Backstory and Appearance: Officer Bagel is a Mithra, a lightly furred catperson with no human ears, just cat ears, and a tail. He joined the Law Enforcement to make the planets a better place, after his own rough life as an orphan. He is around 5 foot 6 and androgynous looking, as he has learned he is the victim of genetic mutation brought about by his mother, who was possessed by an eldritch being. His skin is lightly tanned, and the thicker fur on his ears and thin tail has recently turned a silky obsidian black. His sky blue eyes have slit pupils.
​
Equipment: He wears a SWAT style vest, and his pants are also covered in soft body armor, ending in him looking somewhat masculine, aside from his face. He has a KA-BAR knife sheathed on his right hip, as well as his police issue black coated tonfa that is sheathed on the inside of a riot shield. He carries a high caliber, semi-automatic, Magnetic propulsion based pistol as his go to weapon along with the shield.
Magic?: However, he isn't an ordinary Mithra. the mutations caused by his mother have caused his Mitochondria not only to multiply, but to work overtime. He is able to produce gouts of flame from his left hand if an opponent gets too close, and can flow energy into his pistol to increase it's stopping power. Who knows what other powers will arise as he continues to mutate, to evolve? Only time will tell.

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Welcome to the "Essay Help by Pros" community group! Writing a great essay can be challenging, but with the right approach, anyone can produce a high-quality piece. Here are some points to follow to write a great essay:

1. Understand the assignment: Before you start writing, make sure you understand the requirements of the essay. Read the instructions carefully, and take note of the topic, format, word count, and any specific guidelines that are provided.
2. Choose a topic: Select a topic that interests you (if this is an option given) and that you have some knowledge about. You'll be more motivated to write, and you'll be able to draw on your existing knowledge to develop your ideas.
3. Research your topic: Conduct thorough research on your topic, using a range of sources. Take notes on your findings and make sure you keep track of your sources so you can properly cite them later.
4. Develop a thesis statement: Your thesis statement is the central idea of your essay. It should be a clear and concise statement that summarizes the main point you want to make in your essay.
5. Create an outline: An outline is a roadmap that helps you organize your thoughts and ideas. It should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, and each section should have a clear focus.
6. Write your essay: Use your outline to guide your writing. Make sure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence, and that all your ideas are well-supported with evidence.
7. Edit and proofread: Once you've completed your essay, take the time to edit and proofread it. Check for spelling and grammar errors, and make sure your writing is clear and concise.

By following these points, you'll be well on your way to writing a great essay. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to the community for help!

Hey! I was going over an old silks notebook and I’m trying to understand this climb as my notes are terrible (I don’t specify which hand/leg/arm). I couldn’t find it by this name online, so if anyone has a proper name or a video to help me, that would be great. I’m away from silks now to try it myself. These are my notes (these were taken in a different language, sorry for the poor translation):
Start from little Russian, open the silks and go through the middle. Hold high with one hand, go forward. Take the tail and pass it over one leg and under your arm and roll.
Thank you!

Doctors,
Good morning.
The poll for the second round of the PinoyMed Virtual Journal Club has closed. The clinical research article for discussion is
Priya G L, Dhibar DP, Saroch A, Sharma N, Sharma V, Verma N, Chaluvashetty SB, Prakash A, Kaur H. Efficacy of empirical ciprofloxacin or cefixime plus metronidazole therapy for the treatment of liver abscess: A randomized control clinical trial. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):11430. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-59607-1

Reading the clinical research article

Please find a quiet moment to read the article. Typically, it should take no more than 15 minutes. Your reading of the article should not be the same as the way you read a novel. Your reading must be directive.
There are four basic questions that you need to consider. The order of the questions is important.

1. 1. Is the basic study design valid?
2. 2. Was this well-designed study methodologically sound?
3. 3. What are the results of this well-designed and methodologically sound study?
4. 4. Do the results of this well-designed and methodologically sound study help my patient?

You will note that the previous questions build into subsequent ones. This means that if you find that a study is designed poorly (question 1), there is no need to continue reading. If the study is well-designed (question 1) but not methodologically sound, then there is no need to continue reading.
There are a series of sub-questions under each of the basic questions. Consider each one in turn as you read the clinical research article. After each question, decide whether you would answer YES, NO, or CAN'T TELL.

Questions for critical review

The full list of questions that you need to consider is as follows

1. Is the basic study design valid?

a. Did the study address a clearly focused research question?
CONSIDER: Was the study designed to assess the outcomes of an intervention? Is the research question ‘focused’ in terms of the population studied, intervention given, comparator chosen, and outcomes measured?
b. Was the assignment of participants to interventions randomised?
CONSIDER: How was randomisation carried out? Was the method appropriate? Was randomisation sufficient to eliminate systematic bias? Was the allocation sequence concealed from investigators and participants?
c. Were all participants who entered the study accounted for at its conclusion?
CONSIDER: Were losses to follow-up and exclusions after randomisation accounted for? Were participants analysed in the study groups to which they were randomised (intention-to-treat analysis)? Was the study stopped early? If so, what was the reason?

1. Was this well-designed study methodologically sound?

d. Were the participants ‘blind’ to the intervention they were given? Were the investigators ‘blind’ to the intervention they were giving to participants? Were the people assessing/analysing outcome/s ‘blinded’?
e. Were the study groups similar at the start of the randomised controlled trial?
CONSIDER: Were the baseline characteristics of each study group (e.g. age, sex, socio-economic group) clearly set out? Were there any differences between the study groups that could affect the outcome/s?
f. Apart from the experimental intervention, did each study group receive the same level of care (that is, were they treated equally)?
CONSIDER: Was there a clearly defined study protocol? If any additional interventions were given (e.g. tests or treatments), were they similar between the study groups? Were the follow-up intervals the same for each study group?

1. What are the results of this well-designed and methodologically sound study?

g. Were the effects of intervention reported comprehensively?
CONSIDER: Was a power calculation undertaken? What outcomes were measured, and were they clearly specified? How were the results expressed? For binary outcomes, were relative and absolute effects reported? Were the results reported for each outcome in each study group at each follow-up interval? Was there any missing or incomplete data? Was there differential drop-out between the study groups that could affect the results? Were potential sources of bias identified? Which statistical tests were used? Were p values reported?
h. Was the precision of the estimate of the intervention or treatment effect reported?
CONSIDER: Were confidence intervals (CIs) reported?
i. Do the benefits of the experimental intervention outweigh the harms and costs?
CONSIDER: What was the size of the intervention or treatment effect? Were harms or unintended effects reported for each study group? Was a cost-effectiveness analysis undertaken? (Cost-effectiveness analysis allows a comparison to be made between different interventions used in the care of the same condition or problem.)

1. Do the results of this well-designed and methodologically sound study help my patient?

j. Can the results be applied to your local population/in your context?
CONSIDER: Are the study participants similar to the people in your care? Would any differences between your population and the study participants alter the outcomes reported in the study? Are the outcomes important to your population? Are there any outcomes you would have wanted information on that have not been studied or reported? Are there any limitations of the study that would affect your decision?
k. Would the experimental intervention provide greater value to the people in your care than any of the existing interventions?
CONSIDER: What resources are needed to introduce this intervention taking into account time, finances, and skills development or training needs? Are you able to disinvest resources in one or more existing interventions in order to be able to re-invest in the new intervention?

Patient case and clinical question

As you read, please consider how the clinical research article can be used in the case of this patient. The clinical question is,
Could this patient have benefited from a course of oral antibiotics? If so, what benefits and harms should he expect?

