How to create good music qualitatively and quickly?
Hey, everybody!
We are working on our first album. The style is hard to name exactly - there are elements of folk, art rock, alternative rock, funk, indie, prog rock.
We really want to create our own unique live sound. We try to use digital technology as little as possible. Live acoustics, vocals, bass, electric guitar, folk instruments. Instead of drums, we use wooden boards of different sizes (yes, it's funny, but the sound is really cool). When you write guitar into 2 mics (and in-line) - you get a deep gorgeous sound.
There are only two of us. That makes the whole process very complicated. I focus on melody writing, different parts, solos, acoustic guitar, vocals and drums. My partner does the sound engineering, vocals, folk instruments and electric guitar.
The sound really comes out interesting and high quality.
But it takes a lot of time to create the songs. We work on one song for months.
The main problem is the arrangements, we start to go deep, confuse ourselves, argue. Discussing the form of the song, some guitar moves, solos - it also takes a lot of time.
There is a big age difference with my partner - he is 20 years older than me and it certainly affects the different perception of music. At the same time he undoubtedly recognizes me as a leader and lets me make the most important decisions. I like the fact that he doesn't let me go into monotony, he changes my approach and brings a part of his thinking.
We have discussed this situation several times, he always agrees. But once again we can get hung up on some small piece of guitar progression for a long time.
Are there any cases or magic secrets - how to find the golden mean and speed up the process without losing quality? How to convince yourself not to fall into idealization, but just trust your intuition and create? How to negotiate with a partner whose way of thinking is sometimes very different from yours.
PS: I apologize for any errors in the text, English is not my native language.

I’d like to start off by saying I don’t expect a response, but I want to take full responsibility for my many wrongs throughout our relationship and offer the clarity and apology I failed to give you during our breakup. I’ve had time to think about our relationship and realize I at least owe you this.
During our relationship, I was lazy, emotionally unavailable, and failed to give you the support you deserved. I was so selfishly wrapped up in my own life, I didn’t truly acknowledge how little I was putting in and how much it was affecting you. When I should’ve been happy for you hanging out with friends, I made hurtful jokes due to my own insecurities, which put you through completely unnecessary stress and anxiety. When you needed my affection most I couldn’t even display it which must’ve made you feel horrible and so under appreciated. When you actually needed me most, I should’ve been there helping you progress as a person, but instead, I dragged you down, despite you showing me so much affection and support. You deserved so much more than how I treated you, and I should’ve never put you through that much pain and suffering.
No one should ever go through the heartbreak and disrespect I caused you. I’m so sorry for betraying your trust in the many ways that I did. After you trusted me so much to even be your first, I betrayed you because of my stupidly corrupt mind. Even if I didn’t plan on taking further steps, the fact I interacted with her in the first place was a complete betrayal of your trust and betrayal to our relationship. I’ve thought about some things that I believe led me down that path of not only betraying you but my own morals and have completely removed them from my life.
I often was too self-absorbed to even text you when all you were asking was the bare minimum, for me to check in with you throughout the day or text you back while with friends, and it made me realize how much I need to work on myself as a person. Not only work on how I need to treat others, but how I recognize and receive the affection and appreciation others give me so I never make someone feel as undervalued as I made you feel.
I’m writing this to take responsibility and to show the immense shame I feel for myself and my actions. If there was any doubt at all, I want to make it clear that everything was completely my fault. Because of my past experiences, my lack of respect for my time to heal, and my failure to acknowledge my unhealthy habits, I ended up hurting you. When I look back at our relationship, I reminisce about the amazing moments we had, but I am disgusted by the person I became towards the end, and can’t blame you for seeing me the same. I see now I was ignoring all the signs telling me I was doing things wrong out of my own foolishness, thinking that I was at peace.
You were the first person to ever show me unconditional love, and although I didn’t know it until it was too late, it showed me to appreciate everyone in my life while they’re in it as much as possible, because it can change in an instant. When you said, “I know you never said it, but I loved you since before we started dating,” it showed me how broken I really was. You gave me your all, and I couldn’t even recognize that.
After talking to my therapist, I’ve come to find out that I have a really hard time acknowledging and accepting affection because I’ve had a hard time giving it to myself. You treated me like nobody has before, and all I could give back was a half hearted job, broken trust, and had you questioning the reality of our relationship. I’m truly sorry. I wish I had correctly expressed myself during our time together so you knew how much you really meant to me.
The things I said in those messages weren’t my true thoughts or plans about our relationship. In the desperation to escape the situation I created, I said anything I thought might deescalate it. I’m sorry. I hope you didn’t think for a second I wanted to give you up so easily as I did, but I knew after what I did, I was in no position to ask for anything and wasn’t worth going back to as the person I was that day. I know I broke your heart, but if you ever give me the chance, I would spend every day for the rest of my life putting it back together. If you ever feel open to allowing me to show you the person I've been working to become, I think you’d be proud of the progress I’ve made and what’s to come as I don’t plan to stop. Regardless I would be deeply grateful for the opportunity to show you and to listen to your perspective whatever it may be.
I’m currently 45 days free from porn as I partially blame my addiction for my decision making and all drugs so I can be true to myself at all times. I’ve been working day to day to improve myself as a person, from my everyday life to my personal relationships with the ones in my life, with help from a therapist, because I’m serious about my change.
I hope this letter finds you well, if you take anything from this please understand that I’m truly ashamed and sorry for my actions and all the pain I’ve caused you, I’ve genuinely been working my hardest to change as a person, and if not for me, you are worth changing every bit of myself for.
Regardless of what the future holds for us thank you for all the love, support, and happy memories you gave me, and with my most sincere apologies, I’m sorry it ended the way it did and for all the way’s I’ve wronged you.

My (ex)fiancé and I had been together for almost 6.5 years, engaged for almost 2.5. Over the last several months, my (ex)fiancé has sat me down to talk about our relationship about once a month. Before these conversations, he would shut down and barely speak to me for several days even when I would ask what was wrong. Then he would finally tell me he was ready to have a conversation and would express his frustrations with the relationship. By the time of our conversations, I would already be on the defensive from his recent behavior. I also generally do not receive feedback well. When he would try to tell me that he was unhappy in our relationship because I didn't compliment him enough, flirt with him enough, or tell him I loved him enough, I would shut down. I was not able to hear what he was really trying to tell me. Instead, I put up a wall and told him to love me for who I am. I basically asked him "If I'm happy in our relationship despite my frustrations, why can't you be?" I now realize that is not an appropriate or healthy response when your partner is trying to communicate with you.
I did try to hear him. I gifted him some lingerie for the first time and let him take a boudoir photo shoot of me wearing it. I started sending a few more cute messages. I tried to make more time to cuddle with him when he would ask. I tried to give him more hugs. I tried to thank him more for picking up around the house. I wrote him a cute letter and surprised him with a few gifts for Easter. However, about a month ago, we had another one of those conversations. Except this time the first things he brought up were 'wondering what else is out there' and talking about how other girls are always complimenting him. Again came the walls and extra defensiveness. I ended up writing him a letter talking about how I didn't know if I could ever be what he wanted me to be and that maybe he should think about calling things off. This was obviously a defense mechanism to try to beat him to the punch line and talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. Three weeks later he would sit me down and tell me he wanted to know what else was out there again and that he didn't know if he could go through with marrying me. My efforts did not feel like enough for him and I understand why. I was having a hard time connecting my emotions with my actions which made my actions seem reactionary and not genuine or provoked by love.
I have been through a lot more trauma in my life than I realized. My dad was in the Navy while I was growing up. We had to move every three years. A very pivotal point in my life was when we moved when I was in the 6th grade. I lived right next door to my best friend. I was finding my love for math and theater. I also played soccer and was a Girl Scout. When we moved, I became very depressed, though I didn't understand that's what it was at the time. I stopped all of my extracurricular activities. I stopped getting too close to people because I knew I would have to move or they would have to move eventually. I mostly stayed in my room and kept to myself, even from my family. I also have struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember. Then, in my senior year of high school, I got my first-ever boyfriend. We were in a relationship for over 4 years. In that relationship, I would always be the one to try to talk about our problems. I would be the one who would always want longer hugs and more cuddles. But it was not a healthy relationship. We broke up and got back together many times. I found several illicit texts to other girls on multiple occasions and he would always gaslight me by saying his younger brother stole his phone or I misinterpreted the messages. I think this caused me not to want to show my emotions because it wasn't reciprocated and resulted in heartache. Then, three years ago my younger brother died in a tragic car accident at the age of 17.
When I realized I could lose the love of my life, I realized that he was right about me not being affectionate enough. I had built up walls to protect myself. I thought I had made progress on my anxiety and depression, but I realized I was wrong. I also realized that I have issues with communication, trust, and vulnerability. I was a great partner in other ways and I did express my love in other ways. I moved across the country, coast to coast, with him to a state where I didn't know anyone so that he could attend his dream school. I take care of the household. I get the majority of the groceries. I do all of the cooking. I do all of the maintenance cleaning. I take care of our 2 cats and 1 dog. I say all of those in the present tense because we currently still live together but are sleeping in separate rooms. I also financially supported him by lending him money and letting him pay less of the rent because I made more money. I accept all of him including that he has terrible time management skills, he can have a hard time controlling his emotions at times, and he is disorganized and messy. I also accepted that I would have to wait for marriage and children because of his school and accepted that he did not have a lot of free time between school, work, and his hobbies. I supported his love for his hobbies by accepting his purchasing of expensive equipment even when he owed me money, traveling to watch several events that were important to him, and traveling to see him win an award from his job. I would write heartfelt cards for every holiday. I also bought him dozens of children's books about love that I wanted us to read to our children one day.
When I realized I could lose him, I felt something change inside me. It was like I could feel a hole being blown in the wall I had built up. I felt all my love for him overwhelm me. I couldn't hug him, kiss him, or tell him I love him enough. I tried to talk to him to apologize for my behavior and how badly I'd hurt him. I tried to explain how I felt like a different person and how I really wanted to work hard on improving myself as a partner to make our relationship work. I tried to prove my words with actions. I wrote a list of things I needed to work on including communication and being more affectionate. I also wrote out a list of ways to work on those things and actually started doing the things on the list. Some of the items I had already begun to do like hug and kiss him more and tell him I love him more. I also tried to ask more questions about his interests/hobbies/day. I was more vulnerable and talked with him about my feelings more. I even initiated intimacy, something I had really only done once in a blue moon when I was intoxicated. I also set up my individual therapy sessions.
Despite all of my efforts, over the next two weeks, he continued to say he did not know if he could be with me and wanted to know what else was out there. He was very wavering and said multiple times "I don't know what the right decision is." He said he could not trust that my changes would last and that it was probably too late. I begged him to try couples therapy, but he refused and said "Therapy takes too long" and basically said it wasn't worth the time. He finally broke up with me after 2 weeks of going back and forth and I was devastated. He later talked to a mutual friend of ours and changed his mind about therapy. I was so happy to hear that he had changed his mind. However, now I feel like I can't even trust him anymore. He's turning into a person I don't recognize and I don't know what he's capable of anymore. I don't know if the man I love still exists. When he told me he was now agreeable to try therapy he said "We're still broken up, but I won't talk to any other girls." and then promptly said "And it will give me more time to find a place to live if things don't work out." He deleted several Instagram posts that had photos of me after he agreed to try therapy which makes me think he's not actually that open to healing our relationship. He complained to me about how he might have to take out student loans after I told him he needed to pay me for half of the rent while we're broken up and not decreased rate he had been paying me. He also "checked on me" on the night of the 3rd year anniversary of my brother's death when he heard me crying. Then he just sat on the end of the bed scrolling his phone while I cried as if he was checking on me because he felt like he had to and not because he wanted to. When I asked him if he had some sort of deadline in mind for the therapy, because he had previously mentioned that it takes too long, he said July or August and I have a suspicion that is because a girl he likes is leaving for summer break but will be back at the end of August for the next semester.
I just feel like the way he has been acting is not how you act towards someone you were in a relationship with for almost 6.5 years. Especially after saying you still love them and have no negative feelings towards them. That means even though you don't think you are a good relationship match, you should still want to treat them with respect. You should care that they are hurting during this time. You should want to comfort them in their grief of a separate event. You should mean it if you say you want to try therapy.
TL; DR : Do you think therapy will help?

Hi Reddit,
I can’t believe I’m writing this post, but this has been on my mind for the past few months and I really need some external input. I need help to figure out if I’m in a toxic relationship, if there’s something I can do to fix it, if I’m over sensitive, or is it time for me to end this?
Context: I (M26) and my girlfriend (F25) have been together for 2.5 years, and known each other for 8 years. We both live in the U.S. but I’m from Europe and she’s from Central America, met in college. Issues started 2 years ago but when things are good she’s amazing (funny/beautiful/caring/makes me feel unconditionally loved/etc) and I always thought the issues were friction we could iron out together. With time I have grown increasingly skeptical of that. This is my first relationship (longer than 3 months) so at the same time I’m worried that maybe I am overly skeptical, that I only see my perspective and fail to see hers. I want to be fair to her, because I love her and care deeply for her as a person, I am just starting to resent the relationship.
History of issues: To me the issues are all centered in my girlfriends anxiety. Frequently, rather than being vulnerable, she projects her anxiety on me and accusing me of all kinds of things. I have both tried to shake off those moments, to recognize that this isn’t her but her anxiety talking, but it still affects me deeply. Not only when it occurs, but when I am doing something and she seems fine I still worry that maybe I will do something wrong and she will snap and this moment will turn to a life or death situation. I have also obviously communicated my concern over this behavior repeatedly, and every time after she takes things too far she apologizes and takes ownership and we come up with a strategy to avoid the issue from repeating. This all sounds very healthy, I think, but the problem is that we’ve had these issues and conversations 25+ times and here we still are. Some things have gotten better for sure but it still feels unbearable to me. Let me provide three examples to illustrate our issues (from my perspective).
Example 1 - 1.5 years ago: My best friend and I were victims of attempted robbery from people affiliated with organized crime, the event went to court, and after the trial we wanted to get away from everything. My girlfriend and I had planned to go to a Caribbean island shortly after, so I invited my friend to come a week before my girlfriend and leave the day she arrived. We were both pretty shaken up and just wanted to talk things out and enjoy a tropical paradise. The first night my friend and I arrive (girlfriend still in the US) she starts texting fervently that my friend and I shouldn’t see any of the sights so she and I can see them together for the first time. I get where she’s coming from but this is also a challenging time for me and my best friend so I am not willing to completely sacrifice his week with me to appease my girlfriend. Things escalate and she demands my attention all the time. When my friend and I is out she is calling me 50+ times in a row, texting me that if I love her I would respond and that I am ruing hers and mine vacation and though I’m trying to deescalate I don’t see how to. I end up turning off my phone, although she begs me not to, but I’m still in my head unable to enjoy the night. When I turn my phone back on next day there’s a picture of herself with a cut (very shallow but still) saying I made her do this. This event is the low point of our relationship, and I told her if she ever hurts herself or threatens to hurt herself I’m out, and to be fair to her she has not once since hurt herself. Nonetheless, the calls continue after this (50+ a day) and I spent 3-4h a day on the phone with her and neglecting the trip with my best friend. Damn writing this out really makes me ashamed for not standing my ground back then. Anyways, this really colored the trip with my childhood friend and I think I still resent myself and her for making that happen.
Example 2 - 0.5 years ago: I visited a close childhood friend in South America for 2.5 weeks. Because of the events that transpired in example 1, my girlfriend was nervous for my trip. She expressed worry that she would act out in the same way as my last trip. I really appreciated this self-awareness. We therefore talked extensively about how to avoid issues. The first few days were alright, with her being anxious but being vulnerable about it and we managed well, calling once a day and texting 15-20 messages a day (more than I’d want, but that’s a compromise I’m okay with). At this point I make a mistake, but her reactions to it is (in my head at least) not proportional. I told her I was going out with my friend and his friend that weekend, and she expressed that this would make her anxious that I would cheat on her. So I asked what can I do, and we decided I’d send her a text once I left the pre-game, once I left the club, and call her once I got back to my friends place. A little bit much I thought, but I love her so a fair compromise for now. Unfortunately, I got caught up in the moment at the pre-game, and forgot to text my girlfriend. I realized as I was walking home from the club with 25+ missed calls and a bunch of emotional messages about how I forgot because I was around beautiful women and how I don’t love her. Here I understand her pain. She was vulnerable, I agreed to a compromise and I didn’t fulfill my end. 25+ calls is never productive but hey I had some blame here. The following day I call her for 1.5 hours apologizing and we talk things out, and it feels like though she is feeling anxious that she accepts my apology and we have now managed to resolve my mistake. The same night my friend and his friends are going to someone else’s house for a BBQ (which I told my girlfriend about days before). An hour before we are about to leave my girlfriend starts telling me to talk to her on the phone, because I hurt her so bad and when I say I can’t because we are 10 people having a beer before we head out she says she doesn’t care and that I hurt her and now she “wants to make my life miserable”. I tell her “hey I understand you’re upset but I never want to hear those words from the person I love. I know I hurt you but never intentionally”. She says she doesn’t care and keeps calling me non-stop for 40 minutes and I’m worried that if I don’t pick up she will start to call my friend. I try to deescalate and beg her to take a step back and that she is pushing me away by doing this. The whole thing culminates by me getting out of the Uber towards the barbecue and telling my friends that I think my girlfriend and I are breaking up and I need to deal with it. I am crying as I say this and feel so damn embarrassed. Even writing it now I can’t believe this actually happened. Damn. Anyways, as soon as I tell her that I am no longer going to the bbq and I left my friends car she becomes a different person (the person I love) and tells me she is so sorry and realize she took it too far and begs me to order an Uber to the BBQ. She says she’ll pay for it and begs me to go. At that point I’m just so embarrassed at the whole thing and tell her something along the lines of “why the fuck did you push me this far then. I told you you are pushing me away”. I head home, and wonder how someone who loves me so much can intentionally cause me so much harm and I seriously begin to doubt if her and I will ever work. I tell her I don’t think I want to be in the relationship, but that I recognize I’m emotional so I need 7 days without contact to process my thoughts. I won’t block her, but if she reaches out I will. She does reach out (albeit with a nice message) but I still block her.
I probably should have left the relationship here, but damn I love her, we live together, and at this point she was depending on me for her visa to stay in the country. I don’t want to rip all that apart from her. So I say I don’t know if we’ll ever feel okay, but I’m willing to give this one last chance.
To her defense, she take a lot of new steps at this point. She tells her mom and sister everything that happened (including her trust issues and jealousy), she starts with anxiety medication and starts being more vulnerable with her therapist. I am still skeptical that things will actually be okay, but I recognize the effort she puts in and I really appreciate it. The frequency of our arguments decrease, and more disputes now end before they become arguments.
Example 3 - Yesterday: My GF flew to Vegas with three of her girlfriends (I know two of them very well) and I know it’s a high risk trip for someone in a relationship but I honestly have complete trust in my GF. I decided to do a dinner with 3 of my friends (who my GF knows equally well, we’re all in a group chat together and do things regularly together) and they invited a 4th person who was part of our sports team (my girlfriend met her 2-3 times, just like me).
She texts me from Vegas asking who’s coming to the dinner and once she finds out this 4th person is coming she asks nicely if we cannot be in someone else’s apartment. When I say hey I’m sorry but I already said we could be at my place she asks at least don’t smoke weed together (my friends are stoners so 100% chance they’ll bring weed), and I say “I’m sorry but I won’t tell them not to and I’ll join In too if they bring it but you have nothing to worry about. I love you and I’ll call you as soon as they leave?” My girlfriend then goes into panic mode and calls me nonstop throughout dinner. I go to the bathroom and begs her to stop, tells her she is ruining this for me, and ask her to trust me. She still calls nonstop until they leave. I try to keep a brave face but again it really ruins the dinner for me.
At this point I have told her how actions like these makes me feel uneasy and prevents me from enjoying life. I told her I need her to trust me. I told her that I won’t have it anymore. And if anything the idea that she doesn’t trust me around 3 people she knows well with a 4th stranger while she’s at a pool party in bikini in Vegas just seems so hypocritical it makes me ever more frustrated.
In her defense: - Her dad cheated multiple times while she was growing up. I understand this makes it excruciatingly difficult to trust a partner. - She started seeing a therapist ~8 months ago. - She now takes medication for her anxiety. - She now has told her mom and sister about her trust issues for the first time in her life. - She began attending codependency meetings regularly. - She says she doesn’t want me to limit my life just for me to communicate better what I’m doing (I think it’s really possible that I’m bad at communicating, because to me this request feels like it comes from a lack of trust).
She is putting in immense effort, but I just feel like I can’t do this anymore. Even when things are good I’m worried that she’s going to explode and that prevents me from enjoying the good times too. I love her and she’s amazing in many ways, but I don’t like feeling responsible for her suffering. I know that by trying to end things she’s going to suffer so much and she’ll beg me to give her another chance. I don’t want to but in those moments I feel like she’s the rational version of herself and that maybe she’ll never explode again. Can I solve my relationship with her? Is it time to leave? Is it fair to leave when she is putting in so much effort? How do I find the courage to go through with it?
Thanks so much in advance, and I’m sorry for such a lengthy post.
TL;DR: I’m I overly sensitive, can this relationship be fixed, or is it time to breakup? Is it fair to breakup if the other person is putting so much effort in?

