I remember hearing from adults all around me growing up that "marriage is a lot of work." That has always been my outlook and to be frank it is for my wife (37f) and I (37m). We've been married for 6 years and I feel like I still don't understand her. Last night she was in a bad mood and banished herself to the bedroom, so I went along with the kids' normal night routine like many, many nights before. I'm also used to her sleeping in and just expect at this point that I'm the one going into the kids' bedrooms when they wake up crying and that I'm the one doing morning routines with them on weekends.
I woke up this morning in my toddler's bed, after spending the night on the couch, like so many mornings before, and just started doing the morning routine. I got the kids breakfast, did laundry, did dishes, made the coffee, got my wife's breakfast started, fed the cats, etc. But this morning was different because my wife actually woke up shortly after I did. It caught me off guard and something inside me started boiling over. I felt like I was so used to just not expecting her to be a part of this routine ever that it made me viscerally angry. I expressed it to her calmly, like a mature adult, and we hugged it out. But the rest of the morning she spent snipping and snapping at me and the kids about everything, and whatever was going wrong this morning--whether it was the kids not having their shoes on or something like I paused vacuuming to clean up cat barf--she was giving me "I'm cross with you" vibes the whole way.
I left this morning with the girls to drop them off at my parents so my wife could go to a doctor's appointment and I could have brunch an hour away with some college friends I hadn't seen in a while (one of them is getting married this summer). My wife invited over her friend and this friend's daughter so they could do something with the kids while I was gone. On the way to see my friends, I sent my wife what I thought was an innocuous text telling her that I could tell she was in a bad mood, I still loved her, and I just hoped that she could fill her social cup with her friend and also get a chance to relax and recharge after I got home. I didn't think anything of it, even after she was short with me on the phone when I told her I was driving through torrential rain and would call her back when I got to my destination.
I left the house with my kids at 10:00 a.m., my wife picked them up from my parents around noon, and I got home around 3:30pm. Because this is who I am, as soon as I got home I took all the kids outside and we played so my wife could just hang out. On the way home, I got her and her friend alcohol and picked up some small things we needed for the house. I was upset that I had to come home and immediately go back into tired dad mode, but I told my wife I just wanted her to relax and I'd take care of things. I thought the rest of the afternoon went fine, my wife kept hugging me and telling me she loved me and there were lots of laughs, the kids were having a good time.
But after her friend left, she just kind of shut down again. I ended up going back into our normal routine. My wife gave our toddler a bath but otherwise she just kind of laid on the couch and said she was done for the day. I did all the normal nighttime routine stuff and like I usually do every night I was brushing my daughter's teeth when my wife asked me for a hug. I told her to wait until I was done, and then she just started crying. She told me she didn't have a husband and felt like I just lived in the house. I didn't know how to respond because I half expected something was up but I didn't expect that. And she told me that my lack of responding emotionally or strongly told her all she needs to know. She said she had been asking me for hugs all day and I wasn't respecting her or listening to her. Earlier that night I ran out to the store again because she wanted ice cream and we didn't have any, but she said I was only doing it because I was grumpy and just wanted to get out of the house. She kept telling me I was rude all day and that I needed to reread that text I sent her because it made her cry. And I just still didn't know what to do. I told her I loved her, I wasn't going to leave her, and then I gave her a hug but she told me it felt wrong and that she could sense I just wanted to leave the family.
I am stuck because I don't know what to do. She told me she doesn't want to be around me and slammed the door in my face, and now I'm laying on the couch doing the girls nighttime routine like I do every night by myself. And it's really giving me pause. Maybe this marriage isn't for me. She told me before she slammed the door that she felt so disrespected by me for sending that text and that she was jealous I got to spend "all day" with my friends, so she was going to "disappear all day" tomorrow so she could be selfish and rude too.
And I don't know if I'm gas lit, she's right, I'm just being a stupid man, but I seriously don't know what I did or what's wrong. Maybe she's angry she was home with the kids all day, but I already do so much of the parenting and have such little social life. I don't want to think of our marriage as a competition, but I do think she sees it that way and she's very tit for tat. Even just yesterday I was on the toilet for "longer than she expected" and I got spoken to about hiding in the bathroom even though I was legitimately going number two that entire time. Meanwhile, she can go shut herself in the room for hours because she doesn't want to be around the kids or my "bad moods."
I don't understand people that say marriage is easy. I just don't. But I've seen people on here and have friends in real life who tell me it is very easy for them. I envy those people.

Welcome to the first post in the prophesied Design Notes Series, which will see periodic releases during the (probably long) wait until 3.0, and will preview and discuss upcoming content.
As was mentioned in the Anniversary post, I am working on 3.0 whenever I find the time and motivation; treating it like homework did not do wonders for my creativity, back when I started. So this Series is meant to serve as an appetizer and periodic reminder that progress is still being made.
Let's get into it!

Weapon Art?

I am considering renaming the phrase "Special Ability". As casual language, pretty much everything in SW is an "ability" that is "special," so the term always felt ambiguous to me. But more importantly, it just doesn't shine. I'm a fan of vivid, evocative language in fiction, and nothing about the phrase "Special Ability" actually feels special to me. It's... generic.
So I may rename it to "Weapon Art." No less clichéd, really, but the point isn't to make the word unique, just unambiguous, evocative, and a maybe little more iconic.
And I would just do it, if it weren't for the fact that find-and-replace is really glitchy in Inkscape (of course it is), so I would have to manually replace every instance of the phrase.
Since I haven't decided yet, I'm going to use the phrase Weapon Art for the rest of this post, to try it on and see how it fits. Let me know what you think of the term, and whether you think it would be an improvement worth taking the time to implement.
Personally, if nothing else, I think it enhances clarity.

