TLDR: Add some rare traits that can negate some of the negative mood de-buffs that might apply to pawns from their ideology i.e. a Noble Melee/Despised Ranged colony having a pawn with a trait that allows him to wield ranged weapons without the typical "Wielding a Despised Weapon" mood de-buff.
One of the greatest additions to Rimworld has to be the Ideology DLC as it brings prime roleplay potential to our story generator. The ability to pick and choose exactly how your colony is going to play out to allow specialized stories based on whatever you feel most motivated to play right now is beyond amazing, yet I believe the integration to the base game can be significantly improved.
The first major thing that I can think of is to improve on the noble/despised weapon selections as you might remove half of the game's combat from early to mid-game as the mood de-buff is difficult to combat when you're low on drugs early on, or it just might not be worth having to micromanage your rocket launcher pawn when you notice a particularly large mech raid approaching full of lancers that'll destroy your early-mid game melee pawns that have weak armor, few or no shield belts, and no jump packs.
The easiest way to combat this issue would be to have some traits negative about specific parts of an ideology, such as Honorable Fighter, a pawn that wouldn't face a mood de-buff from utilizing melee weapons that would otherwise be despised. This can be extended to many parts of ideology such as removing the required apparel for some roles via a trait or even cosmetic things such as an animal Recon Helmet prefeforced style via a trait even when you don't have the style as a part of your ideology. My primary thoughts on this idea have mainly been focused on the combat aspect, as I simply love the story of some rare pawn you manage to cut the leg off of that has the mystical trait that allows him to use ranged weapons in your Noble melee colony and you get to recruit/convert him.
My playstyle plays a lot into this idea as well as I love "main character" combat pawns that get all the juicy bionics and can act as a solo raiding party late midgame. I also thought a bit about SrGrafo's Tales from the Rim comic series and the Sniper (I forgot his name...) in the peaceful rice-farming colony (the Fireflies?).
Overall, I believe that a small addition that could create interest in "main character" based stories on the Rim would be having very rare (or expensive in character creator) traits that allow the pawn to bypass some of the mood de-buffs that come with specific ideologies. Let me know your thoughts or if there are any additions!
(P.S. If anyone can recommend me a good combination for a Dune ideology (with Vanilla Ideology Expanded) I'd appreciate it! So far I'm thinking Islamic Origin, Blood Court, Raiders, Human Primacy, Elders)

