This is going to sound very odd and if you are here to judge than you can go ahead and leave, anyways thanks to anyone who reads this and responds.
For the sake of my and her privacy I will give her the name “Mandy” and me the name “Jack”
3 years ago I was a 17 year old kid in the mix of Covid trying to get girls attention, I ended up on discord, I had a year long relationship with a girl named Sophia, and we just broke up, I was devastated, I could not eat, drink, sleep, anything. But I got through it, through this girl I met a guy named Sam, Sam has been one of the best friends of my life, a few weeks after the breakup Sam introduced me to Mandy, Mandy and me clicked immediately, it was like we knew each other forever yet we knew nothing about another, Mandy is the most loving, compassionate, caring, worrying, mom mode, pretty, smart, funny girl I have ever me, and I was simply drawn to her. We stared texting everyday and from that point to now I am haven’t gone more than a week without texting. Mandy is from Denver CO, and I am from Charlotte North Carolina.
This is where things get crazy. We fell in love, or so we thought in summer 2022, but we only lasted 3 months. We decided for each others mental health and sleep schedule (2 hour time zone difference) that we would go back to being best friends, at this point we were incredibly close. And we stay close and she doesn’t date anyone for a long time, summer 2023 roles around, I am 19 and she is 18, I fly by myself since I am of age to fly alone, with the help of both our parents I visited her for a week. Before, then, I genuinely have never felt so in love with anyone my whole entire life. I have severe ADHD, I was so shy when I first saw her when I got off my flight, I didn’t hug her, smile, nothing, I was numb. She gave me a giant bear hug that kind of woke me up out of it. I still regret not hugging her back, we leave the airport and go to McDonalds, and jus like over text and FaceTime we clicked, once I got out of my shell it’s like I’ve lived near her my entire life. She was so stunning. We both smiled at each other 24/7 all day everyday. We effortlessly made eachother laugh, and it was perfect.
Fast forward to now and I think it’s clear I will never stop loving this girl. She admitted to me that I am her soulmate that she can’t be with because it just wouldn’t work. She tells me she loves me every night when I go to bed, she always makes sure that I tell her when I get home from places, and I do the same, I deeply feel loved by this girl, I didn’t mention it before but I will now, Mandy is the most mature girl I have ever met for her age, it’s insane. She’s the type of girl that if anything bad happens type of girl that if anything bad happened to her to her I would fly there and be by her bed all day everyday as long as she’s there I’m there.
I plan fly there again in July and stay for another week, this time around, I’m giving her the bear hug, I cannot wait to see her, she calls me her rock, and she is my rock.
So here’s the question, what do I do from here?
I want to spend the rest of my life by her side, but I don’t know if I can, I would move across the country for her in a heart beat.
I want to reinforce to you all how strong our bond and relationship is. I know I can only write so much but I’m closer to this girl than my brothers and sisters.
I love her enough to know that I want her to be happy above all, and if that means not being with her and watching another man marry her than I can live with that. But I’ll never, ever love another woman like I love Mandy.
Every guy she’s dated has broke her heart. Every girl that I have dated have broken mine. But she is always right there by my side. And I will never be able to thank her enough for that. She is the one who got me through my teenage years without losing control. And I could say the same for her as well.
I turn 21 in October and she turns 20, 19 days after I turn 21.
Thank you to those who read all the way through. And I am open to absolutely any advice or conversation anyone would like to give me.
—-
TL;DR;: This is a sample summary of the TLDR rule, all things are bold. Is this going the right way?
To summarize she is perfect in my eyes and I want to be with her but don’t think I can, we have been best friends for years and I would like advice on what to do.

This is going to sound very odd and if you are here to judge than you can go ahead and leave, anyways thanks to anyone who reads this and responds.
For the sake of my and her privacy I will give her the name “Mandy” and me the name “Jack”
3 years ago I was a 14 year old kid in the mix of Covid trying to get girls attention, I ended up on discord, I had a year long relationship with a girl named Sophia, and we just broke up, I was devastated, I could not eat, drink, sleep, anything. But I got through it, through this girl I met a guy named Sam, Sam has been one of the best friends of my life, a few weeks after the breakup Sam introduced me to Mandy, Mandy and me clicked immediately, it was like we knew each other forever yet we knew nothing about another, Mandy is the most loving, compassionate, caring, worrying, mom mode, pretty, smart, funny girl I have ever me, and I was simply drawn to her. We stared texting everyday and from that point to now I am haven’t gone more than a week without texting. Mandy is from Denver CO, and I am from Charlotte North Carolina.
This is where things get crazy. We fell in love, or so we thought in summer 2022, but we only lasted 3 months. We decided for each others mental health and sleep schedule (2 hour time zone difference) that we would go back to being best friends, at this point we were incredibly close. And we stay close and she doesn’t date anyone for a long time, summer 2023 roles around, I am 16 and she is 15, I fly by myself since I am of age to fly alone, with the help of both our parents I visited her for a week. Before, then, I genuinely have never felt so in love with anyone my whole entire life. I have severe ADHD, I was so shy when I first saw her when I got off my flight, I didn’t hug her, smile, nothing, I was numb. She gave me a giant bear hug that kind of woke me up out of it. I still regret not hugging her back, we leave the airport and go to McDonalds, and jus like over text and FaceTime we clicked, once I got out of my shell it’s like I’ve lived near her my entire life. She was so stunning. We both smiled at each other 24/7 all day everyday. We effortlessly made eachother laugh, and it was perfect.
Fast forward to now and I think it’s clear I will never stop loving this girl. She admitted to me that I am her soulmate that she can’t be with because it just wouldn’t work. She tells me she loves me every night when I go to bed, she always makes sure that I tell her when I get home from places, and I do the same, I deeply feel loved by this girl, I didn’t mention it before but I will now, Mandy is the most mature girl I have ever met for her age, it’s insane. She’s the type of girl that if anything bad happens type of girl that if anything bad happened to her to her I would fly there and be by her bed all day everyday as long as she’s there I’m there.
I plan fly there again in July and stay for another week, this time around, I’m giving her the bear hug, I cannot wait to see her, she calls me her rock, and she is my rock.
So here’s the question, what do I do from here?
I want to spend the rest of my life by her side, but I don’t know if I can, I would move across the country for her in a heart beat.
I want to reinforce to you all how strong our bond and relationship is. I know I can only write so much but I’m closer to this girl than my brothers and sisters.
I love her enough to know that I want her to be happy above all, and if that means not being with her and watching another man marry her than I can live with that. But I’ll never, ever love another woman like I love Mandy.
Every guy she’s dated has broke her heart. She’s lucky I don’t live there or i’d be in jail by now haha. Every girl that I have dated have broken mine. But she is always right there by my side. And I will never be able to thank her enough for that. She is the one who got me through my teenage years without losing control. And I could say the same for her as well.
I turn 18 in October and she turns 17, 19 days after I turn 18.
Thank you to those who read all the way through. And I am open to absolutely any advice or conversation anyone would like to give me.

This is going to sound very odd and if you are here to judge than you can go ahead and leave, anyways thanks to anyone who reads this and responds.
For the sake of my and her privacy I will give her the name “Mandy” and me the name “Jack”
3 years ago I was a 14 year old kid in the mix of Covid trying to get girls attention, I ended up on discord, I had a year long relationship with a girl named Sophia, and we just broke up, I was devastated, I could not eat, drink, sleep, anything. But I got through it, through this girl I met a guy named Sam, Sam has been one of the best friends of my life, a few weeks after the breakup Sam introduced me to Mandy, Mandy and me clicked immediately, it was like we knew each other forever yet we knew nothing about another, Mandy is the most loving, compassionate, caring, worrying, mom mode, pretty, smart, funny girl I have ever me, and I was simply drawn to her. We stared texting everyday and from that point to now I am haven’t gone more than a week without texting. Mandy is from Denver CO, and I am from Charlotte North Carolina.
This is where things get crazy. We fell in love, or so we thought in summer 2022, but we only lasted 3 months. We decided for each others mental health and sleep schedule (2 hour time zone difference) that we would go back to being best friends, at this point we were incredibly close. And we stay close and she doesn’t date anyone for a long time, summer 2023 roles around, I am 16 and she is 15, I fly by myself since I am of age to fly alone, with the help of both our parents I visited her for a week. Before, then, I genuinely have never felt so in love with anyone my whole entire life. I have severe ADHD, I was so shy when I first saw her when I got off my flight, I didn’t hug her, smile, nothing, I was numb. She gave me a giant bear hug that kind of woke me up out of it. I still regret not hugging her back, we leave the airport and go to McDonalds, and jus like over text and FaceTime we clicked, once I got out of my shell it’s like I’ve lived near her my entire life. She was so stunning. We both smiled at each other 24/7 all day everyday. We effortlessly made eachother laugh, and it was perfect.
Fast forward to now and I think it’s clear I will never stop loving this girl. She admitted to me that I am her soulmate that she can’t be with because it just wouldn’t work. She tells me she loves me every night when I go to bed, she always makes sure that I tell her when I get home from places, and I do the same, I deeply feel loved by this girl, I didn’t mention it before but I will now, Mandy is the most mature girl I have ever met for her age, it’s insane. She’s the type of girl that if anything bad happens type of girl that if anything bad happened to her to her I would fly there and be by her bed all day everyday as long as she’s there I’m there.
I plan fly there again in July and stay for another week, this time around, I’m giving her the bear hug, I cannot wait to see her, she calls me her rock, and she is my rock.
So here’s the question, what do I do from here?
I want to spend the rest of my life by her side, but I don’t know if I can, I would move across the country for her in a heart beat.
I want to reinforce to you all how strong our bond and relationship is. I know I can only write so much but I’m closer to this girl than my brothers and sisters.
I love her enough to know that I want her to be happy above all, and if that means not being with her and watching another man marry her than I can live with that. But I’ll never, ever love another woman like I love Mandy.
Every guy she’s dated has broke her heart. She’s lucky I don’t live there or i’d be in jail by now haha. Every girl that I have dated have broken mine. But she is always right there by my side. And I will never be able to thank her enough for that. She is the one who got me through my teenage years without losing control. And I could say the same for her as well.
I turn 18 in October and she turns 17, 19 days after I turn 18.
Thank you to those who read all the way through. And I am open to absolutely any advice or conversation anyone would like to give me.

