I'm posting some old stories that I wrote maybe 6 or 7 years ago before I knew HFY existed so you may have read them before on WP or some other sub but they are mine. Also, obligatory "english is not my first language"
Calvin sat in silence, his gaze focused on the green dot flashing slowly on his console. The Council had kept their word. His comm interface had connected to a temporary relay satellite near Saturn. A special request that was granted to lift Earth's isolation sentence for a brief moment to relay a final message to the cosmos. Everything was ready, the message prerecorded the day before and final adjustements to the gift had been made a few weeks ago. Calvin pondered everything that had happened, every events leading to this moment, to humanity's last chance to stand on the centerstage.
It didn't start this way. When humanity first made contact with an extraterrestrial race, we were welcomed with opened arms. Our very first message was "we come in a spirit of friendship" Humanity's quick evolution and technological progress had already caught the attention of the Galactic System Alliance. Some of its members were concerned over the general violent tendencies demonstrated throughout human history but true to its benevolent mission, the Alliance had given humanity the benefit of the doubt. We were allowed outposts, territories, trading routes and even the newly created 328th seat on the Galactic Council of Representatives. Humanity was given a real fair chance to shine. And boy did we waste it.
The Galactic Alliance was over 5 million years old, some of its members could be traced back all the way to the founding days of the Alliance. It had brought about a previously unheard of, almost uninterrupted era of peace throughout the galaxy. Its rulings were generally both fair and just. A beacon of hope and justice into the dark cosmos. Humanity gave it its first civil war, less than 50 years after joining. 5 million years of peace, ripped apart in the space of a moment.
Humanity started off well enough. Outposts and trading were profitable and while human vessels were not as technologically advanced as other races, our ability to anticipate enemy movements and quickly adapt to volatile situations made us a prime candidate for galactic peacekeeping missions. Humans rapidly made a name for themselves as a deterrent to pirates and smugglers. The Galactic Council did not hesitate to authorize human settlements in sectors prone to hostile actions, knowing that humanity's presence would pacify a sector quickly. Humanity's image rose to a more favorable one and initial concerns and hesitations towards us slowly crumbled away. Unfortunately with the rise of humanity's standing, came a rise of its hubris. After all, humans will always remain humans; fickle, volatile, greedy.
Humanity became more and more demanding in its dealings with the Alliance. We constantly wanted more, became arrogant, took what we felt we deserved. The Council turned a blind eye when humanity moved in on turbulent territories and claim them for itself but before long, we had our eyes set on more prominent systems. With every outburst and hostile action, we only isolated ourselves further. Humanity's positive image quickly turned negative, and when backed into a corner, humanity turned vengeful. We convinced ourselves we were the victims and that in the end, it was us or them. Some members of the Alliance came to view our side of things, others were forced into servitude. A simple spark was all it took for a full fledge civil war to break out.
Within the span of only 3 years, the Alliance was on fire, divided, broken. Humanity's unmatched potential for warfare made it a formidable enemy but in the end our arrogance got the better of us and we lost. The consequences for our actions were harsh but justified. Given humanity's irrecoverable nature, we had been sentenced to erasing. All humans would be relocated to Earth, sterilized and left to die alone, the Sol system kept under a permanent military blockade. All mentions of humanity were to be removed from Galactic history and we would be forgotten, erased from existence. It was the second time only, in the entire Alliance's history that this punishment was handed out.
As a final gesture of good will, the Council had authorized a final message from humanity's last living representative to the members of the Alliance, to be distributed, but then erased. Looking up from his console, Calvin toggled the small switch that would send out the transmission to the satellite's internal memory, then end his life. He permitted himself a final smile, the Council would be seriously pissed... at first.
In the dark emptiness of space, the small satellite's memory indicator turned red, signaling reception of a message but unfortunately it was too far away to witness the small light flash from the thermo nuclear explosion that officially ended humanity's presence in the galaxy.
Captain Xandar was pacing back and forth across the small bridge of his scout vessel. While he was honored to be part of an official Council mission, he couldn't help but feel that he was potentially being sacrificed as cannon fodder. The Council may have granted the human's wish of a last message but it still feared a trap. Human's deceptive and violent nature would leave a dark shadow on the galaxy, slow to vanish. Humanity's first word to the Alliance, "Friend" had become a synonym of "deceit, treachery and naivety". The 20 large warships hiding just outside the limit of the Sol system did nothing to calm Xandar's nerves. While they were there to offer protection in case of a human trap, should things go south they would probably not hesitate to destroy Xandar's vessel if needed.
Captain, we are in range of the relay satellite. Systems confirm there is indeed a message on the internal memory. Initial scans show the data file is rather large but still looks clean.
Xandar sighed, the poor human schmuck probably went on a long tirade against the Alliance. A fitting end for such a violent race.
Very well lieutenant, download and scan the message. If everything looks good we'll transmit it to the Council and they can decide if it's worth sharing to the rest of the Alliance or not.
As soon as the young lieutenant opened the message file, all lights on the bridge went out, the quiet hum of the engines vanished and artificial gravity disengaged. Xandar was doing his best to maintain his composure while slowly drifting 2 feet in the air but as suddenly as it had vanished, artificial gravity came back and the emergency lighting activated, bathing the bridge in a reddish hue. On the main screen was a sole human, weak and frail in appearance.
Apologies to the commander of the Alliance vessel, I assure you that I meant no disrespect and no harm to your vessel and your crew. As authorized by the Galactic Council of Representatives, I hereby bring you a final farewell from humanity, as well as a final gift to remember us by.
Xandar was panicking, all restraint and stoic facade usually associated with his rank had vanished from his face, his eyes were white with fear.
Shit! The damn human played us like fool! Lieutenant, I want an immediate status report on the ship's systems. First officer, contact the fleet, there is no telling what we just exposed ourselves to.
Comms are down sir, unable to raise the fleet. We have limited access to the main computer and all blast doors have been sealed shut throughout the ship. She’s dead in the waters Sir.
Damn it! I want every exabyte of that datafile analyzed for any trace of a virus or even biological agents. We should have known better than to trust the humans to honor their word.
Xandar looked back to the monitor, the human had remained silent, probably anticipating the commotion that his message would cause. Xandar waited for the recording to resume.
Now, I assume the initial moment of shock is behind us so let’s continue. As I said, I bring you a final gift from humanity to all races and citizens of the Alliance. Fear not, though this final deception on our part may appear as vengeful, I assure you it is not the case. I knew the Council would never allow for this message to be shared throughout the Alliance, let alone our gift so I had to take some creative measures. Your analysis team is probably telling you about now that the 2 data files enclosed with this message are organic and they are correct though fear not, it is not a biological agent or a viral threat. Both files contain the DNA blueprints of Dogs. While we initially had dozen of sub-species, the complexity of this entire action limited me to only upload one specific breed. More precisely I give you the Retriever Labrador. I have enclosed blueprints for a brown-coated male and a golden-coated female. Though they are called man's best friend, I assure you they are nothing like us, to the contrary they are loyal, playful and innocent. They represent everything humanity has failed to be. They are our gift to you in the hope that you will one day forgive us for everything we have done. May they be a protector when evil threatens you. May they be love when hate isolates you. May they be a beacon of hope when darkness surrounds you. Treat them well. We did not deserve them, but hopefully you will prove yourself worthy of them.
The ship's systems came back online the very moment the recording ended. Lights rekindled across the bridge and the engines sprung back to life, filling the vessel with their low humming. Xandar looked over to the bridge crew, most of them still in shock and unsure of what exactly had happened. It was the young comms lieutenant that broke the silence first.
Sir, all systems are back online. Comms are back up and the fleet is hailing us, they want to know what the hell is going on. They are asking if we have been compromised.
Tell the fleet to remain on stand-by, we will need to assess the situation. First officer, give me a full systems check.
Sir, I'm detecting a massive power fluctuation from levels 3 through 7. Powers appears to have been rerouted to the auxiliary deck.
Tell engineering to stabilize the power levels and seal off the auxiliary deck
Controls are unresponsive Sir, power is being channeled to the backup biological replicators
What? Kill all power to the auxiliary deck, NOW!
We can't, the auxiliary deck is hooked up directly within the main generator and has its own dedicated safety bypass. It's meant to work even in the events of a catastrophic engine failure to insure the survival of the crew.
Shit! The human didn't do this by accident. He purposely automated his virus through the backup replicators knowing full well we wouldn't be able to turn them off. First officer, I need you to vent the atmosphere from the auxiliary deck's replicator room.
Controls are unresponsive Sir
Then blow the damn room out to space, do whatever is needed to stop this!
There is nothing we can do sir, we're completely locked out of the auxiliary deck. Security teams are waiting outside the replicator room but the system won't allow me to open the door.
Xandar was unsure how to proceed at this point. They had been compromised but calling in the fleet would mean immediate destruction. He pondered for a while but then made the decision to contact the fleet regardless of the consequences. He had a duty to insure the safety of the Alliance. He turned to the young lieutenant and gave the order to raise the fleet. His gaze was however quickly met with the panicked expression of the young comm's lieutenant.
Sir! The recording! It's transmitting itself to the fleet via our open commlink!
WHAT?
The fleet is no longer responding. I think... I think they're going through what we went through when we first opened the recording.
Xandar was in shock. The realisation of what was about to happen was slowly setting in.
If you're right son, that means the recording will activate their organic replicators as well and then transmit itself to the rest of the Alliance fleet. We've doomed the Alliance.
Sir! Replicators report completion of their programmed tasks.
Auxiliary deck controls are back online! Scanners indicate 2 life forms. Replicator room doors just opened on their own!
Xandar turned slowly towards his first officer.
Sir, there is a final message on the replicator console's screen.
---Protocol Goodboy1 successful
---Protocol Goodgirl2 successful
---May they show you the true meaning of the word "Friendship"
Bonus
It only seemed fitting that humanity's last action would be to blow trough bureaucratic redtapes and regulations to impose dogs on the galaxy (with the best of intentions of course). Calvin did promise no harm would come the vessel and its crew and that's been true... for the most part. There is definitly no physical harm and while psychological and/or traumatic consequences are a possibility (albeith a rather small one), you know... dogs will take care of that. It all works out in the end.
Well, except for the poor Glaxien crew members who turns out are deadly allergic to dog hair, and the Phlosaks whose skin reacts to dog urine as if it was acid (poor bastard got peed on his face when he lifted a puppy), and the Klaangorians who's very fragile and very vital lower mandible looked like the ideal chew toy for one young puppy. A very uselessly exposed lower mandible if you ask me. Not to mention the many planetary ecosystems that will be seriously messed up by the introduction of a new uncontrolled species.
In fact some would argue that those pesky government regulations were there for a reason, that with time, the Alliance could and would have experimented with the DNA blueprint in a controlled environment and then, given positive results, would have moved on to a gradual and supervised introduction of dogs in the galaxy.
But you know, that's just not the human way to do things. Better to rip the bandage in one go and hope for the best. Surely the Alliance can't fault humanity for what Calvin did, it was for the best, THEIR best and while in retrospect we are kinda sorry about the whole "accidental death by dogs" thing and ruined ecosystems, these are freak occurences, trivial, statistically benign. Like the great Cave Johnson once said, if I put these numbers into my calculator it makes a happy face.
You're welcome universe, we accept your most sincere gratitude and your apologies are much appreciated. You don't have to feel the need to mention it, we're totaly fine. In fact, please stop yelling at us.

