball and his ex wife is sending him updates. otherwise, as soon as he steps in the door, it goes straight to the drawer. (he works at the pentagon in a division that requires top secret clearance, so his phone is not on him during the day and he clearly cannot indulge in that environment).
I fully understand that this has nothing to do with me or his love for me or attraction to me. we have sex often, it’s passionate and fulfilling for us both. not to get too personal, I just want to state that I know he enjoys it, because we typically will have sex for an hour+, and he cums an average of six times. I know he sometimes doesn’t even masturbate (very likely often no erection) when watching. I mean, he’ll turn it on for three mins if he gets the chance, just to get the dopamine hit. it’s that hit of dopamine and, as fucked up as it is, a sort of “companionship” (bf’s word) that requires no effort that keeps the hold on him.
there is much more to the backstory, including him being raped (let’s called it what it is, it was not assault) when he was 10. a 17-year-old girl decided to “teach him what girls like”, which ultimately led to her “showing him” how to have sex. again, he was 10. she was 17. He also did two combat tours in Iraq. there is just so much trauma, but these are all reasons, not excuses. If someone does reach out to me, I’ll share aspects of our relationship that are also relevant.
Anyway…does anyone want to talk? This is my throwaway, but I still get alerts.
apologies for typos or just generally shitty writing—I don’t feel like going back to reread everything.

My husband and I (both in our early 30s) are looking to do a trip in September with our daughter who will be 14 months at that point. I had some questions I was hoping people might be able to answer, especially those who have taken young kids before. We haven't decided on a location.

1. How is the climate during that time of year? I know it's the rainy season but is it likely to rain often?Are there locations that are better than others? Will it be too buggy? Will it be too hot/humid for my toddler? We're Canadian so not used to that kind of weather.
   
2. What areas/resorts do you recommend for her age? We'll likely spend the majority of the time with her but we may want to use babysitting services occasionally. I'm a nervous first time mom so I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be about it but any experiences would be appreciated. She's a pretty chill kid so far so i think she would be ok with it. We're mainly looking for somewhere that has great service, especially for very young kids, that has a kid/toddler pool/splash area and has baby necessities like cribs etc. It would be great if the food is good too. Our main goal on this trip is to just relax and have fun with our daughter. Our budget is around 5,000 CAD altogether with her having her own seat on the plane.
   
3. Do you recommend visiting somewhere else instead of Mexico? We're even open to the U.S. but not looking for a Disneyland kind of thing as we want to wait until she can actually remember it and we just want a non stressful less crowded vacation. This is more an anniversary trip for us but as a family. We had a destination wedding in Maui pre-covid also in September and that's the only experience I have had traveling outside of Canada, my husband has done a lot more but he hasn't been to many resorts or tropical areas and not since he was a kid.
   

Thanks in advance!

As we are getting a trailer for a much changed version of the Second Age today, I decided I would share what a first season in a series might look like for the story of Tolkien’s Second Age, while staying very close to the timeline and characters. I’ve taken some ideas I’ve seen from other creators who have made similar attempts at this, namely Council of Rings and Tolkien Untangled, but most are my own. As of now I’m not aware of a complete outline that exists for the first season of this sort of adaptation. In any case, this outline is essentially a summary of a complete text with 10 chapters that exists but is still in progress.
I’ve split the season into 10 episodes, as I think that’s ideal, and into pairs of 3-episode arcs I call Sagas, which will cover certain time periods. The whole season takes place between SA 725 and SA 1600. At first I started with a compressed timeline that would start in 1200, the year Annatar arrives in Ost-in-Edhil, and Tar-Aldarion would essentially switch places with Tar-Surion. I think that the actual timeline allows for a very interesting look at the differences in passage of time between elves, Númenoreans, and Middle Men. The drawbacks of the actual timeline are that Aldarion dies close to mid-season, whereas in the compressed timeline we could follow Aldarion as he ages throughout the season.
That being said, there are still a few alterations and non-canon additions. The big alteration is that Annatar steals the nine when he leaves Eregion around SA 1500, instead of when he destroys Ost-in-Edhil around SA 1695. The other non-canon additions are Middle Men characters, which there are few examples during this time period, that Annatar can begin to seduce with the Rings of Power.
This was just a bunch of fun for me, but I hope this effort will demonstrate that we can have a great story that stays faithful to Tolkien’s timeline and characters.

Sagas of the Second Age: Season 1
Saga 1 (Episodes 1-3): The Mariner (SA 725-750)
Elrond. In the first prologue scene around SA 440, Elros as an old man arrives in Mithlond to visit his brother Elrond. Elros is fulfilling a promise to Elrond to visit him when he senses death is near. The two brothers spend time together before Elros departs back for Númenor.
Aldarion. Three hundred years later around SA 725 in Númenor, Aldarion and Erendis witness the corination of his father Tar-Meneldur in Armenelos. The next day, Aldarion sets out from Númenor with his grandfather to spend a year at the court of High King Gil-galad, but he is told by Meneldur not to go beyond Mithlond. Eventually, Aldarion decides to travel outside Mithlond, against his father’s wishes. Elrond offers to join him, seeing an opportunity to spend time with his brother’s descendant. Together they discover the dwarf cities of Ered Luin, and then the future site of Vinyalondë at the mouth of the Gwathló. Aldarion discovers the that the Men of Middle-earth are not as evil as he was told by his family in Númenor, and that some even speak the same language of the Edain that he does. Elrond and Aldarion then travel to Amroth’s kingdom in Belfalas. While Amroth is showing Aldarion the black lands of Mordor in the distance, they are ambushed by orcs, and narrowly escape with their lives. Before departing back for Númenor, Aldarion says goodbye to his new friend Elrond and the High King Gil-galad. Back in Númenor, Aldarion meets Erendis again and proposes to her. She asks if he is done with his travels, he says he is, and she accepts.
High King Gil-galad. Gil-galad endeavors to heal the trauma of Middle-earth. While Aldarion is travelling the lands of Middle-earth, he goes to settle a conflict between kingdoms of Gwaithirum and Breeland. A battle ensues between these kingdoms of Men and Gil-galad is unable to stop it. Before Aldarion departs back for Númenor, Gil-galad tells him that he would very much welcome his help in mediating the conflicts of the tribes of Middle-earth, as Aldarion speaks their language. Gil-galad perceives the return of the shadow of Morgoth, and departs to discover the source.
Galadriel. By lake Evendim, Galadriel admits Celebrimbor into her company. Despite the history of their families and some initial distrust between them, they realize they have a shared vision for continuing the great works of Gondolin. Together they discover the dwarf kingdom of Kazad-dûm. Galadriel is able to convince the dwarves of the mutual benefit of their cooperation in crafting. Durin III is eventually convinced, he agrees to allow and to help with the establishment of the future capital of Eregion: Ost-in-Edhil. There the works of the Noldor and dwarves will benefit each other for many centuries.

