Information on heated towel holders |

1st photo is the 3 month update. 2nd photo is 3 month ago inside hair, 3rd is 3 month ago outside hair. It’s still not AS shiny as the inside hair but I can see it getting there over time.
Here’s the changes I’ve made:

use microfiber towel to dry my hair longer. Extra 10 min to before, so more like 30 min in the towel.
while drying do an intense side part. This creates frizz at the part which can be covered after you move it back to your usual part.
while drying, split hair into 5-6 sections of loosely finger curled tubes of hair. Think heat styled Shirley temple curls, but just do it with your finger and let it dry like that as long as it takes. It only curls to about the earlobe but still does the trick.
oil the ends daily. I like the innate life rose oil hair elixir.
after oil, brush with wooden hairbrush to distribute oil.
I still do what I did before with a scalp treatment and ends treatment for a few hours before washing. I do this twice a week. I’m still using the innate life products god that.
switched from olaplex shampoo and conditioner to calia organic hydrating shampoo and conditioner.
in the shower, after conditioning the ends and letting that sit a min or two, I brush it through with a comb all the way up to the scalp. It is only on the scalp for less than a minute before wrinsing. This seems to help the earlobe to temple region regarding frizz.

OR: Pride & Prejudice & Punks
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a GM with a solid group, must be in want of a scenario. Or not; maybe you're good with random generators and recycling the modules from 2020. But occasionally, I like to really stretch my brain and see what I can create. So to challenge myself, I decided to try converting Pride & Prejudice into Cyberpunk RED. I will be assuming a certain degree of familiarity with the work, mostly because it has its own Wikipedia page and you can literally go and read the synopsis. I'd encourage you to read the book if you want the greatest benefit, but there's absolutely no judgment if that ain't your jam.
Obviously a 1:1, completely honest translation is impossible. The central plot of the original work revolves around women unable to inherit their father's wealth trying to make good marriages. That's pretty obviously not a problem in Night City. However, there's more to work with there than you might think.
For one, the main relationship of the book is a rags-to-riches love story. We can leverage the massive wealth and power disparity between Darcy and Elizabeth to feed back into more punk narratives.
For another, the characters are surprisingly human and relatable for a gap of 300 years and 4,000 miles (your mileage may vary - literally). Caroline Bingley still comes across as a desperate try-hard. Collins resounds as an utter douche-canoe who told a father to cut his daughter out of his life.
So there's quite a bit there to steal, whether you want to rip it off and use it for background, or if you think one of your PCs actually fits one of the roles. So let's talk about the two ways you can use this material in your game.
Option 1: Strip For Parts / Put On Display
Austen's one hell of a writer, but her conflicts are typically resolved internally. There's very little intervention needed by any heavily armed outsiders (unless you count the Wickham-Lydia elopement). So actually putting the plot of Pride & Prejudice into your Cyberpunk game is a tall order (though not impossible; see below). What works better is stripping the plot for parts and using them as background material that occasionally invites the PCs to mess with it.
Rather than have the players be interested in the "will-they-won't-they" between Jane and Mr. Bingley because that's all they have to distract them from their aristocratic ennui, start running it as a background element. Players go to a high-end club, and this rich corpo's there, with his bodyguards and his skinny-b*tch sister, Caroline. Rich corpo (Mr. Bingley, by name), is interested in one of the PCs buddies (Jane, in this scenario), and spends a lot of time dancing with them, but doesn't take them home. This takes place as background material solely while the PCs are accomplishing their mission, getting a gig from the fixer, or doing whatever else it is they are doing.
Next week, the PCs have two more jobs from local fixers. Turns out a client wants Jane scoped out - what skeletons do they have? Do they have a paramour already? (This job is from Mr. Bingley, who absolutely wants to know if Jane is into them). The other job is to frame Jane as a gold-digging harlot with evidence provided by the client (this job is from Caroline, who thinks her brother is way too good to be slumming it with some club hooker). The PCs are offered both jobs, along with another, unrelated one. Which one do they accept? Either way, you run the consequences down in as cyberpunk a way as possible.
In another scenario, the PCs are befriended by a new kid in town - Wickham. He's a grifter who targets rich, young, vulnerable people and marries them, but he's not targeting the PCs. He is incredibly charming and almost supernaturally good-looking (COOL = 8, maxed out Persuasion, Acting, and Wardrobe & Style, minimum). He also hates people the PCs hate, and makes himself useful to them in a variety of small ways. Need a place to crash? He can get you one, choomba. Need a new piece? He'll get you the exact right caliber, friend. Anyone who bothers to dig into him finds some disturbing rumors from his past: apparently, Wickham's been married six times, and each of his past wives has died mysteriously after leaving everything to him. But Wickham's a notorious gambler as well, and he just pisses money away. More likely, though, the PCs don't do any research, and the following escalation plays out:
One night, Wickham shows up with a corpo heiress he's eloping with, and a duffel bag full of cash from her family's account. The heiress is incredibly drunk and probably high. Wickham needs the crew to buy him some time to get her to a chapel and legally marry her. He stresses that he just needs the PCs to buy him some time, as there are some corpo "detectives" looking for him. He'll pay them $1k each, up front, with another $1k to follow if they can pull the heat off him.
If the PCs accept, they discover that the girl's aunt and uncle are driving the search, and they've brought some serious professional muscle: Team Monster. The aunt and uncle are terrified that the heiress is going to wind up dead as soon as those marriage papers are signed, and they are willing to double Wickham's price if the PCs just tell them where Wickham is...but if the PCs dither, they'll just sic Team Monster on the PCs. If the PCs fight, that heiress dies to some tragic poisoning, and Wickham escapes - this puts the PCs squarely on the shit list of every corpo with a fortune to protect and a gonk kid (at least 30% of the corpos out there). If the PCs sell out Wickham, they save the girl, make some cash, and watch Wickham's skull get ventilated.
One final point on stripping this novel for parts. Pride & Prejudice is so influential it still gets taught and sold today. This book is fairly well known by anyone with at least a high-school education. So if you translate the characters too honestly, you are liable to tip your hand. Adjusting names helps (Yelbing instead of Bingley). You can also gender-swap characters, change ethnicities, languages, etc.
Option 2: Central Casting
Prologue: talk to your players about romance before dropping it in your game. It can go great or it can go cringe as fuck. It rarely hits a middle ground.
Main event: So, what happens when you realize you've actually got an Elizabeth Bennet-type at your table? Well, you drop in Mr. Darcy, and see what happens. This is actually something I'm going to try, because when I read Pride & Prejudice this weekend, I noted several similarities between my wife's Solo and Elizabeth Bennet. And because in-game Thanksgiving is coming up, one of her Corporate contacts is going to invite her to a Thanksgiving dinner, black tie (she doesn't have black-tie duds, but that's a great way to introduce Not A Stitch To Wear).
If she attends, cue the anti-meet-cute between her and the standoffish and proud Lady Pembrooke (my gender-swapped Mr. Darcy), who is in town for several months handling some business for their incredibly rich aunt. From there, you put them in rooms together, and see where that goes. The core of these two's relationships in the book (and why it's so satisfying) is a very, very, very well done "enemies to friends to lovers" trope that doesn't just change each other, but changes themselves, too.
"Ah, but Sparky," I hear you say, "their relationship can only take off because they alternate between being forced together and being kept apart. Like that time Elizabeth stayed at Netherfield to tend to her sick sister and had to talk to Darcy. How do you do force them together?"
Well, I'm figuring getting caught together in a bank heist-turned-hostage situation might work fairly well. Give them a couple of other hostages to play off of, and maybe throw in Caroline Bingley to try talking smack about the PC, and you've got the ingredients for an interestingly tense scene while they come up with a way out of there. All you really need is a location and a situation where the two characters have to talk to each other. Austen accomplishes this with a deft use of social expectations. You can do the same thing in Night City by letting it just be Night City - alternate action with conversation.
You could also have Darcy show up in places where he's an inconvenience to the PCs job. If they get hired to hit a big gala, and Darcy's there with an inconveniently sharp eye on them, then somebody's got to distract him. In the meantime, you can also hear rumors about how Darcy was an absolute schmuck to someone the PCs like. And of course, the biggest impediment to Darcy's happiness is Darcy himself, because he cannot stop acting like he's better than everyone else.
That's the push - the pull is that Darcy actually does care about people, and takes noblesse oblige seriously. He'll work hard to provide charity, and uses his position and privilege to help folks out when they're in a jam. In short, show good deeds, don't have Darcy tell anyone about them. In fact, the more steps Darcy can take to avoid his good deeds leaking out to the PC, the better.
The final question for this pairing, though, is simple: Do they get a happy ending? (Get your head out of the gutter, Dan). That, I think, depends on how your PC plays it. Do they actively antagonize high society? Infuriate their social betters? Flaunt their competence? Well, have high society respond. Darcy's aunt sends hit squads. Caroline Bingley anonymously leaks damaging information (false or true) to the press. Fixers get warned not to work with the PCs, and some of them listen.
Do they convince Darcy to come away with them? To start a new life? Do they insert themselves in his? The options are endless, and ultimately, Night City itself can be a reason why they're doomed. But as Romeo & Juliet shows, sometimes doomed romances are the most impactful kind.
Anyway, hope this was helpful! See y'all later!