Clinical Case Report: Liver Abscess in a 47-Year-Old Male

Abstract

A 47-year-old male presented with severe abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice. Clinical evaluation, imaging, and laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis of a liver abscess. This case highlights the critical presentation of liver abscess and underscores the importance of timely diagnosis and intervention in improving patient outcomes.

Introduction

Liver abscesses are localized collections of pus within the liver, typically caused by bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections. They are associated with significant morbidity and mortality if not promptly treated. This report describes the presentation, diagnosis, and management of a 47-year-old male with a liver abscess.

Patient Description

The patient is a 47-year-old male with a past medical history significant for type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. He presented to the emergency department with a five-day history of severe right upper quadrant abdominal pain, high-grade fever, chills, and jaundice. He also reported nausea, vomiting, and a general sense of malaise.

History and Symptoms

The patient stated that the abdominal pain began insidiously but progressively worsened, becoming sharp and constant. He denied any history of recent travel, trauma, or known liver disease. His diabetes had been poorly controlled, with his last hemoglobin A1c recorded at 9.2%. He was compliant with his antihypertensive medications but admitted to inconsistent use of his diabetic medications.

Physical Examination

On examination, the patient appeared acutely ill and was diaphoretic. His vital signs were as follows: temperature 39.5°C, heart rate 110 beats per minute, respiratory rate 24 breaths per minute, blood pressure 140/85 mmHg, and oxygen saturation of 94% on room air.
Abdominal Examination:

• The abdomen was distended with marked tenderness in the right upper quadrant.
• Guarding and rebound tenderness were present.
• Hepatomegaly was noted, with the liver edge palpable 4 cm below the costal margin.

Other Systems:

• Scleral icterus and jaundice were evident.
• Cardiovascular and respiratory examinations were unremarkable except for tachycardia.
• No peripheral oedema or signs of chronic liver disease (such as spider angiomas or palmar erythema) were observed.

Laboratory and Diagnostic Investigations

• Complete blood count (CBC): White blood cell count was elevated at 18.5 x 10^9/L with a neutrophilic predominance.
• Liver function tests: Elevated bilirubin (total bilirubin: 0.077 mmol/L), elevated transaminases (AST: 1500 nkat/L, ALT: 2250 nkat/L), and alkaline phosphatase (5333.3 nkat/L).
• Blood cultures: Pending at the time of initial evaluation.
• Serum glucose: 15.54 mmol/L.
• Serum creatinine: 0.1149 mmol/L, within normal limits but elevated for the patient's baseline.
• C-reactive protein (CRP): Significantly elevated at 1428.5 nmol/L.

Imaging

• Abdominal ultrasound: Revealed a large, hypoechoic lesion in the right lobe of the liver, measuring approximately 8 cm in diameter, consistent with an abscess.
• Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen: Confirmed the presence of a solitary liver abscess with rim enhancement and central low attenuation, without evidence of rupture or secondary peritonitis.

Diagnosis

The clinical presentation, laboratory results, and imaging findings confirmed the diagnosis of a liver abscess.

Management

The patient was admitted for close monitoring and management.
Percutaneous drainage of the abscess was performed under ultrasound guidance, yielding approximately 100 mL of purulent material. The fluid was sent for microbiological analysis to guide targeted antibiotic therapy.
Intravenous fluids were administered to maintain hydration and haemodynamic stability.
Blood glucose levels were closely monitored and managed with insulin.
Pain and fever were managed with acetaminophen and opioids as needed.

Clinical Question

Could this patient benefit from a course of oral antibiotics? If so, what benefits and harms should he expect?

Release of the critical analysis

The critical analysis of the clinical research article will be released on Monday 17 June.

Hello, I’m Zach, I am 17, and I have just started my own business. I made my own clothing brand and have spent around 30 hours making the clothes, accessories, online store, website etc for my brand and while I believe my product’s are high quality i’m finding it difficult to advertise effectively and get views. My prices have been competitively-based and I really think if I can get some coverage that I can do really well. I’m not trying to use this post as free advertising but rather as a guide for more experience businessmen/women to help me. If you want to check out my website to help review, it is “montaguestore.myshopify.com”. To summarise, can I get some advice to help grow my business? I appreciate all comments, critical or not.

I refuse to win an election by going into war with rumburg, personal rules, heads up
First run joined united cortana, didnt manage to pass reformist constitution due to pjfp suddenly swapping sides during the vote, but passed many women's rights regulations and joined united cortana and increased worker's rights significantly and gave free medicine to everyone. Neither crashed the economy nor ended the recession, stopped polio outbreak. Ending was lost reelection
Second run felt the budgets were by far more frustrating than fun, set personal wealth and government budget to 100 then went all out checking guides. Passed reformist constitution with 90% of the vote with articles 6 and 7 modified to help bluds, increased women's rights to Very High Women's Rights (forgot the status effect but it was the highest rank possible) increased rural healthcare incredibly, increased rural education incredibly, decreased taxes for everyone, made worker's rights very very high, destroyed the old guard with the ACP, Very good bludish rights, decreased the election threshold, completely recovered the economy, did a lot of communist policies to appease people but when it doesnt affect public opinion always chose capitalism, lead fc anrica to victory, a lot of economic synergies everywhere, agriculture booming aquaculture booming tourism booming, invested 4 personal wealth to campaign for myself, deliberately chose not to align with either arcasia or united cortana to appeal to both sides of the voter base, promised universal basic income in the reelection and changed the party's direction to reformist, then made the biggest mistake of aligning with Frens Richter during the reelection
Just a few turns before the alliance with Richter, there was a poll: I had 80% of the popular vote During the election: USP third place, Richter won????????

I recently had a bone marrow biopsy. Prior to procedure I told every medical person I do not sedate well. I metabolize the medication quickly and will wake up mid procedure. The reminder was placed on the first page of my chart. Nurse place IV in arm to use for sedation. Before procedure radiology sedation nurse noted that IV catheter was kinked and they attempted to fix it. They stopped trying to check if IV worked when Doctor entered room for procedure. Nurse gave sedation. I felt nothing, not even the medicine entering my vein. I told nurse I received no meds. At that point doctor was numbing around my hip bone. I said very loudly, "I am not sedated". Nurse said it's probably because I have a tolerance to the meds. I have no tolerance because I do not take narcotics. Nurse finally told doctor there was an issue with IV. The doctor began to drill into me. I yelled as loud as I could "STOP"!! He didn't stop. I felt and heard the drill go into my hip bone. Again I yelled "STOP NOW!". He continued. He took three samples. I was totally wide awake. While in recovery I told recovery nurse what happened. She was furious. The performing doctor came in and said he was sorry. He said " I was almost halfway through the procedure when you said stop." He added, " I had to make the decision to stop and make you come back to try again or continue the procedure and get the samples." "I chose to continue". Even after I said STOP NOW. HE made the decision and I got tortured. As I was being discharged the doctor approached me again and apologized again and he said "the lab told me I put the 3rd sample in the wrong container. We will have see if they can get correct results." Meaning I might have to come back anyway. I made a report the next day to patient advocacy. The results? It was a miscommunication. I didn't hear or feel him drilling and he said he did stop. What I heard was the drill backing out of my hip. If that is true, how did he get three bone marrow samples? He LIED! I have had a history of medical procedures getting messed up. That is why I advocated and told everyone I wake up early from sedation. The Radiology sedation nurse kept telling me I had a tolerance. I tried to tell her it's not a tolerance but a high metabolism issue. She would not listen and would talk over me. This ordeal set off severe PTSD and panic in me. They would not STOP. The doctor changed his story three times. The procedure is CT guided So it shows by looking at the time stamps, he did not stop. I didn't have a medical procedure, I was tortured and treated inhumanely
Do I have any recourse? A lawsuit? Please help. I still shake, even as I write this, remembering the sound of the drill burrowing into my hip. And the pain as it popped through to bone marrow.