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Cover Art!
Just because you’re transported to another world, doesn’t mean you’ll escape from your pain.
Abused by her parents, thirteen-year-old Frances only wants to be safe and for her life not to hurt so much. And when she and her class are transported to the magical world of Durannon to fight the monsters invading the human kingdoms and defeat the self-titled Demon King, Frances is presented with a golden opportunity. If she succeeds, Frances will have the home she never had. If she fails, Frances will be summoned back to the home she escaped.
Yet, despite her newfound magic and friends, Frances finds that trauma is not so easily lost. She is dogged by her abuse and its physical and invisible scars. Not only does she have to learn magic, she has to survive the nightmares of her past, and wrestle with her feelings of doubt and self-loathing.
If she can heal from her trauma, though, she might be able to defeat the Demon King and maybe, just maybe, she can find a home for herself.
[The Beginning] [<=Chapter 217] [Chapter Index and Blurb] [Chapter 219 June 11 or see the next chapter now on Patreon]
The Fractured Song Index
Discord Channel Just let me know when you arrive in the server that you’re a Patreon so you can access your special channel.
***
Ginger makes an offer to Lakadara. The rest of Telkandra's remaining brood discuss the fate of their allies.
“Not good?” Sara asked as Helias strode into the tent and made his way straight to the bottle of wine.
“Not good,” Helias muttered.
Sara nodded woodenly. “Privacy spell?
The tauroll waved his sheathed Fangroar and after pouring himself and his wife a drink, sat down. “We’re safe. Oh Galena, this is really not good.”
“How dead are we?” Sara asked, her tone light.
“We’re not dead. We’re just in a lot of danger and even if we somehow force the humans to retreat, we’ve lost this war,” said Helias.
“Explain.”
Helias drank deep, noting that Sara was also drinking deep as well. “Thorgoth is going after the humans. That part of the plan is as good as it gets. We’ll be attacking them, and using the dragons, whilst our forces hold off Titania. Our objectives are also well-chosen.” Helias buried his head into his hands and let out a deep groan. “But winning this doesn’t change anything.”
“If we can defeat the humans, why won’t that change anything?” Sara bit her lip. “Unless it renders us unable to beat Titania?”
“Yes. Even on the chance we beat the humans we won’t be able to invade them, we won’t be able to defeat Titania. We’d be at a stalemate and both armies would have to withdraw.” His hands dropping to the table, Helias stared at his wife. “And we don’t have any reserves left. We’re going to lose the war, even if Thorgoth lives.”
“If we defeat the humans—”
The general shook his head. “By defeat, I mean we’ll hurt them but we can’t prevent them from withdrawing. We might kill a few of their leaders, their important mages and Otherworlders, but they will still have soldiers. After coming so close, they won’t surrender. They’ll keep attacking until they kill enough of Thorgoth and Berengaria’s supporters that nobody will help them, or until both of them die.”
“Alright so, what do we do?” Sara asked. Helias looked at his wife, noting how still she sat. Her wings were clamped tight to her back and her lips were drawn tight.
“Sara, I don’t have good answers.”
Sara steepled her trembling fingers as best she could. “They’re going to be better than mine. I don’t know anything about war.”
“Right. Well, you need to surrender to the humans if you are captured. Present yourself as a non-combatant. Cry, scream, anything to declare that you don’t mean any harm,” Helias said.
“Why not Titania?” Sara asked.
“She has every incentive to kill you off and far less compunction about doing so. Killing our family off would allow her to have more land to give away to her loyalists. In contrast, the humans have Erlenberg troops fighting with them along with those of the Lightning Battalion. They’re going to be far more friendly to Alavari civilians,” Helias said.
Soft hands, grabbed onto Helias’s waist with a surprisingly firm grip. “What about you? I can get away, but how are you going to survive this?”
“I don’t know. I—”
“Don’t you dare! Our daughter needs her father and I need my husband!”
The general stared at his wife. “Sara, I can’t surrender to the humans if we win. They want me dead.”
Sara refilled Helias’s glass. “Then you need to help Thorgoth defeat them.”
“Then what? We’re never winning this war. Thorgoth is going to be invaded and—”
Cutting him off with the clink of her goblet against the table, Sara hissed, “And what? Why think that far? We can plan for that after this battle, so long as you are still here and with me.”
Letting out a breath Helias pushed his hair back and allowed himself a sigh. Reaching across the table, he took his wife’s hand.
“Sara, you’re right, but you know you can escape this if Thorgoth is defeated.”
The harorc placed her other hand on top of his. “We’re partners. I need you. We need you. So promise me that you’ll do your damndest to live.”
Helias closed his eyes and nodded. “I promise. First things first, before we turn in we need to talk to the dragons.”
***
Fennokra stalked slowly toward the camp. This wasn’t the collapsed side-passage where she and Yolandra had some privacy. This was the main camp where Thorgoth and their army were preparing for what had to be the final battle.
It was also where her siblings were swallowing the last of what seemed to be a side of salted pork.
“Velkandra, Makentra, we need to talk.”
Their second-eldest sister licked her lips, her neck rising to Fennokra’s level. “I am assuming you mean in private?”
“Of course.” Fennokra could see Velkandra’s haunches tensing to raise herself higher. Her sister was trying to look down on her. Allowing her head to dip, she held her height.
“Alright.” Velkandra flicked her tail and Makentra, licking his lips, followed them.
Since their enemies had set up their siege camp behind them, the Alavari camp had been reduced in size. Still, there was the alcove of the collapsed tunnel. Whilst couriers and soldiers crossed across this natural cavern to the defenses on the other side, they kept a good distance away.
Yolandra was waiting for them, scratching something into the cave wall. Fennokra let out a rumble in her throat and her sister turned from the wall suddenly, shaking her head.
“Velkandra, Mankentra—”
Velkandra puffed a cloud of smoke out. “What’s this all about?” she hissed, lips drawn back to show teeth.
Fennokra took a step away from her sister to take Yolandra’s side, her eyes narrowed. “Are you joking? Do you not think we should at least discuss what is going on?”
“And what would be the point? It is a bit late to be having this discussion. The course of the winds have been chosen,” said Velkandra.
Yolandra rose to her full height on her four legs, but even so she was still shorter than the silent Makendra. “The winds can be fickle, Velkandra, and where we are is proof.”
Velkandra pursed her lips, eyes for the first time, looking toward the ground. “The survival of our family is tied to that of Thorgoth. To abandon him would be death by the hand of the Stormcaller and her allies or by his hand.”
“Besides, if we were to abandon Thorgoth’s cause, that would be dishonorable. We promised to assist him,” said Makendra.
Fennokra blinked at her brother’s tone. It was quiet and yet there was a touch of a deep growl to his voice. His claws were ever so slightly digging into the ground.
“We are dragons. We can think and make decisions for ourselves. We are allowed to consider other options, are we not?” Fennokra asked.
Velkandra’s tail flicked violently side to side as her neck turned to her younger sibling. “Then why does it sound as if you wish to follow in the wingbeats of our elder sister?”
“Who we killed. I was there. I lost a claw striking her down!” Fennokra raised one clawed hand, flexing the remaining digits.
“On that, why did we have to kill Lakadara?”
All golden eyes fixed on Yolandra, who held the gaze of her siblings with a contemptuous scowl.
“Lakadara betrayed us,” said Velkandra, almost growling.
“I’ve been thinking over what happened. Lakadara said nothing about betraying our mother. She merely was questioning if Thorgoth was trustworthy,” Yolandra said.
A scowl flaring his nostrils, Makentra growled. “He fed us, trained us in how the humans and their allies fought. Hid us from their eyes—”
“And now Caldra is dead!” Yolandra exclaimed.
“Which is why we must kill the Stormcaller and her friends! So we can avenge him and our mother!” Velkandra almost completely unfurled her wings. Only the tips slapping the stone forced her to pull them back.
“Then what?” Yolandra asked.
Velkandra frowned. “Then what? We’d have our revenge—”
Yolandra’s tail cracked against the ground. “Then what? You all must have heard of what Thorgoth is capable of. What he’s done to others.”
Makentra rolled his eyes. “Sara’s story is just a story. She might have been just trying to turn you.”
“She was honest and she is not the only tale I’ve heard. You must have heard rumors of what Thorgoth did to his own son, Teutobal,” said Fennokra.
“Propaganda,” Velkandra hissed through her gritted teeth, while smoke wafted through the gaps. “In any case, we have no other option. We fight or we die.”
Fennokra, her claws grinding against the floor, had had enough.
“Velkandra, Makentra, have you ever considered that Thorgoth is perhaps using us for his own goals? We have not even considered what he might do to us after we’ve destroyed the humans and their allies. How do we know the Stormcaller and her allies might treat us better? Besides in the first place, she never intended to kill our mother—”
Fennokra blinked. She was flying backwards, something hard was bearing her into the wall. Dizzy as if struck by one of the Stormcaller’s spells, she realized that the force was the foreclaws of her elder sister. Mad rage lit those golden eyes that were the exact same shade as hers. Horrified, Fennokra tried to throw Velkandra off, but her sister was larger and heavier than her.
“Say that again. I dare you to say that again—ARGH!”
Velkandra rolled off, forced off of Fennokra by the Yolandra shoving into her side. As the elder dragon recovered, the smallest of Telkandra’s brood hissed, “It’s the truth! You are a fool to deny it!”
An ugly sneer on her lips, wings quivering with fury, Velkandra snorted. “The truth? Oh right so we are speaking the truth then. Well here’s the truth. Our kind is doomed!”
Makentra blinked. “Sister?”
“Of course Thorgoth is going to get rid of us or try to after this campaign. He has to, but right now he needs us and that’s what we need to rely on until we gain more strength. Of course, whether he wins or the Stormcaller’s allies win, how can we expect to survive in a world dominated by these lesser species hm? How could they ever not see us as a threat?”
Velkandra stalked toward the wide-eyed Fennokra and Yoandra. Her head turned side to side as she fixed her sisters with wild wide eyes.
“Well? Tell me Fennokra. Speak the truth Yolandra. Or are you both too afraid to admit that our kind are doomed and the only thing is to live as long as we can and hopefully avenge those that hurt us as we do so.”
“You’d have us fly to our deaths?” Makentra asked.
The stammering voice brought Velkandra around. Extending a wing, she touched its tip to her brother’s. “I would at least have us fly together.”
Fennokra shook her head. “We’d knowingly fly with a murderer of children and someone who would want to kill us after we’ve stopped being helpful to him.”
“And we have no other options,” said Makentra. Letting out a breath, he rose to his claws and walked away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, sisters.”
Velkandra, without another word, turned for the exit. “You know it’s true, Fennokra, Yolandra.”
Fennokra closed her eyes. Yolandra, though, narrowed hers. “Doesn’t change that Lakadra’s blood is on our claws.”
Velkandra flinched and left. She strode away so quickly she nearly stepped on Helias and Sara as they came to the cave. She gave the pair no acknowledgement other than a growl.
“See you tomorrow, General,” said Makentra, his tone curt. “We will talk to King Thorgoth ourselves for the plan’s details.”
“Of course,” said Helias. He bowed as the pair left before turning to Yolandra and Fennokra. “I believe we missed something important?”
“Be honest, General Helias. Even if we succeed tomorrow, your king has no use for us after we help him kill the Stormcaller, am I correct?” Fennokra asked.
Sara and Helias didn’t say anything. Their slight move to stand closer so they could hold hands was enough.
“I thought so,” said Fennokra. She let out a sigh and glanced at Yolandra, who nodded. “We will be on the battlefield tomorrow. Where are we going?”
“You’re going with me. We’re attacking the forces sallying from Kairon-Aoun. The plan is that you dragons breathe flame over their army to soften them before we attack.
“Understood. Any questions Fennokra?” Yolandra asked.
Fennokra shook her head. What could be asked anyway?”
Yolandra flashed the pair a joyless smile. “For what it is worth, you two have been good caretakers to us. Even if it was to preserve your own lives.”
Helias didn’t bow. Instead he extended a hand. Yolandra stared at him, but Fennokra, recognizing the gesture, extended a single talon.
“May you always be able to see the sun.” At the dragon’s blink, Helias smiled. “It’s an Alavari saying. It may come from when we used to be enslaved by the Goblin Empire. It means good luck.”
Yolandra nodded and Fennokra found herself smiling.
“Our mother taught us a saying as well. May you never fly alone. I wish that for you both,” said Fennokra.
“Thank you,” said Sara in a quiet voice. She curtsied and the two dragons dipped their heads. They watched Helias and Sara leave with placid smiles.
Then, when nobody was looking, they turned from the entrance to hide their bulks as best they could. The gloomy light of the alcove their only curtain of privacy.
***
Frances slowed slightly as they approached Lakadara’s enclosure. However, Ginger did not slow down.
“Hold on, Ginger, what’s the plan?” Frances asked.
Adjusting her new crown mid-stride, Ginger said, “I’ll show you. I’m certain it’ll work, though.”
Frances’ eyebrows rose. “Is that crown getting to your head already?”
The new Queen of Erisdale flashed a slightly nervous grin over her shoulder. “Yes actually, but I think that’s a good thing in some way. Don’t you?”
Frances found herself nodding. It was strange to see her friend even more confident than usual and so comfortable in the regal crown that she wore atop of a standard Lightning Battalion light blue uniform. Yet she rather enjoyed the new gait that Ginger had.
“I do.” Frances smirked. “Your Majesty.”
Ginger rolled her eyes. “Fuck you.”
Giggling, Frances stopped herself as they drew even closer to Lakadara. The dragon was drawing herself up, placing her massive foreclaws over each other.
“Lakadara. I am Ginger, the new Queen of Erisdale. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
The dragon coughed, blowing out a puff of smoke. “Greetings Ginger, Queen of Erisdale. I’m sorry for your predecessor’s demise.” Lakadara’s golden eyes narrowed. “Why are you here?”
Ginger dipped her head. “Thank you and as to why I’m here. I have a proposition. If you accept it, I will grant you and your kin, the domain of the Erisdalian mountains marked by the Kwent River Valley, Freeburg and Athelda-Aoun as your home in perpetuity, so long as you do not attack humans unless in self-defense.”
“I am unfamiliar with human geography. From the Stormcaller’s expression, I assume that is a lot.”
Frances swallowed and closed her mouth, but she didn’t question her friend. Ginger, still smiling slyly, nudged her. “It is. Frances, can you lend me a hand here?”
Nodding, Frances closed her eyes and imagined a rough map of Erisdale and its territories. With a wave of Ivy’s Sting she created an image of Erisdale, highlighting in red the expanse of the mountains that bordered Alavaria and Erisdale. The area that Ginger had described sketched a rough red triangle between the three points. It was a fairly sizeable area with a low and Alavari human population.
“My husband is in negotiations with Queen Titania and I’ll have to talk to Frances and Prince Timur, but we are quite certain that Athelda-Aoun will also be included in this area,” Ginger said.
Lakadara’s golden eyes were flickering as she examined the land. Suddenly, she turned, long neck arching toward the Erisdalian Queen. “And what must I do? Fight on your kingdom’s behalf?”
Ginger shook her head. “No.”
“No?”
“Nope. If you would like to do so we can renegotiate the agreement, but my husband and I fully intend to grant you this land.”
The dragon’s tail lifted up as her eyes narrowed. “Explain yourself and the favor you seek. This is far too generous.”
“Let me explain myself first. If what I’m told by my experts is correct, you can lay eggs by yourself without a mate, but it takes time right? A few decades?”
“Yes. Still, that doesn’t explain—”
“Here me out. This war is going to end. We may lose, but if we win, banishing you to the north is making you Queen Titania’s problem and she’ll have more than enough problems to deal with. You might just end up coming south again and we know how that ended. I’d prefer to avoid that so that means we need to make an agreement. You need a new home and I need peace for Erisdale. If the kingdom has to give up some poor agricultural land then I’m all for it.”
The dragon nodded. “I see, but why so much land? Why not just give me a cave? Or request my service as Thorgoth did?”
“And how will you eat? Hunt? Where will your grown children go? I’m making an agreement that will last for decades, not just a few years. As for service? I was tempted, but you wouldn’t agree to that anyway and why should you? We haven’t given you any reason to agree.” Ginger gave Frances a wave to dispel the map. “Maybe in the future we can work something out, especially if the dragon population increases. Your service in return for more food, but again, I want to start us off on the right path, not the left path.”
“Left path?” Lakadara asked.
“Erisdalian expression. It means the wrong path,” Frances said helpfully.
Lakadara nodded slowly. “You still ask for a boon, though.”
Ginger nodded. “Yes. I want you to speak to your siblings. Before the upcoming battle starts, tell them of my deal with you. So long as they choose to accept that deal and defect, then I will have it so our forces will not hurt them. After that, you may leave. I will not request you to fight with us.”
“You want me to show myself to Thorgoth? To the siblings that tried to kill me?” Lakadara asked, mouth agape.
Ginger stepped closer to the dragon, who lifted her head away from the queen. “I want you to save your siblings. I want you to save yourself from becoming the last purple dragon in existence. I would rather you not be alone, stewing in hatred for my kingdom and our allies who brought down your family, even if we had just cause. I want peace. What do you want?”
“How do I know I can trust you?” The dragon suddenly grimaced. “Ah, right, you want a lasting peace. You have every reason to want peace.”
Ginger, arms crossed tapped her foot. Frances could see how stiff her friend was, but the action was also comforting. That her magic-less friend had such control over the situation, despite being faced with the dragon was rather…badass.
Letting out a puff of smoke that slowly drifted into the cavern, the dragon pondered the queen’s proposal. Frances held her breath and yet the dragon remained silent, only her tail moving from side to side.
Ginger waited, still content to wait for the dragon’s answer. Frances couldn’t. The tension coiled in her chest, waiting to explode.
“Lakadara, what do you want for your future?” Frances asked.
The dragon glanced at Frances, golden eyes wide. She turned back to Ginger, who continued to stand tall, awaiting Lakadara’s answer patiently.
“I accept your offer, and your promise for the future,” said Lakadara, dipping her head.
“We are glad that you wish the same as we do,” said Ginger. She extended her hand and Lakadara, took her claw and put the tip of it on the queen’s palm.
*Author’s Note: Queenly Ginger was really neat to write 😀 *

I’ve always been extremely self conscious which seems to only get worse the older I get. I avoid looking in the mirror at all costs, avoiding seeing my reflection. When I wash my face and brush my teeth I close my eyes or look down so I don’t have to see my face. But every now and then I will look in hopes that something, somehow has changed in my mind. Disappointingly, but not my surprise nothings changes. I feel the same way which leads me into a mental breakdown. And for some reason I feel bad for my past self, but not my future self. I hate I feel this way and I wish I Could change it. But i’ve felt this way since I was 10. It does a toll on my quality of life and i’m not sure there’s much I can do to fix it other than continuing to avoid my reflection. It’s especially bad because the idea of my outter appearance was engraved into my mind since I was 9 due to my peers telling me I am ugly which had continued into highschool until I graduated which now I am in my first year of college. I took a gap year and through out that year I never had contact with another soul outside my family. I just sort of isolated my self from the world but was active in online groupchats and even then I couldn’t run from people telling me I am unattractive or not special. I am at a point in my life where I don’t feel like I fit in anywhere and I am afraid to. I lack joy in life. Things I once loved is now hard for me to do. Video games was the last thing I enjoyed but within this last month I have dreaded them. It seems everything is quickly losing any ounce of satisfaction or pleasure to me. The only thing that truly makes me happy or helps me to experience a feeling of happiness is watching birds outside my window or seeing the frogs swim in my old ran down pool with water as green as grass. That’s about it, life gets quite lonely. I got my first ever job I like that I have something to occupy me but no one talks to me the way they talk to each other. The biggest issue of all Is i applied to a store with mirrors everywhere. All in all I wish I could live a normal life and look in the mirror awhile brushing my teeth instead having to close my eyes. I just wish I could appreciate who I am and how I look but it’s impossible. Overall I am positive about everything until it involves me.

