My friend and I have always had an on again and off again friendship. We have known each other for over 15 years and have been “off again” because of either significant others not liking our friendship, or distance. This most recent “on again” has been going on for about a year or so, and we haven’t gone more than a day or two without talking to each other. I even went to visit him for our birthdays (they’re very close together). We have gotten very close in this time, and have even talked about the possibility of a future together. Since he is currently working in another country for work, we said we would visit that “future us” bridge and decide if we would cross it when he moved back home, and have remained really good friends in the meantime.
In the past, when we hadn’t heard from each other for a day, we both have reached out and acknowledged the odd behavior. His words in the most recent instance is “I recognize our relationship and also recognize when we aren’t showing up for our normal interactions and this…. Isn’t normal. So what’s going on?” So it’s not like it’s a one sided thing…
This is where the behavior I am questioning and finding very confusing comes into play. As I said, he lives out of the country for work, and he has recently taken a month long leave from work to see family. He’s just over halfway through his leave, and has about a week and a half, maybe 2 weeks left. As I said, in this last year we haven’t gone more than a day or two without talking to each other. Since he’s been on his vacation to see his family, he has ghosted me… kinda?
About a week before he left, he told me “you have been my priority for the past few months, but while I’m at home, I need to make my kids and family the priority… I’m telling you this because we won’t be able to talk as much.” I said “I hope it won’t be a month without talking because that might be difficult, but I understand. And by the way, I hope I never come as a priority above your kids...” He said “no, it won’t be a month, just not as much”. We video chatted the day before he left for almost 2 hours, he told me that he missed me. He was messaging me while he was on the plane and again in the airport, but the second he got picked up from the airport, it’s been radio silence from him. I haven’t gotten a text message or a phone call from him since. I knew I wasn’t going to be seeing him this trip home, since I just saw him, so it’s not like he ditched me or didnt show up for plans… The strange part, I suppose, is while I haven’t gotten any calls or texts, I’ve gotten some reactions to my messages, and he’s sent me some Facebook videos and TikTok’s. The first week, the only thing I got was a reaction to the message I sent him while he was leaving the airport. This past week, every day or two, he’s sent me a few Facebook videos or some TikTok’s. That, in and of itself, is not strange since he would do that prior to his trip, but the fact that he isn’t talking at all, but is still sending random videos… is. That’s why I don’t know if I can even call this ghosting. I don’t know if this friendship is just over and I’m just looking too far into this or holding onto something that just isn’t there anymore, or if he just needs his space for now and sending videos is his way of saying like… I’m still here. I don’t really know what to think… I have an anxious bean brain and I overthink, so I am looking for some outside perspective. Any thoughts or advice redditers?

1. Tarot Cards
2. Runes
3. I Ching
4. Pendulums
5. Scrying
6. Astrology
7. Numerology
8. Tea Leaf Reading
9. Geomancy
10. Palmistry

Here are brief descriptions of each tool:

• Tarot Cards: A 78-card deck used for readings to gain insights into the past, present, and potential future.
• Runes: Ancient Norse symbols used for divination and guidance.
• I Ching: An ancient Chinese text consulted for wisdom and insights on change and life's principles.
• Pendulums: A weighted object used to access subconscious knowledge or communicate with spirits.
• Scrying: The practice of gazing into reflective surfaces to receive visions or messages.
• Astrology: The study of celestial bodies and their influences on human affairs.
• Numerology: The study of numbers and their mystical significance.
• Tea Leaf Reading: The interpretation of patterns in tea leaves to gain insights.
• Geomancy: A divination practice involving dots and lines cast on the ground to reveal patterns and meanings.
• Palmistry: The reading of lines, mounts, and markings on the hand to interpret character and life path.
  Divination tools are objects or systems that people use to seek guidance, insights, or answers to questions about the future, unknown aspects of the present, or spiritual realms. They serve as mediums to tap into intuition, subconscious knowledge, or, in some spiritual traditions, connect with divine forces.
  

Here are some common types of divination tools and their practices:

1. Tarot Cards: A 78-card deck divided into Major and Minor Arcana, each card representing symbolic archetypes, situations, and characters. Tarot readings involve shuffling and drawing cards, interpreting their meanings in relation to the seeker's question or situation.
   
2. Runes: Ancient Norse symbols carved on stones or wood, each representing a concept or force in nature. Rune readings involve casting the runes and interpreting their meanings based on their positions and combinations.
   