You're going to get a kick out of this. Just the other day, I was out with my dog, Charlie, on our daily stroll around the neighborhood. As we approached the dog park, we saw a group of dogs gathered around a single tennis ball. Being the inquisitive creature, Charlie was obviously interested. But there was a problem - Charlie has never been the most confrontational pooch.
Here's where my logical reasoning - using the mental model of "First Principles Thinking" - came into play. Instead of telling my dog to "go get it," I started to break down the problem into basic, fundamental principles.
What was the core of the problem? Charlie wanted the ball, but he didn't want to confront the other dogs. So we needed a solution that would allow him to seize the ball without causing a ruckus. Well, what if he didn't have to?
I spotted a spare ball lying on the other side of the park. What if Charlie could fetch the other ball instead? He could avoid the confrontation entirely and still get what he wanted. It was a simpler, more efficient solution that challenged our initial assumption that Charlie had to fight for the original ball.
I led Charlie towards the spare ball, he ran off happily towards it, tail wagging. And you know what? Charlie came back happier than a clam at high tide, with his prize in his mouth. Thanks to first principles thinking, we avoided a doggie showdown.
P.S: This story was entirely fictional, created by the figments of my overactive imagination. But see how I applied logical reasoning there with the mental model? Now, imagine using this mental model in your life whenever you face problems. Maybe you'll avoid some dogfights too. Remember, not all balls are worth fighting for, sometimes there's another one just lying around waiting to be fetched!

I was raised by ppl who were transactional. My whole family If you wanted love you'd have to work, preform, do something for it. Once they couldn't get anything from you they'd abandon you. I've spent most of my life in positions of servitude always doing and thinking about others. Abandoning and betraying myself like I've been taught to do. Long covid has brought all of this trauma to the surface. It's glaringly obvious, now that I have nothing to give, how fucking terrified I am of being abandoned. Also, when I was abandoned in the past I could fall back on myself. Wasn't afraid of hard work... now I'm forced to rely on my husband solely for damn near everything. I guess this is a poor pitiful me rant but fuck dude, this is so hard. I had high hopes I just got rid of all the abusive relationships family friends everyone that used, exploited and abused me. Then caught covid again. I've healed from things that would kill most ppl postoperative infections, childbirth emergency c section complications, violence so much violence, faster and with more grace than what covid has done to me. Covid has laid me fucking bare. I've also never thought of suicide even with the anxiety and trauma I've struggled with but now oh god now especially after the most recent crisis that happened last year... we found out my son was abusing my daughter in her sleep and had him arrested and registered. This chronic stress and lifetime of heartache it's so fucking unfair but then covid on top too. It's all too much. Seems like meds and stuff I've tried as well make me worse, vagus nerve tens unit my pots is worse today after using it yesterday be warned with that one. Some meds put me into crashes just really struggling right now. My docs are tired of me and me medically chasing tails has worn me out and made me worse. I don't know why I'm posting just venting I guess. It's only my husband and my daughter and I and we're all struggling with lc and isolation and gestures broadly ' the state of the world and medical system ' I'm sorry we're all going through it. This fucking disease reminds me of my narcissistic abusers. It hurts you so badly but no one else sees it. They think it's just a cold.. just like they thought my mom was so cool and my dad was so funny and my son was so helpful. OK I'm rambling... thanks to anyone who reads this. I'm just getting shit off of me. I wish all of us rapid recovery. Spoons upon spoons.

Hello, Yoimiya_Mains! Today I wanted to show you all a fun little guide I made on how to play Yoimiya in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.
Let’s start off with our goals for this build. First, we need Fireworks, and lots of them. Secondly, we need to use a bow, as that’s your weapon of choice, and have a way to incorporate Fireworks into your shots. Lastly, we need to be bright and cheerful to help influence our friends.
For stats, we’ll be using Point Buy. Roll for stats if you want, just keep your Dexterity and Charisma high for Multiclassing.
15 Dexterity, as that’s the stat for bows
15 Charisma, as you have a bright, happy, and cheerful personality that everyone loves.
14 Constitution, as working with and being near explosives requires a bit of toughness.
10 Wisdom, as while you are empathetic, you are easily distracted, and I’m sure loud explosions have affected your hearing.
8 Intelligence, as you are a bit of a scatterbrain
And lastly, 8 Strength, as you are still young.
For race, Yoimiya is a human, and Variant Humans get a Feat. The Sharpshooter Feat is perfect for an Archer. You can shoot at long range without disadvantage, your attacks ignore all but full cover, and you can subtract 5 from your attack roll to add 10 to the damage. Bump your Dexterity and Charisma with your 2 Free points, take Animal Handling for your Skill of Choice, and the Guild Artisan Background for Insight and Persuasion, as you run a shop, as well as Alchemist’s Supplies, as they’re the closest tools in D&D for working with Fireworks.
We’ll actually kick things off as a Bard, as you are a pyrotechnic performer. 1st Level Bards can pick any 3 skills they like. Acrobatics, Performance, and Arcana would be my picks. You get Bardic Inspiration, letting you use a bonus action to give an ally a d6 they can use to add to an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw within the next 10 minutes, an amount of times per long rest equal to your Charisma modifier. You can also cast spells as your Vision does grant you magical abilities. For your Cantrips, take Prestidigitation and Dancing Lights. For your Spells, take Thunderwave, Faerie Fire, Color Spray, and Silent Image.
We’ll then multiclass a bit into Fighter. 1st Level Fighters can pick a Fighting Style, and Archery will add +2 to the attack rolls of your ranged weapons for more consistent shots. You also get Second Wind, letting you heal 1d10 plus your Fighter level as a bonus action once per short or long rest.
2nd Level Fighters get Action Surge, letting you take an additional action once per rest.
3rd Level Fighters can pick a Martial Archetype, and while there is a ranged Fighter subclass in Arcane Archer, that subclass is pretty bad, so we’ll go with Samurai, as Inazuma is based on Feudal Japan. You get Fighting Spirit, letting you use a bonus action to gain 5 temporary hit points, and give yourself advantage on all attack rolls that turn. You can do this 3 times per long rest. You also gain proficiency in either History, Insight, Persuasion, or Performance. Go for History.
4th Level Fighters get an Ability Score Improvement. Bump your Dexterity for better AC, damage, and initiative.
5th Level Fighters get an Extra Attack for 2 attacks per round, or 4 with Action Surge.
Back to Bard, 2nd Level Bards get Jack of All Trades, letting you add half your proficiency bonus to any ability check you aren’t proficient with. You also get Song of Rest, letting your allies add an extra d6 whenever they spend hit dice to restore HP during a short rest. You also get the option of Magical Inspiration, letting an ally who has a Bardic Inspiration die use it to add to the damage or healing of a spell. For your spell at this level, take Comprehend Languages to speak with your friends from other regions.
3rd Level Bards get to pick a Bard College, and we’ll go with College of Lore, as it’ll make sense later in the build. 3rd Level Lore Bards can pick up 3 more Skills. Sleight of Hand, Nature, and Survival would be my picks. You also get Cutting Words, letting you use your reaction whenever a creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, ability check, or damage roll to expend a Bardic Inspiration to subtract from the result. You can also learn 2nd Level Spells, and Pyrotechnics is a no-brainer, letting you either create a 10 foot wide explosion that forces Constitution saving throws on creatures within, blinding them on a failure for a turn, or crating a 20 foot wide cloud of smoke that heavily obscures the area.
Lastly, 3rd Level Bards get Expertise in 2 skills. Go for Persuasion and Performance.
4th Level Bards get another Ability Score Improvement. Bump your Charisma for better spells and more Bardic Inspiration. For your spell, take Shatter.
5th Level Bards get Font of Inspiration, meaning your Bardic Inspiration now recharges on a short rest as well, and it also upgrades from a d6 to a d8. You can also learn 3rd Level Spells. Leomund’s Tiny Hut is useful to help set up shop.
6th Level is why we took Lore Bard, as 6th Level Lore Bards get Additional Magical Secrets, letting you learn 2 Spells from any class. Take the Spells Flame Arrows and Fireball. For your other spell at this level, take Major Image.
Back to Fighter. 6th Level Fighters get another Ability Score Improvement. Cap your Dexterity for the best shots.
7th Level Samurai are Elegant Courtiers, giving you proficiency in Wisdom Saving throws and a bonus to Charisma checks equal to your Wisdom modifier, but that last part is irrelevant since your Wisdom modifier is zero.
8th Level Fighters get another Ability Score Improvement. Cap your Charisma for the most Bardic Inspiration and better spells.
9th Level Fighters get Indomitable, letting you reroll a failed saving throw once per long rest.
10th Level Samurais get Tireless Spirit, meaning when you roll initiative and have no uses of Fighting Spirit, you regain one use. The temporary hit points you gain from Fighting Spirit also increases to 10.
11th Level Fighters get another Extra Attack for 3 Attacks per round.
12th Level Fighters get another Ability Score Improvement or a Feat. We’ll take the Magic Initiate Feat to grab 2 cantrips and a spell from the Sorcerer list. For your Cantrips, take Fire Bolt and Create Bonfire, and for your spell, take Chromatic Orb.
13th Level Fighters get another use of Indomitable.
Our capstone is the 14th Level of Fighter for one last Ability Score Improvement. We’ll actually bump up our Wisdom to benefit a bit more from Elegant Courtier.
Now that we’ve hit Level 20, let’s go over the strengths of this build. First, you deal solid damage at long range thanks to Sharpshooter and spells like Flame Arrows and Fireball. With a Longbow, Flame Arrows, Sharpshooter, and Action Surge for a Fireball, you can deal 3d8+11d6+45 damage in 1 round, or 105 average damage, with Fighting Spirit giving higher chances to crit. You’re also an excellent party face with a +18 to Persuasion and Performance, letting you put on a show and secure those customers. Lastly, you have some good low-level spells, Bardic Inspiration, Cutting Words, and a bunch of Skills for some nice utility.
For Weaknesses, unless you take a melee weapon backup, you’re gonna struggle at close range firing at disadvantage. You’re also vulnerable to Strength and Intelligence saving throws, meaning you can be easily tossed around and brainwashed. Lastly, Fire resistance and Evasion can render your Fire spells less than effective, and your Cutting Words won’t work if a creature is immune to Charm.