Note: Taken from Introducing my first OC
(Let me know if there is any inconsistency.)
Letter R in team REPR(Reaper): Rogert "Roth" Oberon
Sex: Male
Age: 25 during the Fall of Beacon, 26 or 27 during Atlas arc.
Birthday: 18th day of the 10th month
Height: 1,87 meters
Species: Faunus, Bear. Notable markers: Bear snout.
Family: Father and mother, lost a younger sister and brother in a Grimm attack.
Class: Tank. Speciality: Defense, taking and holding ground.
Colours: Cares little for the colour rule yet the colour of the symbol is brown and uses black armour. Varied colours in the rest of the attire intended for camouflage depending on the environment.
Semblance: =Redacted under orders of Headmaster of Beacon= Authorized personnel only as follows:
Animal morphing, Roth Oberon is able to turn into a big bear and is able to remain in full control after years of practice. However, to maintain control of his semblance he needs to change into a bear once every 2 weeks for at least 2 hours to avoid permanently damaging his body. Gained the semblance in his 3rd year as a Huntsman trainee during a hunting mission. Becomes stronger, aura takes more damage and is more animalistic in animal form.
=Classified information ends=
Profession: Huntsman in training at Beacon Academy, team leader. (Former)
Vale defence forces. (Former)
Guardsman of Beacon. (Current)
Appearance: Strong arms with strong legs, broad shoulders, gold brown bear eyes, and brown hair. Bear mouth/snout. Note: Functional muscles instead for show.
Weapons:
Graduate Huntsman in Atlas arc: Two gauntlets with automatic machine guns and a sword blade coming out of them, grappling hooks on both, a spear tip and spear adjusted for his height and physique that can be split into 2 pieces. Carries dust grenades with him with empty dust slots and different dust with him.
Student to graduate Huntsman in Mistral arc: Spear, machine gun gauntlet, sword gauntlet, one-shot reloadable rocket launcher with ammo and a spear tip from a broken spear.
Strengths:

• Roth is very strong and durable allowing him to survive hits that would kill many others.
• Adaptable to changing situations and has strong willpower, keen intelligence, and a sharp mind.
• Versatile combat technique and knows how to use a variety of weapons or forms.
• His ability as a leader and calm attitude has kept his team in tip-top shape and has made them self-reliant on themselves making the team effective alone, in pairs or as a group.
• Bear´s sense of smell.
• Classified ahead: Can gain bear´s abilities because of his semblance when turning fully into a bear or just partially.