I've thought about switching things up for tonight's script and decided to make it an M4F one! I guess this kinda flows into the lore of my previous three scripts, with this being a sequel to the third one. Hope you enjoy it! As always, my script is free to use without monetization, just crediting me under my YT Handle @"AkitaScripts" is all!
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Synopsis: You and your boyfriend have been together for about a week. You just had your first date a few days ago, and the two of you have discussed not to tell anyone. However, your classmates are beginning to notice your relationship with him, with some jealous students making fun of it. Eventually, it becomes too much for you, and you end up in detention after a fight in the hallways. As you exit the school, you find your boyfriend waiting outside in the rain…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(The school is nearly empty, and the rain is pouring outside the walls. All of the students except you have already left. As you walk out through the quiet hallways, you hear the janitor mopping the floor, rumbling about his job.)
[faint dialogue from the Janitor]
(You barely pay attention to whatever the janitor said as you reach into your backpack, only to find nothing but your books and supplies. You forgot your umbrella back at home. You put on your hood and push open the doors, the gates of freedom letting out a loud creak. You point your head down to the ground and begin to walk outside, feeling the rain hit your head. Suddenly, you stop feeling the raindrops, and you look up to see your boyfriend, the VA, close to you with an umbrella.)
VA: Hey.
(You lock eye contact with him with gloomy pupils.)
[short pause]
VA: I heard about what happened from Jalen… and I’m sorry you had to-
(You suddenly wrap the VA in your arms, interrupting him. Tears begin to roll down your face and onto his shoulder as you start crying.)
VA: Hey, hey… it’s okay… it’s okay.. (holds you close to him with one of his arms, and kisses you)
[pause]
VA: Hey… look at me.
(You raise your head up from his shoulder, looking him in the eyes.)
VA: It’s going to be okay… hey, you wanna go sit down somewhere? We shouldn’t be standing out in the open.
[pause]
VA: Alright, follow me, and stay close to me.
[short pause]
(You and the VA walk in silence for a few minutes to a nearby pavilion. After a few minutes, You gently shake his arm to get his attention.)
VA: Mhm? (looks at you)
[pause]
VA: Did he tell me anything?[pause]
VA: Well, other than you landing in detention, Jalen didn’t say much. I just got the news an hour ago, before our last class ended. So, I just waited out there. I didn’t know how long detention would last.
[pause]
VA: Well… I was gonna wait by the doors, but that janitor kicked me out. He said he still needed to quote-unquote “clean the corners”.
[pause]
VA: Yeah, he’s quite grumpy. Anyways, we’re here.
(The two of you walk to one of the tables in the pavilion. As you sit down, the VA sits down next to you.)
VA: So… (puts down his umbrella on the wooden table) are you still okay, or do you need some time?
[pause]
VA: Alright… take your time telling me what happened. (wraps his arms around you and gently moves closer)
[pause]
VA: Yeah… we did decide on not telling anyone about our relationship until we were ready. And yes, I know that everyone else figured it out already.
[pause]
VA: So… lemme get this sorted out: Maddison and her group of friends found out and made fun of our relationship..?
[pause]
VA: And did they start making fun of you today, or has this happened before?
[pause]
VA: This started yesterday?
[pause]
VA: Alright, so… after a day of them making fun of you, what exactly happened that landed you in detention?
[pause]
VA: (surprised) You slapped her in the face?!
(You don’t say anything, but you look away from him and dig your head into his chest, nodding afterwards in confirmation. The VA holds you even closer in comfort.)
VA: Hey.. again, it’s okay.
[pause]
(You let go of him. Stressed and upset, you explain how you’re not okay, as you begin to cry again. The VA hugs you again to calm you down.)VA: Hey, hey, listen to me… listen to me… there’s no need to be upset about what you did. Even though there were better options, you were in the right to do that. Not that I would recommend doing it again as an option, but if you have issues like this, just come talk to me… okay?
(You look up at him and nod.)
VA: Alright then. (takes off your hood and gently combs through your hair)
(As he comes through your hair, you ask him a question.)
[pause]
VA: Why did they do it?
[pause]
VA: Well.. first off, why do you think they did it?
[pause]
VA: You think they just wanted to make fun of you for that?
[pause]
VA: Okay… I might know why they made fun of you for dating someone.
[pause]
VA: What do I mean? Well.. lemme explain. So, before you and I met a few months ago, I used to be friends with Maddison. Sure, I was never romantically interested in her, but she’d used to always flirt with me at times. Now, I don’t know if she did like me the same way you do, but she could also just be jealous.
[pause]
VA: Well, think about it: have you ever even seen Maddison date anyone?
[pause]
VA: No, right? That’s because she never has dated anyone.
[pause]
VA: Now, you also have to take into the fact she’s friends with Joe. And as we both knew, Joe liked you in a… eeh… certain way.
[pause]
VA: And he knows that you and I are dating, so he’s jealous.
[pause]
VA: No, Joe probably isn’t just jealous of how you’re dating someone else. He’s jealous that you’re dating someone else.
[pause]
VA: No, it’s not the same way as what I just said. Joe’s jealous because someone has something special in their relationship that he doesn’t.
[pause]
VA: He doesn’t have you.
[pause]
VA: Look, every relationship is different. Whether it’s a dominant one, flirtatious, or even toxic… hopefully that doesn’t happen… Joe and other people don’t have you as their girlfriend.
[pause]
VA: Lemme also tell you something: I knew this person named Stephen, and he was dating this girl named Val. His friends found out, and they were jealous and constantly made fun of him. It got so out of hand that he was pressured to break up with Val.
[pause]VA: Look, you and I can tell them to stop making fun of our relationship. But if they’re gonna continue doing it, don’t break up like with what Stephen did. Don’t be pressured to listen to the mockery. Don’t listen to them. Move on, and walk forward, and just ignore them. I know it can be challenging, and I have been in those shoes before, but it’s okay to feel this way. You have me to take care of you, to cuddle you in times like this, and to make sure that you’re okay. I’ll be here every step of the way. If you need to hold my hand, don’t hesitate. I’m here for you, babe. And it’s all gonna be okay.
(The VA plays with your hair, and kisses you. You look up to him and kiss him in return.)
[pause]
VA: I love you too.
(You snuggle in closer to the VA, feeling his warmth and his beating heart. Eventually, the rain slowly stops.)
VA: Hey, the rain stopped.
(You look around to see the birds fly in to sing. You lean in to kiss the VA.)
[pause]
VA: You’re welcome, babe. Now come on, we gotta get back home. (begins to put his dry umbrella away in his bag)
[pause]
VA: Yeah sure, we can get some food on the way home. (he picks you up in his arms and helps you off from the table) Any ideas?
[pause]
VA: Yeah sure… ramen sounds good.
(As you and the VA walk away holding hands, the birds continue to chirp as the scene fades, ending the episode.)
THE END

True Name: Sakamoto Ryouma
Class: Lancer
Source: Historical fact
Region: Japan
Gender: Male
Alignment: True Neutral
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 72 kg
Character Creator: Keikenchi
Character Design: pako
Character Voice: Kase Yasuyuki & Horie Yui
Appearance in Main Works: Fate/Grand Order

Strength: B	Endurance: C	Agility: B+
Magic: C	Luck: A-	Noble Phantasm: EX

Class Skills

Magic Resistance: C+
When Super Oryou gets serious, Oryou's hide prove quite the magical barrier, Ryouma!
Riding: EX
A special Riding Skill given to Ryouma for crossing the Bakumatsu period Japan riding the dragon that is the changing eras. It's a Skill exclusive for riding Oryou, existing separately from other Riding variants.

Personal Skills

Dragon of the Restoration: A
The man called a mystical dragon in a human body. His fleeting life briming of pride, crossing the Bakumatsu period Japan riding the dragon that is the changing eras solely for the sake of the people, was like a soaring dragon.
White Serpent of Takachiho: A-
The serpent who failed to become a dragon. The serpent, initially a black abomination held in contempt, aimed for the heavens in attempt to become a dragon, but ultimately, the serpent couldn't manage it.
Amanosakahoko (Pair): B
The pike of light fallen handle-first from heaven. The spear of the heavenly gods, which sewn together heaven and earth to seal the black abomination. Originally a single polearm, but taking the form of pair when weilded by the hero and the serpent.
The pike of light fallen handle-first from heaven is both a blessing and a curse.

Noble Phantasm

Ryuu yo, Wadatsumi no Hara wo Yuke (My dear, venture through the vast oceans)

Rank: EX	Type: Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
Range: 2-70	Max. Targets: 700 persons

By offering the Amanosakahoko that Ryouma pointed at the heavens, the black serpent sheds her skin and grows wings, becoming a white serpent of such beauty that she could be mistaken for a divine dragon.
Clad in radiant-white arcanity from the Age of Gods, the White Serpent of Takachiho exerts tremendous power. This form possesses physical abilities beyond comprehension and can deploy a sturdy physical barrier, preventing any mediocre attack from hurting her, potentially making her the god of the new era.
Instead of becoming a dragon and soaring the skies, she chose to be the serpent travelling the sea with the hero.
Pronouns (Ryouma)

• First person: Boku/washi (in Tosa Dialect Mode)
• Second person: Kimi/oman (in Tosa Dialect Mode)
• Third person: Kare/kanojo
• Master: Master

Pronouns (Oryou-san)

• First person: Oryou-san
• Second person: Omae/name without honorifics
• Third person: Koitsu/are
• Master: Ningen/omae

Personality

Pretty much the same as a Rider. Oryou hasn't changed either.

Motives and attitude toward the Master

He wishes for his relationship with his Master to be like that between two friends from the same town. Oryou is relatively fond of them and doesn't mind helping out every now and then.

Dialogue examples

• Ryouma: "Let's get washing them all away, then." Oryou: "I'll scrub them hard."
• Oryou: "Yaaay. Oryou-san turbo peace."
• Ryouma: "Oh? Time for the Kaientai to go all out?" Oryou: "Right... Ryuu yo, Wadatsumi no Hara wo Yuke"
• Oryou: "Done. Time for Oryou's victory peace. You do it too, Ryouma." Ryouma: "L-like this?" Ryouma & Oryou: "Yaaay!"
• Oryou: "I am the White Serpent of Takachiho. For thy offerings, some frogs would be welcomed." Ryouma: "Hahaha, you can't keep a solemn face either, Oryou."
• Oryou: "Fine, I can let Izou ride the tip of my tail." Ryouma: "Make sure not to drop him."
• Oryou: "Now that you're a Lancer with no divinity, we can kick that Archer's butt. Good job, Ryouma. We're having frogs for dinner tonight." Ryouma: "I wish it were that easy."

Historical character and figure

A loyalist living through Japan's Bakumatsu. Born from a country samurai family in Tosa, he deserted his fief, studied under Katsu Kaishu, founded the Kameyama Shachuu (which would later become the Kaientai), intermediated the Satsuma-Choushuu Alliance, and devoted himself to the restoration of imperial rule, overall contributing a lot to the Meiji Restoration. However, his ideals fell to assailant's blade, thus he never got to see the age of Meiji.