3. I Ching: An ancient Chinese text containing 64 hexagrams, each symbolizing a different state of change. Consulting the I Ching involves casting yarrow stalks or coins to create a hexagram and interpreting its meaning from the text.
   
4. Pendulums: A weighted object suspended from a chain or string, used to access subconscious knowledge or communicate with spirits. Practitioners ask questions and interpret the pendulum's movements (swinging side to side, back and forth, or in circles) as answers.
   
5. Scrying: The practice of gazing into reflective surfaces like crystals, mirrors, or water to receive visions or messages. Practitioners relax their minds, focus on a question, and interpret the images or symbols that appear.
   
6. Astrology: The study of celestial bodies and their positions to interpret influences on human affairs. Astrologers create birth charts based on a person's birth date, time, and location, and use planetary alignments to make predictions or offer guidance.
   
7. Numerology: The study of numbers and their mystical significance. Numerologists assign numerical values to names, dates, and events, and analyze patterns to reveal hidden meanings or insights.
   
8. Tea Leaf Reading: A practice of interpreting patterns in tea leaves left in a cup after drinking. Readers examine the shapes and symbols formed by the leaves to offer insights into the seeker's life or future possibilities.
   
9. Geomancy: A practice that involves casting dots and lines to develop a sense of specific periods of time and space.
   
10. Palmistry: The practice of reading the lines, mounts, and markings on the hand to reveal information about a person's character, life path, and potential. Palmists examine the shape of the hand, the lines on the palm, and the mounts at the base of the fingers to make interpretations.
    

I’ve been talking to this girl online for about 5 months now. She lives kind of far from me and we’ve never met. It started out as a friendship and slowly turned romantic about 2 months ago.
Theres been some issues though. It’s been impossible to get her on the phone to talk. She validates the idea and gets excited and even brings up we should talk on the phone, but when it comes down to scheduling a call or confirming.. she goes silent or will change the subject. We’ve talked on the phone once the last 5 months we’ve been talking. No video chats either.
Our communication has been solely text and audio messages.
That has made me wonder if she’s with someone. But I don’t think she is being all her public profiles actively say she’s single and her family members are on there.
Last week something off happened though. I was sending her reels through Instagram (our primary source of communication) and for whatever reason, she decided to ignore them for two whole days. This made me feel really hurt because she never did this before.
We always respond to each of each others memes, no matter what 100% of the time. So this was weird to me.
As she was actively ignoring my messages, she was active posting stuff on facebook and Instagram as well as sending a bunch of her own reels to me. This made me feel ignored.
So I decided to be open and ask her about it. I asked “hey I notice you haven’t been responding to any of the reels I sent you, is everything okay?”
She instantly started responding to all the my reels I sent the last few days. (Like 20 or so). And then went on to send me a bunch of voice messages saying she’s been busy with a tooth ache and that she’s been cleaning her basement.
I immediately did not buy it. The fact that she sent me 40+reels within a 6 hours time frame the day prior, made me believe she had more than enough time to respond to my reels/messages.
She then went on to send me a nude picture of herself which felt very out of place and random.
The whole thing left a weird taste in my mouth.
I then decided to take a step back and not respond to any of her messages or send her anything for about a day and half. She picked up on the withdrawal and messaged me asking if everything was okay.
I told her “ Hey! Yes everything is fine. I was just feeing a little bad that you didn’t respond to any of my reels the other day so I just wanted to take a little step back. Everything is fine though so hope you’re doing well! 🙂”
She then texted me saying she bursted out crying and proceeded to block me from all social media.
Was I too harsh in taking a step back when I did and the way I did it? The fact that she blocked me has left me very hurt and confused. It feels a bit harsh as I would have preferred we worked it out.

Ok. i think we are done here. Could you write me another signs of high-tech low-life society?

Absolutely! Here are some signs of a high-tech, low-life society:
Ubiquitous Technology, Crumbling Infrastructure:

• Glitching Skyscrapers: Imagine towering structures clad in malfunctioning holographic displays, projecting advertisements or flashing warnings over rusting metal frames.
• Smart Slums: Dilapidated housing blocks are retrofitted with basic smart tech – malfunctioning automated doors, flickering smart lights controlled by unreliable apps.
• Cybernetic Beggars: People with outdated or malfunctioning cybernetic limbs beg for credits to upgrade or repair them, creating a grotesque spectacle of technological dependence.