The Importance and Function of a Weapon Art

Weapon Arts are the defining heart of a Weapon Class. If I can think of a unique Art for a weapon, it gets a Class. If I can't, it doesn't. But how do I decide what Art to give to a weapon? I have a process, and it goes a little something like this:
The Function of the Art should be to...

1. Make it Possible to use a weapon that is otherwise too impractical for combat. If this isn't applicable, it should instead...
2. Compensate for a Weakness of the weapon. If this isn't applicable, it should instead...
3. Amplify a Strength of the weapon.

Examples of Function 1 — Cleaver, Boomerang, Yo-yo. Examples of Function 2 — Polearm, Crossbow, Bolas. Examples of Function 3 — Sword, Bow, Boots.
(Besides these guidelines, every option in SoulWeapon must synergize with other potential choices; that's the Golden Rule for Everything, since the very start).
There are a few exceptions, like Cane Sword or Wand, where the Art hones in on some thematic principle of the weapon or does something unique entirely. I would define these as Arts that enable a trope, which is sort of a hidden 4th Function.
But there are other exceptions I am less happy with. There are some Weapon Arts that have always struck me as incorrect, or just insufficient, but they stayed because I could never think of anything better.
But I've reevaluated the principles behind Weapon Arts. As a result, a number of Weapon Classes—some of which have been unchanged since 1.0—are seeing new Weapon Arts in 3.0.
Let's talk about a few of them.

Knives

For such a common, bread-and-butter weapon, Whisper Walk is a really niche ability that is specific to certain settings/builds. In general, if a weapon is something that gets used a lot, I want its Art to be something that gets used a lot as well.
Cane Sword is a rare and weird weapon that is already almost exclusively used as a way to conceal a weapon or exude style and poise. So the Art reflects that stealth-based nature. But knives are used in a variety of ways besides stealth: open melee combat, ranged attacks, etc. So its Art should at least be a little broader.
The new Art serves Function 2: Compensating for Weakness. One of the weaknesses of the knife is its short range in melee; it's difficult to get past the defenses of most standard-sized weapons to where knives can thrive. The new Weapon Art is called Close-Quarters Combat.
If you really liked Whisper Walk, or had some builds that depended on it, don't worry: it will still be possible to access the effects of Whisper Walk in 3.0.

Mace

If Sword is the "default" bladed weapon, Mace feels like the "default" blunt weapon. (Even if it can technically have spikes on it, its purpose is nonetheless to smash, where the Sword's is to cut). Seems like it has a similar versatility and number of design Variations as the Sword, too, doesn't it? It feels appropriate, then, that they would be reflections of each other, with Sword leading the charge on Page 1, and Mace leading the charge on Page 2.
So, since Sword grants improved skill and and a buff to Runic Potency, Mace shall grant improved might and a buff to Runic Potency.
This feels really really right to me, whereas the old Art (Brute) felt pretty lackluster. Swords are about precision, so they buff your skill, and Maces are about crushing power, so they should buff your might. Both weapons buff Runic Potency, and so you have twin "default" melee weapons that act almost as spokespersons for their broader weapon types. As a bonus, the new Art sort of encompasses what Brute did, so it's a strict buff at the end of the day.
You might think the other "default" weapons to be Knives (the default throwing) and Bow (the default shooting). These haven't gotten parallel Runic Potency -type abilities, but their Weapon Arts have been buffed or reworked in other ways.

Tonfas

Non-Lethal was very cool, but it did not feel like a Weapon Art. Its effects have been moved to a section that makes much more sense for the type of ability it is (you can probably guess to where, if you grok the design philosophy of SoulWeapon).
It has been replaced with a new Art that better suits the beat-and-block nature of Tonfas: Missile Deflection. This lets you intercept projectiles and helps with blocking melee attacks, so you can close the distance on ranged foes and then out-defend them. It's meant to be strong enough to effectively invalidate mundane archers and make the lives of Soulbound archers rather difficult; tonfas are a below-average weapon, so they deserve an above-average Art to compensate.

Kusarigama

Shadow Creep had the same problem as Whisper Walk: stealth is too niche a boon for Weapon Art; it restricts the potential of a Class by limiting its use-cases.
The new Art fills a niche we for some reason didn't have before: a true spinning chain weapon. It is called Spin Control, and it is to Corded weapons as Hover Spin (Giant Shuriken) is to Throwing weapons. It has a little extra bonus of allowing you to remotely control the orientation of the blade (separately from the chain), which can have some niche utility applications beyond just ensuring the kama hits your target point-first when you spin/fling it.
As with the others, the effects of Kusarigama's old Art will be accessible one way or another in 3.0; nothing is getting truly left behind.

Conclusion

There are a number of other Classes that have had their Arts updated or completely remade, but you'll have to wait until release to see those.
Future Design Notes posts likely won't be as long as this one, as most of them will focus on one single item instead of an entire design philosophy.
See you in the next! (And don't forget to let me know what you think of the new name).

