Posted from GF's account.
My son's mum is going away this weekend. Leaving on Wednesday, home the following Monday. She booked the trip around 8 months ago. She didn't ask me anything about the trip at the time of booking but she does normally take a trip this time of year. This is a social trip, not work related or anything.
Around a month ago she asked me if I would come to stay at her house for 2 weeks (a week before and the week of the holiday) to look after our son (6yo) while she is there. I wasn't happy about it, but I reluctantly agreed.
She lives in S.Scotland, I live Midlands way so it's quite a trek for me and since I cannot drive it's a few hours by train and a LOT of money. She didn't offer to chip in with the cost. I pay her maintenance (more than she should get) and I see my son once a month for the weekend plus I tend to have him at my house for the entire school holidays throughout the year. I pay all travel costs and do all travelling, she doesn't help at all.
So I went up last weekend to collect son, I stayed overnight (she wasn't there but I stay at her place when I go and she tends to go out), and then brought him home the following day. When I arrived the house was a mess, dishes in the sink to be done, laundry left everywhere, toys all over the place, her stuff on every surface, couldn't see the dining room table for crap on it. I ignored the mess, did the dishes as I needed the sink and the dishes in there, but other than that left the place as it was. Took my son home the next day and that was it.
Monday evening came (bank holiday) she must have just got home and she called me screaming at me that I'd not cleaned the house, there was laundry needed doing, and I'd left it all for her to do knowing that she had work on Tuesday morning. Bear in mind, I left on Saturday morning, so she didn't return home all weekend and see this mess meaning she was out on a bender. I ignored the messages that followed, and the call I just listened and didn't talk. I didn't want to get into an argument so I just listened. I was seething but I didn't want to rise to it.
The next day I sent her a message stating that from now on I won't be going to her place, it's not my responsibility to make sure it's clean and tidy and if she leaves a mess, it isn't up to me to clean it up, I'm there to collect our child and that is it. I said I did do the dishes, but that's as much as I was willing to do and that the way she screamed at me was disgusting and I wouldn't be dealing with that anymore. I was due to take son home this weekend, I was doing the whole journey and then staying there for the 2 weeks. I told her that she would from now on have to help with travel and she would have to collect son from a halfway meeting point and that she would start this new routine this weekend. After lots of back and forward with her about it, she was livid and said no a lot, she realised I was not going to back down and she agreed to collect him from a halfway point.
She didn't realise that this meant I was not going to be there to cover her holiday at first. It must have clicked last night and she asked me about my plans for going to her place for the holiday childcare. I said I wouldn't be going there anymore. I said that I would have our son, but she'd have to bring him to my place (she's driving past my town on her way down south for her holiday, it's maybe 15 minutes out of her way), she has gone off. Said that he cannot miss any school and I'm renaging on our verbal agreement that I would cover the childcare during her holiday. I pointed out she never asked me when she booked, and she just assumed I would do it, and that after getting screamed at I wasn't comfortable staying at her place again.
I made it very clear I'm not going there but I am still more than happy to have our son, it means extra time with him so I'd love it, but that it was on her to sort out with school and drop him off with me and if she couldn't do that then it is not my problem and in future she shouldn't book anything in termtime. She has sent me a lot of abuse and lies about how I act and playing the innocent party saying she didn't scream at me and it's just what anybody would do if they went to someone's house and saw a mess, they would clean it up. But I've now just ignored her. She got her answer and sending reams of messages of abuse but I'm not responding.
So. AITA for going back on a verbal agreement to go up there to look after our son? I know it sounds harsh and she may well have to cancel her trip (or at least cut it short so son is only missing one day of school), but I have dealt with this shit for 3 years since we separated and her entitlement is disgusting and I'm fed up of being spoken to like shit whenever I don't do what she tells me to do. The relationship was quite abusive (not physically but mentally), she made me feel an inch tall. Moved me away from family and friends. Treated me like a housemaid. And I think she believes we are still in a relationship because she still acts like I have to do these things for her.
There isn't a court order, but I am on the birth certificate.
I just want to know if I'm being unreasonable really!

Hi all, just hoping to gain some insights. I know everyone is different and you can't generalise, but if you were in my situation, what would you do?
I am a female. There is this guy at work, we met when he had just been separated (maybe about 5-7 months). We managed to connect quite quickly. He'd share a lot of what had happened, why his marriage broke down etc. I could tell he was hurting so I was there as a friend. It was probably a mistake because in truth, I was interested in this person. We hung out at work and after work almost every day soon after. He would text day and night, from good morning to good night. He then decided that he needed to go on dates (he's in his late thirties and feels as though if he didn't get to find someone now, he would never find anyone). He told me when the date was going to be, quite often this would be in his house, where he would cook meals for the girls. Once he found someone of my nationality, he told me he spent hours talking to her and that he was so nervous to meet her. At this point in time, I was baffled. In a way, I understand that he is only taking me as a friend but to me, there was a room for more so I removed myself from that, knowing I'd just hurt with him telling me all about these girls he went on dates with and stuff. We had a big fight in February. He was disappointed he didn't get to pick me up from the airport like what was softly planned before. I felt as though, following this incident, that we had a hard time dealing with our times apart. He then met another girl (shortly after said incident), his best friend/brother in law had introduced him to his colleague. They've now gone on dates and I think had made it more or less exclusive between them. He refused to talk to me about her because I quite often would say "so cute", "I'm glad you're happy", "she's changed you"; he said he wasn't sure about the relationship (and legally, he was still married) and just didn't want to hear any of those. Recently, I needed him to be present for me, which he failed to do. I have since found out that he had been ignoring me. Left my messages unread but would respond to others (neurotic, I know, but that active status on Messenger can really make or break). I confronted him about it, he said he didn't know he'd gone. He did that again today. Can someone tell me what happened? Is this usually a guy's way of saying leave me alone? I told him he can tell me that, though, plainly; and that I'd appreciate that better than being ignored.
What would you do if you were in my situation? Forgive and forget because I've been thinking too much, or do I let it go completely, break the friendship and pretend we had never known each other ever?
TLDR: friends but now ignored, what does this mean?
Thank you all if you've read this post this far and thank you in advance for all your insights!