Weaknesses:

• Can be slower in a fight than most fighters even in his younger years.
• Workaholic.
• Roth´s darker impulses are closer to the surface when he is in charge.
• Great anger towards Grimm makes him hunt them with abandon or lure them in relatively easily. (Weakness in academy years, in adult years unorthodox trapping and luring method against Grimm. Double-edged sword.)

Inspiration: What I want to be. A person who could beat Hazel Rainart and Brutes from Batman Arkham Knight. Gregor Eisenhorn of Warhammer 40k. Kratos of God of war in his Nordic life.
Skills:

• Knows many melee weapon combat forms and has a lot of fist-fighting experience. After training and fighting in missions in a military unit for 3 years after graduation, he has learned to fight like a commando.
• Edit: Knows how to train dogs.
• Knows how to make new weapons from the ground up with primitive equipment and knows how to maintain them effectively and how to repair them.
• Rogert knows how to survive in the wilderness for potentially years. Building shelter, use of camouflage, hunting for food and foraging, how to lose a hunter, navigating etc. His speciality is tracking a target or missing supplies.
• Advanced stealth skills and ability to disappear enhanced by military education.
• Knows how to make grenades and bombs and how to defuse them. (Trained in the military and by Parish Broc.)
• Knows the basics of using military equipment and weapons after graduation and training in the military.
• Interrogation skills enhanced by his physical presence and knows how to gain information by talking. (And knows how to extract information by inflicting pain and suffering. Trained with some success by Elena Nathara.)
• Knows psychological warfare and guerrilla tactics. Specializes in Grimm.
• Knows criminal psychology, how to establish a crime scene and how to gather evidence. (Trained by his father and Raina Odell.)
• Knows how to administer first aid. (Basic and Huntsman academy training.)

Personality: Rogert is a loner who was given the job of a leader despite not wanting it. He became more comfortable in the role over the years yet deep down never truly believed he should be a leader.
While a humble person, Roth has no illusions of his strengths and how powerful he can be when in battle.
Roth values loyalty and honesty, things he has shown to his team by having no secrets from them and has encouraged his team to do the same with great effect. Because of his values in honesty, Rogert does not forgive attempts to lie to him and tries to limit his words to be as truthful as possible.
Roth has a ruthless attitude when it comes to leadership and dealing with enemies. As a leader, Roth expects nothing but competence and giving 100% in combination with a firm chain of command and on-the-spot obedience.
Roth is a strong believer in learning and improving skills. Because of this, Roth has learned from his teammates the skills he lacked before meeting them and has instructed them to do the same.
Desiring always to have the upper hand, he learned to keep his emotions in check at all times and focused on his studies in his free time and school time. Other people often consider him emotionless, yet no one is willing to say it in his earshot, and he doesn´t mind this thought about him.
Rogert has mastered his emotions, and he can make decisions that would make other people disgusted with themselves be it torture or cruel punishments without flinching as he got older. While his team reminds him about his better nature and while his actions have never been directed against an innocent, Rogert believes he can´t afford to hesitate to act when many lives are at stake.
His team, REPR, has helped him loosen up, and he discovered his liking for playing the saxophone and driving. His team has helped him to become a better man than he thinks he needs to be as the years went by.
Facts about the character:

• Rogert prefers to be called Roth because the name is easier to pronounce, and he prefers a shorter name.
• Rogert put the team to vote during graduation on whether they should stick together as a group. Ultimately, the team was split up, yet REPR occasionally would help each other on big operations. He voted No, yet never said why, even when asked.
• Roth´s closest relationships are with his parents, Elena and Raina, and he thinks highly of Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck due to his teaching and wisdom.
• Intended to be a counter for Elm, an Ace Operative.

Extra skills:

• Scholar: His lack of social interaction in his school years made Rogert focus more on his studies than on making friends. Due to this, he has gained a lot of knowledge and an interest in researching history and myths. Math skills and history were his best subjects, and he often likes to talk about both when asked.

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE**

• *Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
  $500-750, (up to $900 if there’s a deal)
  
• Are you open to refurbs/used?
  Yes definitely as long as the seller is reputable
  
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
  Processing speed and larger screen (14+) most important as I am a large male and the smaller laptops feel tiny in my hands.
  
• How important is weight and thinness to you?
  Not very important
  
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
  Prefer 15, no smaller than 14
  
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
  No
  
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
  No
  
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
  Good keyboard and good display resolution
  
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
  

Wondering if the MacBook Air M2 15” Refurbished on Amazon is worth it. Or is there a better PC for less?

Heyy I'm 20 year old non binary person (a male at birth) from the Netherlands. I've been feeling kinda shit lately and am willing to try about anything.
My name is Myka/Mykaila. I'm bisexual and the reason I probably haven't had any luck in the dating game is because of my appearance. I'm quite short for a male (5'4 or 165cm) and pretty in touch with my feminine side, I like to wear nail polish and wear feminine clothes sometimes. A little more about my appearance: I'm fairly skinny even though if sometimes I don't think so myself, I have brown skin, medium length black hair, brown eyes, and wear glasses but I take em off most of the time cus I don't like how they look. Also love the color black if you see me outside I'll probably be wearing black!
I have a bunch of interests some of which conclude listening to music, playing video games, writing and watching football.
I'm a huge nerd too tbh and like a lot of nerdy things such as HP,Pokemon, anime, chess etc.
What I'm looking for in a partner:
-Gender is irrelevant as I said I'm bisexual so anyone is welcome.
-Age range from 18-25. Definitely not younger than 18! If you're a little older than 25 that's fine but please dni if you're a minor.
-Someone who texts me regularly/gives me attention. I'm an attention whore, I need constant attention. I need at least one text a day just to know you still care about me lol
-Looks, doesn't matter that much as long as you're a genuinely sweet person and we have some common interests we'll be alright :) .
Please send me something about yourself and this emoji "🍋" so I know you've read the whole post! I look forward to hearing from y'all!

MTF here. When I use woman’s room and afterwards am brushing my hair and primping in front of mirror, is it weird or typical to chat with other ladies? In male mode, I don’t chat in men’s room

Hi! Can someone help me recall this Vocaloid song basically about love and crime? I distinctly remember that the music video was about two criminals trying to compete with each other to make themselves known. It shows the two of them fighting over a diamond ring and stealing it from each other back to back. Criminal A is a brown-haired girl wearing a white dress, and her weapons are stiletto daggers (like the ones Yor Forger from SpyxFamily), while Criminal B is a male wearing a suit, and his weapon is a gun. Both have red eyes.
Any suggestions are highly appreciated as I'm so hellbent on finding the name of that song ahahahaha. Thank you!