My (ex)fiancé and I had been together for almost 6.5 years, engaged for almost 2.5. Over the last several months, my (ex)fiancé has sat me down to talk about our relationship about once a month. Before these conversations, he would shut down and barely speak to me for several days even when I would ask what was wrong. Then he would finally tell me he was ready to have a conversation and would express his frustrations with the relationship. By the time of our conversations, I would already be on the defensive from his recent behavior. I also generally do not receive feedback well. When he would try to tell me that he was unhappy in our relationship because I didn't compliment him enough, flirt with him enough, or tell him I loved him enough, I would shut down. I was not able to hear what he was really trying to tell me. Instead, I put up a wall and told him to love me for who I am. I basically asked him "If I'm happy in our relationship despite my frustrations, why can't you be?" I now realize that is not an appropriate or healthy response when your partner is trying to communicate with you.
I did try to hear him. I gifted him some lingerie for the first time and let him take a boudoir photo shoot of me wearing it. I started sending a few more cute messages. I tried to make more time to cuddle with him when he would ask. I tried to give him more hugs. I tried to thank him more for picking up around the house. I wrote him a cute letter and surprised him with a few gifts for Easter. However, about a month ago, we had another one of those conversations. Except this time the first things he brought up were 'wondering what else is out there' and talking about how other girls are always complimenting him. Again came the walls and extra defensiveness. I ended up writing him a letter talking about how I didn't know if I could ever be what he wanted me to be and that maybe he should think about calling things off. This was obviously a defense mechanism to try to beat him to the punch line and talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy. Three weeks later he would sit me down and tell me he wanted to know what else was out there again and that he didn't know if he could go through with marrying me. My efforts did not feel like enough for him and I understand why. I was having a hard time connecting my emotions with my actions which made my actions seem reactionary and not genuine or provoked by love.
I have been through a lot more trauma in my life than I realized. My dad was in the Navy while I was growing up. We had to move every three years. A very pivotal point in my life was when we moved when I was in the 6th grade. I lived right next door to my best friend. I was finding my love for math and theater. I also played soccer and was a Girl Scout. When we moved, I became very depressed, though I didn't understand that's what it was at the time. I stopped all of my extracurricular activities. I stopped getting too close to people because I knew I would have to move or they would have to move eventually. I mostly stayed in my room and kept to myself, even from my family. I also have struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember. Then, in my senior year of high school, I got my first-ever boyfriend. We were in a relationship for over 4 years. In that relationship, I would always be the one to try to talk about our problems. I would be the one who would always want longer hugs and more cuddles. But it was not a healthy relationship. We broke up and got back together many times. I found several illicit texts to other girls on multiple occasions and he would always gaslight me by saying his younger brother stole his phone or I misinterpreted the messages. I think this caused me not to want to show my emotions because it wasn't reciprocated and resulted in heartache. Then, three years ago my younger brother died in a tragic car accident at the age of 17.
When I realized I could lose the love of my life, I realized that he was right about me not being affectionate enough. I had built up walls to protect myself. I thought I had made progress on my anxiety and depression, but I realized I was wrong. I also realized that I have issues with communication, trust, and vulnerability. I was a great partner in other ways and I did express my love in other ways. I moved across the country, coast to coast, with him to a state where I didn't know anyone so that he could attend his dream school. I take care of the household. I get the majority of the groceries. I do all of the cooking. I do all of the maintenance cleaning. I take care of our 2 cats and 1 dog. I say all of those in the present tense because we currently still live together but are sleeping in separate rooms. I also financially supported him by lending him money and letting him pay less of the rent because I made more money. I accept all of him including that he has terrible time management skills, he can have a hard time controlling his emotions at times, and he is disorganized and messy. I also accepted that I would have to wait for marriage and children because of his school and accepted that he did not have a lot of free time between school, work, and his hobbies. I supported his love for his hobbies by accepting his purchasing of expensive equipment even when he owed me money, traveling to watch several events that were important to him, and traveling to see him win an award from his job. I would write heartfelt cards for every holiday. I also bought him dozens of children's books about love that I wanted us to read to our children one day.
When I realized I could lose him, I felt something change inside me. It was like I could feel a hole being blown in the wall I had built up. I felt all my love for him overwhelm me. I couldn't hug him, kiss him, or tell him I love him enough. I tried to talk to him to apologize for my behavior and how badly I'd hurt him. I tried to explain how I felt like a different person and how I really wanted to work hard on improving myself as a partner to make our relationship work. I tried to prove my words with actions. I wrote a list of things I needed to work on including communication and being more affectionate. I also wrote out a list of ways to work on those things and actually started doing the things on the list. Some of the items I had already begun to do like hug and kiss him more and tell him I love him more. I also tried to ask more questions about his interests/hobbies/day. I was more vulnerable and talked with him about my feelings more. I even initiated intimacy, something I had really only done once in a blue moon when I was intoxicated. I also set up my individual therapy sessions.
Despite all of my efforts, over the next two weeks, he continued to say he did not know if he could be with me and wanted to know what else was out there. He was very wavering and said multiple times "I don't know what the right decision is." He said he could not trust that my changes would last and that it was probably too late. I begged him to try couples therapy, but he refused and said "Therapy takes too long" and basically said it wasn't worth the time. He finally broke up with me after 2 weeks of going back and forth and I was devastated. He later talked to a mutual friend of ours and changed his mind about therapy. I was so happy to hear that he had changed his mind. However, now I feel like I can't even trust him anymore. He's turning into a person I don't recognize and I don't know what he's capable of anymore. I don't know if the man I love still exists. When he told me he was now agreeable to try therapy he said "We're still broken up, but I won't talk to any other girls." and then promptly said "And it will give me more time to find a place to live if things don't work out." He deleted several Instagram posts that had photos of me after he agreed to try therapy which makes me think he's not actually that open to healing our relationship. He complained to me about how he might have to take out student loans after I told him he needed to pay me for half of the rent while we're broken up and not decreased rate he had been paying me. He also "checked on me" on the night of the 3rd year anniversary of my brother's death when he heard me crying. Then he just sat on the end of the bed scrolling his phone while I cried as if he was checking on me because he felt like he had to and not because he wanted to. When I asked him if he had some sort of deadline in mind for the therapy, because he had previously mentioned that it takes too long, he said July or August and I have a suspicion that is because a girl he likes is leaving for summer break but will be back at the end of August for the next semester.
I just feel like the way he has been acting is not how you act towards someone you were in a relationship with for almost 6.5 years. Especially after saying you still love them and have no negative feelings towards them. That means even though you don't think you are a good relationship match, you should still want to treat them with respect. You should care that they are hurting during this time. You should want to comfort them in their grief of a separate event. You should mean it if you say you want to try therapy.
TL;DR : So should I break up with my ex-fiancé or should I keep fighting to get back the man I love?

(Reposting this over here since JoJo is a very frequently posted franchise over here also cause I want more people to see it since I spent like 3 hours going through the art book, getting scans, setting up Imgur posts, and writing this all up.)
So recently on my trip to another state, I was able to get my hands on the recently translated and officially release JoJo 6251 and wanted to go through the entire things character encyclopedia to find anything worth while posting about for those looking for scans/evidence for their scaling. This is my first time ever attempting something like this and I’m just using my phone so I apologize if some of the scans are blurry or not cropped the best. I’ll be ordering this by what concepts/character are being talked about, not part by part, so feel free to skip around to what you find interesting.
Hamon and Hamon users:
Descriptions of hamon having the same energy as the sun, along with life energy, along with being stated to primarily work on living beings. this is backed up further in the frequently used terms section where it also goes into detail about how hamon’s capabilities seemingly have limitless potential, a statement in straizo’s section also adds onto the effectiveness on living beings claim.
Hamon at its absolute peak can see fate and future deaths, this should be applicable to characters like Ultimate Lifeform Kars as well.
Hamon also seems to have the ability to “restore humanity” in the undead.
Hamon is described as making cells going “haywire”
Once Joseph’s hamon training is done, he is described as having abilities “second to none” and due to it he was able to beat Esidisi, Wamuu, and even the ultimate being Kars
Elaboration on what the Red Stone is, being described as a “ray of light”
Its main section is where it gets interesting, being described as reflecting light millions of times in itself before launching it out in a singular condensed point could affect how you calc it but I’m not calcer so…
Vampires, Zombies, Pillarmen, and perfected beings
The stone mask is described as drawing out the wearer’s “undiscovered abilities”
DIO’s regeneration is described as “Even if you split him in two, he will regenerate in the blink of an eye” and that he’ll “go on living forever as long as hamon doesn’t dissolve his brain”
Pillarmen’s bodies are compared to rubber, along with strength and abilities beyond imaging.
Explanation on Wamuu’s Divine Sandstorm
Once being the ultimate lifeform, Kars is described as “unstoppably powerful.”*
Random tidbits on what the ULF gives along with regeneration and DNA statements along with more backing this up once kars becomes the ULF
ULF is described as being immune to hamon, which should include its various haxes
Stands in general
Described as being made of life energy and controlled by their users strength of their users psyche and fighting instincts. Along with this stand users attracted other stand users
Prediction type stands are described as “following their directions should lead to victory in battle” this is backed up later by what statements in Thoth’s proper entry says
Star Platinum, The World, and Crazy Diamond
Star Platinum is described as being the number one stand due to various combined factors and also that it’s timestop will ”continue to expand this power”
However crazy diamond is said to be comparable if not stronger in strength, but lesser in accuracy
But The World has consistently more statements saying it is the strongest and fastest stand along with this it’s timestop will continually expand as DIO’s head gets used to Jonathan’s body
Silver Chariot
Outright said to easily strike light speed targets
It exchanges defense for more speed when removing its armor
Emperor
Described as not that quick, and built to close range fights, however, since it’s bullets are apart of the stand, it allows Hol Horse to manipulate their trajectory
Judgement, range, and potential consequences for cacling
Judgement is described as possibly having the largest scale out of any stand(part 3)
This would include stands like Geb, and The Lovers along with The Sun which has its own very impressive range and calc
Like I’ve said before I’m not a expect or a calcer at all, but I’d be interested to see at least how this could affect star platinum’s inhaling feat.
Joseph’s still got it
Joseph is described as being in his prime still in Part 3
Various random stands and users
Tower Of Gray is faster than Star Platinum
Hierophant Green’s emerald splash can even harm Star Platinum badly
Hanged man is referred to as Light speed and needing “a very fast attack speed” for any attacker
Red Hot Chili Pepper’s abilities are referred to as rivaling Crazy Diamonds however it’s to note that he had to amp himself up to get to that point, also when in the wires he’s described as “near Lightspeed”
The Hand is said to be “fairly slow”
More explanation on how Heaven’s Door works
Both Bug Eatens are described as highly intelligent
And that’s everything I found interesting enough to be worth posting, hope you found some use from this post.

So recently on my trip to another state, I was able to get my hands on the recently translated and officially release JoJo 6251 and wanted to go through the entire things character encyclopedia to find anything worth while posting about for those looking for scans/evidence for their scaling. This is my first time ever attempting something like this and I’m just using my phone so I apologize if some of the scans are blurry or not cropped the best. I’ll be ordering this by what concepts/character are being talked about, not part by part, so feel free to skip around to what you find interesting.
Hamon and Hamon users:
Descriptions of hamon having the same energy as the sun, along with life energy, along with being stated to primarily work on living beings. this is backed up further in the frequently used terms section where it also goes into detail about how hamon’s capabilities seemingly have limitless potential, a statement in straizo’s section also adds onto the effectiveness on living beings claim.
Hamon at its absolute peak can see fate and future deaths, this should be applicable to characters like Ultimate Lifeform Kars as well.
Hamon also seems to have the ability to “restore humanity” in the undead.
Hamon is described as making cells going “haywire”
Once Joseph’s hamon training is done, he is described as having abilities “second to none” and due to it he was able to beat Esidisi, Wamuu, and even the ultimate being Kars
Elaboration on what the Red Stone is, being described as a “ray of light”
Its main section is where it gets interesting, being described as reflecting light millions of times in itself before launching it out in a singular condensed point could affect how you calc it but I’m not calcer so…
Vampires, Zombies, Pillarmen, and perfected beings
The stone mask is described as drawing out the wearer’s “undiscovered abilities”
DIO’s regeneration is described as “Even if you split him in two, he will regenerate in the blink of an eye” and that he’ll “go on living forever as long as hamon doesn’t dissolve his brain”
Pillarmen’s bodies are compared to rubber, along with strength and abilities beyond imaging.
Explanation on Wamuu’s Divine Sandstorm
Once being the ultimate lifeform, Kars is described as “unstoppably powerful.”*
Random tidbits on what the ULF gives along with regeneration and DNA statements along with more backing this up once kars becomes the ULF
ULF is described as being immune to hamon, which should include its various haxes
Stands in general
Described as being made of life energy and controlled by their users strength of their users psyche and fighting instincts. Along with this stand users attracted other stand users
Prediction type stands are described as “following their directions should lead to victory in battle” this is backed up later by what statements in Thoth’s proper entry says
Star Platinum, The World, and Crazy Diamond
Star Platinum is described as being the number one stand due to various combined factors and also that it’s timestop will ”continue to expand this power”
However crazy diamond is said to be comparable if not stronger in strength, but lesser in accuracy
But The World has consistently more statements saying it is the strongest and fastest stand along with this it’s timestop will continually expand as DIO’s head gets used to Jonathan’s body
Silver Chariot
Outright said to easily strike light speed targets
It exchanges defense for more speed when removing its armor
Emperor
Described as not that quick, and built to close range fights, however, since it’s bullets are apart of the stand, it allows Hol Horse to manipulate their trajectory
Judgement, range, and potential consequences for cacling
Judgement is described as possibly having the largest scale out of any stand(part 3)
This would include stands like Geb, and The Lovers along with The Sun which has its own very impressive range and calc
Like I’ve said before I’m not a expect or a calcer at all, but I’d be interested to see at least how this could affect star platinum’s inhaling feat.
Joseph’s still got it
Joseph is described as being in his prime still in Part 3
Various random stands and users
Tower Of Gray is faster than Star Platinum
Hierophant Green’s emerald splash can even harm Star Platinum badly
Hanged man is referred to as Light speed and needing “a very fast attack speed” for any attacker
Red Hot Chili Pepper’s abilities are referred to as rivaling Crazy Diamonds however it’s to note that he had to amp himself up to get to that point, also when in the wires he’s described as “near Lightspeed”
The Hand is said to be “fairly slow”
More explanation on how Heaven’s Door works
Both Bug Eatens are described as highly intelligent
And that’s everything I found interesting enough to be worth posting, hope you found some use from this post.