Character in Fate/Grand Order

An aloof man on his mid-20s appearance-wise. He may be a master of the Hokushin Ittouryuu, but he’s actually a kindhearted guy who dislikes conflict to his very core. Instead, the mysterious belle by his side will take the lead.
His default Class is Rider, but circumstances lead to this manifestation of him as a Lancer.
This form, in possessing of the Amanosakahoko and one of the Three Knight Classes of the Holy Grail War, is a what-if possibility that Sakamoto Ryouma could have attained, and a Servant powerful enough to uphold the reputation of Hero of the Restoration.
If Sakamoto Ryouma is summoned as Heroic Spirit, he's restricted to only getting either the polearm or the serpent as a Noble Phantasm. That goes to show how much of miracle it is that he is capable of using both.
He is a master of the Hokushin Ittouryuu and his swordsmanship is a force to be reckoned with, but the course he practiced was for the naginata, so the Lancer class is where he can best put his prowess to work. In addition, Super Oryou is bursting with power. Together, they're an invincible Kaientai.

Regular weapons

• Ryouma: Amanosakahoko (because he snapped it in two, he has the ability to split it into two spears). Super Ryouma Gun (can switch into Sniper Mode). "And dontcha forget mah Mutsu-no-Kami Yoshiyuki¹".
• Oryou: Hyper Power-Up Oryou Martial Arts and easily spammable beams of something unknown.

Related characters

Okada Izou
His best friend in their town. He wanted to stay best friends but their relationship never recovered from their split. After an incident where he got punched, they managed to return to their nostalgic ways.
Takechi Hanpeita
Former fellows who split off due to ideological differences. Takechi holds Ryouma in such regard that he believes Ryouma's presence would have spared the Tosa Imperialist Party from its failures. After an incident where they got punched, they managed to return to their previous ways.
Tanaka Shinbei
Takechi's right-hand man. In life, Shinbei kept Ryouma away from Takechi. He was probably annoyed at the faith Takechi had in Ryouma.
Nakaoka Shintarou
"It wounds me to disagree with Nakaoka in a discussion. Nonetheless, if I can't discuss with him, there is no one else worth discussing with."²
While Ryouma was frequently suspected, he was trusted by everyone. He and Ryouma compensated for what the other lacked.
Takasugi Shinsaku
They share mutual respect, with Ryouma acknowledging Takasugi as The Unicorn Prodigy and Takasugi acknowledging Ryouma as the Dragon Soaring the Skies. They also envy each other, believing one has what the other lacks.
Voyager
Ryouma can't hide his excitement about a rocket that can fly to space. Oryou gets competitive and begins an irregular training regime to fly to space.

Comments from the illustrator

Have a nice triiiiiiiip!!! Feels great to see those two having fun. I can hope they don't break any property or any debt-ridden alcoholic anywhere they go, but I know that's not a realistic expectation. (pako)

Translation notes

1) Sakamoto Ryouma's favorite katana. The same he uses in his Rider version.
2) Historical from the real Sakamoto Ryouma.

To get this up early, I’m splitting the two days of round 2. Here’s Wednesday’s ATP. The WTA Wednesday matches will go up around 12:30AM EST.

Rublev vs Martinez :

For a good chunk of his career, Rublev has made quick work of matches like this. When he’s the bigger hitter and his opponent doesn’t have a huge serve, he’s supposed to thrive. Lately though, Andrey hasn’t been automatic in these spots. He’s always had a temper, but it’s been on display following his errors lately and it has given his opponents belief. Taro Daniel won a set, and Martinez is at least as good as him. 5 sets with Tirante doesn’t indicate he’s ready to upset Rublev, but I would expect the bulk of this to be fairly competitive. Rublev in 4.

Muller vs Arnadli :

Muller scored a comfortable victory against Luca Nardi in the opening round, and he will continue to battle the Italian federation in round two against Matteo Arnaldi. Arnaldi had a fairly easy time with Arthur Fils, despite getting broken 6 times. Fils is a solid player with all the attributes to be a top player on clay, but he has no patience. He’s extremely willing to go for broke from any position, and when the rally stretches long he tries to hit the big shot as soon as it appears. As a fan, I want to see big shots, but to win on clay you need to play a more conservative approach. Arnaldi is way more stable from the baseline than Fils, but bailing out of rallies early isn’t the right plan because it means Arnaldi doesn’t really feel like he has to do anything special to win.
Muller will hang in rallies longer and is a good bit better than Fils on clay, but he doesn’t have this level of win on his resume yet. Arnaldi’s register is very high and I mostly only see him losing to players who hit bigger. I expect him to have to work harder and longer than he did against Fils, but this should go to Arnaldi in 3-4.

Sonego vs Zhang :

Immense power. A huge forehand. Inconsistent results. A cannon of a serve but a slightly subpar backhand. Which player am I describing? This is a matchup that is very close. Humbert fell apart against Koepfer last week in Lyon and his slump continued, allowing Sonego to get a much-needed win. Zhang had a great draw and took advantage of it, besting Vukic in 4. The big difference I see in these two players is the speed. Sonego is a bit quicker around the court and that might allow him to win a few extra points. Given they both have the ability to protect their service games I would expect a tiebreaker or two, and at least 4 sets. I’m a big Zhang fan but he hasn’t been as good on clay as he was in the Challenger grind, so Sonego in 4-5.

Altmaier vs Tsitsipas :

Tsitsipas was clinical in beating Fucsovics in round one. He’s back with Badosa, he’s a dark horse to win this event, and he’s playing great tennis. Having that focus is big for a player who’s struggled for confidence, and Altmaier is a player he can probably beat. Daniel has always been capable on clay, and he has some amazing clashes with big name players like Sinner in the past, but lately I haven’t loved his level. Beating an inactive Djere was honestly good, but I think Tsitsipas is fresh and will be hitting the ball bigger the entire match here. Altmaier moves the ball well but he will very likely get worn down as this progresses. Tsitsipas in 4.

Shelton vs Nishikori :

Nishikori pulling up and beating one of the better qualifiers was impressive, but I guess if we’re being honest Diallo isn’t automatic yet. He has a bright future, but big hitters can often be undone by a slick defender and Nishikori has all the experience in the world. I think this will be fun because Shelton is a lefty. Attacking Nishikori’s backhand will get him punished up the line and cross-court, because Kei has one of the best backhands the tour has ever seen. The downside is Kei just played a five setter so he might be a bit tired, and he’s not serving well enough to score easy points. Shelton’s team hopefully has told him to take his forehand inside out and down the line as often as possible. Shelton in 4.

Auger-Alliassime vs Squire :

Gutsy performance in round one from Squire. Even in the fifth set tiebreak he was still hitting his backhand down the line for effect, and while he double faulted in a few crucial moments he served effectively the entire match. I’m not sure how his game will fare against Felix. FAA is inconsistent but he’s had a good month and he does everything a little bigger than Squire here. Felix in 3-4.

Korda vs Kwon :

Korda winning in straight sets is honestly surprising the way it feels like his season is going. Checking his history though he’s been winning his fair share of matches, it’s just watching his losses that makes me feel he’s struggling. More surprising is Kwon winning in straights. Ruusuvuori continues to struggle on clay and Kwon returning from a layoff to black him is a great result for him. His insistence on pushing the pace and hitting to the open court will bother Korda a bit, but he’s a bit out of his weight class here. Korda’s serving is good enough to get him through here, but Kwon winning in straights means expecting him to just lose in straights is pretty unreasonable. Korda in 4-5. The problem here is Korda is supposed to win this in straights, but Kwon is supposed to lose round one so he’s at a level beyond what we’re estimating him at when we say Korda in 3.

De Jong vs Alcaraz :

Jesper De Jong won the best match of his career in round one, getting past Jack Draper and setting up a matchup against the current tournament favorite. It almost has to be the end of the road, but De Jong will give us our first look at how Alcaraz is playing. Carlos was immaculate in round one, losing only 4 games, but Wolf is just not good on clay, and is having one of his worst runs ever on tour. Alcaraz in 3 is likely again because De Jong doesn’t have the hugest serve, but this will be much more competitive than the Wolf match. Alcaraz in 3-4.

Hurkacz vs Nakashima :

Considering Mochizuki took Hurkacz to 5, Nakashima has to like his chances here. Mochigoat is one of the fun players to watch on tour and his volleys at net are unreal, but Hurkacz is supposed to win that match in a safe manner. Now he’s playing Nakashima who won against Moreno De Alboran in a solid performance, and has been grinding clay events the entire year, using them almost exclusively to earn his way back into the top 100. Hurkacz won’t necessarily struggle as much in this one; it’s fairly common on tour for players to squeak through a strugglebus performance and feel like they’re freerolling in the next round. You already should have been out, so you play with no pressure and your best tennis comes out.
Hubert’s serve can get him to the finish line against pretty much anyone as well, so Nakashima will have to lock in and try to wear Hurkacz down. It may sound silly, but Isner used to struggle more against the guys that couldn’t ace him. Putting the serve return in is great, but if the other player is a solid baseliner, it means you’re playing 6-8 shot rallies over and over. This can take the legs away from a big server, and Nakashima fits this bill. While I’m bullish on Nakashima here, I think it’s more likely that this will be close enough that anyone can win, and whoever plays the big points better will. A server like Hurkacz in tiebreakers is pretty efficient, and playing a servebot in a 5th is a really tough ask if they’re serving first. Honestly, I saw this match in the draw and thought Nakashima was 50/50, so I’m sticking with it. Nakashima in 5.

Shapovalov vs Tiafoe :

Shapovalov is winning tennis matches again. It’s great to see, but he’s in Dimitrov territory for me. Sure he’s winning, but I’m not going near it because I don’t want to get hurt again. His opponent this round is a player whose range of play goes from “does he even play tennis anymore?” to “omg he’s going to win the US Open” Bellucci almost had Tiafoe, and a few big returns for Tiafoe ended up being the key in the end. Tiafoe will probably be competitive here, and playing a lefty the round before means his backhand got a good workout and he’ll be comfortable with the generic patterns that a lefty will bring. Shapovalov hits bigger than Tiafoe regularly, and it will take a big step up in effort/consistency from Tiafoe to win this. Given his serving ability and the underlying ability to play top level tennis, being sure Tiafoe will lose here doesn’t make sense. I’m expecting a match where both players will be pretty frustrated at times, and I think the one who’s more willing to lock in and play stingy defensive tennis will win. For once, that seems to be Shapo. Shapovalov in 4-5.

Bergs vs Marterer :

There were some wild first round results, but Tabilo losing quickly to Zizou Bergs was one of the biggest. Not only does he get a huge result, but he’s a favorite to win his second round also. Marterer has gotten a lot of respect and fallen short on tour for a few seasons, but he made good on the respect and beat Thompson in 3. Marterer is a powerful lefty who crushes the ball, and the one problem with his game is he sort of plays at one speed. Hitting big is great but he sometimes plays his opponents into form by showing them the same pace over and over. Shapovalov had a similar problem during his slump as well. Marterer shouldn’t be counted out of this match at all, but Bergs is much quicker around the court and I think Maximilian’s backhand will get worn down eventually. Bergs in 4.