.
elementary school I pretty much had many friends. There was a few assholes but it wasn’t super bad and they became nicer later. I went to birthday parties. I went to after school camp after school ended for the day so i was able to make more friends and enjoy my self. then i got held back. I was still happy tho and made more friends at summercamps. I wish i could be able to go back in time to have these days. I’m too old to attend after school camps and summer camps so it’s harder to get friends when you get to ur 20s.
middle school: was a massive jester. Most people just said “shut up” & called me annoying and i always wondered why the popular kids got to get away with being a clown. I was sad at times but i wasn’t bothered so much by it unlike now.
My phone helped me cope unlike now. I had things to keep me busy (karate, 2 tutoring classes) so i didn’t care about hanging out with anyone. I used to whine about having those things but now that i don’t do tutoring anymore cuz one is online and soon my mom is gonna stop paying for it just like karate classes and the other tutoring place said i had to stop doing it at 18. After this my life has been more empty . Besides karate places for adults is more boring and no one talks. Also for camps as a kid you can actually have fun and do cool activites and field trips.I don’t have enough money to afford karate classes again to keep me busy either
Now i’m in my last of high school: depressed very alone and even more bored as ever before since i have nothing to keep me busy and my phone doesn’t help me cope anymore. I’m constantly thinking of the shit that happened to me due to getting more bad experiences in high school

elementary school I pretty much had many friends. There was a few assholes but it wasn’t super bad and they became nicer later. I went to birthday parties. I went to after school camp after school ended for the day so i was able to make more friends and enjoy my self. then i got held back. I was still happy tho and made more friends at summercamps. I wish i could be able to go back in time to have these days. I’m too old to attend after school camps and summer camps so it’s harder to get friends when you get to ur 20s.
middle school: was a massive jester. Most people just said “shut up” & called me annoying and i always wondered why the popular kids got to get away with being a clown. I was sad at times but i wasn’t bothered so much by it unlike now.
My phone helped me cope unlike now. I had things to keep me busy (karate, 2 tutoring classes) so i didn’t care about hanging out with anyone. I used to whine about having those things but now that i don’t do tutoring anymore cuz one is online and soon my mom is gonna stop paying for it just like karate classes and the other tutoring place said i had to stop doing it at 18. After this my life has been more empty . Besides karate places for adults is more boring and no one talks. Also for camps as a kid you can actually have fun and do cool activites and field trips.I don’t have enough money to afford karate classes again to keep me busy either
Now i’m in my last of high school: depressed very alone and even more bored as ever before since i have nothing to keep me busy and my phone doesn’t help me cope anymore. I’m constantly thinking of the shit that happened to me due to getting more bad experiences in high school

elementary school I pretty much had many friends. There was a few assholes but it wasn’t super bad and they became nicer later. I went to birthday parties. I went to after school camp after school ended for the day so i was able to make more friends and enjoy my self. then i got held back. I was still happy tho and made more friends at summercamps. I wish i could be able to go back in time to have these days. I’m too old to attend after school camps and summer camps so it’s harder to get friends when you get to ur 20s.
middle school: was a massive jester. Most people just said “shut up” & called me annoying and i always wondered why the popular kids got to get away with being a clown. I was sad at times but i wasn’t bothered so much by it unlike now.
My phone helped me cope unlike now. I had things to keep me busy (karate, 2 tutoring classes) so i didn’t care about hanging out with anyone. I used to whine about having those things but now that i don’t do tutoring anymore cuz one is online and soon my mom is gonna stop paying for it just like karate classes and the other tutoring place said i had to stop doing it at 18. After this my life has been more empty . Besides karate places for adults is more boring and no one talks. Also for camps as a kid you can actually have fun and do cool activites and field trips.I don’t have enough money to afford karate classes again to keep me busy either
Now i’m in my last of high school: depressed very alone and even more bored as ever before since i have nothing to keep me busy and my phone doesn’t help me cope anymore. I’m constantly thinking of the shit that happened to me due to getting more bad experiences in high school

Run theme: Click for Music
Players Count: 3-4 (Maybe more if I'm feeling it.)
Picks: 30 minutes before
Duration: 4-5 Hours
Metaplot: None
Communication: Discord and Roll20 - Voice Preferred
Threat Level: Medium
Mission: Search And Rescue
Location: Seattle
Game Theme: Pink Trenchcoat
GM Style Sheet: CLICK HERE <--------- PLEASE READ THIS.
Themes: Standard shadowrun drek.
Connecting to ShadowHaven BBS... Welcome to ShadowHaven.
Opening Job Board...
Your commlink pings with a high priority request from your fixer. The message is forwarded and is as follows: "Johnson is ringing up and down the phone, needs someone found. If you are interested, let me know so we can do business."
IC Prompt: "Got a bad breakup story?"
When applying please list the following:

• Discord Name
• Career Karma
• Character Role and a short description
• Last Run
• A small in character bit with your character's reaction to the ping and answer to the prompt.
• Anything important I should know about your PC?
• Any Neg Quals I should worry about?