Hi everyone!
We are excited to introduce two groundbreaking projects on the Solana network: Generation Meme (GENMEME) and Man or Bear in Woods (MOBW)!
What is Generation Meme (GENMEME)? Generation Meme is an innovative ecosystem that blends the excitement of meme culture with the utility of cryptocurrency. Our mission is to create a vibrant and engaging community where everyone, from HODLers and traders to meme enthusiasts, can thrive. GENMEME serves as the overarching token within this ecosystem, offering extensive functionality and continual rewards for our community.
What is Man or Bear in Woods (MOBW)? MOBW is the gateway project under the Generation Meme umbrella. It plays a crucial role in funding the early stages of the GENMEME project. As a founding token, MOBW holders will receive airdrops of GENMEME and have the opportunity to earn exclusive NFTs. These NFTs will provide special privileges and further rewards as the project progresses.
Why Join Us? By joining our community, you'll be part of a dynamic ecosystem that offers:

Regular airdrops and rewards
Community-driven token creation and events
Opportunities to earn exclusive NFTs with special privileges

Don't miss out on this exciting journey! Join us and be part of the next big thing in the world of crypto and memes.
For more information, check out our subreddit . You can also visit the MOBW and GENMEME website for more.

Dual fuel cookers offer the best of both worlds, combining a gas hob with an electric oven, for UK kitchens. Here's a breakdown on using yours effectively:
Getting Started:

Familiarize Yourself: Consult the user manual that came with your dual fuel cooker. It will provide specific instructions and safety information for your model.
Gas Hob:
- Ensure the gas supply is turned on at the control valve (usually located near the floor). There might be a separate isolation switch for the hob as well.
- Light the gas hobs using the knobs and the built-in ignition system (refer to the manual for specific instructions). Most models use a twist and press motion to ignite while simultaneously depressing a safety button.
- Adjust the flame size using the knobs for low, medium, and high heat settings.
Electric Oven:
- Turn the oven control knob to select the desired function (bake, roast, grill, etc.).
- Set the temperature using the separate temperature control knob.
- The oven light will usually turn on automatically, allowing you to monitor your food.
- Most ovens have a timer function you can set for automatic shut-off.

General Cooking Tips:

Preheating: Most dishes benefit from preheating the oven for the recommended time as stated in your recipe or the oven manual. This ensures even cooking.
Gas Hob Safety: Always keep an eye on the gas hobs while in use and turn them off when not needed. Gas hobs can get very hot, so be cautious to avoid burns.
Oven Safety: Use oven mitts when handling hot dishes and oven racks.

Additional Features:

Many dual fuel cookers come with additional features like:
- Fan ovens for faster and more even cooking.
- Grill settings for searing and browning.
- Programmable cooking functions for added convenience.
Refer to your user manual to understand and utilize these features effectively.

Cleaning and Maintenance:

Regularly clean the gas hobs and oven surfaces using appropriate cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer.
Consult the manual for specific cleaning instructions for different components of your Dual Fuel Cooker.

With a little practice, you'll be a dual fuel cooking pro! Remember to prioritize safety by following the user manual and exercising caution when using the gas hobs.

Absent minded/Not cutout for the trade
Hi reddit. let me preface by saying i've been in the electrial trade for about 9 months. There is an issue due to my performance and it's eating me up inside.
I don't wanna throw in the towel however I'm now in a valley of despair as I don't know how to go forward. Let me start of by saying. I am very forgetful of the most basic tasks at hand. Example 1. Boss wants a box with a wire to come down, outlet moved to the left, feed via switchloop from exhaust fan in a remodel. I listen to him carefully and not 1 second later I ask, So what about the box with the wire? Also I've come to realize I keep asking the same question while it is answered and keep asking the same damn question over and over, enough where I would understand the frustration.
It's like one thing goes out the ear to the next. Call it absent minded. Some days it's worse than others, Other days I can get shit done. There is a lot to unpack here but this is my number 1 issue that i need to combat right now.

I've been doing my searches on reddit and read similar posts about apprentices who are very forgetful and it reads they simply aren't cutout for the trade. I never wanna quit this trade being as I already worked my ass off so hard and know I've learned a lot. It's just a simple of following direction.

Come monday I'm going to bring a notepad with me and write down every instruction given. I've been with this guy for 9 months in service and picked up quite a bit and he clearly knows this however he's lost patience to the point where he flat out ignores me and gives instructions to the new coworker. It's been a real bind all in all being at this shop. For one I despise my boss. I wanted to quit at 4 months being how miserable the 70 year old is. BTW this company is very small and has a higher turnout rate than a mcdonalds. The new guy sends me a text to improve upon myself or I'm not cutout for the trade in general. I simply know myself better than him. He contradicts himself by saying "I will be top notch by the time I hit elc status." And I was better than him given my limited time. This guy for preface has over 2 years experience and a degree in commercial and industrial. It would take him 8 hours to setup 5 sticks of emt and I'm upon the impression this guy isn't shit. What he has over me is he is able to retain information that is said to him like non other. A commercial garage that needs to be emt laidout in 5 minute he will understood. While not knowing how to really execute the best runs and taking his time doing so.
The shop in general is miserable. Boss is a cheapskate who pays me less than dirt and it's clearly time to find a new shop. I wakeup with anxiety going in the place. However that's besides the point and worth another thread about seeking new employment. The guy never taught me anything really and hates talking in general. First day on the job I was given the task of cutting pvc conduit while avoiding cutting the wires inside.
I'm going off on a rant at this point. I never had safety issues and I'm very dilligent when it comes to working on live panels.
Clearly ADHD is what I've come to find however I do not want this as an excuse. I wanna write shit down and understand the tasks at hand and not make shitty mistakes due to my attention span of a wet fucking fly.
If anyone has faced similar issues with taking directions and following order retaining information at hand please let me know. This is a hurdle I need to get over and combat. I didn't understand this until I got the long text by the new coworker starting off how he called his son my name. Creepy in it of itself. However, I realize the issue now that is a huge roadblock for me to becoming an actual electrician. I'm at the point now where I'm fucking miserable and dread going in tommorow. Not being able to eat or sleep right. Getting paid shit while busting my ass and yes I do get a lot done in the service aspect. Commercial is all new to me and i've had 4 days of helping the new guy while picking techniques up.