The Winds of Winter
Prologue
A storm was coming, but that was not part of the plan.
To the east, dark grey clouds and flashes of lightning were seen afar while thunder could be heard mumbling its rage in the distance. Here where they stood, fierce sea-chilled winds blew from the clear skies of the west. Two weather fronts were on course for a collision, and caught in between was a giant rock that mountains above the shoreline, a hard place. The old natural stonewalls of Casterly Rock were half bathed in gold from the even-falling sun, while the other hid in the shadow of the approaching storm. And soon enough, everything will be clouded in black.
The sound of the strong waves smacking into the face of the stony cliffs can be felt from a mile away, as it was no different from the ones crashing into the wooden hull of their galley. Above their rocking swanship, three tall wooden masts sported simple dark black sails, filled with winds from the west, speeding their eastern course towards the home of House Lannister, ready to hug the coastline tight, fast and dangerous.
The Summer Isle captain at the helm shouted his accented announcement, “Awww shittt! Everyone get yo shields and weapons ready. It’s about to go down! Adventurers and avengers, assemble up to the deck of Motherfunker. Be sharp and stay on yo toes! We’re running this so let’s go!”
“With me to the boats!” the legendary stern knight Ser Brynden Tully called out as his fighting men rallied at the starboard rear of their ship, emerging from the cabins below.
“We all chose to be here. If any man wants to back down now, then do so quickly. I would not die in that man’s company. We elected to do this task for honor and for justice. Some of us are here for vengeance and we may even chance to kill some of them. If so, you may enjoy your short moment of pleasure. But what I offer here is the IMMORTALITY of the songs and tales. And when it is all said & done as we return safely home, the singers will sing of this glorious day, our honorable deed, and their shame of a jape. And they will sing it from this day to the ending of the world, and we in it shall be remembered! We few, we brave few, we band of brothers. For he who shed blood with me today shall be my brother forever in song!”
A roar of cheer exploded in the air, loud and thunderous. As the ruckus died down, Lady Mormont proclaimed, “And a sister too!”
“Aye Maege,” said the Blackfish. “But we have always considered you as one of our brothers. Between your legs, your sacs are larger than most men, especially all the Lannister soldiers.”
“Well that is easy to say, all those Lannisters are a bunch of golden eunuchs!” Lady Mormont declared unlady like.
Laughter swept the deck.
The Summer Isle captain above shouted again and prayed, “Today is The Day, and the moment is upon us my friends. Thirty seconds until the drop zone lads! May the gods be with yo!”
On the starboard stern, three small rowboats hung out from the hull, hovering above the rough waves. Attached over the swanship’s parapet was a roped ladder, allowing the fighters to lower themselves down onto their watercrafts. Each one was designed to hold four pairs of oarsmen abreast, and a single coxswain to steer at the rear.
They were twenty good men and Maege. Each one scaled in black boiled leather armor, with a quiver of arrows slung on one back shoulder, and a Summer Isle goldenheart bow on the other. Most fighters had their own selection of close quarter combat weapons that sat on their belts while a round black-painted wooden shield rested at the center of their backs. They wore no sigils and smeared mud spots on their faces to mimic dark ghostly shadows for this stealthy task. They were lightly armored and had fewer weapons, as their goal required speed. If all goes to plan, they would not need any of them. They could accomplish this mission without a soul lost on either side. But this approaching storm was not part of the plan.
The Blackfish made one last heroic call on the deck of the Motherfunker, before he lowered himself on the ladder, “Come with me and take this song!”
Rico added to the cry, “Come on brothers! Do you want to live forever!?!”
They roared proudly again and began their descent as the Summer Isle crewmen assisted the Westerosi to the ropes, sharing firm ebony and ivory handshakes as they told them they will be back.
Ser Brynden Tully reached the rear rowboat LionsJape along with June, Jory, Jess, Fess, Ben and Benjen. Though it was the end boat, it will be the first to fly.
Aboard the middle boat WinterStorm was Lady Maege Mormont, and the other six oarsmen Phyl, Rico, Sam the Shredder, Ser Barnabus the Goose, Scrooge, and Queen Jeyne’s brother Ser Raynald Westerling.
Lord Galbart Glover commandeered the third boat BattleWolf, which hung closer to the center of the swanship. On it were the younger men Donal, Mikkal, Raff, Leo, and Alesander, all merely teenagers.
As he watched from above, Ser Olyvar Frey thought they were little dark turtles crawling down the ladders with their black shields slung on their backs. As the last turtle, Olyvar hugged & kissed his sister Roslin, and then their brother Perwyn. Ser Perwyn Frey was Lady Tully’s sworn shield, charged with her life’s protection, and her unborn child’s too. Though they were all Frey as family, Rosby blood thorns in their veins as well. We were all just sweet Roses By another name, a horrible name.
Olyvar descended. Alesander Frey was waiting for him adjacent to an empty seat on the boat. He was Olyvar’s nephew, but because they were of a similar age, Alesander felt more like a cousin to him, a cousin that felt more like a brother. He wondered what their mothers would have thought if they saw them there now. As Olyvar sat, he stretched his arms wide at the starboard-bow of BattleWolf and the brothers both grabbed an oar each. Alesander sang and japed, “Are you ready to fly this boat to the moon somehow?”
“Nothing is impossible!” Olyvar smiled.
Ser Olyvar Frey never thought he would be on this boat, absorbing the wrath of the big blue watery roads, rocking BattleWolf as it clung to Motherfunker. But his new knightly confidence was so high he could roar at the Drowned God to look at him and tell him to piss off. But he knew better and kept his silence. With his Frey luck, he believed his corpse would be bedding with mermaids down under the sea if he ever cursed the Drowned God aloud.
The owner of the swanship Motherfunker was an exiled prince of the Summer Isles, a big man with a short black beard, shiny bald head and a dark patch over his left eye that he can’t see through. He was Captain Samullu Jaqenssen, but notoriously called the Black Sparrow … though Olyvar had never heard of him until recently. He and his crew were the only sailors that would assist them in their cause, hypnotized to be a part of their upcoming famous Westerosi song. He was to help navigate his galley at high speeds hugging the rocky coast of the Westerlands. With the three rowboats hung to the side of Motherfunker, it would be hard for the sentries on top of the Rock to spot from above. The Motherfunker stayed far away from the coastline to only emerge near their objective at the time of attack. With a single swanship with plain black sails, the Black Sparrow hoped that the Lannister watchmen would pay them no mind as a regular trading galley on its way to Lannisport or wherever, instead of a vessel for an amphibious assault on their castle. And the stronger the winds and the faster the ship, the window of time to be exposed was much shorter. “They had the need for speed, and the speed needed the wind,” Goose had said the night before. The gods have blessed them with strong winds now. They were to come with the sun setting at their backs in the west, blinding any coastal lookout. Because they were cursed with this approaching storm, the plan changed and they had to depart earlier. Olyvar prayed that this would not compromise the mission. Only time will tell.
Racing onto the storm and nearing the rising cliffs, the Captain spun his ship quickly to a southern course and gave the crewmen the signal to dismount. “Ahhhhhhhhh-ah Ahhhhhhhh-ah!”
“Get ready to push!” the Blackfish commanded.
Each oarsman pressed the tip of their long wooden stick onto the hull of the galley, ready to push off. The Summer Isle crewmen began severing the connections of the mothership and its three rowboats. Single-handed axes swung as LionsJape pushed itself off, the first of three. The rowboat plummeted and the waters swallowed it before spitting it back out just as quick. After allowing itself to lose in Motherfunker’s wake, the oarsmen redirected the bow towards the rocks at the Blackfish’s orders.
The WinterStorm followed right after with Lady Maege’s commands, “Push lads! Push! Push!” as it dropped.
Now it was BattleWolf’s turn. “Gods damn it, I’m too old for this shit,” Lord Glover said as he raised a gloved hand and swung it down, giving the signal to cut. At the main deck, the crewmen swung their axes, gleaming gold in the western sunlight as the oarsmen pushed off. For a heartbeat, the fall had taken Olyvar’s breath away as Lord Glover’s BattleWolf floated in the air. Are we flying? Are we on a dragon? His rowboat slammed into the water, splashing chilled wet droplets inside the boat and out. His hair of short black curls flew and fell, dampening at the plunge. The collision almost knocked Olyvar and the men overboard, but they hung on. The Motherfunker left them with a white salty wake as it headed south. Lord Glover then commanded the starboard men to pull their oars, aiming towards WinterStorm. Olyvar pulled. Once aligned, both sides of BattleWolf began to rev hard. The men were howling and roaring with each tension, trying to evade this dangerous zone of being spotted.
Since the Red Wedding and the death of his beloved King, Robb Stark, Olyvar could not sleep. Grief, anger, vengeance, insomnia and drowsiness took him over the days and nights that felt like half-dreams. But the crashing kiss of the water dive had re-woken Olyvar in shock, as he realized what they were about to do was no fantasy he had ever known. Nothing can stop us now, this is really happening. His heart was pounding to the rhythm of the oars and he wanted to scream his battle cry. He could still hear Jaqenssen the Black Sparrow sounding his siren “Ahhhhhhhh-ah Ahhhhhhh-ah!”