I've been working on this story for... 3 months? 4? who knows, with my ability to keep track of time I could have started this yesterday, anyway, this is a story that has sci-fi elements, and some fantasy, although the fantasy stuff is mainly dragons so lets say adventure for now, (cause I don't know shit about genres, I just wrote the story) , Keep in mind, this has been written in free time, of which I don't have a lot, so if you don't like the story it is probably my fault, here is a look at:

Dragons wing

I slowly drift from my sleep and think to myself, ow, why is everything warm? I check the thermostat and see that it is at a temperature as cool as Canada and when I turn back to go back to bed so that I can sleep in, I see that my stuff has been knocked over? Oh sorry, where are my manners? I'm James O’Maley, I put everything back into place, and lay down on my bed but nothing is comfortable! I just decide, you know what, whatever, I’m just gonna get ready for work, and with that i get dressed, everything feels harder to put on, but it really hits me when I go to brush my teeth, when I looked into the mirror, I saw that their were, wings on my back, and a tail, growing out my butt like a lizard, I obviously spend several minutes having an existential crisis about this shocking revelation, and I decide to look at what these wings can do, I open a window, crawl out, with some difficulty and some slamming the window on my tail. I go to the edge of the fire escape railing, hop on, and jump, and I flew, higher and higher, until i nearly flew into a mountain but that's when I suddenly breathed fire, from my mouth, and bore a hole straight through the cliffside, I could spend all day flying, breathing fire, and fiddling with my tail, but I began to feel as tired as if I’d just gotten back from lifting weights with tigers, I landed on a cliffside and fell asleep. When I woke up I wasn’t on the cliffside anymore, there were monitors and scientists all around me. I tried to show some sign that I was awake, but I was chained up! I spent several moments struggling to get free, I must be free, I am not something they can chain down! I struggle, I roar, I attempt to move my head enough to burn the surrounding area, but I can’t, until someone finally talks to me,
“Hello there, James, please forgive us for our caution, but with your kind we can never be too careful.” I can see the scientist, I read his name tag, Dr. Crane William, I roar out
“My kind!? Get me out of these chains!” I breathe fire, claw, kick and swing my tail, trying to free myself, until I see two other people watching, one with weird whiskers, a long tail and a smug look on his face, and the other with a similar appearance to me but her wings are her arms. The next few days go by, until the two finally decide to talk to me, and in those days, My face becomes a snout like a komodo dragon’s, the one with the whiskers opens his mouth first and I already hate him
“Would you look at that, he’s even uglier up close!” I glare at him with absolute hatred, that seems to anger him more,
“What are you mute or something? Speak before I tear you apart!” he takes one step closer and that's all I need, I Bite his shoulder and use his head to break the chains on my right arm, I continue to break the rest of them with ease, and tell whiskers
“You want to fight? Let’s fight!” I leap on top of him, clawing at his face, he tries to slash me with a blade on his tail but I grab it and stab the wall with it, until I feel a burning sensation in my veins, The girl had bitten me! She looks at me with sadness,
“Sorry about this,” I look at her and drift into unconsciousness, when I wake up next I’m in some kind of, medical wing, ha, wing, as I look around I feel that my mouth is bound shut, but other than that, I can move my body, I get up off the gurney and just when I think it looks nice, whiskers shows his face,
“Well thanks a lot freak, now I’m on probation with Dr. Crane.” I motion to my mouth and he seems to have enough brain cells to understand what I mean
“Ha! You got the boot, Lily had that on her when she wouldn’t stop biting staff, I’m Ryan Mist.” I just walk away and try getting this muzzle off, That's when Crane walks in,
“Well, I must say it has been a while since we’ve had to use the boot, Ryan, your behavior was unacceptable!” I can tell that Crane is annoyed, and right as he finishes his sentence, click, the boot falls off my face and clatters to the ground. I don’t bother trying to fight Ryan again, I’m just happy to be able to talk!
“Well that’s a lot better, now, talk, I want answers.” I growl, Crane and Ryan seem surprised that I got the boot off but they talk, turns out, I’m what’s called a dragonkin a Human who has dragon genes in their genome, Lily and Ryan are also dragonkin, although they can’t breath fire, Lily has fangs and a venomous bite, turns out she’s the girl that bit me, and Ryan just looks weird, apparently we are the only dragonkin who evaded the organization that Crane works for, Called ‘Kadmus,’ into adulthood, Lily being found at 22, ryan at 20, and me at 24, on top of that, we are the only dragonkin who have survived that long, it’s at that moment that I notice Lily looking at us from behind some glass, I decide that I’ve heard enough and open the door, and I leave the room.
As I leave the room I can tell that Lily was not expecting me from the look on her face, I start a conversation with her, trying desperately to be friendly and not notice all the scientists glancing at me nervously.
“Hey, Lily, Right?” I say in the friendliest tone I can, “I’m James.” Lily looks at me with a calculating look before answering
“Hello, yeah my name is Lily, Lily Megan.” she clearly is wary of me, but I can tell a few things about her, making herself look small, clearly smarter than she lets on, seems shy,
“How did you get it off?” Lily breaks into my train of thought with the question,
“What?” I ask her, confused,
“The Boot, how did you get it off?” She gestures to the room where Crane and Ryan were having an argument, but more specifically to The Boot, laying on the ground
“Oh that? I once took a lockpicking class when I was younger.” I explain
“Huh, you mind teaching me that sometime?” She catches me off guard with that one, I can tell that she is being genuine so I agree, And we begin working out what time works best.

The next few weeks go by in a flash, but I’ll summarize it for you, I ended up getting my own room like Ryan and Lily, I start teaching Lily how to pick locks, and we end up having a few game nights where we played games like charades, poker, even monopoly, lets just say that we will never play monopoly again. However, the most important thing of all, we ended up finding another dragonkin! We aren’t sure what dragon ancestor he has, but we think he’s another eastern long tail, like Ryan, the new guy’s name is Dillian, He’s great, absolute goofball, he’s from Australia, and according to him, his family has never been anywhere but the land down under, weird, but the guy’s like a little brother to me, so it’s cool, and that catches you up. “Hey Dillian!” I lean my head into his room, “Wanna come hang out with the rest of us? It’s movie night!” Dillian just looks at me, unreadable, 