Saga 2 (Episodes 4-6): The Stirring of Númenor (SA 1075-1350)
Elrond. About three hundred years later in SA 1075, Elrond arrives in Númenor to see his friend, now king, Tar-Aldarion. He is also tasked to ask the Númenoreans to prepare for war, as Gil-galad is now certain of the return of the shadow of Morgoth. Tar-Aldarion, now an old man, has reached an age where he must yeild the sceptre, in the tradition of the Kings of Númenor. He decides to leave Númenor’s official response to Elrond as a decision to his sucessor. Aldarion has only had one daughter Ancalimë with Erendis, and it is clear that there has been much friction in the marriage. His sister’s son Soronto is the nearest male heir. This situation causes a conflict in Armenelos between supporters of Soronto and supporters of Ancalimë, also between those who want to heed Gil-galad's call and those who don't. Ancalimë is seen as the elf-friend, while Soronto is staunchly against the armament of Númenor. Aldarion decides to change the law succession in Númenor in favor of Ancalimë. When Ancalimë is crowned, she reverses her initial position to heed Gil-galad, and decides to preserve Númenor as a land of peace.
Galadriel. Ost-in-Edhil is a great city now, and both elves and dwarves are seen thriving. A visitor from Aman arrives who calls himself Annatar. He demonstrates himself to be akin to the Noldor in his love and expertise with crafts, and says he was a student of Aüle. He wins the favor of Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, the crafter's guild, and soon becomes the favored partner of Celebrimbor. As the friction between Galadriel and Annatar increases, Annatar moves the Gwaith-i-Mírdain turn on Galadriel. She decides to depart to Lórinand by route of Kazad-dûm with her daughter Celebrían, while Celeborn stays behid in Eregion. Galadriel is graciously welcomed in Kazad-dûm, and her relationship with the dwarves grows greater. At last, she arrives in Lórinand and meets the King Amdír.

Saga 3 (Episodes 7-9): The Rings of Power (SA 1500-1590)
Celebrimbor. More than a hundred years later, sixteen Rings of Power are forged in Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain agree that seven of the rings should be gifted to the dwarven kings, as a token of thanks for their help in building Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor, however, decides that the rings are too dangerous for Men. Annatar and Celebrimbor have a heated disagreement on this point, and Annatar accuses Celebrimbor of withholding the bliss of Aman from Middle-earth. Annatar absconds with the remaining nine rings. Sensing that he has been deceived, Celebrimbor crafts the Three in secret. He gives two to Gil-galad, and the remaining to Galadriel, and admits that he was wrong to doubt her.
Gil-galad. Minastir, the heir of Númenor, stays in the halls of Gil-galad as Aldarion once did. Minastir meets with the descendants of the Middle Men Adlarion befriended, though many more generations have passed for them than for Minastir. Aldarion’s travels are a tale that some believe to be myth. Gil-galad and Minastir travel the lands of Eriador and mediate the conflicts of Middle Men.
Elrond. Elrond travels to Númenor for the first time in several hundred years on order of High King Gil-galad to implore once more that the Númenóreans to prepare for war. Tar-Teleprian, the second Queen of Númenor, rules in Númenor now. When Elrond arrives and presents the request of Gil-galad, there is a conflict between supporters of Ancalimë’s policy of isolation and those who believe that they should heed Gil-galad, the latter being lead by the Lord of Andunië – Silmariën’s heir. When Elrond presents further evidence that the shadow of Morgoth has returned, Tar-Teleprian ultimately decides that Númenor must prepare for war.
Annatar. Annatar begins seducing the Kings of Men and gifting rings. Annatar arrives in the halls of a Gwaithirum king called Halmir, a descendant of one of the generals of the battle in the first saga. Annatar tells Halmir that the Noldor are withholding the power of prolonged life from mortals, and gifts him a ring. As Halmir is an elf-friend, his ancestors all being loyal to High King Gil-galad, he refuses Annatar’s suggestion. Eventually, Halmir succumbs to his curiosity and doubt and puts the ring on, entering the Realm of Shadows. He perceives immediately that his decay has been slowed, and indeed that the Noldor may have deceived him.

Saga 4 (Episode 10): Orodruin (1600)
Sauron crafts the One Ring in Orodruin, and Barad-dûr, the largest fortress ever built, has been completed. We Annatar standing on at the height of Barad-dûr wearing the One, below his vast legions of orcs.
As soon as the One Ring has been crafted, Galadriel, Celebrimbor, and the others realize they have been deceived and that Annatar was in fact Sauron, and they remove their rings.
The Men who received Rings of Power from Sauron realize too late they are deceived, as they are completely subservient now to the will of Sauron.

https://imgur.com/a/sBbsi3J
I posted her chart and my chart. I am the cancer. I have never really known an Aquarius well🫶🏻