Just reminiscing about a wild, but oddly educational experience from my formative years. I was visiting my grandparents in their small, cozy town, a place as peaceful as it gets. Here, my grandmother, a delightful lady, was known for her cooking skills. She held a record for the best apple pie in town.
One chilly afternoon, while she was making her legendary pie, I decided to offer my assistance. Emboldened by my culinary competence (or lack thereof), I assumed the task of following her recipe to bake one myself. I mean, how hard could it be, right?
She took out a weathered piece of paper, the official holder of the illustrious apple pie recipe. I followed the steps to the letter - a dash of cinnamon, a dollop of butter, Granny Smith apples, and so on. Finally, with trepidation and hope, I put my creation into the oven.
An hour later, not so much an apple pie, but an apple disaster greeted us. Disillusioned, I looked at grandma, who was trying hard to hold back chuckles.
She then explained, her recipe, as I had followed it, was a schema - a structured set of preconceived ideas. It provided a basic outline, but the essence of the apple pie was what she called her 'mental schema'.
This mental schema, she explained, was her personal understanding and experience she used to tweak the recipe - when to add a little extra cinnamon for zing, or reducing the heat at just the right moment. Basically, she used her mental schema to interpret and use the schema effectively and creatively.
That day, I learned a valuable lesson - we all have schemas or models, but it's our mental schema, influenced by our individual experiences and knowledge that truly make a difference. I still can't bake an apple pie as good as grandma's, but hey, at least now I know why!
P.S. This story may or may not involve real events, but the apple pie fiasco is a relatable metaphor for how we can use mental models in our daily lives. It's all about finding the perfect balance between following the schema and riding the wave of your mental schema. And yes, I still can't bake to save my life!

I am on a journey to learn how to take proper care of myself. I enjoy learning new tips, applying them and seeing good results.
Now, I don't hate my hair. In fact I do love it. But I want tips to make it smoother and healthier. Since I am barely trying anything at all.
I am using Macademia shampoo and I'm loving it alonside a macademia oil too. But I feel that the products i am using still make my hair unhealthy a tiny bit.
I can feel that my hair needs a little push to get that flowy hair but I just dont know what to use or how to use it.
Also, the heat. I don't mean straightening, i mean the actual heat, the sun.. what do you use to protect your hair from that? Going back to straightening your hair. I rarely almost never do that since I know I need to buy a heat protectant not to burn my hair. I only do it ocassionaly (without a heat protectant). Is there an spf for hair?
Also, I don't use a conditioner. Maybe I should use it?
One thing I learnt about self care is "the less the better." But I am still looking for that "less" that i will keep on using. I see girls having amazing hair all the time and I love it for them and I want it for me as well 🥹 some are natural masha'Allah 🫶🏻
I oil my hair regularly as i said either using the macademia oil, or coconnut oil, or olive oil. Oh i also have the "ultra doux creme do soin huile d'avocat et beurre de karité" and i use it after taking a shower (assuming it will moisturize my hair a bit and add a cover to protect my hair. Maybe that is not the case idk hhh)
Also, my hair type is wavy/straight. It is becoming thinner than before i had thicker hair. But not the worrying thin. I like that thickness and I would love for it to get back thicker as before.
Also, I wear Hijab. (This might be informative to you while helping me out)
I basically wish for it to get more moisturized and feel more alive! And i want to be able to let it down when i am home and not having to put it up because it gets a bit frizzy after a while maybe because of humidity or heat.
Any tips/ products/ advice will be much appreciated.
I know a professional help is more reliable but I cant ask professionals on everything i am trying to take care of. I am not that rich 🥹 I barely can afford following a nuitrutionist and a dermatologist for my skin. Lol
Love you girls 🥹🫶🏻
PS: Asking Moroccan or nearby countries since the weather is a bit similar and I can get the products easily