We originally thought there were just 42.67M outstanding shares / float, with a short interest % of 85-95% (equals ~36M shorted shares). However, this wouldn't this have been based on the 42.67M instead of the actualt 440M shares making the 85-95% inaccurate?
How big would the possibility have been that retail just drove up the price? I find it hard to believe that 60%+ shorts have been covered without mooning. And IF the 60% covered shorts brought us to $3.80, then what would can we expect from the last 30% (if that Short Interest % is actually spot on)?
I find it stupid that the company decided to announce such easy to misinterpret information 1 days prior to being garanteed to stay enlisted on the Nasdaq..
I find this quite difficult to grasp

Hello!
Long story short, I have been an everyday weed smoker for about 10 years. I’m 33 now started properly around 22.
I’ve been having a lot of thoughts recently about quitting for good. Or at least until I can get my habit under control to do it occasionally with friends.
I do really enjoy it and I see the benefits it gives my mind. Sometimes I feel really shitty and stuck in the mud. I have a smoke and my creativity rises (I’m a videographer) and I get into a good, fun flow with work and I have a good day.
But I also feel like it holds me back a lot and stops me doing the things I want to do. When I look back over 10 years. I’m also kind of like want have I done apart from be stoned and work?
Anyway all I’m really looking for is to hear anyone else’s stories of dealing with a weed habit. And also how it felt for you once you stopped? The positives you noticed and what I can expect if I decide to stop? Which I think I want do because everytime I have a spliff now. I think. Should I be doing this?
A little bit of a ramble I know. But if anyone has any advise. Stories. Anything at all on this subject I’d love to hear it
I haven’t got much support in my life so I guess I’m just looking for some :)
Thank you!

I've been smoking on and off since high school. Whenever I drank alcohol, I would inevitably smoke, but in my latest job, where there was nothing to do during breaks except smoke, I ended up smoking up to a pack a day after 2-3 months. I smoked a pack a day for 1-2 months.
It became such a thing that if I didn't smoke after finishing my morning tasks, I would feel VERY tense. My family found out I smoked. They didn't react at all. I even smoked in front of them. Then I started feeling really bad about myself.
While I was living once, I couldn't stand ruining my lungs with this crap. I said myself, I'll quit no matter what. The first three days were really tough. Especially at work in the morning. Then it became quite easy. After a month, I had to fight a lot of willpower not to light up again when I drank alcohol with my friends.(I drink rarely) I didn't.
After a while, one day after my gig at a bar i was drinking with my friends, I wanted to smoke again because everyone around me was smoking. I somehow held myself back, and after that, it became something my body didn't crave, something I could easily withstand, whether I drank alcohol or not.I stopped counting days. I won't smoke for the rest of my life anyway. Whether it's 7 months or 7 years, it doesn't matter to me anymore.
In short, after the first three days, except for two occasions when I drank alcohol, it became much easier to resist. I saw a flavored cigarette that I always wanted to try that my friend was smoking the other day. But I didn't smoke it. It's over for me now. Moreover, my lighter is still in the bathroom and the cigarettes in my drawer are still there. Its presence there and my not taking it out to smoke another one make me feel good. That last pack will always be there, and I won't take it out to smoke. In short, I succeeded guys :)) I hope you'll succeed too. I'm quitting video games and sugar these days. When I looked at their subreddits, this place came to mind. Otherwise, smoking doesn't even cross my mind during the day. It really isn't that hard anymore

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/us/politics/deepfake-us-official-russia.html
Is still wild to me that in such a short period of time we can see an idea plucked from the ether and made reality. Really brings into focus where we might be heading as this gets more common place. If I didn't know any better, I might believe we are all just characters in a new Bakker book.
I was discussing some things along this train of thought with a friend a few weeks ago. He posited that there is a likelihood that if we are seeing it now, it's been going on for quite awhile. Specifically, that the intelligence apparati of (insert any developed country here) has likely been using these types of tools to manipulate public opinion for quite some time. The thought of that was a bit... horrifying.
Anywho, have a good weekend everyone!

I've always wanted to write fanfiction but I don't know where to start exactly. I'd like to try writing fanfiction someday but I'm anxious it might not be very good. Plus I'd like to also improve my vocabulary as well.
I'd like to Write anything that could come to mind like literature papers (like poems, short stories, etc.) or formal papers (like resume, or essays). I'd like to write any paper as I could improve my writing and better it.
But question is how and where do I start?

The nebuliser is no problem!
Quite by chance I knew to make sure I worked with my pup from day one on allowing handling, grooming, tooth brushing, eye drops, medication, muzzle etc.
It was lock down and honestly I was bored so we did lots!
Well it has paid off because he now needs nebulised twice daily for the rest of his life.
So after an initial intro involving short bursts and rewards with a dried slice of duck breast, he now hops up onto his mat on the sofa and lets me use the mask.. we are up to 45 seconds then break (yes I have the duck slice in my nebuliser hand!). When he sees me holding the nebuliser he goes to the sofa.
Only started on Tuesday so it is really good. Fairly sure in a few weeks he will let me do it in 2 times two and a half minute bursts.
Definitely a shout out for cooperative care. He lets me know when he has had enough and I listen.. he gets reward... then accepts again. The rituals are so important

Hey mounjaro team! I’ve been on 2.5mg now for quite a few months (I’ve lost track) I had a short 1 week on 5mg but quickly went back to 2.5mg as the side effects were TOO extreme and 2.5mg was doing the job!
Anyway…does anyone else get random bouts of anxiety? I have a history of anxiety which always made me feel a bit sickly and off my food and I wonder if the mounjaro suppressing my appetite is triggering those anxious feelings again!
I also get headaches and feel quite weak… I do think this is because I’m not eating enough and know I need to get some protein in me!
These symptoms are always worse the first few days after the injection so I’m sure it’s related!

