Comparing plant life cycles worksheets

So I know we've got a patch coming but I feel like no one's talking about Grimm since he released and things I've seen in gameplay both playing as grimm and seeing others play him have led me to believe there's a real problem with his design. This is going to be long.
Let's start with his problems:
Grim is a carry, however unlike basically every other ADC he does not have mobility, escape tools, or even a snare. He at best has an anemic knockback but on top of that, he has a weak early game due to lack of offensive abilities and a severe dependency on items even more so than other carries. Murdoc/Twin blast/Kira all have some way to get away from or peel the enemy off themselves, even Sparrow(arguably the most basic of adc's) at least has a slow and movespeed bonus in her kit.
He also is unique in that he deals entirely magic damage but has a hybrid scaling setup. Which is a problem because items don't really fit neatly into his stat needs, and more importantly his unique situation results in awkward item interactions.
Ex: Items that apply on hit effects DO NOT apply assault mode damage despite it being an on hit effect. Life steal actually DOES work with his basic despite being magic damage(A loy of people were confused by this and didn't know lifesteal worked). He needs Magic pen to deal with tankyness but most of the items he would normally build don't have it as a stat leaving him with only caustica as an option and while normally magic damage doesn't crit Grim can...but only with his basic attack.
Additionally Items like Combustion and Magnify do not trigger off of Assault mode damage either(which i thought was really odd in the case of combustion in particular since it only specifies ability damage) So even these items which on paper might be things grim would want don't synergize as well as they should. Meanwhile Infernum does work.
This creates an awkward itemization and I'm seeing a lot of grims that don't seem to know what to build or when to build it. Grim's that commit to magic items end up with anemic damage output because assault mode doesn't scale well enough to be meaningful damage on it's own, his passive is minor damage even if true damage and in the case of magic items he obviously isn't able to increase his basic attack strength. On the other hand Physical item grim plays like a traditional ADC but just with magic damage yet still ends up lacking due to his lack of tools in his kit compared to conventional ADC's.
He's incredibly slow and easy to run down.
He essentially only has ONE offensive ability until level 6 meaning he's at a severe disadvantage against almost any lane opponents. He has no real benefits that make up for this.
His spell shield often fails to provide any real protection and has no real impact on the flow of battles. Ex: Phase fires her beam at you, spell shield only blocks 1 tick of it not the whole thing you still take damage you still get rooted and there's nothing grim can do about it because he's so slow in the first place.
His passive is literally forgettable, it contributes so little to fights it almost might as well not be there.
The benefits:
An emphasis on magic damage forces opponents into alternative build routes if he gets ahead to deal with his magic damage, they can't just build tainted bastion and call it a day.
Displacement cannon is a long range mortar in assault mode letting him poke like a mage would.
His ultimate tracks targets and can secure kills from long distance as long as he has line of sight.
In rare cases you just might spell shield something like a countess ult and save yourself but more often than not it'll be popped by an incidental hit from some ability and you'll die anyway.
Annnnd.....that's about it.
Possible Solutions:
1: Make the spell shield a barrier that gives damage reduction and CC immunity to hard CC(knock ups/stuns) but not soft cc(slows/silences) This would give grim an offensive and defensive tool to chase down a kill or to flee without getting cc locked. Or make spell shield into a stim, say successfully blocking an attack with the shield gives grim bonuses to aspd/movement for a short duration increasing as he ranks the ability up.
2: Assault mode's slow should not be a decaying slow. At max rank it's a 20% slow for 0.8 seconds. that means in 0.4 seconds the max rank slow is already down to 10%(the same as rank 1's full value) which is already not very significant especially for a character as slow as grim is. This also means the lower ranks are genuinely inconsequential amounts of slow. Additionally add a 4/8/12/16/20 base damage to the ranks of assault mode. A lot of people don't seem to realize ranking it up doesn't actually increase the damage at all despite the increased mana cost and the not very effective slow. since he lacks offensive tools, and an escape a decent slow is the least he can be given so he can at least attempt to kite. but given his movement speed that seems unlikely.
3: Add a silence or a micro stun to displacement cannon so he can interrupt enemy attacks. Position it as something that can be a life saving interrupt defensively or a silence to shut off opposing abilities to allow for an engage. Possibly also increase the knockback power. It's pretty sad to see an enemy blink/leap in throw a orb of plasma in their face and they only back up a whole 4 inches and proceed to be completely unbothered.

1. Change the pulsefire passive so either some % of magic power is added to his basic attack or give him magic armor shred on his attacks/abilities. Hell maybe even make it actual fire, some stacking burning effect with a max stack bonus. Any of these would give him actual team synergy with other magic users. Every other ADC has a passive that directly improves their ability to deal damage meanwhile Grim's passive is more like a bruiser passive more in line with someone like Kwang but without any of the durability.

All in all Grimm feels like he was designed for an entirely different role but got shoved into the carry position because his kit revolved around ranged basic attacks. But someone nerfed his durability but didn't change the rest of his kit to address his vulnerability in the new role.

I was a high myope for all my life until cataract surgery. I wore single vision glasses with up/down prism. At night when my eyes were tired, I took off my glasses and read very close without glasses using my left eye (good eye). My wife and kids made fun of me, but I didn’t care, my close vision was excellent.
Now both my surgeries are done and I have 20/20 distance vision, but now my intermediate is worse than when I wore glasses before so it’s hard to use a phone or computer without readers. I’ve tried progressives and I’m not sure I can get used to them. I see everything “OK”, but the field of vision is very small compared to what I’m used to. I find it a nightmare in the grocery store scanning prices and labels.
I am thinking now that I may end up having to get distance vision glasses for most things plus have computer glasses for work and reading.
I never thought about this scenario and now I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t go to LAL or something like that. I’m wishing the experts (doctors and counselors) would have explained this nuance to me when I was preparing for surgery too. They told me that because I’d have to wear prism glasses after surgery LAL and multifocal were probably useless for me.

CMDRS, after playing around in EDSY, I have come up with some FDL-Killer builds (all of them are Python Mk2's), that I would like to slap together and mess around with, when I finally return to Elite Dangerous (I haven't been around since EDO's beta-testing phase). Now you will notice that one of these versions has 2 pack hounds each with rapid fire drags (that was intentional because with that build I plan to set up a pair of fire groups with my frags as the primary fire and one pack hound on secondary for both fire groups (this was so I could continually hobble the target ship (FDL as an example) and rip their shields and hull to shreds in so little time)). As for another version of this build I plan to use my long range high capacity railgun with feedback cascade (for enemy ships (player and NPC) that have one or more Shield Cell Banks), that I got a long time ago. I think I also might have some double engineered Scanners (kill warrant and wake), so those will be going on the ship too.
Now y'all are probably wondering, "CMDR, why do you have a D grade life support and FSD [SCO]?" Well, I am so glad you asked! I found out that if the Python Mk2 when fully kitted out with A Grade gear doesn't pitch as fast as the FDL, along with the FDL having slightly better shields, too. With those two pieces of D Grade gear, I am able to fully outmaneuver an FDL in Pitch, Roll, and Yaw, all while still maintaining a higher jump range. I also wanted to give my builds the ability to conduct in-flight repairs for modules, in case y'all ask why I have an AMFU (the canopy in particular).
Feel free to offer some critique and rate my hypothetical Python Mk2 builds. I have left an FDL build in here as an example, as well, so y'all can compare specs between it and the Python Mk2 builds.
Fer-De-Lance Phaser
Python Mk2 Lead Wall
Python Mk2 Lead Wall v2
Python Mk2 Lead Wall v3
Edit: Sorry about that. It's late at night from where I am typing.

hi everyone!! So i’ve had my 5gal tank set up 4/27/24 & i am doing a fish-in cycle (please do not hate me :’)). my nitrites have been at 0 since i set up the tank, given i have had to do water changes and such a few times due to high nitrites. regardless, im having issues with my nitrites being at 1.0ppm every day when i check my parameters. is this normal? if not, what could be contributing to it? she has a few silk plants, a resting leaf & a little cave hide. i am not that experienced so any advice at all would be helpful!