“Okay, your loss.” I try to hide how unnerving that look felt, but something doesn’t feel right. I go back to the lounge, where Ryan, Lily, and Crane are all waiting for me,
“Sorry guys, Dillian, isn’t up for it.” Lily looks at me disappointed,
“Aw man, and we're even watching Dune!” I just look at her with a sad look, but Ryan manages to lift the mood a little bit,
“Last time we let Crane pick the movie!” Crane just glares at Ryan, I can tell he’s about to lecture him so I just start the movie, around one hour in, boom, everything is blurry, and there is dust swirling, everything hurts. I see Lily and Ryan helping evacuate the scientists, I don’t see Crane anywhere! But that's when I see it, Cranes lab coat, soaked red and underneath a piece of rubble, I try to run towards it, but I can't stay on my legs, I call out,
“CRANE!” My friends hear me, they rush towards me and they see the lab coat, Lily tears up, Ryan is too stunned to speak, then we hear it, we hear him. Dillian, he’s laughing, laughing at the lab coat, laughing at us, My head snaps toward him, I feel the rage burning, my wings flare out, fire rises in my throat, I grab Dillian by the collar, and I roar,
“Do you think this is funny?!” Dillian just keeps laughing, “Crane is deadI!” Dillian looks at me, and he finally stops laughing, he pushes me off and spikes erupt from his skin, his tail wraps around my throat, and he growls,
“Don’t touch me you cretin, my ancestors were nearly wiped out by yours, I’m just returning the favor.” I look at him confused, Ryan seems to have been just as confused as me because he asked,
“What do you mean? The Eastern long tails have never had an issue with the Flying flame drakes.” Dillian just flicked his wrist and one of the spines shot out and nearly sliced Ryan’s head off!
“Do not compare the Wyrms to those foolish sky beasts! They have ruled the land for centuries!” Dillian roars, at this point I finally manage to choke out,
“Wyrm? Like the dragon inside the mountain Wyrm?” I struggle against his tail, I finally get a claw hooked under it and pull, it takes all of my strength to get my head loose and retreat, and then I see Dillian fully for the first time, pale skin covered in red spines and a long tail that could probably crush a normal humans windpipe, if I wasn’t a dragonkin I’d be dead.
“So, you do have a brain. Indeed, my ancestors were the Wyrms, Masters of the land, and the only dragons to be nearly forgotten by time, if it weren’t for the colony under Australia, I would not be a dragonkin.” Dillian snorts, and after saying his piece he leaped up, dived down, and bore through the earth, I try to go after him, but Lily holds me back,
“James you're hurt, and you would not stand a chance against him in your current state!” I hate to admit it, but it’s true, I would not stand a chance against Dillian, oh man, my leg hurts, I look at my left leg and I see that it has a shard of metal sticking out of it, and then everything feels heavy, I hear Lily yell out my name, but she sounds so far away, I don’t try and fight it, I just let the darkness envelope me, at least in the dark I can’t hurt, when I wake up I’m in the medical wing ha, it’s still funny, I have a bandage around my leg and then it all rushes back to me, Crane’s lab coat, Dillian laughing, the rage, everything, replaying over and over in my mind, I immediately try and stand up and I find a lot of difficulty in that, but I manage to stumble off the bed, I avoid putting weight on my leg, and I use my wings when necessary,
‘Well it’s about time you woke up, and here I was thinking that we had wasted time and resources.” I spin around to see a lady in a suit and glasses looking at me with a look of disdain,
“Hello, I am Dr. Leanne Vern, but you can call me Leanne. I am your new head researcher, I hope you are ready for your next few tests, Dr. Crane wasted a lot of time ‘bonding’ with you.” It’s right as she finishes that sentence when I feel the urge to make it her last, I feel rage burning under my skin and I glare at her with every last ounce of anger possible,
“What.” Either she didn’t get the memo or she is just a jerk, because she did not care, but either way I continued,
“Do you think that now is a good time to either ridicule Crane, or tell me that you need to run tests on me? I am not your lab rat” I grab her collar “I am not something you just get to boss around, If you say something like that again I will send you straight to the underworld where you belong.” I shove her back and go look for Lily and Ryan, I find them in the cafeteria, I get some food and sit down across from them,
“Mind if I sit here?” It clearly lightened the mood, but not even Ryan found the humor to reply, but we started to talk turns out I had been knocked out for two weeks, when I asked about Dillian Ryan tensed up, he explained to me that Dillian goes by ‘Death Wyrm’ now, he’s spent the last two weeks tormenting the city, and eventually I brought up Leanne,
“That Dr. Leanne is a jerk though, when I got out of the medical wing she just introduced herself, told me that she would run some tests and insulted Crane.” Lily seemed to agree because she replied,
“Yeah the first day she got here she told me I was ugly, and had me escorted into the testing chamber and forced me to fly for as long as I could or else I would get shocked.” Upon hearing this I feel rage flare up inside me, I flare out my wings and fly straight towards Leanne's office,
“You threatened Lily with being shocked?! What is wrong with you?” Leanne just looked at me stone faced and told me,
“You dragonkin are nothing but freaks that look interesting, you should not be treated like humans, you are tools.” I just stand there, shocked until the dam just breaks, I roared, I grabbed her by the collar and I slash her face with a claw,
“Tools? TOOLS?! The only tool in here is you! First you insult Crane, someone who died only two weeks ago! Then I learned you threatened one of my friends with a shock if they stopped playing your sick little game!” I feel the fire rise in my throat, I open my mouth, but then I see the look in her eyes, fear, absolute, paralyzing fear, I hesitate, and think to myself, oh my god, what am I doing? I release Leanne and walk out of the room, as I’m leaving I hear Leanne bellow from behind me,
“Where do you think you’re going?” I glare back, I don’t need to answer her, but because I know she will hurt my friends if I don’t I tell her what I’m doing, I explain.
“I’m going after Dillian, don’t try to stop me.” I can tell that Leanne is angry, I can feel her eyes shooting daggers at me, she clearly disagrees with me,
“Oh no you don’t, listen to me you bloated gecko, we did not spend millions tracking you down for you to play superhero!” I just walk away from her and go to the cafeteria to tell Lily and Ryan, they of course freak out at me, saying that I should not go after Dillian, that he’d kill me, and that I should stay here, but I look at them with all of the emotion in the world, I tell them
“Look, I know that Dillian would probably kill me, but I at least might tire him out enough for the police or military to stop him, but it’s more than that, I can’t let him hurt innocent people.” Lily and Ryan look at me, Lily hugs me, and tells me,
“Don’t you dare die or I will kill you.” I look at her, And I say to Ryan,
“I hope she’s joking.” Ryan looks at me and punches my arm,
“You are a good friend man, I hope you live through this.” I look at Ryan and Lily, knowing that this might be the last time I see them, I hug them both, and I flare out my wings and I fly off.

As I sped off towards Dillian, no, Death Wyrm, he stopped being Dillian when he killed Dr. Crane, one thought was going through my mind, am I going to survive this? It doesn’t really matter, as long as Death Wyrm gets what he deserves, when I arrive in the city I look around from above first, I decide to stop by my old apartment, I remember when My dad helped me find this place before he died, it has looked weird since I had my stuff moved into my room at the Kadmus site, I decide to sit down on the floor, when all of a sudden I hear a click and a secret safe opens from the wall. Inside I find a video message to me from my dad, along with an envelope, with the words for when I’m gone written on it, I look through the envelope and I find an old Kadmus keycard for my dad, so that's what his work was, I knew he was secretive but damn, A few other papers that talk about dragons, turns out, Kadmus had been looking into the dragons for years, although these papers are odd, as if my dad had prior knowledge of the dragons. The ball drops when I play the video message it says, 

>Hello, James, if you are watching this then I’m probably dead. In the envelope that you have found alongside this message, there is also my old keycard, it will give you full access to any Kadmus site. Along with my personal notes on the Flying flame drakes, the Eastern long tails, the Wyverns, and some vague knowledge of a supposed fourth dragon species, including some vague diet, and possible weaknesses, but if you’ve already read them, then that means you have seen that the Flying flame drake notes are more definitive, that’s because I am also a dragonkin, I only inherited physical strength from our ancestors, but I have a feeling you will have more characteristics, but I am saying this because you need to know the history behind our ancestors, and the rest.<
I look at the message and wait for it to continue, until a small piece of paper slips out of the metal box that is the message, when I open it I find out that in the beginning of the dragons, there were supposedly four species, the Flying flame drakes, the Eastern long tails, the Wyverns, and the Wyrms, until the Wyrms struck out, they had felt as though due to there inability to fly, that the other dragons thought less of them, the dragons were forced to lock away the Wyrms deep beneath what would one day be called Australia, and then man arose, and along with them the first dragonkin, Tiamat, a Flying flame dragonkin, as my dad called him, but the humans lived in fear of the dragons, eventually driving them to the bleeding cut edge of extinction using their advancing technology, eventually humans all but forgot about dragons, reducing them to myth or fairy tales. That was more or less all that was written, I committed all of this knowledge to memory, and then I heard a loud boom and some maniacal Dr. Doom esc laughing, I peer out of the window to see Death Wyrm, tormenting people, I leap out of the window and into the air, getting a good angle before dive bombing Death Wyrm, breathing fire on him and slashing him with my claws,
“Hey Dillian, did you miss me?” I laugh, I tried to pull a Ryan and joke myself into feeling confident, and it kinda helped, Death Wyrm roars out in rage,
“Why didn’t you stay out of my way?” He whips his tail up, shooting spines out at me, although thanks to my practice I manage to dodge them, I decide to not make a joke and just stay quiet for now, I remember something a security guard once told me, if the enemy is in range so are you, don’t just talk, actually attack, I know that I am in range for a fireblast but Dillian doesn’t know that, I shout out,
“Those spines must really hurt, but not as much as my claws!” I suddenly make a sharp turn and get in close with my talons, I first duck beneath Death Wyrms hook, and slash at his stomach, I then dodge a spine shot, and quickly follow up and through with a tail whip, knocking him off balance, then quickly blast fire right at his feet, but I didn’t see that Death Wyrms tail had grabbed my leg before it had already thrown me two blocks away, I was getting up when I felt a Burning pain in my arm, when I looked to see, it was one of Death Wyrms spines, It had only penetrated the outermost muscle tissue, I would heal in a few weeks but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hades, I rip the spine out and breath fire on the wound in order to cauterize it, when I suddenly feel Death Wyrms tail around my throat, choking me, and I am all of a sudden pinned to a wall, with my mouth bound shut, great it’s the boot all over again, I see Death Wyrm, he’s grabbing the spine I ripped out, he walks towards me, and he gives me a small speech,
“You know James, if you weren’t so noble I’d actually have let you join me, I never wanted to kill you, but you leave me no choice.” He lifts the spike up, when all of a sudden he is blasted back seemingly by a freakishly strong gust of wind, wait, that's a thermal updraft, I turn to see the best sight I could have seen, Ryan and Lily! Ryan opens his mouth first and I couldn’t be more thankful for his humor,
“Nobody treats James like that but me!” He then flies into battle riding on a thermal, while Lily freed me, she slices through the binding on my mouth and I immediately ask,
“What are you guys doing here?” Lily opens her mouth to answer but Ryan cuts in with being thrown into a wall
“Me and Lily are saving you, idiot, speaking of which a little help here?” Me and Lilly help Ryan up and we all get ready for a fight, but before we can charge in, Lily hands me a headmic,
“Here put this on,” I do as she says and suddenly Leanne's voice buzzes in through the speaker,
“Well it’s about time,” I am just happy to have some help with knowing my surroundings,
“Whatever happened to ‘we didn’t spend millions tracking you for you to play superhero?’” If Leanne heard me she didn’t answer, I just started to run towards Death Wyrm, before I took off alongside Lily and Ryan, I felt a familiar rage build up in my veins, I allow the rage to drive me forward, I feel the heat, the fire, rushing to every vein in my body, building along with all of the rage in my life, I gather my thoughts, a raging body is good for combat but a raging mind is bad for victory, when this feeling washes over me, I finally feel calm, I feel at peace, I never want this feeling to end, I open my snout, and unleash a twisting, flowing, blooming tunnel of flames,wounding Death Wyrm and distracting him long enough for Ryan to swing in with a bladed tail to his back, followed by Lily, biting into Death wyrms tail, as Death Wyrm roars I dive in and I do something unexpected, I talk to him,
“Dillian, I thought of you as a little brother, but you killed someone I cared about, I am sorry but, we need to take you in.” Death Wyrm roars, he writhes, up until Lily’s venom takes hold and he falls to the ground, defeated, a news reporter had been, well reporting, nearby and walked up to me, and asked me for an interview,
“Under normal circumstances I would agree, but not right now.” I wave as I signal to Ryan, it takes an embarrassingly long time for him to get the hint that I want him to create a thermal under Death Wyrm in order to transport him, but he follows my lead, and before we know it, we are flying toward the Kadmus site, but as we fly, I yell behind me,
“Hey, go ahead, I’ll… I’ll catch up.” Lily looks at me while Ryan just zooms ahead, no questions asked,
“Okay what are you doing?” I just look at her, feeling conflicted about telling her about my dad, for all I know this could get me in trouble, or worse, I make a split second decision,
“I… I think I saw something.” surprisingly it works, I swoop back towards the city and back to my old apartment and I grab the message from my dad, his keycard and the papers, I then fly off with them clenched between my arms and my body, I then fly into the Kadmus site, and discreetly go to my room, in order to hide them, I then get out of the site, and fly back into it acting like nothing happened, and to my surprise, there was a celebration waiting for me, there was cake, and wine, and even a nice Irish whiskey, eventually I asked about Death Wyrm, and turns out he was placed in a secure facility, deep under the site, and that anyone with high enough clearance could go down there, I decide that that is probably for the best.
After the celebration, I go into my room, and pull out the message, I look over it, Dad was a big fan of puzzles, so maybe this message is a puzzle? After several minutes fiddling with it, the message began to whir, and it then showed a place for a fingerprint, gotcha, I placed my thumb on the finger print and it pricked me, like I was getting my blood drawn. After that a key fell out of the message box, and a keyhole on the side, I of course used the key, which then played a different message,