I'm 36(M). I'm 5yrs+ sober now, and long may that last. I came home to visit my folks as it's both my Dad and Mom's birthdays in the last two weeks, so figured it'd be nice to come see them.
We played in a charity golf day, with most holes sponsored. Most sponsors had loads of snacks and drinks (heavy focus on shots, cocktails, or they had drinking games (e.g. down a beer, then flip the cup, and if it lands upright, your playing partner goes)). Luckily I'm able to now not worry about the booze on offer, so I really wasn't phased by that aspect - they all had water or soft drinks too.
Anyway, we get to the one hole with the flip cup game, and my dad awkwardly pulls the promotions lady aside and in a stage whisper pretty much announces "we've got a problem here. [My name] can not drink. We need to make a plan", and she sort of scrambled to get a new cup without booze in it. It was so fucking awkward and unnecessary, and as we drove off in the cart after teeing off, as I was about to start speaking to him about it, he said "I know, I know. Sorry."
I explained to him that he needn't make a thing of this, and it is no different to someone ordering a normal drink. Like it's not "special" that when I order, it needs pulling people aside, whispers, pre-checking what options are available (I.e. literally saying: "what drinks do not have alcohol, we need alcohol-free drinks" rather than just asking what soft-drinks they have).
Anyway, I was frustrated at first because I'm living (well, with a good job, healthy lifestyle, happier life) in a different country, and there is no concern when I'm not with them etc., it's like he just panics when I come visit. But I also thought to myself, that I process my alcoholism and recovery lots in my own life/world, but I suppose my folks went through terrible trauma as a result of my problems, and maybe haven't processed it for themselves yet. So I tried really hard to be understanding, but it was still incredible awkward knowing that this shadow may never leave me in their eyes.
So that's a bit of a shit feeling, but I can't control how he thinks. I do really worry that my father is developing memory problems, and I really fear that he may "remember me" from when I was going through dark times (just because those memories are seemingly prominently stuck with him) than who I am now.
Alcoholism will forever be my biggest shame, and because I'm part of quite an old-school minded family/friendship group, it will also be probably something that those closest to me probably feel too. It sucks. Short of upping and leaving, I suppose this is something I'll just have to live with. Anyway, appreciate anyone reading my frustrated ashamed vent. IWNDWYT

Summarizing a long story, my (33F) wife and I (34M) have been together for almost 6 years now. We moved in very quickly, got married very quickly, and both made many dumb mistakes very quickly and very frequently. We've never gone to therapy or counseling to specifically address any of these.
The chain of blame begins with me confiding in my family that I think she had a drinking problem. She was so unhappy with this, that she became an alcoholic with pancreatitis for the next several years. Every time we argued about it, she said that it was because of my lack of romance and my indifference to the situation, that she would continue. I would of course argue is that my lack of romances because of this, and because of all the financial issues that we are now having, on top of my own poor coping mechanisms of addiction to gaming and weed.
She's in her home country right now, has been for 2 months, and while we keep talking as if we're still planning things together, she has been building up walls and almost specifically ignoring my text messages, her response being that I'm not trying hard enough. That I'm not badgering her enough, despite that being a specific way to accomplish the opposite of whatever you want her to do. If you wanted her to take her medicine, just keep asking her to do it and you can guarantee she'll never take her medicine.
To me, this is preposterous. When somebody communicates to you, you can see it, you know it's there, and you know to return the communication. My wife is one of those kid at heart because she was pushed into too many classes as a child and not giving enough play time, she's all about that Disney life. She has a verbal love language, whereas I have a kinetic one.
I have one of those connections with her, where we just kind of feel each other no matter the distance. I'm a pretty sciencey person, so I don't really have a way to explain this. I treasure this connection, even though some of her behaviors do really bother me, like the fact that in America she still doesn't want to tip waiters. I don't want to separate from her, but I can't tell if I'm the one that's doing something wrong or not here, because this has been going on for several weeks.
When we left to her home country, it was because her health was failing quite thoroughly due to her decisions. I came back after two week and it's been 2 months since then. When we left, we were approximately 4K in debt. Utilities, landlord, car loan, credit cards. Admittedly, I have been kind of a man child and not doordashing everyday after work. I've been smoking tons of weed and playing video games, and we've been fighting everyday almost, or she'll just be ignoring me. If I were to finance my wife's return to me, it would be about 700, or 2K if I went there and we took a small short vacation nearby before returning. I've been eating for about three to five dollars a meal, and I've sent almost 1k a month, while making 4K and spending 2k on utilities and bills without paying for debts.

