Left side pain when going to the bathroom

Hello I decided to update on my previous post where I was asking advice on what to do for our baby since the father denies paternity.
I got served a restraining order from him to stay away and not contact him. Of course the last communication we've had regarding our baby was me telling him I didn't want him involved if he was going to choose himself instead. I communicated in person my decision to carry forward with pregnancy and he denied paternity. In the beginning, I have messages and communicated on wanting a family and building a life together but suddenly was pressuring me into an abortion out of the blue. Afterwards I waited till the police came to take our statements and I left afterwards.
Today i was served papers after work and immediately had a mental breakdown. He wrote in the statement that I forced fatherhood and did not respect his wishes on me having an abortion for him. He said I caused criminal mischief in his job and continued to harass him for responsibility for the kid. I was devastated and heartbroken that he wrote he explicitly told me that he didn't want to me in my or the baby's life at all, when previously he was so over the top and lookin forward to the baby. I'm at a loss and unsure what to do.
I wanted to put child support but he's talking about not wanting the baby at all anymore. He spoke to a few people about how I'm unstable and mentally ill. The cop that took my statement was shocked that I wasn't the one who called instead of him. So what is the best course of action for myself and my baby now? Do I file child support? Do I accept the terms?

I have a German shepherd mix and she’s 11 years old. About 4 days ago we noticed she was bleeding from her vagina (spotting) and she was getting sick and threw up overnight when we were asleep. I called the vet, took in a sample of her pee and they put her on an anti inflammatory and amoxicillin. She’s was doing okay and only got sick one more time after 2 days of taking the pills. She’s also been on incurin for 3 years. She finished the pill for inflammation but still has a day of amoxicillin left to take.
She’s been walking weird since taking the new medication, stumbles and her butt goes to the side. She sways a little when she’s sitting and can’t seem to hold herself up her feet start to slide. She just walked up to me and crossed her front legs and slowly started to lean like she’s drunk almost?
She does okay for hours and then all of a sudden she’s just walking like she’s intoxicated. Is this normal behavior? She’s been sleepy and just resting most of the time but I’m so scared I didn’t catch the weird walking and balance issues fast enough.

Seriously. I’m over it. Im always sweating all of the time and I HATE feeling like I’m sweating. I hate feeling sweat from my underarms, my upper lip, my neck, my under boob, my arms, my ass. I’m over it. I’m sweating profusely at night .. always right around 3am I wake up drenched in sweat. And my god the night sweats when I was in the hospital for neutropenic fever.. that shitty plastic mattress and those plastic pillows DID NOT HELP. The nurse would come for vitals at 12am and I’d literally have a pool of water around me, I was so embarrassed.
All night long I’m sweating while I’m sleeping, so I’m very tired and cranky during the day. During the day, the hot flashes make my neck uncomfortable and my bald head clammy. I had a hot flash today while making breakfast for my family and I literally felt sweat between my thighs. I walk into a different room - boom, hot flash and sweat. I sit on the couch - boom, hot flash and sweat. I go to the bathroom - hot flash and sweat. We also live in San Antonio where it’s starting to get close to 100° days already, I was outside with my daughters today while they played in the morning (before it got too hot) and I had to tap out because I was SWEATING and having hot flashes.
That’s it. That’s all I wanted to say.

Hello!
I have been desperately trying to find some guidance regarding OE to see if this is even an option for me. I am currently in a FT WFH hourly job that I have managed to effectively make a 5-8 hour max weekly routine. I spend most of my week basically doing nothing and my boss has nothing but great things to say about my work. After stumbling into this subreddit I am wondering if this is the best route for me but I’m an hourly worker I don’t know if it’s at all possible to work two hourly jobs (is this even legal?) or if I should aim for a salary job instead? I just hate wasting so much of my time doing nothing when I have the bandwidth to do more and earn more.
I have been experimenting with clocking in, doing nothing but leaving my laptop on, and then clocking out later in the day (basically do nothing but reply to 2 emails) to see if I get any feedback but I haven’t since I technically complete all my work and I’m never late on anything. I have a max of 5 meetings that I attend monthly (3 in the summer since my bosses like ti cancel the summer meetings). For the past month I have managed to read, watch TV, go to the gym (or a walk), bake and cook all while on the clock. The only reason I rather not let this job go is because I have made it such an easy routine for me and I have managed to get all my managers(2) to not only like me but look to me to guide some of the new employees.
Maybe I can get the J2 and do all my work in the 9-5 time but clock in different hours? I am able to clock in on my phone or manually change my hours on my laptop. I am currently in the administrative side of healthcare. If I’m being honestly, I’m a glorified secretary for a hospital specialty with a bachelors in healthcare administration lol.
Clearly I can’t speak to anyone about this but my goal is to dig myself out of some deep debt so I’m hoping to make this work. Any two cents will help me. I am currently bouncing my thoughts off the wall and hoping to see the ‘right path’. Thank you in advance for your time and advice! :)

My boyfriend D.C. copied my condo’s keys without my knowledge.
Last September when I went back to another country to see my grandma (for last time, she passed away because of cancer two months later), DC told me he’s returning to Oakland for work (he rent a space in a living room there) but in reality he had my keys and stayed in my place. He does not have a place in Vancouver. When he comes to Vancouver, it’s to visit me only so he stays with me. But I never gave him my keys!
I only just found out about this. He lied on Reddit saying that he is a married man. He also did not mention it’s not his home. He asked strangers, including couples (he wants to be third), to come to my apartment to play with him. He posted so much on Reddit’s related community to a point that he got two Reddit accounts banned.
As a single lady who’s constantly feeling insecure, after dating DC for almost four years and been engaged for a while, I saw him as my family and best friend I can count on. I always appreciated him crossing the border a few times a month to come to Canada to see me.
He has never told me anything about his sexy kinks. He clearly knows I would not be part of any of those given my personality so he did not even mention it whatsoever. When I asked him if he has a special sex kink needs to be fulfilled, he denied, sayings it’s just a dark side of him.
I’ve been going to therapy with this and also dealing with trauma of losing my grandma who raised me. You might judge me but I’m still struggling to move on from this pathological liar.
Financially I’m doing much better than him so there was some pressure on him about starting a family. Therefore he also guilt-trip me for what he did.
Let me know your thoughts or advice. #cheaters #liar #fallapart
TLDR Boyfriend copied my keys without my consent and used my home for threesome, hook-ups and whatever while I’m struggling with my sick family

Recently, I’ve been having weird breaks in reality that are getting closer and closer in occurrence, they always happen right before I fall asleep or right after I wake up. Either way, always in that twilight zone where I’m awake but not quite conscious. I’ve been able to differentiate these from dreams because it always takes me an upward of 10 minutes to fall asleep.

1. I woke up in my DR. My room was exactly like I pictured it, and my boyfriend in that DR was lying on top of me. It didn’t feel like a dream at all, because I felt it all so vividly. I was aware that I wasn’t in my CR anymore, but I was too disoriented to ground myself. My body felt slightly sluggish and by the time I properly sat up, it dissipated into this CR.
   