Hello James, and I know it's you who will be watching this, at the time of making this message I am about to help you “find” an apartment, this is one that will only play for other people if you give them access and get a blood sample, the key you used is a one of a kind, and allows you full access to pre-recorded messages, and answers for certain questions, I hope that there will come a time when you don’t need it, but, knowing you, you will probably forget what the messages say within an hour, but anyway, I hope that this helps you greatly, here is a list of topics that the message box can give you data on.< The video then becomes like an interactable encyclopedia, where I can read the list at my own pace, I skim through it before my eyes lock on one entry, Dr. Crane Williams, I open the entry and i read about Crane, turns out, he was my fathers research partner and close friend, and the two of them met in college because they had managed to win a competition that landed them tuition for any college of their choosing, and they became friends after my dad stopped somebody from messing with Crane, there was a whole lot more there about Cranes upbringing, his family, his education, but I had to cut it short when Leanne entered my room, unannounced,

“What are you doing?” She glared, in her usual condescending tone, I am not in the mood for this “Jump off a cliff.” I growl, as I tuck the message away, but she sees it, and by the look on her face she could tell what I was looking at, “Let me guess, a message you don’t want anybody seeing?” I hate her but damn it she can connect the dots well, “Was it obvious?” I don’t bother denying it, she’ll just be a jerk about it, “No, I’m just used to being lied to, who's the message from?” Leanne nods at the message box, 

“It’s from my dad, he apparently worked at Kadmus and was friends with Crane.” The fact that my dad both worked ant Kadmus and was friends with crane seem to shock her, what’s really shocking though is what she asks next,

“Was your dad by chance Shane O’Maley?” I look at her, confused, “He was, why?” Leanne immediately seems to get shell shock, as she starts to geek out, “James your father was pretty much science royalty, I would have done anything to speak to him, oh my god I insulted the dead friend of Shane O’Maley, and of his son!” I feel angry that she brought that up again, but now feels like I can get something good out of this, “Ok I’ll make you a deal, if you only do tests with me and the other dragonkin willing to do so, and make sure not to do things like threatening to shock us if we don’t do what you want, I’ll tell you stories about my dad, deal?” It was almost impressive how quickly she answered, 

“Deal! Shock threats, exhaustion tests, and anything else like that is gone!” I am really happy that I can do stuff like that. That is the best ability ever.*1
*1 WIP

I’ve been in a same-sex relationship for quite sometime. had 3 exes including the most recent and probably the most manipulative and traumatic I ever had and the last that I’ll allow.
I had a solo trip to Taiwan last November 2023 to clear my headspace and with hopes of moving on from my 2nd ex-boyfriend. I’ve been to places but that was the first time I’ve traveled alone. I rode the Cable car from Taipei zoo to Mao Kong Gandola, that’s roughly 30mins. I was joined by this cute couple (both male). I’m assuming here but they seem like from different country. I can’t hold my thought so I initiated talking to them (they strike to me as very shy). I uttered “You two look cute together”. The Caucasian looking man answered “Yeah! Thank you, I appreciate you telling us that” and we began conversing and even shared the best Night Market to try something out. We parted ways at the end of station. When it’s time to head back, I got lucky and had the cable car all by myself. That trip was a moment. My hopeless Romantic Self just kinda hit, I plead and prayed to God to accord me my partner for life and never will I take him for granted, I’ll nurture our relationship bla! Bla! Bla! Among other words of petitions.
Fast forward, Feb 1, 2024 Someone message me asking my whereabout. I stalked him and he’s nowhere near my province-Batanes (Philippines). Based on his profile, He’s currently working in Makati. So Nah! I don’t thrive in long distance relationships. A rock-hard pass for me. The next day, he messaged me and ask if I can join him to a local bar. To my surprise, he’s working here in my province since September 2023 and told me that he hasn’t updated his bio then. So yeah. Game on! let’s hit it. Thanks, Cupid! Let’s give it a try. We had good time together, met his friends and got their approval. I want to assume that they kinda like me for him. We’re on the same page (atleast that’s what I believed). Its that “rainbows, butterflies and compromise” from the song. I’m loving this feeling. I found myself believing in love again. We went out publicly, we enjoyed our shared interests- beach and snorkeling. Late bednight talks, honest intellectual discourse, movie night, and hitting off the convenience store for ‘Samyang’ noodles. One casual visit at the convenience store, I saw this familiar guy at the cashier. With face mask on, I’m thinking I’ve seen this somewhere else. And yes. It registered, He’s the reason why I’m single before meeting the person I’m with now. This b*tch stole my then boyfriend from me. Anyway, I don’t want to make a buzz about it but I’ve told my boyfriend the whole story and asked him if by any chance that guy messaged him. He said No and firmly assured me that he’s way out of his league. We sometimes go home at 1am. We just can’t stop talking about anything and everything-the things we did for love. Some find it silly but it feeds my soul being with him, it hits differently with your special someone. I’ll do it over and over again.
The butterflies are still there but the time I dread eventually happened. We’re separating for 10 days. He’s going to wedding of his cousin in Manila and I’m part of an entourage for a wedding in a nearby island (I got there by airplane). The ship we’re in began to shake us but our love is stronger than ever. Communication and trust were the foundation of our relationship. We constantly video call and I’ve never felt a sense of insecurity all throughout his vacation in Manila, Elyu and Baguio. He has my full trust and we talked about it. The days have passed and vacation was over. He returned in Batanes on Friday (wedding day that I attended) and I’m still on the other island and will head back to Batanes on Saturday. I was sad that I can’t pick him up at the airport. Good enough that he has friends who can do that on my behalf.
Friday, the day he returned to Batanes was a fine sunny day. He landed safely at 8am and he called me saying he’s gonna sleep. The wedding ceremony ended at 10:30am and for some strange.. very bothering and strange reason. I felt a chill down my spine and felt the need to call him. Idk what went on to my head but there’s this voice telling me that “Call him! Call him right now!” There this itch that needs scratching and this will only be satisfied by calling him. So I did. I called him 3 times before He answered. Strangely, He’s at the Rest room sitting in the toilet with no clothes at all. I overthink and confronted him immediately “Who’s with you? I know you have someone in there”. Ofcourse why would he reveal if there’s any. He just gaslit me and said I’m just over reacting. It doesn’t make sense. He already had his shower before dozing off at 8am, why would he take a shower 2 hours later? I mean. It doesn’t add up. He ended the call and take his clothes on and started calling me. He swiped the whole place with his phone camera reassuring me that no one was there. The heck! Ofcourse if there was someone in there, he/she probably stormed out the moment I called or atleast when he/she had the chance. Anyway, He just wanted me to go back there. I didn’t enjoyed the wedding I attended because I was preoccupied by my thoughts. I even called the airline if there’s an available flight that moment so I can rush my way back. That afternoon, I strolled and made a video recording saying “if you’re watching this, we’re probably on our first anniversary. Today is April 12, 2024 at 6:14 pm I’m at ****** We’re being challenged now and I refuse to give up on you…..” I was suppose to let him watch that video on our 1st anniversary. Sweet huh?!
Saturday, after we landed in Basco I dropped my things to our house. Took a shower and before I went to his boarding house I pass by first to the Cathedral to pray and asked for guidance then I head to his place. I gave him a bouquet of flower and we talked about it. He said he wanted to break up coz’ he’ll eventually move to other place and he knew that I don’t thrive in LDR. I refuse and I just told him we’ll make it through and we’ll cross the bridge when we get there. So yeah! We’re back on the game.
He decided to move to different apartment and someone recommended this place, we repainted it and get it all fixed. We build our dreams, we talked about how he’ll cook for me and pick me up after my shift. We’re dreaming and building our own future and even talked about going to Japan. He bought a cat adding up to the whole romantic setting. I can’t believe we’re a furdaddies.
The truth unravels
One afternoon after I pick him up from his workplace, we checked his apartment (he hasn’t move in yet). We saw the guy who once worked in the convenience store (cashier) on our way to the apartment. Strangely he smiled at my boyfriend and what’s more strange is that my boyfriend smiled back as if they knew each other. So I parked the motorcycle and we went upstair. I can’t just disregard what I just witnessed. I asked him as calm as possible if he knew that guy. He said he met him when he once hit the gym. I immediately sensed a lie here. I told him “Actually, if you quite remember we saw that guy when we are dating and you told me that you haven’t met him and you haven’t went to the gym since then or atleast while we’re together”. I never imagined myself asking him his phone but I did. He unlocked it for me and immediate searched his name on his fb messenger but no messages. I checked his instagram and Voila! It’s a floodgate of cheating messages. The worst part was that the funny and ‘kilig’ videos he sent me were also sent to that guy. Oh! And I thought I was damn special. The story doesn’t end there. Brace yourself. There’s someone who pick him up when he arrived at the airport and it wasn’t one of his tight-knitted friends. Guess who’s the guy? And yes! He’s actually at his boarding house when I “overreact”while I’m at a wedding and yes! They had sex on the same bed we slept in. The final nail to the coffin? They did it twice and I highly doubt that. They probably did it a couple of times but it doesn’t matter. I’m let karma take its toll.
I’m feeling the pain and I hope I self-soothe and bounce back from it. I confused my overthinking with my gut-feeling.