Summarizing a long story, my (33F) wife and I (34M) have been together for almost 6 years now. We moved in very quickly, got married very quickly, and both made many dumb mistakes very quickly and very frequently. We've never gone to therapy or counseling to specifically address any of these.
The chain of blame begins with me confiding in my family that I think she had a drinking problem. She was so unhappy with this, that she became an alcoholic with pancreatitis for the next several years. Every time we argued about it, she said that it was because of my lack of romance and my indifference to the situation, that she would continue. I would of course argue is that my lack of romances because of this, and because of all the financial issues that we are now having, on top of my own poor coping mechanisms of addiction to gaming and weed.
She's in her home country right now, has been for 2 months, and while we keep talking as if we're still planning things together, she has been building up walls and almost specifically ignoring my text messages, her response being that I'm not trying hard enough. That I'm not badgering her enough, despite that being a specific way to accomplish the opposite of whatever you want her to do. If you wanted her to take her medicine, just keep asking her to do it and you can guarantee she'll never take her medicine.
To me, this is preposterous. When somebody communicates to you, you can see it, you know it's there, and you know to return the communication. My wife is one of those kid at heart because she was pushed into too many classes as a child and not giving enough play time, she's all about that Disney life. She has a verbal love language, whereas I have a kinetic one.
I have one of those connections with her, where we just kind of feel each other no matter the distance. I'm a pretty sciencey person, so I don't really have a way to explain this. I treasure this connection, even though some of her behaviors do really bother me, like the fact that in America she still doesn't want to tip waiters. I don't want to separate from her, but I can't tell if I'm the one that's doing something wrong or not here, because this has been going on for several weeks.
When we left to her home country, it was because her health was failing quite thoroughly due to her decisions. I came back after two week and it's been 2 months since then. When we left, we were approximately 4K in debt. Utilities, landlord, car loan, credit cards. Admittedly, I have been kind of a man child and not doordashing everyday after work. I've been smoking tons of weed and playing video games, and we've been fighting everyday almost, or she'll just be ignoring me. If I were to finance my wife's return to me, it would be about 700, or 2K if I went there and we took a small short vacation nearby before returning. I've been eating for about three to five dollars a meal, and I've sent almost 1k a month, while making 4K and spending 2k on utilities and bills without paying for debts.

Male 32 DX. My partner, 26F is nothing short of an amazing human being. She’s empathetic, kind, strong and there is a lot of love between us.
But there are also a lot of fights. I forget the things that matter to her. I repeatedly forget what she’s told me when it comes to the logistics of our day to day. I clean for sure but in a more systemised way. Say end of day. Whereas she prefers to keep things clean all day.
My interest in my entrepreneurial endeavours, coupled with getting little to no stimulation from the day to day of a relationship has her feeling progressively less valued, and I can see her slowly losing her vibrant energy and becoming more negative.
She likes a man that can provide direction, decisions, etc and I can when do that better than most when the stars align, but that is a rare occasion indeed.
Being quite honest I can’t imagine myself coping with kids in the future. Love the idea. But I’ve never been able to mind or tend to anything on a consistent basis that isn’t work related.
I am medicated with an SNRI, which seems to actually amplify my interests in my various work projects and the external world, whereas unmedicated I am barely able to function.
In a weird way as well, it feels like 90% of my mental bandwidth goes into managing my state, which she sees as me being selfish. But I don’t know how else to someday get to a place where I can step up to the plate for marriage, kids, etc.
I’m starting to seriously wonder if I just let her go it would be better for her, and for me to maybe make peace with the fact that I’m not reliable long term. Maybe I’d enjoy my life more that way and not give people false hope?
Square peg, round hole and all that.
Any advice would be appreciated.

When I launch the game first four ads I get are usually some particular Vodafone one that lasts for 12 seconds.
Then I usually get 5-seconds and 0-seconds advertisements quite a lot. I especially like 0-seconds ones, they're initially closeable with a single click on X button and they give reward instantly.
Then I get a +30-seconds ad and I stop watching ads for a few songs, then again when I watch another ad it is one of either 5-seconds or 0-seconds ones.
Averagely more than 60% ads I watch is under 5 seconds. Now I wonder, am I just lucky these days with short ads or is it like this for everyone?
On my previous device I used to have mainly 30-seconds ads at 90% of times.