I had the post up all day and looked at all of the comments on there, thank you so much for your feedback. I re-wrote it and it is about 2× as long now, but it is written much better than before. Here it is:

 Good evening, my name is [redacted], I’m an 18 year old woman and I want to bring your attention to an aspect of women’s rights California legislation has, unfortunately, neglected. Tonight I stand here to raise awareness to the fact that despite abortion being set in California’s constitution, and birth control and plan B being widely available, there are other reproductive healthcare procedures women are frequently denied by doctors, because some doctors only trust us to make medical choices regarding our body when it fits their agenda. Those procedures are elective sterilizations. Being a young, childfree adult is more common now than you think. In adults aged 18-34, 49% want to remain childfree. When you single out just women in that age range, 55% of us want to be childfree. This is according to a poll from the Pew Research Center published February of this year. That means over 92 million (92,400,000) women in the United States, or about 11 million (10,743,477) Californian women. In today’s political climate regarding women’s reproductive healthcare it is imperative that the issue of women being infantilized by our medical providers, and denied medical procedures because of it, receive a lot more attention than it is getting. If Trump gets elected, abortion will become a federal crime and women will turn to less safe methods to end their pregnancy. We are one election away from losing reproductive freedom, and this is especially dangerous for childfree women. I have known I didn't want kids since I was 12, and as a childfree adult woman I won’t be safe to exercise my childfree lifestyle in Donald Trump’s anti-abortion America. Birth control and plan B may be banned next in his legislation, and childfree women like myself shouldn’t have our unwanted fertility putting us at risk of an unwanted pregnancy due to that type of environment. I believe the lack of access around elective sterilization is something pro-choice and pro-life can agree on, as it helps to meet both goals. The bipartisan nature of this issue is another reason why it is important to direct our efforts to absolve the passive and dismissive nature doctors take towards young, childfree women opting for a procedure that will ultimately bring peace of mind if abortion is federally banned. Our goal to protect reproductive freedom should have more focus on ending the infantilizing discrimination against women in healthcare, and giving us a choice on if we want to risk subjecting our bodies to something as body-altering as pregnancy by refusing to tolerate doctors denying women medical procedures based on a doctor projecting their fear of regret onto level-headed women. About three months before my 18th birthday, I had a consultation with my doctor to talk about permanent sterilization. Of course, I was 17 so I knew I would not be granted any procedure until after my 18th birthday, but I wanted to find out more about what options are out there, risks, benefits, and how likely I am to be approved by a surgeon. What I found out is most hospitals will want female patients to be at least 21, 25 or sometimes over 30 before they will consider elective sterilization. This isn't because of legitimate medical concerns with the procedure, this is because they think women are likely to regret being childfree, and their lack of trust in our decision making is both infantilizing and insulting. On my 18th birthday, I called to schedule another consultation to get a referral for sterilization. I will be 19 next month and I am about to have my fourth consultation to attempt to get a referral for a surgery to remove both fallopian tubes, called a bi-salp. A bi-salp is the safest and most effective form of female sterilization, and it is low risk as far as surgery goes. I have been denied three times in one year, despite that I have known I am childfree since I was 12, and I have been wanting to become sterilized since I was 14. Doctors treat me like I don’t know what I want, and like they know better than me. It is infantilizing, discriminating against women, and shows a lack of ignorance when you look at statistics of regret rates. According to a study done by S D Hillis et al, the least likely groups of women to feel regret after an elective sterilization are childfree women under age 30 (6.3%) and women over the age of 30 (5.9%). The study followed over 11 thousand women aged 18-44 for 14 years, and showed the risk of regretting elective sterilization is low, even in young women. If you compare those numbers to other elective surgeries, such as cosmetics, the percentages are much higher. According to a paper by Dr. Aaron Stanes, as much as 40% of people regret rhinoplasty surgery. Even comparing the rates of regretting sterilization with the rates of regretting an unplanned c-section, elective sterilization has a much lower rate of regret than an unplanned c-section, which had a whole 73% of patients regretting it according to Yasmine L Konheim-Kalkstein et al. Denying adult women elective sterilization on the grounds that the doctor thinks we will regret it later is barbaric and borderline inhumane in today’s political climate, as well as ignorant when you factor in the actual statistics. Today, I want to bring attention to this issue to the public, and at some point I want to make it a crime in the state of California for a doctor to deny elective sterilization to adult women based on fear of regret. I want a world where women’s reproductive choices are not limited to the government’s opinion, or our doctor’s feelings. Granting adult women the dignity of choice is essential to our reproductive equality. Thank you for your time. 