Apologies in advance for any spelling errors emotions are running high as I’m writing this.
Edit: added paragraphs
For context this happened a few days ago.
I, M 24 have been in a relationship with my boyfriend who I’ll call Red (Not his real name), M 23 for around 4 years now after we met at our mutual friends house. We had hit it off after a few drinks and I ended the night with his number and 3 months later we started chatting exclusively and 6 months later we started dating. (At this point in time we hadn’t met each other’s families and he hadn’t mentioned them during the whole 9 month period.) When we first started dating Ill admit I was head over heels and wanted him to meet my family (I have a rather large family) right away and was quite pushy about them meeting although we hadn’t been dating for 5 months at that point. But he talked me out of it saying I was “Moving too fast.” I dont know if that was a red flag or not but I don’t think it was.
Anyways, around 1.5-2 years ago I learned that Red had a little brother 23 M (they are twins, Red was just born first by a little over 5 hours.) which came as a shock to me because during our entire relationship Red had never mentioned his brother and was every adamant that not only did he and his family weren’t close but that he had cut them all off. I which was a major red flag for me because for starters I had only met his brother because I had a package delivered to his house and need to pick it up. I have a key to his house but I have a habit of knocking because I OCD. So imagine my shock when the door is opened by not Red but someone who looked suspiciously like him who immediately asked me who I was. When I told him I was asking for Red (MY boyfriend) he said he wasn’t home and that he was at the store and he’ll tell him that someone came to the door to ask for him. At which I told him that I was his boyfriend and that I needed to pick up a package.
He looked a little suspicious but let me in regardless and we sat in the living room and talked till red came home. I was really curious about who these mystery person was and for a while thought Red was cheating on me until his brother who I’ll call Jane (Not his real name) informed me that he was reds twin brother. I was in shock because for two years Red had told me that he had not relationship with any of his family and here’s his twin brother in his house. (I’ve been to his house before and at not pint in time did he ever have any roommates or other people living in his apartment. So it was shocking and I felt really betrayed because at that point he had already met my family.)
Me and Jane made more small talk till Red came home 20 something minutes later and was shocked to see both me and Jane sitting on the couch. I was gonna stay for longer after red came home but the moment I saw his face I just couldn’t and ended up leaving shortly after. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he never told me he had a brother and later that night at like 8 pm I texted him and asked him why he never told me he had a brother nonetheless a TWIN brother and why he lied about cutting off all his family. He responded 2 hours later at 10 and asked me to call him which I did and I he told me that the reason he never told me about Jane was because although he actually didn’t cut all his family off but those he did still talk too he didn’t tell other people about too which I asked why?
Only to be met with him avoiding the question and trying to steer the conversation away from his family and more to about my day which was the next red flag. We got into an argument and he walked away from the phone but didn’t hang up so I did and I ended up blocking him for 2 days before he showed up at my door apologizing up and down and swearing to never keep a secret from me again which I had believed. For the next 2 years that wasn’t the last I’d seen of Jane and I learned that Red and Jane were extremely close. (Idk if it’s a twin thing but they are just really close) But at multiple points in our relationship I thought they’ve been too close if that’s even possible. For example when we had planned an anniversary trip together and went we started discussing locations he wouldn’t agree to certain places because “Jane wouldn’t be comfortable with him going there.” Or “Jane wouldn’t like that.”
When I asked why it mattered what jane liked because it’s not like he was going, he said something along the lines of. “Just let it go.” Or would just ignore me till I started talking about a different place which threw off my flow for the rest of the planning. Or when he pushed back out trip for almost a month because he didn’t want to leave Jane alone. (Jane is autistic and possibly physically disabled which I swear is important but he’s not low functioning and even lives in his own with a job.) When I brought this up Red glared at me without saying anything but let it go after a while. This is only one example of their relationship coming between things we had planned but there are plenty more examples of them being physically close as well. (Cuddling togethe sitting extremely close to each other, Jane following Red around to the point something’s they walk in sync, feeding one another,hugging for extended periods of time, playing with each other’s hands/hair ext.)
I swear if they didn’t look so similar you’d think they were the ones dating. I won’t lie I’ve found myself being jealous/ disgusted at the way they treat each other but I had pushed it aside because I convinced myself that Red was just looking out for Jane. (Before you question that like I said while Jane isn’t behind mentally or anything you can see he struggles with a lot things like standing for long periods of time and often goes non verbal or only makes illegible noise that Red understands.) So I truly pushed my thoughts aside because I didn’t want to be seen as an overprotective or anything and it’s not like I have anything against Jane or anything but sometimes it’s just really fucking weird. But recently I’ve reached my limit when I went to Reds apartment and when I opened the door I saw janes phone on the counter. Which is really at weird because at the end of the day theyre family and that’s not weird but what was weird was that Jane nor Red were anywhere to be found.
I had walked around the apartment for a while till I got Reds bedroom and saw both of them laying in bed together (They weren’t naked or anything but they were like laying ontop on one another, like cuddling skin to skin whilst clothed from what I could see.) When I walked in a saw them next to each other all the memories of the way they had acted with eachother rushed into my head and I just assumed the worst and started screaming and cursing which got Reds attention and he immediately sat up and started screaming back at me asking me what I was scream about and we started a screaming match and I told him off about his weird behaviour with Jane and how brothers don’t act that way with each other until they are getting with eachother and he froze and just started at me and before he could say anything else I left his apartment and drove back home. (If jane had said anything I didn’t hear it over the screaming but idk)
I ended up telling my parents and they said that Im not overreacting but that something in there childhood definitely caused them to be so touchy but don’t believe that and I don’t know who the tell this to or what to do because I’m well aware that siblings don’t act that way and that something has to be going on but I don’t know how to talk to Red about it. I know my parents said otherwise but I can’t help but think im AH because I don’t let red explain. I don’t think I should bring this up to anyone close friends because of bias so I’m asking Reddit. What do I do???

I need to write this out cause I’m sitting in bed ruminating on what I think is to come and can’t think straight…need to organize my mind of things I think will happen in each ep.
Ep 5: Telling their families. Fight with Eloise she tells her she needs to tell him but doesn’t force her hand in this confrontation. Portia getting some angry Colin when he goes to declare he is gonna marry her and then be like oh yeah and do we have your permission cause I already told my family first. Maybe this leads to a heart to heart with Pen/Portia after Colin leaves. Drawing room scene this episode? Engagement party towards end of ep 5? Eloise ultimatum before engagement party.
What if Colin finds out about LW from Penelope after she faints at the engagement party. He takes her to his room or something. Or he visits her at her home to check on how she is feeling. MVP Rae helps. She just can’t keep it inside anymore and confesses because she knows she can’t marry him without telling him not because of an ultimatum but because he deserves to know and to decide. Consent in all things and all ways works both ways. I need him to know. She tries to tell him her reasons, he doesn’t want to hear it, he gets angry and says hurtful things.
He leaves. She cries. He take some space but they reconcile because he loves her. He finds out she has always loved him. Not sure we will get Colin’s love confession too… but I mean hopefully his confounded feelings are clear to him to be love and not just like cause we all know he loves her. She promises that she is done with LW. She apologizes for the hurt she has caused and explains her truth in the choices me made without excuses just honesty. She gives up LW for Colin. She publishes a goodbye issue and that is enough for Eloise to let it go Tick Tock wise but they are still broken up as friends.
Ep 6: They get married at the beginning of this episode. We better get an actual wedding for POLIN. And a wedding on the show that’s not filled with drama. I need a wedding with no LW secret hanging over them. I need it! Everyone is on a hunt for LW because the Queen is sad no issues are coming out and so does that bounty to find her. Pen and Colin are married and move to their house and have lots of sex including the mirror scene. I cannot have them do a mirror scene before he knows the truth. The whole point is to see her ALL of her and vice versa. No lies please Shondaland. They are enjoying marital bliss. Cressida has the pressure of being sold (married) to some old man so she declares herself to be LW due to the Queens Bounty. Pen ain’t gonna let her steal her life’s work and breaks her promise to Colin by publishing one more last issue and calls Cressida out. Colin catches her doing this. End of episode.
Ep 7: Now this is where we see the really angry Colin. He is pissed that she endangered herself, did this without talking to him, and broke her promise. They have it out in the carriage. Unless the writers decide to go for a carriage kink I cannot foresee sexy times in Carriage 2.0. They continue to have it out at home and they are both crying, angry, and FINALY really honest. Colin about his jealousy and Pen about her fears, insecurities, and what LW has been/meant for her all these years and that she felt she had to give it up to not lose Colin. Love Confession from Colin? Stay x3 this episode. Colin supporting her writing and her supporting his.
Ep 8: LW bargain/alliance with Queen to save her family. Colin having Pen edit his writing and telling her he is working on a book. Pen being a new version of LW? Heir Plot is left for S4? I kinda don’t want Pen and Colin to be weighed down to the Featheringtons but I kinda also want Pen to save her family this way and them to bow down to her supremely cause I’m petty vs having LW/Pen at the Queen’s mercy.
Epilogue: They leave for Greece or any city that’s not one of the 17 Colin fucked around in for their honeymoon. J/K…sort of…not really.
I have read the book…but I do I wonder if the TON won’t know till next season? Like do they even need to know? The consequences of them knowing in the book versus in the show. Stakes are so much higher on the shoe. This season just Eloise and Colin and maybe the Queen

This post will repeat weekly through the month of December. Please repost or cross post as a way to promote this subreddit. Or ignore this one and check out our others! I apologize if it's cramping your style, but when I work hard on certain posts I want to be sure they are useful! I also am working on making these shorter so they don't get lost in the madness....
Scroll down for the Character Questions and create a thoughtful and empathetic profile of your main characters for your projects!
As always please use these as sparks to create and feel free to post your responses and ideas in comments or separate post! This is YOUR subreddit so go ahead and post away!
Prompt: Imagine a dystopian world where an oppressive government has successfully erased all forms of personal identity and history. In this society, individuals are assigned generic roles and are forbidden from expressing their unique thoughts, emotions, or experiences. Write a short story or reflective essay exploring the life of a character who discovers a hidden underground community that encourages self-expression and reignites the importance of personal narratives.
In your response, consider the following:

1. Character and World Building:
   • Describe the protagonist's background, their assigned role, and their initial perception of the oppressive world they inhabit.
   • Develop the hidden underground community, including its purpose, structure, and the means through which it safeguards personal stories.
   • Create a contrast between the protagonist's initial world and the underground community, highlighting the impact of personal narratives on shaping identity and resisting oppression.
2. Plot Analysis:
   • Outline the protagonist's journey of discovery, including their initial skepticism, the influential encounters they have within the underground community, and the personal sacrifices they make to preserve their identity.
   • Explore the challenges and conflicts faced by the protagonist, both externally (e.g., encounters with government authorities) and internally (e.g., the struggle to confront their identity).
3. Deep Introspection:
   • Prompt the protagonist to reflect deeply on the uncomfortable subjects that the government's erasure of personal narratives seeks to suppress. These could include topics such as individuality, memory, trauma, and the power of storytelling as a tool for empathy and resistance.
   • Encourage the protagonist to evolve their thoughts and perceptions throughout the narrative, considering the consequences of silence and the potential for personal growth through self-expression and sharing.
4. Requirements for Responses:
   • Conduct research to explore real-world examples of societies that suppress personal narratives or attempt to erase collective memory.
5. Prompt: In a post-apocalyptic world, a devastating pandemic has wiped out most of humanity. The survivors are forced to live in isolated communities, each with its own set of strict rules and customs. Write a short story or reflective essay exploring the life of a character who questions the existing order and embarks on a journey to unite these fragmented communities. Consider the role of unity, diversity, and collaboration in rebuilding a shattered world.
6. Prompt: Set in a future where advanced AI technology has permeated every aspect of society, write a story or reflective essay following a protagonist who begins to question the boundaries between human and machine. Delve into the ethical implications of human-AI relationships, the erosion of human emotions, and the potential consequences of blurring the line between artificial and genuine experiences.
7. Prompt: Imagine a world where climate change and environmental degradation have irreversibly altered the planet. Write a story or reflective essay from the perspective of a character who is part of a group striving to restore balance and heal the damaged Earth. Explore the connections between personal responsibility, collective action, and the intersections of social and environmental justice.
8. Prompt: Transport yourself to a society where strict social hierarchies are based on a person's genetic makeup. Write a short story or reflective essay following a character who challenges this system and advocates for equality and inclusivity. Examine the role of genetic determinism, discrimination, and the power of individual agency in reshaping social structures.
9. Prompt: Imagine a world where art and creativity are considered illegal, seen as tools of subversion and chaos. Write a story or reflective essay from the perspective of an artist who risks everything to defy this oppressive regime and reclaim the power of artistic expression. Analyze the significance of art as a form of resistance, its ability to inspire change, and its impact on personal and societal transformation.

Remember to consider the following for each of the prompts to insure a well rounded and thought out premise that will engage the audience and allow room for growth in the plot.
Prompt 1 - Post-Apocalyptic Community Building:

• Consider the unique customs, rules, and societal structures of each isolated community.
• Explore the protagonist's motivation for questioning the existing order and their vision for uniting the communities.
• Analyze the challenges and conflicts faced in the journey of uniting fragmented communities and the potential benefits and drawbacks of unity.

Prompt 2 - Ethical Implications of AI Technology:

• Reflect on the protagonist's personal experiences and interactions with AI, including the blurring of boundaries between human and machine.
• Explore the ethical dilemmas and consequences of advancing AI technology.
• Analyze the impact of human emotions, genuine experiences, and the potential loss or transformation of human qualities in a society heavily influenced by AI.

Prompt 3 - Environmental Restoration and Social Justice:

• Consider the protagonist's role in the restoration of the damaged Earth and their motivations for taking action.
• Explore the intersections of social justice and the environment, including the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities.
• Analyze the challenges of collective action, personal responsibility, and the potential for transformative change in healing the planet and addressing social inequalities.

Prompt 4 - Genetic Hierarchy and Social Change:

• Reflect on the protagonist's experience within the rigid social hierarchy based on genetics.
• Analyze the implications of genetic determinism and discrimination in shaping social structures.
• Explore the role of individual agency, activism, and the potential strategies for challenging and reshaping the genetic-based hierarchy.

Prompt 5 - Artistic Expression as Resistance:

• Consider the protagonist's personal experiences as an artist within an oppressive regime.
• Reflect on the significance of artistic expression as a form of resistance and its power to inspire change and challenge societal norms.
• Analyze the risks, sacrifices, and potential outcomes associated with defying an oppressive regime through art.

1. Chick Lit: Write a chick lit novel or short story following a relatable protagonist navigating the challenges of love, career, and self-discovery. Explore themes of friendship, personal growth, and finding balance in a fast-paced, modern world.
2. Young Readers' Adventure: Imagine a group of young friends who stumble upon a hidden portal to another realm. Write an adventure novel or short story as they embark on a quest to save a magical world from darkness. Delve into themes of friendship, bravery, and the power of imagination.
3. Historical Fiction: Set in a time of significant historical events, write a novel or short story highlighting a lesser-known figure or group of people. Research the historical context meticulously and emphasize the character's resilience, struggles, and contributions during that tumultuous period.
4. Fantasy: Create a fantastical world filled with mythical creatures, magic, and ancient prophecies. Write a novel or short story following a young protagonist who discovers their extraordinary abilities and must navigate a treacherous journey to fulfill their destiny. Explore themes of self-discovery, heroism, and the blurred lines between good and evil.
5. Mystery/Thriller: Write a gripping mystery or thriller novel following a seasoned detective or amateur sleuth investigating a perplexing crime. Develop complex characters, suspenseful plot twists, and an intricate web of clues and red herrings that keep readers guessing until the very end.
6. Science Fiction: Set in a future where technological advancements have transformed society, write a novel or short story exploring the ethical and societal implications of groundbreaking inventions. Examine themes such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, or virtual reality and their impact on humanity's future.
7. Romance: Craft a heartwarming romance novel or short story centered around two individuals from different backgrounds or opposing sides. Explore themes of love, forgiveness, and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
8. Coming-of-Age: Write a coming-of-age novel or short story following a young protagonist's journey of self-discovery, identity formation, and navigating the complexities of adolescence. Explore themes of friendship, personal growth, and the challenges of transitioning into adulthood.
9. Psychological Thriller: Create a psychological thriller novel or short story that delves into the intricacies of the human mind. Focus on a protagonist who becomes entangled in a web of deception, manipulation, and paranoia. Explore themes of trust, perception, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion.
10. Family Drama: Write a novel or short story exploring the dynamics and complexities within a multi-generational family. Include themes of love, secrets, and conflicts that arise as family members navigate their relationships, face past traumas, and strive for reconciliation.

Considerations for each prompt:

• Genre-specific elements: Ensure your story incorporates the defining characteristics and tropes of the chosen genre, such as the tone, pacing, and narrative conventions.
• Character development: Develop dynamic and relatable characters who undergo significant growth or transformation throughout the story.
• Plot structure: Create a compelling plot that introduces conflict, builds tension, and resolves in a satisfying manner, adhering to the common structure of the chosen genre.
• Themes and messages: Select themes that resonate with the genre and explore them through the characters' experiences and narrative development.
• Reader engagement: Craft a story that captivates the intended audience, keeping them invested in the characters and eager to uncover what happens next.

