This is gonna be long so bear with me pls. I (f21) used to hook up with this guy (m22), I started liking him a lot, he said he wasn’t interested in a relationship. I didn’t take it personally plus I was transferring to another school abroad at the end of the year and then I’d probably never see him again.
About 3 months after i moved (so march 2023) he spontaneously booked a flight and came to visit me during spring break, he stayed with me and we were together basically the whole time, we hooked up but it was kind of an fwb situation? but throughout he kept dropping hints which I decided to ignore since I knew he wasn’t interested in being more than friends.
I do want to mention that I come from a rather well to do family and i might be a little spoilt in the sense that my family pays my tuition so I don’t have student loans and I get my rent money and some pocket money from home because my family doesn’t want me to work yet so I can focus on school more, but since I moved I have been working 2 jobs (without my family knowing) to save money because I like to live comfortably, go shopping, travel, and I’m trying to save up for my masters so I’m pretty comfortable financially, which he saw on his visit since I paid for p much everything. (Now that I think about it, I took a leave from work and didn’t have school that week so he didn’t actually see how hard I work, to him i was just chilling all day and living rich).
When he went back after his visit he kept talking ab how he has such a good time with me and how he really likes me and we started talking a lot more and I was kinda into him again. After like a month he started telling me that he wants to stop seeing other people and he dsnt want me to see other people either, still no mention of a relationship but he wanted to be exclusive. I had been on a couple dates since I moved but I wasn’t really interested in anyone so I agreed. Within a month of that (so june 2023) he started saying he loves me and for the longest time I hesitated to say it back but eventually i did. He kept saying he wants to visit me again etc but he cnt afford it. I agreed to pay bec i wanted to see him too but I thought that since I didn’t have school all month we could go on a little vacation instead of just him coming over, since I could afford it. We planned an trip for July and decided everything but before I paid for anything I asked him if he sees this ever turning into a relationship and he told me no at first but after i said if it’s not going anywhere (I was going to pay for his flights, all the stay and we would split the money we spend there) I don’t want to invest financially in it like time is one thing but i work really hard for the money, he said he just doesn’t feel like he’s ready for a relationship now but gave me hope saying that might change as we spend time together. I was naive enough to fall for that and we went on our little vacation.
Towards the end of the vacation like 2 days before we were supposed to go back, we were at a club and I was sitting down with my drink while he was on the floor and I saw him make a snapchat call and he was on it for a while and in the middle of it his screen lit up and a girl’s (let’s call her K) bitmoji was on it, so i went up to him to ask who he was talking to, he straight up lied and told me it was one of his guy friends and i just went and sat back down. After he finished the call he came and sat next to me and held his phone in a way that he obviously wanted me to look at the screen bec he had called his guy friend now the bitmoji was on the screen, which was such a failure because his guy friend didn’t even answer the phone he just showed me the “ringing” screen. I didn’t say anything tho because we both were pretty drunk and I didn’t want to start a fight in that condition. The next was our last night there and it went well but on the way back to our hotel at the end of the night i forgot my phone in the uber and used his phone to call the uber driver to ask if there was any way i could get it back. He was almost passed put by the time the uber driver came back around to bring my phone so i asked him if i could take his phone outside while i go to bring my phone just in case I need to contact the driver, he agreed and unlocked his phone and gave it to me. When i was going, K called him and i just rejected the call but then she sent him like a million texts and my suspicion got the best of me and I opened the chat. I barely had to scroll up before I saw several explicit msgs and photos (all very recent) and it made me sick to my stomach. I got my phone back and went back to the room to find him passed out I threw his phone at him and he woke up and we talked about it basically all night, I was crying like the whole time and in the end he promised me he wouldn’t do it again and he only wants to be with me and all this other emo (and in hindsight, toxic) crap that I fell for at the time and the next day we flew back.
Things were okay for like 2 months after that. On Halloween we were both on facetime, getting ready to go to halloween parties (in our respective countries lol) and I was telling him how to do his makeup (he really likes my style and often asks me for advice on clothes, makeup, hair etc) we talked for a while it was all great and after we got ready we ended the call and I went to the party (it was like 10min from my place) and as soon as I got there I tried to send him a snap but couldn’t find him on my snapchat friend list, so i tried to text him on Instagram only to find he had blocked me, on everything.
I DID NOT handle that well. After he had been nc for a week, he called me. Of course, I couldn’t resist and answered. He asked for help with a school project (I would often help him with things like that, even tho he was in a much complex course i would learn his stuff and then help him with homework and stuff). Even tho I was not in good condition physically bec of the withdrawals and even tho he hadn’t even addressed the fact that he had blocked me on everything out of nowhere I decided to help him again because I was just so desperate to talk to him and I basically made the whole thing for him and he got a good grade, he thanked me and stuff and when i asked him why he blocked me he just said “idk i was just upset idk why” he just always refused to talk about it. But i mean social media is so accessible, i did see that he had been commenting on K’s old Instagram posts (he commented on ALL her posts actually) throughout the week, so i’m sure it had something to do with her, but I didn’t ask because he seemed irritable whenever i would bring it up.
We started talking like before again, he graduated (i’m still in school) and we planned for another vacation for new years eve. Big surprise, even tho he was the one who proposed the trip, now he was unemployed so he couldn’t afford it, again. And another big surprise, I agreed to pay for it again. It was all good except I brought about $1000 in cash to spend on the trip and every time I took money out of it he would comment about how it was such a “fat stack” which sussed me out a little but whatever. About halfway through the trip I got really drunk and passed out and when I woke up the next morning all my cash was gone and I asked him if he kept it with him and he refused and got mad at me for losing such a big amount of money (as if I wasn’t stressed enough) and how he was going to have to pay now (hotels and flights were already paid for, he’d be paying for drinks and food basically). I still don’t think he would steal from me bec if he wanted money he could just ask and I would have just given him and not even asked for it back but there’s nowhere it could’ve gone because I never took the whole cash out of the hotel room and it was just us two there. I didn’t want to accuse him of anything so i let that go and never mentioned it. But that was the first time I got sus ab him with the money.
Fast forward to two months ago, we planned another trip (to my home country this time) which was supposed to be two weeks long but while we were there we were having so much fun that we kept extending it and it ended up being a month long. I saved up hella for this trip because I knew exactly what hotels I wanted to stay at, what places i wanted to go etc and i knew it was gonna be kinda expensive but even then because we stayed much longer it also costed way more than expected. At this point he didn’t even have to tell me he couldn’t afford it, it was just understood that i would be paying since he was still unemployed. But this time he had this new credit card and wanted to increase his credit score so he asked if i could use his cards to book everything and pay HIM back instead, i was like sure whatever. So i booked both our flights on my card and hotels and stuff on his. We had the best time on this trip, felt closer to him than ever so I didn’t mind paying. We decided that I would give him a certain amount in cash (to avoid international transfer fee) and transfer the rest (because countries have a limit on how much cash u can bring without having to report to customs). Once again towards the end of the trip I saw he was still talking to that girl, and it wasn’t just sexual, he called her the same nicknames he called me, he sent her the same reels and stuff on Instagram that he sent me it was like reading his chats with me. I didn’t say anything then, but a couple hours later I asked him if we should see other people too, like keep seeing each other but also see other people (i even said “we both” so he dsnt feel the need to get defensive) and he said no he dsnt want to and he dsnt even want me to. Him lying again when i gave him a chance to end his lie really broke my heart completely (bec at this point he was just lying for the sake of it) but it was just 3 days before we were gonna leave so i decided not to ruin the rest of the trip and end things with him after I paid him back for the credit card (I’d already given him more than half the amount in cash as soon as we met). When we were booking flights to go back he insisted that be take pne with a layover in a third completely put of the way country because it was cheaper and i was like sure, but then he also said because it’s two really long flights he wants to stay in this third country for a couple days bec he wouldn’t be too exhausted and wanted me to pay for the airbnb, I already wasn’t a fan of paying for a whole solo trip for him where I wasn’t going (it was one of my bucket list countries too) so i tried to tell him to just suck it up and take a couple hour layover instead but he wouldn’t listen. AND to make it worse, i saw his phone again (I didn’t even checking his phone or anything even once on this trip, he had the conversation open while he was sitting next to me and i could see) and he was talking to this girl who was around that country and asked her if she would travel there for a couple days to meet him and she agreed at first but once he sent her an airbnb and asked what she thought about it, she left him on seen and never responded even after he offered to pay (im guessing bec initially she just thought he meant they would hang out and when he brought up staying together even she got creeped out). THIS MAN WANTED ME TO PAY FOR HIS INTERNATIONAL TRIP TO MEET ANOTHER GIRL WHO HE TOLD HE WAS PAYING FOR EVERYTHING.
That was my last straw i got so mad and we had a big conversation , highlights: (Note: this is all in a very calm tone, i was holding back tears but no one was being aggressive)
Him: she’s just a friend and I haven’t even ever slept with her or anything PLUS that’s not even happening i’m not going to see her Me: because SHE left you on seen, u were clearly trying in fact ur the one who asked her to begin with Him: sighs & shrugs
Me: what about the girl in (hometown)? Him:
Me: why did u block me after halloween Him: i cnt tell u that Me: is it because u were also lying to K, telling her u were not seeing other people n she found out u were talking to me and to keep her from leaving u blocked me till she calmed down? Him: sighs, leans back and looks away
Me: why is one girl not enough Him: bec I’m not 40 Me: so why do u lie instead of just being honest and saying ur also seeing other people Him: bec i dnt wanna hurt feelings Me: i never asked u for anything u were the one who insisted on being exclusive, u were the one who said u loved me first while u knew the whole time u were lying, u really had no reason to lie? Him: u wouldn’t treat me the same if u knew i was seeing other people Me: i was treating u the exact same before u said all that? When u came to visit me i still paid for everything, u really didn’t have reason to lie Him: sighs
Me: what do u expect me to do now? Him: idk i guess u can see other people too(?)
Me: i didn’t mind paying for u if u were seeing other people n honest about it but dnt want to pay for someone who goes out of their way to lie to me for no reason (i p much never get pissed ab anything as long as it’s honest so there’s really no reason to lie which is why i cnt stand when people lie to me) Him: i understand
Me: did u at least use protection with other people (he told me he was clean and wasn’t seeing other people so i agreed to not using protection since i was on birth control anyway) Him: yes u can get tested if u want (i did and turns out he was lying i came home with a nasty std, I haven’t slept with anyone else in about a year)
After the long conversation we went to sleep and he noticed i was still crying so he hugged me and said “i dnt want u to cry talk to me” so i started saying how idk how to feel or what to do it’s just too much to process that he would do this bec i trusted him so much even when I didn’t want to but he rolled his eyes in the middle of my sentence which ticked me off so i turned away and was like “no dont turn away” to which I said “when im not talking u have an issue, when im talking u have an issue, what do u want?” This was the first time i dropped my calm in from of him and picked up an actually annoyed tone, which seemed to set something off in his head and he just blew up at me like YELLING about how im the one making a big deal out of everything and im the one who keeps turning away and refusing to talk to him etc and then he got up from the bed and punched the wall REALLY hard so i grabbed both his hands and sat him down on the bed and told him to shut up and calm down bec he was gonna get hurt if he keeps punching shit. He already hurt his hand p bad and he just held his hand to his chest and i could tell he was trying to hold in screams bec he was so much in pain. I called room service to bring ice and went downstairs to get him a painkiller. He finally calmed down and fell asleep. The next day he didn’t talk to me for 8 hours, didn’t go out or anything, we just sat there in the hotel room in silence, whenever i tried to bring up anything he just shrugged and continued to not say a word, Finally we both got hungry and went to get dinner after which we got drinks, once we got a little buzzed he started talking to me again and told me he got triggered bec i yelled at him (I didn’t yell but i did get annoyed so i got what he meant) and i apologised.
We were fine for the rest of the day and the next day and the night after that we finally flew back home.
He asked me to transfer him the money for his credit card and i asked him how much it was. The number he gave me was ridiculously higher than the number i had on my spreadsheet (since i made the bookings i even had the receipts) so i showed him saying these were the numbers that I had and he said “no but this is what my card got charged” and he sent me his own spreadsheet that me made (v poorly made no dates or anything, there were even some amounts without descriptions) so i said ok this isn’t helpful, just send me the credit card statement and i’ll see what went wrong in my calculations and he has been making dumb excuses for the last 2 weeks every time i ask him to send the statement like “there’s other payments too on the statement so u might get confused” (as if idk how to read??) or “oh i’ll send it when i open the credit card website next” but he keeps asking me to send him the money like constantly. Another thing that’s weird to me is that he completely disregarded the part where I told him I would only be paying for my half of the trip bec of him lying to me, which I already gave him more than half in cash in the beginning of the trip. Thirdly, not only does he want me to pay full he is also disregarding the money i gave him in cash bec he “spent it on the trip so it didn’t go towards the credit card payment” which I never agreed to give him spending money, that’s supposed to be on him, I brought my own spending money separately so it wasn’t even like he had to pay for both of us.
So basically, he wants me to pay for the whole credit card bill (which he won’t send me the statement for) on top of what i gave him in cash which was more than half of the number HE is giving me (and close to 80% of the number I have) ALL AFTER he lied to me, tried to make me pay for him going to meet another girl in a different country, yelled at me, punched a wall and made ME apologise.
The amount he’s asking for is big and I know he’s unemployed and if that’s the actual number, he definitely can’t pay it. While i can afford it (just barely after everything I already paid for including previous trips, flights for this trip and the money i gave him in cash) i did already tell him I would only be paying for my half (which i already did) and he agreed at the time, and i’m still extremely hurt and angry about all the lies and the drama. If he sent me the credit card statement I would still help him a little bit but he even refuses to do that. He hasn’t talked about anything else except asking me to send him the money for the past few days. I was going to cut him off after I paid him but he’s being kind of not cool about it and it’s not like i just have the money lying around. So would I be the asshole if I just ghosted him with his credit card debt that i know he can’t pay?
Also want to add: i keep mentioning his unemployment bec until February i was helping him improve his resume, prepare for interviews etc (I’m studying HR and recruitment) but after this trip he told me he is not even looking for a job bec if he got a job he “wouldn’t be able to travel as much” which pissed me off more bec im working my ass off to afford all this.