2. Woke up during a nap and got sleep paralysis. (Keep in mind I NEVER get sleep paralysis except for when I’ve had these weird projections). I woke up and was fine at first, so I roll over to the side and pick up my phone, a few seconds later, I suddenly was back where I was before I started moving. It was very weird, and made me realize that I wasn’t fully conscious. It was as if my spiritual body moved without my physical body being aware of it. I thought, since my mind was relaxed and open, that I’d focus on shifting. So I let my thoughts trail and wander off and that’s when I started seeing different realities all at once. It was around 10-20 different places I experienced simultaneously. It felt very fuzzy yet so real and vidid. I would phase in and out of feeling these different bodies. I was walking in a beautiful forest, then I was on a bed in a dark room, then I was tied up in a medieval inn. In the inn, there were two jesters, one male and one female, beside my bed. The guy was chatting with his partner about how difficult it was to capture me, and then they noticed that I was awake. He gets all up in my face and starts rambling about how he was gonna make me his husband (😭) I’m put off by this so I decide to concentrate on shifting to my DR but he begins grabbing me which makes me panic and I just put all my focus into breaking the paralysis. I sit up in my CR bed but I’m still determined to shift so I lay back down, facing the side opposite of where the jesters were. I kid you not, I was right back in the inn. This time, components of both realities were meshing together. I felt a hand grab and turn me around and the guy was right in my face. His hair, hat, and grin was all that was visible. My surroundings were still my CR room but with outlines of this other reality. I also saw his partner doing acrobatics through the air. Got fed up and ended up just waking up entirely.
   
3. I wake up normally and go to my bathroom. For some reason I wanted to try something new so I laid down on the carpet and began putting my focus into shifting. Not even 10 seconds later, I feel my DR coming to me. It was a feeling I’ve never felt before, I felt the structure and energy in it so clearly. I couldn’t see it, but my body instinctively knew. Unfortunately I got trigger happy and opened my eyes too early, that’s when I saw reality fracture into two. It was like a split screen, with one side being my DR and one being my CR. After a few seconds, these screens collapsed back into my CR.
   
4. I was taking a nap when I felt extremely tired. The moment I laid down, it was barely 5 seconds when I felt myself sinking. I open my eyes to see the room swirling and collapsing. Putting my intent on my DR, I channeled that reality’s energy. Then, I could feel my whole surroundings change and somebody’s arm on my chest. Not much happened, I opened my eyes to still see my CR, and fell asleep.
   
5. I woke up, and my body felt extremely heavy. I suddenly realized that I could control my reality from previous occurrences. Though everything looked fuzzy, it was my CR room down to the exact detail. If I focused on having a body part, I would feel it. If not, I simply didn’t have one. It sort of felt like building up a reality block by block. During this time, I wasn’t fully aware of who I was, so I forgot to try and shift. The first thing that came to mind was a ghost. I called him forth and had him move my body. He turned me and dragged me off my bed and to the floor. It was so insanely vivid, despite me not fully feeling my body. After breaking the paralysis, I went from being on the floor to back on my bed in a split second.
   

Thoughts, and how should I move forward to fully shift?

I have had tension headaches for years, and got off birth control due to the headaches turning into migraines. I have been off BC for over a year, and do not get them as often now. The past 3 days, I have had a HORRIBLE migraine. It hurts so bad when I stand up/move around. The pain is only on the left side, right above my left eyebrow and in my neck. It seems to subside throughout the day, but the mornings are the worst. It gives me panic attacks and nausea, but weirdly enough, no light sensitivity. I am wondering if taking amoxicillin could cause this? I have had sinus issues for a few months and hope this is the cause. Benadryl is the only thing that helps, but it knocks me out so I do not take it until an hour before bed. Any tips or information would help!

19 M, first year of college. I self-diagnosed myself with CFS a year ago and it hasn't gotten better, I came into my university with high hopes and dignity to pass with good marks, despite all my studying effort and good daily routine like exercise and breathing exercises... I barely passed the first semester due to CFS, even after always 8-9 hours of sleep I can barely get out of bed, I can barely focus and remember my studying. It's even tiring to just hold up a conversation. When I looked up the causes it made sense to me that I was suffering from CFS, you see I was bullied in high school, I had a learning disability as a kid so I was a bit slow compared to others, transitioning to high school from elementary really took its toll on me. It gave me severe depression and suicidal thoughts at age 13. I thought I had gotten past that since then and nothing more was gonna come off of it. I had friends, I became more social and started to become religious again and was working towards a bright future. Turns out, built up stress and depression over years without medication and therapy would lead to a life of hell, because I was stupid... I didn't tell my family I was being bullied and going through something, because I was ashamed of myself for showing weakness, I know it's stupid but that's what I thought at the time. Now it's lead to this, even after being able to get by just fine for a few months due to my online freelancing it's gotten severely harder everyday and now I'm fearing that I won't be able to work enough to pay this month's rent. I live in a poor country and city and we don't have therapists around, I tried the betterhelp program and i've met a lot of good doctors who talked to me and gave me advice, in the end nothing helped. Some advised just convincing yourself CFS isn't real and that you are just fine and it's all in your head, but that's the thing, no matter if I remove the idea of CFS from my head I'm still beyond exhausted as if i hadn't gotten sleep in days. I've fallen into depression again, if i can't even hold up an online job anymore then what hope is there left for me? I could go back home to my family but even they are barely getting by with how hard it has been for their work too, i don't want to inconvenience them. I think death's just the better option at this point, at least so it gives me peace instead of a life of hell. Sorry for the long read
TL:DR I have had CFS for a year, no medicine, no therapy works, it's getting worse everyday is there really no cure? does it ever go away?

Just a reminder to please be careful and keep your eyes open when moving around the city this weekend, whether by foot, by bike or by car! Between the warm weather and the upcoming holiday, this weekend is a perfect storm from a traffic safety standpoint: lots of people riding their bikes / scooters / you name it for the first time since last year. Lots of kids riding bikes for the first time ever. Big groups of pedestrians roving around the city without necessarily looking where they’re going. Lots of cars having to share the road for the first time since the winter. Many, many people out and about while drunk, high, wearing headphones or all of the above.
I spent about three hours crisscrossing the city today by bike and on foot and I saw SO MANY close calls between pedestrians, cars and cyclists — many of which went totally unnoticed by one or both participants. A car almost hit me on my bike while they were turning onto Rachel without checking the cross traffic on the bike lane, even though they had a stop sign and I didn’t and even though I had my eye on them and I thought they saw me. A fellow cyclist (electric Bixi, no helmet, earbuds) screamed at me for joining the bike lane in front of them, even though they saw me coming from 30 meters away and we were navigating a four-way stop where I stopped and they didn’t. A pedestrian cursed me out when I said “Attention monsieur!” after they stepped into the protected bike lane right in front of me without looking left OR right. At 10pm.
We can’t control the behavior of other people. All we can do is make decisions that will help keep us and our companions safe. Please, please, keep your eyes open this weekend!
Car drivers: use your turn signals. Check the bike lane AND the sidewalk before turning. Don’t speed up on busy roads just because you can.
Cyclists: signal your turns. Yield to cars even if you have the right of way if it means avoiding a dangerous situation. Don’t ride on the sidewalk, especially if you’re on an electric bike. Wear a helmet, and USE YOUR LIGHTS AT NIGHT.
Pedestrians: Watch where you’re going. Don’t assume everyone is looking out for you just because you have the right of way, or because you’re in a big group. Practice good sidewalk etiquette.
TL;DR: Be safe out there!

I was watching a movie on my phone while I was left my ps5 on for when the movie ended, but my power went out for a split second and my ps5 with it. I went to go turn it back on and it wouldn’t. I used a plugged in controller, the manual power button, and I tried unplugging and plugging it back in and those all didn’t turn it on. If it helps, the tv that’s plugged in to the same outlet does turn on. What do I do?