Warning ‼️ long drama-filled post
I (32F) and my boyfriend (27M) have struggled creating boundaries with his baby mama (27f). We’ve been dating for a year now. My boyfriend is more willing to be flexible than his baby mama in order to make coparenting easy for the children (8M, 4M).
For example, we made an agreement i wouldn’t post her children on my social media. I used to be a stripper and a lot of my followers come from that period in my life. One day, I was making a collage on Instagram (the pictures are minimized); well I couldn’t tell if it was my hand or one of the kids’ hand in the photo and I used it anyway. She messaged me about it and I ignored it because 1. I didn’t think a hand was a tell-tale sign of who the specific person was 2. I didn’t want it to spiral into something worst. Well she told my boyfriend’s mom(48F) and by the end of the day it was a catastrophe in its own for a week. The baby mama kept trying to aggressively talk to me in person. I kept avoiding it because I don’t see a point of talking to her under those circumstances. She started threatening that my boyfriend couldn’t see his kids if I didn’t speak to her so I gave in. As soon as we addressed the issue, she jumped into issues between my boyfriend’s and I relationship like us having had a lie detector test done because in the beginning I had a hard time believing the baby mama was that vindictive. At that point in her argument, I walked away because I think it’s none of her business; I shouldn’t have to explain our problems to her.
2 weeks after that, we started discussing what was going to happen for Easter. The kids are used to them hanging out, eat, the mom reads them the Bible story of Jesus’ coming, kids go to sleep, the parents create muddy bunny tracks and put the Easter baskets at the end of the tracks. I’m not allowed at baby mama’s house and I’m not comfortable with my boyfriend going there by himself so she asked if we could do it as his house and if she could be apart of it. I reluctantly obliged. I was very uncomfortable with it but we agreed to suck it up for the kids. She came over, we went through all the rituals together, the tension was high but the kids couldn’t tell so they enjoyed it. After the kids went to sleep and everything was set up, the baby mama said she had to talk to us. I was thinking things went well, we all held ourselves together and weren’t rude. Well she chose this moment to attack my relationship with my boyfriend and addressed a couple situations me and him had been through (anytime my boyfriend vents to his mom, she informs his baby mama). Here I am trying to defend my relationship, telling her my boyfriend and I resolved this and that and even explaining why certain things happened between me and him. It went on for 25min, she was getting heated so I started telling her I didn’t want to discuss anything with her further and that infuriated her even more. My boyfriend had to maneuver her out the house as she is saying she doesn’t want me around her kids. Come Easter, I was upset because after insulting me in the house I live in, she came back to see the kids open up the Easter baskets because it was still part of the original agreement. Actual Easter hunting was held at a park and afterwards her house with all the cousins. of course I couldn’t go because the baby mama wouldn’t allow it and the rest of the family sides with the baby mama. I was pissed about the day before and I’m uncomfortable with the situation but my boyfriend and I agreed he would go to be apart of those memories with his kids. After I had a talk with him saying we needed to create firmer boundaries. We aren’t doing holidays or events together because she isn’t cordial. She doesn’t have a real reason to dislike me other than him choosing to move on with me. I told him I no longer want to try to make things work with her and if he still wanted to try to do coparenting her way, we needed to go separate ways. He quickly agreed and said it was fine, we could do what I wanted. I thought it was weird because his kids’ birthdays are in June (6th and 8th). I had previously expressed I’d prefer each parent do separate celebrations for each child. He didn’t think that would fly with the baby mama and he would have to miss their bdays, something he wasn’t comfortable with doing initially. So I thought it was weird he agreed so quickly.
Well come June and baby mama wants to do the bdays together without me or my boyfriend can forfeit participation. I got upset because my boyfriend had made that agreement with me on Easter and it felt like he deviated from it so we could still be together until we had to face the issue again. I’m soft, it’s so hard to say “no, don’t be apart of your kid’s bday because you made this agreement”, and I know it’s so easy to use the sake of the kids as an excuse because I can’t fault the kids for their mom being a difficult person. So I gave in again. My boyfriend did the 8year olds celebration with the baby mom at urban air while I stayed home. I was pissed. I said I can’t do the next one. I hate nobody acknowledges our relationship, it’s so disrespectful we allow others to create restrictions on our relationship. He discussed it with baby mama and she told him she wasn’t budging and he was a bad dad if he didn’t show up for his kids on the bday. He tried to see where they could meet halfways like split the days in half. Instead she got pissed, showed up to the house, grabbed the spare key from outside and intruded into the house. When I told her it was rude, she sat after shouting none sense. My boyfriend ushered her outside. She ended up leaving and blocked my boyfriend’s phone number and kept the kids for my boyfriend’s scheduled visitation days. After a day or so, we gave in again and had the most uncomfortable dinner with her and the kids and even agreed to go to sea world together. My boyfriend said we didn’t have to do sea world but I felt like we did because if not, there was going to be conflict. My boyfriend said we would only be there for 2 hours then leave. When we started reaching the 2 hours I was expecting to prep to depart. The situation was so uncomfortable so as soon as we could go I wanted to leave! I’m ashamed I feel like that because their bdays should be met with excitement but for me it was dreadful. We ended up being there a total of 4 hours, the last hour, I was slow roasting in defeat. How could I do this to myself? Do I hate myself? Is my self esteem that low? Is this love? How could he say he loves me? Is this what I want? Im so lost on this
TL;DR! I need advice. I need to know other people’s experience with vindictive baby mamas/dads and whether or not things get better. I need to know where on the spectrum does this drama land, low to medium will take a lot of work or above average run for the hills!

Hi people of Reddit,
TL;DR: I got a huge crush on another girl, while in the relationship. And I do not feel like ending the relationship. I feel like I still have feelings for my gf.
This is a bit of a stupid situation I am in, but for the context. I (23M) am dating a girl (23F) for 1.5 years. We had our ups and downs, but eventually now everything is amazing. We now live together, she loves me tremendously, values our relationship so highly, and is extremely caring. She is outstandingly beautiful both face and body. She is smart and educated. Rather mature for her age. She is looking for a job rn, so we are in an understandable financial strain atm, but it is manageable. Overall, I feel like she is one in a million. I should be the happiest man on Earth… but…
She has anxious attachment style though, which sometimes causes heated arguments. After one of such arguments (extremely emotional, it was a breakdown for her) I started feeling as if emotionally distant, less empathetic towards her.
And then another girl (21F) appeared. I’ve known her for some time, even before dating my current gf. I actually had a huge crush on her and wanted to date her, but as she was studying abroad, she did not accept my advances. Although I believe she expressed a degree of interest in me, but very carefully. So, I was never sure if she indeed liked me or not. We met once half a year ago with this other girl accidentally, right around the time of that heated argument with my gf (The argument had nothing to do with this encounter at all - my gf knew though). We had only 10 seconds small talk. I felt sudden strike inside my chest - strike of anxiousness and longing. And since then, that girl has been living rent free in my mind. Coming in dreams from time to time etc.
Obviously I did not contact her, as I would consider it as a form of cheating (probably). However, lately, I feel like that old crush on her has come back in full swing. I started becoming anxious and miserable. I fell like I am hiding something, that I am guilty. I feel shame for this and anger. Eventually, I liked a couple of her IG posts, stories, even though I tried not to, I could not resist - the temptation was too great. And it, magically, has alleviated the anxiety and misery for some time. Even though I did not get any feedback from her
Now, I am obsessed with an idea of writing to her. It makes me even more anxious. Which I rarely am otherwise. And idk for what purpose I want to write to her. One part of me wants to make sure that she is not interested in me, to experience disappointment and move on. Especially as she still lives in another country. And what if she likes me and wants to date me… That would be horrible. I do not feel like I am ready to break up with my current gf. This makes me feel sick, makes me feel like a cheater and overall a bad person. Perhaps that is what I am indeed… Anyways it drains me a lot.
And even if I write to her - what could I write… It sounds so stupid to confess straight away that I have a crush on her despite having a girlfriend. And if I ask smth neutral to sense check her attitude and to slowly start texting her - I would feel again very guilty for cheating. I feel like I need to tell my gf, but if I inform her that I want start texting another, Ibelieve that would cause irreparable damage to our relationship. I am afraid of losing her. I am not sure that I indeed started growing distant, or if it is just a mere cooling of passion in the relationship that is perfectly normal… Perhaps this crush is just a momentous fleeting madness which will pass soon, but it has been reappearing for almost half a year with some periods of remission.
How can I deal with this anxiety I have, and how can I decide if I write to that girl or not?