I'm 31, 6'2, brown hair, blue eyes, well educated white male in southeast Georgia. I'm nerdy, in tech sales, athletic, love gaming, and happy to share more.
I'm looking to help women or couples conceive if they need help. I can be anonymous, or I can be the family friend.
I will help if you're in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and parts of Tennessee

Hi everyone,
So I just bought a pair of Arena classic silicone cap and tried them at home. I don't have a big head (just normal I think) but these are a burden just putting them on. They're not tight, they're supertight. Doesn't feel relaxing at all.
I'm also going to use these to attach my Shokz Openswim a bit. And I bought earplugs to enhance the sound so they'll stick a bit out I think.
So: is this normal and is it just a fact of getting used to them? Or should I try another brand?
I have short hair (male) by the way, I also want to protect it a bit against the chlorine.
Thank you for any info

A bit of background before I go into the dream I'm sharing: I'm mid 40s male, combat veteran (2000-2009), I've slept an average of 4 hours a night for the past 24 years and I've read from scientific journals some research on dreams and dreaming- specifically drawing interest that the visual elements of dreams are composed of the information that our brains filter as 'non-essential'. This is also the first dream that I remember and can recall in 24 years.
The dream (occurred during a 30 minute-1 hour nap on my couch):
I'm younger in the dream- possibly in my mid-20s- and arriving in an open-bay barracks. There is an arrangement of wall lockers (2 rows of 10, back to back) sitting in the common area of the barracks at a 90 degree angle to the bunks (if the bunks are lined oriented North-South, the wall lockers are oriented East-West). Standing at the barracks is a short male with Asian features, squarish-shaped head, close cropped black hair and wearing desert pattern camouflage. As I pass the short male, he taps me/kicks me with his foot in my hip. As I stumble from that, I try to yell, but I'm unable to say anything. I hear him shout out 'Look who finally decided to grace us with his presence!' I turn to face him and try to ask him just who the **** does he think he is. His nametape reads 'Brynecki' or 'Byrnecki' (each time I look away and back at his nametape, the letters change). He begins to apologize to me for kicking me, claiming that he mistook me for someone else. As he is saying this, I finally manage to speak in the dream, yelling at him to stand at ease, at which point I woke up.
Funny enough, after I woke up, the first words out of my mouth were "Private Brynecki, you must think I'm some kind of joker."
As I'm sharing this with you here, I'm also piecing together where some of the elements in this dream come from. The open bay barracks are sourced from ones that I was in during deployments (a building at Camp Doha, Kuwait, circa 2001-2002, and a converted 3 story building in Baghdad, Iraq), combined with ones that I've seen in TV and movies (i.e., Full Metal Jacket, Hacksaw Ridge). Private Brynecki/Byrnecki's appearance reminds me of the two leads in the movie "Up" (combine Carl and Russell's appearance and age and slap a DCU pattern blouse and trousers on him).
The only thing that I am truly curious about is my inability to speak in the dream until just before I woke up. Has anyone else experienced this kind of mutism in their dreams?

Hello how is everyone if you want to know my interests here’s a list of them • metal music • video games/video game development • history Those are the main interests and also I’m not looking for a relationship currently even though my post title kinda contradicts that statement but it’s true that I tend to get along with females more because when I went to physical school I had like 2 male friends and 7 female friends but I don’t have contact with any of them anymore because I’m now homeschooled so I look forward to talking with everyone. I’m pretty chill usually unless you are intentionally trying to piss me off (I don’t have a recent photo of me currently but if you do want a photo just ask)

Hey all, im a 20s male in UK that has just done some UV therapy for the third time (16, 20 and now). It worked less well the second time but It’s just made it worse this time (my mum was the same on third go - shes in peace on skyrizi now)
Ideally UV worked but not surprised it hasn’t - I am aware I need to go through the system to get to biologics in a couple of years.
So, next up is systematic treatments. I have been offered methotrexate and acitretin and honestly I am still scared of methotrexate’s damage to the liver. I don’t drink that frequently but I do like to get drunk when I go out (partially anxiety but also just enjoy getting funny with my friends and letting loose). Especially with summer coming I will wait to do the blood tests and sobriety. Also I get nauseous anyway and am expecting it to send me green.
For now, my question I can’t find is are isotretinoin (accutane) and acitretin’s effects similar? (aka: if i didnt have hair loss is it likely I won’t have it with the other).
Im a lucky boy that was battered by acne and psoriasis and other than dry lips and sore muscles the isotretinoin changed my life acne wise. People’s acitretin’s stories read like a horror plot though - Is it seriously this bad? I’m going to try it to tick it off but honestly I am surprised by its perception considering I found accutane very managable in its effects. I am fair skinned and took doxycycline for years in my late teens which has UV sensitivity so again not worried about that - its mainly the hairloss.
Anybody with experience please let me know.
TL;DR - are acitretin and isotretinoin likely to do similar effects as the doc says.

I see there is a recent, useful post on cognitive decline, but I'm new here and also wanted to tell my story.
Background. Male, 61 years old. In summer '22, I had three concussions. (I don't drink or take drugs; it was three freak accidents, each one different.) Those injuries, especially the first one, gave me light sensitivity, language problems, memory problems, insomnia. I recovered after a month, then the next two I recovered after a week or two.
I got Covid in Jan 2024 and have had LC since. That's more like a "medium"-hauler in terms of time, and most of my symptoms (fatigue, bradycardia, PEM, POTS, insomnia) have seemed mild or improving.
Cognitive decline. But a week or so ago, I noticed cognitive decline and it's freaking me out. I've been doing some gig work that involves describing photos aloud, and I could not think of the word "cleaver" (like a meat cleaver) even though I was looking right at a picture of it. "It's a . . . knife, a kind of square knife," I said.
The other day I tried to say "September," but what came out was "December" and next came "November." So it took three tries to say one word.
Worst of all, I messed up my chance to get all my student loans forgiven--I'm getting just a fraction of them forgiven when I could have wiped out the whole debt. But a combination of executive function problems and not understanding how the program worked led to this mistake.
I get health care through an HMO (Kaiser Permanente) whose party line is that the only medical treatment for LC is anti-depressants. I'm not interested in that.
Poverty. LC has left me on the brink of homelessness. I live in low-income housing and was struggling to make a living as a freelancer before I got sick. One reason I tried so hard not to get Covid was I knew it could be financially devastating, and it has been.
I had to start working two hours a day just three weeks after Covid because I have no financial support other than my earnings. No paid sick time, no long-term disability, no short-term disability. I do mental work, editing academic books and journals.
I have about two months' of expenses in the bank--not in savings, just, all told, checking, savings, the extra savings account where I set aside money for taxes, that all comes to about two months of expenses. But as a freelancer, I often don't get paid until two months after I invoice. So two months is not a good cushion, it's barely a cushion at all.