My wife and I are having this consistent issue on PS5 where when we load up the game in multiplayer, player 1 has control of the 2 OCs in our party and player 2 has control of both of our custom characters. The multiplayer character assignment in the start menu won't allow us to switch the custom characters from player to player. To fix it, I have to send the out-of-place custom player back to camp, then go back to camp and pull them out of the wardrobe. It's a huge pain in the ass and we've learned the hard way that some camps, such as in the githyanki creche, there is no wardrobe so its not even possible. Anyone know why this is happening or how to prevent it?

Well… it wasn’t like seein your grandma in a duck costume screaming “someone gets the wrench there is a raccoon in the tomato patch” weird but… at least somethin like it.
Anywho, I wanted to inform everyone of my first hike! It was today and it was quite nice! Except the bees and the teleporting deer and the feds and the bunker but WE WILL GET TO ALL OF THAT YALL I PROMISE I AINT MR. BANE WHO KEEPS THINGS NICE AND CONCISE I LIKE SPEAKIN!
So it all started when I put on my boots, I opted to get some nice dark green ones and paint and lil smiley face on it :) and when I got my gear that was so kindly left in the diner for me I went outside and began walkin to the mountain. It was quite a nice day too! The sun was shinin and the birds were doin their little do-op I even saw Mr. Tom! He don’t like me much though, he threw a bottle at me.
When I got to the mountain I was a little puzzled at how many different ent paths there were. Some where on the map and some weren’t, I could see some green flags in the distance but I watch late night television ain’t no way I’m goin off the beaten path (unless it’s to save my bff Claire) So I looked at the nice map and chose the red path I couldn’t see exactly where it was leadin but it seemed like it was nice and easy. That’s when I heard a buzz… and there on a small tree was a little honey bee nest!
Now… back in Alabama it was pretty rare to find some nice bees but these ones seemed super friendly! I was even able to get up real close to the nest with no issue at all! (Don’t do this at home kids) but then somethin truly odd happened… there was a smell… like a… metallic smell… mixed with like bleach… it started freakin me out a bit so I left them as is and went up the path. I saw some beautiful views and got to use the compass I was gifted! It got me thinkin about this place… how much I love it… but also how much I don’t remember… that’s when I saw the deer.
Now I tell ya… I used to go hunting with my daddy and I’ve seen some bucks but this one… was MASSIVE. and it had little cute white hoofs!!!! It came up to me and gave me a little stare like it was trying to say hi. Or maybe not. Now this is when it gets weird… I swear on my daddy’s life this buck was right in front of me and then when I blinked… it was over 10 feet away from me! I was honestly surprised… I tried to step again but it ran away as soon as I made a sound :(
So I decided to carry on and I made it to the end of the trail! Yay me! I saw a nice pond with some cute frogsssss. I named one teddy and the other Lisa… if you find them, tell them “ribbit” for me!
Now this is when it gets a little intense (Mr. Bane I may need your help) I remember seeing that wonderfully interesting post about that bunker and goddarnit I found it! But it was really far away from me up a cliff. And I don’t know what made me decide to eat my lunch then and there but I did! I sat and unwrapped my pastrami sandwich ich and chowed down. Now folks up until this point I ain’t seen no other human being, so let me tell you when I jumped out of my skin when I heard a voice in the distance yelling “hey!” Aw man I jumped!
I remember having to squint my eyes to block the sun and look up the cliff. And there at the top was a man in a dark suit and sunglasses then another…. Then another… then ANOTHER. 4 FEDS ALL CROWDED AROUND THIS BUNKER. Now if this don’t smell like my dead cat then I don’t know what does! (Fishy)
Now folks get a load of this… I go “hey” FBI “what are you doing?” Me “eatin” FBI “why?” Me “cuz I am hungry… is there a problem sir”FBI “you can’t have pastrami here” Me “what the hell? Why not?” FBI “interference” Me “with what?” FBI “we suggest only eating cheese sandwiches in the woods… ungrilled they must be cold”
And you will NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT…. THEY THROW 3 CHEESE SANDWICHES HIES AT ME. I got to many questions
Why do they have them? Why are they wrapped? Why are they on multigrain? Why did they give me three?
Wow I really do feel like Mr. Bane.
Anyway after that I lost my appetite and made my way down the mountain and back to my home.
I’m excited to do that again soon though!
Thanks for reading! Kisses SB

I was at a Skyzone with a few of my friends who were staying over, I have a liking for dodgeball and I decided to go to the dodgeball game. Well, practically the whole group of people who were playing were cussing, throwing dodgeballs at the staff member and disrespecting the staff member who was watching the game. The staff member got sick of it and told everyone to line up, these children were so disrespectful that it took 5-10 minutes just to line them up. One of the children even said, “If you separate me from my friends I’ll sue you.” And this kid is in the 11-13. [And for some clarification the staff member prior to lining them up had most likely talked to the person who either brought those kids or was one of the kids parents/guardian. Which conversation I didn’t hear but most likely the guardian didn’t find any wrong.] So, resuming. The staff member yelled and got everyone into their own team. But they started cussing more and disrespecting this staff member. The staff member didn’t know what to do so she decided to call security, security said something similar to, “No cussing on my court!” Etc stuff I didn’t hear. And by then I had left there. But the friends who came along which we’ll call XX had still been paying attention to the drama. So I asked, “Do you know what happened?” And XX said, “Yeah, when the security guy came in he yelled at them but even he was scared, kids were throwing dodgeballs at him.”
Eventually the situation was under control, me and XX already had left but while we were walking around we had still been discussing what we heard. Eventually we felt a bit bad for the staff member, and this may be on us for being a bit nosy. Me and XX went to this staff member and asked if she was OK. Staff member replied with, “I’m going to get fired.” Me and XX were obviously shocked, but we replied with something similar with, “Damn, that’s unfair.” And we walked away. Well, that scene was pretty big so we were still discussing it, and again we went over to the same staff member and said, “I’m sorry if this sounds insensitive, but I hope you get fired and get a new job at a better place, this place is really not worth the stress.”
I’m not sure if I’m in the wrong here, but the staff ember seemed a but shocked. I’m sorry if I made a lot of typos and told the story a bit oddly, I’m new to posting here as this is the only time I think I’ve needed to post here.