Content warning: Contains mental health issues and physical violence.
The world breaks like glass, shattered as the world disappears into a black void. Embodiment of the soul floats in idle as shattered glass falls slower. It’s a shame, for souls to have lost their way but can still function. A blare bursts out from a black clock, soon to come at a silence from the smack of a button.
I wake up in a daze, accompanied by the sound of light rain getting caught by my bedroom window. I realize no other sound is made; my house falls silent. How unusual for morning hours. I get up from my bed, grabbing a set of clothes from my closet. Then, the realization hit once I hear my little sister’s muffled cry in a separate room, next to mine. “Right, my mother has died, how could I be so forgetful.”
June 7th, 2024, was the mark of my mother’s death. That night’s incident came at a flash. Me and my mother were walking on a familiar route. We were on a sidewalk with a silver railing attached on the opposing side of the black covered roads. During our walk, we discussed about my future while returning home with our groceries. Clouds were turning dark, so we sped up.
Then, a figure, that I can’t identify, came to me and my mother with a knife. This person kept going at my mother, enchasing their knife with blood. But why? Even when I landed jabs at this person, they wouldn’t stop stabbing my mother. After about five minutes of trading hits, this person ran away, dropping their blood filled knife, marking a path like a skipping rock. My mother sustained crucial damage and had a look of disappointment as I came to wrap her wounds and held her. In an immediate decision, I called for help on my phone. Rain started to settle, mixing with the blood of my mother’s body. As more blood exits her body, the more her heart rate diminished. Within a few moments, I was holding a corpse. Ambulance didn’t arrive on time.
A void started to close around me, leaving out all reality, and that was the last moment I could remember.
“That’ll be all for today, Mr. Mason. Thank you for telling us all the information from last night, we’ll be contacting you soon after we investigate this situation. You’re free to leave.” I exit out the interrogation after a brief amount of time, recollecting everything that has happened. My sister waited for me outside the room.
“Do you think they will be able to find the murderer?” My little sister has been tearing up for three hours, devastated from the loss of our mother. You could tell by her distressed look.
“Yes, don’t worry. We will be protected from this murderer.” I knew she would be worried about the murderer getting us next, though I am unsure if that is true. The murderer had one target last night, my mother in this instance, however I never understood the reason why. Did she have a debt overdue to a suspicious organization? Whatever the case, our family is in hot shit, and we need to protect ourselves.
“Are you sure, big brother?”
“Yes, let’s leave now, Julie. Come on, grab my hand.” We exit the stone building, having a few eyes following us as we left. As we step foot outside, rain welcomes us. Clouds are still darker than usual, longer than anticipated. We walk at a slow pace, my sister grabbing on to the wet silver railings as we pass the same street of last night’s incident. “The investigators are going to examine the knife tonight.”
“Will they be able to find the murderer soon, then?” There is a bit of an energy boost as she hears the news but is held back with grief once again.
“Yeah, possibility tonight. They will give me a call if they find anything.” My sister looks back to the ground in response.
We arrive home after a slow silent trip, knocking our shoes off towards the wooden shoe rack. “I’ll prepare lunch.” I grab some bread, cut two slices of tomato, cut some lettuce and prepare to cook bacon. I place two black pans on to the four heated stove, toasting bread on one pan, and placing bacon on the other. After a few minutes of flipping the bread and checking the bacon, I prepare to make our BLTs. I place our BLTs on our wooden family table. “Julie! Lunch is ready.”
We both sit in silence, eating our BLTs. Eating without our mother makes the family table seem pointless to attend, but we act as if she is still with us. Finishing our plates, I get up and head to my room to do my own investigation. “Julie, I am going to be busy for a while, okay?”
“Okay.” My sister has created a wall.
I get into my room, shutting the door behind me. I turn on my idle computer to wake from its slumber, soon followed by my monitor. Illuminating my face with light blue, I enter in my password and start searching the web for the location of the murder. There are a few articles about similar incidents happening, some dating back to recent months, the earliest being from a month ago, May 4th, 2024. Digging deeper into the articles, I discover about one man in particular, a tall black male that is about 6’4”, middle aged.
I research this man for about the second half of the day, coming to a realization that I haven’t made dinner yet. I open my door and make way to my living room, where I hear a news channel running on television. My sister is bundled up with her white bunny plushie, watching the news about our mother’s death. I look out a window, noticing a black void, and soon is followed by the same black figure climbing into the front window of my house, going straight for my sister. I lunge forward to the black figure, wrestling it, trading punches on the floor. My sister is screaming throughout the whole fight, but soon is silenced as the figure escapes my grasp and stabs my sister multiple times. I try to grab and strangle the figure, but the figure escapes by jumping out my window, dropping their knife once again.
I sit in silence, staring at the body of my sister, blood spilling out as she loses colour. “Why does this have to happen?” Void closes in on me once again, reality vanishing right before my eyes.