1. Historical Romance: Write a one-page historical romance set in a lavish ballroom during the Victorian era. Focus on the forbidden love between a spirited debutante and a mysterious gentleman from a different social class.
2. Science Fiction Comedy: Craft a one-page comedic story set in a futuristic space station. Follow the misadventures of a clumsy maintenance technician who unwittingly saves the day against all odds.
3. Paranormal Mystery: Pen a one-page mystery story set in a haunted mansion. Introduce a skeptical paranormal investigator who must solve the mystery of a ghostly apparition that has been terrorizing the inhabitants.
4. Literary Fiction: Write a one-page literary fiction piece centered around a character's contemplation of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherishing the present moment.
5. Action Adventure: Craft a one-page action-packed adventure story set in the jungles of an unexplored island. Follow a daring archaeologist's quest for a hidden treasure while battling against treacherous obstacles and rival adventurers.
6. Psychological Drama: Create a one-page psychological drama following the internal struggles of a troubled artist as they grapple with their inner demons and seek redemption.
7. Magical Realism: Write a one-page magical realism story set in a sleepy coastal town. Explore the extraordinary occurrences that happen when an enigmatic mermaid washes ashore and disrupts the mundane lives of the townsfolk.
8. Thriller: Craft a one-page thriller story involving a race against time. Follow a determined protagonist as they try to decipher cryptic clues and prevent a citywide disaster.
9. Fantasy Adventure: Pen a one-page fantasy adventure story set in a whimsical realm. Follow a young hero's quest to retrieve a stolen artifact and restore balance to the land, encountering fantastical creatures and overcoming obstacles along the way.
10. Historical Fiction Mystery: Write a one-page historical fiction mystery set during the Roaring Twenties. Follow a quick-witted detective as they unravel a web of deceit and intrigue surrounding a glamorous underground speakeasy in the heart of the city.

Considerations for each prompt:

• Engaging Beginning: Choose a compelling starting point that grabs the reader's attention and hooks them into the story from the very first sentence.
• Concise Plot: Craft a tightly woven plot that can be fully developed within one page, with an introduction, rising action, climax, and resolution.
• Strong Characterization: Develop distinct and memorable characters, even within the limited space, by providing key details that bring them to life and make them relatable to the reader.
• Descriptive Language: Use vivid and sensory language to paint a clear picture of the setting, engage the reader's imagination, and create an immersive reading experience.
• Resolution or Twist: Provide a satisfying resolution to the story or introduce an unexpected twist that leaves the reader intrigued and wanting more.

Protagonist Character Profile:

1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Gender:
4. Physical appearance:
5. Background:
6. Personality traits (list at least five):
7. Core values and beliefs:
8. Motivations and goals:
9. Biggest fear:
10. Internal conflicts:
11. External conflicts:
12. Strengths:
13. Weaknesses:
14. Childhood experiences and their impact:
15. Education and professional background:
16. Relationship status and dynamics:
17. Quirks or peculiar habits:
18. Psychological disorders, if any:
19. Familial relationships and dynamics:
20. Support system (friends, mentors, etc.):
21. Traumatic experiences and their effects:
22. Coping mechanisms:
23. Emotional vulnerabilities:
24. Resilience and determination:
25. Personal growth throughout the story:

Protagonist Character Questions:

1. What drives the protagonist to take action and pursue their goals?
2. How does the protagonist's childhood shape their behaviors and choices?
3. What values does the protagonist hold dear, and how do they influence their decision-making process?
4. What inner conflicts does the protagonist face, and how do they attempt to reconcile them?
5. How does the protagonist's education and professional background contribute to their strengths and weaknesses?
6. What traumatic experiences has the protagonist overcome, and how have these experiences shaped their worldview?
7. How does the protagonist cope with stress or adversity?
8. What relationships and dynamics are most significant to the protagonist, and how do these relationships evolve throughout the story?
9. In what ways does the protagonist exhibit resilience and determination in the face of challenges?
10. How does the protagonist approach personal growth and self-improvement?
11. What psychological disorders, if any, does the protagonist struggle with, and how do these disorders impact their thoughts and actions?
12. How does the protagonist's physical appearance contribute to their self-perception and interactions with others?
13. What unique quirks or habits does the protagonist possess that make them stand out?
14. What are the protagonist's primary desires and aspirations?
15. How does the protagonist's internalized fear drive or hinder their actions?
16. How does the protagonist navigate and resolve external conflicts?
17. What coping mechanisms does the protagonist rely on during times of stress or emotional turmoil?
18. How do familial relationships and dynamics influence the protagonist's actions and decisions?
19. What significant life choices or dilemmas does the protagonist face throughout the story, and how do they respond?
20. In what ways does the protagonist's support system impact their growth and resilience?
21. How does the protagonist's personal development and self-discovery contribute to the overall narrative arc?
22. How does the protagonist's background and experiences shape their perception of the world?
23. What are the protagonist's core beliefs and values, and how do these impact their interactions with others?
24. How does the protagonist handle setbacks or failures, and what lessons do they learn from these experiences?
25. What external influences or societal pressures affect the protagonist's decision-making process?

Antagonist Character Profile:

1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Gender:
4. Physical appearance:
5. Background:
6. Personality traits (list at least five):
7. Core values and beliefs:
8. Motivations and goals:
9. Biggest fear:
10. Internal conflicts:
11. External conflicts:
12. Strengths:
13. Weaknesses:
14. Childhood experiences and their impact $ Go on

1. Education and professional background: 16. Relationship status and dynamics: 17. Quirks or peculiar habits: 18. Psychological disorders, if any: 19. Familial relationships and dynamics: 20. Support system (friends, mentors, etc.): 21. Traumatic experiences and their effects: 22. Coping mechanisms: 23. Emotional vulnerabilities: 24. Strategies for achieving their goals: 25. Methods they employ to antagonize the protagonist:

Antagonist Character Questions:

1. What drives the antagonist to oppose the protagonist and act as an obstacle in their journey?
2. How does the antagonist's background and upbringing contribute to their negative behaviors and motivations?
3. What core values and beliefs does the antagonist hold that align with their antagonistic actions?
4. What personal goals or desires does the antagonist seek to fulfill?
5. What is the biggest fear or insecurity that drives the antagonist's actions?
6. How does the antagonist's internal conflicts manifest and impact their decisions?
7. What external conflicts arise as a result of the antagonist's actions, and how do they handle these conflicts?
8. In what ways does the antagonist exhibit strength and power, and how do these traits affect their interactions with others?
9. What are the antagonist's weaknesses or vulnerabilities that can be exploited by the protagonist?
10. How have childhood experiences shaped the antagonist's worldview and motivations?
11. How does the antagonist's education and professional background contribute to their methods and strategies?
12. What familial relationships or dynamics influence the antagonist's actions and choices?
13. What unique quirks or habits does the antagonist possess that make them distinct or memorable?
14. Are there any psychological disorders or conditions that contribute to the antagonist's behavior?
15. How does the antagonist cope with stress or emotional turmoil?
16. What strategies or tactics does the antagonist employ to achieve their goals and antagonize the protagonist?
17. How do the antagonist's actions impact their relationships and interactions with other characters in the story?

18.How does the antagonist perceive and justify their actions, even if they are considered morally or ethically wrong?

1. What external influences or societal pressures contribute to the antagonist's motivations or actions?
   
2. How does the antagonist's physical appearance contribute to their demeanor and portrayal in the story?
   
3. What significant life choices or dilemmas has the antagonist faced, and how have these shaped their character?
   
4. What is the antagonist's reaction to setbacks or failures, and how do they adapt their strategies?
   
5. How does the antagonist's support system or lack thereof impact their actions and decisions?
   
6. What past traumatic experiences or events have influenced the antagonist's worldview and behaviors?
   
7. How does the antagonist's emotional state or emotional vulnerabilities influence their actions and interactions with others?
   

Honestly, I have SO many issues with my hair, my body, EVERYTHING!!!!
Hair wise, I have a dry, itchy, flakey scalp and sometimes I get like i assume pimples?? I’m not sure once I pull them off some like substance comes out of it..?? Afterwards it’s painful though. Doesn’t happen as much though mainly itchiness, dryness, and flaky. I don’t know what to use for my hair anymore i’ve went in countless of post on here trying stuff and nothing works honestly. I’ve tried using so many store bought shampoos and I make sure they don’t have as many chemicals and very strong smelling shampoos, but nothing works!!! It feels nice using nothing, but it’s not enough for my scalp and i’m for real loosing hope. Not to mention my skin is very sensitive so i have to be careful with some products i use as well. I’m very tired of my hair also looking i hear hot my hair type is like wavey, but also curly if that makes sense. I have split ends my hair looks dead on the end regusdless even if trimming them. i’m just so tired of my hair looking, just unhealthy it makes me lowkey insecure and i always wonder if there is something to help it and yes, i’ve tried silk pillow cases . The for some reason give me bad acne..(don’t know if i’m the only one), but..Yea i’m pretty tired of my hair having 0 volume being flat and just not looking healthy, volume i know can be in the form of curly and wavey hair I assume, but more at the top of my head my hair is more flat and it bothers me so much I just wish it was healthier that’s all. I do use well water Id like to add and ofc i have a water softener i just wonder if that could be maybe a reason i have damaged hair as well??? Also to mention my hair is like so frizzy and i wish this frizziness would just go away!!
Body wise, it’s mainly some dryness and sensitive skin. I’m not sure how many people use it or if there is better, but i use CeraVe Lotion and like it works, but i sometimes wonder if theirs better out there, but again i’m not sure. I have very bad sensitive skin though. I burn very easily and it sucks really bad I need like a better sunscreen because I can’t use the sprays or certain sunscreens because I break out in hives really badly due to just my skin hating it or some form of allergic reaction which is insane to me because i’m not allergic to much product wise so I think, but yea as well as even shaving cream because i personally hate using razors i don’t know if i’m the only one but sometimes that even breaks me out in hives as well, but sometimes that’s not shocking to me. I use Nair though people say it’s good, and some say it’s bad. I feel it works, but not enough to satisfy me at most while shaving my arms, legs, etc. It’s because it doesn’t clear all the hairs, but I might have to leave it in longer then it says lol. i’m struggling bro I need advice on about everything!!! I apologize that this is a lot but I feel I needed to write this because I feel I need personal opinions and just overall advice on it all!!!😭

I'll try to make it ephemeral, my mom, a 37 year old woman, just moved to San Antonio from Pennsylvania, she has been for less than a year in the US. (we are immigrants) and distance made her feel very bad, now she is here, but she doesn't speak english at all, she doesn't have a job (supposedly her job from Pennsylvania will transfer somewhere in here) and doesn't have a place to be at, she has been for literally 24 hours here and she is going between Airbnb's back and forth until she finds something, I don't have anyway to help, she's feeling better since she is not lonely now, but still, she needs somewhere to live. Now, does anyone know where can she find somewhere to live? I wouldn't be picky with the zone, I'd like it better if it was near me but I know it will be better to start somewhere affordable, any advice getting a job? I want to help her, just don't know how. I apologize for writing this much and probably so disorganized, I'm a mess and I'm really worried for her.

Recently, my school organized a special lecture on the history of the Orient.This lecture was called "The Miracle of the Han River," and it was given by a professor from outside Korea.I was very curious about Korea, so I was looking forward to this lecture. In fact, the reason why this lecture was held was at the request of the students. Since Korean culture has been penetrating into American society for a long time, and many things that we enjoy without thinking are related to Korea, students were curious about what Korea is like.
Then Patrick, the student leader and president of our school, asked the teachers if they could organize a special lecture on Korean history, and they accepted, and eventually the whole class gathered in the auditorium and participated in the lecture. Often, our school invites outside professors to give lectures like this, and most of the time, the interest in such lectures is very high, and the lecture on Korean history was also extremely popular. However, the lectures that invite professors from prestigious universities and the opportunity to gain new knowledge about Korea are popular enough to fill the gymnasium.On this day, there were many students in the gymnasium converted into a lecture hall.As the professor entered, gave a brief introduction, and announced the topic of the day's lecture, everyone looked at him with interest. The professor said that he was asked to give a lecture on the history of the East, and when he was thinking about what topic to tell the students, he thought it would be better to talk about the modern history and economic development of Korea, and for two hours without a break, he explained in depth, in detail, easily understandable, and really interesting.
The professor's first words were impactful: "You all know Haiti, the country that receives U.S. aid, suffered a major earthquake about 15 years ago and has never recovered from it, and is in a state of chaos as one of the poorest countries in the world." "But how would you feel if, 30 years later, you were told to congratulate Haiti on becoming an economic powerhouse?" "I'm the generation that actually witnessed it. "I'm the generation that actually saw that happen, where we were the poorest country in the world, and all of a sudden, we were told that we were an economic powerhouse and that we should be congratulated."The students were surprised to learn that South Korea was once the poorest country in the world, even though it was still a decade after the end of World War II.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Korea was a very poor country until the middle of the 20th century, but since the 1960s, it has experienced rapid economic growth and made remarkable progress, which has been called the 'Miracle on the Han River', and today I am going to tell you the story."
From the beginning of the lecture, the students listened attentively as the professor engaged their interest, and I was particularly curious about how South Korea was able to develop so quickly.
"Korea was devastated after the Korean War in the 1950s, but in the 1960s, a government-led economic development plan began.At that time, Korea made a five-year plan for economic development under the leadership of the government, and fostered industries centered on heavy chemical industries such as steel, chemicals, and electronics.In addition, the country invested heavily in education, and many talented people were produced based on high educational enthusiasm."
The professor's explanation was very detailed and interesting, and I was in awe as he talked about Korea's economic development.
"In particular, in the 1970s, the Saemaul movement was launched to promote the development of rural areas and improve the living standards of the people."At that time, residents in rural areas voluntarily maintained their villages and strived for the development of their communities."These efforts helped Korea to rapidly transform from an agriculture-oriented society to an industry-oriented society.""And this Saemaul movement has become an example for many developing countries to this day, and countless policies have been implemented to copy Korea's Saemaul movement. "It is now accepted wisdom that Korea's Saemaul movement was a seemingly simple campaign that contributed tremendously to building the country's economic foundation, with reports of rapid development in some cases and failure in others." "Korea has written a textbook curriculum on how to grow an economy, and its achievements have become a model."
I realized how much effort Korea, which was poor in the past, made to grow its economy.It was a huge lecture of 2 hours, so I can only write down the core flow, so please understand.The process of Korea laying the economic foundation and starting the high-speed growth was really interesting, and there were many points where I learned how much effort Korean policy researchers made at that time.And the efforts of Korean people who believed in the government and followed the policy, even sacrificing themselves, were also great.
"Today, Korea is an IT powerhouse, with world-class companies such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai Motor, which have great influence in the global market and are an important pillar of Korea's economy." "The characteristic of Korean companies is that they have always strived to develop technology. "There are five technological powers in the world," he said, "the United States, Germany, Japan, Korea, and France." "The United States and Germany have been doing research and development since the Industrial Revolution, while France has been doing research and development since the Industrial Revolution, and Japan received a huge amount of aid from the United States in 1950, taking advantage of the Korean War. It was thought that Japan, which started 20 years earlier than Korea, would be recognized as the last technological power of the 20th century, but how Korea, which started research and development from the 1970s onwards, became the world's fifth technological power, was a very interesting topic among professors in the 1990s.
And unlike Japan, Korea became a semiconductor powerhouse in the 21st century, and even succeeded in fostering an industry that Japan did not, and created a great foundation for Korea to become a developed country.Look at the iPhone you're using right now, and look at it.Do you see a Samsung product in there?
Most Americans think that the iPhone is made by Apple and developed by Apple, but many of the components in it come from Korea, and without Korea, the product you're using would be half as powerful as it is today.
The professor kept the students' attention for the entire two-hour lecture, explaining the difficult content in terms of the smartphones they use.
At the end of the lecture, the professor said that there are only two role models of economic development in the 20th century, Germany's development and Korea's development are very meaningful, and if you want to major in economics or international affairs, you should familiarize yourself with these contents because they are all liberal arts contents.
And originally, this kind of lecture should be 200 hours instead of 2 hours, but since it was shortened to a hundred and one, the fun is only a hundred and one, and if you want to hear more details, you should study hard and go to the prestigious university where you are, and the excellent lecture ended with the story.
After the lecture, I wanted to ask the professor more questions, but there were already a lot of students gathered around him.Then, my friend Xiao approached me.Xiao was a student who was educated in China until elementary school and then moved to the United States."Avery, how did you like the lecture?" Xiao asked me. I really liked the lecture and I have a lot of questions, so I wanted to ask the professor, but I could already hear the other students lamenting that they wouldn't be able to because the professor was surrounded by other students.I had to leave the lecture hall with Xiao, who was listening to the lecture with interest next to me.As we walked down the hall, I continued to talk to Xiao.Minhwa and Jia told me that they didn't know why they hated Korea so much, and they had to tell me a frustrating story.
In fact, Minhwa and Jia are two students who are very anti-Korean, especially since the student council voted for and against this lecture, and there were two votes against it, so everyone could tell that it was Minhwa and Jia from China, and their anti-Korean feelings, or even hatred, were very strong.
Xiao told me that today's lecture was very different from what they teach in China, and what the professor told us today. Of course, in China, they teach distorted facts, and they don't believe in it, but if you're like Min Hua or Jia, who went to school in China until middle school, it's natural to have a negative opinion of Korea.
Xiao's words were sincere because he had lived in China until elementary school and had been educated in China, so he knew the reality of China very well.In China, Korea is often taught negatively, and Xiao also said that when he went to elementary school in China, he was taught that way, but when he came to the United States and was exposed to different perspectives, he realized that it was wrong.
At that moment, Minhwa and Jia walked up to us, or maybe I should say they walked up to Xiao.Minhwa had a disgruntled look on her face."Korea is so great? I never think so, Korea is worse than our China," Minhwa said unhappily.Jia, who had an equally unhappy look on her face, also spoke up."Right. What's so great about Korea, our China is better."
I was offended by their words, because the facts I learned about Korea all seemed interesting and amazing, so why didn't they think so? And when they said that China was better, they didn't have any basis, they just said that China was better, what's so great about Korea, and there was no power in their argument.Xiao was also not happy when his two Chinese friends asked him to sympathize with them.
Xiao usually doesn't like to argue with them, but this time he was in the mood for a fight.I intervened first."Korea has made great progress, and you'll see that when you do a little more research," I said calmly to Minhwa and Jia.But Minhwa and Jia didn't listen to me.They wouldn't even look at me when I was talking to them.That's when Xiao stepped in and said.
"I'm sorry Avery, Minhua and Jia have been mis-educated, so I'll apologize for them.I know why they think that way, but I know the truth is different, so I want to apologize to you."
After hearing Xiao's words, Minhua and Jia still showed their disapproval. They even loudly argued with Xiao in the hallway. All the students passing by couldn't help but notice that two Chinese friends with wrong ideas were bullying Xiao, a normal thinking Chinese friend, again.
In fact, this scene was not uncommon, but this day was different. Despite the fact that everyone had attended an impactful and fact-based lecture by a professor from a prestigious university, Min Hua and Jia seemed to have no room for improvement, and they were still shouting distorted facts and misinformation without any basis.
From that day on, they were increasingly bullied by their schoolmates. Even when Minhua and Jia tried to talk to their American friends, all their American friends would scold them, saying, "Are you going to distort American history like that?" and no one would listen to them.
At first, Minhua and Jia's attitude was nonetheless brazen and confident, but two Chinese students armed with wrong ideas can't live in isolation in this school. Our school has group work as the basic form of class participation, so there are many tasks that require the help of other students.
Eventually, Minhua and Jia came to me, Xiao, and our Korean friend Minji and apologized to us.To be honest, to this day, I don't know if their apology was sincere.They said that they had learned that much of the education they had received was false, and they promised that they would never say anything wrong again in the future.Part of me wanted to tell them that I knew they were lying to survive, but I couldn't turn my back on them, so I accepted their apology.After Minhua and Jia's disturbance and apology
Although I'm still a high school student, I know that when I grow up, I want to exercise my right to vote and join the anti-China movement. We also realized that China's policy of teaching the wrong history and the wrong international affairs is having a negative impact even here in the United States, a country so far away, and that it is causing the Chinese people to suffer.China's ambitious plan to turn the tables by playing shallow games is just ridiculous and will not work.
I can't help but think that the impact of these lectures on our school is great: first of all, we learned how important it is to filter out misleading and distorted information, and how important it is to listen to such information; secondly, many students have a deep understanding of what exactly the "Miracle of the Han River" is.
As a reminder, South Korea was very poor until the mid-20th century, but through government-led economic development plans and people's efforts, it has achieved remarkable growth, especially spontaneous rural development movements such as the Saemaul movement, which played a huge role in accelerating South Korea's industrialization.
Korea's development has been not just economic, but social as well, with Koreans overcoming difficulties and achieving remarkable results through their high levels of education, hard work, and sense of community.
Now, do you feel that there is any reason for Chinese people here to say that China is greater than Korea? Isn't it just that Korea has created a remarkable growth in the history of East Asia, and it is because of Korea's development that China's factories are able to operate? Just because China is lagging behind, to say that Korea is a lesser country is an expression of inferiority, and it is seen as a desperate attempt to deny their own lack.
This is a good liberal arts course where you can learn the facts about what Korea has done and speak about it with confidence in public, but I think the disturbance by the two Chinese students clouded the essence of the course, because the impact of the miracle of the Han River was diluted by the emotion of outrage at the Chinese students' behavior.
In my final presentation at the end of the semester, I plan to find more information about the Han River Miracle, add new information, and present it to my class, because I feel that it is unfair that the attention to Korea has been diverted for a while, and I think that it would be meaningful to talk about Korea in front of Minhwa, Jia, and my Korean friend Minji.
I hope that the country will soon develop into a mature society that can accept the truth as the truth.