(TW:we were 14, now I'm 15 and she's still 14/uncensored words about s*xual assault/cussing, just putting this in here since I know someone would most likely report me for not adding it) So just around Christmas eve last year, I started dating with one of my long-time friends, and my life prior to this was just empty, but she brought light in me, she made me feel something I never felt before, I felt alive for the first time in a long while, and everything was going great, I loved her, and she loved me, so I promised her that I will love her as much as I can until my heart stops and my mind fades, however things took a terrible turn when L (first letter in his name) entered our lives, originally it was just a one time thing where me, my GF, friends and L would go out, and we were drinking and shit, just having fun, we'll now comes the worst part, L was 21 at the time, and so to hang out a little longer we went to his place to chill, but then everyone left, and it was just me, GF and L, and we were just chatting, having fun, but then he started talking about our relationship, he started undermining it, talking about how we were not made for each other, that the only reason we are still dating is because we were long-time friends and shit, and I had none of that, however (I will start calling the GF, S) S took those words to her heart and started crying, I tried to comfort her but then he started putting pressure on me, bombarding me with questions like:DO you really love her? What do you love about her, why do you love her, do you think you two will last together? And under the pressure I just said that I loved her, and that's enough, but at this point S needed to go home, so I offered to walk with her like a good bf, however L said that I should stay and let her be, so she can think about this, and once again under pressure I folded and I stayed and she went home sobbing with me not having the chance to console her (looking at it now I should've persisted on walking her home, because he would start laying his manipulation on me, once again undermining me, and my love to S, but I did send her a voice message telling her all the things I love about her, and that I found the purpose for why I'm with her, she completes me) so after a few moments I left and came home, the next day I talked to my sister that we two are "friends" and she started going batshit, because my sister also has long extensive history with L, as well as my sister's friend, and my cousins, so she started telling me all the things, he did including (allegedly but probably truthfully) giving alcohol to one of my sister's friends (who was also around 14) getting her drunk, and then letting one of his friends rape her while watching (he probably joined in as I think about it) and many other stains, same thing with the cousin and sister's friend, but the problem was that S started liking L, and we started going out every single day after school, I took the info from the sister, cousin etc and I wanted to talk with S about it, however when I was about to initiate the conversation, I started overthinking and got to my head that I'm probably just being possessive, so we would continue these meet-ups with L for 2 more days,, every day ending with S crying, L completely undermining our trust and love, and me ultimately feeling shit, but at the last meet-up, just before it, I found cracks in our love, since L was dating with a 14 year old before that (He's 21 by the fucking way) S told me that 14 and 21 isn't too crazy and bad, I knew what was gonna happen, it would ultimately end up with her coming up to me, and telling me that "we need to talk tommorow" and I knew, I knew this was it, and I knew I was now powerless to do anything, she broke up with me, i was inconsolable, however the reason why she did it was the sentence that he said, that would turn out to be the most mind numbing, shit filled junk I'd ever hear "you need a man that can show you the world" I came home told my sister, and since she had S added on Instagram she started messaging her, warning her about L, his history, how he is, even her friend tried to tell her, and what his true colors are, even my cousin started planning with me and some of his friends, who L also fucked over, that we would beat the shit out of L, however, I started messaging him about it and the shit that happened, it was mostly just me writing a paragraph about how he was the biggest mistake in our lives and that he never acted like a true friend, he started firing back with shit like he never said anything bad, he was always supportive, and that I just overlooked it, however nothing changed, around a month came by, I started cutting myself, had the worst depression I've ever had, (I just recently realized this so I'll just put this out here) L and S started dating, I don't know for how long, when it started or when it ended, but L apparently spread the word of them two dating, all around the city, also at that point, L's manipulation started cracking too, and too little too late, S finally realized who Really is, so she broke up with him, (also in the month I asked her 3 times to reconsider, to think about it, and to give me one more chance, dismissing me every time) and so the depression arc continued until around April when I started slightly healing and getting used to not being with S, but then me and S started talking again, as friends, and I got re-added to a group chat I haven't mentioned before, (since it wasn't important) from which I got removed by one of the friends because she called me out for being a Wretch, so I got re-added and when I was gone, there have been some drama that I didn't knew of (that's where I found out that S and L were dating, and at prom where I danced with S, I found out something horrible which is the reason I added truthfully to the part where L probably raped the 14 year old girl too, I'm not gonna specify ) I was in utter shock, but yeah, shit went, and well we started talking more, that's where the promise I made turned into a curse, no matter how hard i tried, no matter how much I insisted and promised, my feelings never went away, so some more happened, and just yesterday until 3 am today (it's 5 am when I'm writing this) me and S went on a bike trip, since I want to stay close to her, we rode for 7 hours, chatting, laughing and having a good time, while I tried to make it as comfortable and enjoyable to her as possible, and we threw around a conversation about L, she said that he was the worst thing to ever happen, which I completely agree with, but I couldn't shake off this feeling because (it may just be overthinking) but it seemed like she started liking me again, she would constantly smile at me, look at me, having fun and it was just great, but now as I'm writing this I realized the situation, she is the reason why I continue living, her smile, her eyes, her personality, and just her, the only thing driving me into another day is the thought that one day I could maybe be hers again, and she could be mine. However I can't tell anyone expect the stranger on reddit, since if I'd tell my family they'd probably scold me, my friends would laugh at me, and God forbid I'd tell her eyes to eyes. I'm just at a crossroad where every turn I take is wrong and I'm just hanging on something that will never be, but the feeling that the impossible could happen, is the only thing keeping me going. Sorry for this long ass vent but I just needed to take it out, and I'm nearly sure someone will go full on detective mode to try and find, names, locations and shit, but I could just care less

Looking for some advice and this seemed like a great place to ask!
We own a small independent pizza shop, and are working on opening up a coffee shop for my wife. Not on the restaurant Equipment business.
I recently saw the Red Lobster Auctions and while I didn't need 90% of the stuff, I saw a great opportunity to get a full POS, lots of plates, smallwares, etc, for a deal.
We actually were outbid but the winner failed to pay so it was offered to us. Awesome! Except then the trouble started.
The auctions were listed as Entire Restaurant Contents. There was a "Sample" inventory list but it was noted that items would vary by location. In the photos on the auction were two items of great interest: A large Ice Maker and a Conveyor Dish Washer.
Thursday evening I contacted two movers who specialized in restaurants (which actually cost significantly more than the auction itself), due to all the stuff being listed as having to be our by end of day Friday. Then I was told the pickup window was actually only 6 hours (9 AM to 3 PM), no big deal though, hired one more mover.
Next bit of trouble came after paying for the auction, which is when they sent an exclusions list. On it there were two exclusions of concern: Dishwashers (if Eco Lab Branded) and Ice Makers in some locations. I verified the pictures of the Dishwasher, no Eco Lab branding, phew. Verified that the ice maker was not only in the list of items but also in the pictures. Figure my location must not exclude it, otherwise why show 5 pictures detailing it.
Then my team arrives. Everything is gone except for the big equipment. The televisions at the bar, the pots, pans, cleaning supplies, smallwares, blenders, mixer. The only things left was the large equipment, most of which was connected, and tables / booths.
For reference on this next parts, my bid on live auction was on Monday, this was now Friday. Two representatives were on site: The old General Manager representating Red Lobster, and a sub contractor representing the interests of the auction company.
When asked about all the missing equipment, the General Manager said they bought a large dumpster on Wednesday and all her team came in and threw everything away in the dumpster, which was already gone. Extremely unlikely, as I doubt Red Lobster would spend the money to throw away items that they're auctioning off. It got even weirder when "employees" showed up and were overheard talking about picking up items from the restaurant.
While my team leader tried to sort all of that out, the rest of my guys went to work on disassembling items. Except, Everytime they touched something (undercounter bar cooler, bar taps, booths, etc) they were told, "Oh no, that's not included," or, "Someone else already bought that."
After about 2 hours of back and forth, the on site representation finally conceded to let us take MOST of the stuff that was still there (which wasn't much). Because of the now reduced time of only 4 hours, most of the valuable stuff being gone already, and the high end items like the dishwasher and ice machine now being excluded, we only filled 2 of the 3 trucks.
I have called the auction company and apparently they said that my experience was not alone, and they were currently having a warroom on what to do next because of all the issues. They said they will likely have some solutions in how to make it right on Monday. The representative on site tried to get my team to sign a waiver of liability before leaving, but we refused.
What can I expect from this process now, and do I have any legal recourse? I would have thought that the buildings would have been secured to prevent theft while the auction was going on but obviously not. My biggest concern is that, while my costs weren't horrible at 15k, only $5500 was to the actual auction, the rest was to transportation. I certainly have concerns now that I won't be able to make my money back, let alone a profit. I know that it's a gamble, but I feel like this experience was borderline fraudulent. Any suggestions?
ETA:
If nothing else, I feel like the auction violates the law in my state (Florida), as there is a statute that covers misrepresenting facts. Specifically FSS 468.388 Subsection 11b 1 through 3 which reads:
No licensed auctioneer, apprentice, or auction business may disseminate or cause to be disseminated any advertisement or advertising which is false, deceptive, misleading, or untruthful. Any advertisement or advertising shall be deemed to be false, deceptive, misleading, or untruthful if it:
1. Contains misrepresentations of facts.
2. Is misleading or deceptive because, in its content or in the context in which it is presented, it makes only a partial disclosure of relevant facts.
3. Creates false or unjustified expectations of the services to be performed.
The auctions were listed as Entire contents, with the only exclusions listed on the auction in the terms being "Photos may show items that are not included in auction (e.g., infrastructure, HVAC, plumbing, etc."
Here's the link for anyone interested in how it was presented
https://bid.restaurantequipment.bid/Public/Auction/AuctionItemDetail?AuctionItemId=NZQh8wj3FOYwR439WdiUvw%3d%3d&AuctionId=S5YS%2bHqu8A9zcHp0d1tyMg%3d%3d&pageNumber=WddRnDis30ojx01x46RicQ%3d%3d&pageSize=WddRnDis30ojx01x46RicQ%3d%3d