[INDEX]
I banked the fire and stared into the golden eyes of Beatale before I crept into my makeshift tent.
I still had my auric vision running and couldn’t help but notice the thin silver cord that ran from me to Horse. Firming up my aura, I reached out with my hand and grabbed it. I could feel the nearly imperceptible vibration between my fingers as I used my mind to probe at the thread. I could feel a bright spark of intellect, a light at the end of a tunnel. Pushing with my mind, I slid down the thread until the spark grew larger and eventually filled my inner vision with a hazy white light. Horsey thoughts nudged at me curiously.
I slid into the haze and immediately lost all sense of direction. If it wasn’t for the silver thread, I’d have no idea how to exit this shifting white fog. Horsey thoughts got stronger as I followed the thread while the haze thinned and cleared to reveal an endless prairie of green grass. I found myself standing before a naked man wearing a horse mask and I stared in shock. It was obviously me wearing a cheap costume horse mask — there was no mistaking my tattoos.
“What did you expect?” Horse neighed at me. “I am you and you are me and we are all together. Goo goo ga joob.”
Horse made a shooing motion with his hands and I accelerated backwards through the white haze and slammed into my own body with a gasp. I stared at the tarp overhead for a long minute, processing this new revelation. Horse was a part of me, a piece of my spirit. Whatever psychic stuff I did with that silver cord lead me into a house of mirrors where I got to look at myself pretending to be a horse. I can’t even deal with that right now.
Rolling into my blankets, I dropped off to sleep.
*Ding*
-=- - Welcome to the Dreamworld - Included in the Psychic Skills pack, the Inner Sanctum is your psychic domain. It is the mental fortress that you must secure and maintain to defend against psychic and spiritual assaults. All of your neurosis and fears are symbolised in this realm and must be defeated or subjugated before you can become master of the domain. Good luck. -=-
I banished the pop-up and looked around. I knew I was asleep, but everything was just as real as when I was awake. I was breathing, I could feel the floor under my feet, and if it weren’t for the pop-up, I would have sworn I had been teleported. The room I was in resembled an oversized luxury prison cell, maybe a thirty foot cube. No windows. Rough stone walls with thick mortar. Large brass wall sconces were set directly into the stone and suffused the room with a warm, golden light provided by glowing rocks. The stone floor had colourful Persian rugs tastefully placed. A high plaster ceiling was painted with a rendition of Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam’, depicting me as both Adam and God.
There was a comfy sofa in front of a large screen television that hung from one wall and an ornate grandfather clock ticked loudly in the corner. It was currently 10:08 PM. Another wall was a floor to ceiling bookshelf, stuffed with books of varying sizes. The third wall was covered with pictures and I could see at a glance that they were images from my life. The fourth wall had a thick riveted steel door on the right side, a full sized mirror on the left, and a computer workstation in the middle.
The picture wall was my first target. A few were quite large, nearly life sized, while others were tiny prints no larger than the palm of my hand. Scenes of my life were displayed in each one. The largest was me riding Horse with a shit-scared expression, shooting at a pack of wolves. Others were smaller, each with different frames. Some ornate gold or silver, others plain wood, a few wrapped in briars or barbed wire. Nanny Ramsey holding me as a young child. My dog Jean with a red ball in his mouth. My parents, screaming at me. I turned my attention to the books. Books are safe. Books don’t judge you.
The sweet, musty scent of a used book store filled my nostrils as I drew close to the honey coloured shelves. Hundreds of volumes filled the wall from floor to ceiling, with a ladder that could be rolled along a rail to access the top. I smiled at the sight. I had always wanted a library like this. I pulled a book at random and read the title, “Confused Fantasies about Joseph Harris, part XXIV of the Middle School Years”.
I slid the book back onto the shelf. Let’s see what’s on TV.
The remote was a slim, futuristic looking affair with a minimum of buttons. I pointed it at the television and moments later the huge screen came to life and presented me with a simple menu for movies, divided into six categories: Happy, Surprised, Afraid, Disgusted, Angry, and Sad. I scrolled through the offerings for a minute, reading the titles and reviews about the movies of my life. It really bothered me that there were so few selections in the Happy section.
The number of Sad movies increased by one.
I walked over to the mirror and noticed there was a small sticky note pasted to it. “Astral Realm. Experienced users only.” I shoved the note in my pocket and stared at my image. Sturdy black boots, black denim jeans and shirt with mother-of-pearl buttons, deep brown gun belt slung at my hip, red bandanna and black felt hat. All I needed was a pencil moustache and I would look like the stereotypical villain in any spaghetti western. At that very moment I decided to grow out a goatee. I’d rather be mistaken for a bad guy than a victim.
So how does this astral realm thing work?
The mirror appeared to be nothing more than a mirror. It was cold, smooth glass surrounded by a wrought iron frame, and reflected my image. I didn’t necessarily want to go walking into danger, but I wanted to know how it worked. I pushed and prodded the glass in frustration until I noticed my image grinning at me. I jumped back in surprise and it doubled over in silent laughter.
“Hilarious, dude. You got me,” I huffed. “So how do I get in?”
My mirror-self tipped his hat and stepped to side.
I reached up to the mirror again and my hand passed through, vanishing as if cut off. Okay, just a quick peek and we’ll explore the rest of the room. I stepped through and the world shifted around me. I was standing back at the campsite. My body was insubstantial as a ghost and the tarp was a wisp of substance running straight through me. Non living things don’t seem to have much presence in this realm. Glancing down, I saw my sleeping body rolled up in the blankets, a thin silver thread running from it to me, and another thread running to Horse.
Looking around, I surveyed the campsite. My astral vision seemed to be on and had an unlimited range. I could see the life all around me, the distant forest was a sea of greenish-gold, grasses and brush nearby glowed with spectral light. Tiny ghost insects scurried while ghost mice nibbled at whatever ghost mice nibble on. Ghost seeds and ghost insects, I suppose. I turned my attention overhead and gaped at the sight of a monstrous serpentine spirit flying through the inky void. I dropped back through the tent and rolled inside my body. That was plenty enough for now.
I rolled through the mirror and landed flat on my back, staring at the fresco on the ceiling. Vinnie-God winked at me and Vinnie-Adam grinned. Climbing to my knees, I brushed non-existent dust from my trousers and watched mirror-me doubled over in soundless laughter.
“Hey, laughing-boy!” I yelled at him. “You’re like the guardian or something, right? You got it covered?”
Mirror-me stood and saluted with a smile, then gave me two thumbs up. A moment later, his face took on a serious expression and he wriggled his right hand in the ‘maybe’ motion. Then he pointed at me, tapped his wrist, and then a finger to his head.
It all depends on how fast I learn stuff, I guess.
Two thumbs up and a winning smile reflected back to me.
A large cork board was mounted to the wall over the computer and a small note was pinned to it. “Note to self: Don’t fuck with the Elvish womens.”
The computer screen featured a screensaver of me as Vitruvian Man doing callisthenics over the words ‘HumanOS’. I tapped the spacebar and was rewarded with the sound of powerful fans kicking to life as the computer emerged from sleep mode and prompted me for a password. Should I assume it’s the same as the password on the computer I pawned in my previous life?
Password: *******esi
I was rewarded with a sweet R&M desktop and a couple of icons. System, NeuralNet, My-Tunes, My-Movies, My-Office.
System was just what I expected, lots of .dna files and other confusing scariness that allowed me to tweak my physical body and mental state. My-Tunes was a collection of every song I’d ever heard and My-Movies was a collection of every movie I’d ever seen. Not that I’m complaining, but it would have been nice to have “My-Games” so I could play RDR. My-Office was a clone of the popular software by a similar name. I have no idea what I’ll ever need a spreadsheet for in this world.
NuralNet opened up a search engine called Me-Seeks, featuring a familiar blue guy.
I typed in “beer” and several thousand results were displayed, anything I’d ever read, heard, or watched about beer, including how to make it. This right here made the price of admission totally worth it, access to an exact copy of everything I’d ever read, and I was a voracious reader. Sadly, most of the stuff I read was futurology — solar panels, electronics, biotech advancements, quantum computing. The material for steam engines, blacksmithing, farming and the like, were slim pickings. That’s okay though, I could still reproduce the Gutenberg press, the cotton gin, simple internal combustion engines, and basic batteries along with some sketchy knowledge of metal alloys, acids, bases, and other things I had read over the years. All that wasted time watching “How Things Work” was finally going to pay off. I copied a few likely money makers to My-Office, saved the file, and exported to my Notes, just in case they didn’t exist on Aerth.
A popup covered the screen.
📱 [New Upgrade Available!] 📱
🎉 Enhance Your Experience with the Latest HumanOS Features! 🎉
🌟 Features Include:

• 🧠 Memory Booster: Increase your Memory for smoother multitasking and improved performance.
• 🔋 Energy Optimizer: Extend your battery life with advanced power-saving techniques.
• 🛠️ Utility Upgrades: Access new apps and utilities to enhance your daily life and adventures.
• 🗺️ Advanced Mapping: Never get lost again with enhanced GPS and location tracking.

🔥 Special Offer: Only 2000 credits for version 2.0 or 5000 credits for version 3.0! 🔥
[Upgrade Now ✅] [Remind Me Later ❌]
Apparently I could upgrade myself, which reduced the cost of using my Utilities while providing other minor benefits. My Utilities would level up as I used them, which would increase their battery cost, so if I didn’t keep pace with an update to the OS they could become prohibitively expensive to operate.
Stupid pay-to-win world.
So, do I pay 2000 credits for version 2.0 or 5000 credits for version 3.0?
I selected version 3.0 and klicked [Install]. After watching it download the update, it popped up another screen that asked if I wanted to update now, or wait until Midnight for the mandatory update.
I selected [No] just as the grandfather clock chimed 10:30 PM. I wondered if time ran slower in here, because it seemed like I had spent a lot more time on the computer than 15 minutes. Walking over to the imposing steel door, I noticed a bronze key with a thin chain in the lock. There was another sticky note on the door. “Subconscious. Please keep the key with you at all times.”
That’s not scary at all, is it?
I unlocked the door with a loud clunk and pulled it open to reveal a bedroom straight out of some royal castle. I could tell immediately that it had seen better days. The tapestries on the wall were frayed and fading. The canopy over the bed had a few holes in it. A thin layer of dust covered the mantle of a small fireplace set into the wall. There was a window letting in bright sunlight and I moved over to look outside.
I was on the third floor of a keep surrounded by the walls and turrets of a modest castle. A castle that had fallen into serious disrepair. Did this represent the state of my inner mind? One tower was shattered and the curtain wall under it damaged. The lower bailey was full of litter. I could see a few soldiers walking around the allure, keeping watch.
I have people in my subconscious?
Someone behind me cleared their throat.
Whirling, I discovered a familiar old man standing in the door of the bedroom. What was left of his hair formed a white halo around his head, his face was unshaven and covered with several days of growth. He was dressed like a poor and tattered manservant, but carried himself with a dignified air.
“Woodhouse?”
“It’s nice to see the master at home,” He said with a proper English accent. “There are many matters that require the master’s attention.”
“Uh, sure,” I said, hanging the key around my neck and tucking it in my shirt. “And who are you again?”
“Your personal manservant, of course” he said with a slight bow. Walking over to the steel door, he pulled it closed and it locked with a solid thunk. “Master should always keep his inner sanctum closed. One never knows if something nasty will creep in.”
“Thank you, uh, Woodhouse. I’ll remember that,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “So what needs tending and how do things work around here?”
He smiled and beckoned me with a white gloved hand. “If master would be so kind as to follow me, I’ll introduce him to the staff and explain the duties and obligations of his domain.”
I’m 99.9% certain that everyone here is just me wearing a mask, so I shrugged and followed Woodhouse out of the bedroom and into the rest of my subconscious.
Five minutes later I was on the ground floor and seated on a shabby throne with the cast of a popular —and probably very copyright protected— animation in front of me. Woodhouse was the head butler and my personal manservant. Pam was the cook and demanded that I start importing sugar and alcohol before she was shushed by Woodhouse. Carol was a maid. Krieger was chancellor and Cyril was the steward. Archer and Lana were in charge of security. Ray was the marshal in charge of everything from the stables to the blacksmith.
I stared in disbelief at the motley crew kneeling in front of me. No wonder my inner mind was in such shambles. I was overcome with an irrational sense of anger at myself.
“Arright, listen up,” I barked, my voice echoing around the room. “I swear to God that I will fire every single one of you and hire circus clowns to replace you if you keep fucking things up. No joke. Circus clowns, got it?”
I ran a hand over my face as Ray pissed himself. “The only reason I’m not putting a boot in your asses right now is because I realise that you’re aspects of me, and the people you represent are pretty damn good at their jobs when they give enough of a shit to actually do them. As a team, you’re dysfunctionally fantastic and always seem to come out ahead no matter the odds.”
Heaving a sigh, I continued. “Things have changed and I need to get my shit together. I’m going to need every one of you to pull your weight and help me help you. Get back to your duties, I’ll meet you one on one later.”
My subconscious caretakers scurried out of the room.
“I’ll have one of the maids tend to the piss,” Woodhouse assured me.
“Never mind that,” I snapped. “I honestly had no idea my mind was such a shit show. I’m very disappointed in myself.” I pictured the Angry, Sad, and Disgusted counters on my personal movies clicking up. “Show me what needs to be done and let’s get started.”
During Woodhouse’s walking tour, everything clicked into place. This was some altered version of Bodiam castle, a location that was on my bucket list of places to visit. The royal council room, located behind the throne room, contained a “living” tapestry on the wall that showed the castle and surrounding land in real time. The castle was located in the middle of a small lake, and a single wood bridge led to the mainland. A small town surrounded the lake and a wall encircled the town. Outside the wall, the land was an irregular patchwork of forest and field, with a stinking swamp to the south. The entire “kingdom” was maybe ten miles across, surrounded by impassable mountains with innumerable creeks that fed the lake which drained into the southern swamp.
“Zombies are the problem, sir.” Woodhouse said, as I surveyed the living tapestry of my mental domain.
“Zombies?” I prompted.
“Yes sir, Zombies” Woodhouse continued. “Nasty bitey things that come in from the mountains and harass the peasants. They’ve gotten especially worse over the last few months. The soldiers do what they can, but they seem to have lost all motivation. Probably because they haven’t been paid.”
“And who pays them?”
“Typically chancellor Krieger is in charge of financial matters, although Steward Figgis has taken over the duty, sir.”
“Then let’s make Figgis our first stop.”
“Very good, sir.”
The office of the steward was run by Cyril Figgis, who managed the kingdom in my absence. It was overflowing with paperwork and charts, books and scrolls piled high on every flat surface. Cyril was desperately attempting to tidy things when Woodhouse and I walked in.