Place: A house in Gangseo
The gentle rays peeked through the curtains. They illuminated a room. Inside the room, a woman and a toddler were sleeping. The toddler was a carbon copy of the woman -- black hair and pale skin.
A teenager gently nudged the door of the room. He had white hair and pale skin. He wore a black T-shirt, yellow shorts and an apron with "Certified Chef". He tiptoed into the room.
He saw the duo sleeping. The little one was hugging her mother and was drooling. The boy took out his phone and quietly took photos of the duo.
??? (thinking): My new home screen.
Hae-in: Zy...? Zygarde (quietly): Hey. Breakfast is ready sleepyhead.
He crouched and softly tousled her hair.
[Zygarde Lee]: 193 cm, 90 kg; XX, XXX, A+ (Ascended), SS, XX
[Hae-in Kim]: 181cm, 70kg; MR, LR+, A(Awakened), B, MR+
[Yeon Hwa Lee]: 86cm, 15kg; ???, ???, S, ???, ???
Hae-in (groggy): What time is it... Zygarde: 9 am.
Hae-in was startled. She woke up with a start.
Hae-In: Oh my god! I- Zygarde: It's fine~ Breakfast is ready.
Zygarde gently lifted Yeon Hwa and patted her back.
Zygarde: Yeon. Wake up. I made your favourite!
Yeon yawned and rubbed her eyes.
Yeon (groggy): Mmmm... Zygarde: Yeon! Look it's Taiyo! Yeon (awake): Tayo? Tayo!
The mother-and-daughter duo freshened up and sat down at the table.
Zygarde: Presenting... drumrolls, please... Zygarde: Yeon! Table tap.
Yeon Hwa began flailing her arms and tapping the table.
Zygarde: Samgyeopsal! Yeon: Samamamama! Zygarde: Samamamama!
The trio feasted.
A short while later...
Hae-in: Thanks for the food. I'll do the dishes. Yeon: Play!
Suddenly Zygarde's phone rang.
Zygarde: Who can it be? Oh, it's Yun. Zygarde: Yo man? Right now? Sure...
Zygarde cut the call and looked at Yeon forlornly.
Yeon: Papaa? Zygarde: Papa. Out. Sorry. Yeon: Papa back? Zygarde: Soon.
Zygarde nuzzled Yeon and she squealed and giggled.
Zygarde: I'll be back honey!
Place: A warehouse in Gangseo
[Seongji Yun]: 180 cm, 92 kg; XX, X, S(Ascended), B, XX
Yun: Thanks for coming down. I hope I didn't disturb your family time. Zygarde: Not at all! Tell me. What can I do for you?
Yun explained his predicament.
Zygarde: Do you have to follow his path? Don't get me wrong.
Zygarde gave a reassuring pat on his back.
Zygarde: Is chasing his shadow the only way you can get stronger?
Yun pondered.
Zygarde: Don't give me an answer right away. Could you keep this at the back of your mind? I want you to find your path.
Zygarde's phone rang. He chuckled.
Zygarde: It seems like some people miss me. I'll be off.
Place: A hospital in Gangseo
[Kim Seol Jin]: 184 cm, 79 kg; X, X, B(Ascended), C, XX
Seol Jin sat on the chair with a defeated expression.
Seol Jin: How bad is it? Doctor: His left kidney and stomach have ruptured. His condition has stabilised after surgery. We have to keep him in the ICU. Seol Jin: It's all my-
The doctor exhaled and patted him.
Doctor: I'm sorry to hear about the incident It's important to remember that it's not your fault.
He sat beside Seol Jin.
Doctor: These things happen, and it's natural to feel overwhelmed. Seeking support can be helpful during difficult times.
The doctor handed out a business card.
Doctor: If you feel very disturbed, I can arrange for you to meet one of our counsellors. Seol Jin: I don't think I need it.
The doctor prised the card into his hands.
Doctor: Take it, boy, and get something to eat! You've been here for the past 16 hours!
Seol Jin: Y-yes sir
A few hours later...
Place: A house in Gangseo
Hae-in: Looks like someone needs a nap. Yeon: Noooo... Zygarde: C'mere.
Zygarde gently lifted her.
Zygarde: Hold gently like a burger.
He cradled her and sang her a lullaby. Yeon soon drifted off.
Hae-In: I still have no idea how you do that every time. Zygarde: The secret is being the favourite parent! Hae-in: As if?!
The family sat on the balcony, enjoying the gentle breeze carrying the earthy scent of fallen leaves and the sight of vibrant, colourful foliage swaying in the wind, accompanied by the soothing sounds of rustling leaves and melodic wind chimes.
Hae-in: How long has it been since we had some free time... Zygarde: I know...
Zygarde lay on her lap and glanced at Hae-in. He rested the sleeping toddler on his belly. She was sleeping soundly and hugging her favourite Sanrio plush.
Zygarde: As I look up, the waning sun in the distance perfectly angles with Hae-in, as if a holy aura is surrounding her. Hae-in: Where did that- Zygarde: Her black eyes are akin to a pair of black onyxes. Hae-in: I- Go on? Zygarde: Her lips are like rose petals, soft and delicate, with a natural rosy hue that complements her graceful smile. Hae-in: Wow I- Zygarde: There's more! Hae-in: Go on...
Zygarde gently grabs Hae-in's head and pulls it closer.
Zygarde: And did you know that no matter what...
Hae-in tensed up.
Zygarde: I-
Hae-in lips touched Zygarde's. It certainly wasn't their first rodeo. But it was certainly their first one in a long time.
Their tongues intertwined. And their breathing had a shared rhythm. They closed their eyes to deepen their passion.
Zygarde: Mmm! Hae-in: Hmm? Zygarde (prying himself off): Yeon...
Hae-in became flustered.
Much to their surprise, she had not been disturbed by the whole event.
The duo softly giggled and continued their day.

I'm not confortable with sharing pictures of myself here yet, but I want your genuine opinion.
I'm 20, pre everything. I have an unmistakably female face. Its rather oval, no jawline definition, soft chin, femine lips etc. I'm not unnattractive for a female. The best feature in my face are my eyebrows.
I'm 6ft tall, average weight. I look feminine (my thighs, hips, chest etc.) but If I work out a lot while taking testosterone and have top surgery I think my body might pass. My hands and feet are rather large for a female and my shoulders aren't narrow.
I wear basic men clothes. Mostly black t shirts, a jacket and jeans.
I have shoulder lenght hair. I've always had long hair, used to be a metalhead as a teen. Sometimes I think about cutting it and see how I feel. But I'm insecure about it. I realise I hide my face behind the hair. I know that if I cut it I wouldn't look more like a man, it would just make me feel like shit.
I think I stopped growing around 18/19. If I started taking testosterone at 21, for example, do you think my face would have significant changes? (this might sound stupid, but I tried those filters to see my "male version". It wasn't terrible, but I think it might be a bit unrealistic).