This girl in the beginning was amazing, super charming, charastmatic, kind, funny, beautiful at least this was how she came across for about 3 months then the false persona started to fall apart.
I could tell around about the 3 months mark that she had become bored of me and would do openly disrespectful stuff Infront of me like texting other boys. We began to argue frequently about this stuff where she'd make me feel like I was crazy and paranoid. Like she'd openly say to me you're crazy, you need help and make me feel bad. I'd question her and be like look if you don't want to be with me we can leave it and walk away now as nice as it can be and she'd reassure me that everything was okay. Eventually one of her friends come forward to tell me about 2 boys that she knew about that she'd spent a night with. One of them was an ex boyfriend that by all accounts was obsessed with her and she knew it. She would unblock him arrange a meet with him then block him right after, I can only imagine the damage she causes to this boy too.
I also found out she'd lie all the time not just big lies but like small utterly pointless lies too. Like I'm not kidding the amount of meaningless lies she told was insane. Like basically everything her whole life was a lie. After I found everything out about her I've never experienced such a discard. Like there was no sorry, or trying to explain anything it was literally just blocked and not spoken to again. Let me tell you untill you've been with someone like this you'll never understand how addicted you get to this sort of person. This person that enters your life so perfectly then gives you the extreme highs then the extreme lows. It's like coming off a drug you get addicted to the dopamine rushes and begin to need it so much and when it's gone even though you know this person is an awful person you long for that dopamine rush again. I'm currently about 2 and half months into no contact and it's only getting worse, I can barley sleep I think about her all the time meanwhile she's already with another boyfriend. I hope it gets better because so far it's only gotten worse.

keith and zach, as owners of 2nd try, hosted a fundraiser livestream that raised $500k in 4.5 hours, and $1.5 million overall. throughout the stream, they and the other creators have explicitly said the words "palestine" "israel" "genocide" and "zionist". the set was decorated with palestinian-related items including the flag. zach started the stream with a personal note saying that standing up for the palestinian people is not antisemitic. one of the organizers, caprisunnpapi, is palestinian-american and he was featured heavily throughout the stream. they interviewed the president and founder of the PCRF. the stream ends with them saying "free palestine" and the description of the livestream VOD ends with this phrase as well.
these were all explicitly anti-zionist, pro-palestine actions and sentiments. there were no "free the hostages" "israelis are not their government" "peace for both sides" fence-sitting bullshit. this wasn't a stream to raise money for some apolitical charity, it was for charities specifically founded to help palestine.
but is anybody else curious what exactly is their relationship going to be with lewbergehughie stone fish moving forward? i assume they're not going to feature lewberger in future 2nd try content anymore, even just for the sake of taking in audience feedback (both about how lewberger isn't funny AND how the audience don't want to see a zionist), but i assume zach put his foot down and banned hughie from appearing in more content. i really am just curious how keith and hughie went about this. i know a lot of people in this sub have said "adults can disagree and still be friends" but in this specific scenario... can they? can they really? even if keith is willing to stay and try to change hughie's mind, i just can't imagine a zionist like hughie stone fish, who is a full-grown adult in his mid 30s set in his ways, would just change his mind in the span of a few months for the sake of keeping a friendship. i also can't imagine him wanting to be friends with someone who hosted a fundraiser where they've condemned israel multiple times.
i don't follow keith, hughie, or lewberger on any social media, so maybe i've missed something. i really just want to know what you guys think, either pure speculation or your observations based on their social media.

Hey so for some context we are both guys and we've known each other since middle school (however we started talking a lot more from the beginning of 2024 till now). A few weeks ago I started falling for this guy slowly (he's really funny and so fun to talk to) and today was A LOT We hung out today (just us) and at a point we sat in a parking lot and just started talking about life and how our family's kinda suck and how we just don't really feel that happy and we kind of just hugged and then cuddled for like 10 minutes while I just talked about how I feel and stuff like that. He's such a genuine and sweet guy that I just can't get my mind off of and I kinda think he's straight and I just don't know what to do honestly lol. Can I get some advice? Any way on how to move forward? I guess I just want an answer.

I was simply having a few beers and enjoying the downtown views from my building’s viewing deck when a random person came up to me and asked if I believe in god. I said I don’t know I’m undecided and he immediately walked away but only a few steps away. He said his name as he left. I said mine.
Fast forward 15 mins he’s still standing a few steps away just doing the same thing I’m doing (staring at the view).
I finish my beer and leave and I say “later Jess”and he then takes that as a green light to continue the conversation about god.
Amused, I humor him. He says something along the lines of “god can help you”.
I immediately counter with “ oh… you are saying you think I need help? Is that what you are saying? ( I got aggressive)
He completely backtracks and says he just wants to be friends and get coffee.
I defuse the situation by giving him my number. But I know that he just don’t want to be friends.
Just thought it was funny. I will not be taking him up on his offer. He clearly cast the first stone by suggesting I am in need of help, casting judgement on me when he is a sinner himself. Unless that was an angel I spoke to I will be less restrained next time.

I was reading the book War Crimes the other day, and saw this passage about Varian that seemed pretty hilarious, as the Dragonmaw and their allies attacked during Garrosh's trial:

"“You’re making this fun, Dragonmaw!” he shouted defiantly, and charged the first pirate. Still struggling out of the parachute, he was an easy kill, but others had gotten free and now converged on Varian. The king’s blood was hot, and he swung the great broadsword as if it were a child’s toy, decapitating the troll who came at him with a cutlass and following through to cleave the black-haired human woman almost in two.
The mammoth tauren, no less fierce for the fact that he had one eye, was more of a challenge. Varian harnessed his momentum and twisted his torso, bringing the blade upward and slicing off the tauren’s right arm. But the left had a weapon too, and this one bit deep into Varian’s side. Dizziness filled him and he stumbled back, abruptly unable to lift the sword to defend himself. But the blow never came.
Something even bigger than the tauren, gray-skinned and wearing red and yellow armor, rushed forward. With a single slice, the tauren’s horned head was cleanly separated from his body. The felguard fixed Varian with tiny, glowing eyes and rumbled, “Your fate will be the same.” Varian couldn’t summon the energy for a witty retort. He blinked, trying to focus. His legs gave way and he fell to his knees, wondering if perhaps the felguard had been right.

So, essentially, Varian (albeit wounded after taking an arrow to the shoulder) while engaged in melee against some pirate forces loses a brief duel against a large tauren with 2 swords. This seems to be a far cry from what he's been able to accomplish on the battlefield before, especially considering basically a page later, he leaps up to Zaela and pulls her off of her dragon AFTER being shot by a rifle. I'm not sure how seriously a lot of the books are taken from a lore perspective, but I thought this was quite funny, and I'm curious to see if there's similar examples.

I heard about Skool.com for the first time maybe a year ago. Funny enough, I was actually told about it from a client who operated in the finance niche. He told me about a strategy where you put together a free community, get your audience to join, and then upsell them to different products and services within that community. Taking it one step further, you can then upsell them into another community that costs money to join.
At first I was intrigued though very cautious. Quite frankly I’m not the type of person who really likes the concept of courses or anything like that, so I wasn’t really sure how I would use this community.
Personally, I’m a content creator who works closely with other brands and content creators to make their videos better. I’ve always done a lot of 1:1 work with influencers, and consulting with brands, but never really wanted to sell something directly to my audience as it felt spammy.
But, after my client ended up setting up a Skool group and making thousands, I decided why not and dove head first.
On my first look around, I was pleasantly surprised that the platform is really well put together. It feels more like a community forum and more grown up version of discord than anything else. I explored a lot, and also looked closely at other platforms, especially discord, because it’s free, but ultimately decided on Skool, even though it’s a bit pricey.
Something Skool does that other platforms haven’t is gamified progress, and that made a huge difference to me.
Skool uses a point system where you earn points for participating in discussions, completing courses, and helping other members. As you rack up points, you level up, unlocking new features and privileges within the community. It's like leveling up in a video game, but instead of just bragging rights, you get access to exclusive content or advanced learning opportunities (depending on the community).
Additionally, you have the leaderboard, which shows how you stack up against other members, which with my strategy was a great motivator.
Anyways, here’s how I used it to make $2,500 in one month.
The first thing I did was make a free community.
I started posting content/a mini course within that free community and talked about it openly to my audience multiple times.
From just that I was able to get a few hundred people into the community.
Fast forward a few weeks (I kept posting separate content in the community as to what I was posting on socials), and I announced a cohort/mini course.
It took me maybe 30 hours to put together the course as it was mostly live recordings of me going through powerpoints, and it was basic information geared towards beginners.
The next step was putting together another Skool community and using that as the place to hold the course.
Because this was just a trial run for me and something I wanted to test, I kept the size of the cohort fairly small, around 20 people, and sold it for $150 each.
There were some discounts given for people who signed up early, but other than that most people bought it at full price.
I then used the paid Skool community as a forum, where I would host live Q/A events twice a week and give feedback to the people within the cohort.
Overall I loved the platform, and for somebody like me this would have been a complete pain in the ass to do without it.
I highly recommend Skool to creators who want to sell some sort of digital product, course, cohort, or anything of that sort.
If you have any questions, drop them below!