Hello, I'm not sure if I'm in the right sub as I am a totally nascent entrant in world of IEMs, so please excuse me if I sound ignorant or like a noob. I'm seeking assistance to select the right set for my first ever IEM purchase. I tried doing a bunch of research with various brand websites, scoured youtube, through product review videos by audiophile content creators and tried to learn how to read the graph with the sound curve, but the more I discover, the more confused, and frankly overwhelmed I'm getting, so please bear patience with me. Unfortunately, where I'm based (in Mumbai, India), even though lots of ChiFi IEMs seem to be available, I see no option to be able to try them out to check the sound out myself at a brick & mortar store.
I'm no audiophile, but I do enjoy listening to music. I listen to a lot of electronic music; breaks/drum&bass/house/triphop, hiphop and easy going & dancy live music. I wouldn't say I'm a basshead, but i do enjoy the oomph. I currently have a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 & a pair of Galaxy Buds2 Pro, both of which I use wirelessly, with my android device, a Galaxy S24 Ultra, my tablet & my laptop, a MacBook Air M2. While I do enjoy both these devices in varied situations (headphones during transit & earbuds during workouts), I do love the idea of going back to wired earphones, and I hear IEMs are all the rage now. I would love to purchase a pair for regular use with my phone & tablet.
Problem is, there's always some reviewer beaming about pretty much every IEM I have come across. I also struggle to imagine the sound they're implying by certain similar key adjectives they use to describe the audio profiles in all the videos. I also don't entirely grasp the DAC dongle aspect, the difference from a standard 3.5 mm adapter, and if I should be getting one to connect the IEMs to my phone/tablet/laptop. I also don't understand the difference between dynamic drivers and planar drivers. Please help a chap out with your opinions & experiential suggestions? My budget is about 150-200 USD. These are the IEMs I've short listed and they're available out here for the following prices-

• Moondrop May DSP with USB C 78$
  
• Simgot EA500 LM 91$
  
• Kiwi Ears Forteza 61$
  
• Truthear Hexa 90$
  
• Moondrop Aria2 96$
  
• KZ Acoustics AS24 144$
  
• Pula PA01 66$
  
• Truthear x Crinacle Zero RED 66$
  
• Kiwi Ears X Crinacle - Singolo 90 USD
  
• Kinera - Celest Phoenixcall 132$
  
• LETSHUOER - x GIZAUDIO Galileo 144$
  
• TANGZU - Zetian Wu Planar 144$
  
• Letshuoer - DZ4 96$
  
• Tangzu - Wan'er S.G 21$
  
• QKZ x HBB - Hades 54$
  
• Kiwi Ears - Cadenza 39$
  
• 7HZ x Crinacle - Zero: 2 25$
  
• Pula PA02 191$
  
• MOONDROP CHU II DSP Type-C 27$
  

Do I also need a type C to DAC dongle or shall I go with one of the USB C wired IEM options? I was looking at one of the Audiocular dongles, which are under 15$, but then there's D10 & a D07, D05, CXPro and a CSPro and I have no idea what the difference is. Your help and opinion is appreciated, thanks!

So my real question is (that they wouldn’t let me post lol), would you date a 31 year old woman who is presently still at home?
I was sick for a few years and had to stay with my family. I started getting better a few months ago, and I really really need to get out there and experience life again. I’ve seen almost no one but my parents for all that time which was super unhealthy and I need like to see and touch a man again, so I downloaded an app to aid in this. I’m still at home and unemployed but I’m working out getting out of there and getting an apartment as soon as possible. I’m trying to sort my life out all around, but I want to meet people also. Life is short and if I died next year, I don’t want to think I spent the last year of my life “hiding” from everyone until I was a perfectly formed person again. I’d really like to meet friends and dudes who I have chemistry with anyway and don’t care about the fact I’m like not where everyone else is.
What are your thoughts on this? I put “casual” on my profile since again, things are a bit of a mess and I’m not trying to be like “me need relationship now!” It’s more about seeing other human beings again. I just don’t want them to be like Icked out about my life situation and idk how to stop worrying about that. If you met a cool person, would you care if they were in my situation? Or should I only 100 percent approach this is a hang and hookup thing since again, my life is a bit of a mess and I’m not “ready” for a relationship?
Thanks ya’ll for any input.

Cap (M) blocked me b/c he still loves me? And we had/have a trip planned.
I "dated" a Cap (M) 40 and I'm a Pisces (F) 40 for 8 months. We were both in long term relationships when we met. We have been friends for years but were strictly platonic. He was with Pisces (F) and I was with a Libra (M). One day we met and instantly clicked. He was a straight shooter out the gate. I was surprised how agressive he was about being so transparent. We began seeing each other and the energy was so magnetic. We talked everyday all day for hours via text and phone. We saw each other as much as we could. He owns and runs a very successful company and I work from home. We both have children and we agreed not to introduce our kids to each other until the timing was right. We did so much together. We became inseparable. I was scared/nervous and skeptical to fall for him since he had already been in a relationship with another Pisces (F) and my thoughts were "if it didn't work with her, there's no way it would work with us". Plus he told me that he had never loved any other woman besides her. So, I definitely had my guards up. When I tell you, this man poured into me, he poured into me. He was so consistent with his actions and words that I began to fall in love. I was the first one to admit that I was in love and he also confessed he had fell in love and that he had never felt the way he felt with anyone else. He said he had sexual relationships with over a hundred women and "experienced" everything under the sun and that he never realized that what he was actually searching for was "connection". He said he was surprised by how easy it was to talk to me and just be honest and vulnerable. We literally would be together for hours and days (sometimes) with no television, no distractions, and just talk for HOURS. We really enjoyed each others company.
Flashforward, the other Pisces woman (41) began to beg for his return. They have children together and she begged and begged for another chance to connect with him "for the sake of the kids". She claimed that he never gave her an opportunity to emotionally connect. He told me he never felt comfortable being vulnerable or honest with her in all the years he's known her. I could feel him slipping away and pulling away. I could tell he was becoming conflicted. How could I compete with her when they had so much history? I just found it confusing because for months I held back on giving him my heart completely but he repeatedly assured me that he was all in and that "she couldn't change his mind". He told me it was safe to trust him, it was safe to be vulnerable, it was safe to love him.
All of a sudden, within the last 30 days I could feel him shifting and his internal turmoil bubbling up. I suggested that he take two weeks of no contact to figure out what he wanted to do. He called me 5 days later and broke up with me. He said he couldn't stand seeing he emotionally breakdown the way that she had and that they had a lot of history together and that he feels bad because he was never truly vulnerable or honest with her. He basically blamed himself and said that before he could be with me or anyone else he "has to try" for the sake of the kids and to make sure he did all he could do to "save" the relationship.
Of course, I broke down in tears. I felt betrayed. We experienced so much together, grew together, built trust, I allowed mysef to love him fully and completely and then he blindsided me and broke up with me! My initial reaction was shock. I kept muting myself during the phone call. He did not tell me in a gentle manner. It was very "conversational" which was abnormal. The next day, I called him to ask questions and I broke down and actually cried on the phone (like full on ugly cry). We continued to talk for days afterwards b/c he felt bad for me and he misses our banter. After going back and forth talking (sometimes as if he did not break up with me), he asked if he should stop communicating with me until he was 100 percent done with his current situation and was single. I asked him, what he felt led to do and he wouldn't answer. Finally, today, I told him it would not be fair to her or me if he continued to talk to me because that's not him moving in an honest manner and he would basically be using me as a "crutch" or a "backup". He told me, that I would always have a place in his heart and that I was unforgettable and that this would be his final communication with me. I acknowledged is text message and shed a few tears.
Hours later, I noticed he actually blocked me on all social media platforms. I was not expecting that! Especially since I did not break up with him, he broke up with me and HE broke MY heart!
We were supposed to take a trip together in June. He reimbursed me for it (after I asked)...should I give him time to work things out (cool down) and still go or just leave him alone completely? My heart is broken! I really thought he was my forever person! I miss him so much.
Him: Cap Sun, Gemini Moon, Cap Mercury, Sag Venus, Cap Rising Me: Pisces Sun, Leo Moon, Pisces Mercury, Aqua Venus, Scorpio Rising Other woman: Pisces Sun, Sag Moon, Aqua Mercury, Aries Venus