Welcome back, fellow mobile gamers :) As per tradition, here are my weekly mobile game recommendations based on the most interesting games I played and that were covered on MiniReview this week! :) I hope you'll enjoy some of them.
Support these posts (and YouTube content + development of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3
This episode includes a great racing game, a fun arcade platformer, a great deck-builder roguelike RPG, an arcade casual game, and a neat deck-building dungeon crawler.
New to these posts? Check out the first one from 216 weeks ago here.

Let's get to the games:

Art of Rally [Game Size: 2.3 GB] ($4.99)

Genre: Racing / Simulation - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Art of Rally is a rally racing game with an amazing atmosphere, several fun game modes that range from casual to hardcore, and deep gameplay customization settings.
The main career mode has us play through several years of rally history on tracks all around the world, unlocking new cars and skins as we progress.
In addition to the campaign, however, there is a custom rally mode, a time-attack mode where we can try all of the game’s vehicles, a free-roam mode where we drive around a large open world to collect items, and daily and weekly online events with leaderboards.
What I like the best about Art of Rally is that it can be as casual or hardcore as you want. Free roaming is a fun laid-back experience while the time-attack modes are incredibly challenging. And even in the career mode, we can pick the difficulty of our AI opponents.
The touch controls are okay but lack different options. Thankfully, the game plays perfectly with a Bluetooth controller, and there are lots of customization options for everything from the HUD to the interface and gameplay, including changing the steering sensitivity, enabling anti-lock braking, and much more.
The game has a great atmosphere, and the low-poly art style and minimalistic UI fit nicely. Unfortunately, loading between menus and levels is slow, and I ran into a few minor bugs - so the game isn’t perfectly ported from PC.
Art of Rally is a $4.99 premium game with a single $1.99 optional DLC that adds additional map areas.
It’s a game more about precision than driving super-fast, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I think you’ll enjoy Art of Rally – especially if you have a controller to play it with.
App Store: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Art of Rally

Level Devil - NOT A Troll Game [Total Game Size: 87 MB] (Free)

Genre: Platform / Arcade - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by Ark:
Level Devil is an easy arcade platformer with no surprises or frustrations at all… or is it?
The game has us move left, right, and jump to navigate seemingly simple one-screen stages. But as we progress, the game starts trolling us in lots of unexpected ways.
Floors suddenly disappear beneath our feet, spikes spawn at what looks like safe spots, and the game sometimes even changes the rules of physics by lowering the gravity or reversing it altogether.
So you better be prepared for some rage-inducing deaths. But to me, the game’s main appeal is exactly these unexpected twists. The game quickly becomes all about anticipating the next troll attempt, and nothing beats the satisfaction I got from outsmarting a level in my first attempt.
There are 80 stages in total, with the game autosaving every 5 stages. And while some stages are challenging, they’re all short and concise. The controls are also simple and responsive. Unfortunately, there is no music at all, and the graphics are very minimal, with just a single yellow-reddish color scheme that gets old in no time.
Level Devil monetizes via occasional forced ads between levels and deaths, and a $0.99 iAP to remove these for good. Thankfully, I didn’t personally find the ads to be too intrusive, even with me dying a lot.
Despite being a troll game, it balances overall fun vs. overall difficulty very well. So I was able to complete it relatively easily without getting too frustrated. You could say I had a "devilish good time" beating the game.
App Store: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Level Devil

Loop Hero [Game Size: 250 MB] (Free Trial)

Genre: RPG / Deck-Builder / Roguelike - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by JBMessin:
Loop Hero is a mobile port of an incredibly unique tactical roguelike that mixes lots of gameplay elements, including deck-building, auto-battling, resource management, and city-building.
We begin the game in a place outside space and time on a dangerous path that forms a loop. Our character traverses the loop on his own, automatically fighting the enemies that spawn every day. These encounters provide us with loot that we equip to grow stronger and cards that are used to alter the loop.
Playing a card somewhere on the path changes what happens every time our hero walks through that part of the loop. For example, we may place a grove that spawns a rat every 2 days, which we then fight to grow stronger. This ability to customize the loop is one of the most unique aspects of the game, and I really enjoyed it.
After our first campfire is built, we begin to meet heroes who are just as lost as we are. Through short dialogues with them, we start to learn about the game’s light city-building mechanics. There are plenty of buildings to construct that offer all kinds of new and interesting gameplay mechanics - and even new classes to go on expeditions with.
What I immediately appreciated about Loop Hero was its top-notch soundtrack reminiscent of early 8-bit games like Castlevania, and the sprites that are stylized to match the gloomy setting but still vibrant in their design.
The biggest downside is that my large fingers sometimes made it hard to see where I was placing things. The game is definitely best enjoyed on larger phones.
Loop Hero is free to try, with a single $6.99 iAP unlocking the full game.
If you enjoy excellent roguelikes with unique gameplay mechanics, I think you’ll enjoy Loop Hero.
App Store: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Loop Hero

Tumble Rush [Game Size: 159 MB] (Free)

Genre: Arcade / Casual - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Tumble Rush is a fun, fast-paced marble maze arcade game where we guide a ball through small top-down levels while avoiding obstacles, traps, and holes.
Apart from rolling around with our sphere character, the only other thing we can do is tap an interaction button that activates/deactivates doors, turn on fans that let us get over obstacles, and much more.
Despite the additional puzzle elements introduced along the way, the game is very easy in the beginning – maybe even to a fault. I quickly grew bored with the early levels. But thankfully, if you stick with the game, it eventually becomes much harder.
The coins we collect in each level are used to unlock new cosmetics for our character. But what’s really cool is that they also completely change the design and theme of every level. So unlocking cosmetics quickly became my primary objective.
While the standard mode is relatively easy and lacks a bit of variety, the game also features a much more challenging time attack mode, where we attempt to finish levels fast enough to earn three stars. And if we get bored with that, there’s an endless mode where we earn more and more gold the further we get.
The standard gyroscopic controls work alright, but I personally preferred one of the touch control options.
Tumble Rush monetizes by showing ads between levels. They appear relatively frequently but can thankfully be removed via a single $1.99 iAP.
It’s an arcade game that gets better the further you get. So if you’re looking for a fun game that can be played as casually or competitively as you want, I think you might like Tumble Rush.
App Store: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: Tumble Rush

SOULVARS (Game Size: 346 MB] ($4.99)