9:30am PA announcement for Heidi Goldstein to report to Ms. French's office. Embarrassing, class staring at me.
Waiting around the table for me was Ms. French, Coach (!), the dean (!!)...and Mom (!!!). Faces were not friendly.
Me: Mom, why are you here? Is Dad OK? Lita?
Mom: Everyone is fine.
Me: Am I in trouble? Did I do anything wrong?
Silence
Dean: We received an anonymous tip this morning, Heidi. The person claims you are engaging in behavior that could be dangerous to yourself or others. By law, we are required to investigate any and all such claims, whether or not they are anonymous.
Me: Whaaaat??? Who reported me? Why? Self-harm myself? Harm others? How? I love my school and also feel blessed for every single aspect of my life, from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep. How can I be self-harming?
Dean: Coach, can you provide some background?
Coach: Two weeks ago I met with you and Lita. You talked about wanting to train to run the 10K. Do you remember what I said?
Me: Yes. You said I would need clearance from my doctor and I would have to do cross training with a certified coach.
Coach: Did you follow up?
Me: Yes, Lita and I spoke to our parents and they said they would support us. We've been researching gyms with a pool and with the right equipment. And also trainers who are certified.
Dean: But did you fulfill what you promised?
Me: No, but it is all in the works. There was just no time in our schedules to finalize the details yet.
Coach: The person who filed the complaint said you started training for the 10K on your own. Is this true?
Me: Yes, but just on weekends on our own time. Why does that matter? Why is that your business, Coach? It's my time.
Coach: Didn't I tell you about how much physical stress is involved in this type of training? It's not simply 5K + 5K. If you do not train carefully, you can injure yourselves very seriously. I am sure that your doctor would probably recommend that you even consult with a cardiologist.
Me: But before the track meets we were running well past the 5K together with you!
Coach: Gently. Under my supervision. With me walk/running in the pack, right there.
Ms. French: And, God forbid, if you had gone into cardiac arrest and died on the "it's-none-of-your-business" run, don't you think it would harm every single person in our school community, not to mention all of your family members and friends?
Me: I see where you are going with this. I understand. I'm sorry and accept responsibility.
Coach: And didn't we go through something just like this when Lita came early to the Morning Run after already doing unsupervised training? And didn't you observe her getting suspended for a week? Didn't you learn from that? You broke the trust between a coach and the athlete. That trust is not easily restored.
Me: OK. I get it. I apologize again. I deserve a suspense from the Morning Run.
Ms. French: It's not so simple, Honey. You observed Lita's punishment, right? That constitutes being forewarned and you went ahead and did virtually the same thing again on your own.
Dean: Agreed. I think we need to go further than suspending you from the Morning Run. I think a 2-day suspension from school is warranted.
Me: You can't do that to me! I'm a straight A student. I've read the Citywide Student Code for Behavior. Since when is doing more than expected a violation of "Rights and Responsibilities"?
Dean: Heidi, you said you understood, but you didn't digest what your coach said five minutes ago! You are now in denial. I don't think you have learned anything from what was just said to you. It's now a 3-day suspension.
Me: But I have important rehearsals in Jazz Band. And we are doing such an important project in Global History and Geography. You can't do this to me!
Dean: There are consequences for our actions. Should there be different standards for straight A students?
Me: Yes! We deserved it!
Dean: You are now insubordinate and bordering on racism and and classism. You are overentitled and talk too much. It's a 4-day suspension now. Anything else to say? I can go up to 10 days.
Me: This is so unfair. I don't want a suspension on my record!
Mom: Heidi, shut up. It's time for us to go home.
Dean: I am concluding this hearing at 10:05am. Thank you, everyone.
Here is actually when Mom came to my aid.
Mom: Wait a second. As you know, I'm an attorney and know that my daughter has due process rights. You did not provide me with written notification that this would be a suspense hearing rather than a guidance intervention. We are going to appeal this decision and we will win even at the first level. Come on, Heidi, let's go.
Ms. French: First go straight to your locker, Heidi, and get your things. No talking or signaIing to your friends. I will have your teachers email you your assignments and homework.
As I was leaving I saw Ms. French sit down with Mom. This what came out on our walk home.
Mom: You know, you can really be arrogant and self-righteous, Heidi, and you made things worse for yourself! Couldn't you read what was happening there? Couldn't you tell you were dealing with a Dr. Andrews with that Dean? Did you get enough of an adrenaline rush to make a couple of extra suspense days and a new enemy worthwhile?
You and Lita never even told us that you were trying to break the 5K unsupervised. You broke our trust as well. You guys promised to never endanger the family with your behavior. That is exactly what you just did. They were absolutely right in suspending you.
And there are going to be consequences at home. I will have to talk to your father and Lita's parents but for now you are completely grounded until your suspension is over on Friday. We are talking about house arrest. And that means no sleepovers. And don't you dare roll your eyes, pout, or start acting like you are a victim.
And do you know what Ms. French shared with me after everyone else left? It was how much she and Coach have come to love you over the course of your year at the school, that this is just a learning experience, and I shouldn't be too tough on you. It seems that a lot of planning went into that little meeting we just left. I suspect that out of respect for you, they intentionally neglected to provide me with that due process notification so you could win an appeal and the suspense won't be on your record. There's a lot for you to reflect on.
I'm going back to work.
Me: You're right, Mom. I love you. But can't you spend the day with me?
Mom: No, I can't. Go commiserate with Frank Sinatra.
But she did give me a wink and kiss.