throughout my life, i have never really been appreciated and liked by others. what i find really stupid is that people nowadays tend to think that people with phones, scroll on TikTok, and talk about sex and drugs are cool. i have never had a girl (or anyone except my parents) tell me that I am good looking. When I look at the mirror I wanna hold a gun at it and pull the trigger. society is fucked up. They give the stupid, popular people their attention but they don't know who they really are. in reality, they bully the people below them and tell demeaning jokes. this happened to me last year, and now no girl even wants to look at me or even go near me, because they all think i'm a creepy r*pist. This makes me really angry to the point where I thought of bringing a gun to school, shooting them, and pile their bodies up. then i would pour gasoline onto their dead bodies and burn them alive. i also have ADHD, which people mistakenly believe is code for "retard". IM NOT DUMB I JUST HAVE TROUBLE FOCUSING GET YOUR FUCKING FACTS RIGHT. I hate this fucking world.

Alright, before I overthink this, I’ll just make the darn post.
The events of the last few weeks with Lore.FM have made a few things glaringly clear:
1) There is a need within fandom to utilize TTS technology for a variety of reasons 2) Many folks (through no fault of their own) are unaware of what TTS technology is available how that to improve their experience 3) Podfics are not as widely known and circulated as I assumed
In light of that, I have made a very basic guide. It is in no way a finished product or definitive, just my effort to make a positive out of a negative. It covers iPhone built in TTS, Edge Browser for mobile and desktop, Android Reading Mode, other user-suggested Android apps, and podfics. I would love to add more and encourage you to contact me with suggestions or feedback. This was put together in a wild rush and based off of mine and my family’s experience with these tools, so I fully expect deficiencies and flaws. The Edge and iPhone options contain a demo with a short snippet of my own work to show how it functions. I don’t have one of these for Android but if someone would like to coordinate a recording, I am happy to add it.
Special thanks to the users in the other thread who suggested apps and podcast archives or were willing to test. Y’all rock. The original link now contains a link to take you to the updated guide.
Whew!
So without further ado…
Using Text-to-Speech Tools for Fanfiction

This is my first time posting and I don’t know what else to put besides my raw feelings. Long story short, I work as a cashier at a home improvement type of place and primarily work outside where the garden stuff is. Naturally around this time of year it’s very busy but where I live at right now is cloudy and raining every other week this month so business is slower than usual. On weekends I usually work 9 hour days so during slow times I settle down and use my phone. I understand that may be taboo but literally EVERYONE else does it (old/young, head cashiers, etc). But for some reason when I do it it’s a problem. And as someone with ADHD I get very antsy when I don’t have something to do so most of the time I’m just reading something to pass the time.
I guess someone complained which is fine if they feel I do it too much, but I make a point to only do it when there aren’t any customers and when it’s especially slow so I won’t be bothered every three seconds and put it down when I hear someone approaching. Not to mention several people vouched for me doing this. However a head cashier, NOT a manager, who is constantly on a power trip has been going behind my back and insisting none of the other head cashiers put me back outside. Again, EVERYONE uses their phone outside and no actual managers say anything if they see me using it.
I’m also ‘not allowed’ on self checkout which is fine cause I hate it and it’s honestly easier having the customers approach me vs the other way around. Even then I’m not actively avoiding them I just don’t know HOW to approach them and usually by the time I get the courage they’re almost done and then I feel bad for bothering them when they’re clearly in a rush. Anyways, I’ve worked here for over 2 years and have gotten used to this section since it’s so specific compared to inside. I’m honestly better outside because I actually know where things are and who to get help from if I don’t (again another head cashier said this to her as well) but this b*tch is for some reason hellbent on keeping me inside. I’m honestly ready to leave.
Anybody with a similar job, are there things you feel help pass the time better?? I’m desperate because it’s sooooo boring inside and getting a new job takes time. I can only tap my finger for so long!