Genre: Deck-Building / Dungeon Crawler - Offline
Orientation: Portrait
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
SOULVARS is a futuristic mix of a jRPG and a deck builder, where we fight demonic creatures using a deck of cards produced by the gear we equip.
Working for a secret government organization, our job is to maintain peace by engaging in bloody confrontations with hungry spirits that invade the human world via spontaneous portal-like breaches.
The combat system is quite elaborate. First of all, our deck is defined by the gear we equip, and each card lets us execute an action, such as using a shield, performing various elemental attacks, or dealing different types of physical damage.
Picking two different types of cards allows us to perform devastating combo actions. But we must also pay attention to our enemies’ resistances, constantly charge our “burst” meter to eventually turn into a powerful monster, and link together attacks of multiple characters. And this is just a small portion of the game’s many combat mechanics.
Mindlessly executing random moves works for a while, but we eventually face enemies so strong that this tactic isn’t enough. This is where the game's complex combat systems comes into play, and we need to learn all its intricacies and meticulously manage our equipment to win. This will be too challenging for some players, but a joy for others.
The exploration part of the game consists of navigating maze-like rooms, interacting with the environment, collecting loot, talking to people, and engaging in random battles - an old jRPG structure that is apparently still popular among certain audiences.
SOULVARS is a premium game that costs $4.99.
While the game’s repetitiveness and unengaging plot eventually make the gameplay a bit boring, there’s more than enough entertainment for fans of complex combat systems.
App Store: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (review score + user ratings):: SOULVARS
NEW: Sort + filter reviews and games I've played (and more) on my mobile games discovery platform, MiniReview: https://minireview.io/
Special thanks to the Patreon Producers Wrecking Golf, "marquisdan", "Lost Vault", "Farm RPG", and "Mohaimen" who help make these posts possible through their Patreon support <3
Google Sheet of all games I've played so far (searchable and filter-able): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bf0OxtVxrboZqyEh01AxJYUUqHm8tEfh-Lx-SugcrzY/edit?usp=sharing
*The newest mobile games (with gameplay) on my YouTube channel: * https://youtu.be/8wX-9SW4Z8o?si=j0PNTWf08xd8mwEQ
Episode 193 Episode 194 Episode 195 Episode 196 Episode 197 Episode 198 Episode 199 Episode 200 Episode 201 Episode 202 Episode 203 Episode 204 Episode 205 Episode 206 Episode 207 Episode 208 Episode 209 Episode 210 Episode 211 Episode 211 Episode 212 Episode 214 Episode 215 Episode 216 Episode 217

Welcome back, fellow mobile gamers :) As per tradition, here are my weekly mobile game recommendations based on the most interesting games I played and that were covered on MiniReview this week! :) I hope you'll enjoy some of them.
Support these posts (and YouTube content + development of MiniReview) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NimbleThor <3
This episode includes a great racing game, a fun arcade platformer, a great deck-builder roguelike RPG, an arcade casual game, and a neat deck-building dungeon crawler.
New to these posts? Check out the first one from 304 weeks ago here.

Let's get to the games:

Art of Rally [Game Size: 2.3 GB] ($4.99)

Genre: Racing / Simulation - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Art of Rally is a rally racing game with an amazing atmosphere, several fun game modes that range from casual to hardcore, and deep gameplay customization settings.
The main career mode has us play through several years of rally history on tracks all around the world, unlocking new cars and skins as we progress.
In addition to the campaign, however, there is a custom rally mode, a time-attack mode where we can try all of the game’s vehicles, a free-roam mode where we drive around a large open world to collect items, and daily and weekly online events with leaderboards.
What I like the best about Art of Rally is that it can be as casual or hardcore as you want. Free roaming is a fun laid-back experience while the time-attack modes are incredibly challenging. And even in the career mode, we can pick the difficulty of our AI opponents.
The touch controls are okay but lack different options. Thankfully, the game plays perfectly with a Bluetooth controller, and there are lots of customization options for everything from the HUD to the interface and gameplay, including changing the steering sensitivity, enabling anti-lock braking, and much more.
The game has a great atmosphere, and the low-poly art style and minimalistic UI fit nicely. Unfortunately, loading between menus and levels is slow, and I ran into a few minor bugs - so the game isn’t perfectly ported from PC.
Art of Rally is a $4.99 premium game with a single $1.99 optional DLC that adds additional map areas.
It’s a game more about precision than driving super-fast, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I think you’ll enjoy Art of Rally – especially if you have a controller to play it with.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (website version):: Art of Rally

Level Devil - NOT A Troll Game [Total Game Size: 87 MB] (Free)

Genre: Platform / Arcade - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by Ark:
Level Devil is an easy arcade platformer with no surprises or frustrations at all… or is it?
The game has us move left, right, and jump to navigate seemingly simple one-screen stages. But as we progress, the game starts trolling us in lots of unexpected ways.
Floors suddenly disappear beneath our feet, spikes spawn at what looks like safe spots, and the game sometimes even changes the rules of physics by lowering the gravity or reversing it altogether.
So you better be prepared for some rage-inducing deaths. But to me, the game’s main appeal is exactly these unexpected twists. The game quickly becomes all about anticipating the next troll attempt, and nothing beats the satisfaction I got from outsmarting a level in my first attempt.
There are 80 stages in total, with the game autosaving every 5 stages. And while some stages are challenging, they’re all short and concise. The controls are also simple and responsive. Unfortunately, there is no music at all, and the graphics are very minimal, with just a single yellow-reddish color scheme that gets old in no time.
Level Devil monetizes via occasional forced ads between levels and deaths. Thankfully, I didn’t personally find the ads to be too intrusive, even with me dying a lot.
Despite being a troll game, it balances overall fun vs. overall difficulty very well. So I was able to complete it relatively easily without getting too frustrated. You could say I had a "devilish good time" beating the game.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (website version):: Level Devil

Loop Hero [Game Size: 250 MB] (Free Trial)

Genre: RPG / Deck-Builder / Roguelike - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by JBMessin:
Loop Hero is a mobile port of an incredibly unique tactical roguelike that mixes lots of gameplay elements, including deck-building, auto-battling, resource management, and city-building.
We begin the game in a place outside space and time on a dangerous path that forms a loop. Our character traverses the loop on his own, automatically fighting the enemies that spawn every day. These encounters provide us with loot that we equip to grow stronger and cards that are used to alter the loop.
Playing a card somewhere on the path changes what happens every time our hero walks through that part of the loop. For example, we may place a grove that spawns a rat every 2 days, which we then fight to grow stronger. This ability to customize the loop is one of the most unique aspects of the game, and I really enjoyed it.
After our first campfire is built, we begin to meet heroes who are just as lost as we are. Through short dialogues with them, we start to learn about the game’s light city-building mechanics. There are plenty of buildings to construct that offer all kinds of new and interesting gameplay mechanics - and even new classes to go on expeditions with.
What I immediately appreciated about Loop Hero was its top-notch soundtrack reminiscent of early 8-bit games like Castlevania, and the sprites that are stylized to match the gloomy setting but still vibrant in their design.
The biggest downside is that my large fingers sometimes made it hard to see where I was placing things. The game is definitely best enjoyed on larger phones.
Loop Hero is free to try, with a single $6.99 iAP unlocking the full game.
If you enjoy excellent roguelikes with unique gameplay mechanics, I think you’ll enjoy Loop Hero.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (website version):: Loop Hero

Tumble Rush [Game Size: 159 MB] (Free)

Genre: Arcade / Casual - Offline
Orientation: Landscape
Required Attention: Full
tl;dr review by NimbleThor:
Tumble Rush is a fun, fast-paced marble maze arcade game where we guide a ball through small top-down levels while avoiding obstacles, traps, and holes.
Apart from rolling around with our sphere character, the only other thing we can do is tap an interaction button that activates/deactivates doors, turn on fans that let us get over obstacles, and much more.
Despite the additional puzzle elements introduced along the way, the game is very easy in the beginning – maybe even to a fault. I quickly grew bored with the early levels. But thankfully, if you stick with the game, it eventually becomes much harder.
The coins we collect in each level are used to unlock new cosmetics for our character. But what’s really cool is that they also completely change the design and theme of every level. So unlocking cosmetics quickly became my primary objective.
While the standard mode is relatively easy and lacks a bit of variety, the game also features a much more challenging time attack mode, where we attempt to finish levels fast enough to earn three stars. And if we get bored with that, there’s an endless mode where we earn more and more gold the further we get.
The standard gyroscopic controls work alright, but I personally preferred one of the touch control options.
Tumble Rush monetizes by showing ads between levels. They appear relatively frequently but can thankfully be removed via a single $1.99 iAP.
It’s an arcade game that gets better the further you get. So if you’re looking for a fun game that can be played as casually or competitively as you want, I think you might like Tumble Rush.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (website version):: Tumble Rush

SOULVARS (Game Size: 346 MB] ($4.99)

Genre: Deck-Building / Dungeon Crawler - Offline
Orientation: Portrait
Required Attention: Some
tl;dr review by AlexSem:
SOULVARS is a futuristic mix of a jRPG and a deck builder, where we fight demonic creatures using a deck of cards produced by the gear we equip.
Working for a secret government organization, our job is to maintain peace by engaging in bloody confrontations with hungry spirits that invade the human world via spontaneous portal-like breaches.
The combat system is quite elaborate. First of all, our deck is defined by the gear we equip, and each card lets us execute an action, such as using a shield, performing various elemental attacks, or dealing different types of physical damage.
Picking two different types of cards allows us to perform devastating combo actions. But we must also pay attention to our enemies’ resistances, constantly charge our “burst” meter to eventually turn into a powerful monster, and link together attacks of multiple characters. And this is just a small portion of the game’s many combat mechanics.
Mindlessly executing random moves works for a while, but we eventually face enemies so strong that this tactic isn’t enough. This is where the game's complex combat systems comes into play, and we need to learn all its intricacies and meticulously manage our equipment to win. This will be too challenging for some players, but a joy for others.
The exploration part of the game consists of navigating maze-like rooms, interacting with the environment, collecting loot, talking to people, and engaging in random battles - an old jRPG structure that is apparently still popular among certain audiences.
SOULVARS is a premium game that costs $4.99.
While the game’s repetitiveness and unengaging plot eventually make the gameplay a bit boring, there’s more than enough entertainment for fans of complex combat systems.
Check it out on Google Play: Here
Check it out on MiniReview (website version):: SOULVARS
NEW: Sort + filter reviews and games I've played (and more) in my app MiniReview: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=minireview.best.android.games.reviews
Special thanks to the Patreon Producers Wrecking Golf, "marquisdan", "Lost Vault", "Farm RPG", and "Mohaimen" who help make these posts possible through their Patreon support <3
Episode 281 Episode 282 Episode 283 Episode 284 Episode 285 Episode 286 Episode 287 Episode 288 Episode 289 Episode 290 Episode 291 Episode 292 Episode 293 Episode 294 Episode 295 Episode 296 Episode 297 Episode 298 Episode 299 Episode 300 Episode 301 Episode 302 Episode 303