I wake up in an unfamiliar place, I am in a falling position, but I am not falling from anywhere. There is broken glass all around me. I look around and notice a figure, and it spoke, “Welcome back, how’s life?”
“Who are you? Where am I?” I am frightened by this event.
“Well, I am you, don’t you remember?” The area around us turned to a bright light, illumining the area. I am soon faced with the figure, and I realize the body is similar to the murderer going after my family.
“What sick joke is this? Why are you after my family?” My anger rises, still frightened.
“You mean, why are you going after your own family? You are the one killing off everyone you have left, don’t you remember?”
I step forward to the figure, but soon wake up in a hospital bed. “Must’ve been a dream, I guess.”
“Mr. Mason! Are you okay? Are you feeling well? You were knocked out in your home, along with your sister.” I am in a daze, feeling drained from waking up.
“Yes, I am okay. Is my sister alright?” I panic to await a response, hoping that my sister did not die that night.
“She’s alive, but in critical condition. You have been knocked out for a week, and the investigation has come to a finish. The investigators would like to speak to you whenever you’re ready.”
“Thank you.” I am filled with hope after hearing all the news. I lay in bed for a few more hours to recover and rethink everything. Feeling ready, I arise from my hospital bed and take a tour around the hospital to find my sister’s room.
I step into the room, looking at my sister. Then a doctor comes up to me and says, “She’s still unconscious, but her vital signs are active. We’ll update you if there is any change to her condition.”
“Thank you.” Before heading out of my sister’s hospital room, two older men step into the room and come up to me.
“Mr. Mason? We’d like to speak with you about the recent incidents. Come with us to the police station.” I am so close to finding out who this murderer is. Before heading out of the hospital, I sign some documents to update my records. The two are patient with me.
“Alright, I am ready to leave.” I drop the pen and walk out the main doors with the two men. They guide me to their four seated black car, and gesture me to go into the back of the car. For all of the ride, we kept silent as we headed towards the local police station.
“We have arrived. Let’s go inside.” The three of us get up, stepping foot into the same stone building I was in a week ago. Inside the building, we head for the interrogation room, a different one from last time. The room didn’t look so different itself, but the location is different. This time, a policeman is attending this meeting. I didn’t question the reason.
“So, we came to a conclusion of who murdered Jane and Julie Smith. It took a long time to verify the information as it came to a shock to the whole investigation team. After examining the two knives that the murderer left on scene, the system came to one person. That person would be you, Mason Smith.” I am confused by the results as the man spoke his words, but before I could speak, the other man speaks.
“Mason, we bring you here today to ask a few questions. In case you get violent, we have this police officer here to assist the situation.” My anger starts to fuel.
“How could this be possible? I saw the man myself! You must be framing me; I cannot trust you. In fact, I think you guys are the people involved with murdering my family.”
“Calm down, Mason. A witness from Witwerld Street sent us evidence of you stabbing your mother and beating yourself to a pulp. With the information tied together, we can assume you are the murderer in both cases. We’ll play the video for you.” I look at the video, seeing myself stab my own mother while punching my face.
“How could this be? This can’t be real.” I am in disbelief as I see myself holding my mother’s corpse, but soon am filled with sudden anger. “I see now. All of this is to get me, an incident citizen, into jail. What have I done to all of you guys to deserve this? Framing me with knives and now making a fake video?” In the corners of the room, black void appears.
“You can play this act up all you want, but you’re the murderer. Now, we can help you if you need it, but we need you to cooperate.
“Help me? You are digging me into the dirt right here!” I get up and try to leave the room but am pushed back to my chair by the back of a rifle.
“Stay in your seat!” The policeman is a mean guy. I stare into his eyes with anger, and notice the void growing at a quick pace, closing in on the policeman. The world is gone again. In a blink of an eye, I am faced with a broken mirror, seeing my own reflection. The area is filled with white all around.
“What is this. Why am I here?” I touch the mirror, and the shriek of broken glass responds to my ears as the area turns into a void. The mirror disappears, and soon the glass starts falling with me. After what felt like an hour, I am on my feet again. As I step foot, ripples of water respond. I start walking in a random direction, memories being showcased for a quick moment as I make a path.
“Oh, hey there. After all these years, you are here with me at last. Welcome back, Mason.” The familiar black figure that has been with me for this whole journey, has appeared. They are sitting on a white chair, cross legged. Droplets of rain appear, making a silent rhythm, and soon a flash of all my memories surround me, playing vivid loops of my life. Then, they disappear to the command of a snap from the black figure.
“Yes, I am back home.”
Note: I am not sure if I am able to post short stories here as there is no clear rule to it. However, based off my own judgement, it seems that it is acceptable. Anyway, I am looking for sources to upload my writings, and I ended up finding this subreddit. I would upload on Wattpad, but.. Yeah, I think I am good on that. My goal is to get additional feedback on my writing. I am currently in a creative writing class, but I want to practice further outside of that.