I "dated" a Cap (M) 40 and I'm a Pisces (F) 40 for 8 months. We were both in long term relationships when we met. We have been friends for years but were strictly platonic. He was with Pisces (F) and I was with a Libra (M). One day we met and instantly clicked. He was a straight shooter out the gate. I was surprised how agressive he was about being so transparent. We began seeing each other and the energy was so magnetic. We talked everyday all day for hours via text and phone. We saw each other as much as we could. He owns and runs a very successful company and I work from home. We both have children and we agreed not to introduce our kids to each other until the timing was right. We did so much together. We became inseparable. I was scared/nervous and skeptical to fall for him since he had already been in a relationship with another Pisces (F) and my thoughts were "if it didn't work with her, there's no way it would work with us". Plus he told me that he had never loved any other woman besides her. So, I definitely had my guards up. When I tell you, this man poured into me, he poured into me. He was so consistent with his actions and words that I began to fall in love. I was the first one to admit that I was in love and he also confessed he had fell in love and that he had never felt the way he felt with anyone else. He said he had sexual relationships with over a hundred women and "experienced" everything under the sun and that he never realized that what he was actually searching for was "connection". He said he was surprised by how easy it was to talk to me and just be honest and vulnerable. We literally would be together for hours and days (sometimes) with no television, no distractions, and just talk for HOURS. We really enjoyed each others company.
Flashforward, the other Pisces woman (41) began to beg for his return. They have children together and she begged and begged for another chance to connect with him "for the sake of the kids". She claimed that he never gave her an opportunity to emotionally connect. He told me he never felt comfortable being vulnerable or honest with her in all the years he's known her. I could feel him slipping away and pulling away. I could tell he was becoming conflicted. How could I compete with her when they had so much history? I just found it confusing because for months I held back on giving him my heart completely but he repeatedly assured me that he was all in and that "she couldn't change his mind". He told me it was safe to trust him, it was safe to be vulnerable, it was safe to love him.
All of a sudden, within the last 30 days I could feel him shifting and his internal turmoil bubbling up. I suggested that he take two weeks of no contact to figure out what he wanted to do. He called me 5 days later and broke up with me. He said he couldn't stand seeing he emotionally breakdown the way that she had and that they had a lot of history together and that he feels bad because he was never truly vulnerable or honest with her. He basically blamed himself and said that before he could be with me or anyone else he "has to try" for the sake of the kids and to make sure he did all he could do to "save" the relationship.
Of course, I broke down in tears. I felt betrayed. We experienced so much together, grew together, built trust, I allowed mysef to love him fully and completely and then he blindsided me and broke up with me! My initial reaction was shock. I kept muting myself during the phone call. He did not tell me in a gentle manner. It was very "conversational" which was abnormal. The next day, I called him to ask questions and I broke down and actually cried on the phone (like full on ugly cry). We continued to talk for days afterwards b/c he felt bad for me and he misses our banter. After going back and forth talking (sometimes as if he did not break up with me), he asked if he should stop communicating with me until he was 100 percent done with his current situation and was single. I asked him, what he felt led to do and he wouldn't answer. Finally, today, I told him it would not be fair to her or me if he continued to talk to me because that's not him moving in an honest manner and he would basically be using me as a "crutch" or a "backup". He told me, that I would always have a place in his heart and that I was unforgettable and that this would be his final communication with me. I acknowledged is text message and shed a few tears.
Hours later, I noticed he actually blocked me on all social media platforms. I was not expecting that! Especially since I did not break up with him, he broke up with me and HE broke MY heart!
We were supposed to take a trip together in June. He reimbursed me for it (after I asked)...should I give him time to work things out (cool down) and still go or just leave him alone completely? My heart is broken! I really thought he was my forever person! I miss him so much.
Him: Cap Sun, Gemini Moon, Cap Mercury, Sag Venus, Cap Rising Me: Pisces Sun, Leo Moon, Pisces Mercury, Aqua Venus, Scorpio Rising Other woman: Pisces Sun, Sag Moon, Aqua Mercury, Aries Venus

It’s been a week since I last spoke to my ex “situationship”. We only talked for about a month, but we learned so much about eachother in that short time and I truly feel like I loved him. We ended on bad terms, and I know he hates me and i’m like 95% sure i’ll never hear from him again. However, for the last week i’ve been checking my phone literally every chance I get to see if he’s texted me. I want him to come back so bad, but I know he’s not going to. So how can I get myself to stop checking. Every time I see there’s no text I just want to cry and it’s driving me crazy. Please help. :,)