A common theory is that Jen has the ability of power disruption through either nullifying or amplifying them.
One of the first examples is the end of season 1 where Luke (flying guy) struggled to fly after Jen rejected him. Some think that Jen subconsciously “turned off” his flying power because she was more confident and her power may be related to her emotions, while others argue that it was simply a gag and that getting rejected by her made him more insecure and thus unable to fly.
It could also be argued that Jizzlord turned back into a human through Jen’s supposed nullifying power, but on the other hand, I’ve also seen people say he turned human because he simply felt comfortable around Jen when he was a stray cat.
On the amplification side, the most clear scenario is when Jen met Hannah (late bloomer, teleporting woman) at the power clinic. After spending a day with Jen, she had gained the ability to teleport. I think this is the clearest example, but to play devil’s advocate, maybe Hannah’s power came out because she just felt more empowered after commiserating with Jen over having no powers. Or maybe it joke and the whole thing was coincidental and Jen just got unlucky.
Another example is Kash getting his powers changed with gaining the ability to move forward in time. Again, this may be due to proximity to Jen’s power, or it could be from Kash going through an emotional time after Carrie broke up with him. Jen’s step-dad, Ian, also gained enhanced abilities where he can now have 2 people feel each other’s emotions through physically touching him, but it is unknown if this has anything to do with Jen.
So on one hand, Jen may have been responsible in manipulating these people's powers, but on the other hand, the changes in their powers may be due to the characters' mental states, and Jen really does not have powers or has a totally different and unrelated power.
I think this opens a lot of interesting doors. Maybe Jen’s power has nothing to do with disruption and she will instead get the ability to summon burritos or some other random joke power.
I’m personally of the opinion that her power is power disruption, it’s related to her emotions, and that she may have accidentally been nullifying her own power. I think it would make sense with her character struggling with grief, emotional volatility, and selfishness. Maybe she’ll get a better handle of these issues and her powers as her character develops.
I think this would also make a nice resolution. If she can disrupt powers, she could capitalize on this ability and make a living off of nullifying the more harmful powers we’ve seen (her boss aging backwards, the guy who makes people “finish” by touching them, Jizzlord getting stuck as a cat) and amplifying the more helpful ones. Maybe she could work at a power clinic, but one that isn’t as messed up as the one she went to lol.
What do you think?
TL;DR: Some people think Jen might be able to disrupt people’s powers, while others think powers were disrupted due to the characters’ own mental states. Could be either.
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Looking for some advice and this seemed like a great place to ask!
We own a small independent pizza shop, and are working on opening up a coffee shop for my wife. Not on the restaurant Equipment business.
I recently saw the Red Lobster Auctions and while I didn't need 90% of the stuff, I saw a great opportunity to get a full POS, lots of plates, smallwares, etc, for a deal.
We actually were outbid but the winner failed to pay so it was offered to us. Awesome! Except then the trouble started.
The auctions were listed as Entire Restaurant Contents. There was a "Sample" inventory list but it was noted that items would vary by location. In the photos on the auction were two items of great interest: A large Ice Maker and a Conveyor Dish Washer.
Thursday evening I contacted two movers who specialized in restaurants (which actually cost significantly more than the auction itself), due to all the stuff being listed as having to be our by end of day Friday. Then I was told the pickup window was actually only 6 hours (9 AM to 3 PM), no big deal though, hired one more mover.
Next bit of trouble came after paying for the auction, which is when they sent an exclusions list. On it there were two exclusions of concern: Dishwashers (if Eco Lab Branded) and Ice Makers in some locations. I verified the pictures of the Dishwasher, no Eco Lab branding, phew. Verified that the ice maker was not only in the list of items but also in the pictures. Figure my location must not exclude it, otherwise why show 5 pictures detailing it.
Then my team arrives. Everything is gone except for the big equipment. The televisions at the bar, the pots, pans, cleaning supplies, smallwares, blenders, mixer. The only things left was the large equipment, most of which was connected, and tables / booths.
For reference on this next parts, my bid on live auction was on Monday, this was now Friday. Two representatives were on site: The old General Manager representating Red Lobster, and a sub contractor representing the interests of the auction company.
When asked about all the missing equipment, the General Manager said they bought a large dumpster on Wednesday and all her team came in and threw everything away in the dumpster, which was already gone. Extremely unlikely, as I doubt Red Lobster would spend the money to throw away items that they're auctioning off. It got even weirder when "employees" showed up and were overheard talking about picking up items from the restaurant.
While my team leader tried to sort all of that out, the rest of my guys went to work on disassembling items. Except, Everytime they touched something (undercounter bar cooler, bar taps, booths, etc) they were told, "Oh no, that's not included," or, "Someone else already bought that."
After about 2 hours of back and forth, the on site representation finally conceded to let us take MOST of the stuff that was still there (which wasn't much). Because of the now reduced time of only 4 hours, most of the valuable stuff being gone already, and the high end items like the dishwasher and ice machine now being excluded, we only filled 2 of the 3 trucks.
I have called the auction company and apparently they said that my experience was not alone, and they were currently having a warroom on what to do next because of all the issues. They said they will likely have some solutions in how to make it right on Monday. The representative on site tried to get my team to sign a waiver of liability before leaving, but we refused.
What can I expect from this process now, and do I have any legal recourse? I would have thought that the buildings would have been secured to prevent theft while the auction was going on but obviously not. My biggest concern is that, while my costs weren't horrible at 15k, only $5500 was to the actual auction, the rest was to transportation. I certainly have concerns now that I won't be able to make my money back, let alone a profit. I know that it's a gamble, but I feel like this experience was borderline fraudulent. Any suggestions?
ETA:
If nothing else, I feel like the auction violates the law in my state (Florida), as there is a statute that covers misrepresenting facts. Specifically FSS 468.388 Subsection 11b 1 through 3 which reads:
No licensed auctioneer, apprentice, or auction business may disseminate or cause to be disseminated any advertisement or advertising which is false, deceptive, misleading, or untruthful. Any advertisement or advertising shall be deemed to be false, deceptive, misleading, or untruthful if it:
1. Contains misrepresentations of facts.
2. Is misleading or deceptive because, in its content or in the context in which it is presented, it makes only a partial disclosure of relevant facts.
3. Creates false or unjustified expectations of the services to be performed.
The auctions were listed as Entire contents, with the only exclusions listed on the auction in the terms being "Photos may show items that are not included in auction (e.g., infrastructure, HVAC, plumbing, etc."
Here's the link for anyone interested in how it was presented
https://bid.restaurantequipment.bid/Public/Auction/AuctionItemDetail?AuctionItemId=NZQh8wj3FOYwR439WdiUvw%3d%3d&AuctionId=S5YS%2bHqu8A9zcHp0d1tyMg%3d%3d&pageNumber=WddRnDis30ojx01x46RicQ%3d%3d&pageSize=WddRnDis30ojx01x46RicQ%3d%3d