Hello everyone. I can't thank you enough for all the help I've received here on this subreddit. I've taken your valuable advice and fixed a number of things, but I'm sure I'm still missing some things. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
--
Query
Dear [Agent],
Mark, a journalist who reports from troubled regions to make the world a better place, goes to Heaven after an untimely death. With all the comforts God has to offer, Mark grows increasingly frustrated with the lack of challenges. So when he discovers that Heaven has a therapy for unhappy souls like himself, he gives it a try. And Mark is horrified to learn that the therapy is the live-streaming of Hell's tortures, also known as Hellflix.
Worse, if Mark doesn't complete the therapy and become happy, he will be condemned to Hell. He gives in and becomes a voyeur of others' misery, but then he realizes that new Hellflix episodes are reruns. With the revelation that communication with Hell has been cut off, Heaven wants to find out what's going on. And fast, as its citizens—including Mark—are driven mad with curiosity and concern.
Mark, with his journalistic experience in the harsh conditions, is sent to investigate Hell, where he discovers a shocking truth. There has been a revolution, and now free, many sinners are seeking repentance. While Heaven exploits Hell's political divisions to send the guilty back to suffer, the revolutionists urge Mark to expose Hellflix's dark secrets and unite Hell. He will be eternally damned with billions of others if they fail, but Mark is up for the risk if he can make the world better. He just doesn't know which way to go—bring happiness back to Heaven or save Hell from eternal torment, especially when he doubts that the wicked can truly be redeemed.
ASCENSION TO HELL is an adult contemporary fantasy at 114,000 words, a standalone book that has series potential. It will appeal to those who enjoyed mystery aspect of paranormal realms as in SIGN HERE by Claudia Lux, and modern-day take on the conflict between Heaven and Hell as in THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN by A.J. Hackwith.
[BIO] I specifically wrote to you due to [insert reason here]. I am happy to make the full manuscript available upon request and eagerly await your response.
Warm regards,
[Insert name]

First 300
Long was the line. But I won’t add some typical adverbs here, like unbelievably and infinitely, to emphasize the point. Well, it might make our hardship sound like that of people waiting in line for a new iPhone, and I hate to give you that impression. In truth, the real pain of the line came more from not knowing where it would end than from its length. The Line of the Dead moved forward, twisting and turning like a giant snake. And I, one of the countless scales clinging to its sinister and hideous body, could only wait in vain, no matter how fast it moved or how far it went.
Why did I not think of breaking free and running away, then? Before I tell you this, I must tell you about the six of us who endured the long wait together.
First up goes Lewis.
I was behind the line before the hot Spanish sun, reflected off the chrome bumper of the truck that had hit me, faded from sight. We were standing in a wasteland where the vast, desolate plain offered nothing but peculiar rocks on the distant horizon. I looked behind me to find a multitude of people, their numbers growing, perhaps wearing the same bewildered faces as mine. I hadn’t taken a single step, yet these people had already placed me in line and made me an inseparable part of it.
Then I looked forward again and met the black eyes of a handsome young man who must have died right before me. The man, whose name I would later learn was Lewis, was confused, angry, frustrated, and most of all, in love. There was enough will in his blazing eyes to kill me again if I had thwarted a certain goal of his. Not finding what he was looking for behind him, the man ran straight ahead.

Life was perfectly normal and mundane until the day I inherited the Magic 8 Ball from a distant relative who had recently passed away. At first, it seemed like a quirky keepsake, a relic of childhood nostalgia. But as I held it in my hands one overcast evening, an unsettling feeling crept over me. There was something off about it, a strange, almost ominous vibe that seemed to emanate from its old, worn surface. I glanced at my wife, blissfully unaware, sitting across the room. Our love had always felt like a sanctuary, yet now, this seemingly innocuous toy had introduced an inexplicable sense of dread into our home. It just felt off, like something not meant to induce tension into the air but certainly did at the time. I never mentioned it to Anna since the evening was beautiful, and the mood was full of anticipation for the upcoming playoff game. We were looking forward to some good old hockey. As a joke, I asked the Magic 8 Ball if our home team was going to win the game, chuckling at the childish stupidity that brought back fond memories of my youth.
“Cannot say now,” the 8 Ball in my calloused hand read a few seconds later.
I wasn't surprised by the answer, knowing it was just a toy with a limited set of responses. Maybe I'd ask it again during the first intermission, I thought to myself. As the puck dropped, the game started with a few penalties and a goal against us just before the initial 20 minutes of the period ended. I had almost forgotten about the toy relic that had been passed down to me recently. As the first intermission progressed, I picked up the 8 Ball again and asked if our team would win against the opposing team.
“Certainly, it will be legendary,” I read after a short pause.
Initially, I thought it was an odd answer, but what did I know? It was probably made in the '60s when people were a bit more open-minded to quirky responses. I smiled at Anna and showed her the response. She found it funny, and her laugh, as always, became the highlight of the moment. Her laughter has always been the center point of my love and affection for her, making her the undeniable lead honcho in any group she’s a part of. During the 2nd and 3rd periods, we witnessed our home team not only tie the game but score an additional 4 goals in rapid succession against the opposing team. It was not only legendary as the 8 Ball predicted, but it also sent the stadium into a roaring frenzy. Later, it was said that the noise level matched that of an Airbus A-220.
"It seems the Magic 8 Ball helped me win my $20 bet on our home team," I said confidently to my wife. "Probably just by chance, but who knows? I could use it to predict Friday's lottery numbers."
She smiled and told me to give it a shot, but I knew it was futile. Just like trying not to wake Anna up while leaving for work, it always ended with her sensing the creaking floorboards. About a few days had passed before we ended up having a heated argument about the dreaded topic of having kids in the future, I of course never want the sobbing, snot wheezing kids that take up 150% of your future time and life that could be used for retirement time in Hawaii. But, of course, she had bipolar opposite views on the topic. She wanted kids, perhaps to sow our six-year marriage back together. I, on the other hand, was dead set against it, feeling as if she were trying to force feed me a hefty dose of the plague. At the time, I had just stormed out of the room to cool off and muttered something I still regret to this day.
“Damn it, when will Anna's obsession with having kids ever end?” I grumbled to myself in frustration.
Suddenly, the 8 ball I’d left in the den flashed with a bright white light, like a screen turning on. Just as quickly, the flash disappeared, replaced by a simple message on its black surface.
“Soon enough, Derrick,” the ball read, almost mockingly.
My focus shifted from Anna's relentless talk about kids to the unnerving fact that the 8 ball not only knew my name but also had an answer for such a ridiculous question. I hadn’t even touched the thing—don’t you need to shake it for it to work? At this point, I was tempted to toss that relic into the trash and be done with it, but being a bit stubborn, I decided to let the demonic thing be and left it to its own devices. A few days had passed, and Anna and I had made up after our brief argument on that chilly Tuesday afternoon when I got home from work. She promised to hold off on bringing it up again for a while and to let me consider our options going forward. Life has been running smoothly again, and our home hockey team won their semi-finals match today, heading to the finals. Anna and I are caught up in the excitement of tomorrow night's game and are pretty pleased with how this year has gone, especially with our 7th anniversary just around the corner!
Work has been dragging lately, and I find myself just wanting to fast-forward to the day I wake up next to Anna and kiss her passionately on our long-awaited 7th anniversary, which is now just a few days away. As for the 8 ball of unknown origin, it's still just sitting dormant in the den. To be honest, I'm quite surprised it hasn't detonated or flashbanged me again whenever I step in there to grab some work files on clients. But no, it just sits there menacingly, waiting to tell me something I don't want to hear.
Anna and I had planned a special outing for our 7th anniversary. We decided to visit our favorite local donut shop around noon. As we prepared to leave, I grabbed the old magic 8 ball, intending to throw it away on the way there. As we approached the intersection on 136th street, the light was red. With a playful smile, I asked the 8 ball one last question.
"Will the light turn green soon?" I asked, grinning at my overjoyed wife.
"Unfortunately, yes," the 8 ball replied.
I showed Anna the response, and she chuckled, thinking the toy wanted us to be stuck at the red light. When the light turned green, we started to cross the intersection. Suddenly, Anna gasped and clutched her chest. I managed to swerve to the side of the road just in time to avoid an oncoming car. I pulled over, my heart pounding, and turned to her in panic.
"Anna, what's wrong?" I asked, fear gripping me.
"I don't know," she whispered, her face pale and sweaty. "I just feel... so weak."
I rushed her to the hospital, where doctors ran a series of tests. After what felt like an eternity, they diagnosed her with a rare and severe illness. The news hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt the world spinning around me. For the next few weeks, Anna's condition worsened. I spent every moment by her side, watching helplessly as she battled the illness. The magic 8 ball sat untouched in the den, its last message haunting me.
"Unfortunately, yes," it had said.
Despite the grim prognosis, Anna showed that sickness can't stop her indominable human spirit. We took things one day at a time, finding solace in each other's company. Our 7th anniversary passed quietly in the hospital, but it was a day filled with love rather than despair. As the weeks turned into months, Anna's condition slowly worsened. The doctors were hoping it would get better eventually.
One day, I decided to confront the magic 8 ball. I picked it up and asked, "Will Anna get better?"
The answer floated to the surface: "Signs point to no."
I refused to showed Anna the response, it would only make things worse. We placed the 8 ball back on the shelf, as a relic of doomful honesty, but as a symbol of the future and the past. Our journey wasn't over yet, I have to spend as much time with her before she departs.