“Yo..you..your majesty,” Cyril stuttered, bowing low. Scrolls fell from his overloaded arms, spilling across the floor. He dropped to his knees and scrambled to gather them up. “I didn’t expect you to visit so soon. Please forgive the mess, housekeeping has been slacking…”
This was the guy who ran things while I was conscious.
“Shut up, Cyril” I said. “You’re responsible for everything in this office. That includes keeping it organised and tidy.”
“Y..yes milord.”
“It’s my understanding that you’re in charge of making sure everyone gets paid. So why aren’t we paying people?” I asked.
“We’re nearly out of Fuks, your majesty. I’ve been saving them for emergencies.”
“Fucks?”
“Fuks,” Cyril explained, pushing a pile of books off a large chest and opening it. Reaching inside he pulled out two small bags and emptied them on top of his cluttered desk. “Gold and Silver Fuks, the currency of the kingdom. I can’t maintain the kingdom when I have no Fuks to give.”
Behold the subconscious kingdom of Vincent J. Carter, it runs on Fuks.
“So how do I get more fuks?” I asked, examining one of the coins. It had an image of me on one side and symbol on the other that could be interpreted as “peace among worlds”.
“You kill the zombies, your majesty.”
Of course I do.
Woodhouse and I left Cyril’s office and headed towards the office of the chancellor where Krieger worked. It seemed that Cyril took over financial matters when Krieger became erratic and proposed luring all the zombies into the city and setting it on fire. Not sure how that corresponds to my own self-destructive behaviour, but I’ve had some dark thoughts over the last couple of months and I’m sure they’re reflected here.
Krieger’s office was much neater in comparison to Cyril’s, but it wasn’t by much. Shelves lined the walls and were filled with an array of questionable items, including a still snapping zombie head in a jar. While the office of the chancellor was supposed to be in charge of financial matters, it looked more like a dodgy rummage sale.
Krieger was launching sword blades at a pig carcass when we walked in.
“What exactly are you doing?” I asked, standing in the doorway.
“Hm? Oh, your majesty!” he said, turning around and bowing deeply. “I’m testing a new invention. It’s a spring loaded hilt that shoots sword blades. Very useful for our soldiers.”
“Stupidest idea ever,” I snapped. “I hate everything about it.”
“Okay,” Krieger said, tossing the hilt into a nearby pile of junk. “But don’t blame me when you need to shoot a sword at a zombie and don’t have one.”
“So why aren’t you managing the financial affairs? Collecting taxes, paying people, stuff like that?”
“Because the population has declined so much none of that matters?”
“What do you mean?”
“Wellll, the population represents things you care about,” Krieger said, going into lecture mode. “And the zombies and other monsters are real or imagined problems in your way. Since you don’t care about too many things the population has shrunk to just what’s needed to keep everything running on the bare minimum of fuks. And since you don’t seem to have any long or short term goals, there’s no need to kill off the zombies and get more fuks. Everything is fine just the way it is.”
“No, it’s not Krieger” I said, grinding my teeth. “My mind is in a shambles. It’s a joke. I want it fixed. No, I want it better than fixed. I want it improved.”
“Oh! I’ve got just the thing for that!” He said, digging around in his pockets, “It’s a spring-loaded hilt that shoots swords!”
Pam and Cheryl were hanging out a gallery window jeering at Archer and Lana sparring in the inner courtyard.
“What the hell are you doing!” I snapped
They whirled in surprise and then dropped into deep curtseys.
“Your majesty!”
I took a deep breath, trying to regain my centre. “Get to work cleaning this place up. Find a room, clean it, and move on to the next. Start with my bedroom, then the throne room and the council chamber, then everything else.”
Cheryl spoke up. “Can’t do it. We got no fuks to clean with.”
“You need fuks to clean?”
“Gotta buy stuff,” Pam said. “Cleaning supplies, food. You wanna eat, you’re gonna have to spend some fuks.”
“Talk to Cyril,” I ordered. “Tell him I said to get you supplied.”
They ran off in the direction of the stewards office.
I watched Archer and Lana bashing each other enthusiastically through the window.
Several minutes later the sparring couple stopped and bowed when Woodhouse and I stepped into the inner courtyard.
“Your majesty”
“My liege”
“Enough,” I said. “If you have enough energy to smash each other, you have enough energy to smash zombies. Tell me what I need to know so I can start gathering fuks.”
Archer shrugged and spoke first. “You just kill the zombies and other monsters. They drop fuks.”
“Anything special about the zombies?” I asked. “Are they fast? Do people get turned into zombies when bitten?”
“Nope,” Lana said, resting her wooden sword on her shoulder. “Most of them are slow shamblers and just need a good wack to the head to kill them.”
“Some are special,” Archer interjected. “Occasionally you’ll have some fast ones, or those that need holy water to kill. They’re just bad memories, figments of your personality that need to be eliminated. Some are worse than others.”
“The zombies are bad memories?” I asked, imagining all the bad memories that I had.
“Memories, thoughts, insecurities, metaphysical mumbo-jumbo,” Woodhouse supplied. “They are endless, but constant vigilance can keep them under control.”
“So let’s get started,” I said. “Lead the way.”
Lana and Archer lead me up to the parapet over the front gate where I looked over at the dozens of zombies milling about aimlessly in front of the entrance to my mind. Pulling out my gun, I began to pick them off, easy as shooting fish in a barrel. The crack of my spell pistol attracted more zombies and I dispatched them with ease until no more were left around the gate. As I fired each shot I could feel some sort of existential energy flowing from me, draining some hidden reserve.
“Gather up the Fuks,” I commanded. “And Lana?”
“Mi’lord?”
“There’s no excuse for this. From now on, I expect the walls to be clear of all zombies.”
“Yes mi’lord,” she said, giving me a small bow.
Turning to Archer, I shook my head. “You’re obviously my personal narcissism, so just try to stay out of Lana’s way, or better yet - try to kill more zombies than her. If you think you can.”
Archer scoffed. “No contest. I took top marks in sharpshooting.”
“That means I should expect to see results by tomorrow. I look forward to it.”
Archer looked panicked for a moment then smiled. “Sure, I can give you results.”
Turning back to Woodhouse I said “Show me what else need attending.”
Woodhouse led me through the town that represented my mind, pointing out each business that had fallen into disrepair, suggested others that needed improvements, and additions that would benefit me. In the distance, I could hear Lana and Archer shooting at the crowd of zombies and with each echoing shot I felt a tiny bit better about everything.
[INDEX]