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/ni-paedophile-forced-to-flee-again-after-angry-mob-torches-car-and-pickets-home/a2096738256.html
Convicted paedophile William Sholdis has been forced to flee a second time after an angry mob torched his car and picketed his home. The Sunday World has revealed the 33-year-old was forced to flee from temporary accommodation in Antrim after protests outside his flat.
It’s the second time he has been forced to move in the space of a year after he had leave his house in Ballynure following his conviction for having indecent images of kids as young as six-years-old.
Sholdis, who the court heard has autism, entered guilty pleas to 18 counts, including making indecent images of children and possessing banned images of children and extreme pornography.
After details of his offending were made public last autumn, he and his family fled their home in Ballynure, which sits directly opposite a green space regularly used by families.
Originally he was handed a 12-month jail sentence but that was overturned on appeal and he was told to serve a three year probation order instead, as well as a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and having to sign the sex offender’s register for ten years.
Now it has been revealed a hate mob targeted his new home in Antrim where he had been placed in a hostel designed for vulnerable people.
His car was torched late at night on April 27th and when police arrived there was an angry stand-off with protesters who slammed the PSNI for not making local residents aware he was living there.
“People in the estate were furious when they found out he’d been placed there, living amongst kids and other vulnerable people,” said a source.
“It seems the protesters set fire to his car because he was in shared accommodation – otherwise they would have torched his house most likely.
“The fire also damaged another car beside it as well as a bin. The cops and the fire brigade turned up and the protesters were shouting at the cops for not informing them about him living there.
“It was pretty angry and threatened to get out of hand but it calmed down and Sholdis moved out.”
In January senior judges ruled that Sholdis should be released from prison and instead ordered to complete three years’ probation.
Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan described him as a “pathetic figure” who has shown insight into the extent of his crimes.
Sholdis, 33, was arrested after PSNI child protection officers searched his home near Ballyclare in March 2021.
A number of devices were seized, including a laptop fitted with anti-forensics software. Police uncovered nearly 5,000 photographs and videos, along with search terms indicating an interest in indecent images of children.
Some of the pictures were in the most serious category, but there was no evidence that he had shared or uploaded any of the files.
In November last year Sholdis received a 12-month sentence after pleading guilty to a series of charges of making and possessing indecent images .
The original term was split between four months in custody and eight months on licence.
Defence lawyers challenged the sentence imposed, arguing that supervised help in the community would be of greater benefit in dealing with his issues.
Sholdis suffers from autism and was bullied at school, still lived with his parents and has never had an intimate relationship, the Court of Appeal was told.
The payroll administrator originally found the illegal material through a spam email and felt “ashamed” that his actions had helped to support abuse of children.
Barrister Mark Barlow submitted: “He fell down the rabbit hole and, because of his personal characteristics and circumstances, simply couldn’t stop himself.”
His family have since been forced to relocate amid community tensions about the offences.
Counsel for the Public Prosecution Service, Mark Farrell, responded by highlighting the aggravating features in the case.
Images were discovered on six devices as part of offending over a period of 19 months.
Ruling on the appeal, Dame Siobhan stressed the court’s “abhorrence” to crimes related to the abuse of children.
Based on a probation report on Sholdis, however, she found that he has shown genuine remorse and a motivation not to re-offend.
“Due to the personal circumstances, particularly his immaturity, isolation and lack of sexual knowledge, he presented as a pathetic figure,” the Chief Justice said.
“We think this appellant is insightful of the pernicious nature of this type of offending.”
With the two months Sholdis had already served in prison identified as a deterrent feature, she confirmed that his original sentence was to be substituted for a three-year probation order.
Dame Siobhan explained: “To further protect society and prevent a recurrence of this sickening behaviour, we are imposing the maximum (possible) period of community supervision.”
Sholdis was confronted by a journalist last year after he had pleaded guilty but did not want to comment.
His mum spoke for him saying, “He’s going on courses to help him, he has autism and other disabilities and during lockdown he had went into an area he wasn’t aware of.”
A police spokesperson told the Sunday World: “Police attended the scene of an arson attack on a car in the Donore Crescent area of Antrim on Saturday, 27th April.
"NI Fire and Rescue Service also attended and extinguished the fire which was reported just before 11pm. Significant damage was caused to the vehicle and it appeared that it had been set alight deliberately.”
They said enquiries are underway and anyone with information is asked to contact them.

Is this a good balanced plot?
So some friends and me want to write a book. we wrote some ideas for plots but mine is the one I'm asking about in this post. In all our ideas, it would be a young adult Fantasy/ Horror book with LGBTQIA+ themes. If you don't support please just read a different post. I don't want any of that kind of hate. The plot is 1007 words, is that okay? I accidentally posted it in the wrong place before.
Possible Trigger Warning for mentions of gore, death, cults, and mentions of torture.
Numbered characters don't have names yet.
The Eight Divines
A widely known cult called the Creed of the Eight Divines survives a deadly plague while the rest of the world is suffering. The Creed the Eight Divines tells its followers that the plague is brought on by sin. Outsiders are killed on spot because they will bring their sins with them. The real reason is that they know the truth about the plague.
It starts with an execution. A body with a sac over its head is being hung. It writhes for a bit before becoming still, swaying in the cold winter air. A child's stuffed toy falls from its cold greying hand. The Leaders remind the Children of the Creed that outsiders are sinners who carry the plague.
There is a yearly sacrifice and two young Children of the Creed, Niko and Talis, get chosen. Niko thinks it's bullshit because they found out the truth about the plague. The truth being that The Creed of the Eight Divines made the plague, that the plague is not just a disease but a being that they believe is their Lord. That takes over people’s bodies. Inhabiting hundreds of people at once until they die in a span of a day to a week depending on how hungry it is, then moving on to find new hosts.
The cult leaders believe that the plague was their duty to spread, to wipe out the non-believers. A few immune people outside of the cult survive and grow as different communities. Niko finds all this out and thinks it's wrong. Niko also finds out that the other people who are sacrificed all had found out about the truth. They don’t get a chance to tell Talis.
Talis is honoured to serve their Lord by their death, as they are brainwashed and believe everything the cult leader says. Unknown to even themself, Talis is an experiment of the church. Created to turn into a monster. The two have been best friends for a long time. But they are completely loyal to the cult.
Niko believes that they can change Talis’s mind by telling them about an escape plan and try to tell them what they found out. Talis doesn’t believe Niko, and betrays them by telling the Children of the Creed about the plan. Before they can be captured, Niko makes a desperate escape attempt and gets out but Talis is sent to hunt them down with a few other loyal “Children of the Creed”. After escaping, Niko meets a community of new people and decides to live with them, while Talis is struggling because something strange and horrifying is happening to them.
Something snaps inside Talis and they turn on the Children of the Creed with them. Brutally murdering them. They get back in control of themself and realise what they did. They run off and soon getting lost. Niko finds Talis almost passed out while on a patrol with some other people but it's not what is expected. There is no big fight. Niko convinces Talis that they aren’t mad at them and it's not their fault, but Talis falls unconscious at their feet. Niko is scared for Talis because even though they betrayed them, they were only being loyal to the only thing they knew, and Niko genuinely has faith that Talis can change.
They live for a few months in peace, away from the cult, and Talis meets someone new named Finn. Talis struggles with their feelings towards Finn and discovering who they are and want to be. They were raised believing homosexuality and being transgender is a horrible sin. Finn helps Talis and becomes good friends with them.
Both Niko and Talis plan with a small group of people how to end the cult and free all the people. Niko doesn’t want Talis to come on the plan because they are getting sicker. Talis wants to go and they both get into an argument, with people from the group choosing sides. Talis loses control and attacks Niko, but gets knocked out while the fight is being stopped.
In this moment of arguments and anger, the Children of the Creed that had discovered the location of the camp, raids the community and a fight ensues, in which Talis is captured along with some of the other people living outside who didn’t escape. Among the people who escaped are Niko, Greyson, #5, #6, #7, #8, and #9. The captured people are all brought back to the cult. The secret about Talis is uncovered, leaving them shocked and horrified. Talis is tortured and made to watch as the cult executes the people they had been living with and getting to know for so long, including Finn.
Niko’s plan changes from ‘end the cult’ to ‘rescue Talis and anyone else still alive’. Over a few days as Niko prepares to raid the cult, Talis is slowly changing into the monster they were created to be. When the raid is finally made, all hell breaks loose when Talis, now turned monster, breaks out of their cell and starts rage killing the cult followers and leaders in revenge for Finn and all the torturing and trauma they had dealt with over many years.
While that is happening, the plague breaks into the cult, killing everyone it can infect as it is hungry for new hosts. #8 dies in the fighting. The people in the group from the community that are immune rescue all the people they can, while Niko goes to find Talis. Niko first sees Talis when they are about to kill the remaining cult leaders. They manage to calm Talis down when they are about to kill the leader who tells them about a cure for both the plague and Talis's monster, in a desperate plan to save himself. They kill him and leave with all those alive, uninfected, and willing, along with Greyson, Shiga, #5, #6, and #9.
In the epilog, a funeral is held for Finn, #8, and all those who lost or gave their lives.
If we write and finish it, we could write a book based on finding a cure for Talis and the plague.
Thoughts??

Trinetra Detective Agency can help! We handle all your detective needs, like finding out about someone or checking backgrounds. To find us online when you need us most!

Matrimonial Detective Agency

Getting married in delhi ncr? Trinetra Detective Agency is your trusted matrimonial detective agency in delhi ncr. Worried about your partner or want to be extra careful? Our expert investigators can help! We do secret checks quietly and thoroughly, so you can enter your marriage with peace of mind. We're here for you every step of the way.

Background Check Investigation

Big decisions like hiring new staff or starting a business partnership need all the info you can get. That's where Trinetra Detective Agency steps in! Our background check investigation in delhi ncr uncovers everything we can about people and businesses. With this info, you can make smart choices for a safe future.