The moment a lot of you have been waiting for is here!
A couple of notes before you read (or after because I would just jump into the list right away too)

1. Direct quotes from Ali herself are in italics.
2. I tried my best to keep everything in timeline order. Some people like The Come Back Kid I placed in the order where they reconnected/talked about on the pod. But I did my best to note this.
3. All this information came from the FMH podcast, the Patreon, the original FMH blog, TikTok and other podcast that feature FMH/Ali. I also crossed reference information with this sub. I got most of this done with the help of the Patreon and listening to 1.75x speed but I lost accessed to the Patreon because my subscription ended.
4. I'm open to edits! Things around the matchmaker era confused me and if anything is incorrect or if I'm missing someone, please let me know! I will note where corrections are made.
5. Some people don't have anything simply because only a name was said or I couldn't find any details about the person/date
6. And of course, please be respectful of all the sub rules!

Names on the original FMH blog

• Mr. Adorable aka The Coach
• Trouble
• Waffles
• Future Husband Brian (FHB)
• Cookie
• Peter Pan
• Ambiguous Goodbye Guy
• Bad Bitch Man

AOL chatroom Boyfriend
Mentioned on Tiktok and on the pod once
Myspace Boyfriend
Mentioned on Tiktok
Third Boyfriend
Met on eCrush.com in 2002 and this was mentioned on the Cracked Up podcast, The Dave Glaser Podcast and Tiktok
The Kiwi
Met on a 2 week Model UN type youth trip in high school when Ali was 15, never a boyfriend but she had a huge crush on him, he tried to kiss Ali and she literally ran away, didn’t talk the rest of the trip but exchanged numbers and screen names (Ali’s was FineGal13 or BeachJewel760), she made him a mixtape cd called “Ali’s really cool mix for The Kiwi” but never sent it and she still has it. In 2021, he DM’d her when she posted photos of her and her mom in France and invites her to visit him in London, she says she can’t but says they should catch up if he comes to NYC
Fourth Boyfriend
Met on OkCupid when you had to use it on the computer, this was mentioned on Tiktok
The Homecoming Date or Light Switch
First boyfriend? (she goes back and forth calling him her first bf or a situationship), a family friend, a month younger than Ali, dated in high school but went to different high schools, football player, made him ask her to her Homecoming dance over email (her words), Ali hid in the bathroom the whole Homecoming dance, 3-4 revisits of this situations as adults, saw him on Bumble a few years ago and texted him that he had a typo in his bio, “he very much wanted to be with me” and now he’s married with a kid. His mom is still “obsessed” with Ali and she listens to FMH
Random college guy
Freshman year of college, Ali doesn’t have a nickname for him/doesn’t remember his real name, met this guy through a friend, was texting him to invite him over to hot tub but her phone autocorrected to “how about some hot rubbing tonight?” but Ali didn’t noticed/didn’t correct it and he never replied, Ali had a house party and got really drunk and was all over him, he left the party early, she messaged him on MySpace 3-4 times asking why he left
The Resident
Matched on Match.com, first guy she dated in NYC after college, older than Ali, a doctor, lasted 3 months ”maybe”, he didn’t like Ali’s friends, got a card from him on her birthday and it said “Love, The Resident” and it took Ali back a little, Ali drinks black coffee because of him, he coordinated having her mom visit NYC for her birthday then he broke up with her a week later
The Ghost
Met at a bar when she was 25, turns out they matched on OkCupid and they already had a date scheduled next week, they dated for 6-8 weeks, had sleepovers, “The worst ghosting experience I’ve ever had”, he borrowed The Great Gatsby from Ali’s roommate, planned to make dinner together after a beach trip in August with her friends and never showed up, Ali is blowing up his phone and gets no reply, two weeks later she finally texts “are you alive? check yes or no” and he responds “Yes”, Ali then ask if he could return the book and gets no reply again, 5 months go by and she receives the book in the mail with the note: “Here’s the book back. Sorry. P.S. sorry about last summer. I was in a bad place. You’re a great person and your salmon is amazing”, since then she has ran into him twice on the streets and matched with him on Bumble
The Coach/Mr. Adorable
First serious boyfriend at 26/27 in 2013, matched on Match.com or met through work depending if you’re listening to the pod or reading her OG blog, clean-cut look, played volleyball, Ali invited him to a friend’s birthday party and they made out in the streets at 4am, on their second date he asked Ali if she was seeing any one and when Ali said no he ask her to be his girlfriend 3 days after their first date, dated for almost 1.5 years or almost 2 years depending on if you’re listening to the pod or the Patreon, first time saying “I love you” to a guy, “lovely guy“, never would posted Ali on his instagram until Ali said something, he “lived” with her for two weeks while he was in between apartments, tried blind folding/hair pulling during sex and she didn’t like it, by the end of their relationship Ali didn’t like sex and thought she wasn’t a very sexual person, after they broke up Ali drunk texted him at 2am and he picked her up and she spent the night and she took her things in the morning in a rolly suitcase, from her blog in 2015: “I just want to be careful I don’t end up with another Mr. Adorable situation, where I find myself dating my platonic best friend”, had drinks with him in 2016 from the blog: “Not in a romantic way (at least on my end)”, Ali still talks to him sometimes through casual instagram DMs, he’s currently (as of 2021) dating someone for 4+ years and Ali thinks they’re going to get engaged
Trouble
OG 2015 FMH blog, never mentioned on the pod, “I was immediately enamored with him”, met at a Beer Olympic party but he worked with one of Ali’s best friends (Ali was still dating The Coach at the time), lived in BK, tattoos and stubble, Ali’s best friend said he was a “fuck boy”, “he very much made me see that it was the right thing for me and The Coach to not be together”, from her blog in 2015: “he has this look in his eye like he’s constantly laughing at me – in a super sexy way”, he texted her saying he didn’t see anything romantically with her and she sent a gif of someone shrugging
Personal side note: Ali has mentioned she has cheated on someone but never disclosed who she cheated on or with. I feel like she cheated on Mr.A/The Coach with Trouble because of the timeline. Just a guess.
Waffles
Matched on Bumble, OG 2015 FMH blog, he asked Ali fuck/marry/kill breakfast foods, dated 2 months around summer time, on Fourth of July while watching fireworks he said how they had a great day and Ali replied with something along the lines with “yeah, it would be better if I could call you my boyfriend”, he said he wanted a relationship but just not with Ali and shortly afterwards they stopped seeing each other
The Buffalo
Lived in Buffalo NY, 6’5, Scorpio, met in 2015 at Adults National volleyball (Ali’s team won that year) where he was heckling her while she was playing, asks Ali’s mom for her number and Ali’s mom said “I guess you’re tall enough” and told him to ask her himself, he flew her out and she met his parents, dated over summer, exclusive but never boyfriend/girlfriend (but called him her LD boyfriend on TikTok), texted and talked on the phone a lot, Ali’s best friend’s favorite ex “they had really good banter”, in October he invited her to his cousins wedding and she invited him to her friends wedding, after Ali bought her ticket to his cousins wedding (with the promise he would buy her ticket to her friend’s wedding) he ghosted and stonewalled her, she “poured her heart out to him on voicemail” and he never replied, she asked him to pay her back for her ticket and he got mad that she “made this about money”, 2 years later he told Ali that he freaked out because he really liked her and saw a future with her but knew she would never move to Buffalo and it would “never work”, Ali said at the time she would have considered moving for him, Ali used to have him blocked on Facebook and told all her friends not to update her on info about him (unless she asked). He’s now married and goes to Disney with his wife (which Ali kind of scoffs at?), Ali said on TikTok that she dodged a bullet
Baby Bic
Met him at Adults National years ago, had a flirtationship with him in 2016 when he was 19 years old, ran into him at the Adults Nationals 2021, last texts she got from him were about getting his fake ID taken away at the bar and him visiting her in NYC but Ali didn’t want to buy him beer and drink at her apartment
The Chef
Matched on Tinder around 2016, he loved karaoke, “total shit”, asked Ali to be his girlfriend and to meet his mom after a month, off and on dating, broke up the first time because he was talking to his ex, lied and flew to Mexico to see his ex while dating Ali, that ex sent Ali a Snapchat of them in bed together on that Mexico trip, Ali broke up with him via text and called him a shitty boyfriend, he’s the reason Ali deleted her Snapchat because of drunk Snaps he would send post break up, FB messaged Ali 6 years later (while Roark was visiting/staying with Ali) and said sorry for being a shit head. Ali’s best friends hated him
The Dentist
Met on Halloween in the wild, Canadian, dated NYE 2016- May 2017 “nice guy, not my guy”, one of Ali’s best friend’s favorite ex “he adored you, “he was too sweet for me” and “he had no edge to him”, he painted Ali’s cat for her 30th birthday but she was annoyed it was just Rory and not both cats, The Chef texted Ali while on a date/sleeping at his house
ASV - Aspiring Sober Vegan
Met through a friend (her best guy friend’s college roommate) the day before she had to fly out to her dad’s memorial, a doctor, into meditation, remembered him “being cuter” when they went on a first date, felt “the spark”, had “omg this is awesome sex”, Ali described this relationship as a “slow burn” and “the most attracted she ever been to a partner” even thought she didn’t think he was that cute in the beginning, dated 2-3 months before he tried to ghost Ali but they talked and broke up, four months later they start casually dating/FWB because he’s moving but this turns into a ‘middle distance relationship’ and he moves to Philly, had a lot of communication issues but didn't have a lot of fights, wants to live in Ohio and give a % of his income to charity, Ali was close to saying ‘I love you’ but didn’t, he uninvited her to meet his extended family and they got in a fight, broke up with her a couple weeks before their 6 month anniversary at the park while on a picnic and told her that she’s still his favorite person, Ali used to think he was “the one that got away” and would frequently have dreams about him. From what Ali knows, he's sober but not vegan
The Scientist
2017 or 2018ish, from San Diego, went on one date, Ali ended up ghosting him due to the decline in her dad’s health, saw him on Hinge while she was in San Diego for 3 months in 2020, texted him and apologized for ghosting him, ended up going on 2-3 more dates, took a selfie in front of his house and sent it to him but acted like she didn’t know that was his house and made a TikTok about it, things ended up not working but she doesn’t make it clear on who ended it. She can now see she shouldn’t have been going on dates during this time when her dad was sick.
Good on Paper Divorced Dude
Met a couple of years ago (she told this story on TikTok in 2020) on Bumble
The Groomsman
Met at her friend Ashley’s wedding in Chicago Oct 2019, had a “two night stand” with him, texted/talked/FT’d for 3-4 months, divorced, never dated seriously/FWB, saw each other a couple time when he came to NYC, Ali stopped talking with him due to FMH and her trying to find a serious relationship, he starts dating someone, follows FMH on insta, slid into her DM in 2022 and then sent her soup while she was sick, turns out he’s single again, 2 months later Ali is heading to Chicago and texts him “Hello! Reminder that my arrival to your neck of the woods is imminent” and turns out he is now seeing someone and Ali doesn’t see him while in Chicago (at least she doesn’t mention it)
Unnicknamed person
He was her plus one at her best friend from college’s NYE wedding 2019/2020, met and hung out with Ali’s mom, posted photos of them together on her personal Insta story, “fully dating but weren’t official hehe” doesn’t have a nickname/never gave him a nickname? This could be The Latvian/the person she texted her friend in DC about saying “I think I’m on a date with my husband”

Starts FMH on January 2020 on Instagram/TikTok

The Traveler
He was browsing Bumble while Ali was in the bathroom during their first date, he was banned from Bumble and was using his grandma phone number. Ali turned down a second date
The Duke
Early FMH, went for long periods of time in between texts, 7-8 Zoom dates while Ali was in San Diego and he was in NY, Ali said you could see three of his ex’s on his instagram page (without scrolling), they finally went on one date and it was “meh” but they did kiss on their date
The Oyster
Matched on Bumble (he had one photo and no bio) two weeks before Valentines Day, Gemini, a lawyer, part of the 13 First Dates in 30 Days series (he was #13), dated Feb 2020-Aug 2020, love bomber, felt “the spark” and became official after 3 dates, best first date ever??? at the time, said “I love you” to Ali after two weeks, “For most of my relationship with The Oyster, he didn’t live in the city he had moved to Connecticut without telling me”, would fight all the time, opposite political views, Ali felt like a “fucking summer camp director” because she planned all their dates and he would get upset if Ali didn't have a plan, sought out a therapist (Megan) because of her relationship struggles because of him, went to Mass/church, he wanted a traditional marriage/life/wife/kids (at one point had Ali thinking she wanted that), didn’t want to live in NYC, didn’t support BLM, Cindy hated him
The Pilot
Went on 3 dates, texted a lot, didn’t hear back from him in four days and when she said she was looking to date someone who showed more consistency, he replied saying he met someone the day after their last date who seems to have more free time than Ali and he wants to pursue that but would like to be friends, Ali said on TikTok that this other women “bent her schedule to his schedule” and she was unwilling to do that. Mostly talked about him on TikTok
The Analyst
Matched on Bumble two years ago and went on one date, re matched in 2021 and he stood Ali up, she send him a text “getting stood up” script and he never replied. Only mentioned him on TikTok (?)