Every area has at least something interesting in their distant history. Whether it’s a myth, an infamous establishment, or a local sports team, there is something that an area is known for on a micro or macro level.
My area, which I will only describe as near the border of Otsego County, New York, really only has one thing that it at least USED to be known for. From the early Seventies to just before the new millennium, there was an amusement park that was the rare source of many childrens’ entertainment before video games and the internet became really widespread. It wasn’t big by any means, I don’t even think it has a Wikipedia page. But for many, it was 85 acres of heaven.
I was born in ‘96, so I never actually got to go to the park, but speaking to the adults in my life, I always had a very romanticized view of it growing up. It contained two roller coasters, about 18 state fair-tier rides, an amphitheater, some decent dining choices, and the ride that made this park worth it. A water-dark ride called “Journey Through Legend”.
Journey Through Legend is a funny name for reasons I’ll make clear now. It opened in the late Eighties. You would hop into boats and be brought through four large rooms that represented four different “legends”. The first being ghosts, the second being Bigfoot, the third being zombies, and the final being mermaids/sirens. None of these legends had anything to do with our area, so I have no idea why they were selected, but everyone I have spoken with have talked very highly about this ride for varying reasons.
Now, since the park closed in ‘99 due to poor attendance, most of the park was dismantled and sold off to other parks, with the land being repurposed. However, for reasons beyond the mid-level government officials I was able to gain audience with could tell me, Journey Through Legend, and some of the surrounding land, still stands.
Surrounded by a twelve foot fence topped with barbed wire, this dark ride that meant so much to nearly everyone in my life has just sat there, untouched, for 25 years.
Recently, I’ve gotten into an urban exploration kick due to YouTube’s algorithm, and it inspired me to break the law to tour the only interesting abandoned structure for hundreds of miles. So, over the course of the last week, I obtained two fifteen foot ladders, a cheap rug, and some basic hiking gear. Then, at 7PM on Friday, I threw everything in my truck, and was off.
The site is about a 40 minute drive from my house, sitting in some newly-sprouted woods behind the industrial park that replaced the amusement park. About halfway there, I had my first antagonistic thought. Why on earth did the ride still exist? Everything else got completely dismantled, why would a single ride be left, and PROTECTED for that matter!? But I shrugged the nagging notion off, and continued on.
The dark overtook me as I started down the gravel access road that led to the fence. So you can imagine my surprise as I noticed dancing technicolor lights rise above the trees as I got closer to the site. My jaw literally dropped when I got to the outskirts of the fence. The ride’s front facade, which was a closed golden storybook, poked above the fence, and was LIT UP. I was so caught up in the moment that as I set up the first ladder, I didn’t think to take pictures!!
I walked up the ladder with the rug, placed the rug on the barbed wire, then went down and lugged the second ladder up, throwing it over. I then literally prayed to not get injured before I dropped from the top of the fence. After landing unharmed, I rose, and almost felt like I was having an out of body experience.
The entire ride was lit up. Every single bulb out front was working. The title of the “book” (and the ride) jumped out to me in rainbow lettering. I set up the second ladder before slowly approaching the ride. As I walked through the path toward the ride, which now had been mostly reclaimed by nature, I felt entranced. I wasn’t literally placed in a trance by the ride, I was simply overtaken by the unreality of what was standing before me.
I suppose this was why I wasn’t more shocked by the fact that the ride wasn’t just lit up, but was MOVING! WORKING! I could hear the water rushing! The gears turning! If I craned my neck enough, I would have seen the boats cycling through! After walking through the queue area, I imagined a smiling ticket taker welcoming me on the loading ramp, asking if I was ready to have fun.
It was when I reached the loading ramp where I first realized that this fantasy wasn’t “perfect”. The sound system was working, and while the backtrack of the ride had been described as “lightly ominous”, this horrid ‘whooshing’ noise was pouring out of the speakers. It sounded like listening to a tornado through the front screen door of a midwestern home.
Despite this, when a boat halted in front of me, I tossed my backpack in, and got in the front seat. Why was I doing this? Why was this ride fully operational? WHO was operating the fucking thing!? These were questions that meant nothing to me as the boat moved forward toward a rotting wooden door with the words “welcome” painted onto it. The “spell” was broken as I passed through the doors, and the ear splitting noise from the speakers were replaced by the pre-recorded sounds of the first room.
The “ghost” room was the least remarkable for reasons you’ll soon understand. It certainly was cool though. The surrounding set was of a normal all-American home that was besieged by a poltergeist. Lights flickered on and off, household items flew across the room, and disembodied children’s laughter filled the room before we reached the bend for the second half of the scene. After the bend, you were met with the ride’s first animatronic. I imagine it was once shocking to see at such a small park, but it was now less than remarkable. It was mostly damp and torn white cloth reaching up to an admittedly creepy pale face of a dead man howling at me. The “eerie” ambient music was replaced with a scream as the animatronic was hurled a bit too close to the boat by what I could only picture as a rusty mechanical arm.
Once the animatronic was slowly and awkwardly hauled back onto the side, the boat moved forward toward another door. This door was painted like the tree-line of some woods, with glowing animal eyes filling the gaps between the shrubbery and trees. However, both the boat and the background music halted just before I reached the door. My heart jumped when the sound of a soft-but-sad woman’s voice filled the building through the PA-system.
“Have you wondered yet why you’re here? Have you questioned the actions that led you here? If you haven’t yet, you really should. Not that it matters anymore, though.”
Then, as if it never happened, the music returned, this time a royalty-free “sounds of the woods” track, and the boat began moving again.
The next section had the stages on both sides filled with faux vegetation you’d find in any random American forest. Upon first entering the room, you’re greeted by the ride’s only “normal” animatronic, a stereotypical “hiker”. With labored, jerky movements, he turned his head to look at me. His face was shockingly well-sculpted. His sad bespectacled eyes paired well with his expression of complete dread. As if he knew the fate that would befall him within this scenario.
It wasn’t until I moved past the hiker that I really noticed the SMELL. Stagnant water EVERYWHERE. It invaded my nose, tickled my throat, and filled my lungs. I did my best to keep myself from vomiting by focusing on the scene around me. The fake plants were falling apart, and the branches of the trees hung lower than they should. Then, the music was replaced by a sharp howl as we reached an animatronic of a “wolf” on my left side. I put that in quotes because the animatronic was in ROUGH shape. The fake fur had fallen off in multiple places, the jaw had likely broken, because it hung open with reckless abandon, and its yellowing eyes seemed to bug out of its head. The ride stopped beside the wolf, and its unending stare was getting to me, so I looked to the other side, and I noticed something.
At the very back of this stage, I could see something pacing back and forth. It was hunched over, covered in intact hair, and was just aimlessly pacing. I knew that it couldn’t be an animatronic, because it was moving far too fluidly, something that couldn’t have been done with this ride’s budget. I didn’t get a good look because like I said, it was at the very back, concealed by the rotting trees. Plus, the ride started moving again just before my eyes could see any distinguished features.
Eventually, we got to the Bigfoot animatronic, which was pretty shoddily done. It was only at all unnerving because like the wolf, its damp fur was hanging off it like the skin of a burn victim.
Again, the ride moved toward a third door. This door was painted with the faces of green brain-hungry zombies. But before the boat’s bow reached the doors to force them open, the ride was once again halted, and the same haunting female voice filled the building.
“To be forgotten is a terrible thing. But to be ostracized is even worse. Caged like an animal, fed scraps from the population, I don’t want to live like this anymore. I want to die. Why are you here? Why won’t you just let me die?”
This was all said with a sadness that one can only know if they’ve hit rock bottom. These words threatened to split my soul in half as the boat pushed forward.
The PA system was now spitting out the sounds of anguished screams mixed with the grunting of B-movie actors playing the living dead. However, the next room was the most visually impressive.
The scene was truly apocalyptic, both sides were filled with the death of an idyllic suburb. The sameface houses were filled with controlled flames. On the front lawns, behind picket fences, mangled human animatronics were being set upon by grotesque zombies. I didn’t say “zombie animatronics” because honestly, they didn’t very much look like animatronics at all. If they were, they belonged on a Disney World ride, because their movements appeared slightly too fluid, similar to the hulking furry figure from the prior scene. They groaned in delight as they tore apart the helpless robots that sat before them. The only thing that marked them as animatronics was the fact that like the others, they were rotting. But this time, I couldn’t tell if it was the doing of the humid atrocity that was the stagnant water beneath the boat or if this was done purposefully.
Then, halfway through the scene, everything stopped. Literally everything. The boat, the animatronics, the music, and unfortunately, even the lights. The moment I was plunged into darkness, I felt a fear that had never been matched before (and would never be matched again if the next scene hadn’t happened). By the one minute mark, I didn’t know what to do. I was about to grab my phone from my pocket, to force myself back into reality by calling the authorities, when I heard something. Movement. Not mechanical movement, no, movement that only flesh and blood creatures could make. They were moving with a human’s gait. Then, the woman again made her presence known through the building’s speakers. Her sadness now evaporated and replaced with a seething anger.
“I hate you. I hate you all. You created me, you sustain me, and have left me to rot. You were unfairly chosen for this, but I have nothing but hard feelings. The only regret I have is that I cannot force this fate on every man, woman, and child that walk this earth.”
Then, everything sprang to life again, and I truly wish it hadn’t. With the lights on, I saw that every zombie was now standing at the edge of both stages. They were all lined up, glaring down at me. The stench of stagnant water was now replaced with the stench of human decomposition. I felt like at any moment, they were going to jump down and tear me limb from limb. Then, in perfect unison, they all opened their jaws that strongly resembled the one that the wolf animatronic had, and emitted an angry, pained screech. I answered back with a scream of complete terror. Then, once again, darkness.
This darkness lasted only a few seconds. Then, once the ride roared back to life, everything was as it was when I first entered the room. The zombies were back in their original positions.
My sobs overpowered the undead groaning as the boat moved toward the doors adorning an absolute ripoff of Disney’s Ariel. To my complete delight though, the boat moved through the doors without issue.
The final scene had to be the most expensive. Ethereal fantasy sounds backtracked pretty impressive visuals. Instead of stages, large pools sat beside me. On the left, the only above-water feature was an animatronic mermaid sunbathing on a large rock. On the right, a pirate ship with some animatronic pirates waving down to a mermaid that sat barely above water, waving back.
Despite this scene having the MOST water, the smell of gross stagnant water was completely absent. Instead, it felt like I now sat in the middle of a genuine sea with all the correct smells. For the first ten or so seconds, I had this unfounded feeling of calmness, like I was about to get out of this nightmare unscathed. But then, about halfway through, everything went wrong.
My boat halted, and I was once again forced to listen to who I now assumed was the operator of the ride, or perhaps was the voice of the ride itself.
“Goodbye, dear sacrifice. You only have the others to blame. It’s easier to just accept this ending. All myths, all stories, all legends have one, and this is yours.”
Then, both mermaid animatronics submerged themselves. The one to my right lowered her hand and slowly crept beneath the water. While the one on the rock simply pushed herself downward and slid underneath the surface. While they of course moved unlike any normal animatronic, they were nowhere near as fluid as the zombies, they very much moved robotically.
My stomach dropped as I pulled my phone out with the intention of calling 911. Zero service. As if I had been teleported to the middle of the ocean.
I knew I was being hunted, I just couldn’t fucking see where they had gone. Then, to my left, I saw a figure slowly rising to the surface, so I picked up my backpack and moved to the right of the boat.
Big mistake.
A hand clamped around my right wrist. The feeling of which I can barely describe to you. Silicone, the skin of a recently deceased human, whatever scurries in the depths of the underworld, that was what was gripping my wrist.
I swung my head around and saw a rotting animatronic arm holding me. The faux-skin was patchy, but I didn’t see a robot’s exoskeleton beneath it, I saw what I can only describe as a nebulous darkness beneath the silicone outer shell.
I stood and yanked my arm free from its grip far too hard, because a moment later, my world was turned upside down as I tumbled out of the boat.
I didn’t want to open my eyes, I wanted everything to just be over, I didn’t want to have to face what I was going to have to, but if I wanted to survive, if I wanted to go back home, I had to open them.
Both mermaids now floated in front of me in the murky water. Their imitation faces were wrenched into sadistic grins. I then looked up and saw the boat’s track only a few feet above me. I also stupidly looked down and saw the unending sea below me. I tried spasming upward, but the mermaids were too quick. Though like I said, they moved robotically, their movements were enough to out-swim me.
My hands were nearly at the metal tracks when I felt my ankles yanked downwards. I looked down and nearly vomited when I saw that the faces of the mermaids had been replaced with those of bloated corpses. Hungry bloated corpses.
I’m not a great swimmer, but I’m a human, and we have a will to live that cannot be matched by any supernatural force. I began thrashing. Moving as if I was stuck between two enclosing walls and I needed to push them away to avoid being squished. Though I felt one of my ankles slice open against one of their grips, I broke free.
With darkness inching at the edge of my vision, I reached the track, and yanked myself up and over it.
I don’t know how I didn’t fall through the tracks because my ass didn’t look down once as I sprinted across it. The woman’s voice filled the building, she was frustrated, screaming at me to stop.
The mermaids were still grabbing at me, but I was moving forward. I’m a human, and I was moving forward.
I pushed myself through the wooden doors with a faded “Thanks For Coming!” painted on them.
The next five or so minutes were a blur. I only really regained what you could call full “consciousness” as I placed my keys into my truck’s ignition.
I burned my sopping wet stinking clothes last night. I left everything there, so maybe I’ll get a visit from the cops soon, but I don’t think I will.
It’s strange. I have no use for legends anymore, yet here I am writing one. But that doesn’t matter, because I survived. I’m a human, I survived, and I will never ride a dark ride again in my life.