To be honest, I wasn't sure that the Advice sub would let me post this there so I'm posting it here because it's so fucked up. And it didn't seem right for Let's Not Meet, either. But I do need advice, because I feel I'm losing my fucking mind.
So I (30F) have always been very close to my cousin (30F), let's call her Angela. Because we're the same age, our parents (my mom and her father are siblings) went through all the same stages with us and as such, we were more or less raised like siblings due to how much time our families spent together.
We even had homes in the country in the same township, which is where I think this happened. And I can't really tell my family this because it will make me sound legitimately crazy. And some part of me even doubts this memory, but at the same time I know in my heart that it's true. It's a complicated feeling, and this memory was brought to light last week when my suspicion I've had for years was more or less confirmed.
One winter, sixteen years ago, when Angela and I were both fourteen, both of our families were at our cottages, a twenty minute drive from each other. Angela and her little brother (my cousin, let's call him James) parents (my aunt and uncle) were going skiing one morning, and I wanted to go too. So I spent the night at their cottage, like I often did when we all went up north.
Angela's bedroom had two single beds in it, and James' room was down the hall. The whole house was open concept, so the hall from Angela's room to James' room did not have walls, but rather was bordered by two railings over which you could see down into the main floor, the open concept living and dining rooms.
James is four years younger than us, and when he was 10, he was such a typical little boy/little brother, it's almost cartoonish to look back on. Like, I'm talking *constantly* bothering us, putting a stink bomb on a remote control car that he would sneak into our rooms, trying to read Angela's diary when we weren't in her bedroom, just all the stuff. But never anything cruel or out of the ordinary or sinister, just a massive handful.
The basement of James and Angela's cottage was filled with storage and old toys, and sometimes (on the rare occasion) that we'd willingly play with James, we'd all go down to the basement and try to freak each other out. Anyway, one of the toys in the basement was your typical Raggedy-Ann doll from the 60s or something. I think it belonged to my uncle when he was a kid and then Angela when she was a baby. Her name was Trilly. I forget who named it. Anyway, I have vague memories of playing with it when we were much younger and pretending it was our third cousin or our little daughter. But since then she'd sat in storage in the basement.
But, what great nightmare material! Right?! A creepy, limp, smiling doll. So the night I stayed over, before we went skiing in the morning, James, Angela and I were up to our playing in the basement, and I remember we tried to freak James out by pretending Trilly was alive or something like that. Whatever. Game over, we all had dinner with the parents, then watched a movie as a family and went to bed. James to his room and Angela and me to Angela's room.
Now this is the thing. Angela and I still joke about this night, and she remembers it just like I do, which is why I sort of wrote off my hypothesis until last week. That night, in the middle of the night, I started tossing and turning. I woke up and could tell that Angela was stirring as well. One of us said to the other, "are you awake?" and the other said "yes," and we realized that we both couldn't sleep or were woken up by the same thing or were both just feeling restless. But then, at the other end of her room, Trilly was sitting in the fucking desk chair.
I think it was Angela who pointed it out. We saw a shadow, thinking it was a person, freaked out, and then relaxed briefly when we saw it was just the doll. But then we got freaked out all over again and were like, "why the FUCK is this FUCKING doll in your room!?!?", murderously standing up and going over to it to pick it up and throw it in James' room and pound the living Christ out of him.
We turn on all the lights, turn on the hall light, stomp down the hall into his room and turn on his lights, and see he's not in his bed. We then go downstairs (my aunt and uncle's room was on the main floor), Trilly still in Angela's hands, and hear my aunt and James in the washroom. Turns out James had been sick for the last few hours and my aunt had been up all night with him as he was throwing up in the washroom. And when we saw the scene we immediately could tell that James had nothing to do with Trilly. Like, it was just one of those really believable situations where we could tell James truly had no idea what was going on. We even felt bad for him. And, to top it off, when we told him the story in the morning it scared him so much that he didn't go into the basement for like a year. Anyway, it just seemed really sincere.
So Angela and I went back up to her room and we were like, "are we *sure* we didn't bring this up here last night? Are we sure? We must have." Anyway, while we were really freaked, we figured that it was explainable. We knew the doll obviously didn't walk itself upstairs like it was some horror movie. But, because we were fourteen and all for the drama (and I remember us having the "better safe than sorry" mindset) we called her dog upstairs (Bella, a poorly behaved black poodle). We started playing tug-of-war with Bella, using Trilly as the toy, and eventually Bella ripped her to shreds.
Anyway, funny memory, making the dog rip up the doll, we laughed and thought we were tough and cool, then we went back to bed.
The next morning, instead of all of us going skiing, it was just Me, Angela, and my Uncle, because James stayed home with my aunt on account of his stomach flu. But when we woke up, Angela was acting weird. Nothing too noteable, just really bizarrely quiet as she moved around her room to get her clothes out of her drawers and get changed. She didn't, like, acknowledge me in her room. I said something like "morning" when she didn't acknowledge me, and she looked at me and then turned back to her drawers and kept getting changed.
And she was looking around weirdly, I remember that too. Almost like she'd misplaced something, but a little more dazed than that. Just moving strangely. Then she went downstairs without saying anything to me at all. I thought maybe she was just super groggy... but it still felt really weird.
When I went downstairs, she was standing at the island in the kitchen buttering toast that my uncle had put in for us. I distinctly remember walking up beside her and the toaster, pulling a piece of toast out of it, putting it on the plate that had been set out for me, and when I dipped the knife into the container of butter, Angela smacked my hand away, hard, and looked at me and snapped, "what are you doing? Don't take things that aren't yours". I was shocked. It honestly felt like being struck in the face. She'd never spoken to me like that before, and even though we were like siblings, I still felt that kind of mortifying embarrassment you feel when someone calls you out on misbehaving, even though I wasn't doing anything wrong; but it *was* her family's butter and bread? I don't know. That's what I remember thinking. But it was awkward and weird and I just said, "um, what?" and then she didn't say anything, just kept buttering her toast, and I mumbled some apology.
The three of us then drove to the ski hill and, I kid you not, Angela and I didn't speak the whole way there. I had no idea what was up, but I didn't want to ask with her dad in the car.
Then when we got to the ski hill, we went skiing just the two of us and on the chairlift during the first run I mustered up the courage to say "Hey, did I do something wrong? I feel like you're really mad at me or something". And she turned to look at me and was confused. Not friendly, not warm, not reassuring, but confused. It was almost as if I was a stranger and she looked at me as if to say, "sorry, who are you? why are you talking to me?"
And she responded in a formal way: "Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about". The distance in her voice was really eerie, and I started to think maybe this had to do with the doll incident the night before and either she was trying to extend the prank, and she was the one who had put the doll on the chair, OR she felt guilty that we ruined this family doll and she resented me for being a part of it. Anyway, when we got to the top of the hill, she skied down quickly and didn't wait for me to go back up again, and we ended up skiing separately.
I felt awkward and embarrassed like I'd done something wrong. I ended up skiing with my uncle who asked me what was up with us, and I just said I didn't know. Then after our day of skiing, he dropped me off at my family's cottage and continued on home with Angela.
For the rest of that whole school year (we were in ninth grade), Angela and I didn't really speak. It was really sad. We were like sisters before, but better because we weren't actually sisters, but cousins, and so we were like best friends that were related. Seriously, we were really close. And it really messed me up, I felt like she just ghosted me. I would text her and call her house but she was always "fine" or "with Jessica" (her best friend). I chalked it up to her just outgrowing me, and it really fucking sucked. But, to be honest, it was so jarring and such a stark shift that I was more confused than hurt. I talked to my mom about it and she explained to me how rough it can be to be a teenage girl.
But that following summer, we were up at our cottages again, and our family had a barbecue and invited over my aunt and uncle and Angela and James. I had seen Angela at family things a couple of times since and she would just kind of ignore me and spend the whole time texting, which is what I expected this time.
Sure enough, that's what happened for the first bit of the barbecue. But then when the food was ready, she came up beside me as we were dressing our hamburgers at the condiment table and said, "oh my god, remember that night we got Bella to ruin Trilly?" and I was so shocked by her friendly tone, by her acting as though she were picking up a conversation we just were having, that I just stared at her and said, "yeah, that was crazy". And she said, "yeah, so funny. Anyway, how've you been?" again, really different and formal. I almost couldn't get past how altered her tone was, like we'd never even met. In fact she seemed so sprightly and kind that I thought she was mocking me.
And our relationship since that barbecue carried on just like that. She started talking to me more, but I'd reference inside jokes or ways we used to be or things we used to do and she never really latched on to any of them. I was caught between thinking she'd outgrown me and thinking she was like embarrassed of our closeness before or something and was trying to move on. I talked to my mom about this, and again got the speech about how teenage girls can be really cruel/strange sometimes.
So until we were about 22, we were like that. Nice to each other, talking sometimes, not that close, and I learned to not try and act like we were all close or that we had been close. I talked to my friends about it too and they said it was normal for friendships to change like that. But something felt off about this. I started to honestly feel crazy for hanging on to this "before" memory of Angela so much.
Then when we were 22, we grew apart. This time, it was mutual and natural. I moved cities, and she got engaged and became a real estate agent and we just had nothing to talk about. It was gradual and I didn't notice it much. Which brings us to eight years later, just last week.
I was travelling in Iceland. I had to be there (very randomly) for a conference/workshop I was leading for work, and turned it into a vacation. Rented a car, decided I was going to drive across the island after the conference was over and stay on the east part and explore a bit.
Day four of my seven-day long road trip. It's mid-afternoon, I'm hungry. I've been driving for three hours and have come across no sign of civilization at all, and it was fifty miles to the next town. But then, voila! A little gas station/general store/cafe! Perfect!
Ah, fuck. I literally can't believe I'm writing this. It makes me sound fucking crazy. But here I go.
I park in the little three-car parking lot. I get out of my car, step onto the gravel, the sky is white, expansive, there are mountains everywhere around me, fields, sheep. The air is fresh. Seriously middle of nowhere. I walk up the wooden rickety steps and push open the door and hear the door chimes go. A man walks out from the back room and greets me, and the place is cute. There's a little handwritten menu above the cash register and I asked him in my pathetic Icelandic/English mix if I could have the gravlax toast. He's very friendly and kind and says yes, asks if I want a coffee, I say yes please, blah blah, he rings me up at the cash register, and I go and sit at the one table they have and wait for my food.
I look around - it's mostly a fishing supplies store with some general groceries. The man opens the door to the room from which he came, the kitchen I suppose, and says the order to the lady in the back who looks like she's doing some prep cooking. Immediately I stop. It's freaking Angela!!!! Or I thought it was.
Now, remember, I hadn't seen Angela in about eight years. Since her dad passed away when we were twenty-three, and because I'd moved cities, we just had no reason to really see each other especially after growing so far apart.
So, like, OH MY GOD, it's Angela! She's working at a random little general store in middle-of-nowhere Iceland! But wait, I thought. No. This is obviously not-fucking-Angela. Angela is a real estate agent in my hometown. I'd obviously know if she lived in Iceland lol. Right? I don't really use social media but the odd time I do, she'll pop up here and there. But I guess not enough for me to *confirm* she still lived in my hometown.
But anyway, she looked enough like Angela that I went right up to the cash register and rang the little bell and the guy came back out and when he opened the door I was able to get another look at her, and my heart skidded. A chill spread across my crown. It was one hundred percent Angela. Like, my full-on cousin. So, looking over the guys' shoulder, RIGHT AT ANGELA, I smile and say, "Angela!! Oh my god!!" and before she could respond, the door shut again.
And the guy at the cash smiled really big, a nice, friendly, smile and he looked surprised as well, and pointed back over his shoulder and then at me, as if to say, "you two know each other?!" which confirmed for me that her name was Angela, because he seemed really delighted at the coincidence. Expecting her to emerge from the kitchen, I walked around to behind the cash register (the invitation was implied by the guy) and he put his arm back to open the door for me, or for Angela, whom we both expected to be making her way over to me, too.
When he opened the door, she was head-down again, chopping vegetables. I walked through the door and said, "Angela? Angela!" smiling, thinking she hadn't seen me yet or realized who I was, all context considered. She looked up at me, and then quickly, as though avoiding my eyes, looked down. "Hey", she said, quietly, at the cutting board.
WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON? Before I could ask anything, she said, "I'm really sorry, okay?"
What?
She repeated herself and then continued: "I'm really sorry okay? But we can't talk".
I actually, like, had no clue what was happening. I was looking into the eyes of my cousin whom I hadn't seen in forever in some random fucking shack in Iceland and she was acting skittish and afraid. I opened my mouth to protest and she said, "I need you to leave," then she called the guy's name and said something to him in Icelandic. She can speak Icelandic??!
The guy came in, his demeanour totally different. Almost like he was a bouncer. He gestured to my coffee and toast that were ready to go, took them in his hands and ushered me out of the kitchen and I could tell I no longer was welcome. Either I wasn't welcome or I was in danger, or both. It felt more like the former. And I don't think the guy had any idea what was going on, either. I think she must have said something to him like "I don't know this person, this person is crazy" or something. That's how he was acting toward me.
I got in my car, I drove five minutes down the road, and pulled over. I miraculously had service and I called my mom and told her everything. She kind of just laughed at me and was like "Many-Patient2894, that obviously wasn't Angela". And joked about me making some poor Icelandic woman feel extremely weird. But based off the guy's reaction when I said her name, her name was Angela, and the way she spoke to me and said sorry and said we couldn't talk, like, she knew me too. I told my mom all of this and I sounded fucking crazy and she just was basically like, "Haha, yeah, weird". I think she thinks I was making up the part about the apology.
I told all of my friends this, when I was still in Iceland, and they all reacted like my mom did. At this point, I had four days left in the country, and I kept wanting to return to the cafe/general store. But I didn't. I started to think maybe the woman thought I was someone else. But then I kept coming back to, but wait, this person was Angela. Her name, her body, her face, like I just didn't know what to do.
This brings me to two days ago, the day before yesterday, when I returned to Canada, where I live. It's eight o'clock in the morning and I'm on my way to work. In my car. Just picked up a coffee. Exhausted. Not thinking about Angela at all. Thinking about my laundry, my bills, what I'm going to make for dinner. The traffic is bad and it's a miserable day outside.
My phone dings. It's a random number. The text reads: "Hey! It's Angela! How was your trip?"
Haven't heard from her in eight years (except for our run-in in Iceland, if indeed it was one). No "how have you been??", no "I miss you!!" no "long time no talk/see!". I also hadn't posted anything about my trip on social media. Unless you were a friend of mine, you didn't know I was there.
I immediately call my mom, who follows Angela on Instagram, and ask her to look at her profile. Sure enough, Angela (not at all to my mother's surprise), is posting stories of the bachelorette party she's at in Miami. She's, like, not at all in Iceland.
I have no idea what's going on. And the way Angela/the woman spoke to me in the cafe had the cadence and softness that Angela had, and in my memory, lost, starting the morning of the skiing after the incident with Trilly and the dog. For some reason I'm fully back there in my memory now, realizing that that was the first morning of "the new Angela", the one that seemed to have no emotional memory of me at all. Like, the Iceland Angela seemed more like the "before" Angela.
I haven't replied to the text. I have no idea if it was bachelorette party Miami Angela or Iceland Angela that sent me the message, the area code is from neither Angela's hometown or Iceland.
I need advice, I have no idea what to do or who to talk to. Do I reply to the text? What do I say? I feel like the real Angela is fucking trapped in Iceland or something and has been for a long time. Or I don't even know. I have no idea what to do.