Life was perfectly normal and mundane until the day I inherited the Magic 8 Ball from a distant relative who had recently passed away. At first, it seemed like a quirky keepsake, a relic of childhood nostalgia. But as I held it in my hands one overcast evening, an unsettling feeling crept over me. There was something off about it, a strange, almost ominous vibe that seemed to emanate from its old, worn surface. I glanced at my wife, blissfully unaware, sitting across the room. Our love had always felt like a sanctuary, yet now, this seemingly innocuous toy had introduced an inexplicable sense of dread into our home. It just felt off, like something not meant to induce tension into the air but certainly did at the time. I never mentioned it to Anna since the evening was beautiful, and the mood was full of anticipation for the upcoming playoff game. We were looking forward to some good old hockey. As a joke, I asked the Magic 8 Ball if our home team was going to win the game, chuckling at the childish stupidity that brought back fond memories of my youth.
“Cannot say now,” the 8 Ball in my calloused hand read a few seconds later.
I wasn't surprised by the answer, knowing it was just a toy with a limited set of responses. Maybe I'd ask it again during the first intermission, I thought to myself. As the puck dropped, the game started with a few penalties and a goal against us just before the initial 20 minutes of the period ended. I had almost forgotten about the toy relic that had been passed down to me recently. As the first intermission progressed, I picked up the 8 Ball again and asked if our team would win against the opposing team.
“Certainly, it will be legendary,” I read after a short pause.
Initially, I thought it was an odd answer, but what did I know? It was probably made in the '60s when people were a bit more open-minded to quirky responses. I smiled at Anna and showed her the response. She found it funny, and her laugh, as always, became the highlight of the moment. Her laughter has always been the center point of my love and affection for her, making her the undeniable lead honcho in any group she’s a part of. During the 2nd and 3rd periods, we witnessed our home team not only tie the game but score an additional 4 goals in rapid succession against the opposing team. It was not only legendary as the 8 Ball predicted, but it also sent the stadium into a roaring frenzy. Later, it was said that the noise level matched that of an Airbus A-220.
"It seems the Magic 8 Ball helped me win my $20 bet on our home team," I said confidently to my wife. "Probably just by chance, but who knows? I could use it to predict Friday's lottery numbers."
She smiled and told me to give it a shot, but I knew it was futile. Just like trying not to wake Anna up while leaving for work, it always ended with her sensing the creaking floorboards. About a few days had passed before we ended up having a heated argument about the dreaded topic of having kids in the future, I of course never want the sobbing, snot wheezing kids that take up 150% of your future time and life that could be used for retirement time in Hawaii. But, of course, she had bipolar opposite views on the topic. She wanted kids, perhaps to sow our six-year marriage back together. I, on the other hand, was dead set against it, feeling as if she were trying to force feed me a hefty dose of the plague. At the time, I had just stormed out of the room to cool off and muttered something I still regret to this day.
“Damn it, when will Anna's obsession with having kids ever end?” I grumbled to myself in frustration.
Suddenly, the 8 ball I’d left in the den flashed with a bright white light, like a screen turning on. Just as quickly, the flash disappeared, replaced by a simple message on its black surface.
“Soon enough, Derrick,” the ball read, almost mockingly.
My focus shifted from Anna's relentless talk about kids to the unnerving fact that the 8 ball not only knew my name but also had an answer for such a ridiculous question. I hadn’t even touched the thing—don’t you need to shake it for it to work? At this point, I was tempted to toss that relic into the trash and be done with it, but being a bit stubborn, I decided to let the demonic thing be and left it to its own devices. A few days had passed, and Anna and I had made up after our brief argument on that chilly Tuesday afternoon when I got home from work. She promised to hold off on bringing it up again for a while and to let me consider our options going forward. Life has been running smoothly again, and our home hockey team won their semi-finals match today, heading to the finals. Anna and I are caught up in the excitement of tomorrow night's game and are pretty pleased with how this year has gone, especially with our 7th anniversary just around the corner!
Work has been dragging lately, and I find myself just wanting to fast-forward to the day I wake up next to Anna and kiss her passionately on our long-awaited 7th anniversary, which is now just a few days away. As for the 8 ball of unknown origin, it's still just sitting dormant in the den. To be honest, I'm quite surprised it hasn't detonated or flashbanged me again whenever I step in there to grab some work files on clients. But no, it just sits there menacingly, waiting to tell me something I don't want to hear.
Anna and I had planned a special outing for our 7th anniversary. We decided to visit our favorite local donut shop around noon. As we prepared to leave, I grabbed the old magic 8 ball, intending to throw it away on the way there.
As we approached the intersection on 136th street, the light was red. With a playful smile, I asked the 8 ball one last question.
"Will the light turn green soon?" I asked, grinning at my overjoyed wife.
"Unfortunately, yes," the 8 ball replied.
I showed Anna the response, and she chuckled, thinking the toy wanted us to be stuck at the red light. When the light turned green, we started to cross the intersection. Suddenly, Anna gasped and clutched her chest. I managed to swerve to the side of the road just in time to avoid an oncoming car. I pulled over, my heart pounding, and turned to her in panic.
"Anna, what's wrong?" I asked, fear gripping me.
"I don't know," she whispered, her face pale and sweaty. "I just feel... so weak."
I rushed her to the hospital, where doctors ran a series of tests. After what felt like an eternity, they diagnosed her with a rare and severe illness. The news hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt the world spinning around me. For the next few weeks, Anna's condition worsened. I spent every moment by her side, watching helplessly as she battled the illness. The magic 8 ball sat untouched in the den, its last message haunting me.
"Unfortunately, yes," it had said.
Despite the grim prognosis, Anna showed remarkable strength. We took things one day at a time, finding solace in each other's company. Our 7th anniversary passed quietly in the hospital, but it was a day filled with love and hope rather than despair. As the weeks turned into months, Anna's condition slowly stabilized. The doctors were cautiously optimistic, and we began to see a glimmer of hope. The scare made us appreciate every moment together, cherishing the small victories and holding onto hope.
One day, I decided to confront the magic 8 ball. I picked it up and asked, "Will Anna get better?"
The answer floated to the surface: "Signs point to yes."
I showed Anna the response, and she smiled weakly. "Maybe it's not so cursed after all," she said. We placed the 8 ball back on the shelf, not as a relic of doom, but as a symbol of hope and resilience. Our journey wasn't over, but we faced it together, stronger than ever.

If you're on the apps—whether you're looking for marriage, looking for a hookup or you're just looking for a nice night out on the town—one thing is for sure: You have seconds to make a first impression that keeps someone from swiping left. What's the key? Knowing how to make your Tinder bios stand out among the rest.
If you're wondering: "What is a good bio for Tinder? How do I spice up my Tinder bio?" then you've come to the right place. Marissa Moore, a counselor and couples therapist with years of experience, gave us all her recommendations for making your bio the best of them all (plus 40 ideas for the best Tinder bios, below!)
What to Put In a Tinder Bio
So, you've opened up the "edit" section on your Tinder bio (or Hinge bio or even Bumble bio, too) and you're staring blankly at your phone. How are you supposed to know how to write a Tinder bio that will stop someone in their tracks?
How Dating Apps Are Changing Our Psychology
The secret, Moore says, is deciding between a few different formulas, and sticking to one. Remember: This doesn't have to be super complicated. It's actually supposed to be fun! To get started, use these are a guide on what to put in Tinder bio:
Everyone loves a perfectly-timed one-liner, right? Write something that captures your personality or sense of humor.
Want to keep it straight forward? Go the old-fashioned route and write a brief description of yourself, highlighting your interests, hobbies or passions.
You're funny, so maybe use this time to show it off. Using a joke or witty remark can be a great way to give someone a sense of your personality, too.
Lastly, if you're a romantic at heart or suave in your own right, try using a creative and flirty pick up line that stands out (but avoid anything overly cheesy or inappropriate.)
How to Write a Tinder Bio
Now that you've got a road map for how to make a good Tinder bio—i.e. you've chosen a one-liner, keeping it straight forward, leaning on your humor or a pick up line—what is the best way to approach actually writing it all out?
Whether you're looking to write clever Tinder bios, Tinder bios for guys or just wanting to make your dating app bio shine with your personality, Moore has a few tried-and-true tricks up her sleeve to stand out.
Be Authentic
It might be tempting to want to make yourself look "better" than you are IRL, but this is never a good idea, and your dates will learn the truth eventually. That's why Moore suggests the biggest piece of advice: to be authentic.
Good Morning Texts For Her
Wake Her With A Smile With These 82 Good Morning Texts
Let her know that she's always the first thing on your mind.
Woman looks at her phone while smiling.
Funny, punny and non-corny inpsiration, right this way.
"Showcase your genuine personality and interests," Moore says. "Rather than trying to portray yourself as someone you're not."
Keep it Concise
Next up? Make sure to keep your Tinder bios as concise as possible. Remember: you've got seconds to impress the person on the other end — let's make sure you get a swipe right.
"Aim for a bio that is clear, concise and easy to read," she says. "Avoid overwhelming potential matches with too much information."
Show, Don't Tell
Another tip? Show, don't tell. According to Moore, Instead of listing qualities about yourself, you might consider sharing anecdotes or stories that illustrate who you are and what you enjoy. This can sometimes be more intriguing.
Highlight Your Unique Traits
What makes you unique is a good thing! Use it to your advantage. By focusing on what makes you stand out from the crowd, and what you can offer in a relationship, you may find someone who already loves your quirks and differences, right off the bat.
Funny Tinder Bios
Do you consider yourself a comic? If so, you might have chosen going with the funny Tinder bios route. If so, here are some ideas to use, below.
I'm not a photographer, but I can picture us together.
Looking for someone who can keep up with my pun game.
Swipe right if you're ready for cheesy pick up lines and spontaneous dance parties.
Looking for a wingwoman to hunt down the best tacos in town on a random Tuesday afternoon.
Seeking someone who will support my travel addiction and my obsession for squeezing everything into a carry on bag.
If you date me, you'll be the good looking one.
Looking for someone to appreciate my puns and share pizza with. If you can't handle my cheesy jokes, you're not the one for me. Let's see if we can find the perfect slice together!
You're single, I'm single. You know what that means? Nobody wants us.
Life's too short for boring conversations and dull dates! Let's do both.
I'm really bad at putting together IKEA furniture—looking for a cute helper 😉
Clever Tinder Bios
Maybe a clever bio is more your speed. If so, there are plenty of ideas for Tinder bio that fall under clever and smart, too.
Currently accepting applications for a partner in crime and fellow Netflix binge-watcher.
Like a 'Fun-Size' Snickers bar, they say good things come in small packages.
If life is a game, consider me your cheat code. Swipe right and let's unlock some bonus levels together.
I'm like a Rubik's Cube—complex, colorful and slightly frustrating at times. But once you figure me out, you'll realize I'm worth the challenge.
If you can guess my favorite pizza topping, you win bonus points.
Seeking someone who can match my level of sarcasm and appreciation for dry humor.
Looking for someone who can handle my impeccable taste in music, questionable cooking skills and my uncanny ability to always find the best meme for every situation.
Outdoor enthusiast and indoor Netflix champion.
Professional overthinker seeking someone who analyzes texts as much as I do. Showcases self-awareness and a touch of vulnerability.
Chapter 23 - Looking for someone to co-author the next chapters. Indicates a life seen as an unfolding story, inviting collaboration.
Cute Tinder Bios
If being cutesy is more your thing, look no further: using cute Tinder bios has been proven to work again and again. Being and feeling cute can be a confidence boost when dating — here are some of our fave examples.
Lover of sunsets, dog walks and spontaneous adventures. Let's create our own love story.
Looking for someone to share lazy Sunday mornings and late-night conversations with.
Searching for my partner-in-crime to explore the city, try new foods and cuddle up with on rainy days.
Puppy enthusiast. Ice cream connoisseur. A seeker of great coffee dates.
Might steal your heart, will steal your fries.
Just a Jim looking for his Pam. Bonus points if you give great bear hugs!
A believer in fairy tales, serendipity and the magic of a good cup of coffee.
Looking for someone who's all about making everyday moments a little bit extraordinary.
Cuddling champion searching for a worthy competitor. Must be fond of star-gazing and midnight snacks.
Looking for someone to share in my adventure of finding the best tacos in town.
Simple Tinder Bios
If being cute, funny or clever doesn't speak to you, it's OK to stick to simple, too! Here are some ideas to try on for size.
Looking for a real connection, not just a one-time thing.
Just trying to find my other half.
Drinks?
Come say hello.
____ born & raised.
Looking for more laugh lines.
Traveling and exploring. Want to join?
Let's see how this goes.
Looking for an adventure partner.
If I am not home, you can find me ____.