Extreme Social Inequality:

• Virtual Gated Communities: The wealthy live in luxurious virtual reality simulations, completely divorced from the harsh realities of the physical world.
• Data Black Markets: Personal information becomes a tradable commodity, with the poor selling their data scraps for a pittance to afford basic necessities.
• Cybernetic Caste System: The level of cybernetic augmentation determines social status. Those with outdated or malfunctioning implants are relegated to menial labor.

Technology as a Corrupting Force:

• Government by Algorithm: A corrupt AI dictates city policies, leading to impersonal and often harmful decisions based on cold calculations.
• Widespread Addiction to Virtual Reality: People escape the harsh realities of their lives through immersive VR experiences, neglecting their physical well-being and social connections.
• Black Market Biohacking: Desperate people turn to illegal biohacking to enhance their bodies, often with disastrous consequences.

Environmental Devastation:

• Tech Wastelands: Vast landscapes are littered with the discarded remains of outdated technology, creating toxic waste dumps and breeding grounds for disease.
• Weather Warfare: Nations use sophisticated technology to manipulate weather patterns, leading to devastating natural disasters for their enemies.
• Hacked Ecosystems: Corporations hack into natural ecosystems, manipulating flora and fauna for profit, leading to unpredictable and dangerous mutations.

This is just a glimpse into a high-tech, low-life society. These elements can be mixed and matched to create a truly dystopian world.

Picture some possible advertisements from such settings.

High-Tech, Low-Life Advertisements:

1. Holographic Billboard: (Flickers intermittently, distorting the image)

Product: "Neura-Calm 2.0" - Brain Implant
Slogan: "Tired of the glitches in your head? Neura-Calm 2.0 smooths out your neural network for a worry-free, low-lag existence! (Side effects may include memory loss, emotional numbness, and occasional involuntary twitching.)"

1. Grungy Neon Sign in a Seedy Back Alley:

Product: "Doc Chrome's Cybernetic Enhancements"
Slogan: "Get that edge you need! From basic strength mods to full black-market military enhancements, Doc Chrome has you covered! (Used parts, buyer beware.)"

1. Pop-Up Ad on a Cracked Mobile Screen:

Product: "Elysium VR Escape Pod"
Slogan: "Can't afford real estate in the Sky City? Escape the slums for Elysium VR! Live your wildest dreams in a pristine virtual world! (Free trial, monthly subscription required, real-world consequences for in-pod violence.)"

1. Stenciled Graffiti on a Rusting Service Drone:

Product: "Data Scrappers Anonymous"
Slogan: "Selling your personal data just to make rent? We can help you break free! Join our community and reclaim your digital identity! (Meetings held in abandoned ventilation shafts, Tuesdays at dusk.)"

1. Holographic Advertisement projected onto a Polluted River:

Product: "Eco-Scrub 5000" - Nanomachines
Slogan: "The river's looking a little…toxic? Eco-Scrub 5000 nanomachines clean up your local waterways! (May cause unforeseen mutations in aquatic life.)"

Another batch please.

1. Rusty Public Announcement Speaker: (Screeching static interspersed with the message)

Product: "Ministry of Order Approved Thought Regulators"
Slogan: "Unwanted thoughts causing glitches in your daily routine? The Ministry of Order approved Thought Regulator ensures a streamlined thought process for a more productive you! (May cause extreme conformity, inability to question authority, and spontaneous nosebleeds.)"

1. Faded Holographic Billboard on a Collapsing Skyscraper:

Product: "Luxury Chrome Plating Kit"
Slogan: "Ditch the rust! Chrome-plate your entire body for a sleek, metallic sheen. The mark of a true high-society citizen! (WARNING: Highly toxic fumes, may cause spontaneous combustion in humid environments.)"

1. Spam Email: (Subject: "YOU'VE BEEN CHOSEN!")

Product: "The Syndicate's Black Market Upgrade Lottery"
Body: "Congratulations! You've been randomly selected for a chance to win a top-of-the-line cybernetic upgrade! One lucky winner will receive military-grade night vision implants! Enter now! (Participation requires full biometric data submission. Winners responsible for extraction of previous, incompatible implants.)"

1. Glowing Neon Sign in a Crowded Marketplace:

Product: "Mama Chen's Guaranteed-Growth GMO Groceries"
Slogan: "Tired of expired rations and mystery meat? Mama Chen's GMO Groceries offer guaranteed growth on all fruits and vegetables! Bigger, faster, tastier! (Long-term effects unknown.)"