Maroszan vs Dimitrov :

I’ll take tickets to this match. Both are through in straight sets, and both hit extremely clean and play skilled tennis. Maroszan can win this match, but I think Dimitrov’s ability to defend will eventually get him through. Maroszan’s power and forehand are good enough to hit some winners, but he also scores a lot off of dropshots. I think it’s still a viable option, but Dimitrov’s speed will make it a risky option. Expecting a high level clash here and when both players are extremely skilled sets usually get traded. Dimitrov in 4 is what I suspect, but since it’s his defense I expect to get him across the finish line this could easily go 5. Maroszan is really good, and it’s just fitness and decision-making that are left for him to work on.

Moutet vs Shevchenko :

Moutet’s coach got a bit spicy before the Jarry match, allegedly mad about fans’ behavior in the Moutet Jarry clash in Chile. It seemed to work, as Moutet played some of the best tennis he ever has and beat Jarry in 4 exhilarating sets. That same level should win this contest, but a slightly different style of opponent can complicate things. Shevchenko is a plucky baseliner and he will make Moutet earn all his points. He managed to outlast Karatsev in round one in a 5 set clash that had a million changes in momentum and 21 breaks. Moutet’s level was higher, but besting another offense is sometimes a simpler task. Shevchenko is going to put the ball in annoying spots and try to outlast Moutet, so this is a mental test. I think Moutet is up for it, but I could see it taking some time to happen. Moutet in 4.

Ofner vs Baez :

Gustavo Heide should be on everyone’s radar now. He hits the ball huge and clean, and has one of the better serves from the young crop of talents on tour. Honestly, when I first saw him 2 years ago I think he was a servebot and an old guy, and now his baseline game has developed in a major way and somehow he’s 22. Stay still Gustavo! Baez had this mostly wrapped up and Heide was tired, and then he won 2 lopsided sets in a row. I was expecting Baez to go on a run here, and he played Ruud close in Geneva so this is a good reprieve for him (playing Ofner). Ofner beat Atmane in 5 and he has the power to compete with Baez, but not the consistency. The 5 setter with Heide was surprising, but I’m willing to chalk it up to Heide’s high level rather than Baez being a flight risk. Baez in 4.

Kotov vs Wawrinka :

Hehe. Kinda fair for these two to play each other. If there were any two players to look both ways during a changeover and then sneak a cupcake out of their bag and scarf it, it’s these two offensive wizards. Kotov managed to outlast Norrie which is honestly a tremendous win, and Wawrinka continued his clay dominance against Murray in a straight set win. Kotov is a little better and has more stamina at this point, but Wawrinka is serving well and I expect him to win at least 1 of the first two sets.
Wawrinka has been losing to a lot of players right around Kotov’s level recently (Martinez in 2, ARV in 3, Borges in 3) so it’s tempting but tricky to declare him a winner. Tennis-wise, my brain won’t let me see Kotov winning. Pavel serves well and hits big, and for a guy who appears out of shape he wins a lot of marathon matches and has good power late in the game. 5 sets with Norrie isn’t going to help him here, and if Wawrinka can get up 2-0 or 2-1 it could easily be goodnight just because he can then open up. Norrie is a tough out, but on clay his shots don’t really clear the court. Wawrinka is almost a clay specialist at this point in his career, and he serves a lot bigger than Cam also.
This is wide open, and if I could skip a match, it’d be this one. Wawrinka in 4 or Kotov in 5. Stan needs to win quickly, but his recent results don’t make it realistic. You can point to him smoking Murray, but Murray is really a gimme these days on clay.

Gasquet vs Sinner :

Jannik Sinner has filled the void that the gradual departure of the big 3 is creating. He was always a tremendous player, but now he’s become extremely reliable at that level. His returning is world class, his serve is constantly improving, and his baseline game is now measured and tactical rather than an all-out assault. He knows when to just put the ball in play, and his footwork is constant. I love it. Gasquet turned back the clock and smoked Coric in straight sets, but the road probably ends here. This will be a high-level match and the crowd will be behind Gasquet in a major way. Jannik is a classy kid and will understand the atmosphere and respect it enough to navigate to the finish line. Sinner in 3-4.

So I've (F21) been seeing this guy (M21) two times over the span of one month because of some back and forth. The last date was great, and we plan to see each other again. Only problem is I am going away for a month to visit my family who lives in another city in just under 3 weeks. I am thinking about getting a flight back and forth to come back for a week so I can see him, but I am not sure if this is a stupid idea. My concern is of course that he will find someone else and that I will never forgive myself for leaving for so long and letting this special connection die. It really makes me heart ache thinking about leaving for a month and not seeing him at all, but part of me is wondering if this is also an unhealthy way to think since we have only seen each other twice.
What do you think? Should I try to come back, or just stick with my original plan and trust that things will work out between us still? How should I deal with these emotions?

magic is a special atom where if an atom has the same # of electrons it will stick, it has the possibility of having and infinite amount of electrons. if it has 0 electrons it will either become anti magic or destroy the bonds or something. if it has a balanced base it will become solid, 2, 10, 18, 36, ect . i am not sure how to store magic in you or how to make it go in you/ regenerate the magic, but i have an idea that it goes to the center of gravity the thing it is bonded to, and if that place is hallow, then you can do something( i am not sure). i have an idea that you can program it to do stuff based on the electrons in it but i am not sure how to link it to stuff. another idea is that with solid magic, you can make different types of materials but i am not sure how, some ideas are hard, elastic, a type or string or rope. i want to rope this all back to an engineer that becomes that some how uses magic to build cool stuff even in the mist of battle fighting generic mages, warriors, magic animals, or another engineer. these might be 3 separate idea or they could be one idk, i need help.

You guys are all hating on it but I don't get why.
Firstly the price tag by itself. It's like 500$ which is a lot. A lot might even be an understatement for a few pixels. Though that's not a bad thing in my opinion. Yes it feels unreasonably priced to the average player. I doubt that riot wants the average league player to buy this skin.
This skin is meant for people who enjoy that exclusivity of collecting stuff. It's like a really expensive Lego set. Or a really expensive car.
Sure I can buy star guardian Ahri and look cool for 20$ or get that skin from a chest. But over time most people will acquire 'rare' skins. Free chests and all make it a matter of time to collect cool skins.
Even mythic skins aren't exclusive really. Sure you might not have them all but most people have some.
This is a skin only a small percentage of the player base will have. It will be actually rare to see.
People are saying that this is against the point of the hall of champions or whatever it's called because you won't see the skin often and it immortalizes him less or whatever.
But if I can go into league right now and buy that skin for 50€ it's nothing special. A lot of people are willing to spend that kind of money.
Back in the day when mythics we're still obtainable through gemstones you didn't see those skins often I'd say. Sure you'd see them from time to time but especially the first few times it was something special.
Nowadays I see a prestige skin almost every game.
There are few special skins in the game. Everytime you see the skin you'll be like damn that idiot really spend 500€ on that thing. Or you'll be like cool. Whatever your reaction is you will be noticing it.
I think it's cool to have something like that in the game. The pricetag is high and for the "scarcity" to be a thing it needs to be this high. If you think it should be priced lower because everyone should be able to afford it well damn you're just not the target group.
Just for clarification: I won't buy the skin I am broke so I couldn't if I wanted I do main master Yi Yes the 50€ one is stupid
TL;DR
Creating scarcity with stupid prices isn't meant to make the wide audience buy the skin and that's fine. Sometimes we have to accept that we are poor.

Hi everyone, there's a lot of tension around Remix and it's shortcomings, and I'd like to both consolidate feedback I've heard, as well as take a moment to appreciate the good things about Remix. Positive constructive feedback is just as important as negative constructive feedback, and there is a place for both in these types of discussions. Thank you for your time!
What Worked for Remix:

• Remix has so much potential, and could/should become a staple for limited time events with other expansions using the information we have now.
• Reusing old content in a limited time event gives players a ton of stuff to do without requiring an excessive amount of developer resources. It also gives new players a chance to explore old content, and veteran players a chance to reminisce.
• This type of event is exactly what we need during the downtime between the current expansion and the next.
• Allowing players to more easily acquire rare or grindy collectibles long after an expansion released is great. Adding brand new collectibles is excellent, too! (The chicken backpack is top-notch)
• Using Remix as an alternative way to level characters before the next expansion, while getting players together to do it together, is brilliant.
• Being able to run dungeons, scenarios and raids even while not max level is great so that players can play together regardless of how long they've played Remix.
• Adding incentives to level alts, such as bonus Bronze when you reach level 50/60/70, is great, and there should be more incentives like those to keep the event populated throughout it's runtime (and worthwhile when it's over).
• Infinitely scaling power can be very fulfilling, if done correctly. It was a huge appeal for Remix to begin with!
• One-shotting bosses is fun (albeit a little cheesy), but only if everyone can participate.
• Keeping things simple with one currency in the form of Bronze is good, as long as acquisition rates are proportional to time/effort spent.
• Allowing players to fly immediately, giving players 36-slot bags and making inventory management largely trivial is excellent and should be standardized if Remix is to return.
• Prismatic gems are great as an additional layer to power progression and add choice in how you want to budget your stats.
• Cogwheel gems giving you access to other mobility tools from other classes is fantastic!
• Meta gems are fun and flashy, even if some are (much) better than others.
• Tinker gems are extremely cool and flashy, and the diversity in gems is great.
• I think it's safe to say that most people were extremely interested in the premise of Remix. If appropriate changes can be made to the game mode, should Remix return in the future, I think people will really look forward to it again.

What Didn't Work for Remix:

• Power scaling is wildly disproportionate to player level and gear level. As you level up, you begin to be proportionally weaker to how you were doing 10 levels ago.
• Fresh level 70 characters are dramatically weaker and squishier than they should be in instanced content.
• Item level upgrades are way too expensive, and because they use the same currency as mounts, toys, etc. you often have to choose between power or collectibles in an event that wants you to have both.
• Gems are great as mentioned earlier, but they are burdensome without an add-on.
• Cloak power is not quite as account-wide as people were led to believe, and the account-wide scaling that does exist is underwhelming.
• Players who took advantage of frogs and similar grinds received so much Bronze that even with hotfixes, they are impossibly ahead of other players in terms of item level upgrades. Even with the cloak rollback, the power disparity is practically unchanged. My understanding is that most people don't care that players exploited the frogs, they just care that they will probably never catch up to them.

Some Solutions (please share your own, too!):

• Power scaling as you level up needs to be adjusted. You should feel like you're getting stronger as you level up, not weaker.
• Item upgrade prices should be dramatically reduced, and going forward there should be a second currency for just item level upgrades so you don't have to choose.
• Some sockets (particularly Tinker gems) should be equipped and managed differently, such as the old Glyph UI or in similar fashion to the Narcissus add-on.
• You should be able to trade gems account-wide. It's odd that you can trade them to other players, but you can't mail them to alts.
• Cloak power for alts should be completely account-wide for same-level characters. As it stands, two level 70 characters on your account do not fully share their cloak progression. Also, '+% Experience' should change to '+% Bronze' while you are level 70.
• Better oversight on potential farm spots before Remix launches, and quicker action being taken to prevent such a disproportionate gap between "froggers and non-froggers".