Have you ever felt chills from good stimuli?
That ability can be learned to be activated with just the elated feeling, whenever you want, without any stimuli.
That's not why I claim that it is a secret being hidden from us, though.
The ability to activate this is your golden ticket, which is being swept under the rug as something unconscious and unimportant. With info on this purposely being spread as an ability available only to a few; however, it is one of the only things that every single human can access, regardless of their physical abilities or conditions.
Why is information on this being manipulated? Let's see.
Ever felt overwhelmed by stress or anxiety? This ability is a switch to manually induce the release of positive hormones.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-12135590
Just imagine how being able to use it when feeling overwhelmed could benefit you.
Don't believe me? In the eastern part of the world, Tibetan Monks know about this ability and use it differently. You can find more information on this in this Harvard "Tummo" experiment.
https://curiosmos.com/the-power-of-deep-state-meditation-and-how-a-harvard-study-found-monks-with-supernatural-abilities/
"During meditation, the monk's body produces enough heat to dry cold, wet sheets put over his shoulders in a frigid room."
Since our internal body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus, the same part of our brain that deals with positive hormone release, this proves that this ability can be used to consciously activate your positive hormones.
Ever wanted to travel virtually in an instant? People who astral project or have out-of-body experiences use this ability to trigger the "Vibrational state" right before the "take off."
https://en.iipc.org/vibrational-state/
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg of what you can use this ability for. In fear that my post won't be read, I won't write a book here about all the incredible things that we can do by being able to consciously activate this ability.
For now just understand that many different cultures observed this occurrence thousands of years before the Western new world became aware of it, and their discoveries did not stop at simply recognizing it as a physical response to music.
Eventually, you can learn how to bring up this wave of elated energy without the physical reaction of goosebumps, feel it throughout your body, and increase its duration, just like many others have succeeded in doing.
This ablity has been researched and documented under many names, by different people and cultures such as Bioelectricity, Life force, Prana, Chi, Qi, Runner's High, Euphoria, ASMR, Ecstasy, Orgone, Rapture, Tension, Aura, Mana, Vayus, Nen, Intent, Tummo, Odic force, Kriyas, Pitī, Frisson, Ruah, Spiritual Energy, Secret Fire, The Tingles, on-demand quickening, Voluntary Piloerection, Aether, Chills, Spiritual Chills and many more to be discovered hopefully with your help.
If you're interested, here are three written tutorials with concise descriptions on how to control this for your own benefit.
If not then I've put enough information for you to research this topic, develop this ability and bring in new techniques to the world.
P.S. Everyone feels it at certain points in their life, some brush it off while others notice that there is something much deeper going on. Those are exactly the people you can find on the subreddit spiritualchills community where they share experiences, knowledge and tips on it.