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Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
Chapter 241: Until Now
The doors to the Hartzwiese Adventurer’s Guild opened.
Before, the sound of raucous laughter could be heard flooding the street outside, filling the quiet of a spring night with all the debauchery the local drunkards had to offer.
Despite the halls of adventurers not being formal drinking establishments, those within were ready to compete in boisterousness with all the taverns, inns and pubs of the town combined. And also win. Handily.
And yet–
The moment the doors parted and I stepped within, a hush as quiet as any grave fell over its inhabitants.
A woman balancing with her derrière upon the head of another became still, the alcohol in her cup the only movement as it dribbled onto a stunned face below her.
A man slurping from the communal cauldron stared wordlessly, the stew pouring in, and then out of his mouth as the muscles of his throat forgot the means to swallow.
A bartender asleep upon a row of kegs quietly rose, the sudden din of silence waking him where the sound of debauchery and those drinking from the taps beside him had failed.
Here, there, and everywhere, eyes widened as the sudden silence was filled with the sounds of my footsteps as I strolled past, my loyal handmaiden and my brother’s attendant in my wake.
And also–
Mreow.
Mrewowow.
Meww.
Cats.
Tabby cats.
Calico cats.
Ragdoll cats.
Cats with twirly whiskers. Cats with puffy faces. Cats with slightly rounded ears.
Behind me, skipping around my legs while taking turns to sit upon my shoulders and very occasionally my head, were a legion of cats of various shapes, sizes and colours.
But no matter the springiness of their whiskers, the shine of their coat or the liveliness of their tails, one thing to bring them all together was the anarchy they caused.
This was no neat line of ducklings following after their mother.
This was a barbarian horde.
With no sense of organisation other than a shared drive to claim everything as their own, they immediately skipped amidst the stunned adventurers, scavenging for all the copious scraps while still turning their noses away from the alcohol forming sticky traps upon the floor.
Saying nothing, I allowed their demanding cries to fill up the hall as I swept forwards, pausing before a wall plastered from end to end with faded notices and requests long gone unanswered.
One by one, I systemically tore every request featuring a crudely drawn image of a cat, gathering into my arms a pile of parchment large enough to reach my chin.
Then, I made my way to the wooden desk.
A receptionist waited with a smile at the ready.
“Greetings! Welcome to the Hartzwiese branch of the Adventurer’s Guild. I see you’ve removed several notices from the–”
Poomph.
Silenced but unperturbed, this latest clone watched as I dropped the stack of requests onto her desk, before promptly topping off the stack with a copper ring.
“Do what must be done,” I said, my voice defiant. “I am ready.”
The receptionist answered me with a smile more permanent than the wall the notices were torn from.
A moment later–
“[Identify].”
A green hue appeared in her clasped palms as she assessed the ring.
“Juliette. B-rank. Your registered branch is Reitzlake.”
The sound of several cups clattered against the floor.
“Welcome again to Hartzwiese. I see from your commission history that you have an extraordinary amount of completions for recovering lost cats. May I assume the significant number of cats now roaming the branch hall relate to the notices removed from the wall?”
I pursed my quivering lips.
“Maybe.”
“Wonderful. And how many cats is it that you’ve rescued?”
“... Lots.”
“I see. Please give me a moment while I confirm the requirements of our commissions.”
The receptionist swiftly retrieved a stack of parchment from a drawer.
As she flicked through, her eyes simultaneously went to every cat roaming, napping and clawing in the hall. A skill not even monstrous overseers from the abyss with their dozens of eyestalks could match. But that’s only to be expected.
Wherever these receptionists were found, it was from a level deeper than any monster dared roam.
Eventually, she gave a nod.
“Thank you for waiting. There appears to be an excess of cats in relation to the number of commissions we have available. We’ll endeavour to ensure that every cat is rehomed at the earliest opportunity through our partner agencies and charities. But unfortunately, I can only provide official acknowledgement for cats rescued through a formal commission.”
I sucked in a deep breath, hoping that patience was one of the things I accidentally inhaled.
“Fine. And how many commissions does that end up being, then? … 10? 15?”
The receptionist flicked through her bundle of parchments once more.
“94.”
“... Excuse me?”
“I can confirm the successful completion of 94 simultaneous F-ranked commissions. Congratulations. This is a new record, breaking what appears to be one earlier set by yourself. A remarkable achievement befitting a B-rank member of the guild.”
The receptionist’s professional smile never wavered.
I thought that would be the worst of it.
But then–
She slowly brought her hands together … and started applauding.
It was the leak which broke the dam.
At once, she was joined by all who were present to witness this crowning moment of regret.
I turned around in time to see a riot in motion.
“W-Wooooooooooo!!!!”
“In … Incredible …”
“A new record … I … I heard it was broken in Trierport … to think I’d witness it broken again!”
“A B-rank adventurer … ?! Where … Where did she come from … ?!”
There was no polite, respectful applause here.
It was the wild cheering of a crowd at a tournament. The whooping cries of theatregoers calling for an encore. The acclaim of my father as he elbowed others to delight in the poetry I’d written when I was 6 and thus now regularly attempted to burn.
Everywhere I turned, I saw and heard the acclaim mixed with shouts of horror as mugs of alcohol were spilled on purpose and by accident. The layabouts stomped on the floor, doing their best to murder decorum under the strain of unbridled emotion.
Only a few falling teardrops formed any hint of more dignified revelry, the glimmer of admiration running down cheeks as sniffles were hidden amidst the raucous cheering.
And then I bore witness to the most morbid sight.
Like a tidal wave of soiled clothes and snotty faces, they suddenly came as one, hands reaching out for me with dripping mugs still in their grips. Horror struck at my soul. And unlike a farmer who’d scarpered into the night, I had nobody who could heal a wound caused by hooligans accepting me as their own.
“A-Amazing!! Take my drink! Take anyone’s drink!!”
“So many cats rescued … even my allergies can’t believe it!”
“My gods, it’s a legend! An adventurer among adventurers!”
This.
This right here.
This was the lowest point of my life … were I not an unparalleled genius.
“Oho … ohoho …”
At once, the wave halted.
Faces which were lit up in unabashed delight turned to looks of mild confusion against the tinkling music of my laughter.
They needed to cycle through the expressions until they reached horror and shame.
“Ohhohohohohohoho!!”
… For I was no drunkard seeking to join their ranks!
No … I was Juliette Contzen, 3rd Princess to the Kingdom of Tirea!
And that meant every action I took, every word I spoke, and every cat I saved was for a reason beyond the hopes and dreams these hoodlums had of wanton debauchery and rusting swords!
Indeed!
A lesser princess than I may slink away into the night, cowed by the utter shame, humiliation and disgrace of completing so many F-ranked requests that I somehow broke a record I’d only just set!
But I was made of greater things!
Of schemes and subterfuges so deep that it would take too long to explain! The plots I weaved were a silken web more intricate than any cogs which made up Coppelia as she doubled up, desperately trying to stop herself from succumbing to more pain from laughter!
And that meant with every cat request now denied to these louts … they would finally do some work!
“Ohoho … ohohohohoho!! Behold and be afraid! Witness before you the coming of a new dawn, here to lift you from your days of boundless reverie! Unfurl the shutters and gaze upon a radiance so pure it brands your dallying minds! The scorching sun has come to test the snail’s back, and all that your bleary eyes see is a great salt lake to devour you whole! Shrivel as you cling upon the sweat which drips upon your brow, for that is the proof you’re yet alive!”
A sudden silence met my proclamation of their coming ordeal.
And then–
“Wooooooooooooooooooooooo!”
“I don’t understand! But what a speech!”
“If she can do it, so can we!”
I raised a hand to my lips, barely covering my smile.
“Ohhhohohohohohohoho … !”
Here it was!
Operation: Gainful Employment!
An entirely new strategy, as bold as it was uncharted!
By removing what was surely the vast majority of missing cat quests available to the adventurers of this town, they would have no choice, utterly none whatsoever, but to engage in actual work! The type of work adventurers openly advertised themselves as doing!
Monster subjugation! Crime prevention! Fetching artifacts from hidden dungeons and then succumbing to their wounds at the entrance while the Royal Treasury pocketed the treasure!
Yes, this was clearly a highly experimental tactic.
But what was I, if not a bastion of creativity?
At the very least, I utterly refused to accept the status quo! An organisation dedicated exclusively to rescuing lost cats or elbowing into my kingdom’s sovereign affairs was no good to me!
Thus … I could not cower like some towngirl nauseous from the smell of their revelry.
Instead, I would squeeze the Adventurer’s Guild dry until the day I replaced them with an army of trained poodles. Until that joyous day, I could never tear my eyes away when they waited to be robbed.
To do so was more than a dereliction of duty …
Why, I’d be an accomplice to their drunken escapades!
My vow remained unchanged. For my goal, I would brave any indignity. The ring I was hoping the receptionist would forget to return was proof of that.
And thus–
I stood tall as a summer reed, proud in the knowledge that I had no need to feel even an inkling of embarrassment over completing 94 simultaneous F-ranked commissions! …
“Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft.”
“S-Stop at once! You are not to laugh!”
“Pffffttt~”
“C-Coppelia!!”
Clearly not seeing the angel of self-sacrifice who I was, Coppelia held one hand tightly around her mouth. Even so, she failed to stop either the sound of her amusement or the tears falling from her eyes.
My only salvation was that it came at significant cost to her. Even now, she careened between laughter and painful regret.
I decided to offer both her and myself mercy.
Turning to the receptionist, I found a modest pouch already waiting upon the wooden desk. As well as a copper ring waiting beside it.