I ask myself if I would want to live in my female body forever and I mentally say no. I look at females and feel bad because that is what I look like. I look at men and wished I looked like them, not just masculine but like a man. I don't really want to be a tomboy either. Though male pronouns feel weird because I don't look completely male. Being nonbinary or genderfluid doesn't feel right either. I have a bit of facial hair and have been on T, voice is deep, but I still see a female. I kind of feel confused with myself by seeing how others view me vs how I view myself and who I am. Sometimes I feel my voice isn't deep enough and I get annoyed with my chest because it is big and hard to hide. I remember years ago I was diagnosed as trans by a specialist. I also wish I had male genitals or was male in general. Can anyone relate to this or is it just me?

This story has been gaining some small online traction over the past couple of days, and Russell Edwards has been namedropped again by Keith Bennett’s brother, Alan Bennett, on social media. I want people to be in no doubt about what Edwards did back in 2022, and I want to make sure that the following ranks near the top of Google searches too so that people can easily find information that discredits this complete and utter charlatan.
Header photo description and credits: Greater Manchester Police employing a drone in the excavation of the site searched for the remains of Keith Bennett on Saddleworth Moor, 2nd October 2022. Manchester Evening News

Who is Russell Edwards?

Edwards is a self-proclaimed “amateur detective”, who has for many years invested a lot of his own time and money in trying to get to the bottom of numerous infamous unsolved cases. He has claimed to have identified Jack the Ripper as a Polish barber named Aaron Kosminski, and wrote a book about his “findings” called “Naming Jack the Ripper” - which have since been called into question along with the credibility of both Edwards and the forensic scientist he collaborated with in regards to both Jack the Ripper and the Moors Murders, Jari Louhelainen.
Edwards also runs a Jack the Ripper guided walking tour in London. I won’t link to it because a) I don’t want to drive up clicks to it and b) the website contains a lot of misinformation as well as graphic autopsy images of Ripper victims without warning. I initially thought he had stopped doing these, but the most recent review listed on there was from January of this year.
He claimed to have started looking into Keith Bennett’s disappearance in 2015, but had been interested in the case since around the time the remains of another Moors Murders victim, Pauline Reade, were discovered in 1987.

The known facts of Keith Bennett’s disappearance and murder

Keith was walking to his grandmother’s house on the evening of 16th June 1964 when he was abducted by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. According to their accounts, he was driven up to Saddleworth Moor and endured sexual assault before he was strangled to death and buried in a shallow grave. There is a detailed and extensive write-up on Brady’s and Hindley’s conflicting accounts linked here. Tragically, to this day Keith Bennett remains the only one of the couple’s victims whose remains were never recovered.
I would strongly encourage everybody to read these FAQs around the search for Keith too. I wrote these up a while ago, and Alan himself has been kind enough to contribute to them as well after the fact.

The 2022 “findings”

First off, here’s where exactly Edwards made his “discovery” in relation to where the other bodies were found. I should state that this area consists of plenty of gullies and peat soil. If you click on the 2022 Search on Saddleworth Moor flair, you‘ll see everything we discussed in this subreddit as the search was being carried out. But I will recap what happened anyway.
In a statement published on 30th September 2022, GMP Force Review Officer Martin Bottomley said:
“At around 11.25am on Thursday 29th September 2022, Greater Manchester Police was contacted by the representative of an author who has been researching the murder of Keith Bennett, a victim of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. Following direct contact with the author, we were informed that he had discovered what he believes are potential human remains in a remote location on the Moors and he agreed to meet with officers yesterday afternoon to elaborate on his find and direct us to a site of interest.
“The site was assessed late last night and, this morning, specialist officers have begun initial exploration activity. We are in the very early stages of assessing the information which has been brought to our attention but have made the decision to act on it in line with a normal response to a report of this kind.”
It was first reported in the Daily Mail that a “skull” had been found, although the same article then went on to say that “detectives are preparing to exhume a particular area where suspected skeletal remains have been found including what experts believe to be a child’s upper jaw with a full set of teeth”. It was also reported that a small piece of blue and white striped material, and potential samples of body tissue (although this was later discredited as a probable mixture of vegetation and muddy water), had been found.
Edwards had claimed he and his team had conducted extensive soil analysis of the area, which they had discovered 4 weeks before. There were high levels of calcium, which can indicate the presence of human remains (but the team did not mention that it also indicates the presence of limestone or another high calcium natural material). Describing the dig, he said “the smell hit me about 2ft down. Like a sewer, like ammonia. I worked as a gravedigger when I was 19. It hits you, that smell of death. It is distinctive.”
Alan Bennett later stated that the smell was probably methane - of which there are pockets containing it across the moor. Edwards also falsely stated that everything was left in situ - more on that in the paragraph after the next one.
On Saturday 1st October, Greater Manchester Police issued a statement saying that “no identifiable human remains have been found” - despite what several tabloid and local newspapers had been reporting. It was confirmed that drones were being used in the search on the 2nd October, and a statement issued by GMP later that day confirmed that excavation of the site will continue for the foreseeable future.
Edwards and members of his team started posting on Facebook and declaring that Keith Bennett had already been found. On 2nd October, Jari Louhelainen, a Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology at Liverpool John Moores University and a member of Edwards’ team, posted a photo of himself analysing what he suspected was a “bunch of hair” from the dig site. He later confirmed in the comments of his post (after being called out for posting it in the first place) that it was a “look-a-like plant material”.
On 4th October, Detective Chief Inspector Cheryl Hughes, of GMP’s Force Review Unit, said: “Forensic Archaeologists and Forensic Anthropologists have now completed a methodical archaeological excavation and examination of the area previously dug and refilled by the member of the public. No bones, fabric or items of interest were recovered from the soil.
“These accredited and certified forensic experts are now continuing with a methodical and controlled excavation of the area immediately surrounding the original site to provide a higher level of assurance of the presence or absence of any items of interest. Further soil samples have been taken for analysis, but at this time there is no visible evidence to suggest the presence of human remains. The scene examination is ongoing.
“A report of possible human remains is always treated with seriousness. As such, we have deployed police search advisors who can support our scenes of crimes officers – this will result in more visible and high profile tactics, such as officers walking in lines to identify any potential sites of focus.
“GMP is committed to providing Keith’s family with answers following this report, both from the physical excavation and subsequent analysis of samples. This will take some time but we will keep the family updated at every stage and request that their privacy is respected.
“We have seen the outpouring of support since this news broke so know how our communities feel about this case but we are asking members of the public not to travel to the area and can assure them that we will provide timely and appropriate updates.”
At 2pm on 7th October 2022, Greater Manchester Police announced that they had closed the scene on Saddleworth Moor after finding no evidence to indicate the presence of human remains. “At this time, there is no evidence of the presence of human remains.”
Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jackson, portfolio holder for crime, said: “We have always said that we would respond, in a timely and appropriate manner, to any credible information which may lead us towards finding Keith. Our actions in the last week or so are a highly visible example of what that response looks like, with the force utilising the knowledge and skills of accredited experts, specialist officers and staff. It is these accredited experts and specialists who have brought us to a position from where we can say that, despite a thorough search of the scene and ongoing analysis of samples taken both by ourselves and a third party, there is currently no evidence of the presence of human remains at, or surrounding, the identified site on Saddleworth Moor. However, I want to make it clear that our investigation to find answers for Keith’s family is not over.
“We understand how our communities in Greater Manchester feel about this case, the renewed interest in it and the shared desire to find Keith. Much of Saddleworth Moor is private land so we would ask that members of the public, in the first instance, report any perceived intelligence to their local police service. The discovery of suspected human remains must be reported immediately to enable the use of specialist resources to investigate appropriately.”
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Cheryl Hughes said: “The investigation into Keith’s disappearance and murder has remained open since 1964 and it will not be closed until we have found the answers his family have deserved for so many years. We are thankful for their continued support of our ongoing enquiries. This has been a distressing time for them and we ask that their privacy is respected.
“We understand the confusion which may have been caused to Keith’s family and communities across Greater Manchester by reports to the contrary. We hope that by giving this detailed update today, we provide reassurance that GMP are committed to finding accurate answers for Keith’s family.
“In response to the report made on Thursday 29 September 2022, officers met with the member of the public who later provided us with samples and copies of the photographs he had taken. He also took officers to the location from which he had obtained these and provided grid references.
“In the days since, independent accredited forensic archaeologists and certified forensic anthropologists, together with GMP’s Crime Scene Investigators, have completed a methodical forensic archaeological excavation and examination of the identified area and beyond. An accredited forensic geologist also took a number of soil samples – analysis of which is ongoing.
“The items given to us by the member of the public have been examined by a forensic scientist and though this hasn’t yet indicated the presence of human remains – more analysis is required. With regards to the photograph, we have sought the assistance of a forensic botanist. We are now utilising the knowledge and skills of a forensic image expert to put a standard anthropological measurement to the object to assist with identification. At this stage, the indications are that it would be considerably smaller than a juvenile jaw and it cannot be ruled out that it is plant-based.
“The excavation and examination at the site is complete and, to reiterate, we have found no evidence that this is the burial location of Keith Bennett.”