Have you ever gotten chills from good stimuli?
That ability can be learned to be activated with just the elated feeling, whenever you want, without any stimuli.
That's not why I claim that it is a secret being hidden from us, though.
The ability to activate this is your golden ticket, which is being swept under the rug as something unconscious and unimportant. With info on this purposely being spread as an ability available only to a few; however, it is one of the only things that every single human can access, regardless of their physical abilities or conditions.
Why is information on this being manipulated? Let's see.
Ever felt overwhelmed by stress or anxiety? This ability is a switch to manually induce the release of positive hormones.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-12135590
Just imagine how being able to use it when feeling overwhelmed could benefit you.
Don't believe me? In the eastern part of the world, Tibetan Monks know about this ability and use it differently. You can find more information on this in this Harvard "Tummo" experiment.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2002/04/meditation-changes-temperatures/
"During meditation, the monk's body produces enough heat to dry cold, wet sheets put over his shoulders in a frigid room."
Since our internal body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus, the same part of our brain that deals with positive hormone release, this proves that this ability can be used to consciously activate your positive hormones.
Ever wanted to travel virtually in an instant? People who astral project or have out-of-body experiences use this ability to trigger the "Vibrational state" right before the "take off."
https://en.iipc.org/vibrational-state/
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg of what you can use this ability for. In fear that my post won't be read, I won't write a book here about all the incredible things that we can do by being able to consciously activate this ability.
For now just understand that many different cultures observed this occurrence thousands of years before the Western new world became aware of it, and their discoveries did not stop at simply recognizing it as a physical response to music.
Eventually, you can learn how to bring up this wave of elated energy without the physical reaction of goosebumps, feel it throughout your body, and increase its duration, just like many others have succeeded in doing.
This ablity has been researched and documented under many names, by different people and cultures such as Bioelectricity, Life force, Prana, Chi, Qi, Runner's High, Euphoria, ASMR, Ecstasy, Orgone, Rapture, Tension, Aura, Mana, Vayus, Nen, Intent, Tummo, Odic force, Kriyas, Pitī, Frisson, Ruah, Spiritual Energy, Secret Fire, The Tingles, on-demand quickening, Voluntary Piloerection, Aether, Chills, Spiritual Chills and many more to be discovered hopefully with your help.
If you're interested, here are three written tutorials with concise descriptions on how to control this for your own benefit.
If not then I've put enough information for you to research this topic, develop this ability and bring in new techniques to the world.
P.S. Everyone feels it at certain points in their life, some brush it off while others notice that there is something much deeper going on. Those are exactly the people you can find on the subreddit community Spiritualchills where they share experiences, knowledge and tips on it.

Information on heated towel holders

CoronavirusDownunder