“Thank you for your service to the Adventurer’s Guild,” said the receptionist, her professional smile undaunted by the commotion. “Your total remuneration is 102 gold crowns, 7 silver crowns and 9 copper crowns. I’ve taken the liberty to compile all your separate payments together.”
I took the pouch and ignored the ring.
The receptionist pushed the ring forwards.
A long moment later, I collected it, uncertain what a receptionist would do if I tossed it into the communal cauldron, but knowing it would somehow still end up on my finger regardless.
With my head held high, I bravely ignored the chorus of voices unknowingly cheering for their own hardship as I swept past. Renewed tears and applause filled the hall. A few cats attempted to follow me. I stopped to shoo them away.
And then I was outside, the door closing behind me.
“... Goodness, that was quite the sight,” said Renise with a bemused smile. “It reminded me somewhat of the inns of Reitzlake’s docks. I wonder if all the halls of adventurers are like that, or merely those which you frequent?”
“Please don’t insinuate I’m responsible for the debauchery which occurs wherever the Adventurer’s Guild is concerned. That’s something I can claim no credit for.”
“You say that … but to me, it seems that you caused quite a stir. That really is a remarkable number of cats you rescued, after all. Even I can tell that 94 simultaneous F-ranked commissions–”
“Miss Renise.”
The maid’s smile wavered against whatever fatigued expression I was making.
A moment later, it fell away entirely as she switched to her role as my brother’s attendant and the leader of whatever scoundrels he’d charged her with herding.
“... Yes, I suppose there’s time for idle conversation later. There’s a guardhouse nearby. We should report on all that’s happened tonight.”
I gave a nod of agreement.
Hopefully, the baroness hadn’t woken from her stupor yet. But if she had, I was certain the single portrait of myself I’d returned to the wall of her gallery to smile down at her gagged and bound state would calm her nerves.
Renise hummed towards the direction of Hartzwiese’s centre, before returning her attention to me.
“If you wish to keep your identity incognito, I can see guards sent to where they’re needed using my own authority, and arrange for the appropriate seizure of the goods and crowns we’ve discovered.”
I beamed at once.
My, so prudent! It’s little wonder she was chosen by Roland!
“A judicious offer. And one I’ll accept gladly, providing the burden isn’t too severe.”
“This is merely an administrative task, and little burden compared to what both yourself and Miss Coppelia regularly perform. In any event, it is only efficient. I expect I’ll be spending a significant amount of time at the baroness’s farmstead. It is quite extensive. If possible, I would like to make use of it for Rose House. I imagine having such a facility close to the Granholtz border would have its uses.”
I nodded, already forgetting the barn’s existence.
“I encourage you to use your discretion as required. My brother has put his trust in you, and so I both expect and know that you shall not disappoint in furthering the kingdom’s prosperity.”
The young woman smiled. One filled with appreciation, but also lacking ambition.
Good.
An excellent combination as far as retainers were concerned.
“Thank you. Although I worry you place too much trust in my abilities. In truth, those like Baroness Arisa would have made for a greater asset to the kingdom. Her resourcefulness must be acknowledged.”
“It is not resourcefulness my kingdom requires. It is loyalty. And hers is a pit so empty it drains others.”
“That’s true. But at least we were able to acquire some useful things from her nonetheless.”
Renise pulled out a tiny vial from the belt around her thigh.
A golden liquid was stored within, glimmering with an unnatural light.
“These were in her chamber,” she said, her eyes lacking emotion as she surveyed the bright liquid. “When we met, she actually attempted to purchase my loyalty with this.”
“A suspect vial. How quaint. And what miracle did she promise?”
“One that would wake my parents from their curse of eternal slumber.”
“... And is it?”
“I don’t believe so, no. This is one of many identical vials I found in her chamber’s desk drawer. All prominently labelled with instructions to only drink as required to stave off the effects of bloating.”
Renise returned the vial to her belt with a slightly embarrassed smile.
“It’s still useful,” she admitted. “But just not for what I require.”
I gave a simple nod as my reply.
Nothing else needed to be said.
She hoped to see her parents wake from their prison of dormancy. An understandable wish. And one I wasn’t required to supplement with the comment that no pair named the Smuggler King and the Smuggler Queen were likely to receive as light a sentence as their daughter.
I could not speak on behalf of Roland. Although I imagined that as a kind man, he would prefer not to pass judgements which were total. But as the Crown Prince, he did not have the luxury of kindness.
It would take much to change their fate.
But perhaps that’s why Renise was here, still proving true, and not accepting stomach ailment potions from a baroness.
A moment of silence followed.
Renise gave a short sigh. And that was that.
She set her eyes on the task ahead–at least until whatever words she’d parted her mouth to say were interrupted by Coppelia’s humming instead.
“Sooooooooooooooo … you just want to wake up two people eternally sleeping, right?”
A small smile met her optimistic voice.
“If a cure were readily available, I’m certain I would have found it by now. I believe one might be possible, but it would take skill and ingredients beyond any apothecary I know of.”
“Well, sure, you could go that way. But what about going straight to the source instead?”
“The source?”
“Sure. They’re asleep, right? So just ask the one in charge of where they are now.”
“I’m … not quite sure I follow?”
Coppelia clapped her hands together and beamed.
“The Spring Court is the realm of dreams. Chances are, they must have shown their faces around a few times by now. If you ask the Spring Queen nicely, she might do you a favour.”
“The Spring Queen? … The fae?”
“Mmh~ luckily, we have someone with connections here!”
Renise was startled out of her reply.
It was nothing compared to me. The one being pointed at.
“Coppelia!” I said, truly aghast at the suggestion. “The fae are not to be taken lightly. Why, I still have nightmares about my conversation with the Winter Queen! I learned a side to royalty that day which I shall never forget … and I’m quite poorer for it!”
“You met … the Winter Queen?” asked Renise, her eyes suddenly wide.
“Unfortunately, yes, but I had zero intention of meeting her, and I’ve just as little intention of meeting any other fae as well. Including the Spring Queen.”
I waved away the coming query to declare what was just as important as my lack of enthusiasm.
“Besides, I’ve not the foggiest idea how I would even hope to use these supposed connections I have.”
“Oh, that’s the easy bit,” said Coppelia, her casual disregard for what counted as ‘easy’ more terrifying than any lout I’d met today. “The hard part is getting them to do what you want. But meeting them? The fae are creatures of stories. If the time is right, they’ll speak to you–one way or another.”
“Then they must book an appointment. One which I can formally reject.”
“I mean, I don’t think you have much choice. You didn’t last time, right?”
“The last time, I was sat beside the Winter Queen’s crown. I see no fae artifacts to hook me away. And that means utterly no scenario in which I could be abducted without my express–”
I suddenly stopped, clasping my hands around my mouth.
A moment later, I raised my arms in a martial art I’d just invented, turning repeatedly on the spot.
Renise blinked at me.
“Excuse me, but what are–”
“Shhshhshh!!”
I paused, gazing intently around at the quiet, dark streets of Hartzwiese, all the while ignoring Coppelia’s giggling at my near miss.
That … That was close!
“O-Oho … oho … I almost invited something terrible. Truly, it’s perhaps best not to needlessly voice things which Fae Queens and their deviant brand of magic could use …”
Coppelia nodded at me, as proud as she was clearly disappointed.
“You’re lucky. If the Spring Queen had a sense of humour, she’d have snagged you right there and then.”
“No. If the Spring Queen had a sense of humour, she’d wait until–”
Click.
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I never told you this, but I have never had a particularly good relationship with my own mother—certainly not for a lack of trying. We are just different people, with different wants and needs, I suppose. I don't resent her for her inability to resemble something loving, warm, safe, maternal. She bites when she means to hug and pushes away what she means to pull. I have had almost three decades of life to come to terms with the fact that her love is extremely flawed and jagged, a reflection of her own pain and unhealed wounds.
So each of you, in your own ways, be it bringing me gifts, making Sunday crepes for me (you even sifted the flour, and vehemently refused to let me do the dishes), or inviting me to family gatherings (where I was always made to feel like a true member of the family), filled the void that my own mother left in my heart. Your kindness, your warm hugs and smiles, your genuine care—these were the things I had craved and longed for my entire life since my childhood. Through you, I experienced the most nurturing and pure love that I had only been able to dream of.
I have learned that love and acceptance can be withdrawn seemingly as easily as they were given.
Of course, I don't blame you for that. Things happen. Not every love story is a "happy ever after" and I understand that most mothers will just about always "choose" their sons. But I would be a liar if I said it did not hurt me to think of at times. Naturally, it hurts to lose someone you once saw a future with. Strangely enough, though, through the passage of time, I have mourned my connections with all of you the most.
J, I hope your retirement is as amazing as you wanted it to be and that you’ve found continued joy in your gardening hobby. I loved trying your little tomatoes with you. I can only imagine how gorgeous your garden must be now.
H, I hope you’re still making your incredible food. Your lovingly-made food was always the highlight of your visits, and I think of you every time I've had crepes since. I miss "reading" each other our fortunes at the bottom of the coffee cups.
K, I hope you finally got to open that hair salon you always wanted. He took back the purse you gave me for my birthday a few months before we broke up, but I bought the same one as a gift to myself when I got a raise because I loved it so much. You really had an eye for giving gifts that matched everyone's personal style perfectly.
You all showed me the beauty of maternal love, even if it was borrowed and temporary, even if it was never really meant for me. That feeling is something I will carry with me always. I treat myself a little bit kinder because of you.
Thank you for that a thousand times over. I miss you.