Best Detective Agency

Need a top detective agency in delhi ncr? Look no further than Trinetra! Our detectives are the best, and we use all the latest tools to solve your case. We can handle anything, from big problems to just needing some good advice. Trinetra: We find the truth, whatever it takes.

Best Private Detective Agency

Keeping things quiet is our top rule at Trinetra Detective Agency, that's why we're known as the best detective agency in delhi ncr. We understand how sensitive your situation might be, so we handle every case with complete secrecy and act very professional. You can relax, your secrets are safe with us.

Best Post Matrimonial Investigation

Married life can get tricky, especially with worries in the back of your mind. Trinetra Detective Agency offers the best post matrimonial investigation in delhi ncr. Need proof for court or just want to know for sure? We'll help you find the answers.

Pre Matrimonial Investigation Services

Getting married is a big step! pre matrimonial investigation services in delhi ncr can help you avoid any surprises. Our service at Trinetra Detective Agency will check things out thoroughly so you know the truth before you say "I do." With us on your side, you can start your married life feeling confident and happy.

Best Divorce Case Services

Divorce can be tough, but you don't have to go through it alone. Trinetra Legal Services provides the best divorce case services in delhi ncr. We'll be by your side every step of the way, collecting evidence and making sure your voice is heard. We're here to fight for what's fair for you.

Best Detective Agency in Greater Noida

Trinetra Detective Agency is the Best Detective Agency in Greater Noida for solving your problems. Our detective team is super good at figuring things out, quietly and carefully. Need help with something personal or at work? We'll find the answers you need.

Top Detective Agency in Film City

Right in the center of Film City's exciting action, Trinetra Detective Agency is the go-to choice for everyone! Being this close to the busy Top Detective Agency in Film City, so we can solve your problems quickly and efficiently.

Detective Agency In Jewar Airport

Need help with a tricky situation? Trinetra Detective Agency is here for you! Whether you're searching for the Detective Agency In Jewar Airport, a reliable detective agency in Rajkot, or the top detective agency in Porbandar, we've got you covered across Gujarat.

Best Detective Agency in Sec-18 Atta Market

Trinetra Detective Agency isn't just any detective service. We're the Best Detective Agency in Sec-18 Atta Market. Need help with a problem? We offer top-notch detective work for everyone, from business owners to residents. You can count on us to get the job done right.
In conclusion, Need answers? Trinetra Detective Agency is your delhi ncr partner. Our crack detectives tackle your toughest cases, and we're easy to find online. Call today - let's get the truth!
Trinetra Detective Agency can help! We handle all your detective needs, like finding out about someone or checking backgrounds. To find us online when you need us most!

Matrimonial Detective Agency

Getting married in delhi ncr? Trinetra Detective Agency is your trusted matrimonial detective agency in delhi ncr. Worried about your partner or want to be extra careful? Our expert investigators can help! We do secret checks quietly and thoroughly, so you can enter your marriage with peace of mind. We're here for you every step of the way.

Background Check Investigation

Big decisions like hiring new staff or starting a business partnership need all the info you can get. That's where Trinetra Detective Agency steps in! Our background check investigation in delhi ncr uncovers everything we can about people and businesses. With this info, you can make smart choices for a safe future.

Best Detective Agency

Need a top detective agency in delhi ncr? Look no further than Trinetra! Our detectives are the best, and we use all the latest tools to solve your case. We can handle anything, from big problems to just needing some good advice. Trinetra: We find the truth, whatever it takes.

Best Private Detective Agency

Keeping things quiet is our top rule at Trinetra Detective Agency, that's why we're known as the best detective agency in delhi ncr. We understand how sensitive your situation might be, so we handle every case with complete secrecy and act very professional. You can relax, your secrets are safe with us.

Best Post Matrimonial Investigation

Married life can get tricky, especially with worries in the back of your mind. Trinetra Detective Agency offers the best post matrimonial investigation in delhi ncr. Need proof for court or just want to know for sure? We'll help you find the answers.

Pre Matrimonial Investigation Services

Getting married is a big step! pre matrimonial investigation services in delhi ncr can help you avoid any surprises. Our service at Trinetra Detective Agency will check things out thoroughly so you know the truth before you say "I do." With us on your side, you can start your married life feeling confident and happy.

Best Divorce Case Services

Divorce can be tough, but you don't have to go through it alone. Trinetra Legal Services provides the best divorce case services in delhi ncr. We'll be by your side every step of the way, collecting evidence and making sure your voice is heard. We're here to fight for what's fair for you.

Best Detective Agency in Greater Noida

Trinetra Detective Agency is the Best Detective Agency in Greater Noida for solving your problems. Our detective team is super good at figuring things out, quietly and carefully. Need help with something personal or at work? We'll find the answers you need.

Top Detective Agency in Film City

Right in the center of Film City's exciting action, Trinetra Detective Agency is the go-to choice for everyone! Being this close to the busy Top Detective Agency in Film City, so we can solve your problems quickly and efficiently.

Detective Agency In Jewar Airport

Need help with a tricky situation? Trinetra Detective Agency is here for you! Whether you're searching for the Detective Agency In Jewar Airport, a reliable detective agency in Rajkot, or the top detective agency in Porbandar, we've got you covered across Gujarat.

Best Detective Agency in Sec-18 Atta Market

Trinetra Detective Agency isn't just any detective service. We're the Best Detective Agency in Sec-18 Atta Market. Need help with a problem? We offer top-notch detective work for everyone, from business owners to residents. You can count on us to get the job done right.

Rather than search for individual topics and read so much false information, I wanted to make a thread containing explanations and examples of some of the fundamental mechanics of GrayZone Warfare. I don't know much so please, state the mechanic first - and then how it works. Please remember to use facts instead of opinions. If you can list a source that would be even better to prevent trash bullshit rage/emotional posts. Thank you.
Some mechanics I know I need clarification on:
A.i scavs - How they move. Their movement patterns when they are dormant. Their movement patterns when they are being attacked.
A.i scavs - How they attack. What they respond to. What they don't respond to.
A.i scavs - Respawn rate and timings.
Heli - How to catch a helicopter most efficiently.
Creeping/stealth - How to do it successfully. What works. What doesn't.
Anything else that most people don't realise.

I don’t want Gregory and Janine to happen right now!! I want Janine to date around.
Look, I’ve been rooting for them since the beginning and I’m never going to stop rooting for them, but I just see so much of myself in Janine to where her just accepting Gregory’s offer when he finally confesses to her wouldn’t feel right.
I don’t know, Gregory has been dating throughout the show, completely sidestepping the feelings he has for Janine. I feel like us people who are similar to Janine tend to let those we have feelings for treat is in ways where however we progress is up to them and their timing. When they’re no longer wanting to play the field and finally say “ok, I’m ready to date you now”, we jump up from the sidelines with open arms! When they’re jealous over us acknowledging the fact that they’re seeing other people, so we do the same, we feel guilty about making them feel bad even though seeing them with other people kills us inside.
I know Janine shut Gregory down last season, but there was an understanding there. A person who has lived their life trying to be selfless to where they’re putting everyone else’s needs above their own shouldnt be getting into a relationship until they learn how to treat themselves better. Janine didn’t reject Gregory, she put them on hold so she could better herself. After a bit of soul searching, Janine was ready to open herself back up to the idea of them again and Gregory shuts her down.
She makes peace with it, and continues living her life. Then, Gregory sees her with a man who sees Janine the way he does (while on a date with another woman), assumes theyre on a date, gets jealous and decides “ok, we can be together now” and we are all supposed to applaud that? I’m sorry, it just doesn’t sit right with me. I just want to see Janine happy, but I don’t want it to be this thing where Gregory calls all the shots. When he’s done dating, when he feels jealousy over her moving on, when he– so on and so forth. Idk, has anyone, like me, been in Janine’s shoes before, dealing with someone who is so dodgy despite having feelings for you?
I feel like there needs to be a better way for them to get together when Janine can, for once, be the one calling the shots. When she can look Gregory in the eye and go, “no BS, what do you want from me?”

I loathe the fact that I am unsightly. I am no chocolate box beauty, or a scenery you’d love to savor at first sight. I am that nobody, nobody ever turns to for rest. No hearts ever skipped a beat when I pass by; an exotic species you’d need to put your soul into to grow to love.
In other words, I need to try hard to get your eyes to look at me. I don’t look like a turd, yet I look a lot less significant than those classmates who has a lot of people swooning over them. Perhaps, I would like the attention, the beauty, the grandeur that it would give me, yet it’s more than that. It is the pain of being compared, overlooked, being laughed at, and ignored, because you don’t possess the beauty the society requires you to hold.
When I was a kid, I was often bullied. Although the reason of such bullying is not directly because of being ugly, (I know that I am not) I am aware that they do not hesitate because they don’t find me anywhere near attractive. They can sweep my soul on the floor like a rag, they can stomp on me like you do on mud. Who cares right?
There was also one time, I overheard my classmates saying that the teacher often put the beautiful people to sit in front, and others at the back. Guess what, in the beginning of the classes, he put me in the last row along with the others.
I will always have instances when guys I like will like my friends more than me, or relatives will compliment the more beautiful cousin or relative. Thus, I often compensate through my academic studies, I need to be good at something at least, so I don’t get overlooked.
For years, I tried to heal- I tried to be more understanding of aesthetics. I am aware that beauty is different everywhere. What may be beautiful for you is not for me and so there is no need to take everything personally. I thought I was better, I thought I had accepted the sublimation of the beauty I so ever have. I thought I knew I was beautiful. Turns out I am not and I know nothing.
I have a best friend who I know loves me very much. She tries to be there for me, accommodate to my needs, and I would too. She’s one of the best things that ever happened to me. She is the most beautiful genuine friend I ever had. No words can describe our bond.
One day, I saw her in a blue pretty dress. Her hair waved like the actual Belle she was playing for as an act for a school requirement. I attended to watch her perform although we come from different colleges. I gatecrashed and admired her from a distance. She was so graceful, and she moved so fluidly and beautifully. I was stunned.
After her performance, we went to eat. She couldn’t eat well because of the post-nervousness she felt as she performed. I was hungry. I didn’t have the chance to eat because I was hurrying to see her play. However, there was already something eerie inside of me that I was feeling when I was looking at her pretty face. I couldn’t grasp what it was but I shook it off and we went back for the announcement of winners.
The professor was happy of the performances but she singled out my best friend for being the best. She performed well and she really looked stunning in her role. I know that it is not only her role but her beauty. She did not have any make up on and only was wearing a blue casual dress to go with the theme. On the other hand, in every academic occasion I would often dress up in exaggeration to cover my plainness. She doesn’t even have to try. But god if she wasn’t so gorgeous. She took everyone’s breath away, including me, from that lonely dark shadow. Suddenly, I heard someone saying “Belle” so I turned around, (my name has a Belle on it) only to know that he was calling her. He looked at her with fondness and stopped smiling as he looked my way, and continued to go on the other way. I felt like something squeezed my chest and dark clots formed in my vision. That moment, I didn’t understand what was going on and suddenly became irate. I asked permission from her to leave as soon as possible and went to walk away with tears in my eyes.
I cut off contacts with her today as I realized how toxic I am and will be as a friend to her. I have a lot of issues that I thought were already fixed. It’s not her fault that I am nothing but a trying hard plain little crap. She deserves more than a jealous friend. I know that I am loyal, and I would fight for her till the end, but it’s not it.
She never knew the reason, and you can call me an asshole for not telling her anything and just plainly ghosting her. It’s just that I know she will try her best to change herself so she can stoop down my level-and I can’t let her do that. She is amazing at that top.