I choose this platform to say sorry to a person I hurt 15 years ago. I know we have our own lives today but I would like to take the courage to say sorry. For me to also move on and validate the feelings I had this moment. I'm not a good writer but I want to share my story. Do you guys experienced having no memory of a certain situation in your life? It's like you remember the person but not fully apprehend what "really" happened to both of you? Seems like there is a missing puzzle in the big picture? It happened to me and realized everything after all the embarrasing things I did. I was like acting the victim before and not knowing I am to blame after all. Year 2023 when I came back in my country, I'm working overseas by the way. As I went home, I declutter my personal things and there I saw some letters wayback 15years ago. Letters during our retreat activity college days. I read all their sweet messages and I stumbled to read a letter written by my crush. After reading his short and sweet letter I'm sobbing. Tears rolling down my cheeks and asking myself, what was my reaction when I read his letter before? Like what did I do?!! Did I read this? I'm thinking so hard searching for answers in my head about his letter but got no answer. It was so vague to me that I cannot find the answer I'm looking for in my mind and in my memory. All memories and emotions were bleak during that specific time. Throughout the day, all I'm thinking about was his letter. Thoughts like, yeah, I do have a crush on him during college days and it is too impossible that I disregarded that letter. I'm thinking crazy things already about his letter yet I cannot remember what really happened. I contacted my close friend who's been with me since college. She's like my sister from another mother who knows everything since college days. I started the convo sending her the letter he wrote for me and instantly she recognize who wrote it. She even ask me what did I do when I read the letter before or did I even bother to read the letter? I told her I cannot remember what I did before but one thing that's clear to me was our friendship seemed to drift away even before the graduation day. That's why I was'nt able to contact him after graduation day till up to present. Thinking, I was just the girl who just learned that the guy I like before, liked me back after reading the letter, my friend give me a silly suggestion of giving him a PM. Yes, we are classmates, friends during those days. He was on my list of friends in my socmedia yet after all this years, I never sent him a PM. I just wanted to say hi but I'm too embarassed to do it. Overthinking stuff and crazy ideas crossing in my mind. Then all of a sudden I saw in my screen 11:11am, immediately type hi and hit send button. Feeling embarassed that I pm-ed him first at the same time doubting if he still knows me, I'm too anxious in wanting to have or not to have a reply from him that time. Morning the next day upon checking my phone I got a reply from him, 👍 at 5:55am. Being weirdo again all I did was to talk to myself early that morning to give him a reply or not. I'm thorn of doing so or what. Then I just decided to give him a message of asking how is he, introducing myself, hope he's doing okay, message him because of blah, blah then wishin him luck and good day. Ugh, still embarassed. I thought it will be the end of our convo but he replied back saying he's doing okay. He remember me saying I'm his classmate and I'm happy that he's doing good now in his new career. He also ask how I'm doing and what do I do these days. We exchange 4-5 convo until he stop responding. I'm like yeah, that's it. I'm sure he's busy and I understand his profession demands time but I also want myself not to expect anything in REALITY. I'm being too emotional as of the moment that all I got to think was him and his letter creating imaginary things between us. I'm a rational person so as I pacify myself and calm down the thoughts in my mind, I decided to write everything in my journal. As I write down my thoughts, the question of how's and why's, slowly I remember everything that happened 15 years ago. I clearly remember the thoughts I had, the decisions I made and how I ghosted him.
Circa 2009. 4th year college. I have a guy friend who's my classmate during 3rd year since we were block section. He's also my block groupmate. Maybe we became close because we were together most of the times. He's tall, lanky, sweet, caring, funny and brainy. He's the type of guy who only bring a notebook in the room, I never saw him with a bag in normal schedule of classes but hey he always pass. And as a cheapskate college girl, I used to take down notes and do everything as I can to not spend extra penny. I become aware of him being sweet to me by borrowing my notes saying she can understand my handwriting, sitting beside me on classes where sitting position is not required, going to library doing group activities, walking side by side in school aisle and seeing him giving me a sweet smile. Getting him caught staring at me then he will just smile mirorring his eyes. It seems like normal things right? But I can sense there is something behind those small gestures. I also shared this to my friend that I can sense there is something about him but he never confirm anything at all. He was never even bothered when he knew one of my girl friends told him she had a crush on him. I got a little jealous during that time, I even got jealous on her friends that were beauties during college days. He was a friendly guy but knows how to be a gentleman. Since, no admission of feelings in his part we continued to be good friends, him still giving the same care and treatment to me. I can't remember if it was 2nd trimester when we had our retreat activity. It was months also before our graduation day and then after that will have our in-house review for upcoming board examination. Everyone is excited to attend the retreat because we can give a rest on our tired minds. We rented a good place with a perfect weather during that time. During our last day, the last task given to us is write a letter to each person in your group. He was my groupmate during the retreat. We can read the letter after the activity or if we have time to spare. I decided to read mine when I got home. Me and him are still good during that time. When I arrived home, I started reading their letter, I read his letter last. His letter goes like this,
A_____, " I have met you on a cloudy Monday and now you never knew how much I loved the rain." Your a gentle child and very sincere. You are very concern to all the people around you and thats what make you different from others. You can carry things up and I know you can make it. Goodluck and Godbless. I am just on yourside waiting for you to tap me and call my name.
I'm shocked yet relieved knowing that what he's doing towards me is confirmed in his letter. It might be a indirect confirmation but I think it still says so. I'm happy to know he's not just a friend caring for me but someone special who took care of me all this time. But as my happiness took over me, that feeling of anxiousness and cowardice envelops my entire body. Confessing his feelings, then now, what? What will happen in our friendship? How do I face him, as I am shy girl before? If I tell him I like him too, what will happen to us? Graduation day is in the corner, inhouse review is giving us pressure, licensure examination will happen in next few months and I need to focus, to study to pass the exam. Those were my concerns at that time. So, I made up my mind. Without giving him any answer, without telling him what I have in my mind, without him knowing what I really wanted to say despite the concerns I had in mind. I let him go without telling him what I feel towards him that time. Following days at school, I started avoiding him. I dare not to look at him directly in his eyes. I never got to talk to him about his letter. And as days passes by giving him same treatment and distance, I saw him once looking at me, his eyes saying like giving up. From then on, our friendship drifted off. I never got to talk to him in our graduation day, even in succeding events after our licensure exam. I did pass my licensure, he also did. I'm not expecting he will talk to me or greet me if ever we crossed our path again. He was my first love. But I never give him the chance. There might be a future for our relationship but I never gave him a chance. To my lovecrush, I am sorry for ghosting you, for not giving you a chance, and for leaving you hanging-up. I know I'm a big coward, selfish, self centered and faint hearted person when it comes to you. Confessing and telling you what my heart wants before will NOT/NEVER change anything now. But I wanted to say this for me to let go of the feelings that I still have for you. Lovecrush, I like you too. I care for you too. I did become a scaredy cat before telling you my true feelings are but know that after all those days knowing you like me too, I always think of you. The heartbeak I give to myself and to you, left me no choice but to suppress the pain and convince myself to forget the painful choice I made. Thank you for letting me feel how special I am in my own way. Thank you for being my green flag.❤️ Thank you for being warm, caring, thoughtful and loving friend.🥰 Now, I will never ever forget the memories we shared before even if it brings joy and pain. It is now my treasure. Thank you so much lovecrush. 🥰 You will always be my first love and first heartache.🙂 I know you can make it in life. You're such a kind hearted soul. Wishin you all the best in life! Takecare as always. Godbless!🙏❤️