I know I will probably get criticized massively for this post but I am going to post anyways.
I understand that everyone is super pessimistic about the Canada Disability Benefit and how everything has been going so far (I have felt this too). I do however have some sort of optimism. As a pleasant discussion, I want to give my thoughts on how this benefit has turned out so far (since budget day).
As we all pretty well know the government has allotted 6.1$B dollars over the next six years to the Canada Disability Benefit and it's implementation. It is guarded behind the gruesome Disability Tax Credit which is completely filled with barriers and doesn't fall in line with the Canada Disability Benefit Act. I do agree that this is something that let the disability community down as it is a well needed measure to lift people with disabilities out of poverty. The amount and application process are fully inadequate and needs to change (I agree with this).
However, just hear me out. My optimistic side is telling me that this truly is just the beginning as everything I have seen from disability organizations (their documents, reports, roundtable discussions, etc.) have all pointed to the same conclusion that this budget allotted is completely inadequate and that the application process is burdensome. From what I have seen they are still advocating/fighting to make this an adequate benefit with a barrier-free application process. Furthermore, my optimistic side is also telling me this truly is just the beginning and not the end of this regulatory process. We still yet to have full regulations implemented into the Act and things can and will change. We still have the Part 1 of the Canada Gazette which would have draft regulations on which the disability community and its organizations can publicly comment on (which I will post the link to when it is available) of which the government should take into account these considerations.
Afterwards, they will finally publish the final regulations in the Part 2 of the Canada Gazette of which would be the final set of regulations before payments start to arrive in July 2025. Remember all the regulations have to be completed by June 22nd, 2025. One year after the Act comes into Force (June 22nd, 2024).
My opinion is that yes it is a terrible amount and application process but it was needed so that there would even be a benefit at all. This budget needs to pass to at least have a benefit. I feel like these are just the initial steps before things get amended because believe it or not there are people who care about us and want us to succeed.
I know we have been let down on multiple occasions but I feel like we all need to be a little more optimistic of the future and advocate just as hard with that positive mindset. Again, I know how you all feel. I am in the same exact position where I am lucky to have one meal a day if anything at all some days.
Thank you for reading and I will finish this off with a quote from Helen Keller.
"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."

• Helen Keller