AskHR is blackout. I am an engineer.. if you know a better subreddit let me know.
Location: Nevada
Working in: Germany
Can I ask for a confidential conversation and then to have that conversation in writing? I do not want to raise red flags about quitting.
Long story short, I have not used my vacation the last year and a half and have accrued 32+ days of vacation and will not be able to use them until august. I had a verbal conversation confirming that as long as I quit and give my two weeks notice and work those two weeks the vacation will be paid out in full. I want this in writing and to clarify any additional requirements as I do have a "contract" for working oversees at another site. Is it possible to ask for confirmation of vacation time payout as well as there are no additional terms in writing. I do not trust a single person at my company. I am paid in Nevada by our company there, but am working in Germany in a loose one page contract.

AskHR is blackout. I am an engineer.. if you know a better subreddit let me know.
Location: Nevada
Working in: Germany
Can I ask for a confidential conversation and then to have that conversation in writing? I do not want to raise red flags about quitting.
Long story short, I have not used my vacation the last year and a half and have accrued 32+ days of vacation and will not be able to use them until august. I had a verbal conversation confirming that as long as I quit and give my two weeks notice and work those two weeks the vacation will be paid out in full. I want this in writing and to clarify any additional requirements as I do have a "contract" for working oversees at another site. Is it possible to ask for confirmation of vacation time payout as well as there are no additional terms in writing. I do not trust a single person at my company. I am paid in Nevada by our company there, but am working in Germany in a loose one page contract.

I (m31) admit that I have been partially dismissive of my (w30) wife’s desires (not needs). I’ve been incredibly busy with work and career progression in the past years, ~3 to be precise, and while I have (at least I believe to) have fulfilled all the more important responsibilities towards our relationship, the wife has brought up on several occasions that we haven’t been as close lately. Now that my situation has settled, I have found myself with more energy and time to spare. Last night I’ve cooked her favourite meal, I’ve tidied and cleaned the entire house, and I’m just generally doing more than her when it comes to house chores. We are a team and I don’t see this as a problem, nor does it bother me. Please understand that I haven’t neglected my share, it’s that if I would put a number on it, i was doing about 40-30% of the work while she picked up my slack. Now, in the past few weeks, I’ve been pretty much doing everything except the laundry. Not sure how relevant this is to the conversation, it’s more present here for the purposes of prevebting being erroneously judged on home maintenance matters.
Returning to the dismissal - it’s more related to quality time together. Dates and activities. While I’ve been mindful and present for the usual women’s day, bday, wedding anniversary, etc, I pretty much flat out refused the short trips and activities that we were accustomed to doing before this period.
I would like to resume our former habits.
Would I be wrong for planning activities when she has more positive vibes? We all avoid certain activities and conversations when their decision making is influenced by their hormones. Please don’t dismiss my wife’s behaviour and lived experience- i realise that not all women are affected equally by their hormones. This is not how the relationship started, but by spending years together, we’ve both realised that accommodating her monthly experience has improved our communication skills and brought us closer. I’ve gotten to learn pretty much everything there is to learn about her, and I’m quite positive that is reciprocated. Disclaimer: this doesn’t mean that I’m disregarding her desires outside of that magical week, but rather planning the bigger activities/experiences during her days post period.