Aftermath

It was discovered that two of Edwards’ team members, Lesley Dunlop (a geologist) and Dawn Keen (a forensic archaeologist) were not accredited professionals in their respective fields. Alan Bennett clarified in a Facebook post on 5th November 2022, in reference to Keen:
“Any professional archaeologist would ask for a scale in any pictures or video taken at a scene [in reference to the fact that police confirmed the object found was too small to be a juvenile jaw], that was not the case here and the reason police had to call in a photographic specialist to determine the scale of the supposed jawbone..which turns out to be too small for a child from what I've been told so far and, of course couldn't be found anyway and could only have been vegetation if anything at all.”
I am not entirely sure what the “blue and white striped fabric” turned out to be - I assume that nothing was found.
Alan has since posted evidence that Russell Edwards had been planning the “discovery of Keith’s remains” as part of a stunt to promote his upcoming book on the case - a book that Edwards has been radio-silent about since all of this controversy.
Edwards has refused to apologise to Keith’s family and despite being proven wrong, and him and his team being called out for the charlatans they are (with even him admitting that his own reputation is in tatters), as of December 2022 he stood by his actions and his claims that he believed he had found Keith’s body.
To my own understanding (though I do not speak on behalf of Alan Bennett or on behalf of anybody who was involved in this whole debacle, let me be clear), there has been complete radio-silence on news of Edwards’ book since this date.

Folks, I have these sore subdermal lumps that keep popping up deep in the tissue, almost on the bone in my pubic area, on the outer of my labia. Some of them are clumps of tissue and some of them are hard lumps. It’s been going on two years. I mentioned it to the gyny yesterday and he wasn’t particularly interested and suggested rheumatology which I don’t think think is the right specialism. I asked my (male) GP to feel them and I felt really awkward and didn’t want to remove my underwear. Can anyone suggest what type of doctor I should see? I’m thinking about going to a GU specialist.

*Chat Preferred. Only accepting trades for items under “COLLECTABLES”. Items are verified using SIGMA Investor (thru and gravity), Pocket Pinger, Weight, and magnet.
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1/10 Philharmonic 1998- $255
ROUNDS AND COINS:
20x 1 oz Buffalos- $600
4x Casino Tokens- $88 For All
5 oz Sealed Bar- $152
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1978 Cien Pesos- $19 (Melt)
4 Standing Liberty Quartahhhs- $25
1974 1 oz Liberty Medallion- $35
20x 1 oz Tokelau 2024 Proof Mustang- $35 EA or all for $33 EA
$6.25 Face 90% Lot (Mix of JFK, Wash, Rosevelt’s all with dates and some are higher grades) And Most Are Kennedys- $131
5x 1962 Proof Sets (Some missing random pieces like cardboard or paper)- $26 EA
Blue Ike (1x 1971, 2x 1972, 3x 1974)- $12 Ea
10 oz Bar- $305
1/2 oz Round- $15
1 oz Peace Dollar Round- $40
2x 2021 African Wildlife Elephant 1 oz- $36 EA
5x 2023 Kookaburra (W/Capsule)- $35 EA
5x 2024 Kookaburra (W/Capsule)- $35 EA
1 oz Germania Mint Allegories (W/COA)- $45
1 oz 2024 BU T2 ASE- $35
1 oz 2015 Reverse Proof E=MC Privy Maple- $40
500 Gram The Holy Mint Bar- $520
10oz Engelhard Bar- $320
6x Vintage Bars (Engelhard, JM, and Silver Towne) Lot- $210
1964 Accented Hair Proof Set (Complete)- $70
24x 2024 1/10 Silver Brittanias- $10 EA or all for $9 EA
1x 1 oz Geiger In Assay (Toned)- $40 EA
2001 S Proof JFK Half- $12
Foreign lot In Flips (31 Coins)- $25
Foreign lot Loose (21 Coins and most are Canadian)- $15
1 New Penny (26 coins dates all in the 1970s), 1/2 New Penny (16 coins dates all in the 1970s), and 2 New Pence Lot (26 coins dates all in the 1970s)- $40
1970 1 Piso Pope Paul VI (Non PM)- $5
1966 Jamaican Commonwealth Games Coin- $4
1983 Netherland Coin Set (Cracked Open Case)- $7
RANDOMS:
25 2023 New Hampshire Goldback- $110 (Best Price on find bullion is $114.40)
Silver 1975 Philippines Proof Set (complete)- $90
10 Oz “The Wedge” DHF Silver Bar- $360
SLABS: (Whale deal is buy all slabs get the 1900 Morgan for $60)
2022 1oz Serbia Nikola Tesla Natural Healing NGC MS70- $115
1950 S Booker T Washington PCGS MS65- $65
1944 Winged Liberty Dime PCGS MS66- $40
1964 Washington Quarter NGC PF67 (Crack on slab)- $15
1946 Walking Liberty Half PCI MS65- $95
2017 S ASE NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo San Fransico Slab- $120
1922 D Peace NGC MS63- $85
1923 Peace PCGS MS64- $70
1900 Morgan PCGS MS63 (Toned)- $115
1889 Morgan NGC MS63- $70
1883 Morgan NGC “Fattie” MS64 (Toned)- $125
2023 Morgan CAC First Delivery MS69 Slab- $100
2016 ASE ANACS MS70- $45
Bradford Exchange 2023 T2 BU ASE- $40
1855 Germany 1 S Hamburg MS63 NGC (Toner)- $80 L8)
2007-S PCGS PR70DCAM John Adams- $11
COLLECTABLES: Will trade for low premium Silver and Gold. [WTT] [WTS]
1x 2021 Mongolian HedgeHog Coins- $110 EA
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6x Fiji 2022 Snowflake Coin W/Crystals (Sealed)- $85 EA
3x Fiji 2023 Wonders Of Nature Great Barrier Reef Coin- $145 EA
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I’ll try to make this short but our cat Vinny (2yo male) recently got into some medication (fluoxetine and vitamin D) so we rushed him to the emergency vet (VEG). They gave him some fluids and activated charcoal, and he frothed at the mouth a little after this but after 24 hour monitoring he seemed good so we brought him home. 3 days later, he started drooling excessively, almost a constant stream of clear, thin fluid. He was playful, cuddly, eating and drinking pretty normal. We took him in, and they ran xray and saw some intestinal blockage. They did a scope and during the scope realized he needed surgery to remove a tremendous amount of hair from his stomach/intestines (he is an excessively groomer and a long hair cat, but we are curious if maybe the charcoal or pills caused something because there were these rigid, almost rock-like clumps of hair). Apparently his anesthesia process was a bit rough, but Post surgery we took him home and he was recovering well, eating and drinking and regular bathroom. However, about 5 days after surgery the drooling has started again. He is still cuddly, energetic, but his appetite has decreased. He is being seen at NC State veterinary school and has had ultrasound done. They have seemed to rule out surgery complications, dental issues, and stomach blockage but are having a hard time diagnosing. Has anyone experienced this kind of drooling with their cat? We think it may be something esophageal but they’ve been giving him meds for that and scoped him. We would appreciate any help or advice that anyone has at this point