I swear I see the "migrating hosts" screen more than I do fucking gameplay. Just trying to run some EE's with randoms and almost everybody immediately leaves as soon as they take a down
It happened during the games life cycle but nowhere near as much as this, it's crazy. Most of them are in the first handful of prestiges

I feel silly asking for some advice on this kind of topic, but for some background, I'm a 17-year-old female, and no, I'm definitely not pregnant, haha. I am honestly and generally terrified of doctors, which is why I haven't gone to the doctor. I was forced to be admitted inpatient for 3 months when I was 12 due to an eating disorder; they literally took me away from my parents and no one had a say in the matter (which is why I hate doctors), but I have obviously since gained and maintained a healthy weight. I got my first period around 13 (around when I got into a more healthy weight in my recovery), and it has honestly been like clockwork ever since (30-dayish long cycle, 5-day period). This December, however, I started having 15-day cycles, and this continued into late January (I had 4 of these 15-day cycles), but then everything stopped altogether.
Now I just don't know what to do, especially since I refuse to see a doctor. I swear to God I'm eating enough. I still have an abnormal metabolism from the eating disorder. I eat like 2600–3000 calories a day, and that's my maintenance, which is kind of a lot since I'm 5'3 and smack dab in the middle of a healthy weight range (not a 180 pound male, lol). I also take a multivitamin to make sure I am not deficient in anything. I do weight lifting every other day for about an hour and a half, mainly to help with my bone density and stuff, and I am still noticing strength increases, so I don't believe it's overtraining.
Maybe I'm overreacting, especially since I heard that when you are younger, your hormones are more out of wack and irregular cycles are more normal. It just worries me because it's not normal for me, and with my past eating disorder, I am very worried about further jeopardizing my bone density. I know I'm very stressed in general life, and that's not something I can simply fix, so if that's what's causing this, I'm at a loss. I do think I'll still take a week off from working out just in case, but I'm also a little sad since working out also really helps me to destress. I know this is on the hairy edge of asking for medical advice, but I also hope a few people can at least give me some advice/share a similar experience.

I'm 27 so I know you're not some sort of wise old owl compared to me, we're basically peers, but I want to hear from people slightly older than me. This feels like such a critical time. I try not to be defined by the societal pressure to have certain things done by 30, but it's hard.
I see my peers accomplishing so much. Old classmates getting married and having kids. Coworkers getting promoted and becoming home owners.
I have tried and failed at many things so start to lose the will to try. My biggest accomplishments right now are that I have hobbies, go to the gym, live in my own place (renting), and have travel plans. That's more than some people can say, but it still doesn't feel like enough. I'm always single, I don't properly fit into any friend group and none of them really need me, and I'm questioning my career. My job has become frustrating and mundane, but I have bills to pay and I've grown attached to my coworkers. I am old enough to have started to lose my youthful exuberance, but young enough that a lot of the boomers still don't take me seriously because why would they? She's just a kid.
Anyway. What have your goals been? Are you there yet? Are you happy with the people in your life? Are you happy in general? Just...how are you?

Note: Please don’t screenshot/share this! I have a LOT of stories about my mom, but the phone call I had with my sister today just simply made me so upset I’ve been seething for hours and had to put it somewhere. I moved out when I was 20 (story for another time). I’m now 24, engaged, and living states away from my family. My sister is 20, still living there, and trying to deal with living there best she can. Our mom is so against us having a drivers license, to the point that it took me 5 years to get mine from temps to finally getting it. My sister is having a much tougher time getting hers and because of this, can’t move out. Anyways, today I get a call from my sister sobbing, because apparently during her best friends baby shower (which she threw, and our mom decided to “help”), she was awful all day and pitching a fit over everything, even leaving my sister with a ton of equipment and a tent and no way to get it back to the house. She was especially upset it was at a park and not her local club, even though my sister is the one who paid for it. Left Sister and SB to clean up and pack up and ask for help from GUESTS because she left early and got wasted with my dad. She literally almost ruined my sisters besties baby shower because it wasn’t all about her and other people were involved.
I’m just so sick of this being a constant cycle. I’m sick of crying after every phone call with her about wedding stuff (she will try to plan something to her tastes and then throw a massive bitch fit and stress herself out so badly she just lashes out), I’m sick of not being able to help my sister, I’m sick of my dad enabling her. I’m upset I can’t just go to their house and cuss her out and just take my sister away from that house. My sister and I had a long talk about just things we never got because our parents were so disinterested in us as people: we never got driving lessons, never went prom dress shopping, never had them go to our shows or art things or whatever. We just both cried for the things we never got to have. I literally have some of my work on Broadway and in National/InternationalTours (I’m a theatrical costumer) and my mom still won’t even acknowledge any of it. She also got upset at me for not getting her anything for Mother’s Day (she told me not to because I have a wedding to save for) then complained about my FMIL claiming I always talk about her and how “she probably got something!”. My FMIL is so sweet and kind and supports me in ways I didn’t even realize moms were supposed to support their kids! I don’t want to go NC, I want my mom there at the most important day of my life, but the thought of her just being her on that day is literally the only thing in the world that makes me want to just elope (and neither me nor my fiancée want that!! We want a wedding!!). But I’m sitting here seething considering doing so or at least just LC because I know any talk I have with her will go horribly. Events are just a nightmare with her. I want my sister outta that house so bad but I can’t do much from this part of the country. Just uuuugh.