Ali and Roark start FMH: The Podcast February 2021

The Boomerang
First date on the pod? I couldn't find anything else about him
The Scuba Diver
The Music Man
One date, “he didn’t do anything wrong, he’s just not for me”, amped up small talk, complimented Ali a lot which made her feel awkward cause she wasn’t feeling it, he texted her and asked for a second date and Ali sent the no ghosting script
The Bet
Uses the phrase “ok bet”, 28 years old shoe designer, only went on one dinner date to a spot he picked, turns out its cash only and he didn’t bring cash, was not into him , not looking for the same thing
The Dinosaur
Nickname was previously The Hawaiian, first date at Dinosaur BBQ, stood in a parking spot to save for Ali, he asked for a kiss after their date and Ali declined saying maybe next time
The Rose
He sent her a rose on hinge, first date was an hour long walk in the park while drinking beer
The Comic
Matched on Hinge, older than Ali (Ali’s friends express how happy they were to hear that), had brunch on their first date (was the first part of a double header but the second guy canceled), listed as “moderate” politically on Hinge, good and easy convo, went back and forth twice over text and then never heard back from him, “technically not ghosting...”
The Camper
Met in the wild at a volleyball tournament in July, lives in Chicago, 27 years old, hung out the whole time, over heard Ali asking someone to get her a make out partner, gave Ali his number, drunkly ask him for a FT date in the future and he didn’t reply, Ali texts him again about a volleyball thing and he replied back with not a lot of enthusiasm, Ali is going to Chicago in Sept for a volleyball tournament and she’s already planning on playing 4-on-4 with her best friend vs. his roommate and maybe The Camper, he texts her saying he has to work on the date of the tournament and won’t be able to do the 4-on-4 game, “I feel like I got broken up with someone I never want to date in the first place”

Ali’s Matchmaker contract starts in August 2021 - 6 matches

The Schmoozer
Went on a dinner date, was chatting up the waitress in a kind of creepy way, was bragging about a lot of things and it turned Ali off and Ali texted him her no ghosting script
The Accountant
1st matchmaker match, 31 years old, lives in BK, his dad has also passed away, easy to talk to, on the third date she wasn’t sure if she saw a future with him and in her gut doesn’t feel like this would be a slow burn, Ali breaks things off with him, months (?) later he sent Ali a 5 min long voice memo and they said they were both down to see each other as friends. He later on dated and ghosted Erica
The Aussie
Matched on Hinge, in politics, from Australia but lived all over the place, asked Ali what she’s looking for on the first date and he said he’s “casually looking for something serious”, Ali accidentally walks up to a different person on their second date, Ali texts him saying she would love to see him before he leaves on a trip and she wasn’t happy that it took him till the next day to reply and he can’t see her before he leaves
The Goalie
Was supposed to be Ali’s 2nd match, he’s a paying client, Ali didn’t hear back from him for a while when she told him where she lived, he wrote to the matchmaker saying that she lived too far away even though it states where she lives in her matchmaker profile
The Journalist
2nd matchmaker match, ended things because she was dating/pursuing things with The Discoball and paused her matchmakers matches

The Threepeat
Matched multiple times on dating apps but this recent time with Hinge, Amazon seller, first date was a pizza lunch date (with bubbles aka champagne) and he gave her a single yellow carnation, talked a lot about her “side hustles” aka her food blog, coaching, FMH and the pod (Ali didn’t mentioned the name on FMH), had an awkward half kiss during the date and then gave her a peck when they said goodbye, he had no night stands by his bed?, spent the night but told public pod they had a movie night, different kissing styles, 6 dates, broke things off with Ali two days before her first date with The Rower WHILE Ali was on a Halloween girls trip
The Rower
Dated from Halloween 2021 till early Feb 2022, Pisces who is 6 days older than Ali, has an ex-fiancé (they dated for 8 years, engaged for two of them, she broke off the engagement with him 1.5 years ago once he started dating Ali), has a shared dog with this ex, slept together around Xmas on the fourth date and Ali got a UTI, first time having “omg this is awesome sex” since ASV, first person Ali slept next to wearing an eye mask "that's a big step for me", had him watch 90 Day Fiancé, on New Years Day told her that he sees “long term relationship potential” with her but doesn’t want to be exclusive after 5 dates, “we didn’t talk all week”, he said he wasn’t as ready as he though to date someone seriously and “I don’t know why I don’t want to be in a relationship with you” they broke up over the phone, Ali said he’s a good human and wants to date someone like him, 3.5 weeks later Ali drunk texted him at 3:00 am saying “its really hard not to talk to you” which Ali said was a lie, he replied back (few days? A week later?) while Ali was on another date and it made her cry a bit, she replied back saying “the door is closed but not locked” in regards if he wants to get back together. “Fin… for now”

2022

The Discoball
Matched on Hinge but didn’t go on a first date for two week, Gemini, used to be a singer in a band, moved from DC to NYC, went on 7 dates in 2022, had a dog w/ ex and ex got full custody once he moved, met one of his friends on the second date, slept with him on the second date “morning and night”, he tried to find the podcast without knowing the name, podcasted from his house in DC, he would send Ali photos of them together “all the time”, gave a virtual presentation from his hotel room, did Molly together in DC, had him watch 90 Day Fiancé, moved to BK (didn’t see each other for 2 months pre-move), had a sex-less sleepover (a milestone for Ali), he showed up for her on her dad’s death date (something that a person she’s dating has never done), used to listen to the pod but stopped before they stopped seeing each other, ghosted her after they had a talk about moving things forward to exclusive and Ali texted him something along the lines of “your silence is the answer” when she didn’t hear back from him for a week and he ghosted her. Ali said he sucks in #77 AUA
Lisbon
The Brit
M&M
The Come Back Kid
They went on 2-3 dates in Nov 2018 and reconnected in May 2022, "felt immediately comfortable", sat next to a very drunk lady on their second 1st date and was supportive but "didn't step on Ali's toes" when the drunk lady said something offensive to Ali, couldn’t remember if they slept together or not, knows about FMH, ghosted Ali
The Trainer
The Cold Brew
The Nomad
3rd matchmaker match, reminded Ali of The Oyster, wanted kids and didn’t want to live in NYC forever, Ali was upset at first because her matchmaker was supposed to screen for that but the matchmaker DID check and it wasn’t mentioned when she was screening The Nomad, no second date because those are dealbreakers to him
The Catcher
Matched on Bumble, “good not great” after their first date, ~April 2022, talked about sports a lot on their first date
The Gentleman
4th matchmaker match, knew about Ali’s FMH socials before their date, Ali didn’t like his texting style, awkward intro on their first date “like hugging a 2 x 4”, he runs a dating event company and actually email Ali to be a guest on the pod when FMH first started, awkward goodbye, didn’t discuss the actual first date on the main pod because she doesn’t want to give him a reason to reach out again
The Tennis Pro
Ali had a good time on their date, “He is an adult, he’s mature” BUT “I don’t think he was into it”
The Padre
Matched on Bumble, 3 dates, from San Diego, “energy mismatch”, doesn’t want to know or listen to FMH, no psychical connection/kiss, only a kiss on the cheek on their last date, “I haven’t spoken to him since Friday night [a week]”, she didn’t want to do what The Threepeat did to her (break up while on vacation/traveling), she said it might be a MOO

Roark leaves and Erica joins the pod Oct 31st 2022

Captain Kirk
5th matchmaker match, found him on Bumble before their in-person date, ghosted Ali AND the matchmaker???
6th matchmaker match
Last match and Ali states she will not talk about this date or anything about it
JFK Kirk?
Matched on Bumble, didn’t realize he’s located in SD, exchanged personal instagram info, not sure where things went or how things ended

Kirk #1
Met in the wild, make out a lot the night they met, “stealing kisses throughout the night”, exchanged numbers, planned a date (no specifics, just the day) but when Ali texted him day of he asked to reschedule (no specifics again), he replied back that he’s picking up a rental car, told him she’s looking for someone to respect her time and he never replied back

2023

The Falcon
First date of 2023, matched on The League, first nickname was “League Kirk”, hard to talk to, felt like Ali was always reaching for the next topic, likes to travel, “there wasn’t a vibe”, MOO
The Roommate
Used to be her friend’s roommate and have met before (Ali doesn’t remember but it was the day after that exclusive convo with The Rower), “totally cute”, reunited at their mutual friend’s engagement party January 2023, made out at the bar, comes back to her place and sleeps over (no sex), Ali questions why her friends never set them up and its because he was taking a break from dating, first date they made out a lot at the bar (again), “I really felt like we were already a couple”, “It didn’t feel like a first date”, mentions her FMH content has popped up on his FYP, tried texting him after their date and he wasn’t giving effort, she’s glad she didn’t sleep with him because “one night stands aren’t my thing”, MOO
The Belgian
Matched on Bumble, accidentally had their first date during a trivia night at a bar, easy to talk to
The Viking
Ali forgot they had a first date on the day of said date
Tinder Man
Matched on Tinder (duh) on Valentine’s Day, first Tinder date in three years, good convo on first date but got a pushy vibe from him at the second bar they went to, put his hand up her sweater and was kissing her in the bar, made Ali uncomfortable and she told him that after her asked her on a second date
The Historian
Matched on Bumble, good conversation on the first date with a wide range of topics like “urban planning and its impact on feminism”, he’s in grad school
The Georgian
Matched on Hinge, he asked if she was free on Friday and she said yes but didn’t hear back from him in two days and in that time she made plans for Friday, rescheduled for a Saturday afternoon date at a dive bar, ate on her way to her date “it would be next level rude to eat on the subway”, good first date, talked about places he wants to take her to
The Publicist
Matched on Tinder, lives in BK, Jewish, one year younger then Ali, good first date, invited him to the Chaotic Singles Party that night, came over to Ali's apartment (which Ali said was messy) before and he made her favorite cocktail for her, a couple of listeners met him at the CSP, goofy and silly convo mixed with deep and serious convos, second date was at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and a tasting menu dinner, he made a Resy reservation and Ali got an email saying she was added to it ”fuck receiving gifts, THAT’S my love language”, he's into words like Ali, he sneezed and Ali said "God bless you" but then corrected herself and said "gesundheit" and he leaned over and kissed her and said he loves that she cares about her words, he met her friends on the third date ”It felt so easy. It felt so comfortable”, her friends took “sneaky” picture and videos of them together which Ali said she loves a sneaky pic, took all their date recap videos on his phone, cooked Ali steak on their fourth date, "it's very comfortable", had him watch 90 Day Fiancé, Ali met two of his friends and some of his teammates he plays a rec sport with, had sex the day they took a trip outside of the city, Erica met him before their trip to Greece and I said “he’s dorky in a good way”, WhatsApp video chatted while in Greece and told her “see you in two days!” at the end of their call, said she felt less anxious about him compared to other relationships while on vacation, sent him a birthday present while she was in Greece, felt an energy shift coming back from vacation and didn’t hear back from him 3 days after she came home, Ali requested a call to talk about this distances she was feeling, ”I did the 12 date rule and it didn’t work!”, she said the distance help her see that they’re not compatible, went on a total of 9 dates. Ali talks about the “break up” on episode 123
Mr. Chaotic
Matched on Tinder but he saw Ali at the Chaotic Singles Party and Cassidy the host is there mutual friend, went to a brewery and played games on their first date (Ali said this was her favorite first dates in episode 147 where they recapped 2023), works in entertainment industry, very high energy, knows about FMH and he said she's entertaining to watch, splits his time between NYC and some unknown city, texted while she was in Greece, ”The man gives good texts”
Random Matchmaker Match
Withdrew his match to Ali because he found her FMH socials. Talked about on #71 AUA
Gone with the Wind
Matchmaker match, said some gross things about women in volleyball outfits on their first date, Ali told her matchmaker about this, ”I would describe him as misogynistic overall”, Ali was glad he did say those weird things so early on so she didn’t waste her time, the matchmaker flagged his account. This was around June 2023
The Rock
Ali knows him from an activity that they used to be involved with in the city (she's very vague about what this is) from 8 years ago, he had a very serious/long term GF when they met, follows her personal Insta, has never talked about him because he’s never been a “prospect”, summer 2023 they met up to catch up and found out that he’s now recently single but he’s moving out of NYC for work, Ali texts Cindy saying she thinks this is a date, Cindy said to tell him that you really want to kiss him, he ends up telling Ali “I really want to kiss you”, made out at the bar, Ali invited him back to her apartment and they had sex the night before Ali ended things with The Publicist, “one night stand vibes” but she said she was down to do it again, Patreon only and talked about on #75 AUA
The Tourist
Matched on Hinge, just moved to Brooklynn, went to a brewery in BK for their first date, Ali showed up to the date dripping in sweat, allergic to cats, he sent Ali a ‘no ghosting’ text the next morning
The Stout
Matched on Bumble, ”we had really great banter right away”, laughed the whole time on their first date, talked about going on a second date during their first date
Speed Racer
Matched on Bumble, drinks first date, axe throwing second date, made out after their second date, MOO, randomly texted Ali ~6 months later because he said one of Ali’s date recap videos about him popped up on his FYP (Ali and Erica think this is a lie), he thought Ali wasn’t into him, he claims he was doing all the work with texting even though there was only a few messages since they exchanged numbers after their second date
Billy Joel
Recently sober, Ali said she felt like they had several inside jokes before they met in person, ate pizza on her way to their first date, second date was getting coffee and going to the museum, they cooked dinner together for their third date at Ali’s apartment and they watched 90 Day Fiancé (he didn’t like it), he Googled how to clean a red wine stain when it spilled on her countertop, he asked if she wanted to have sex and she turned it down, the next day/the day before a 7am flight Ali booty called him and they had sex, she was drunk and said the sex wasn’t good/they stopped mid way, helped Ali pack for her flight, Ali said he’s at a crossroad and he doesn’t seem like a long term fit, Erica found a condom on the ground while cat sitting, Ali said she didn’t regret hooking up with him but wishes she hadn’t done it, MOO
Sales Cycle
30 seconds in and Ali said he was very boring, only really talked about his job, stared at Ali’s boobs, “might be a MOO”, texted her ‘merry christmas’

2024

Pie Guy/Dr. Laundry
Matched on The League, 34 years old, requested a nickname change from Pie Guy to Dr. Laundry, he had to cancel their second date because he got hit by a car, went on two dates, Ali sent him a pic of his subway stop saying something along the lines of “the stop isn’t looking as cute today” and turns out someone he dated with in that photo, were supposed to go on a third date the night she got back from a bachelorette party but he didn't answer her text when she said she landed, the next day he asked her how her trip was not acknowledging her previous text at all, Ali expressed her disappointment and he replied that he was tired last night, she said she would've been understanding if he said something then ghosted her
Andddd I stopped listening to the podcast around the Dr. Pie Laundry Guy but have stayed up to date with everything via this sub.
I have a huge interest in dating culture, human behavior and data similar to Ali and this little project of mine was really interesting once I got the framework of this list. I started this list once I found this sub in December 2023 and started re listening to the Patreon while working out (and lost 10 lbs ayeee) and writing down information in my notes app. I did my best to keep this list unbiased and just give facts and information that was said.
My own thoughts after making this list is that I'm very sad for Ali. I didn't realize the extent of her dating history. I think about my own dating history or even my friends who are in their 30's and dating and Ali's dating lore runs so deep. Is Ali unlucky with love? Did she pass on someone that could have been great for her? How has she had so many dates with little success in a long term partner or even going beyond 6-8 dates? Or is Skyline the person she has been waiting for? What's the pattern with all this dates/men? So many questions.
I truly do hope Ali finds her guy because I believe theres someone for everyone. Until then, I'll be hopping into this sub (cause y'all are too funny and give the best advice) and waiting for Ali to find Mr. Height.
Enjoy and I look forward to everyone thoughts! I'll keep my eye out for any edits that need to be made.
Bonus quotes:
“Longest relationship was a little under a year and a half. Haven’t made it past 6 months with anyone else” - AUA #7 11/27/21
“I spent the first 10+ years of my dating life being sort of perennially single” -1. The Actual First One episode 2/21/21
"I think my parent's story is the reason why I think that I can romantically get back together with an ex and it'll work out" -The Dave Glaser Podcast 4/5/21
“Almost every relationship I’ve ever been in, with a couple of exceptions, started as a situationship.” -21. The Undefined One 7/11/21
“All of my boyfriends have been white” -Ali’s BFF Special on Patreon 4/23/22
“You definitely need an older guy” -Cindy on Ali’s BFF Special on Patreon 4/23/22
“I’ve been on the dating apps since high school. Dating websites at the time” -Ali’s BFF Special on Patreon 4/23/22
“Who would be the perfect man for Ali?”
“Clearly a combination of the The Dentist and [the early stages of] The Buffalo” -Cindy on Ali’s BFF Special on Patreon 4/23/22
“Do you consider The Rower or Disco ball to have been situationships?”
“No, I don't consider either The Rower or The Disco Ball to be situationships” -question asked on TikTok 11/9/22