We are brothers loyal to the King in the North, the land of ice and snow. We serve Riverrun and Winterfell, where the hot springs flow. And now the divine winds of the gods had driven our mothership to the Westerlands. To fight for honor, the North will sing and the West will cry. Casterly Rock … Winter is Coming! On we sweep with threshing oars, our only goal will be the western shore!
As Olyvar’s oar rose and fell, he looked up to the windows of Casterly Rock’s tall stony towers, searching for the signaling candle light. But it could not be seen this early. Only when the sun was fully set as planned, this candle would replace it as the guiding light. They rowed by rocks and rocks and more rocks. Seagulls flew in spheres above them, chasing one another. The sun still hung in the air, slowly falling to splash onto the western horizon of the Sunset Sea. They then rowed by a courtyard that just floated on the earth forty feet above the sea’s surface. Suddenly on the other side of their boat, they eyed a whale skimming off the glimmering golden ocean. The boys of the vulnerable BattleWolf did not say a word as the monstrous water-beast swam the opposite direction just twenty yards away from them, paying them no mind. It was a good thing I did not curse the Drowned God as I was going to earlier.
Olyvar, Alesander, Leo, Mikkal, Raff and Donal were seated on Galbart Glover’s rowboat, rowing to Galbart Glover’s commands, “Row! Row! Row your boats you son o’ whores!” and taking in Galbart Glover’s cold stare as he eyed the two Freys specifically when he said it. Olyvar’s arms began to tire, but this was not the place to show weakness to his brothers. So he pulled on while keeping their rowboat as close to the stony walls as possible to avoid detection from above.
They trailed the Lady Bear while following the Blackfish. Soon after, Ser Brynden Tully had found his mark and grounded LionsJape onto a small beach. His men exited, flipped the rowboat above them and dashed forty yards straight toward the rocky edge, where a small barred cave was fitted at the base. Underneath the rusted iron, a thin valley of brown watery slush stank & trickled into the sand & sea. Everyone knew what that was when they agreed to participate in the assault. The Blackfish was told back at Riverrun about a sewer path inside Casterly Rock that allowed all the shit and piss to drain out to the ocean. This tiny hole by the foot of the mountain was all and everything for the mission.
When the sprinting men reached the end with their boat, they dropped it at the skirt and pressed themselves against the wall. The façade was conveniently arched outwards as it ascended, making it difficult to be sighted from above. With the waves muffling the noise of speech, any of them can speak freely outside at sea level. From the cliffs above, their human conversations below would only sound like ghostly whispers. No casual listener should be alerted to such. But hearing and seeing are different things, and they must not be seen.
WinterStorm and BattleWolf soon followed. As Olyvar departed BattleWolf, he cringed at the soreness of his arms that the work had left him. His arms will have to ache again as his squad lifted the rowboat above their heads. They stormed towards the barred entrance, with bow and quiver slung on each shoulder, a turtle shell shield at the center of his back. While the others carried shorter lighter personal weapons, Olyvar was equipped with a longsword that once belonged to his King, Robb Stark.
They dropped off BattleWolf when they reached the wall, waiting for a way in. Ten brothers on one side of the cave, and eleven on the other. The closest ones to the door had their small axes and weapons drawn along with their shields, while the further ones notched an arrow onto their bow. Olyvar had his Summer Isle goldenheart bow ready. The entrance was small, the same size as their black shields, guarding the realm of Casterly Rock, and they continued to wait.
This thunderstorm was coming, and it was not part of the plan. It was the Blackfish’s decision to leave Motherfunker earlier before the storm surges would flood the sewers of Casterly Rock. Their forty yard dash from the beach to the gate may be twenty yards if they arrived an hour later … and there may be no more exit by the time they escape back. But Stark loyalists hidden in the woods outside of the castle were told of executing this assault at the exact evenfall of Queen Jeyne Stark’s arrival to Casterly Rock. The Lannister soldier escorts would be exhausted from their march and acquired a false sense of security when they reached the safe comforts of the castle. The Stark land forces led by Lord Gawen Westerling would create a mummer’s farce with trumpets and drums, sending the weary Lannisters to one side, as the Blackfish himself attacked the other from the sea. Evenfall of this day was the golden time to do this, but they arrived an hour too early. With the storm, Olyvar prayed that everyone else would adjust to the plan. He wondered if Lord Westerling would account for the storm surges. But it makes no difference now. They were here, and they cannot turn back.
Suddenly the rusted iron of the barred cave unlocked and swung open, creaking like a loud squealing rat. Emerged was a crouching older man with a short gray beard and a jaw squared like a mason spice jar. “Welcome to the Rock!” Ser Rolph Spicer declared.
Ser Brynden greeted him with a hug, “I’m so glad you came early, we would be sleeping with the fishes if you were late.”
“It was Edmure’s idea to leave early, he said the storm would flood the sewers, and we prayed you would come sooner too.”
“Like that damn Mill again, Edmure acting prematurely? That boy will never learn! Thank the Gods!”
They both chuckled and began entering through the gate. The others soon followed, ducking into the small hole and into the darkness.
Once inside the caves of Casterly Rock, Ser Rolph grabbed his torchlight and lifted it to the air, showing the brothers the vastness. The lobby was an open abyss where the ceiling was fifty feet high. The walls had multiple rocky openings naturally carved in, small and large. Some were wide enough to walk through. Inside were all shadows, saved the areas illuminated by golden sunlight spying in through each seldom hole or fissure. Where the flames can brighten, hard brown rocks glowed and flickered, as well as old metal tracks, mining carts, abandoned tools, ladders, rusty chains and the occasional plant roots that brewed in the darkness of the caves. The smell reeked. Olyvar was sure there would be no real gold here as it was probably mined out over the centuries. Only shit shits down here in the sewers and caves of Lord Tywin Lannister’s home, not gold, Olyvar thought. This was where Lann the Clever started his legend, swindling the Casterly residents out of the castle, cheating them. It was their turn now to write history, these archers from the sea facing off with their own modern Casterly ploy … accomplishing it without being seen, doing it as faceless warriors.
They followed Ser Rolph and his torchlight in single file, going deeper up into the caves, fitting in burrowed hallways that barely fit them, pursuing his decisions at each fork in the paths, squishing their feet on sluggish wet slopes and steps. The very first entrance they encountered required them to descend a few yards before climbing up the rest of the way. It was hundreds of feet in elevation that they must ascend to. At times, the way was lit well enough. But at other instants, the darkness blinds them, only facing the brother in front of them for their flight. I have promises to keep. And steps to go before I sleep. And steps to go before I sleep.
“By now the guards at the top of the Rock should be asleep after I spiced up their ale,” Ser Rolph Spicer said with a cheeky smile. “Before my sister Sybell married into House Westerling, I explored these parts of Casterly Rock in my youth as a smuggler, going up and down many times. Your legs will tire, no doubt about that. But you lads are years younger than I, and I better hear no complaints unless I am the first one to make it.”
“I’ll do my best,” young Leo announced for himself.
“Your best?” Ser Spicer questioned. “Losers whine about their best. Winners rescue crowned queens.”
“Lady Jeyne Westerling-Stark is THE crowned Queen,” Leo replied.
“Is that so?” Ser Rolph gave Leo a sarcastic look with a raised eyebrow, before continuing up the steps inside the Rock.
“I’ll decide the turns and I’ll establish the security checkpoints. There, we can rest for a moment. A few of you will be left there to guard the area as the others will continue to ascend. Those few will wait until we fall back. But remember, the journey down is far less exhausting. For now, let’s go up and up. Ser Olyvar Frey, would you take the honor of watching our rear?”
Ser Olyvar Frey. The name was still queer to him. As much as he liked the ‘Ser’ in his name, he would like to rid the “Frey” in the surname. He had been the most loyal squire a king could have asked for. He would have stayed with King Robb Stark to the end of the world, but his own blood tore that away from him. Olyvar was not blind though. His young king had made grave mistakes, more than Olyvar wanted to count. As much as he would have favored his sister Roslin to marry him, Olyvar knew you cannot choose the people you love. And Robb genuinely loved another, he hoped. Jeyne Westerling was just as sweet as Roslin. Olyvar would have stayed at Robb’s side as his brother-in-law, or some uncle-in-law by Lord Edmure Tully. Though by choosing Jeyne, it slighted Olyvar’s father Lord Walder Frey. But Seven Hells father, did you have to murder him? At my sister’s wedding feast? Under your own roof? Under my roof? Robb Stark was my king. He was brave and good, and Olyvar Frey loved him. And his soul was tortured in sleepless days and nights, knowing he shared the same blood as the murderers … knowing he could have stopped it if it was not for impulse. You are an honorable fool Olyvar. His father had told him of the treacherous plan the day before, but Olyvar cursed it aloud, defending Robb as it was still his duty. You should’ve been smart and played stupid with father. You could have informed Robb while you were still free, breaking this bad dream. Olyvar shouldn’t have tried to bargain with his father. He should have known he made up his mind a long while ago. Olyvar was imprisoned in the dungeons of the Twins during the Red Wedding. The gaolers were japing at him, “Go ahead, do your duty. Save your king!”
My king. The sad memories faded into blurred flashbacks.
[Part 2]