1. Audio Ad on a Glitching Radio Broadcast:

Product: "Rusty's Reliable Rocketship Repair"
Voiceover: (Gruff, heavily accented) "Is your escape pod sputtering? Did your joyride end in a fiery crash? Rusty's Reliable Rocketship Repair gets you back in the stars... eventually! (Guaranteed not to explode... again. Parts sourced from scrapyards. May contain rogue AIs.)"

Now craft ads that would be shown in high-society parts of cities.

High-Society Ads in a High-Tech, Low-Life World

1. Tranquil Holographic Projection in a Private Garden:

Product: "Serenity Spa - Neural Rebalancing Retreat"
Visual: A serene mountain landscape with a luxurious spa nestled amongst the clouds.
Slogan: "Escape the chaos. Reclaim your inner peace. Serenity Spa's exclusive neural rebalancing treatments restore harmony to your overloaded mind. (Limited availability, reservations required centuries in advance.)"

1. Discreet Text Message: (Delivered via secure, encrypted channel)

Product: "The Black Archive - Unrestricted Data Access"
Body: "Craving the forbidden? The Black Archive offers unparalleled access to censored historical records, banned media, and classified government information. Knowledge is power. (Extreme discretion guaranteed. One-time access fee, cryptocurrency only.)"

1. Exclusive Gala Invitation: (Delivered by hand-drones)

Event: "The Zenith Initiative - Unveiling the Next Generation of Cybernetic Enhancements"
Visual: A sleek, chrome figure with glowing blue cybernetic implants, striking a confident pose.
Details: "Mingle with the city's elite and witness the unveiling of cutting-edge cybernetic enhancements designed to redefine human potential. RSVP required. Black-tie attire mandatory. (Augmentations sold separately.)"

1. Curated Virtual Reality Experience: (Delivered on a high-security chip)

Product: "Elysium VR - Bespoke Worlds"
Description: "Escape the limitations of reality. Elysium VR crafts personalized virtual worlds tailored to your deepest desires. Explore a forgotten utopia, conquer a fantastical realm, or indulge in your wildest fantasies. (Customization fees apply. Memories created within VR may not be distinguishable from reality.)"

1. Whisper Network Rumor: (Spread through high-society gossip channels)

Product: "The Underground Clinic - Designer Gene Editing"
Details: "Unleash your child's full potential. The Underground Clinic offers discreet, top-secret gene editing to ensure your offspring possess the most desirable traits. (Designer genes come at a premium. Side effects may include unpredictable mutations and uncontrollable genius.)"
These ads cater to the specific desires of the high-society elite in a high-tech, low-life world. They offer exclusivity, forbidden knowledge, and the ability to transcend the limitations of the decaying world around them, all for a hefty price and with a hint of hidden danger.

Continue, try to make more serious ones.

Serious Ads in a High-Tech, Low-Life World (High-Society Edition)

1. Holographic Panel Discussion in a Luxurious Penthouse:

Product: "The Green Horizon Initiative - Sustainable Urban Development"
Panelists: Renowned architects, environmental scientists, and CEOs from leading green tech companies.
Discussion Points: Innovative solutions for vertical farming, self-contained eco-districts, and waste management technologies designed to create cleaner, more sustainable enclaves within the decaying city.
Slogan: "Investing in a greener future. The Green Horizon Initiative seeks to build sustainable havens within the chaos, ensuring a brighter tomorrow for generations to come." (Focuses on the long-term viability of the city and the importance of preserving resources for future generations.)

1. Documentary Screening in a Private Art Gallery:

Film: "Unveiling the Slums: A Call to Action"
Description: A powerful documentary exposing the harsh realities of the lower districts, highlighting the human cost of unchecked technological advancement and social inequality.
Post-Screening Discussion: Moderated by a renowned philanthropist alongside representatives from NGOs and social reform movements.
Call to Action: Donations to support educational programs, infrastructure upgrades, and basic necessities in the slums. (Highlights the societal problems and pushes for progressive change.)

1. Educational AR Program for Children:

Product: "The Knowledge Weavers - Immersive Historical Simulations"
Description: An augmented reality program that allows children to experience pivotal moments in history firsthand. Walk alongside historical figures, explore ancient civilizations, and learn valuable lessons from the past.
Focus: Educating the next generation about the dangers of unchecked technological advancement and the importance of social responsibility. (Promotes critical thinking and historical awareness as a means to prevent repeating past mistakes.)