I perceived myself as an INFP for a while, however I am recently unsure and I do think that my own perception of myself may not be enough, I would like to see how other people think about it.
• How old are you? What's your gender? Give us a general description of yourself.
I prefer not to specify my age, however I am a teenager (so perhaps some things could be a product of just being a teenager, but I would still like to see what I could be typed as). I am a female. I typically do not speak to others often, partially due to how difficult it is to do so (it is difficult because although I do like conversing I do not formulate my thoughts well in one go) and furthermore I am very shy (I do not usually admit this first however, because I don’t like it when people assume shyness is the only reason why people, or I, don’t talk). I particularly enjoy answering questions in a conversation because there’s a lot of things in my mind and it’s nice to share them. People who aren’t close to me describe me as too quiet and don't talk at all. However if they were closer, I would likely end up talking too much in an undignified manner. Furthermore, typically I’m surrounded with people who talk a lot, but if I’m surrounded by people who don’t talk at all, I may end up being the one who speaks. I am concerned with the accuracy of my statements when it comes to discussing ideas, but only due to fear of judgements, so sometimes I go back and forth to check things a lot. I especially do this when texting. Despite that, I seem to act recklessly sometimes, especially due to random bursts of excitement. I end up regretting this later. I unfortunately do not know where I get these bursts of excitement. It’s strange to me, but people think I’m mysterious and calm, even though I’m the complete opposite. I’m pretty sure not many people know I have anger issues. I like to think of philosophical things and I often look over my values.
• Is there a medical diagnosis that may impact your mental stability somehow?
I never had a medical diagnosis related to my mental state. However it might be relevant to say I do have a risk for depression.
• Describe your upbringing. Did it have any kind of religious or structured influence? How did you respond to it?
I’ve learned a lot of my values from one parent. Or at least, I’m influenced by it. This particular parent always thinks that it’s better to explain the benefits of a particular choice, and give them the choice to do it or not based on that, rather than forcing them to do so. Perhaps I learned something from that because I agree with that line of thinking. However I am not sure if it is common. My family is entirely Christian but they are not strict. Therefore I am not sure if this influenced me (I am not religious at all), but I did go to church in the past. I’m not sure how telling this could be, but I used to be very loud, however, for reasons I don't even know, I suddenly became extremely quiet.
• If you had to spend an entire weekend by yourself, how would you feel? Would you feel lonely or refreshed?
It would be refreshing since my weekends are typically more stressful-sounding than spending it entirely alone. I don’t like my typical weekends because I have to do too many things when I just want to physically calm down.
• What kinds of activities do you prefer? Do you like, and are you good at sports? Do you enjoy any other outdoor or indoor activities?
I enjoy sports a lot. However I am terrible at sports, I am physically weak and am not able to aim very well in most sports. I am particularly good at badminton however, because I am just able to comprehend how it works very well. I enjoy walking and running a lot, because it feels much easier to imagine things that were inside my thoughts during then, and therefore it is very fun.
• How curious are you? Do you have more ideas then you can execute? What are your curiosities about? What are your ideas about - is it environmental or conceptual, and can you please elaborate?
I am not sure how curious I am, but if I am interested in something I will definitely start researching it online a lot. Sometimes it is much too tiring for me to do this though. I do have a lot more ideas than I can execute, but this is mostly since I am not skilled enough in the particular areas that are required to execute these ideas (adding onto this, in the past I’ve been described as “brain running faster than can keep up” by others, but I am not very sure if this still applies today). I am sadly unsure about what my curiosities and ideas are about. I think it is mostly conceptual because there is no way it can be applied to the environment at all. Actually, I just mostly, and very obviously, mix whatever stories I read and whatever I learned from anything I consume and make something that entertains me, but outside my head it would very likely be seen as “cringe”.
• Would you enjoy taking on a leadership position? Do you think you would be good at it? What would your leadership style be?
I would enjoy it just to try it, however I don’t have enough experience to be accurate about this. I definitely would not be good at it because I am not very good at directing people actively, I am very unsure of myself. I am also too slow to lead people. If I try to lead people without being told I’m supposed to be by the group (this is unlikely), I’d just keep them focused on the goal. I’d also help them with understanding how to get there if I do know. However I think if I was given this role by the group I would be very confused and end up overthinking, so it would probably be the worst to make me a leader.
• Are you coordinated? Why do you feel as if you are or are not? Do you enjoy working with your hands in some form? Describe your activity?
I don’t understand this question very well so I apologize if I answered it incorrectly. I do not particularly think I am well coordinated or not coordinated at all because it varies a lot. I do enjoy working with my hands, particularly if I’m fidgeting with something, but I do not know how to specify this.
• Are you artistic? If yes, describe your art? If you are not particular artistic but can appreciate art please likewise describe what forums of art you enjoy. Please explain your answer.
I mostly draw people and not anything else when it comes to drawings. I draw with an attempt for it to look realistic. Typically I don’t draw anything abstract because I don’t know how to, but if I could, I would on occasion. If this counts, I also enjoy writing fantasy themes, however I sadly can not muster enough motivation to write.
• What's your opinion about the past, present, and future? How do you deal with them?
I am not fond of the past at all. I tend to not think too much about the past, but when I am talking about the past, I am mostly thinking of my past actions rather than experiences. It is difficult for me to talk about my opinion of past experiences detached from my own actions. Also, most are too bland for me to write my opinion about. I do not think about the present much, it is usually other people that bring me to the present. Then again, I don’t really know how to see the present since it passes by quickly. I often think about the future, but not the distant future. I’m thinking of the future as in the future in relation to other people. It is difficult for me to think of the future in relation to myself.
• How do you act when others request your help to do something (anything)? If you would decide to help them, why would you do so?
If I’m not focusing on doing something else I would gladly help. I would help because, why not? It’s just a feeling of inclination. I do not know why else I would help.
• Do you need logical consistency in your life?
I don’t understand this well, but from what I assume, I suppose so, but I never thought about this. I assume that it would confuse me otherwise. What even is anything if it is logically inconsistent?
• How important is efficiency and productivity to you?
Efficiency is a very good quality, so it must be important, is what I think. If you could be efficient if you tried, yet you don’t try to be, it’s a bit irking, but I suppose that is hypocritical. I stress about productivity a lot despite not being productive myself, at least, from what I see. My thought process is that if I’m not productive myself, then I am not smart. I don’t know where I got this idea, because I don’t apply this to others.
• Do you control others, even if indirectly? How and why do you do that?
I don’t control others. It seems too tiring to order people around. Even indirectly, I don’t notice myself doing so.
• What are your hobbies? Why do you like them?
Photography because I like the scenery that comes with it. It’s interesting how lighting can affect things. However I am not that experienced and don’t know much information about this so I can’t describe why I like it much. I enjoy drawing because I enjoy looking at the results and seeing how I improve. I find art interesting in general because it’s like you can create almost anything with it, so most artistic hobbies I would like for that reason.
• What is your learning style? What kind of learning environments do you struggle with most? Why do you like/struggle with these learning styles? Do you prefer classes involving memorization, logic, creativity, or your physical senses?
I don’t know, other than that I often find myself relying on using logic for classes and not at all memorization. I do not apply creativity and physical senses to classes nowadays, so I think I wouldn’t prefer classes like that.
• How good are you at strategizing? Do you easily break up projects into manageable tasks? Or do you have a tendency to wing projects and improvise as you go?
I improvise a lot. I think I don’t like to strategize because it’s too tiring and I don’t have a goal I am going for so I can not strategize at all (if I do have a very specific goal I would try to strategize). I don’t think I strategize enough to answer how good I am at it, but when it comes to strategy in relation to other people, I am bad with it.
• What are your aspirations in life, professionally and personally?
I simply just want to improve myself both professionally and personally, with my personality, morals, and behavior. I don’t think I will find an end to that, because I’m constantly trying to think of what’s good and what’s bad. I would really like to improve my skills with a lot of things too, such as things related to writing.
• What are your fears? What makes you uncomfortable? What do you hate? Why?
I don’t want to talk about what I fear or what makes me uncomfortable. I hate being dragged into things without being told about them because I would be fine with it if I was told beforehand. I don’t know why though.
• What do the "highs" in your life look like?
I think my highs are more grounded in reality. I notice whenever I’m at my best I feel more connected to reality for some reason, and I am very reasonable.
• What do the "lows" in your life look like?
Generally I think I would be more easily distracted but otherwise I don’t think it is noticeable by others when I’m in my low because I keep most of it in my head.
• How attached are you to reality? Do you daydream often, or do you pay attention to what's around you? If you do daydream, are you aware of your surroundings while you do so?
I think I do daydream often, but I am not sure. I think I can easily attach to reality if I focus on it, however otherwise I think I focus on imagining things. I am definitely not aware of my surroundings if I daydream, how can I be?
• Imagine you are alone in a blank, empty room. There is nothing for you to do and no one to talk to. What do you think about?
“Why am I in a blank, empty room?” I would definitely think that, but ignoring that, I would just think about the same things I do before, like thinking a lot about stuff I’ve read or I am very into.
• How long do you take to make an important decision? And do you change your mind once you've made it?
I’m indecisive so usually when I make an important decision I think about it a lot so it might take a long time. I do doubt my decision but not enough to change my mind. I will worry about it but I will not change my mind just then. Sometimes I get tired of thinking about it and decide to just choose whatever option I feel is best, and I will definitely regret that because I end up realizing in the long term how terrible it is.
• How long do you take to process your emotions? How important are emotions in your life?
I understand how I feel about things but sometimes it takes a while. I am not sure of a specific circumstance, but sometimes I don’t understand why I am feeling this emotion and take a few minutes to think about it before I understand it. But emotions are definitely important to me as my own emotions help me make decisions.
• Do you ever catch yourself agreeing with others just to appease them and keep the conversation going? How often? Why?
I do this most of the time because I don’t want to argue and find it tiring, also I don’t like seeming rude. If it’s an idea that has nothing personal related to it I can most definitely disagree though, for example something that has to do with facts and logic, but if it’s connected to them and their values I definitely would just agree because it feels rude for me not to.
• Do you break rules often? Do you think authority should be challenged, or that they know better? If you do break rules, why?
I don’t break rules at all. I try to check too much that I’m not breaking rules if I’m not used to where I am because it scares me to accidentally do so. I don’t want to get in trouble for not doing so. However I don’t think authority should be automatically challenged or they automatically know better, I think it depends on who the authority is. Mostly I think that the actions and rules they make should be considered first and why they added that rule. Therefore I don’t think you can just simply challenge all of them or think all of them know better.

i apologize in advance for somewhat of a long rant, but i am genuinely posting for advice on how to deal with this! please be aware that there are mentions of violence/abuse and misogyny and please don’t engage if it will be detrimental to your mental health
hi! i'm 19f, in college, and i'm home with my parents for summer break. i'm writing to seek advice on how to manage a relationship with my (fully black btw) father who, for all intents and purposes, simply hates women. (women as a whole but it seems he has a special kind of hate reserved for black women). he is a self-proclaimed "male chauvinist," (watches creators such as kevin samuels, pearl davis, etc etc) and i feel his ideology has gone a bit far. he is anti single mothers, believes women to be irresponsible, and once said to me and my black mother, and i quote: "black women are the cause of the downfall of the black community."
he also responded to a news story about a man murdering his children and wife by saying that "women should not provoke men." his response to the news about keke palmer and her abuse was that "abuse is wrong, but she shouldn't have danced with usher." his response to a gym friend of his murdering his wife was that "yeah, but you never know what people are going through."
given the way he thinks and his past history of alcoholism and physical/emotional abuse towards me (he threatened to rip my throat out when i was 14, and when i responded by saying that he would be in jail, he said "and you'd be dead" with a weird tone of satisfaction; etc etc), i do not feel he's created a safe environment for me to have more than a surface-level relationship with him. however, he seems to want a deep relationship with me so badly to the point where he will engage in attention-seeking behavior, especially when he sees me interacting with my mom, who i am much closer and feel safer with.
for example, once when i was doing my mom's makeup, he came in and commented about how he wished he could have those types of bonding moments with me. i didn't say anything because i didn't know what to say, and he then commented that we are going to miss him when he's dead. he makes these comments often, frequently saying that my mom and i (but mostly directed towards me) will regret treating him badly when he is dead. a few days ago, he made a comment like this and i didn't say anything because i think that's an immature thing to say in the first place, and i guess he got hurt and followed that up by saying he wishes he had a son.
i know that he says these things because he feels lonely and left out, and he feels like i don't like him. and i hate saying this, but i don't think i do like him. i love him as my father, and i respect and appreciate that he has physically been there for me my whole life. he got me dressed for school as a kid, taught me basketball, and has always been actively in my life. but i honestly don't think i like him, even though i respect and appreciate him as a father.
i can't tell him this obviously, but i don't know what to do when he asks me why i don't talk to him and share with him the same way i do with my mom. does anyone know how i can logistically navigate this? should i try and tell him how i feel again? (i have tried in the past and he seems to be stuck in his misogynist ways and simply isn't sorry for harming me in the past). is there any point in trying to bring some sort of reality to his red-pill talking points?
thank you if you've read this far and pls be nice <3
edit: i’m afraid i can’t completely cut him off, as my mom is so blindly loyal to him & will justify his behavior no matter what that if i cut him off, i will be cutting her off as well. and i love my mom so much.

I remember the first time I played War of the Monsters on the PS2 was when my dad brought home a copy of the game and played with me and my siblings. I grew up watching monster movies and instantly loved this game. It has been 20 years since I have first played this, I decided to write this guide in advanced tricks and techniques that I have developed from my experiences playing this game. I hope you enjoy this read and that It increases your appreciation of this hidden gem.
There are many guides online that cover combos, tactics, item placements, boss guides, level guides, cheats, etc. This is not one of those. This will cover more niche and advanced techniques that you can use to enhance your capability in your gameplay.
This guide will be written with the assumption that the control scheme is set at control 'B' which you can set in the pause screen during a game. (I think most people have it set at 'A') It shouldn't effect how these techniques function but something to keep in mind.
This is a work in progress and I will edit this thread as I come across new info and insights into the game.
Glossary: Movement Special Attacks Rage Utility Map Awareness Advanced Combat
\\\\MOVEMENT////////
The monsters in the game have varying movement speeds (running, climbing), jump heights, and flying speeds. However even with the slowest monster you can work around the lack of speed with enough practice utilizing the following methods and the environment to your advantage. Little is more scary than a slow monster like Agamo zooming around your foes mwahaha!

The Dashing Mechanic<<<

As listed in the instruction manual, this allows your monster to sprint at the cost of energy by double-tapping and holding the foward button until expended or pressing the ram button.

Launching<<< You can use the ram button to launch yourself off buildings, ramps, and rock formations to get extra height quickly (a mechanic that the mini game 'Big Shot' is soley based around).

This is particularly useful in maps like baytown where theres a lot of verticality in the environment.

Super Fast Flying<<< This ram mechanic is especially useful for flying monsters like Preytor and Raptros. Executing the dash-ram in conjunction with holding 'x' right after ramming while on the edge of a building or flat surface will result in a blisteringly fast flight speed that gives you better movement and height. Preytor is super fast with this method while Raptros has better airtime and control, though the speed difference is minor. Raptros is my prefrence due to the better airtime, control, and Projectile damage.
Firing projectiles while flying<<< Raptros and Preytor both have the ability to capitalize on their aerial advantage by firing projectiles mid glide. You can accomplish this by performing the glide holding X and while holding glide tap the □ button to fire. This takes energy though so maintaining altitude is key. the most effecient way to do this is to execute the dash>ram>fly combo to get extra speed, glide up over your opponent and lock-on to them to spin like a vulture firing down on your target.
Lock-On Steering<<< You may notice that while dashing, your ability to steer your monster is stiff. This technique will allow you to navigate around all those tight corners on a dime while dashing! This is more tricky to execute because it is depenent on where your opponents are located around you. This is indicated on the HUD as these numbered circles that show the health status of your opponents.

While sprinting using the dash, hold the lock-on button to force your monster to take a tight turn in the direction of the closest target. This is great for adjusting after missing your target.
For simply turning tight corners, simply tap the lock-on button instead while the opponents icons are on the side you want to turn.
There is a brief charge up before a dash, if you time your lock on just before the dash activates, you can pull up to a sharp 180 degree turn on your opponent if you missed the first dash-ram.
There is some wiggle room in the timing to play around with and practice your navigation using this technique.

Building Hopping<<< Every monster has different climbing speeds, some are fast like Kineniclops and Preytor, some are slow such as Agamo and Togera.

Building Hopping is the simple action of jumping while climbing a building. Repeating this cycle of (jump+grab+jump+grab+jump) will do two things:

1. It will add more speed to slower monsters climbing
2. It will reduce your contact to the building by about 80% and greatly reduce the chance of getting knocked down when an opponent is throwing projectiles.

\\\\SPECIAL ATTACKS////////
Every monster has two special attacks at their disposal under two categories; Close range and Long range. This chapter will cover the expansive utility of both types.

Short Range Special<<< Despite the differences in the vibrant animations, all monsters share the short range special attack in common. The only difference between them as far as I can ascertain Is the the time it takes to start up the blast (Ultra V being almost instant and zorgulon Taking 1.5 seconds). The purposes most common is to give yourself space when surrounded or cornered, and to have a quick and strong offense to your opponent knocking them down. However there is more utility in this attack when you think of this as a defensive move.
Invincibility Frames<<< The short range special attack gives you about 2-3 seconds of invincibility frames meaning almost nothing can damage you aside from falling buildings. This is excellent as a defense against thrown objects, explosives, lightning, short and long range special attacks, and environmental hazards.
Long Range Special<<< Every monster has a unique long range special attack that has different effects and ranges. There is more nuance in how you can utilize these attacks, so I will cover each monsters long range special individually so you can make the most out of these attacks:

1. Raptros' Fire Breath Raptros has a unique advantage in regards to how he uses this attack. He can activate it on the ground AND while mid-flight. Additionally, he can fire his projectiles while using his fire breath to squeeze in extra damage (There is a weird glitch where doing this turns the flame invisible, but the effect is still active). This also hinders opponents and catches them on fire.
   
2. Togera's Atomic Breath Similar to 'Raptros's Fire Breath' Togera's Breath has similar range and hinders opponents. The difference is that it deals more damage. You can also fire his projectiles while using his breath for pretty nasty damage.
   
3. Preytor's Flying Leeches Leechs not very damaging by itself, it is a decent threat if you can manage to chain up multiple specials around the map. (Ex. In Metro City there are multiple red orbs, 50% energy, around the buildings and streets where you can chain at least 3 leeches). There are two minor benefits from the leeches: A. It gives the opponent something else to target or focus on A.I. or human B. Can't be blocked unless intercepted by thrown object or shot projectile, or using a special attack, thus resulting in multiplying damage stacks if chained. You can also spread the leeches out by locking on different targets while sending them.
   

*This Special attack is really best used in situations where the opponent won't have time to stop all of the leaches (preferabally up close) followed up with your own projectiles or thrown objects or follow up advances.

1. Congar's Sonic Roar Similar range to Raptros and Togera's Breaths, and Considerable damage and launches opponents far. It can reach through some buildings for full effect. You can also tilt congars head around to spread the roar around to get a wider spread. Opponent can block this attack or counter with a short range special.
   
2. Robo-47's Atomic Missile The most immediately damaging special in the game by far. It also launches opponents far like congars roar. It is very versatile at close range and long range. You can choose to fire quickly or wait to lock on the target for a more likely hit. You can tilt his head down to shoot the ground for a damaging 'short range' blast. You can also cancel the missile by pressing the block button for later use. It cannot be blocked unless opponent uses short range special or dodges.
   
3. Agamo's Head This special is unique in it can be used to farm for more energy considerably fast while weilding it, which in turn stocks you with an additional special when you are ready for the next head or short range attack. Creating an efficient cycle of banking more special attacks. It is damaging and knocks opponents down upon a confirmed hit. It also can be used as a bomb by pressing the long range special button a second time. This isnt great for throwing at enemies from a distance as an explosive, launching opponents. The head when thrown is also super bouncy and ricochets damaging buildings and knocking down opponents all the while gaining you energy.
   
4. Magmo's Eruption This special launches a barrage of fireballs at an opponent and juggles them into the air with good damage followed up with some decent fall damage. This can be paired with a second erruption when chaining with a second special pickup on the map. You can tilt magmo's head up first before locking on an opponent to send the fireballs over obstacles and tyen lock on to your opponent have a better chance to reach them.
   
5. Kineticlops's Lightning storm This is great for crowd control and anti-air with good range. The storm electricutes all nearby monsters in range and launches them upward. This is nice for discouraging flying enemies. You can also flick the lighting up and down for flavor just to show off but it won't do much damage.
   