I AM NOT OOP. OOP IS u/ThrowRA-sad_mom123
Originally posted on relationship_advice
Content warning: mentions of stalking, domestic violence, homicide
2 updates - mediumish
Original post - June 7th, 2024
Update 2 - June 9th, 2024
Update 3 - June 9th, 2024
My (47F) pregnant daughter (22F) is going to marry an incarcerated man (29M). How can I go about this situation?
I’m concerned for my child. Yes she’s an adult but I feel like she’s making the worst decision for herself. I don’t approve AT ALL.
My daughter had good things going on for herself. She graduated high school, went to college and graduated with her associates, got accepted into dental school and all of its going down the drain because she’s chosen to invest her time and energy into her “soulmate”.
About a year ago, my daughter started writing letters to prisoners as a pen pal to keep them company. At first I was uncomfortable with the idea for many, many reasons (it never crossed my mind that she’d fallen for a criminal) but I still rented a P.O. Box for her so she wouldn’t give out her address.
My daughter was in a healthy relationship with her now ex-fiancé. They’ve been together since her senior year in high school. They just had their first child over a year ago, expecting another, and they got engaged 6 months ago. A month ago, my daughter told me that she and her fiancé were taking a break and two weeks ago she called off the engagement and left him. He’s a complete wreck. He told me it hurts that his family that he created with my daughter is now broken. He feels so blindsided as do I because I believed my daughter was truly in love but she wasn’t, she wasn’t happy.
I’ve been very supportive of my daughter during this whole situation, that is until she told me she was already in a new relationship. I was taken aback. I obviously started questioning her about it and she confessed that she had fallen for one of the prisoners she’s written to, in fact, they’ve been together for 3 months. It makes me sick to my stomach even typing this out right now because I just can’t believe it. She said they’ve been in contact for almost 8 months and since then they’ve fallen more and more in love with each other. She’s visited him multiple times, in fact she’s even taken my grandson to see this man. She’s shown me pictures of them embracing and him holding my grandchild. I’ve done some research and looked up his charges and I’m livid she even brought my grandson, even herself around someone who could do such horrible things. I’m terrified for my daughter and grandson.
I’ve tried expressing my concerns to her but she’s in a whole other world. She told me the last in person visit they had he popped the question and she said yes, that’s when I snapped. I was and am very pissed about this whole situation and she’s hurt that I’m not supportive of her decisions. She defended their relationship and her choices and we started arguing. It got so bad that now she’s not speaking to me or allowing me to see my grandbaby and it breaks my heart. I love my child but I will never approve of this relationship.
I understand that as an adult, she has the right to make her own choices, and l've always been proud of her independence. But as someone who truly loves her deeply, it's hard for me to watch her make a decision that I feel could be harmful to herself and my grandson. I'm scared for her because of what I've learned about this person's past, and I can't shake the fear of what could happen. I don't want to lose her or my grandchild to a situation that seems so risky. I don’t know what else I can do and I feel so hopeless. Please, what else can I do?
TLDR: I'm worried because my daughter, who's achieved so much, is throwing it all away for a prisoner she fell for while being a pen pal. She's left her fiancé for him, and it's hard for me to stomach or support this decision.
Relevant Comments
terayonjf
I would personally give all the information you have on the new guy to the ex and implore him to get to family court immediately and fight for full and sole custody of the kids. You can't stop your adult child from ruining her life and putting herself in danger BUT you can assist in getting your minor grandchild away from this situation and away from her poor decision making. She may hate you for doing this but the safety of the child is more important than her clouded feelings right now and maybe the courts threatening to remove her child might be the wake up call to stop the foolishness
cassowary32
Is the former fiancé fighting for custody? How does your daughter plan to support her two kids? Hopefully the ex will be able to make sure the kids are safe and get CPS involved if they are not. I have a feeling that the exhaustion from single parenting a newborn will have your daughter coming to her senses soon.
How much longer is her partner in jail for?
Her ex fiancé still doesn’t know about her new relationship. When my daughter ended their relationship, he felt completely blindsided because he didn’t see it coming, no one did. If he knew she was in another relationship, especially with a criminal, it would be a living nightmare. I mean he has the right to know because she’s bringing his children to see this man.
For privacy reasons, i will not give out any names. He’s currently serving a life sentence (I’ll let you guess) but he could get out early due to parole. He has a history of domestic abuse and breaking protective orders.
In later replies, OOP reveals that daughter's new beau is in prison for stalking, violation of protective orders, and murder. Mostly that last one.
KaleidoscopeRude4370
A LIFE SENTENCE?!?!?!??!
You need to explain to your daughter now before you take legal action to gain sole custody with the father. She needs it spelt out on paper how this person is literally dropping an atomic bomb on her life while literally being locked up.