So I had a light brown mole on my temple and my mom stared intensively at it from time to time. Like we were having meal together and she sat in front of me and suddenly I see her staring at me and I ask what are you looking at, and she says laughing, "oh nothing, can I not stare at my daughter..." and after a while "you know that mole on your face, you could get it removed, it's not a big deal, a GP can do that for sure". Well that happened so often that one day I told her , ok let's get it removed as she had told me that she could actually make an appointment FOR ME. (I was already 20-21-years old back then). And I felt so bad about my looks because of that staring and thought I must be really really ugly because of this mole. And I really wanted that staring to end.
So she made an appointment with the GP for me and there was this doctor who told me that normally they don't remove moles from face at GP because it can be a big risk. The doctor also told me that it may grow back and there might be scarring. No scar gel or something was recommended and I was so stupid I didn't even think of it. I was just so glad that finally it was over, my mom could stop staring at me and I could be pretty again. But the real hell began after that. First it was a light scar. Then it got a bit bigger, and then the mole began to grow back UNDER the scar. Now after years of that surgery it's a pinkish-white-brown-mix that looks like cancer. It looks so terrible I hate walking outdoors and I try to hide it with my hair. I have showed it to one GP and asked if there could actually be cancer in it now, but they said no. But I feel so unsure and I've considered going to a dermatologist.
I think the scar inside of me is bigger and uglier than the scar on my face. I don't know how to get along with this. I think about the "mole" and my mom every day when I see myself in the mirror. I feel so damaged and most of all SO stupid for what she made me do. I don't know what I want, but I just wanted to tell my story here. It's probably one of the few things I haven't been able to talk about with my therapist. If I say it out loud I'm afraid I might get exposed somehow.