Discuss
Satan and what we are not:
Satan has no physical embodiment. He only exists in the MIND of humans. He can't control the physical body, he can only convince us via. thoughts to do his bidding. He never reveals himself and can only tell lies - his evil thoughts cause emotional reactions and hence actions. Most people identify with these thoughts of Satan - they don't know it's not them - hence the humans depth of depravity, mental illness etc. There isn't a human body without Satan present in its mind, even Jesus' temporary body on earth had Satan in it - he came to tempt him in his prayer and offered the world. All we can ever do, like Jesus, is recognize these thoughts are not us and reject them.
Jesus and what we are:
Jesus, the holy spirit lives in the HEART of all men. Gods word is written on the heart of all men. To come to know this, recognize what you are not (through prayer), reject all evil thoughts and don't allow yourself to be affected by them emotionally, let go of the material world and its things - they are no use to an eternal being. Quiet the mind (satan) to know God, to know peace. It is not your duty to save the world, or to save others in the world. Only to know yourself and your relationship to God.
Satan is seeking your soul, you must be tricked into giving yourself to him. He roams the earth like a hungry lion roaring in every single mind.
Jesus waits for you to come to him, he does not try to trick you into going his way. When the mind is clear and free from evil, the heart will show you the way (faith). They wait patiently for the souls whose will is aligned with God, in peace.

If you're buying an NVIDIA card, test it first or ensure you can return it.
Since discussing technical problems isn't allowed on this subreddit, I describe in detail what I've checked and how the problem occurs here: Nvidia - mouse stuttering nightmare geforce experience – please help! : techsupport (reddit.com)
Check if you encounter the same issue that I and hundreds of other users have faced. The card is unplayable, regardless of whether it's a 2070 or a 4090. This problem affects all of it because it's a driver issue, W10 and W11, even on a freshly installed system. When I switch to a radeon card, the problem disappears. I had a radeon, and problems began immediately after installing the NVIDIA, making it impossible to play any games.
NVIDIA doesn't acknowledge the issue, acting as if it doesn't exist.
So, be cautious when buying an NVIDIA card, as you might experience the same nightmare I did, along with hundreds of other users dealing with the same mouse stuttering issue.
Search "mouse stuttering + NVIDIA" on Google, and you'll find numerous posts on various forums without a solution. Some solutions are as absurd as plugging and unplugging the HDMI cable. Some users claim the problem was resolved, but I've tried all the suggested solutions without success. In 5 days, I'll be returning the card because it's unusable for gaming or working due to the stuttering mouse.
NVIDIA has known about this issue and their response from two years ago was to disable the overlay, but disabling it doesn't work.
Yesterday, I started a thread about this issue, and within 5 minutes, someone confirmed they had the same problem. UncleMac69•10h ago
I can confirm this isn’t the mouse, I have the same issue for 4 months now since upgrading from a 2070 to a 3060 ti. I’m about to replace my PSU as the final effort, if it fails I’m not only selling my rig but I’m joining AMD. DONE with Nvidia not having a resolution. My mice: Razer tournament edition Razer basilisk v2 Logitech g502 They ALL stutter but when I go back to my GTX 1080 no problem. RTX + just causes lag.
But the orginal thread was removed by a moderator. nvidia-ModTeamMOD•6h ago•
Hey, Tiger-Trick. Thank you for your submission! Unfortunately, your submission has been removed for breaching the following rule:

• Rule 1 - Tech Support & Issues: Tech Support posts are not allowed. Please use the tech support megathread. Latest thread is linked in the sidebar or pinned on the front page. You can also use TechSupport community.
• Most driver related problems can be resolved by using DDU. Please visit DDU Guide here

u/moderator, as I mentioned, I used DDU right away, and it didn't work. Additionally, the problem occurred even on clean Windows.
So, we can't discuss technical problems here? What are we supposed to talk about on nVIdia subreddit, the weather? politics? money? I don't understand, but rules are rules. This post is about purchase advice, and nVidia support, so it's not technical.
I've included links where you can see a detailed technical description of this issue and attempted solutions. Since discussing technical problems isn't allowed on this subreddit, here are some external resources: I describe in detail what I've checked and how the problem occurs. Nvidia - mouse stuttering nightmare geforce experience – please help! : techsupport (reddit.com)
Here are some threads I've already checked, where hundreds of people describe the same issue.

• Mouse Cursor Unresponsive When Bringing Up In-Game NVIDIA GeForce Forums
• Mouse Cursor Unresponsive When Invoking GeForce Experience In-Game Overlay In Certain Games NVIDIA (custhelp.com)
• Mouse cursor stuck in the middle of the screen when opening Nvidia overlay : apexlegends (reddit.com)
• Mouse stutter caused by Nvidia drive NVIDIA GeForce Forums
• Mouse Lag/Stutter NVIDIA GeForce Forums
• I found the REAL deal fix for mouse NVIDIA GeForce Forums
• Mouse stutter caused by Nvidia drive NVIDIA GeForce Forums

In conclusion, I spent six days trying to resolve this issue. When you buy a product and pay good money, it should work. Known issues affecting many users should be addressed by the company selling the product. The NVIDIA technical team should provide detailed solutions, not just a simple "disable overlay" suggestion. A large company selling products worth over a thousand dollars should handle this better.
Has anyone else experienced issues with how NVIDIA addresses known problems like this? Please share your similar issues here Nvidia - mouse stuttering nightmare geforce experience – please help! : techsupport (reddit.com) since we can't discuss technical matters on this subreddit.
How do you think nVidia should handle these situations better?

DO NOT post Who Do I Start, Add Drop, or Trade questions in this thread; find the appropriate thread within the INDEX.
Questions about Collusion, How Waivers Work, Stat corrections, League Scoring, etc. all belong here. Any commissioner question on how to handle a situation in your league belongs here.
Any simple fantasy football question, especially when you are looking for a quick answer rather than a discussion, usually does not deserve its own thread and should be posted here. Occasionally a platform's customer care department, such as u/YahooFantasyCare may be available to address your questions directly in this thread.
PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR SIMPLE QUESTIONS or LEAGUE ISSUE POSTS

• Detailed explanation of the issue (collusion, rules question, changing settings, collecting buy-ins, etc), parties involved, waiver settings, etc.
• Specific scoring rules (PPR, etc.)
• Other league specific rules and details (league size, roster details, custom scoring, bonuses etc.)
• Anything else you may think is helpful

Remember: Most answers to simple questions and league questions don't change from year to year. How much has changed in collecting dues in the 2 years? We encourage you to use the search function for questions like this.
PLEASE TRY TO ANSWER SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS BEFORE POSTING YOUR OWN

• When answering questions, please make sure to sort by NEW!

WHEN ANSWERING QUESTIONS

• Do NOT reply with only a yes or no. This just removes the other person from the index without them getting information. You are not helping.
• Explain why you came to the conclusion you did
• Please respond directly to the OP or the Bot will not pick up your comment

Individual Simple Question or League Issue (with very rare exceptions) threads posted after this point will be deleted in order to keep the subreddit clean. Post here instead! If everyone sorts by new, your questions should be answered. You can also check out /FFCommish

The following users have helped the most people in this thread:

User	# Helped in thread

I kept seeing people mention it in a video of someones search history being leaked in court?
(8 pages of court worthy searches btw)

I recently received my new Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 laptop. I set up the network with an Ethernet connection initially because everyone always says it’s faster and more stable, but I noticed really slow speeds which seemed odd. I did a speed test and only got 32 Mbps on download where it should be much higher. I searched the subreddit for tips to figure out what was going on, and a common theme I noticed were people bashing Realtek adapter cards for their horrible internet connections.
I noticed my new laptop uses a Realtek network adapter for Ethernet called “Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller” so I thought why not disable the Ethernet and use Wi-Fi instead to test it out. The Wi-Fi connection gave me 370 Mbps download which was a huge improvement! The Wi-Fi adapter is called “Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211”.
But now I don’t know where to go from here. Do I just stick with Wi-Fi from now on and forget using the Ethernet connection? Should I change the Realtek card to see if that gives a better Ethernet connection (is that even a card you can change like the Wi-Fi adapter or that isn’t possible)? The laptop is still under warranty, is this something I should address with Lenovo?
Thank you guys!

very early recovery rn (day 1) my ED keeps trying to sneakily get me to eat less, like for example not finishing breakfast or skipping snack because I'm full/ not hungry, like by trying to convince me that the recovery decision is to follow my body's signals, and eating not following those makes me feel so...wrong. brings me back to my last "recovery" attempt where i crammed in as much food a possible in my calories and was uncomfortably full all the time. except this time my stomach and digestion is genuinely so fucked up that if I were to follow my body's cues I wouldn't eat enough.
following the meal plan feels "greedy" and like overeating even though it's a small increase from what I was eating before for now, but before I was counting calories and not eating snacks if I was too full. and now if I do that I'm listening to my ED, but it keeps trying to convince me in not listening to it, I'm actually listening to my body, you know? how do figure out which thoughts are my eating disorder? I feel so confused.
there is honestly nothing I want more than to be able to eat following my body's signals like regular people, but I know that's not possible right now. but even saying that feels like I'm making "excuses".