• I would ask her questions like:
• how can you marry someone you have never seen interact or function in LEGIT REAL SOCIETY?!!?
• why is she so quick to not look into his past
• how can you marry someone you have never seen interact with another person?
• how can you bring your children around someone who is in for life? OP I know you aren't sharing but did this dude kill someone?

This is the craziest post I have ever read. Please update us and I am sorry this is happening.
Updates 1 & 2 - 2 days later
I wanted to start off with thanking everyone that took time to give me some advice. After receiving a lot of comments with suggestions on how i should handle this situation i went ahead and told the father of my grandchildren about what’s been going on. He was my soon to be son in law and I’ve grown to love him as if he was my own. I believe he has every right to know about the wellbeing of his children so I confessed everything to him. Thankfully, I have a family therapist who is a very close friend of mine. She’s been here with us since the divorce between me and my ex husband.
I called her, we spoke about the situation and she agreed to guide me to tell the kids father. I called him over to my home and we all had a very long talk. I let him know everything and he broke down, crying hysterically. It was horrible. He felt so violated not only as a partner to her but as a father to their kids. I made it very clear that I would support him no matter the circumstances, at this point it’s not only about my daughter but my grandkids. We discussed the charges against my daughters new fiancé, and he was beyond livid. He actually suggested himself taking my daughter to court and I agreed with him that it would be the best thing to do. We came to an agreement that he wouldn’t tell my daughter what he knew that way I could get more information to help him plead his case. But yesterday, shit hit the fan.
Yesterday, I received some angry texts from my daughter and it didn’t end well. I posted the texts here : https://www.reddit.com/texts/s/9dNmfkfBab
Text are transcribed below, feel free to skip to where this post resumes.
D = Daughter; M = Mom (OOP)
D: Mom
D: Why aren't you answering me ??
D: Dude Answer your phone *eyeroll* *facepalm*
D: HELLOO????
M: I'm sorry I couldn't answer the phone, I was driving and my phone wasn't connected to the Bluetooth.
M: What's wrong babe, is everything ok?
D: Why tf do you hate me so much
D: Like what the fuck is wrong with you ?? Why are you going out your way to tell my business to [redacted] for ?
M: [redacted] babe I love you but please don't speak to me like this.
M: Can you please try telling me what's going calmly.
D: The fuck do I need to be calm for all you do is stress me out. I'm 7 months pregnant and high risk and you want me stressed for what ?????
M: [redacted] honey I don't want you to be stressed and I don't want to be the reason to cause it.
D: SO why the fuck are you telling [redacted] my business?
M: What do you mean?
D: He's been blowing up my phone all night long.
D: He called me again on his break this morning and said you brought him to see Dr [redacted] and told him that I've been cheating on him throughout our relationship.
D: You told him about [redacted] and that ive been letting him around [redacted]
D: Wtf is wrong with you?
M: [redacted] honey there's nothing wrong with me. I understand why you're upset but baby this man is a very dangerous criminal.
M: He's doing life for a reason. He murdered his ex. He abused her and she went to get an order of protection against him and he violated all of it.
M: I love you and [redacted] with all my heart and I can't imagine a life without you both.
D: OH MY GOD
D: YOURE SO FUCKING NARCISSISTIC *facepalm**facepalm*
M: [redacted], I'm asking you to please be respectful. I don't deserve to be spoken to like this.
D: [in reply to M: [redacted] honey there's nothing wrong with me. I understand why you're upset but babe this man is a very dangerous criminal.] Dangerous?? You don't even fucking know him
M: Did you skip over the message right after that. He was abusing a poor girl. She didn't feel safe and went to get a protective orders against him and he violated them and ended up murdering her. [redacted] open your eyes.
M: He's guilty and serving time.
D: He's not guilty of a damn thing. You clearly don't understand how any of this shit works.
D: He wasn't found guilty he took a plea deal
D: He still got life but he can still get out on parole
D: He did this to avoid getting life without parole.
D: You don't understand any of this shit
M: He still killed someone. Why are we not addressing this? He's a murder
D: No he's not. He's a victim that needed to defend himself.
M: Defend himself? He was a grown ass man beating on a woman.
D: So men can't be victims of abuse?
D: The bitch would start fights, hit him and play victim in the end. It was a whole cycle
M: [redacted] can we not do this over text? Please answer your phone.
D: No I don't want to we can talk thru text or don't have to talk at all *grinning smily*
M: What is your issue?
D: My issue is you.
D: You're weird as fuck going behind your daughters back
D: I'm your kid. You should have my back
M: I do have your back, but I also care for the livelihood of my grandchildren. This situation is unhealthy and unsafe for children. You as an adult can whatever you please, but when children are being put in these toxic situations, action needs to be taken.
D: oh so you agree with [redacted] that I'm an unstable, unfit mother *crying-laughing**crying-laughing**crying-laughing*
D: You're such a narcissistic bitch
D: I can see why dad divorced you before he dies.. I wouldn't want to be buried next to you either
M: I've had enough of the disrespect [redacted] I've been nothing but calm and respectful and you've disrespected me over and over.
D: We've been past respect. You told my business to my baby daddy.
D: You disrespected me so I'm returning it *laughing-crying*
M: You've changed. You have become such a nasty individual and it's upsetting that as my only daughter you treat me this way after everything I've done for you.
D: yeah I have changed
D: I had a fucking baby
D: Went through postpartum by MYSELF
D: [redacted] would see me struggling and didn't do shit. I was working to provide for my family. I had no emotional support. I WAS BY MYSELF
D: just me and my son. When I found out I was having baby 2 i was by myself. Yeah [redacted] had a job and took care us but he wasn't there to help me
D: I WAS BY MYSELF.
D: I found a man who yes made some mistake in his past but he's making up for it. He finished school, is allowing god to lead him in life, and he's positive
D: He respects me and pushes me to be strong. He motivates me and he provides emotional support. I don't need a mans money because I make my own but I needed love and he provided that for me
D: I don't understand why you felt the need to go out of your way to disturb our peace but I'm happy and very much in love with him and I'm not leaving him.
M: Look at how you're acting [redacted]. You're spiraling. This man is no good.
D: Omg gtfo I'm tired of the back and forth *facepalm*
D: Like I told [redacted], good luck taking me to court *finger*
D: Until then, you won't be seeing me, [redacted], or the baby for the sake of our mental health.
D: You bring nothing but drama and negativity into our lives and we'd be much better off without you. Please don't contact me or your will be blocked
POST RESUMES HERE
I called the children’s father to ask him what the hell was he thinking and he explained that he wasn’t. He’s been apologizing nonstop but the damage has already been done. I’m at a loss for words. I’m devastated. I’m heartbroken. I’ve ofícially lost my daughter and grandkids and I don’t know what else to do. I can’t imagine not being a part of their lives and it hurts me deeply. What did I do wrong to deserve this? Is there any way I could fix this ?
Relevant Comments
trishsf
Time. Guarantee this guy has other women on the hook. Why not? He’s got nothing going for him and will never see the light of day again. Maybe it’s possible to hire a PI that can find out if there are others? At some point, she’s going to miss being touched. Dates. Hugs in the morning and at night. Just be there when she crashes because she will. That’s all that you can do. I’m so sorry.
TrifleMeNot
Keep supporting the father. He will get them eventually and you can still be Grandma. Your daughter was lost before you even posted. She may come back but keep in with the Dad. Good luck OP.
He feels really guilty for my daughters reaction but I believe it was only a matter of time before she was going to crash out. At this moment in time, I’m worried for my grandson. It makes me question if my daughter can get so angry with me with something like this, how angry can she get at my grandbaby 💔
SnooWords4839
Your grandchild's dad can still get custody.
Daughter is making horrible choices.
After rereading her messages, I think it’s possible my daughter was suffering from postpartum depression and by getting pregnant again so soon her body didn’t get enough time to heal. Her hormones are all over the place and her mental is declining.
She wasn’t like this a year ago, she was a happy, respectful, caring soul but all of that’s changed. and I feel horrible. I wish I could’ve seen her behavior myself. I could’ve gotten her the help she needed right then and there 😞
Marked ongoing.
If you have comments, keep them HERE. DO NOT brigade over to the original post to comment. DO NOT harass the OOP with dms or replies.
Stay safe and remember: at least 37% of your after 5 pm beverage sales must consist of mixed/blended call drinks.