This isn’t something I would normally post but I am hoping it’ll be cathartic for me. This might be a long one and a bit of a mess so feel free to skip if you’re not interested in the read.
I 28f up until last August I was in a relationship with who we’ll call ‘M’ 24f for almost 2 years. We met on hinge. In general I’m very shy and not very confident person, and definitely new to dating as I spent most of my teens and early 20’s in the closet due to internalized homophobia. So I don’t have much experience dating. That context is important for the story. By all accounts, M was probably out of my league, (that’s what I told myself, again I have zero self confidence ) she was attractive, smart, came from a good family and on the surface a nice girl. The beginning the relationship was fine, she was in uni for medicine and her school schedule was pretty demanding. We’d only see each other maybe one every month in the beginning of the relationship, I understood she was busy with school and honestly I was still feeling lucky that she chose me to date.
A few months go by and we still remain only seeing each other once a month because her school schedule was so demanding. This is when the red flags start to wave, her school schedule was so demanding yet she was in multiple choirs that she would sing in once a week. She made time for choir but when I asked to hang out I was made to feel like a bother. Plus she played DND with at least 2 different groups of people.
Early in the relationship we were in her car after she dropped me off I asked if we could see each other a little more and she had a strange reaction, I didn’t want to seem needy so I backed off and later apologized via text. She responded with; “sometimes I just like to be alone.” Which as an introvert; I get 100%, so I let it be. But like….we only saw each other once a month as it was…..how could you possibly be alone any more??? I was always the one to ask to hang out, always. And every time I did I would sheepishly ask if she had some free time that weekend to hang out, because I felt like such a bother to her. I’m not exaggerating when I say we would easily go 3-5 weeks without seeing each other in person. We would text every day. But seeing her in person was a luxury. But don’t worry she always had time for choir every single week. Twice a week. Or DND. But seeing her girlfriend was too much strain on her school schedule.
I was always the one to text first. Whether it was good morning, or saying good night. Later in the relationship I wouldn’t text her just to see how long it would take her to text me that day, most time it wasn’t until 3-4 pm that I heard from her.
We never had sex, we barely even kissed.(which isn’t really important to me but damn). It was so difficult to have alone time with her so there was quite literally never an opportunity for intimacy. Towards the end of our relationship we would watch the bachelorette with her mom at her place, so we never had alone time for the last 3 months of dating.
For both valentines days we were together I sent flowers and chocolate to her house. She didn’t get me anything. For my 27th birthday we went out with my friends, and a small part of me wondered if she would offer to pay for my meal. Nope. She also didn’t get me a birthday gift or even a card. Flash forward to Christmas I get her a 250$ makeup palette that she always talked about and a blanket from her favourite K-Pop band. I got an xbox gift card and a cookbook. I need to emphasize that I DO NOT CARE ABOUT presents, I just literally wanted any sort of acknowledgment that she cared about me at all. I also feel the need to point out she has money, both her parents are lawyers and they are very well off and she gets paid to go to school because her field is very specialized. I was raised by a single mother and while I have my own career now, I’m far from rich. But I always went above and beyond to make her feel special and she did the bare minimum. Sometimes not even the bare minimum. This next one really bothered me; its my 28th birthday and I hadn’t mentioned it was coming up. A sick part of me wanted to see if she would remember, I know it’s stupid to test people in a relationship but I was genuinely curious to see if she would remember. It comes the day of my birthday, and I don’t hear from her until 3:30 pm. “Happy Birthday!” That was it. I was floored. A couple days later she managed to squeeze me into her schedule and we go out for dinner. Again, didn’t pay for my meal. For her birthday we went to a nice restaurant and I paid for the entire fucking thing it was almost 150$. Don’t worry she got me an xbox gift card though……..
But the worst part, beyond not seeing each other was how she treated me and made me feel. In the beginning she was very nice and kind, but slowly I think her true colours came out. She’s very smart, but she needs to be right all the time. Like literally every single conversation she needs to come out as right. I was never allowed to have my own opinions, she would make me feel stupid and correct me every time. I’m a bit of a goof and like to be silly, but she would look at me like I was an idiot, if I did a pretend British accent she would criticize it and tell me to stop. In the end I felt like a shell of myself. I was terrified to say something stupid. She would call out every single thing I did, if I merged a lane early while driving, called out (that actually happened). If I wiped my mouth after every bite, called out. If I said something she would have to google it to prove she was right or at least prove that I was wrong.
I would participate in her family activities, like birthdays and holidays. Side note: her family is lovely. I got especially close with her mom. Her mother is a sweetheart, a lovely human being and she treated me better than her daughter ever did. Her mom and I even snap chatted every day. M wouldn’t open my snaps for days and I could see when she was online. As weird as it might seem, I would have rather hung out with her mom than her. There were a couple times when we were with her mom, that M would call me out on something trivial and even her own mother was picking up on the vibes.
I had convinced myself I really liked this person, once I told her I loved her. Why, I’ll never know. She responded with “thanks, I’m not there yet but thanks for telling me.” I was gutted. I didn’t love her. I never did. In the end I hated her.
I would lie to my friends about her and say I was happy, my mom liked her which was the worst part because it would break her heart if she knew how I was feeling and being treated. I would make it seem like I was happy and she was this lovely person, but deep down I was dying. Towards the end of our relationship I was hanging out with a good friend of mine and someone who helped me a lot through my journey of accepting my identity as a lesbian. She asked me about my relationship and how it was going, and I honestly couldn’t say anything positive. This was the first time I was honest with someone in my life about how unhappy I was and I wasn’t sure how to process it.
Eventually she broke up with me; she said she felt like she made me nervous and that I cared about her more than she cared about me. Initially it hurt, and I felt bad. But after an hour, I wanted to do a freaking backflip. I was elated to be free. For the past 2 years I had felt like less of myself than I had ever been. It was the worst 2 years mentally of my life. I had twisted myself up into this sheepish person who just felt lucky to be chosen by someone. My self worth was so low that I thought this was the relationship I deserved, that I would never find anyone else and I should just be grateful that she chose me.
As the title says I’m still trying to recover and heal. It’s been about 9 months since I last saw her and I’m working on myself. That relationship showed me how compromised my mental health was and that I need to take care of myself. I have been seeing a therapist. Now don’t get me wrong I have struggled with mental health my entire life, but those 2 years were the worst of it. I’m not dating right now because I want to focus on myself and my personal goals first.
I’m still embarrassed for how the relationship went and that I let her treat me. If anything I learned a lot from this relationship.
If you have made it this far props to you because this was kind of a hot mess and wayyy too long. But it’s been bothering me even more lately and I guess I just felt like this might help. Even if no one reads it.
She didn’t want a relationship, I don’t know what she wanted. She used school as a buffer to limit the amount she saw me. I feel bad for the next person she dates and I hope they come to their senses quicker than I did. I deleted her off everything and I hope to never see her again. In closing, I fucking hate her guts.