Is there any reason why nowhere makes nose studs larger than 3mm? Always liked the look of chunky diamond nose studs as i’ve seen people with them before. Tried searching all over for a 6mm stud and even asked my piercer but i cant find any for sale anywhere.

I recently received my new Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 laptop. I set up the network with an Ethernet connection initially because everyone always says it’s faster and more stable, but I noticed really slow speeds which seemed odd. I did a speed test and only got 32 Mbps on download where it should be much higher. I searched the subreddit for tips to figure out what was going on, and a common theme I noticed were people bashing Realtek adapter cards for their horrible internet connections.
I noticed my new laptop uses a Realtek network adapter for Ethernet called “Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller” so I thought why not disable the Ethernet and use Wi-Fi instead to test it out. The Wi-Fi connection gave me 370 Mbps download which was a huge improvement! The Wi-Fi adapter is called “Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211”.
But now I don’t know where to go from here. Do I just stick with Wi-Fi from now on and forget using the Ethernet connection? Should I change the Realtek card to see if that gives a better Ethernet connection (is that even a card you can change like the Wi-Fi adapter or that isn’t possible)? The laptop is still under warranty, is this something I should address with Lenovo?
Thank you guys!

Morning everyone!
Just got the Ridgid Universal miter saw stand after a ton of research. Noticed some wobble/shake (when cutting wood, or even when I just push/shake the unit). Everything was properly installed and tightened, sitting on a horse stall rubber mats on flat basement concrete.
Is this normal and some shake just to be expected?
Using a new Hercules sliding compound miter saw (12”) I just upgraded my older Dewalt from. There is a significant weight difference, so possibly my saw is too heavy now?
I would have expected the stand to be pretty ‘Ridgid’ (pun intended) and firm to minimize wobble when cutting. Searching online, I was unable to find people mentioning the same issue, so I figured I would shoot up a flare to get a pulse from you experienced folks. Happy to send a video if it helps…
Appreciate any insight, guidance, or tips/tricks y’all may have to share.
Cheers! //S

Slimy Studio is searching for a Social Media Manager!

We are currently developing "Project: Gig Crawler", a bullet hell multiplayer online game. We are currently looking for a Social Media Manager to join the team.
This person will be responsible for handling the social media and Kickstarter's communications, and if things go well, this position could be long-term.
As individuals, we already have 5-8 years(each) of experience in the gaming industry and have been involved in a few published titles. Now, as a group, our goal is not to simply develop a title and hope for the best, we want to form a united team with a cohesive vision. "We are all 100% independent, so we are doing it because we care!."
For us, the Social Media Manager must be willing to immerse themselves in the project to give it a playful in-character voice. No one is expecting impressive numbers, neither rapid growth, or neither rigid industry standards BUT we need someone capable of understanding our target audience, embracing the vision and taking control of social media.
If you have a passion for online services and want to join us in building a community that supports this vision, you are probably the right person!
~You can apply for this position by submitting a short presentation at~ [~hello@slimy.studio~](mailto:hello@slimy.studio)~,~
and remember ~just to be yourself~! We need someone in line with the team more than the job itself.
~About the position:~
~WHAT WE NEED:~

• The role involves daily basis activities, we do not have a "strict" calendar but we require a minimum continuum of services since we have different platforms and we have a quality standard.
• We need someone willing to embrace a little our vision, way more important than experience... ~If you don't like multiplayer, co-op games with progression and bullet hells it could be problematic creating content for our target audience.~
• We would like someone who is a team player, no solo wolves, communication is the key.
• A minimum knowledge of best practices and a minimum quality standard is required. If you are a pure hobbyist doing it for the hobby with no aim for an actual job in the field... maybe we are not the best fit as first experience.

- ~3-4 months of "tough" work, then we will see based on Kickstarter.(we expect a minimum of 20h a week+)~
~WHAT WE OFFER:~
- We will be available for any questions! All our team is highly bonded so we will share the vision as much as we can in all forms, 2D,3D, Design and coding!

• Of course, it is a huge TRADE so you ~will and should~ work for yourself, we are happy if you will gain a good portfolio/case study for YOUR career. If you do a good job YOU are the star! it is a WIN-WIN situation!
• We are all a team of passionate people we are not just "doing a game to speculate on the market"...The environment is friendly! No secrets and no shady money circles... Opportunity to propose stuff! (if there is a NO from our side there will be ALWAYS motivation, possibly not connected to "preferences" but with meaningful reason :))
• Depending on the Kickstarter we will compensate this time and "risk".In one way or another! Of course, if the Kickstarter allows us to formulate a budget for the position, we will fix it and pay monthly! We do not believe in any rev-share formula since literally to do so, you should have a registered company with already some titles with analytics(you need that) eheh most companies or teams just "say that" but ....meh... SOURCE -> We were on the other side years ago!;).

In conclusion, we would be happy to have a new enthusiastic member in our team, if you are a good human with passion and the will to risk a little with us, we hope to hear from you!.
CHEERS! Slimy Studio
ABOUT US: Web: Slimy.studio LinkedIn: Linkedin.com Discord: Discord.gg

Majority of the front page is questions that are asked multiple times a week and are easily searchable. Things like "how much weight will I lose during a fast", "will fasting help or hurt a cold", the dreaded "can I work out during a fast", and the eternal "how is dry fasting different from wet fasting" the answer which is of course the the 2nd sentence in the sidebar.
I suspect this likely hurts the community in the long run. This type of content is stimulating to novices but then people like me(50+ DF days) come here looking for the same kind of content but necessarily more advanced and novel(we want stimulation too) and bugger off cuz we have seen the same stuff a hundred times.
I'm not saying to ban posts. And maybe mods don't have time or inclination for this. But I think subreddit could greatly benefit from a change in policy.
I know there are a lot of women here but I'm going to use a male centric example because i modded the latter subreddit at one point.
nofap vs Semenretention
Click on these two subreddits. Which one to you has higher quality posts? Which one from that do you suspect is more tightly moderated?
Now again I'm not saying to do this, but the more quality subreddit is infamous for muting and banning bad content, which breaks from a set of strictly enforced posting rules that do well to ensure quality.
In practice how to accomplish this is i think is 2 fold.
1: Weekly question threads
2: Automod that reminds people to search questions before asking
also hoping to generate some discussion here.