Embarking on a vegan diet often leads to a host of health benefits, including changes in bowel movements. Here’s a glimpse into what you might experience:
Increased Fiber Intake: Plant-based diets are typically rich in fiber, thanks to fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. This uptick in fiber can promote regularity and softer stools, making bowel movements smoother and more effortless.
More Frequent Movements: With the influx of fiber, you might find yourself making more trips to the bathroom. Don’t be alarmed; this is just your body adjusting to the increased volume of plant-based foods. Over time, your digestive system will adapt, and bowel movements may become more regular.
Improved Consistency: Vegan diets often lead to firmer, well-formed stools due to the high fiber content. This can be a welcome change for those who previously struggled with loose stools or constipation.
Less Odor: Plant-based diets tend to produce less pungent-smelling bowel movements compared to diets high in animal products. This can be attributed to the absence of certain compounds found in animal-derived foods that contribute to strong odors.
Potential Gas and Bloating: While fiber is fantastic for digestive health, it can also cause gas and bloating, especially when transitioning to a vegan diet. As your gut microbiome adjusts to the new influx of fiber-rich foods, temporary discomfort like gas and bloating may occur but usually subsides as your body adapts.
Transitioning to a vegan diet can lead to positive changes in bowel movements, including increased frequency, improved consistency, and reduced odor. Embracing these changes as part of your journey toward better health is key, and remember to stay hydrated and consume a variety of plant-based foods for optimal digestive function.

I've been watching through balatro vods, and he keeps bring this joke back up. I know he used it as a way to compare his real life inside jokes vs the critically online jokes we always see on twitch, but did he ever actually explain what the joke was? I'm guessing not, but there's always hope!

I have booked a meeting with doctor. Not a smoker.
I started Vyvanse 4 weeks ago (30mg daily), I've had almost no symptoms and my BP is good (around 118/72 - 125/72 morning and evening). The pain appeared for the first time 3 weeks ago.
I've had the chest pain four times, three times at work and once home. The one time at home was 1 week after starting meds and the pain occurred before I had taken my meds.
The pain is really low, comparable to a strained muscle. It is often on left side closest to the middle of chest, but have also been on right part aswell. It only occurs when doing certain movements or breathing in. I have experienced no dizziness, weakness, fatigue or pain anywhere else.
Worth to mention: Not sure if related, but I've started to get a hard time breathing recently, asthma like symptoms with my throat closing in. This started 2-1 month before the medications and is most likely due to allergies since I've had asthma before and still have allergies. The breathing issues appeared randomly first, then only at physical activities. Now it only appears a few times, since I've started to walk and take care of myself better due to the meds.
I do suffer from anxiety but I've never had any physical symptoms of anxiety in my life, and I've had much worse problems with anxiety before.
My question is: does this seem heart related? I'm a bit worried about heart attacks etc.
Edit: forgot to add, the pain occurred the first two weeks, then it appeared today again after 1.5 weeks with no pain. So 4 times in total.