I certainly didn't cover everything, so please share your own thoughts. I know that Remix is hotly debated, I'm of the opinion that it is excellent but flawed. Please remember to be kind to one another and remember that this event can be great, but only if we show our support for it!

Elementor 8th Birthday Sale 2024 (May 28th – June 6th)

The Birthday sale of Elementor is live, just click the button below to claim your discount — they’re offering up to 30% off on their pro plugin and up to 75% off on WordPress hosting.
Get Elementor Birthday Offer
The Elementor Birthday Sale is going on now, and you can get a hefty discount of up to 75% on their page builder WordPress plugin or WordPress hosting.
Just stay with us to find out all about the latest deals and offers as Elementor turns E-I-G-H-T.
Usually, Elementor doesn’t give out coupon codes all the time, but on special occasions like this, they offer special discounts. So make sure you don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity.
Elementor was started in June 2016 and since then they’ve been offering birthday sales, where you get the chance to save big on their paid plans. This year, they are offering discounts again. If you want to know what birthday offers they have, you came to the right place.
Let’s find out all the details without any further delay.

What is Elementor Birthday Sale?

Elementor Birthday Sale is an annual celebration of the popular WordPress page builder, Elementor. During this sale, users can get discounted pricing on Elementor WordPress hosting + Elementor Pro, which is the paid version of the plugin and includes additional features and functionalities.
It usually takes place around the anniversary of the company’s founding and offers users a chance to save money while using Elementor to build their websites. This year’s birthday sale is LIVE right now, and we have picked out the best deals for you below.

#1. Get up to 75% off Hosting and Builder

Take a look at the special discounts on Elementor Hosting during Elementor’s birthday sale in 2024.
https://preview.redd.it/eibhhknzz93d1.jpg?width=1277&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=497491a95dfe597b139991744d49d101fb702784

#2. Get up to 30% off Elementor Pro Plugin plans

Here are the anniversary discounts available for the Elementor Page Builder plugin (pro version).
https://preview.redd.it/cklr0vp60a3d1.jpg?width=1288&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cea8eb6d77d3922b5a535f4b5fc46f97bdfa684d

How to Grab the Birthday Deal of Elementor Pro?

To get the special discount for Elementor’s birthday sale in 2024, all you need is to follow these instructions I’m going to tell you. Let’s start.

Step #1: Go to Elementor Website (Click here to jump)

First of all, you need to visit the official Birthday Sale landing page of Elementor, and from there choose what you want to purchase — Elementor hosting or Elementor Pro Plugin.

Step #2: Select your plan

On their Birthday landing page, you’ll see that Elementor is offering up to 30% off its pro plugin and up to 75% off its hosting plans. Here, you just pick your favourite plan that you’d like to go with and hit the Buy Now button.

Step #3: Create an Elementor account for free

You’ll now see your cart showing the plan you chose, and total pricing. The Elementor Birthday sale discount code will automatically be applied to your purchase. From here, you can now proceed to enter your valid email address and password for your Elementor account.

Step #4: Enter your billing info

Now, you have to complete your billing information. It includes your first name, last name, address, city, country, pin code, state, and company name. After filling in all these details, click the continue button.

Step #4: Finish your order

Elementor offers two ways to pay for your purchase. You can choose to pay with your credit card or use your PayPal account. Once you have entered all the necessary information, just click on the “Pay Now” button to complete the payment process.

Step #5: That’s all. Elementor Birthday 2024 Sale is yours…

If you’ve been following our instructions closely, you’ve already gotten the number one Website builder tool. There’s no more step after that.
Remember, this Birthday sale of Elementor is only available for a limited time (expiring on 7th June 2024), so don’t wait too long to take advantage of it.

Elementor Birthday Sale Price for Plugin and Hosting

Elementor has two products:

• WordPress Hosting
• Page Builder WordPress Plugin

Let’s look at each of them one by one and discuss their pricing plans.

Elementor Hosting Plans

Elementor is not just a page builder, but it also provides web hosting for WordPress websites. It’s like getting a package deal because when you buy web hosting from them, you also get the Elementor Pro page builder plugin.
So, if you’re still trying to decide on a web host or if you’re unhappy with your current one, Elementor’s cloud hosting could be a great choice for you.
Here’s how they have reduced the prices of their hosting plans during their special Birthday sale or anniversary celebrations.
https://preview.redd.it/g3l98gic0a3d1.jpg?width=1277&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=822563014987cbb2ba7df06c40cabbc19f4deab3
Click here to snag up to 75% discount on any Elementor WordPress hosting and get page builder and theme for FREE — all in one package.

Elementor Page Builder Plugin Plans

Elementor offers both a free and paid version of its website builder plugin. The cost of the paid version, Elementor Pro, starts at $59/year for a single-site license and goes up to $399/year for a 1000-site license.
Here’s a discounted plan for the Elementor Pro plugin during the Birthday sale.
https://preview.redd.it/blcbgpqf0a3d1.jpg?width=1288&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f7d347f8262219478b20bb39a5cc958a176a2fc
They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee (for both hosting and plugin) so you can try it risk-free.
Click on this exclusive Birthday sale link to choose your favourite Elementor Pro Plan.

Get Your Elementor Birthday Deal 2024

No doubt Elementor is the #1 website builder tool available on the market that helps you make any type of website in less than one hour. They have a visual drag-and-drop editor that lets you easily change things on your website while you’re working on it.
And the best part is, when you make changes, you can see them live right away on your website. It also has ready-made designs and templates that you can use to make your website look professional without much effort. Overall, I would say Elementor is super simple to use and doesn’t require any coding skills.
From May 28th – June 7th, there’s a special sale on Elementor because it’s their birthday. So if you want to try it out, now is a great time. Just click the button below to sign up and get started.
Claim Elementor Birthday Discount Sale
Well, that’s all from this blog post. Now, I want to hear what you think about Elementor and its BIGGEST Birthday offer.
Did you like them (if you ask me, then yes, I especially like their plugin as well as the huge discounts they provide during their birthdays)? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Byeeeee…

Frequently Asked Questions – Elementor Anniversary Sale

Is Elementor Birthday Deal live?

Yes, Elementor’s birthday deal 2024 is live! This year they are celebrating their 8th birthday and offering a whopping up to 75% discount on all of their plans. The sale is only for a limited time so make sure to grab this opportunity before it ends.

When is the Elementor Birthday Sale happening?

The Elementor Birthday Sale typically takes place in late May or early June, around the time of Elementor’s official launch date. At the time of writing this article, the Elementor Birthday Sale is live (from 28th May – 7th June), you can check them out from here.

I’ve been using GPT360 for a while now, and I have to highlight one of its standout features: the Chaterium Network. It’s been a total game-changer for managing and growing our community. Here’s why:
1. Dedicated Community Webpage: Every community in the Chaterium Network is listed on a special webpage, which is more than just a directory. It ranks communities based on their activity levels, giving a clear picture of which communities are thriving.
2. Insightful Leaderboard: The leaderboard not only shows which communities are the most active but also provides detailed analytics. These insights are crucial for understanding what drives engagement and where improvements can be made.
3. Enhanced Visibility: By being part of this network, our community has gained a lot more exposure. It’s easier for potential members to find us, which has led to a noticeable increase in new members and participation.
4. Encouraging Cross-Community Interaction: One of my favorite aspects is how the Chaterium Network promotes cross-community exploration. It’s fantastic to see members discovering and engaging with other communities, leading to new connections and ideas.
Overall, the Chaterium Network doesn’t just help you understand your community better—it actively helps you grow and engage your members. If you’re using GPT360, make sure to leverage this feature to its fullest potential!