I'm not sure how helpful it will be to post here because I think my issue goes far beyond the usual conflicts one might find in a traditional dnd campaign. So before anyone reads this I wants to emphasise that 1. this was my very first dnd campaign and I joined it without any prior knowledge, and 2. this campaign was never intended to be a traditional "we're heroes and trying to save the world while fighting monsters left and right" campaign. I hope this answers any questions along the lines of "Well, why did you create this kind of character in the first place?" and "Why do your characters spend so much time talking about stuff, don't you have some beholders to fight?". I also cannot explain the whole situation without writing a literal 20 page long essay, so I'll try to keep it as short as possible and only give two examples. I'm definitely leaving a lot of details out here, so please let me know if clarifications or futher information is needed.
To preface what this is all about: I was a player in a very roleplay focused campaign and my character basically turned into the problem child of this campaign. I never intended for my character to be the focus, was never interested in him being the focus, but nothing I ever did suceeded in solving the issues at hand and taking the focus away from him. I constantly got accused of "making my character suffer", whereas from my perspective I was constantly trying to keep this character safe from the constant attacks he had to endure. It was like no matter what I did, no matter what I let this character do, it was never right. I think everyone in this group makes an effort to play their characters realistically, I defininitely do. And yet it was never me going "I know exactly what my character has to do to fix this but I'll REFUSE to do it because I don't like it" but me literally having no clue what people wanted from this character. The dm repeatedly said that nothing they tried to fix this character was helping. Whereas from my perspective these things that were supposed to "help" my character were the exact things that my character was struggling with. So it turned into a constant stream of something happening, my character then feeling bad, then everyone focusing on my character feeling bad, then my character trying to fix things, everyone telling him that he's doing it wrong, my character feeling even worse.... and me wondering why my character cannot just exist in peace, why we constantly have to focus on him instead of the "plot". I don't think anyone was interested in constantly discussing my character's mental state, I definitely wasn't interested in doing that, and yet we kept doing it. But I also did not know how to have him react differently to the constant shit getting thrown at him.
______
So, basically:
Around three years ago a friend of mine told me about this new dnd campaign they were starting and asked me to join. I've known this friend for half my life but we never lived close to each other, maintaining loose contact over Twitter and me visisting them every two or three years. I had never played dnd before, which they didn't think would be a problem, calling the campaign "very beginner friendly". The whole point behind this campaign was that both this friend (the dm) and two of the players from the main campaign they were playing wanted to play more regularly, so my friend/dm came up with this campaign which was basically a prequel to that main campaign. That main campaign was a more "traditional" dnd campaign with a quest to save the world and regular combat. Meanwhile this new campaign was supposed to be focused on roleplay. There was no overarching plot or quest and the setting was an arcane school and our characters were supposed to be students at said school, just starting their first semester.
When creating our characters the dm asked us to include at least one character in the backstory that was important for our character, and also an objective for our character, something they wanted to achieve. The character I came up with was a young half-elf wizard specialising in abjuration. The gist of his story was that his parents had been arrested and executed for high treason when he was very young and that he grew up rather isolated with his older brother in a place they were not allowed to leave before coming off age. When my character was 14 he woke up one morning to find his brother gone. He had left him only a cryptic letter, hinting at wanting to find out what had really happened to their parents, telling my character that he was sorry and that he would come back. When his brother had not come back after several months, my character too ran away and made his way to Candlekeep, which he had visited many times with his parents (who had been scholars) as a child. He tried to find answers in Candlekeep and spent the following three years hiding in the library before something prompted him to leave and travel to the aforementioned arcane school in order to study there. His objective was to find out why his parents had to die, what happened to his brother, and adjusting to normal life after years of isolation.
Personality wise this character was supposed to be very kind, very gentle, quite naive, honest, and at the beginning of the campaign rather anxious. My assumption was that after growing up in isolation he would need some time to get acclimatised and would be anxious and overwhelmed in the beginning but would loosen up with time and become more self-confident. Some bad stuff happened early on in the campaign and he reacted to it in a rather not healthy way (withdrawing, refusing to eat, but also not talking about what was going on because he didn't want to put the focus on himself). I messed up here, I realised that later. I assumed the other characters would sit him down and ask him what was going on, leading to some kind of cathartic conversation, my character then revealing his past, and him becoming more confident and positive through it, completely resolving this issue. I didn't realise that introducing these kind of psychological issues into the story would be an issue, simply because I wasn't planning on making it a big thing. I thought it would be realistic for him to react this way and I thought it was something that could easily be resolved. Nowadays I would approach this completely differently: if I were to play this character now I would make this whole "accepting his past, becoming more self-confident and open" thing part of his backstory and would start him off as being confident and in tune with his emotions, instead of trying to quickly get through this development at the start of the campaign. So I think I know what I SHOULD have done to prevent this from escalating. What I am trying to figure out is what I could have done to fix it AFTER realising my mistake. Because we spent months and months trying to resolve this issue and never really got anywhere. Despite me trying my best to keep the focus away from my character, despite me trying to turn him into someone more confident and happy, despite me NOT WANTING him to be the focus of the story and doing my best to keep him out of the spotlight.
______
Here is an example of the things going on in the story, to which my character reacted badly and me not knowing how else I could have had him react that would not have caused further conflict:
Over the course of the campaign L. figured out what his brother was up to after him and his friends getting intro trouble and a mysterious stranger helping them get out of there and that stranger then revealing himself to be A.'s husband (and therefore my character's brother-in-law). L. had a lenghty discussion with this person and after that I basically viewed L.'s conflict as resolved: he now knew why his brother had left, he knew that it had not been his fault, and he knew that his brother had found someone who loved him and was not alone. L. still hoped to be able to see his brother again to get to say goodbye properly. Because in L.'s mind there was no other possibility but this being a goodbye: his brother had a new life now that he, L., was not part of anymore. And L. accepted that. There was no anger, no resentment, only relief knowing that his brother was not alone, had someone by his side who loved him, and that he still cared about L. and that L. had not - as he had feared - done anything that had caused his brother to not want to be near him anymore. He had finally gotten the closure he had needed, he was feeling okay and I viewed this whole conflict as resolved.
Fast forward a few weeks: A. finally suceeded in doing what he had been working on these past few years and returned to L., just like he had promised in the letter he had left him all that time ago. When talking to him, L. realised that A. was not actually planning on leaving, like L. had assumed. Instead A. told him that he and his husband would stay and look for a new home near L.'s school. L. was very surprised by this but of course he was also happy. He hadn't even considered that his brother would stay. His biggest hope had been that his brother would occasionally send him a letter from whereever he was. Him actually wanting to stay was very unexpected for L. but of course he was very happy about it. They also had some good conversations during that time, which not only brought L. further closure but also revealed connections between several past plot points.
About a week after A.'s return L. went to visit him. He just wanted to spend some time with his brother and also ask him for advice. The semester was coming to an end and everyone was busy preparing for the final exams and L. also still needed to find an internship placement for the summer break. L. wanted to do his internship in Candlekeep but was unsure on how to approach this, who to contact, how to phrase his request, so he thought asking his eloquent and knowledgable brother for advice would be a good idea. This conversation quickly went downhill with A. accusing L. of not respecting the people working at Candlekeep enough to do proper research beforehand and L. ending up feeling like he didn't deserve doing an internship there and ending up feeling even more stressed out about the whole thing than he had already been beforehand. They changed the topic and at some point A. started to jokingly fighting L. and putting him in a headlock. L. had no interest in fighting his brother, even as a joke, and reacted by going limp so he could slip away. A. then asked something along the lines of "So that's how you react in a fight? You just give up?" and L. said "Well, I know you would never intentionally hurt me with no good reason". The next second L. was falling. He was up in the sky, the ground many meters below him, and he was falling. L. immediately deduced that this must be some kind of enchantment and tried to fight it, but neither acknowledging that this wasn't real nor trying to shake it off did anything. He did not know any flying or hovering spells, nothing that would help him stop the fall, and ended up crashing into the ground. The next moment he was in some kind of water pool inside a cave that he struggled to get out of. A. was waiting by the cave entrance and offered L. his hand when he got out. L. refused to take it. A. then left and L. eventually followed, finding himself back in the room they had been in before. Either in the cave or shortly afterwards A. asked L. why he hadn't just used a spell to stop his fall, being surprised by L.'s statement that he had not yet learned an appropriate spell. L. eventually sat down at the table and did some exam preparation. A. made some food and put some in front of L. which L. ignored. Eventually L. looked up and asked A. what his biggest fear was. A. had just put L. through several of his biggest fears - falling, drowning, not being able to trust the ones he loves, and getting his control taken away - so he wanted to know what A. was scared of most. A. the told L. that his biggest fear was someone using his abilities to do something bad. And then he explained to L. that he had come to the conclusion that he would not be able to stay after all. That while he was able to defend himself, L. was not, and anyone wanting to get to A. would have an easy time doing so through L. who was evidently not able to defend himself. L. did not take that well and asked A. why he couldn't just train L. so he would get better at defending himself but A. refused. A. then said he would take a walk and allowed L. to come with him. They walked for several hours without talking, ending up in the middle of a forest where some ancient creature appeared that A. had helped several years ago and that was now nearing the end of its life and had called A. there to say goodbye. A. also explained to L. that he did not actually want to stay. That he - A. - had been naive in thinking that he could just live a normal life and that it had been nothing but a dream and that he simply wasn't made for that kind of life. Some time during that conversation A. also told L. that he was convinced that he would end up in the Nine Hells for the things he had done. They spent the night in the woods and the next morning L. realised that all his things had been stolen by some fey creatures, including his spell book. After searching for several hours they were able to find his spellbook, which had been smeared with insults. A. managed to clean it up and they returned back home and L. was reuinted with the rest of the group. Before L. left A. also gifted him an indestructable spellbook. A few days after these events L. went to the temple and addressed Mystra, telling her how lost he was feeling and how worried he was about his brother. He told her that he wanted nothing more than to protect the ones around him but how he was constantly failing in doing so. And how he just wanted his brother to be safe and how he was worried he would really eventually end up in the Nine Hells and how he didn't think A. deserved that but that he didn't know how to prevent that from happening. The next morning L. found some strange piece of cloth on his face which after some examination was revealed to be an item belonging to Mystra which she had used to hide something in the past. The very condensed explanation of what that item does is that when attuned to it one cannot be found through any kind of traditional divination magic, making one basically undetectable. The next time L. saw A. he told him about this item and A. was basically like "Oh cool, well in that case we can actually stay here". L.'s reaction was to start crying and A. asked him why he was so upset and why everything was always the end of the world to him.
The way I see this whole situation: I simply wanted L. to spend some time with his brother, hopefully get some advice from him regarding that internship and then going back to the rest of the group. Instead what happened was that A. first called him disrespectful for wanting to do an internship at a place and not having done enough research beforehand. Then taking L.'s statement "you wouldn't hurt me with no good reason" to assault L. Then telling L. that he would not stay after all due to L. apparently not being able to defend himself. Then explaining to him that "actually, I didn't want to stay in the first place", and then a few days later telling him he WILL stay after all. So basically, L. had accepted that his brother would not come back to him for good, he had accepted this and had found closure. Then his brother told him he WOULD stay and L. was of course happy about this surprising turn of events. Then his brother told him that due to L. not being able to defend himself he CANNOT stay. Then he tells him he doesn't WANT to stay anyway, confirming the exact reasoning behind L.'s initial assumption that A. would not stay. And then after realising the threat was eliminated, decided to stay afterall, despite having it made very clear that he did not actually WANT to stay... and apparently only staying because he thought that's what L. wants, despite L. repeatedly explaining that his priority is for A. to be happy and that he does not want A. to stay if that's not what makes him happy and A. just completely ignoring that? Am I really the only person who thinks that it's understandable why L. is confused and upset in this situation? Plus the constant "What do you mean, you don't know [this one simple thing]?" when L. is already barely able to get a regular long rest in between trying to keep up with school work and all the stuff that's going on at the side, like a literal war for example, and constantly feeling that no matter what he decides it's always wrong and he never has enough time to do the things he is supposed to do, let alone the things he wants to do? Plus him wanting to spend the afternoon with his brother turning into a 36 hour long event and him having to spend half a day looking for his spellbook, only to find it smeared with insults?
Am I being dense for not understanding what the whole point of this was? Trying to make it clear to L. that his brother is a powerful and dangerous person? He was already very aware of that and did not need a reminder. Proving to L. that he shouldn't trust his brother? Why even associate with him in the first place if you don't want him to trust you? Giving him the indestructable spellbook was nice. But was having some fey creatures steal his original one and smear insults all over it and him having to spend hours searching for it really necessary?
Whatever the hell it is the dm was trying to do here, I think a simple, calm conversation between those two would have been a lot more effective.
But maybe it's clearer from the outside, so if someone else understands what happened here, please help me understand.
______
Another situation was that due to his struggles early on in the campaign my character was supposed to see the school's healer once a week so she could make sure that he was okay. My character went there once a week, feeling more or less okay when entering her office, and coming out feeling confused and upset after having his mental state analysed and picked apart. Neither did my character enjoy this nor did I think that any of the players (including myself) had any interest in listening to my character discuss his emotions every week. So eventually I had my character write a letter to the headmistress, explaning that he wanted to stop doing these weekly check-ins. Upon being asked why, he explained that these appointments actively made him feel bad and that he would do a lot better if he didn't constantly feel pressured into talking about things he didn't want to talk about. The reaction was that he was told that if he cannot handle simply being asked how he was doing once a week, then he wasn't stable enough to go to school, and consequently got kicked out. Leading to us spending two sessions trying to resolve this and my character eventually being allowed back into the school. ______
The situations I described are the kind of thing that constantly happened to my character.
We had a calendar where we wrote down short descriptions of what happened each day. I once went through this calendar with a friend (who does not play dnd) and it basically went like this: "So that day this traumatic thing happened to L., and the next day this happened, and two days later this happened, then the next day he almost died, then three days later he discovered this, the next day this other thing happened,....", and my friend just went "Holy shit, it's no surprise that this kid is losing his marmbles."
So I keep alternating between "I messed up this whole campaign by creating a problematic character" and the feeling that the dm had it out for specifically my character and it didn't matter what I did, nothing could have solved this.
Some constructive ideas on what I did wrong and what I could have done to fix things would be appreciated. (And yes, we did talk about this in the group. I eventually got tired of talking about it because it never lead anywhere.