I had some bumps at work for 2023, but it was generally good. Made some missteps, took accountability. Moved forward. Most coworkers were cool with it, but one sr. team member has made a professional grudge against me. Later, I find out I would then be reporting to this person for all of this year upon our manager leave. We were moved to a new manager hierarchy. The relationship tanked immediately which is how I know it wasn't just me in my head. I was also told they asked that I not speak to the director at all; our manager.
The senior team member tried to push me out twice before. They began the process not even two weeks after our manager left. The annoying part is the senior member makes 10x more mistakes than me, but they have no one reviewing their work so they don't get punished. But I do. Because they can and they get off on it.
Going to the review...
I thought my performance review was good in the beginning... but I got a 12/21, just barely enough for a small 2% raise. I know it has nothing to do with my actual performance. Our old manager had business sense that the coworker was going to be present and gave me a low review to protect the sr. team member's ego and their relationship. The other intent was to also make the sr. team member not feel threatened by me to try to give space for my relationship with the sr. team member to grow...(unfortunately it was non-existent long before). Old manager made sure to list my accomplishments at least; so some of it is documented.
I was told all 2023 that I was doing well. This was also shared verbatim "We are blowing our roles out of the water." in front of our entire team (this makes me confused as to why I got a 12/21). I stayed late. I signed in extra early to support events. I took on and completed additional projects. I supported a function completely outside my role; and well. None of this was reflected in my score. It was just in notes in the unscored section. I chose to not fight it because I'm mentally over the team. I received only positive news for 2023 and then the issues came in like a flurry after our manager left and it's been hard on me mentally. How can I be blowing my role out of the water and get a 12/21??? I feel like a 17/21 would've been more accurate.
This brings brings me to my title. My performance review felt like a verbal warning. I did have to sign my performance review document. I have a copy. I looked over it a few times. I didn't sign anything that was punitive but the message verbally stressed was that they want me to perform better.... (the irony).
I do want to say I was thrown off by two requests to check in after our review. I'm sure the first will be in August. It's 90 days. Standard. The next would be 90 after (but could be 60). Though they gave no hard dates yet. I am confused that as the director was delivering the news, they asked me to consider moving over to another team as they don't want to lose me if I'm open to that. I know this was my sr. coworker's request. It has their name written all over it so to speak. I can't tell if the director was telling me silently to jump ship now and they're giving me room to leave peacefully or if they're feedback was genuine. I don't have a relationship with them because there's never been time.
Here's why I'm making this post:
I'm stressed I'm going to be terminated sooner than what I'm prepared for because I have my lease for just four more months and I have no savings. I'm still snowballing my debt and I'm almost out (next paycheck). I paid a month ahead by accident once (probably a smart thing now) so I have three months left on my lease. I have another windfall coming in July that will bring the renting months down to just two. I am planning on moving back in wit family for a little bit to recuperate savings before a big EOY move to a different state. I'm fed up with where I am living now.
I know when the verbal warning starts, the written one usually comes 90 days after, and then a final warning (depending on leniency), and then term. Should I let them term me? Would it affect my career to be fired from my first full-time job of almost two calendar years?
Most places nowadays only verify title and dates of employment. They don't even touch if you would rehire them or answer if the employee was fired.
Question 1: With a lower than expected score that is not reflective of my actual contributions, should I plan to receive a PIP in August?
Question 2: Should I force them to fire me or move me instead of leaving?
Question 3: Do I turn on my job search now and just find a short temp assignment to gain more experience and get out before my EOY move?
Question 4: Can I last at least for another five months? I feel like it doesn't matter how much I try to improve. It will never be enough for the Sr. Member that has made it their mission to push me out.

It’s been a week since I last spoke to my ex “situationship”. We only talked for about a month, but we learned so much about eachother in that short time and I truly feel like I loved him. We ended on bad terms, and I know he hates me and i’m like 95% sure i’ll never hear from him again. However, for the last week i’ve been checking my phone literally every chance I get to see if he’s texted me. I want him to come back so bad, but I know he’s not going to. So how can I get myself to stop checking. Every time I see there’s no text I just want to cry and it’s driving me crazy. Please help. :,)