I don't really want this to go viral or anything but sincerely just want to put all in one place all the things I know about the situation because I don't think it's with people I know irl....
TDLR: true off my chest, my mom is almost certainly emotionally cheating on my dad based on what he's told me and I know way too much about this situation.
My mom was the typical housewife when I was growing up, very young mom to another guy whose out of the picture entirely; I literally can't even remember the dude's face.
My real dad met her when she was still young, single mom and he still fell for her. He loves her so much. His devotion is really boundless for his family; he was a kind of typical dad when I was growing up, working long hours to move up the corporate ladder, make money to get the four of us out of an apartment and into a house. Us older kids, we were his kids, no doubt about it, even when they had two more kids.
He wasn't perfect. He got angry when he dealt with shitty clients all day and came home to a chaotic household. He would get mad/sulky if I didn't great him at the door. He spanked the boys. He broke the glass table once, when he was really angry.
At the time, obviously, my mom was the stay at house mom, cooked and cleaned.... With hindsight, I think her child rearing could've really used some work. We were left alone a lot, her still in the house, but working on finishing school. We were put into after school activities to keep us engaged, but she never really played with us or gave us activities like I feel a stay-at-home mom should. She let me tell her about her day, but she never really engaged with what I said to her, just listened. Maybe she didn't listen.
I remember one time she had a college class and I can't even remember how old I was.... maybe 4? But she left me outside the class as it got dark, because she knew I was a good kid and wouldn't go anywhere.
They were probably too young for this many kids, or maybe even kids at all. Us older kids definitely contributed to raising the other two, we'd babysit on date nights, etc. Not often. But enough.
But my parents eventually made their way to a couples therapist. things got a lot better, for a few years. My dad worked on his anger issues, mellowed out a lot, and they became all about the love languages and how to love each other and us well.
When I moved out for the first time, things seemed good. They seemed stable at least.
But now, 6 years later things have felt.... Weird. What I type below is a mix of things I saw and things my dad told me.
With hindsight, my mom definitely has taken up a lot more space for herself. She works a lot of hours and put the youngest two into a LOT of extracurriculars. The youngest, she said, should be well rounded with their extracurriculars.
Sports. Music. Scouts. She wanted to put him in an art or language class to be "well-rounded". I personally feel like she just doesn't want to raise the kid after school. They're left home alone A LOT. As in, I will call them in the afternoon and they're home alone because everyone else is at work, or the gym or whatever.
I worry for that one.
During last Thanksgiving, my dad said my mom is starting to "blossom". She's always been an introvert, never had many friends, has been a touch judgemental, and stayed off social media. But now she's making work friends, engaging with the community and totally leaving my dad and the kids behind to some degree. She never invites anyone, they have to ask.
But he wants her to grow. He wants her to have friends, so he encourages it.
He starts stepping up around the house; with the pandemic, he became able to work from home half the week, so he does, he drives the younger kids when they need it, manages the house, even learned to cook.
My mom makes a new friend. A guy.
And she's had guy friends before. But my dad says the majority of her texts are with him. She's now on social media.... Posting things for him.
When they go to family events and things, she text him pictures of the events and pictures of herself... Nothing sexy as far as I'm aware, but I can't think of a single guy friend she'd be texting photos of herself unless he's gay and she's looking for fashion advice (he's not gay). And she always seeks him out.
My dad told me this, basically crying. This is the moment I think she may be emotionally cheating.
How can you spend all your time thinking about someone your not with, talking with them almost 24/7 unless you're intensely emotionally invested?
I personally fuck with the LGBTQ+ community, I think my mom is demi and this is so very very close to cheating, as close as you can get without touching.
SHe meets this guy a lot without my dad.
So my dad begs her to go back to couples therapy with him, and she does.
She puts up the boundary that my dad is not allowed to interfere with her friends, that he's just being overly jealous. The therapist poses the thought to my dad "if she decides to cheat on you, there's nothing you can do". The boundary, she told me. The words, my dad told me.
Obviously that hurts.
My dad asks her if she's in love with him (my dad). And she says no.
Obviously my dad is so hurt by this, but their time is up and they have dinner plans with friends.
My dad does not want to go. He begs her not to go.
She makes him go.
She makes him go put on a happy face with their friends when she just probably broke his heart.
I was there that night, for the holidays at that point. I sat with my dad, put a shoulder to his. I didn't know the details of it all, but I saw my dad texting their therapist and saw when he came home and it wasn't good.
When we get home, my mom says "so what do we want to do, family movie? Game night?" I balk. What the fuck is she talking about? Why doesn't she give a shit about my dad, someone she's spent twenty years with who's never shown her anything but devotion?
I say no, and entertain my siblings while my parents go upstairs and talk? for literally 3 hours.
I get called in when I'm getting ready for bed, trying to ignore anything coming from their room.
My mom promises it's nothing crazy, they're not getting divorced.
What?
I just want to go to bed at that point.
The next day, my mom takes me out, explains some of her side of the story but never elaborates on how she hurt my dad so much , just saying he's not allowed to interfere with her friends. I don't ask about that guy.
She says "your dad asked a question that he didn't want the answer to. He got upset when I answered honestly, because you know I'm always honest"
She's a snob and judgemental of emotions so I just stop asking questions.
My dad is trying so hard to keep it together guys.
He has all these tools from dealing with his anger issues, hes's meditating, he's taking complete care of the youngest kids, as best as he can.... He once told me he was scared to lose my mom (like, her dying) because he'd have no idea how to take care of the kids. I kind of think that's what happened.
He's no longer himself. He's quiet. He's very thoughtful. He's so self-controlling.
All this, changing almost everything of himself and she says nothing. He asks her for acknowledgement, a thank you and she says "You should be changing for you, not for me"
I am almost scared for him.
On mother's day, he did everything to make it special for her. He encouraged the younger kids to make her breakfast, take her out for the day, she got to go to the spa with her lady friends.
She never thanked him. She never thanks him for his support.
He finally realized that it's a fight. someone has to give in, either her, just SEE him, or he's going to give up someday.
How do I feel about all this?
I might hate my mom. She's a shitty partner, and not a very good parent right now either. I think regardless of how she views it, she is putting this one guy on a pedestal over everything else in her life. I think she is just waiting for my dad to give up.
Part of me wants to tell him, that she's stubborn as al hell and she's not gonna give up. I think he knows it.
But he loves her so much, and I don't think I should know even half of any of this, but I've seen too much. I know too many things that I'm not allowed to tell anyone.
should I encourage him to tell her that even if she doesn't see this coming to a divorce, that's where it's heading? Should i encourage him to divorce her?
Should I explain to him what emotionally cheating is?
God, the youngest kids. They're the ones suffering the most of this and I don't even know if they know it.
I wish every conversation I had with anyone in that household doesn't have me standing there with the question on the tip of my tongue; "do you know this is going to end and painfully?"
I wish I could see my mom as a good mom again. I wish I could see my dad a whole person again.
Thanks for reading and while this is a true off my chest, god I'd probably take any advice.

https://youtu.be/DmRWHdJwtGw?si=kGHsqmZyGV2Wdnej
I usually quite like SciShow, but they kinda dropped the ball on this video (they, as well as the rest of CrashCourse, tend to be very "woke" at times, I think they even had a video years ago saying calling your girlfriend "baby" is bad because it causes women to think of themselves as "babies"/submissive/childlike... which is not only ridiculous on the face of it but it of course conveniently excludes the fact that almost an equal proportion of men are called "baby" by their SOs)... first of all, are you seriously telling me that trans people (which they of course lumped in with NB people) are three percent of the population now? That would mean *checks notes* that transsexualism has increased by a factor of ten (or possibly more, depending on the prevalence studies) just in recent years! You can't tell me with a straight face that it makes any scientific sense that a relatively uncommon medical condition, that for all we know is not caused by environmental factors (of course there are likely environmental factors e.g. maternal conditions that cause testosterone/estrogen exposure in the womb, but none that would cause a rapid increase) that have increased in recent years, would suddenly, organically increase by 10x in a matter of years for no apparent reason? That would make it go from about as common as sickle cell anemia is in the black population (I only mention race because that particular condition mostly affects black people) to 3X as common as OCD is in the general population. I use those examples to illustrate the difference between something somewhat uncommon/lesser-known to something extremely common.
Second of all, even if that were the case, wouldn't that be ummm... extremely concerning considering how horrible dysphoria can be and how hard life is for transsexuals (instead of something to celebrate, as it's portrayed here)? I mean imagine if cerebral palsy, a condition (which I have a very mild form of) that also occurs in about 3/1000 people, suddenly climbed to 3%! I know it's not quite the same thing as about 2/3rds of cases of CP are caused by environmental brain damage sustained before, during, or after birth (the rest are cases where the baby has a preexisting genetic condition that either causes brain malformation in utero or causes brain damage as a secondary result of the condition), so it is largely caused by environmental factors and a tenfold increase, though very unlikely, would be entirely possible given the right circumstances, but my point is it would be extremely concerning.
(Granted, again it's different because CP is a wide spectrum and it can be much more disabling even than transsexualism, considering in its most extreme form you practically can't move or verbally communicate at all, are completely dependent on assistance with everyday life due to not being able to physically do anything, and deal with extreme medical issues/probably a great deal of physical pain/hardship, not to mention in all forms/severities there's the common neurological comorbidities of epilepsy/seizure disorders (30-50% depending on the subtype), IDD (30-50% depending on the study), learning disabilities in people without IDD, behavioral problems/mental illness, ASD, ADHD, and visual and/or hearing impairments - most of which are secondarily caused by aforementioned brain damage/birth circumstances/genetic conditions. My point is that the two are not the same (I'm luckily so mildly affected by CP/comorbidities that as annoying as having them are, it's WAY better than being transsexual, but I'm sure that many with more severe CP/related issues would have good reason to disagree), but it would be practically an emergency in the disability world if such a condition, even just the mild/moderate cases, were to increase like that. It would not be cause for celebration. But I digress- sorry this is a "special interest" of mine.)
Now I know what you're going to say - this tenfold increase/statistic they used in the video is probably technically correct in only one sense: about 3% (or more in many cases: in my super-"woke" area according to many well-established surveys, 50% of Gen Z residents "identify" as trans, the vast majority of them being NB of course!) of the world population now "identifies" as trans, AKA just says they are trans in a survey without any diagnosis of gender dysphoria or medical (or even social) transition to back it up. However, of course as we all know that's complete bullshit, especially since they group transsexuals in with "transmasc"/"transfemme" posers, NB people, and other such trenders. I mean why would NB people even need HRT anyway?
The whole confusing thing is that the woman in the video (who claims to be trans as well of course; I mean she could technically be an EXTREMELY well-passing trans woman, but based on her appearance/voice I doubt that's likely, she's more likely a "transmasc"/female NB because she by all appearances looks like a full-ass cis woman) emphasizes the importance of trans healthcare being life-saving (or as she puts it, "accepting and affirming", which of course is total bullshit too, HRT didn't save my life because I felt more "accepted" or "affirmed", it was because my body actually started matching my brain), which is at least true, yet wants to declassify GD as a DSM/ICD diagnosis or even a medical condition at all (like most tucutes). (I kinda understand people not wanting it to be a DSM diagnosis because it isn't a mental illness, but people don't realize that the DSM isn't just mental illnesses/related disorders. It also includes conditions like Tourette's, which is almost purely neurological/neurodevelopmental (I say "almost" because I have 2 family members with Tourette's and they've both testified that there's also a large OCD-like component to it as well) and is largely established to be genetic/hereditary, ASD which is obviously neurodevelopmental, strictly genetic/neurological conditions like narcolepsy (although from my understanding, emotions can trigger narcolepsy episodes) and even obstructive sleep apnea, which is very much physiological, with the only mental/behavioral aspect being is that it can greatly affect mood/general behavior due to stress/tiredness. All that said, I DO think GD has a place in the DSM because it is very clearly neurodevelopmental and it is technically a brain condition with mental health aspects (e.g. depression/anxiety due to dysphoria). However, I wouldn't sweat it if it were removed. I understand the arguments for either decision. The ICD, on the other hand, is a compendium of ALL medical conditions and so GD definitely deserves to be there, regardless of whether it's understood as neurological or purely physiological/similar to intersex (which of course tucutes are now saying isn't a medical condition either) in nature. The ICD also being a "gold standard" of medical classification/reference for treatment in most countries is very vital because if GD is not on there, then how THE FUCK are doctors even going to prescribe HRT/surgery for it?) I mean, if you want trans people to get HRT/surgery, then how else do you want to classify GD? What other demographic classification would you use for something that requires... IDK... medical treatment? It's not like someone gets medical treatment for being bisexual, Vietnamese, or Christian.
IDK, I know this was a (very) long and probably unnecessary screed but I'm sick of seeing "scientific" resources post absolute inane bullshit like this that only spreads misconceptions about transsexualism. I understand the majority of the video was about how HRT works but I'm sick of every trans-related video, even ones focusing on medical aspects of transition, espousing tucute idiocy. LMK what you think or if I'm overreacting.

This weekend, my boyfriend (31M) and I (29F) attended a wedding, and during a slow dance, he got a bit tipsy and started expressing his feelings. He told me how pretty I was, said that I was the best thing that ever happened to him, and mentioned how lost he was before meeting me. He shared how much he enjoys the time we spend together, and it was such an unexpected and powerful moment that it brought me to tears (I had also been drinking a bit). We’ve been dating for 9 months now.
I know I love him, and he’s truly become my best friend. Despite my avoidant attachment tendencies making me a bit uncomfortable with such deep expressions of emotion, I understand how special this moment was. I also recognize that it can be challenging for many people, especially men, to open up about their feelings.
I’m looking for advice on how to handle these intimate conversations in the future, especially when we're both sober, so I don’t feel as overwhelmed. I’d also love to hear your stories about similar moments when you realized how much your significant other cherishes you.
TL;DR! At a wedding, my boyfriend expressed deep feelings for me while drunk, which overwhelmed me due to my avoidant attachment style. I love him and feel secure in our 9-month relationship but struggle with intimate conversations. Seeking advice on handling these moments better.