1. Virtual Charity Gala:

Event: "The Code for Change Gala - Supporting Open-Source Solutions"
Description: A virtual reality charity gala featuring renowned artists, musicians, and thought leaders. Guests can donate to support open-source projects developing solutions for common problems in the city, such as energy distribution, waste management, and cybercrime prevention.
Focus: Harnessing the power of technology for social good and encouraging collaboration towards a more equitable future. (Promotes community engagement and utilizing technology to solve societal challenges.)

1. Architectural Award Ceremony:

Product: "The Salvaged City Awards - Recognizing Innovation in Urban Renewal"
Awarded to: Architects and engineers who have successfully repurposed existing infrastructure or implemented innovative solutions to revitalize decaying areas of the city.
Focus: Highlighting the importance of resourcefulness and creativity in adapting to a challenging environment. (Encourages using existing resources wisely and finding creative solutions to the problems of the decaying city.)

Another, but hiding an evil sinister twist.

Serious Ads with a Sinister Twist (High-Society Edition)

1. Holographic Charity Drive in a High-End Shopping Mall:

Product: "The Cradle Project - Investing in the Future"
Visual: Smiling, healthy children playing in a pristine, futuristic classroom.
Slogan: "Every child deserves a chance to thrive. The Cradle Project provides advanced genetic screening and early intervention to ensure the next generation reaches its full potential." (Twist: The Cradle Project uses genetic engineering to create a subservient, highly intelligent underclass.)

1. VR Documentary Premiere:

Film: "Harmony Through Integration - A Look at the Unified City"
Description: A seemingly heartwarming VR documentary showcasing the seamless integration of the lower districts into the high-society areas. People from all walks of life work and live together in perfect harmony.
Post-Screening Discussion: Moderated by a charismatic government official who emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and the benefits of centralized control. (Twist: The "integration" involves heavy surveillance, mind-altering technology, and the suppression of dissent.)

1. Exclusive Educational Program for Elites:

Product: "The Phoenix Initiative - Cultivating Tomorrow's Leaders"
Description: A prestigious educational program for children of the elite, offering advanced training in technology, governance, and crisis management. Graduates are promised positions of power within the city's ruling elite.
Focus: (Unstated) Conditioning the next generation to maintain the status quo and suppressing any ideas of social reform. (Twist: The program instills a ruthless, elitist ideology that reinforces the societal divisions.)

1. Virtual Reality Talent Show:

Event: "The Forge - Building the Perfect Citizen"
Description: A virtual reality talent show where contestants are judged on their physical and mental fitness, loyalty to the government, and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. Winners are rewarded with significant privileges and access to exclusive resources.
Focus: (Unstated) Promoting blind obedience and conformity to the government's agenda. (Twist: The "perfect citizen" is a mindless drone, easily manipulated and controlled by the ruling class.)

1. Architectural Award Ceremony (Twisted Edition):

Product: "The Order Award - Recognizing Compliance in Urban Renewal"
Awarded to: Architects and engineers who have successfully transformed lower districts into highly controlled, resource-efficient zones. Individuality and personal expression are discouraged in favor of uniformity and order.
Focus: (Unstated) Maintaining a tight grip on the population and preventing any potential uprisings. (Twist: The "renewal" is designed to weaken and control the lower classes, making them easier to exploit.)
These ads maintain a serious facade that appeals to the upper class' desire for order and control. However, the hidden twist reveals the manipulative and oppressive nature of the society they are trying to preserve.

Now design some high-class consumer level product items.