Long history here with a boundary stomping and grudge holding MIL who refuses to engage in any sort of self reflection or take any responsibility for building relationships with me or my children. I dropped the rope almost two years ago and she has dedicated herself to the role of poor misunderstood little old lady who loves me soooo much.
I'm a hugger from family of huggers. My inlaws do not hug. Of course I'm fine with that, decades went by with zero hugs passing between us except for a sporadic rare hug here and there. I'm fine with this, I've never felt close to them and have no dsire to hug either one. Since I dropped the rope, however, MIL has embarked on a campaign to get me to hug her. First it was a run across the room at a funeral with open arms within a week of the rope dropping argument. I declined that hug with a no thank you. This was followed with a series of passive aggressive comments like a muttered "what, no hug?" during the few encounters we had for the next year or so. Last November she started campaigning for a Christmas visit and expressed an interest in sorting things out, she just wanted to give me a BIG HUG! Again I declined telling her that I'm not ready to hug her yet and I will let her know when I am. We saw them for an hour on Christmas Eve, I declined a hug again and we haven't seen them since.
My son graduated last Saturday and we invited the inlaws to the graduation and to join us with my mom and step dad for lunch with all of the kids afterwards. She declined the lunch (weird of course, since she's been using me keeping the grown kids from her as part of her smear campaign) because she was too tired to attend. Then she decided everyone had to hug her goodbye. She started with my mom? Weird, because they aren't friends or anything, but my mom politely hugged her back. I was standing next to my mom so she came at me next. I said "forced hugs? no thank you." Cue pikachu face and comment "hugs aren't ok now???" Reply, "Not everyone wants a hug, so one should ask permission first." My 20 year old daughter who was next in line said something affirming my statement.
So Mother's Day was Sunday here, one week and one day after the graduation. We did not see the inlaws or my mom, but DH and I both called our moms. Usually my MIL also send a happy mothers day text to me. She always has. This year she didn't. I'm totally fine with it because then I didn't have to wish her happy mother's day in return, but I know darn well that it was a deliberate action. I suspect its related to the "humiliation" of my refusing to hug her in front of my mom and children, despite having verbalized very clearly that I do not wish to hug her for the foreseeable future and I will let her know if that changes.
I'm equally turned off by the no hug graduation encounter, because I m in disbelief that once again she ignored my very clearly expressed preference and tried to bulldoze me in front of my mom, probably thinking that I wouldn't refuse after she very calculatedly hugged my mom first. I feel so sad for my DH who is finally realizing that she isn't all sweetness, love, and misunderstood innocence as she claims to be.

I came here because I feel no one else hears me. My daughter was born at 27w due to what we thought was IC, but was actually Chorio, but maybe it was still IC?? We lost baby 5 days later and it was devastating and I genuinely did not want to be alive after. Ended up pregnant with our current daughter unexpectedly. We’re following MFM this pregnancy, they aren’t convinced it was IC but actually the infection causing problems with my cervix, they are doing the “wait and pray method”, starting cervical scans on Friday, biweekly. I’m only 16w, I’ve turned into a hypochondriac, I have no shame in saying it. I’m convinced that I’m rapidly shortening, convinced I’m dilated, convinced I have bulging membranes, all of the things. Mind you, all of my scans thus far have been relatively normal, there’s genuinely no legitimate reason I have for thinking these things (I mean symptom wise, my loss is what’s causing me to think like this.) I want to get excited so bad. I want to celebrate my baby. I want to buy all of the baby clothes and plan all of the beautiful things to include her. But, I can’t. I can’t even imagine myself having a baby, being a mom, none of it. I felt like this last time, too. I convinced myself if I can’t see it, it won’t happen and that I shouldn’t get attached because we’ll just go through this again. I feel guilty, and I feel awful, and I feel hopeless and helpless. This baby deserves to be celebrated in every way. I’ve planned a baby shower, I’ll be 28 weeks. I’ve caught myself thinking “why am I buying decorations? she’ll be gone by then.” I can’t stop these thoughts and it’s so hard on me because I want nothing more than to bring this sweet girl home.