The Santa Marta region of northern Colombia has, within a ninety minute radius, the Caribbean, the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada, desert with plentiful cactus, and rain forest. The diversity of birds is remarkable, which is what induced my sister to suggest this locale for our trip. We showed up wondering “how to find the birds,” but before that sentence was finished, some birds swooped down and stole part of our breakfast.
The “Tower” is a wonderful lookout point in Minca, a small town about thirty minutes away from Santa Marta. You stand in an elevated gazebo, surrounded by beautiful mountains, and watch various birds go by. The host family doesn’t even charge you for the drink of water. Until not too long ago, Minca was a “no go” zone, ruled by drug lords and guerrillas. Now there is a very peaceful revenue-generating compromise, with a lid on all the violence. British women visit and order avocado toast, before setting off on their birding tours.
My sister has seen dozens of “lifers” on this trip, namely birds she had not seen before. For me they are almost all lifers, except the pigeons.
You can take a several hour small boat trip to see a village on stilts, Pueblo Palafito. The locale supports 1000 or so people, all using water taxis to get around and mostly working as fishermen. It is not near anything else, and their power source is solar, due to a gift from the Italian government. This was the highlight of the trip. I am told families there typically average five children, and the schools were indeed full of enthusiastic young people. Best is this video, you don’t need to understand the Spanish.
In the city of Santa Marta there are two (!) separate monuments to the 1958 Smith-Corona typewriter, both at major intersections. They are intended as a tribute to the region’s best-known author Gabriel García Márquez.
The local economy is too dependent on coal export, but overall it feels bustling and reasonably prosperous.
The best food there is seafood, most of all fish and shrimp, in addition to coconut rice and various forms of plantains. You can eat very well here but I would not stray from the area’s basic strengths. Maracuya juice is consistently good. I don’t usually order desserts, but here they are consistently interesting and original, often using honey, or sometimes waffles.
I would strongly recommend the Marriott hotel there, the one on the beach. It is essentially an $800 a night quality place, with very direct beach access, but at far, far lower prices. And you end up with the ocean and also the three swimming pools pretty much to yourself. (Where is everyone?) For the entire trip, and for the hotel, safety levels are just fine.
This is what the Caribbean should be, but rarely is. Visiting Santa Marta, as a trip, is so far ahead of most better-known beach outings it isn’t funny. From Virginia I can fly to Colombia in about five hours, and then Santa Marta from Bogotá is a mere 90-minute extra flight.
It is a common trope that genetic influences on individual behavior strengthen as people age. If you take a trip with your sibling, you will see further evidence that this is true.
It is rare for me to get on a plane for reasons that have basically no work components. That said, it is also easy to get work done here.
The post Santa Marta, Colombia notes appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.

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I’m not going to lie, I used to have no faith in dating apps. I thought that all the people I found on Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble were all people I could never click with in real life. But then I did it. My friend and I took the jump. We downloaded a dating app and tried to come up with funny answers to Hinge prompts to make my profile the best it could be. What started off as a joke, slowly turned into something that made us excited. We looked forward to showing each other the guys we matched with and the conversations that were started.
We giggled as we made each other’s accounts, choosing the hottest pictures of us and creating the most ridiculous responses to the Hinge prompts that would be on our profiles. We hoped to find someone who could match our silly energy and find someone that we could be authentic with: We wanted to find someone who would encourage us to delete the app.
Hinge prompts are like interview-based questions that make things a little more interesting than a generic bio with your name and age. All prompts have a 150-character limit so the answers should be short and clever. You can even use a voice prompt but the point is to show off what makes you, you: uniqueness is key. So, if you’re looking to beef up your profile, here are 36 Hinge prompt answers to add to your profile.
Oh, and PS, some of these are actually from my Hinge feed and are the perfect way to get into someone’s DMs. Jussayin’.
“Dating me is like…”
Be transparent and give a glimpse into what it is like to be with you.
“Reading a really good book…but you’re dyslexic.”
“Having TSA Pre-Check.”
“You know that feeling of closing dozens of Chrome tabs after finishing your last final before a holiday.”
“Finding a pair of jeans that fit perfectly on the first try.”
“My Most Irrational Fear”
From heights to clowns, this is a great place to talk about your fears.
“Finding out I’m allergic to food while eating it.”
“Fear itself?”
“You ignoring my profile.”
“Swallowing seeds because I was told a plant would sprout in my belly.”
“Green Flags I look for…”
Get a little deeper about your type. What are you looking for? Be open and honest.
“Using a fork properly, rather than stabbing at your food”
“Being good with kids.”
“Survival skills. If we ever get stranded on a desert island, you should know what to do.”
“Always has room for dessert.”
“A Shower Thought I Recently Had…”
This prompt is a great way to show off your humor. Be creative with this.
“Is Punxsutawney Phil emotionally okay?”
“It’s illegal to own one guinea pig in Switzerland because they get lonely.”
“Water is not wet.”
“Aliens invaded the moon on July 20th, 1969.”
“We’re the Same Type of Weird If…”
This is definitely a more lighthearted prompt. Pick something that is totally unique about yourself.
“You enjoy the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, too.”
“You can eat pickles at any time of the day.”
“You still play with Legos.”
“You pour the milk before the cereal.”
“First Round Is on Me If…”
Be assertive! Skip the small talk and invite your match to drinks. Don’t be super easy though. Pose a challenge.
“You can beat me at bowling. I’ll accept Wii Bowling.”
“You can beat me at today’s Wordle.”
“You can quote [movie].”
“If you can beat an escape room.”
“Unusual Skills”
Showcase some niche interests. Anything that comes with a story is perfect if you want to keep the convo going.
“Belly dancing.”
“I can catch basically any reptile.”
“Notorious alarm setter who can still sleep past their alarm.”
“I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue.”
“Let’s Debate About…”
Controversial topics can get the ball rolling. This could be serious or maybe something flirty.
“Pineapple on pizza?”
“Brunch should never be before 1 p.m.”
“It’s acceptable to eat a tomato like how you eat an apple.”
“A morning person can never be trusted.”
“Together, We Could…”
Outline a dream date! Highlight your favorite ways to get to know someone
“Cook a nice dish and drink a bottle of wine.”
“Rule the world.”
“Be like when oxygen and magnesium get together… because people will be saying OMg.”
“Backpack our way through Europe: Paris, Florence, and Madrid are on my bucket list.”
Overall, Hinge prompts allow you to showcase yourself, your passions, and what you are looking for. Successful prompt responses should show a bit of your humor and vulnerability. Don’t be afraid to be genuine. These are the perfect way to kick-start conversations with matches. Dig deep. Good luck!