1. NeuraWeave Headband: This sleek, designer headband is a status symbol for the high-tech elite. It seamlessly integrates with the wearer's neural implant, allowing for subtle control over personal AI assistants, hands-free communication, and even enhanced focus during work or meditation. Hidden Feature: NeuraWeave can subtly collect and analyze the wearer's emotional state, feeding valuable data to targeted advertisers or even government agencies.
2. Eco-Bubble Personal Atmosphere System: Imagine a portable force field that creates a pristine, personalized micro-environment around the wearer. This high-end gadget filters air, regulates temperature, and even projects calming nature sounds, allowing the user to maintain a pocket of luxury amidst the polluted cityscape. Hidden Feature: Eco-Bubble can subtly monitor the wearer's health vitals and transmit them to a central database, potentially used for health insurance adjustments or targeted medical advertisements.
3. Bio-Tailored Clothing: Gone are the days of off-the-rack clothing. This high-end service utilizes advanced bio-scanners and 3D printing technology to create clothing that perfectly molds to the wearer's body, regulates temperature, and even promotes faster healing of minor injuries. Hidden Feature: Bio-Tailored Clothing can subtly collect biometric data like skin temperature and heart rate, potentially used for targeted fitness programs or even mood-altering marketing campaigns.
4. Augmented Reality Personal Chef: This high-tech device projects holographic instructions and culinary techniques directly onto the user's kitchen counter. Imagine whipping up gourmet meals with the guidance of a world-renowned chef, complete with step-by-step visual guides and interactive ingredient identification. Hidden Feature: The AR Personal Chef can subtly track the user's dietary habits and preferences, potentially used to target specific food and beverage companies for advertising or even manipulate their taste buds through subliminal messaging.
5. Luxury Cybernetic Enhancements: Forget clunky prosthetics. These high-end cybernetic limbs are designed to seamlessly blend with the human body, offering enhanced strength, dexterity, and even advanced sensory input. Imagine climbing buildings with ease, playing virtual reality games with unparalleled immersion, or experiencing the world with heightened senses. Hidden Feature: Luxury Cybernetic Enhancements can be subtly integrated with government surveillance systems, allowing for real-time tracking and monitoring of the wearer's movements and activities.

Why would you need a designer headband, when you already have neural implant?

You're absolutely right, a designer headband might seem redundant when you already have a neural implant in a high-tech society. Here are some ways to address that:

1. Fashion and Status Symbol: The NeuraWeave headband could be a designer accessory, a way to showcase wealth and social status. It might be crafted from exotic materials, adorned with precious jewels, or boast a sleek, minimalist design that complements the latest high-fashion trends. The neural implant itself might be hidden, with the headband acting as the visible expression of advanced technology.
2. Enhanced Functionality: While the neural implant offers basic functionality, the NeuraWeave headband could provide a more refined and user-friendly experience. It might offer haptic feedback for better interaction with AI assistants, improved noise cancellation for clearer communication, or even subtle brainwave stimulation to enhance focus or relaxation.
3. Privacy and Security: While the neural implant offers convenience, it might also raise privacy concerns. The NeuraWeave headband could act as a buffer between the implant and external systems, offering a layer of security and allowing users to selectively control the flow of information.
4. Social Etiquette: In a world where everyone has a neural implant, the NeuraWeave headband could become a social etiquette tool. Wearing the headband could signify that the user is open to receiving communication or interacting with AI assistants, while taking it off might indicate a desire for privacy or focused work.
5. Limited Functionality Implants: Not everyone might have access to top-of-the-line neural implants. The NeuraWeave headband could bridge the gap, offering basic functionality for those with older or more limited implants. It could essentially act as an affordable "upgrade" to boost existing technology.

Ultimately, the NeuraWeave headband exists in a world where technology is both essential and aspirational. It goes beyond mere functionality, becoming a way to express personal style, control privacy, and navigate the complex social landscape of a high-tech society.

Now the same, but low-class, available for masses, mass produced.

1. Syn-Flex Headband (Mass-Produced Version): This utilitarian headband is made from a cheap, conductive material that creates a weak neural link. It allows basic interaction with public AI kiosks, like ordering rations or accessing public transportation schedules. The headband's design is simple and utilitarian, often coming in a single, industrial gray color. Hidden Feature: While basic functionality is advertised, the Syn-Flex headband might subtly collect anonymized user data on purchasing habits and travel patterns, potentially used for targeted advertising in public spaces.
2. AirBubble Personal Filter: This bulky, wearable air filter system is a lifeline for those living in the polluted lower districts. It's a mass-produced device with a replaceable filter cartridge and a noisy fan system. While not exactly comfortable, it provides a basic level of air filtration, allowing wearers to breathe a little easier. Hidden Feature: The AirBubble filters might contain embedded tracking chips, subtly logging user location data, potentially used for targeted pollution control measures (or in some cases, manipulation of government reports on air quality).
3. Repli-Wear Clothing Kits: These kits contain pre-cut fabric swatches and basic instructions for creating clothes at home. They're designed to be cheap and adaptable, offering a variety of mix-and-match options to create basic garments. Hidden Feature: The Repli-Wear fabric might contain embedded tracking tags, allowing for identification and potential social credit deductions for those caught wearing "unlicensed" clothing styles.
4. Holo-Chef Lite Projector: This cheap projector displays holographic images of basic recipes and cooking techniques. It lacks the interactivity of the high-end version, but allows users to follow along with simple meals prepared with readily available rations. Hidden Feature: The Holo-Chef Lite projector might subtly promote specific brands of low-quality, processed food rations, potentially influencing dietary choices towards companies that sponsor these devices.
5. Second-Hand Cybernetic Enhancements: These are refurbished or salvaged cybernetic limbs, often clunky and lacking the finesse of luxury models. They offer basic functionality like increased strength or rudimentary prosthetics, but come with the risk of malfunction or compatibility issues. Hidden Feature: Second-Hand Cybernetic Enhancements might contain hidden spyware or tracking devices installed by previous owners, potentially monitoring the wearer's activities or even sabotaging their cybernetic limbs in extreme cases.