Hello! I started this book 6 years ago. It's been finished for nearly 2 years. I only sent out a small handful of query letters in that time, and those were all rejected. I really don't want to let this book go, so I've decided now is the time to really get this thing published. This is a first draft of my new query letter. If anyone has any critiques and/or advice, I would be very appreciative. Thank you so much! :)
Dear [agent],
I am seeking representation for my YA fiction novel, "The Weeds". Set in the sweltering summer of June 1991, "The Weeds" is an exploration of resilience, friendship, and the human spirit, offering a raw portrayal of life on the margins. Complete at 100,000 words, "The Weeds" follows the intertwined journeys of three troubled teenagers as they navigate the complexities of their own lives and each other's, all set against the backdrop of a road trip across America.
Dakota's high school graduation night marks the beginning of her desperate escape from a life overshadowed by her alcoholic mother. She takes off the next morning, her only guide being a newspaper clipping about her estranged father's upcoming appearance in San Francisco. Dakota’s journey takes an unexpected turn when she meets Amelia at an Illinois diner. Amelia was diagnosed with aplastic anemia the previous year and has since been denied three bone marrow transplants. Inspired by the adventurous spirit of her late mother, and taunted by the looming threat of death, Amelia is determined to experience life beyond her bedroom walls. Soon after, the two stumble upon Forrest, a young man whose troubled past is as mysterious as the contents of his ever-present backpack. Despite their differences, the three form a reluctant bond, each carrying their own guilt, fear, and maybe, just maybe, hope.
Their journey is filled with unexpected challenges, from sneaking into a space museum to working at a summer camp where new relationships and old traumas collide. As they travel together, Dakota struggles with her deep-seated insecurities and the shadow of her mother's addiction. Amelia, hiding her illness from her new friends, grapples with the haunting specter of her mother's memory. Keeping her secret becomes more difficult when Amelia begins to fall for a perky girl from camp. Forrest finds himself increasingly drawn to Dakota, but he fears revealing the truth about himself. When Forrest's secret does come to light, Dakota resolves to hate him. As the three make their trek to California, their stories intertwine, revealing deeper truths and sparking growth.
At the heart of The Weeds is the delicate balance of vulnerability and resilience. The trio must face their deepest fears, and try to forge a path toward a future where they are no longer defined by their pasts but by the strength they’ve found in each other.
As a journalist living in both the Midwest and Scotland, I bring a unique perspective to the narrative, drawing on my experiences to craft authentic, emotionally resonant characters and settings. The themes explored in "The Weeds" are reminiscent of those found in Rainbow Rowell's "Eleanor & Park" and John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars" and "Looking for Alaska". I believe "The Weeds" will resonate with readers who appreciate character-driven stories that explore the raw, often painful journey of growing up.
Enclosed are [X], in accordance with your submission guidelines. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Hi all,
Put the large size rapid engineering beaver tail on my g43x and it’s a total game changer. I have L/XL size hands, definitely get slide bite from glocks without beaver tails due to a high grip. Not only does the rapid engineering beaver tail completely eliminate any slide bite, but it makes the draw from appendix a bit easier, as well as making the grip fill out the hand a bit more.
If you are dealing with slide bite or on the fence about picking one up, I highly recommend based on the short experience I’ve had so far.

Hey all! I’ve been kayaking a few times through guided tour, group type experiences. I’d like to purchase a kayak of my own and venture forth solo (or with buddies if I can find local ones!). Before I dive in, what should I be aware of? Are there any books or YouTube videos that come highly recommended for beginners? Is there a particular kayak that I should start with? Help!!! 😅