So it's like a light discussion bout how i came to know about these communities. I do believe that the feelings of being gnc started in childhood for a lot of us. Same for me. I was an androgynous, awkward, and tomboyish nerdy kid who became more masculine as time went on.
As a little girl, all i had to do was take one look at some typical action hero, super powered macho dude and be like, yup, he's my bride now :).
My heart fluttered so much every time any of my cartoon crushes were put in an even slightly vulnerable position, maybe they got hurt, fainted or helpless. I might sound like a weirdo, but i used to save videos where they would be unconscious, falling or carried in that pretty thing, objectified sensual kinda manner. (I remember you superman, being all weak and passing out near any kryptonite 😳)
Cuz as a kid all i cared about was being cool and a show off irl, so naturally i was usually a badass in my imaginations who was either a detective, warrior or superhero that saved and bridal carried a helpless man, and the thought of them clinging to me, blushing and being in awe at how badass and strong i was absolutely melted me.
It's how i knew something was a bit different bout the way i perceived romance. Cuz mostly around me, little girls wanted to be the one saved, being the clinging and helpless one and to see how cool and fierce their crushes were. Even if they were badasses, it was very in that girlboss manner, and usually then it would not involve any guy cuz they were "independent" and "did not need saving"
Obvs my tastes became more diverse in future beyond just that.
I noted that people were a little bit gnc on internet like calling guys slutty or bbgirls and stuff like that. I found that i really liked it.
Ultimately, i would say it was my many searches of girlboss x malewife, strong fl x soft ml and similar stuff like this that lead me to rr and then this sub.
Before this, note, that i did not look for romance stuff much cuz, one, i grew up in religious conservative house where we would jump at even a simple kiss scene so i was pretty romantically repressed. Second, i often never felt romantic attraction irl cuz everyone was pretty hardcore het normative. Third, I, in general, don't read romance as a separate genre. Same for family dramas and slice of life. Not my cup of tea. Like its fine as a sub genre within a story but not as its own thing.
What started off me searching for rr romance stuff was interestingly cuz of one media that soon became my favourite anime; JoJo Bizarre Adventure.
I had long seen many memes abt it, including the "best waifu Speedwagon"
Long story short, i began actively binging many memes, without even having seen it. When part 6 was adapted, that's when i was watching it.
I feel like not enough people talk abt how gnc JoJo is, at least in presentation.
Like they were sometimes simultaneously the macho, normative, beefy guys and at same time so genderfucking, dramatic, fabulous and beautiful. Like legit everyone's poses go hard.
Poses are such interesting shit cuz unlike other action media, you'll be getting into the plot and fights and then momentarily they'll make you halt with someone's pose and be like drawing your attention to their objectified, beautiful bodies and energies its so hilarious xD
I mean consider the fact that the anime's best waifu is Speedwagon, and the best mom is Bruno, both of whom are MALE.
When i watched part 1 fr first time i finally understood all those best waifu memes like holy shit bro acts so much like a worried, nurturing and damsel in distress girlfriend
Not only that, like most of the jojo poses are inspired by fashion poses, most of them being done by female models. Dio's iconic pose? Done by female model. Most of Giorno's poses? Same thing here. Risotto? Same. And the body language of these characters. Like even if they may be the most mainstraightest characters, they don't care bout how they appear or carry themselves.
The amount of comments saying stuff like "Bruno got such mom smile" or "Abbachio wine aunt" or "diavolo a goth gf" or "giorno's stand posing with him like he's its baby mana" or "Prosciutto fast walked like a lady or worried mom" or how zesty so many jojos, even the early beefy ones like Joseph or pillar men act is absolutely fantastic. Their poses are such mixture of andro, masc or fem energies like they absolutely do not care.
Don't even get me started on their designs and clothing. Absolute gender fuckery. Pinkiest pink, flowers, earrings, slutty turtlenecks, heart accessories, strapless top, so many boob windows and crop tops, lipsticks, long hair, to name few.
Even if they are the machoest or het normative, they dress like there's absolutely no stigma in their world against how one presents. Rohan, diavolo, abbachio, bruno, dio, narancia, joseph, kakyoin, mista, giorno, anasui to name a few.
Sadly, women are the least gnc part of JoJo, and despite all this mentioned above , some semblance of mainstraightness still exists in jojoverse. There's either that, or just gayness.
Appearance wise the most gnc jojo women i can think of would be either ermes or hot pants. But that's realllyyy a bare minimum :(
Anyway, you can imagine i had many awakenings i didn't even know i had 🥴