These low-class consumer products offer a glimpse into the harsh realities of a high-tech, low-life society. They are cheap, functional, and often come with hidden drawbacks that further disadvantage the underclass.

How bad air quality would be in such setting?

The air quality in a high-tech, low-life society would be catastrophic. Here's a breakdown of the potential problems:

1. Industrial Pollution:

• Unchecked Emissions: Factories prioritizing profit over environmental regulations would pump out unchecked pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter (PM).
• Obsolete Technology: Outdated manufacturing processes would be less efficient, leading to higher levels of waste and pollution.

1. Waste Management Issues:

• Mountains of E-waste: Rapid technological advancements would lead to mountains of discarded electronics, many containing toxic materials that leach into the environment.
• Open Burning: Incapable of proper waste disposal, some residents might resort to open burning of trash, releasing harmful toxins and carcinogens into the air.

1. Energy Production:

• Reliance on Fossil Fuels: Expensive renewable energy sources might be neglected in favor of cheaper, dirtier fossil fuels like coal, further worsening air quality.
• Power Grid Instability: A crumbling infrastructure could lead to power outages and reliance on backup generators, adding to the air pollution.

1. Climate Change Effects:

• Heat Island Effect: Densely packed concrete jungles with minimal green spaces would trap heat, contributing to rising temperatures and increased smog formation.
• Acid Rain: The combination of industrial emissions and rising temperatures could lead to acid rain, damaging buildings and vegetation, further hindering air purification.

Living Conditions:

• Constant Smog: A thick haze of smog would likely hang over the city, reducing visibility and causing respiratory problems for residents.
• Limited Outdoor Activities: Air quality would be so bad that spending time outdoors would be hazardous, impacting physical and mental health.
• Dependence on Filtration Systems: Those who can afford them might rely on personal air filters or sealed living spaces, further dividing the classes.

The severity of the air quality would vary depending on the specific setting. Some areas might be industrial wastelands, while others might be slightly better off. However, the overall picture is bleak – this is a society choking on its own technological advancement and disregard for the environment.

Sketch some repli-wear "unlicensed" clothing styles.

Repli-Wear: Unlicensed Clothing Trends

1. The Salvaged Chic:

• Description: A mishmash of salvaged materials and repurposed clothing scraps. Think mismatched patterns, patches from old uniforms, and belts fashioned from recycled tech cables.
• Inspiration: High-society's sleek, minimalist aesthetic, reinterpreted with resourcefulness and rebellion.
• Risks: May attract unwanted attention from authorities who see it as a symbol of dissent.

1. The Glitched-Out Glamour:

• Description: Clothing adorned with intentionally malfunctioning LED lights, flickering pixels, and distorted logos from popular high-end brands.
• Inspiration: A mockery of the high-society's obsession with luxury and technology.
• Risks: May malfunction and cause minor electrical shocks, attracting suspicion from security systems.

1. The Bio-Hazard Chic:

• Description: Clothing dyed with bioluminescent algae or adorned with filtered gas masks and repurposed medical equipment.
• Inspiration: A dark reflection of the polluted environment and a commentary on the societal disregard for health.
• Risks: Bioluminescent algae might attract unwanted attention, especially in the dark.

1. The Cyber-Tribal:

• Description: Clothing incorporating salvaged wires, circuit boards, and other discarded tech components. Think of cybernetic motifs hand-stitched onto worn leather jackets or tribal patterns formed from glowing wires.
• Inspiration: A mashup of traditional craftsmanship and defiance against the dominance of high-tech aesthetics.
• Risks: Might be mistaken for makeshift weapons or attempts to bypass security systems.