When Quicktalon finally woke up, his heart leaped to his throat as he noticed that the sun was beginning to set. A gruff voice chuckled to his alarm before he could act on his sudden panic, “Sit down, you crazy ostrich. You’re fine. Achira has been taken care of, the fire lit, and your dinner is near the fire to keep warm.” Quicktalon froze at the new voice, slowly turning towards the owner of this new visitor, but his eyes seemed to have been playing tricks on him. His brother Fleet was nearby and changing his sister’s bandages.
“Fleet?” he asked softly, his eyes still wide at seeing his battle-scarred brother. “H-how are you here?! The search party for the missing Drakes and Dragons left months ago!” he exclaimed, a grin growing as happy tears began to warm his eyes. It had been far too long since he had last seen his brother. “Well, we were on our way back from the most northern searches, and we found a few traces of what could have happened, but we need to send out another search party after we Rest and replenish our supplies. But I have heard the great news!” Fleet said as he hugged his brother, “ I’m so proud of you!” He exclaimed, pulling his brother into a hug, “I can’t believe you’ve grown so much from that little drake who never left our grandmother's side and always got into scrapes from running too fast.” He laughed softly.
Quicktalon chuckled at his brother’s lighthearted jesting, “ Grandmother always made healing fun and exciting, and I wanted to be able to follow in her talon steps and help those who helped us when we were little drakelings.” He said with a smile, “But now, I have a chance to truly save dragonkind from this dangerous threat, hopefully with getting this information out to the world and traveling to Scholar’s Whispering Peak, I can also get more information on what happened to our Grandmother and hopefully what had happened to our parents all those years ago.”
A smile ghosted Fleet's lips. He knew that something had happened to his grandmother; they had the signs and were Grandmother her. But the more his troop searched, and the more evidence was uncovered, the more serious this strange tail became. He hadn’t mentioned it yet to their pack leader. Still, Drakes across the savanna were going missing, some dragons and even the notoriously hidden Arctic dragons.
Dozens of Dragons of all kinds were going missing. The Sea Orcs were the only ones who witnessed this strange occurrence. They were too big for anything to happen to them, but the cause of the disappearing dragons needed to be uncovered and solved before the giant sea dragons began to disappear. But Fleet couldn’t ruin his brother’s excitement and joy over this. So, for now, he kept quiet and continued praising his brother for his magnificent discovery.
“I need to start getting ready. I’ve got a big trip ahead of me. I need to pack plenty of supplies and ensure I have enough to trade for a thick fur cover to protect me from the freezing temperatures at the summit of the Scholars Whispering Peak.” Quicktalon said, “I can’t wait to be able to spend more time with you and Achira as soon as she fully recovers from the effects of the viper.” He explained with a soft chuckle, “ but I will be back soon, hopefully before winter settles over the lands, which, with it being the middle of New Life, I should have time to make it to the coast and get assistance through the ocean and onto the nearest coastline on the other side.”
Fleet looked concerned at the plan his brother had just explained. " Are you sure that is safe? I’ve met traveling Sea Orcs and been told how long and perilous a journey across the sea can be for Drakes and Dragons of our size!” Fleet explained fear etched deep into his face as he couldn’t imagine his little brother in the middle of a raging and violent sea. “ It would be better to travel on land. You’d get there much safer and without the risk of your research getting ruined from the sea's moisture.”
Quicktalon took a moment to consider. Is a trip like that more manageable? Would it be safer to traverse land rather than sea? “Are there any maps I can get? Can you help me figure out a quick and safe journey from our home to the Scholars Whispering Peak? If the sea is too dangerous, I will need to figure out a different way to get to the scholars and hopefully get there before the snow season starts.” He said, “Do you know if the pack to our North sells maps of the continent and trade routes I could follow?” He asked while moving to a chest with chunks of gold and jewels he could trade for a map. He even wrote quick instructions for effectively healing and removing the venom from the bite of an Orid Viper. Fleet watched as his brother gathered enough items for trade; each pack had different trade requirements depending on the situation and status.
“Do you remember what they ask for trade?” Quicktalon asked as he set his collected gems and precious metals into a small side pouch strapped to his front right upper forearm. Fleet thought momentarily and tried to remember when his troop had last passed through the pack to the North. “ I believe they take both jewels and food, so we might want to stop and catch something for them to eat on our way over to the North Pack,” Fleet said as he sharpened his dull talons on a nearby rock, “ a water buffalo perhaps would be a good trade-off.” He said, “with the upcoming heat wave, they might appreciate more food for their youngins.”
“Then it's settled. Let's head to the North Pack and trade for a map for a trade route to Scholars Whispering Peak.” Quicktalon said, ensuring his research was set somewhere safe and out of the way of any potential spills or papyrus-eating worms. “Let’s go. The hottest part of the day is over for now, and the animals should be coming back from mid-day hibernation so we can snag a water buffalo on the way to them,” Quicktalon said while moving to give his sister healing wound a quick check-over. Once everything was in good shape, Quicktalon and Fleet left the medical hut. They began their journey to the North Pack and hopefully snagged a water buffalo on the way toward their destination.
Both brothers carefully left the medical hut and began looking around Earthquake to tell him where they were heading and their plan for QuickTalon to get to the Scholars Whispering peaks before winter hit. It wasn’t too hard to find the elder drake, as he was once again leading the younger drakes in battle practice for the potential war that seemed to be whispering on the horizon. “WATCH YOUR TALONS! FOR MOTHER DRAKE’S SAKE HEATSTROKE, DUCK! USE YOUR FIRE!” Earthquake shouted, drilling the almost grown drakes in new and much faster battle techniques. “Things must be getting worse if Earthquake is so worried about what’s been happening. It worries me.” Fleet murmured to QuickTalon, fear and worry evident on his face as he watched the young drakes practice their battle maneuvers as if they were currently fighting the actual enemy.
The mock battle went on for what felt like an eternity before Earthquake called for the young drakes to take a break and get a drink of water. “ Freshen up! Get a drink and take a moment to breathe! You must keep practicing if we ever need to go to war against this new and unknown enemy!” He commanded while walking over to see what QuickTalon and Fleet wanted to discuss. “ Welcome back, Fleet, and I’m happy to see that your search troop all came back with no casualties.” He said in greeting, “But what can I do for you both? I can see that there is something you both wish to tell me.” He said while peering down his snout at the younger of the group, “We plan to head to the northern pack and trade something of value for a trade route map to the Scholars Whispering Peaks. The initial route is dangerous, and the humid air could ruin my research.” QuickTalon explained, “With the scorching season rolling in, we thought bringing a water buffalo to trade for a map would be helpful.”
Earthquake seemed impressed by the current plan, “ while that is a good idea, the Northern Pack have been plagued recently by attacks from humans, or at least what seems to be left of that species; if you want to help, I’m sure food, water and medical attention will benefit them most.” He explained, “ but you both have my permission to go to the Northern Pack, just come back here, and I’ll help get you an assistant to stand in your place as a healer until your return.” Earthquake said, a smile gently ghosting across his snout, “now go on little ones, the sun is getting ready to set, and the water buffalo will be out to graze and drink at the nearby watering holes.” “Yes, sir, we will be back within three days,” QuickTalon said with a nod as he and his brother were dismissed and permitted to head off toward the Northern Pack.
With the dry dirt and plants crunching under their talons, QuickTalon turned and followed Fleet toward the Northern pack. “If humans are attacking them, what should we do if we see one?” QuickTalon asked after a long pause in the conversation, “Well,” Fleet started as if trying to recall a memory, “ my commander said that if you see a human, to kill on sight. While most humans are not dangerous to us as adults, they still threaten our young and elderly.” He explained, “Although I have yet to see a human, I have heard conflicting reports and statements about humans. Some are nice and have been seen helping others and the environment we live in, and some are on constant paths of destruction, burning, and taking like the worst of us dragons. Filled with greed and the never-ending satisfaction that they will never have enough stuff to put into their horde, they kill everything on their path to get what they want.”
QuickTalon’s eyes widened in both fascination and absolute horror at what he was hearing, and he had never realized that something so small and without fire or claws or just something to defend itself could be so destructive. “ But, is there a way to tell which ones are good and bad? Surely all of them can’t be rotten, can they?” He asked, jumping in fright when a breaking twig cracked nearby. “I’m sure there is, but for now, we’ve been told to just kill on sight.” He said softly, “ I know you want to help save the world, but you must remember, QuickTalon, that not everyone can or wants to be saved. You will need to know when to save yourself, and don’t let those who want to drown pull you under with them.” He said, eyes staring off into the distance, seeming to be looking at or hearing something out in the distance that only he could see. Quicktalon wasn’t sure how to respond to his brother’s worries. He was worried that his brother might know something more about this dangerous situation than he did, but he knew that he needed to keep his head clear and his eyes forward during this difficult time. “Brother, I know you are worried and want to find Grandmother, but spiraling off into the unknowns and the shadows will not help us find her. I believe in you and the others, but you need to take a breath and remind yourself where you are and your focus.” Quicktalon said, listening intensely to his surroundings while following his brother North. “ We will find Grandmother and the other missing Drakes, but for now, we need to rest our worried minds to start with a clean slate in the morning. If we let our brains become muddled, we could miss important details. So for now, let's just rest our heads and worry about finding a water buffalo and getting a map.”
Fleet sighed deeply, “You’re right, brother. Worrying about all the what-ifs has been muddling my mind. I’ve been so stressed over all of the potential possibilities I have lost the main focus of my mission. To bring the lost and the missing home.” He said, shaking his head ever so slightly as if trying to clear his head from the dark thoughts that had muddled his brain for many years. “ But I agree, let us get that water buffalo and trade for the map. Once we return and rest, my troop and I will follow you to the first trading post and head toward the North. Perhaps we might meet again on your journey.” Fleet hummed softly before snapping his gaze towards the direction of something he had heard. “Shh, I hear something!” He whispered while dropping into a low crouch and moving almost silently through the tall brush and grass toward the sound he had heard.
Quicktalon did the same and followed his brothers' movements. The grass hissed and crunched softly under their talons as they approached the top of a small hill. With careful movements, the brothers peered over the hill. The water buffalo migration had begun, and thousands of bison were resting around the large pond. “ The migration.” Quicktalon murmured, “Would it hurt if we managed to grab a few bison for the Northern pack?” He asked, “ I don’t know how many drakes are in the Northern Pack, but with the hot season approaching, maybe it would help to bring them a few bison to preserve before the migration leaves?” He asked if he knew they needed to preserve the circle of life, but he had no idea what the status of this other pack could be since it had been at least forty years since he had last seen the pack at the semi-annual Drake packs meet-up.
“Perhaps, although I don’t want to end up overwhelming the Northern pack with food. But I agree, with the scorching season approaching, packs will need as much food as possible.” Fleet murmured while slowly dropping into a hunter's crouch, “ I will go for the two deep in the water. You grab the one heading out.” He instructed, to which Quicktalon agreed. He adjusted his satchel and ensured his research was safe before waiting for his brother's signal. With a hiss, Fleet shot over the hill, running as fast as he found towards the two water buffalo in the water. Grunts, groans, and high-pitched bellows filled the air as the water buffalo panicked and ran away from the large drakes.
Thunderous hooves and cries filled the air as the buffalo pushed and shoved into each other while fighting to escape the predators. Quicktalon narrowed his eyes, planted all four talons to the ground, and lunged at the water buffalo. The bison bellowed in fear and swung its head, trying to gore Quicktalon with its horns, but with a sharp turn of his body, he narrowly managed to avoid the deadly horn and sink his teeth into the back of the buffalo’s neck. The buffalo’s wails increased before being silenced with a loud crack, its body falling limp in Quicktalon’s jaws and its head rolling loosely. Loud splashing drew the younger drakes' attention; the second water buffalo ganged up on his brother. With a roar of anger, Quicktalon dropped his fresh kill and thundered through the water toward the second buffalo. The second buffalo barely had time to react before Quicktalon threw himself on the bison’s back and began pulling on its horns to steer it away from his brother.
The bison bellowed angrily and bucked as hard as possible, trying to throw the younger drake off. But Quicktalon held on tight, and with an angry snarl, he gripped the horns tightly in his talons, and with a harsh twist and a loud snap, the bison’s neck was broken. The bison collapsed into the water with a splash. Quicktalon was breathing hard as he tried to catch his breath after such a stressful moment. Fleet growled as he finally managed to take down his water buffalo, “ Fleet, are you okay?” Quicktalon asked, moving through the water, the muddled water sloshing around his talons.
“ I—I’m okay, I just… need to catch my breath.” Fleet panted as he caught his breath. I don’t know why that was so difficult. It shouldn’t have been.” He panted while pushing himself up and moving to collect the two limp water bison. “Let’s get these to the North Pack. We are almost there.” He said while letting Quicktalon assist him with lifting the two freshly killed bison onto his back. “Alright, but as soon as you need to take a break, let me know,” Quicktalon said as he walked over to the water buffalo he killed and hoisted it onto his back.
Fleet nodded in agreement, and the two began the final leg of their trek toward the Northern pack. Crickets began to chirp and sing as the sun set, lighting the sky in a brilliant mixture of pinks, reds, and oranges. Quicktalon smiled, stared at the beautiful sky, and grew even more excited when the fireflies lit up and danced around the land. “ You’ve always enjoyed this time of year, haven’t you?” Fleet asked with a smile, “ I do. The beautiful sunsets, the lightning bugs, and the soft songs of crickets. It always brings me joy.” Quicktalon replied with a happy smile in return. “Whenever I am scared, I think of nights like this to help calm me down.” He explained with a soft chuckle, “Grandmother even painted me a painting of one of these nights. I still treasure that painting the most.” He said, reminiscing about when his grandmother gifted him the painting of his favorite sunset.
“We will find her, Quicktalon, I promise,” Fleet said as he gently shouldered his brother with a soft sigh. “ I know, Fleet, but I’m still worried. She vanished without a trace.” He said softly, shifting the weight of water buffalo on his back to accommodate for the extra weight. “ I believe you brother, but, I still cant’t believe that someone or something like this could have happened.” He murmured, “although I do hope that we can figure out what has happened and we can bring our grandmother home.” Quicktalon said as he tried to enjoy his favorite evening.
Fleet nodded, “ well, we are almost to the Northern Pack, hopefully they have something that can help.” He said, nodding his head towards the approaching lights in the distance, “ good, hopefully they can help.” Quicktalon sighed before a set of drakes in heavy armor thundered towards them, anger written on their faces. “HALT!” One of the guards roared. “W-whats going on?” Quicktalons asked, unsure of why the guards were so angry. “ Your grandmother and her pack of drakes destroyed our village!”