Throw away account, just in case. But this is a very unique situation so if the other party ever sees this, they’ll know it’s them…[for reference my ex and I are both in our early 20’s and this all takes place in Virginia] I (F) was with my ex (M, well call him Tom) for about 5 years, we were married for the last 2 years of it. We had a daughter together before we got married as well. We separated back in fall of 2023, my choice for many reasons including I was tired of parenting a 20 something year old, we lived in his family’s home and with years of manipulating I became totally isolated, I was a stay at home parent and had little to no access to finances, and by the end of it his anger issues got the best of him and he became violent and physically abusive towards me and our daughter. I left for our own safety and to gain back some of my independence again. I’ve posted that story on Reddit as well in more detail, on a separate account.
Toms current living situation involves him, he maternal grandfather, maternal grandmother (both in their 70’s), and first cousin (M, preteen aged, well call him George ). They all live in a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom and they’re all living their full time. Tom’s sister lives two doors down with her husband and four sons.
George’s parents have their own living situation, it’s his mom, his dad, his sister, and his brother, and they live in a motel room that is setup like a hotel room that would have two queen beds and maybe a small living area in the same room. They don’t keep George bc they don’t care to parent his ASD and have pushed the responsibility onto the grandparents, but not legal guardianship or anything like that, so that the parents can still benefit from him on tax returns or state benefits. George’s dad is a tier 3 sex offender that was convicted for taking indecent liberties with a minor, in the early 2000’s. Unfortunately George, his two siblings, along with Tom’s sisters kids, have all shown signs of learned sexual behaviors, or sexual abuse, or violent and destructive behaviors, but no one takes action bc their family doesn’t want to start drama.
Tom, and his entire maternal family have sexual or violent offenses or histories including the one above, 911 calls for violence within the family, all the way to murder committed by two of his immediate family members. To say the family is insanely unstable and unpredictable is an understatement. So now we’re at today…
Just over a week ago my daughter went to Toms overnight and when she came home she said George had touched her private areas, we have had a talk about how she should always tell me if anyone ever does xyz and she knows who her safe people are etc. I had a throughout conversation with her letting her lead anything that was said and I just asked her to elaborate on things. She knew exactly what she was wanting to tell me and she never strayed from her story or any details. She’s young, but she’s very smart and aware, I trust that she’s telling the truth. She also said her and George share a room, Tom has told me George sleeps on the living room cough whether my kid is there or not but she’s said this many times and has even said there’s 2 beds in her room. She says George also spanks her, yells at her, and hits her, but that her dad just tells him no and that it continues…
I talked to her more than once but after deciding for myself that she’s telling the truth and isn’t mixing her story up, I called CPS. I did also call Tom so he knew what she had said but he said our daughter was lying, it never happened, and showed no concern. I made the report with all the details above, the next day a family member of mine said I should also make a police report so I did. That turned into a second county CPS being sent the report and the police department opening their own investigation. Two days after that I was able to go to the court house and get a preliminary protective order, which was granted.
I have to go back to court this week for the hearing for the protective order. Today I called both CPS’s for updates and they both said they can’t investigate it because the abuse or neglect wasn’t done by the care giver directly, I don’t understand how that makes sense in this situation bc they possibly share a room and her father is ordered by our custody agreement not to leave her with anyone unless I personally agree to it. In the past his family has put my daughter in harms way and I don’t trust that they’re attentive enough to watch her and all the other small children there, especially due to the grandparents ages.
I am currently pursuing a show cause because he’s been late on child support and hasn’t paid the full amount, has left our daughter at home with family while he went to the strip club and got absolutely plastered, George’s dad is also ordered in our custody order to have no contact whatsoever with our daughter and has been at Tom’s house when she’s there. He also neglects to change her diapers before she rashes, doesn’t care to buy underwear despite her potty training currently, doesn’t bathe her properly or at all, doesn’t wash her clothes before returning her back to me. There’s more to that, but that’s the basics of it all.
So now my hands are tied, there’s two court orders. Our custody order, and a protective order. I don’t know which one I legally am meant to uphold to first. George lives at her dads house so she can’t go there without breaking the protective order, but if I refuse to give her to Tom, I may be at fault for breaking the custody order… I called the court to see if an emergency custody order was possible but they said not if I already have a custody order in place. What do I do? I’m still waiting on updates from the investigators and looking for more answers elsewhere, I feel like my hands are tied. She isn’t due to go back to Tom until the dry end of this month or early next month. What should I do?

I lost my mom about a year ago.
Being the eldest, culturally I tried rounding up the rest of the family, checking on everyone every now and then. My Dad (60M) was distant for a couple of months, which I thought of his way of taking it slow and processing his grief.. until I found out that he got himself a girlfriend (28F) barely 3 months after my mom's passing. Now I've learned about this without his knowing. I waited patiently for him to open this up to us, his children, but apparently he has no plans of doing so. So I confronted him, and it was not pretty.
I was enraged with his measures of trying to fix himself by deciding to remarry, with a woman he barely knows, who is younger than my younger brother. And turns out, as she claims, she was pregnant, and he's been sending her money since then. At that time my Dad took a long vacation with me, which is for another post.
I went with my gut and hired an investigator to check this woman out, and turns out she's not pregnant. To my shock and annoyance, I started asking more questions, until they started arguing as to why my dad's adult children are meddling with their relationship. We asked for checkup schedules, doctor's names, anything to prove of her claim. She didn't show us any, said that we don't have the right to see it. And not long after, she said that she miscarried. Our investigator pointed out that this was a convenient way for her to escape our inquiries, guilt trip my dad and to seek empathy.
Now my dad got messed up hearing the news, but I just wanted to know which hospital she was brought (she claims she was home and was brought in through ER). I called up my friend nurses in the area and weirdly enough she can't be found anywhere. What's worse, he made up his mind that it's our fault as to why the miscarriage happened (even if the pregnancy was not proven to begin with).
Through all this mess, I started to grow cold towards my father. I understand that grief makes you disoriented, unable to come up with good decisions, but adding this shady relationship in the picture really did it. I ended up not giving him a proper send off after his visit.
He also kept seeing her and he asked us to just 'forgive and forget' during the Christmas/New Year's season. Not only did he kept seeing her, he believed her story/claim more than us and the investigation. I guess that was my last straw.
I was mentally and emotionally exhausted from the back and forth of him convincing us to let go of our 'doubts' and to just let him be. It was making me sick to my stomach especially with the thought of him not even waiting an honest year for my mother's sake, before making his way to another woman. I was portrayed as a disrespectful daughter, but I'd rather be truthful and honest about my feelings. Plus, culturally, you were not supposed to answer back to your parent because, well, they are the parent. But I've lived in the U.S. long enough to know that this situation doesn't count.
For the mean time he said he's not gonna remarry, but with him not being honest since this started, it's hard to believe what he says anymore.
It's very sad because I know he's not a bad person, but I'm really getting tired of this while I'm trying to grieve and raise my own family as well.
Currently VLC but not sure how to go from here. Thoughts?