Hey yall, so a friend of a friend had a stray come around with their kittens a few weeks ago. Unfortunately one of the Kittens was killed from another animal today so they are trying to give the kittens away and decided we would take one before they take them to a shelter tomorrow. With that I am unsure of how old this beautiful kitten is. Here are two photos I took of them so maybe someone here can give me an age range (https://postimg.cc/gallery/PrGVMXX)
With that said if this is a very young kitten do I need to get special milk for it (the friend of a friend said they were eating the wet food they would leave out. On top of that all the cats ive ever owned were mostly adult strays so any general advice is needed. Currently they are in a bathtub in a room where it has access to food and water and I put the dome of a cat litter box in there so it has a darker place to chill along with a blanket and a toy (we have a some what large dog so I did not want to let them roam free in the house just yet with the dog around) Besides handeling it a lot what is something else I can do to make sure they are trained socially. Thanks again!

I don't remember much from school. So hopefully someone can remind me.
In Math class, when they start teaching you about matrices and how to multiply them in that special pattern..........do they ever tell you what a matrix is? Why it exists, why it was created, what the history behind it is? How to make your own matrix?
Or do they simply teach you the order of operations and tell you to memorize that (so you can be ready for exams)? Do they tell you why you are multiplying them in that specific order?

Yesterday I was listening to Gloria by Laura Branigan at full volume and my mom came to do some things in the same room I was in. Sometimes I have heard my mom listen to that song and she and I are not that close, but at that moment I saw how my mom started singing that song and even danced to it while I did too and somehow the two of us connected while listening to that song, we sang it a little and she danced to it even more. It was a very special moment, I almost cried when that happened 😅
Then I started to reflect and it seems incredible to me how music has the power to connect us with other people, how we can associate a memory based on a song, how we remember a person by their favorite song, in short, how music is so magical.
I always remember my best friend when I listen to Chica Ye-ye (it's a song in Spanish, I'm native), Also a friend always comes to mind because of a song that I only know says "Mami soy tu vaquero" Quite a few times, I remember my dad when I hear something from Pastor López, and now I will always remember that moment with my mother whenever I listen to Laura Branigan.
I don't know, I just wanted to share this thought hahaha, and what songs make you remember a specific person or memory?

So I've come to the horrible realization that I have no social life and I have no idea how I'd get started on building one. To make things clear from the start, this isn't cause of social anxiety or anything. I'm not a nervous persona and never had issues holding a conversation. My problem here is born of pure ignorance. I just don't know where people hang out or really how to establish relationships. I can maintain a friendship fine. I got friends. I just don't know how to start one. These people just found me and I managed to not scare them off.
To give you some background on I've just always been solitary given most of my hobbies (playing guitar, drawing, movies/books/games) are stuff you do alone in a room. I also never hung out much with people outside school cause I lived pretty far from everyone in school. I got into this nerd school thing (I'm honestly not sure what it's called cause it wasn't private) in case you're wondering what the circumstances are where I lived far away from everyone else. So even though I wanted to and people wanted to hang with me, I never really had much opportunity to since I always had stuff right after class and shit was too far to really meet em over weekends. And even in the very rare cases I was able to visit friends or they were able to visit me, these people are naturally gonna be pretty similar to me so we just did the same shit I'd do alone just with other people in the room. I figured stuff would change in college but for financial reasons I went to community college, and the one I went to was very much a "finish your classes and leave" kind of deal. Most people there weren't even around my age. So I ain't really meet people and I couldn't hang out with my friends and meet people through them cause they went out of state. Got a job but at a Thai restaurant but they ended up putting me in the back where nobody I interacted with regularly spoke English. After that I transferred to a state college and here I thought "finally, now's my chance to have a normal social life and hang out with people", but of course God had a really funny sense of humor cause right before I graduated from county the pandemic happened. The universe saw I had a chance at having a social life and through divine intervention prevented that from happening. So I basically just spend the last to years of my college online. Last year was hybrid so I went out a little but going to a tech school turns out everyone there is also pretty much isolated nerds. My roommate didn't even leave his room. I had to make sure he wasn't dead a few times and honestly I'm not convinced he wasn't. I'd fully believe if he reanimated by the fungus that grew from his pizza. Anyway then I graduated and since the job market wasn't great I took an opportunity for a job in Maryland when it arose. Thing is that state is very far from where all my friends, family and really everyone I know lives so if I was hoping to meet people through them after they came back from college that got ruined. Cheapest place I was able to find that's close to my work was a studio so I have no roommates. All my coworkers are also about a decade+ older than me and have families and shit, so I can't really hang out with them. I feel like I keeping winning a lottery in how to live the most accidentally isolated life ever. My parents are probably happy I'm the rare person that actually focused on my education and didn't go out partying and shit (tho that's more due to circumstances and not choice), but I imagine the pressure of finding someone's gonna ramp up eventually and I'd rather get ahead on that.
So if anyone can just give me some basic advice on where to meet people please help. I know bars are a thing just based off movies but I'm not much of a drinker. I can stomach it if that's the only place but I imagine people are hanging out outside bars in real life. I just don't know where. Part of this is my fault I know, I probably could've made choices to put myself out there more or be more proactive but I've always felt content with my life and never really wanted more till now. Just kind of woke up alone one day and thought "I don't think I've talked to another human being in person, that wasn't a coworker for months" and I want that to change. So any words would be appreciated. Pretend you're teaching an alien or something cause I'm pretty sure whatever stuff you're assuming I already know when you're writing your answer I probably don't.
Oh also I've never been into social media. Never really had much going on to post about outside drawings and shit.

Hi all. Long ramble ahead. I’ve been grappling with this for years and my friends are sick of hearing me whine, so it's time to turn to strangers on the internet.
I’m an actor. Just a hobbyist, I do community theatre, although if I’d found theatre earlier in life, it’d probably be my (aspirational) career. I love it so much— doing it, reading about it, studying theory, taking lessons, acting, directing, teaching. I volunteer. I make props. I build sets. I’ve dabbled in costumes, lights, sound. I’m so obsessed, I feel like a parody of myself because it’s all I talk about.
Now, back in time a little bit. A few years ago, I met a guy at my “home base" community theater. At the time, I was 20, and he was 37. We flirted through a couple shows, then began a sexual relationship. I had always had a thing for older guys, so at the time, this kinda felt like a dream come true. He seemed like a really standup guy.
The casual sexual relationship eventually became a romantic one, as these things often go. After 6 months of dating, I broke up with him over a few recurring arguments. I'd put up with these things because, well, I loved him— plus, this was my first real relationship. He knew more about relationships than me, so I just followed his lead.
It didn’t help that he often made me feel bad for the way I felt. When I didn’t want to see him as frequently as he liked, he would sometimes suggest that it was a psychological issue that I needed to get to the root of. When we didn’t have sex as often as he liked, he’d ask if there might be something causing my “low libido” that I should check out with my doctor. He was quick to pathologize things he perceived as problems with me.
Resultantly, after breaking up, I questioned myself over everything. Was I a bad partner? Was I selfish? Did I have some kind of psychological problem making me undateable? I went back to therapy and spent many sessions discussing the toll this took on my sense of self.
Fast forward. Theaters are opening up again, and I start rubbing elbows with his guy as theatre colleagues again. This was fine— the breakup was actually pretty amicable for the most part (I had internalized all the self-doubt as a me problem rather than a “how dare he do this to me” problem). In fact, we still sporadically slept together (not my proudest moments).
He ends up directing a show at the theatre where we met, our mutual theatrical home-away-from-home. I audition and get cast. Right before rehearsals started, I told him we couldn’t sleep together anymore— I’d gotten my birth control implant out and didn’t trust condoms. He got angry when I told him this, which made the start of rehearsals very awkward, since we were both pissed at each other.
The rehearsal process itself was also rocky. For a variety of reasons, we got behind the curve almost immediately with rehearsals and just never recovered. Every part of the process became really rushed and chaotic. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I did not handle this flawlessly. But I handled it in two ways:
One, I complained. A lot. About a lot of things, and, admittedly, probably more than was fair. I want to be clear that it was never personal— I complained about production issues, never about people personally. And these complaints weren’t a secret— at first, I was (diplomatically) voicing my concerns to my ex, but he consistently brushed me off, so the complaints were relegated to private venting sessions with my friends.
Two: spending tons of extra time, money, and energy on the show. I stepped up. I stayed after rehearsals for extra practice. I brought snacks for the cast to share. I made sure to hype cast members up constantly. I made promotional materials. I personally bought supplies to fix the lead’s costume (the skirt the costumer gave her couldn’t zip, and at one rehearsal she accidentally flashed us on stage as a result, so I bought supplies to secure it another way— I’m still kind mad about this one, because it’s just really unconscionable to send a young actor on stage in clothes that may literally fall off her body, but I digress…). I did a ton of free labor for this show.
After the show, my ex told me that he was furious over how I’d behaved. He said my friends in that show “really brought out the worst in me,” and told me that everyone in the cast had personally gone to him to complain about what a horrible person I was. He also told me that he was quitting the staff of the show I was directing later that year, leaving my first directorial experience ever without a tech director. We screamed at each other on the phone after closing night, until he blocked my number and un-friended me on social media. I spent the next year and a half or so convinced that everyone at the community theatre hated me because of that show, so I stayed away from the theater I loved so much.
By now, I’ve learned a lot of things about my ex and the situation at the theatre that really make my stomach turn:

1. He has apparently been notorious for seeking out younger women since college. Someone he went to school with said she remembers him as a senior hitting on all the freshmen girls. This really hurt my feelings, because when he and I started dating, I asked younger women were his thing, but he said no and implied that I was “special.”
   
2. He tried to sabotage my getting my first directorial experience in the first place— he told higher-ups at the theatre that I was “acting like I already had the show,” making them think I was presumptuous and egotistical. This just never happened. Thankfully, I got the show anyway.
   
3. He’s told other directors about what a nightmare me and my “new friends” from his show were to work with. I’d harbored suspicions of being blacklisted, but a friend of mine had this confirmed by a director he was working with. Every time I get cut from a show, I still wonder if it’s somehow my ex’s doing (which is definitely pretty paranoid… but can you blame me?)
   
4. Most hurtful: he lied about everyone being mad at me over the show. After a long time of avoiding them, I’ve talked to some people who were in that cast, and they’ve all said they were frustrated at my ex and never had any complaints about me. This genuinely boggled my mind. I spent two years thinking I was an awful person who everyone hated, and that was all just a lie that my ex told me, on purpose, to make me feel horrible.
   

So that all leads me to where I am now. I’ve hardly been able to get into shows (1 in the two years since). I’m so desperately jealous whenever I see casting announcements. My ex keeps landing endless opportunities, acting, directing, or tech directing. And he continues hitting on young women. I hear rumors about it constantly. It just seems like he continues to win, continues to operate totally unchecked, and I… can’t get anywhere. I feel so stuck. I just really miss that community theatre that I used to love, and I’m so fucking jealous of all the people who just get to have fun there. I'm trying to branch out into some new communities where he has no connections, but it's difficult.
TLDR: my ex boyfriend is a very successful, manipulative creep who ruined my reputation at my theatrical home-away-from-home, and I can’t do anything about it without looking like an evil, jealous ex.
Just sucks big time. Thanks for letting me vent, sorry this is so long.