This girl, let’s call her Emma, only joined our friend group because I had set her up with my boyfriend’s college roommate. We had always had mutual friends but were never that close. At one point she suggested we become roommates, and while I was initially excited, I learned she was applying to be an RA so I declined because I did not want to be left searching for a roommate last minute. Little did I know, that this would have caused her to possibly not like me. It first started small, I have ASD and am sensitive to loud sounds. Our friend group would hang out and play card games and she would yell and become extremely competitive so much so that I decided I would avoid playing games with her altogether and not say anything. Then she would only be kind to the guys in our friend group, particularly my boyfriend. She made comments about how she was so short and wanting to compare hand sizes with my bf. I felt uncomfortable but shrugged it off. One day, a couple in our friend group asked me for help as her boyfriend didn’t know what to get her for Valentine’s Day. I asked my boyfriend to help him and thought that was the end of it. Later, as I was sitting with another friend group Emma was in for lunch, she criticized me for being pushy and getting involved when I wasn’t asked to. I corrected her but was weirded out that she would bring that up in front of so many people. My boyfriend this entire time was encouraging me to not judge her as maybe she didn’t mean to do these things. At other lunches, she also would criticize her boyfriend and my other friends to her friends who didn’t know them that well. I was extremely uncomfortable and decided to schedule a group talk so we could fix this situation. Everyone in the friend group talked about their issues with her and gave her the space to explain and address her issues with us. We asked that she at the very least address the issues with us first before talking to people we didn’t know. She agreed. The next day however she came up to me and listed more issues she had with me that was all from her eavesdropping so almost none of it was accurate. She suggested I was homophobic even though I am I have expressed to her multiple times that my sexuality is complicated as I am attracted to women but have been SA’d. She also started faking ASD I had previously told her my symptoms. For instance I struggle with change, like a routine, and can get overstimulated. She then lamented about having to change her wallpaper. The next night she started hitting herself and acting dramatic to Lofi music when I have seen her listen to it before. She then threw temper tantrum on the floor for two hours claiming that her routine would be changed When previously, she had done something similar and did not act like this. My boyfriend even took note and said he was uncomfortable. As someone who has this disorder, I was extremely upset. Then everything sprung out of control because my friends were continually telling me things she had said about me. One day somebody came up to me and told me she was cheating and flirting with other people. This person lived in the dorm beside her and showed me a screenshot as proof. However, the profiles were removed, so I couldn’t determine if it was her or not. Being worried about it I asked some of our mutual friends if they knew anything. I maybe shouldn’t have at this point. I was worried about her boyfriend. In the end, we told the boyfriend that we didn’t know for sure but someone had mentioned cheating. I couldn’t give her the benefit of The doubt anymore. Soon, there was a miscommunication and she couldn’t go to an event. My friends are planning event event. at that event, one of my friends male ended up, kissing her boyfriend. This was because of jokes they were continually making and wasn’t serious at all. In fact, both of them were dating women. If anything, she was encouraging these jokes and said quotation marks on multiple occasions that they should kiss. my other friend took a picture and sent it in the group chat after asking Emma‘s boyfriend if it was OK. She stopped talking to us after that point. I asked her friends if they knew anything about this and expressed confusion relating to the situation. I sent a message and asked her if she could talk to us about why she was upset with us as she had already talked to her boyfriend. After 24 hours and much debate , I sent her a message and said I no longer wish to continue our friendship, but we did not need to make it a serious big issue and I would just prefer if we dropped it and didn’t have any ill feelings toward each other, and talk about each other badly. She screenshotted this message and sent it in the group chat. She then attacked me and said that we were never her friends and said that I had called her homophobic, toxic, and said a wide variety of things that I had never said to her about or to anyone before that. I soon noticed were people were ignoring me because of this. I only corrected what she said to the people I cared about and tried to ignore the situation. I don’t know what to do as she is actively trying to destroy my life.

Hello everyone! My name is Anna, I am 22 years and from the Netherlands (but casting my web worldwide as I will explain later). I’m blonde, quite tall with 5’7” and I am quite active. I love to go snowboarding, wakeboarding, and you can often find me in the gym or on the treadmill.
Right now I am finishing my undergrad in life sciences. Once I’m done later this year I have two deep wishes. 1) I finally want to visit Asia! I love traveling but never made it there. 2) I want to spend a few weeks in the USA exploring different cities because I’d love to do my postgrad somewhere there. I studied one semester in the UK which was incredible and I hope to do this again but now in the USA.
As to what ‘type’ I’m into it’s quite broad. Well I am generally attracted to older guys, or at least guys who are mature enough to know what they want and have a good conversation. I’m not gonna put an exact number on it but if you could be my dad we’re still ok, if you could be my grandad probably not lol. I’m also usually not really into K-pop type of guys who are all stylised and perfect. I’m more into guys next door, like someone who could be your friendly neighbour or someone you run into in the supermarket lol. Also - not a must - but I like guys with a bit of meat around the bones.
More details about me. I guess I’m a typical Dutch person lol. I love cheese, I cycle everywhere, and I can be quite straight to the point (if it’s too direct you can totally just tell me straight to my face). I also looove spicy food. Last month I tried Sichuan food for the first time and my mind and taste buds were blown away. I've also started trying to learn Mandarin last year but it's damn hard.
If you’re interested to just get to know each other then please reach out. Since I do have a few travel plans I’d be happy to talk to people all over the world because you might become my reason to visit your city or country haha. As a few conversation starters, here are some suggestions:

• What’s your name and age?
• Can you describe your looks and body type?
• Which country in Asia should I absolutely travel to after graduation and why?
• What’s your favourite subreddit on here?
• What are your kinks if you have any?

That’s it for now!
Oh yeah I’m a night owl by the way lol so time difference might not be that much of an issue
PS. If your response to a long post like this is "hey" then we're probably not going to be a match.