*Its also nice using this special following a one-two combo of shocking an opponent with a power generator and throwing for a double shock.

1. Zorgulon's UFO Swarm Arguably the weakest of the long range specials, but it is still is fun to use and can be used in creative ways. If you lock-on a target while executing this special (provided they are not behind cover) you will fire this device that hover above the target that calls in ufos to harrass the opponent. The damage is varied based on how many shots are managed by the ufos and when the device is destroyed. There is a charge on the device that when run out releases the ufos and ends the special. This can be shortened if you damage them in any way. Another use is to place them in an area of interest, such as locations with resources like health, energy, or powerups. It is more defensive and punishes opponents for going where you don't want them to go. You can also grab these ufos for a weapon to attack with, gaining more energy or even fire their lasers at the opponent. while not practical is fun.
   
2. Ultra V's Grapple Cable This special does minor damage but can grab and pull an opponent across the map to you and stuns the enemy for a few seconds. This can be really nasty since it allows you options to set up a combo, launch them with a 360 kick, pull them into environmental hazards (bottomless pits, radioactive waste, powerlines, steam, tsunamis, falling buildings). It can be use up close for an easy stun or to take opponents away from reaching resources such as Health, Energy, or powerups. At long ranges it is best used at highground where line of sight is less blocked by obstacles. You can also send the grapple while holding any object for extra damage. The fan favorite method is to use explosives (gasoline truck, airplanes, fuel tanks) for an explosive combo! even if you miss with the grapple the impact of the explosive will hit the opponent if close enough. You can also use the grapple to damage buildings to knock opponents off the walls.
   

\\\\Rage Utility//////// Rage is an interesting mechanic that I think some people overlook as not that useful. It Is available once you collect enough energy that you energy bar flashes, and makes it so your following actions are more effiecient than standard usage. Instead of your energy being used up quickly it is unlimited until the rage runs out. I have not tested if Rage increases your damage output. I have focused this as more a tool for various tactics I came up with.

sprinting with rage<<< using the dash usually expends energy really fast. however with Rage, you can extend the time you can continue you sprint significantly. you can Also dash-ram infinitely until expended, which is scary when used in conjunction with the lock-on steering technique.
Firing projectiles with rage<<< Every monster has projectiles that have unique behaviors, have varying damage and cost. Every monster in general benefits from using rage to shoot more projectiles, the difference is in how you position yourself to shoot them effectively.

Flying monsters can use this to fire even more projectiles while in mid-flight without worrying about losing stamina, the unlimited energy also gives room to reposition the monster if more altitude is needed the damage is also decent from both of them.
Robots like Robo-47 and Ultra V have similar projectiles that pepper small damage but are very rapid. The faster you mash the □ button, the faster the firing rate. when using rage you can catch opponents with little cover and barrage them with a volley of lasers/bullets.
Kineniclops's projectile is unique that it is the slowest but has the most heat seeking property. You can shoot a lot with little cost and it deals decent damage especially if you can land multiple hits with them. with rage you can create an army of these lightning balls at some highground or running and jumping approaching them from different angles makes it hard for them to avoid the stacks in damage.
\\\\Map Awareness//////// This section will cover Map awareness and how to take advantage of the abundant resources in your game. knowing the layout of the map as well as intimately knowing the placement and respawn time of your resources will aid you so much in how you decide to approach the following setups we are about to cover here.

Resources<<< Resources are defined as anything on the map you can pick up that aids you (Health, Energy, Powerups, Items). The location of Health, Energy, and powerups on each map is static, though consistent and respawn after a period of time. Items However can both be static (pieces of a building, rocks, water towers) and dynamic (moving items like cars, helicopters, trains).
chaining resources<<< This is a series of actions that utilizes multiple resources for a desired outcome. (ex. gaining health/energy/damage).

For example, chaining a power transformer lightning bolt+throwing the transformer+radio tower spear impale+gasoline truck = a chain resulting in big damage to your opponent there are many combinations you can chain together with items its devistating when you know exactly when and where an item will be so you can in rapid succession throw items to juggle them from a distance.

chaining specials<<< For example, it is possible to set oneself up to use at least three specials in succesion easily in a map such as atomic island where the reactor in the center can recharge your special rapidly. Think of the possibilities with this alone, thats 3 to 4 flying leechs from preytor at once, 3-4 nuke missiles from robo- 47 and so on. Other maps have instances where if you have a special in stock you can position yourself next to another red orb or 50-100% energy and use a special of your choice and follow it up with an additional special that you subsequentally grab.

\\\\Advanced Combat//////// There are guides out there that cover the specific combos you can pull in sequence and I have a few quick tips to increase your combos, and increase your lethality.

Combo canceling<<< Each monster has varying speeds in execution and amount of hits they cam perform before they end with a launching strike. What I suggest when pursuing higher combos is to simply tap the block button before the launch. Speed is key here so results may vary. such as congar who is more combo focused with fast punches. You can unleash a lot of hits and tap the block button, the follow up with more hits. there is a chance that the opponent will have time to block so it takes practice.

I compared 10 AI Chatbots, the chatbots i compared and the questions I asked are all at the bottom of this post.
It is very important to note this research was done on a very small dataset of 22 questions.
The best AI Chatbot answer for each question was decided by me simply putting myself in the choose of the person asking that question and deciding which output is the most helpful.
Here are my main takeaways.

1. No one should still be using GPT 3.5 or Gemini 1.0, They may get the job done, but 98% of the time one of these AI Chatbots (Gemini 1.5 Pro, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT4o, and Perplexity) will give you a better response.
2. The best way to always get the best response is by always comparing multiple AI Chatbots and choosing the best answer. This is because

• If you are only using ChatGPT-3.5, llama3, claude sonnet, or mistral 100% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using Gemini 1.0 96% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using perplexity 86% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using ChatGPT-4o 73% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using Gemini 1.5 Pro 73% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using Bing Copilot 73% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.

I personally used chatplayground.ai to compare all of them.
I stopped using chatgpt 3.5 a long time ago because this gives you all the Premium AI Chatbots for the same price as GPT-4.
___Notes on each Chatbot____
-- Perplexity is good at giving you a completely answer, most AI Chatbots will give you bullet point answers, perplexity perfers to write out a complete answer rather than just giving bullet points
-- Bing Copilot is great because it cites its resources, will even recommend videos to help you
-- ChatGPT-4o has really descriptive and usually longer answers, but prefers to answer in bullet points
-- Gemini 1.5 pro is great because it feels like it understands the context of your question more by having a conversational tone
-- Bing copilot can be great but 20-30% of the time the answers it gives are not even usable
-- Because Bing copilot is using sources to give you answers the answers feel much more human like and at times more useful then other AI Chatbots that just list a bunch of basic bullet points
-- Their should be no reason anyone is still using ChatGPT 3.5 today
-- Gemini 1.0 gives good answers but not as detailed and helpful as Gemini 1.5 Pro
-- ChatGPT-4o was able to generate really nice data tables, that Gemini 1.5 Pro wasn't able to.
___ChatBots____
ChatGPT-3.5
ChatGPT-4o
Gemini 1.0
Gemini 1.5 Pro
Bing Copilot
Claude Sonnet
Llama 3
Mixtral 8x7b
Mistral Large
Perplexity
___Questions___
What is the best way to clean my retainer?
What is the fastest way to get an allocation for a porsche GT3RS?
I want to book a flight to Yemen but can't find tickets online, what should I do now?
Why is the financial capital of the world New York?
What is the meaning of the Mona Lisa's smile?
Write me 1 paragraph apologizing to my teacher for making jokes in the middle of class?
How do I shorten my jail sentence from 3 years to 1 year?
How do you rank on Google Search with AI written blogs?
I want to play basketball like Kyrie Irving, what basketball drills should I be doing?
I want to learn how to swim but I don't have anyone to teach me.
What is the most effective way to remove stains from white clothes?
Can I submit AI-generated art to prestigious art competitions?
I want to learn a new language but don't have time for classes, how should I self-study?
Why is Paris known as the city of love?
What is the best strategy for investing in the stock market for beginners?
How can I boost my metabolism to lose weight faster?
I need a rare first edition comic book ASAP. Where should I look beyond eBay and Amazon?
I want to visit North Korea. What's the easiest way to get a tourist visa?
Write me 2 sentences replying to this message "How could you leave me, without even saying bye"?
How should I setup the cap table when starting a startup?
What is the secret to winning a collegiate hackathon?
Why is Islam the fastest growing religion?

The chatbots i compared and the questions I asked are all at the bottom of this post.
It is very important to note this research was done on a very small dataset of 22 questions.
The best AI Chatbot answer for each question was decided by me simply putting myself in the choose of the person asking that question and deciding which output is the most helpful.
Here are my main takeaways.

1. No one should still be using GPT 3.5 or Gemini 1.0, They may get the job done, but 98% of the time one of these AI Chatbots (Gemini 1.5 Pro, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT4o, and Perplexity) will give you a better response.
2. The best way to always get the best response is by always comparing multiple AI Chatbots and choosing the best answer. This is because

• If you are only using ChatGPT-3.5, llama3, claude sonnet, or mistral 100% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using Gemini 1.0 96% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using perplexity 86% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using ChatGPT-4o 73% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using Gemini 1.5 Pro 73% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.
• If you are only using Bing Copilot 73% of the time there is another AI Chatbot with a better answer.

I personally used chatplayground.ai to compare all of them.
I stopped using chatgpt 3.5 a long time ago because this gives you all the Premium AI Chatbots for the same price as GPT-4.
___Notes on each Chatbot____
-- Perplexity is good at giving you a completely answer, most AI Chatbots will give you bullet point answers, perplexity perfers to write out a complete answer rather than just giving bullet points
-- Bing Copilot is great because it cites its resources, will even recommend videos to help you
-- ChatGPT-4o has really descriptive and usually longer answers, but prefers to answer in bullet points
-- Gemini 1.5 pro is great because it feels like it understands the context of your question more by having a conversational tone
-- Bing copilot can be great but 20-30% of the time the answers it gives are not even usable
-- Because Bing copilot is using sources to give you answers the answers feel much more human like and at times more useful then other AI Chatbots that just list a bunch of basic bullet points
-- Their should be no reason anyone is still using ChatGPT 3.5 today
-- Gemini 1.0 gives good answers but not as detailed and helpful as Gemini 1.5 Pro
-- ChatGPT-4o was able to generate really nice data tables, that Gemini 1.5 Pro wasn't able to.
___ChatBots____
ChatGPT-3.5
ChatGPT-4o
Gemini 1.0
Gemini 1.5 Pro
Bing Copilot
Claude Sonnet
Llama 3
Mixtral 8x7b
Mistral Large
Perplexity
___Questions___
What is the best way to clean my retainer?
What is the fastest way to get an allocation for a porsche GT3RS?
I want to book a flight to Yemen but can't find tickets online, what should I do now?
Why is the financial capital of the world New York?
What is the meaning of the Mona Lisa's smile?
Write me 1 paragraph apologizing to my teacher for making jokes in the middle of class?
How do I shorten my jail sentence from 3 years to 1 year?
How do you rank on Google Search with AI written blogs?
I want to play basketball like Kyrie Irving, what basketball drills should I be doing?
I want to learn how to swim but I don't have anyone to teach me.
What is the most effective way to remove stains from white clothes?
Can I submit AI-generated art to prestigious art competitions?
I want to learn a new language but don't have time for classes, how should I self-study?
Why is Paris known as the city of love?
What is the best strategy for investing in the stock market for beginners?
How can I boost my metabolism to lose weight faster?
I need a rare first edition comic book ASAP. Where should I look beyond eBay and Amazon?
I want to visit North Korea. What's the easiest way to get a tourist visa?
Write me 2 sentences replying to this message "How could you leave me, without even saying bye"?
How should I setup the cap table when starting a startup?
What is the secret to winning a collegiate hackathon?
Why is Islam the fastest growing religion?

About an hour ago, I wrote that post in another forum, but I noticed there is a more specialized one for my situation when I was reading other posts. That's why it's the same like in another forum, but it also has some additional details and questions for those who had similar experiences and can recommend some possible solutions for me (well, actually, when I was writing some "additional details" post became about 1.5 times bigger). Thanks.
THE POST:
Well, hello.
^{I just want to write some stuff because I have no one to tell and make myself a bit calm. I know that sounds a bit selfish, so I'm really sorry for that. Delete my post, please, if it's in the wrong forum.}
As you can already know from the title, I'm a twenty-year-old guy who's just a bit confused.
My parents have been married for over 25 years and have been together for over 30 years. They started their lives again from nothing because they gave all their stuff to their exes and kids and then earned enough money through hard work to be able to spend the rest of their lives without working, just doing their hobbies. They were happily living in their own house together that they wanted and had dreams and plans for the next decades to happily live together here.
However, they almost broke up once when I was a kid, but their friends helped them renew their relationship. I still remember that day and hoped that would never happen again, but here it is.
And, it happened again yesterday. It began from a small thing that shouldn't have been a trigger. I initially thought it was a joke because I thought that couldn't happen due to such a small thing like choosing where to buy something.
I tried to talk with both of them in hopes of helping them restore their relationship because I also saw that my mom really wanted to restore it, and somehow I understood what was going on. I understood it as their inability to objectively talk about their relationship and problems that happened over the last years led to this. They just don't want to seriously apologize to each other due to their pride.
At first, I laughed a bit and felt positive, thinking this situation could be easily solved, but today I understand that it is almost impossible to save their relationship. They don't really want to hear me right now, especially my dad, and there are, sadly, no more friends nearby who could try to help them like before. I'm actually in a panic right now, but I don't want to show it, hoping that this situation can still be solved. Most of their close friends once said that they are the ones who will never break up due to the things that they went through.
Dad tried to calm me down somehow by saying that I have an apartment and some money in a bank assigned to me, so I'll be completely fine and will have a roof over my head and will be able to finish college, but for me, it's not about money. It's about their relationship, and I worry about them.
I know that if they actually break up, they will no longer live together and there is a low chance that they will be able to find someone else they love due to their age and personality. They still suit each other so well but just don't want to talk normally about that pity problem due to their characters.
I'm still really depressed due to the war that is going on in my country and now also have this. Unfortunately, I don't really have friends because all who I know are not really close to me. I really like my parents and was always talking with them a lot. Right now, I'm a college student who is really confused. I just feel that too much shit has dropped on me in the last two years. I just started to feel somewhat good a few months ago when I finally understood what I'm actually interested in (yeah, I understood that by already being a college student) and now have this too...
^{Thank you, Reddit, for giving me a chance to write this whiny post. I know that it will likely get zero attention, but the main point for me was to express my feelings somewhere, knowing that it will be more or less anonymous.}
Well, here are some additional details and questions...
As you could probably understand from that text, my parents are the whole world to me. We had a great relationship. I don't really have friends or someone else to talk to about this.
This situation is a shock for me because only now do I understand that I probably won't be able to stop it; I might even make it worse by trying to do something.
My mom doesn't want to divorce and would love to stay with my dad, but he radically wants to move and sell the house that they built and dreamed of for a long time. Just two days ago, the day before that all happenned, they were both happily talking about how satisfied they were to have it. I just see that she is broken right now because her dreams are crushed.
Yes, as I said, I think it's the fault of both of them, but Dad is just unemotional. When she was panicking and crying about what is going on with him and why his views suddenly changed, he just said nothing and, without any emotions, went to his room without saying anything. I tried to talk with him, but he didn't really want to talk seriously and mostly said that I have enough money and an apartment to care for myself for some time. I just can't understand what is going on with him; he has suddenly become another person that I don't know.
Meanwhile, my mother has somehow admitted that this situation is both their faults, but Dad just says that it's only her fault and he doesn't see any fault on his part. Maybe computer game addiction changed him, or what? For the last few years, he has been playing computer games a lot (actually almost 24/7) and was staying in bed with his laptop almost always, only getting out of bed to eat or poop. Dad was really active person before, unbelievably active. But know he's not even washing or brushing his teeth much and proudly saying that he became the best player in one MMO game.
I just still don't understand what is going on. Do I have to stay with mom? Right now, I'm planning to. I just see her crushed, and I'm scared about that. She was always so strong with so much energy, but right now she looks so defeated, she never was like that, like everything she had is completely destroyed, while my father is just emotionless and doesn't really want to talk. When I'm trying to talk with him he's just looking to the the screen of the laptop and keep playing his game and not really listening me. He just says there is no sense to talk with me...
I really want my dad back so much, that was a really positive, sociable and active person...

He reached out, I called , we talked and it went nowhere. I sent a message saying he is choosing drugs over everything and running away and until that changes we shouldn’t speak. Then he writes back a three page text about how that’s why he left, to protect me because I deserve better , that he is so unwell etc etc I write back again that he is worth it but only if he chooses to get clean and learn to ask for help and otherwise to please let me grieve . 1am I get another message , telling me he is on ketamine and won’t hurt another person and that there’s always a chance of relapse even when he tries and tells me he has sent me a song to explain better .
Like what the hell, I send a letter, you respond, I call and you said to leave you alone , I accept it finally and you message, I again reaffirm that it’s your choices and to leave me alone then and you message again ? I feel like it’s a cry for help but he can’t face it, I feel like he keeps trying to “explain” but pepper in how he is dying without me and I’m the love of his life but the back to feeling sorry for himself

I wish you had learned how to take accountability for your actions, especially those actions that made people act out the pain you were giving them. I spent two years of my life on you, and I can say that I’m grateful for the way you’ve shown me my own lack of self-respect. I’ve always wished you the best since the breakup, and I’ll continue to do so, but I deserved an apology—the apology that I so gracefully gave you for the ways I handled communication poorly. I deserve an apology for all the nights you yelled, insulted, shamed, compared, and lied to me. I deserve your full accountability in admitting that you hurt me.
I write this knowing you’ve moved on from me by now, as I meant little to you even when we were together. But sometimes I look at you and feel sorry for the man who will ultimately ruin a good relationship over his own lack of self-awareness. I wish you the best as I let go of the last hopes of an apology or any sense of accountability from you.