(The post is slightly altered because the original text was more personal and directed at my friend)
All of this is stuff you’ve already heard before so this is just my personal looks at the album, its meaning, and why it’s probably the best rap album we’ll ever see.
If you have listened to TPAB all the way through then you remember that in the final track, Mortal Man, it’s Kendrick and someone else talking. I put this together and it’s just the conversation they have so you can easily read it and see who is talking when.
This is how I interpret albums meaning: TPAB is about the issues that African Americans will face due to the neglect of the U.S. government. The idea of the butterfly is a person who has become famous, or has power. That’s why in tracks like Wesley’s Theory, the opening track, the person talking says, “When the four corners of this cocoon collide You'll slip through the cracks hopin' that you'll survive Gather your weight, take a deep look inside Are you really who they idolize? To pimp a butterfly.” A butterfly is a transformed caterpillar, so in TPAB the idea of a caterpillar is someone who the government, or really anyone for that matter, doesn’t care about. Once they become famous (transform) and have power, they are treated better or like a butterfly.
Also, fun fact about TPAB that you prob already know. The original title was going to be “To Pimp a Caterpillar.” This was because it would then abbreviate to “2PAC” instead of TPAB.
Now for the conversation:
Kendrick: “I remember you was conflicted, misusing your influence. Sometimes I did the same, abusing my power full of resentment. Found myself screaming in a hotel room. I didn’t wanna self destruct. The evils of Lucy was all around me, so I went running for answers. Until I came home, but that didn’t stop survivors guilt. Going back and forth, trying to convince myself the stripes I earned, or maybe how A-1 my foundation was. But while my loved ones were fighting a continuous war back in the dirty, I was entering a new one. A war that was based on apartheid and discrimination. Made me wanna go back to the city and tell the homies what I learned, the word was respect. Just because you wore a different gang color than mine's doesn't mean I can't respect you as a black man. Forgetting all the pain and hurt we caused each other in these streets. If I respect you, we unify and stop the enemy from killing us, but I don't know, I'm no mortal man, maybe I'm just another n*. Shit and that's all I wrote. I was gonna call it Another N** but, it ain't really a poem, I just felt like it's something you probably could relate to. Other than that, now that I finally got a chance to holla at you. I always wanted to ask you about a certain situa--, about a metaphor actually, you spoke on the ground. What you mean 'bout that, what the ground represent?”
Friend: “The ground is gonna open up and swallow the evil…”
Kendrick - “Right…”
Friend: “That's how I see it, my word is bond. I see--and the ground is the symbol for the poor people, the poor people is gonna open up this whole world and swallow up the rich people. Cause the rich people gonna be so fat, they gonna be so appetising, you know what I'm saying, wealthy, appetizing. he poor gonna be so poor and hungry, you know what I'm saying it's gonna be like... there might be some cannibalism out this mutha, they might eat the rich.”
Kendrick: “Aight so let me ask you this then, do you see yourself as somebody that's rich or somebody that made the best of their own opportunities?”
Friend: “I see myself as a natural born hustler, a true hustler in every sense of the word. I took nothin', I took the opportunities, I worked at the most menial and degrading job and built myself up so I could get it to where I owned it. I went from having somebody manage me to me hiring the person that works my management company. I changed everything I realized my destiny in a matter of five years you know what I'm saying I made myself a millionaire. I made millions for a lot of people now it's time to make millions for myself, you know what I'm saying. I made millions for the record companies, I made millions for these movie companies, now I make millions for us.”
Kendrick: “And through your different avenues of success, how would you say you managed to keep a level of sanity?”
Friend: “and by my faith in "all good things come to those that stay true. You know what I'm saying, and it was happening to me for a reason, you know what I'm saying, I was noticing, shit, I was punching the right buttons and it was happening. So it's no problem, you know I mean it's a problem but I'm not finna let them know. I'm finna go straight through.”
Kendrick: “Would you consider yourself a fighter at heart or somebody that only reacts when they back is against the wall?”
Friend: “Shit, I like to think that at every opportunity I've ever been threatened with resistance, it's been met with resistance. And not only me but it goes down my family tree. You know what I'm saying, it's in my veins to fight back.”
Kendrick: “Aight well, how long you think it take before n***** be like, we fighting a war, I'm fighting a war I can't win and I wanna lay it all down.”
Friend: “In this country a black man only have like 5 years we can exhibit maximum strength, and that's right now while you a teenager, while you still strong or while you still wanna lift weights, while you still wanna shoot back. Cause once you turn 30 it's like they take the heart and soul out of a man, out of a black man in this country. And you don't wanna fight no more. And if you don't believe me you can look around, you don't see no loud mouth 30-year old muthafuckas.”
Kendrick: “That's crazy, because me being one of your offspring of the legacy you left behind I can truly tell you that there's nothing but turmoil goin' on so I wanted to ask you what you think is the future for me and my generation today?”
Friend: “I think that n***** is tired of grabbin' shit out the stores and next time it's a riot there's gonna be, like, uh, bloodshed for real. I don't think America know that. I think American think we was just playing and it's gonna be some more playing but it ain't gonna be no playing. It's gonna be murder, you know what I'm saying, it's gonna be like Nat Turner, 1831, up in this muthafucka. You know what I'm saying, it's gonna happen.”
Kendrick: “That's crazy man. In my opinion, only hope that we kinda have left is music and vibrations, lotta people don't understand how important it is. Sometimes I be like, get behind a mic and I don't know what type of energy I'mma push out, or where it comes from. Trip me out sometimes.”
Friend: “Because the spirits, we ain't even really rappin', we just letting our dead homies tell stories for us.”
Kendrick: I wanted to read one last thing to you. It's actually something a good friend had wrote describing my world. It says: "The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it. Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city. While consuming its environment the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive. One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him, but praises the butterfly. The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar. But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak and figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits. Already surrounded by this mad city the caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him. He can no longer see past his own thoughts. He's trapped. When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take roots, such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city The result? Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant. Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that the caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle. Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same. What's your perspective on that? Pac? Pac? Pac?!”

I’ve been struggling with progressively worsening brain fog and fatigue for the last 5 years of my life and I’m not sure what to do because my options feel very limited. For context I am 18, and the brain fog would have started in the summer of 2019 when I was 13 or 14. It was a pretty sudden onset, and has been consistently getting worse over the 5 years. It’s such a noticeable progression that I can think back just 3 months and it was wildly better than it is now, and 1 year feels like night and day compared to now. Dieting/eating a healthy diet, drinking more water, exercise, taking a break from screens, etc. doesn’t seem to affect it at all. The general feeling of it is as if someone filled my mind with mud and is now squeezing what little space I have to think. I struggle with forgetting words, and my ability to do math has been completely crippled. Lately I have also been getting sluggish and getting a general weak feeling. My biggest issue is the almost dream like state I am constantly in, as if my eyes can see just fine but everything is distant and blurry in my mind. It makes it nearly impossible to relax and my brain feels constantly strained like somebody is pinching and prodding at it. My running theories are that it is either a sinus problem, a sleep problem or a hormone imbalance of some kind. It does feel like someone is pinching my forehead so maybe it’s a build up of pressure? I feel pretty hopeless because the people in my life aren’t taking it as seriously as I am, and I’m genuinely concerned about my future. I would really appreciate any suggestions because maybe someone has seen something similar. The fact it keeps getting worse scares me.

I woulda handled Colin a bit different this season. I wish we saw him courting someone else and have him realize that Penelope was a better partner for him and understood him and paid attention to him more than anyone else in his life. Instead of him just being a rake and ladies man and falling for her because of a kiss?
They could have still done the kiss but I wish we saw that he fell for her because of their emotional connection and how special it is and doesn’t compare to anyone else even if he tries to have an emotional connection elsewhere. All we saw was him trying to have a physical connection and feeling it more with Penelope.
I would have just added a simple scene of him saying something to one of the girls flirting with him and the girl not paying true attention to him and his family not paying attention to him at the same time and then you have Penelope who on the other hand listens to his story intently and this makes a light bulb go off in his head and make him realize. You have him realize even with all this attention he’s being given from other girls, they don’t really care about HIM. They never cared about him before his glow up like Penelope did. She was always there for him even when he was getting zero attention from other girls.
I feel this would have had a better payoff than the kiss and jealousy of her having a new suitor, which that plot and physical longing could have still been intermixed at the same time. I feel like we just needed more time for Polin to come to fruition in their season. I know we had 2 seasons of build up but the actual friends to lovers part of their relationship felt so rushed. They didn’t get enough screentime.