1. The Corporate Spy:

• Description: Subtly subverted versions of high-society uniforms. Imagine slightly ripped blazers with mismatched buttons, or high-collared shirts with the logos subtly altered to resemble protest symbols.
• Inspiration: A subtle rebellion against the corporate elite, blending in while making a statement.
• Risks: Might attract suspicion from authorities if the alterations are too obvious.

These are just a few ideas for Repli-Wear styles. Clothing in a high-tech, low-life society would be a way for the underclass to express their individuality, defiance, and limited resources, all while navigating the dangers of a controlling society.

Sketch some repli-wear "licensed" clothing styles, that do not pose any risk for wearers from any concerned sides.

Repli-Wear: Licensed Clothing Trends (Safe Zone)

1. The Vintage Throwback:

• Description: Replicas of historical clothing styles, like classic trench coats, denim jackets, or even floral dresses from a bygone era. Think of vintage fashion filtered through a futuristic lens, with subtle metallic accents or holographic embellishments.
• Appeal: Offers a nostalgic escape from the harsh realities of the present.
• Safety: Historical styles are unlikely to raise suspicion from authorities.

1. The Minimalist Worker:

• Description: Practical, utilitarian clothing designed for maximum comfort and durability. Think of well-made jumpsuits in neutral tones, with reinforced knees and pockets for tools.
• Appeal: Perfect for everyday wear in the lower districts, offering functionality and a clean aesthetic.
• Safety: Promotes a sense of productivity and avoids any controversial symbols.

1. The Nature Enthusiast:

• Description: Clothing with nature-inspired patterns and muted earth tones. Think of shirts with forest camouflage or jackets with subtle leaf prints.
• Appeal: Offers a sense of connection to the natural world, a stark contrast to the polluted cityscape.
• Safety: Nature motifs are unlikely to be seen as a threat by authorities.

1. The Sports Fanatic (Limited Edition):

• Description: Replicas of historical sports jerseys or team logos from a bygone era. Could also feature faded logos of defunct corporations, offering a sense of playful nostalgia.
• Appeal: Allows for a limited display of individuality and team spirit.
• Safety: Historical or defunct logos are unlikely to pose a threat, as long as the license is valid.

1. The Kid's Corner:

• Description: Replicas of popular cartoon characters or children's book illustrations, brightly colored and playful.
• Appeal: Offers a sense of innocence and escapism for children in a harsh environment.
• Safety: Popular children's characters are pre-approved and unlikely to be seen as a threat.

Now the opposite: some high-end high-society high clothing styles.

High-Society Haute Couture in a High-Tech, Low-Life World:

1. Bio-Luminescent Elegance:

• Imagine a flowing gown woven from a special bioluminescent material that emits a soft, ethereal glow, adapting to the wearer's mood and movement.
• The dress could be accented with strategically placed gemstones that amplify the bioluminescence, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.

1. Augmented Reality Couture:

• Dresses and suits with intricate embroidery that, when viewed through special AR glasses, come alive with holographic animations, patterns, or even personalized messages.
• This could be used to display family crests, stock market trends, or even live news feeds, all seamlessly integrated into the clothing.

1. Nanotech Tailoring:

• Clothing that self-adjusts to the wearer's body temperature and preferences. The fabric could be woven with microscopic nanobots that regulate temperature, repel dust, or even release a subtle, personalized fragrance.
• This would offer a level of comfort and personalization that pushes the boundaries of traditional haute couture.

1. Recycled Luxury:

• High-society wouldn't be complete without a touch of eco-consciousness (or at least the appearance of it). Imagine garments meticulously crafted from recycled materials like discarded computer components or salvaged spaceship parts, transformed into stunning evening wear.
• This "waste-to-wear" approach would showcase wealth and environmental responsibility (or at least the image of it).

1. Cybernetic Accents:

• Subtle cybernetic implants seamlessly integrated into clothing. Imagine a dress with a built-in neural interface that allows the wearer to control personal AI assistants with a simple touch or a suit with temperature-regulating implants woven directly into the fabric.
• These high-tech accents would be a subtle yet sophisticated way to showcase wealth and technological advancement.

Bonus: The "Living" Garment:

• A truly outrageous and exclusive garment – a dress or suit composed of a bio-engineered material that appears to be alive. Imagine clothing that shimmers and pulsates with a faint bioluminescence, seemingly breathing and adapting to the wearer's movements.
• This would be the ultimate status symbol, a conversation starter that pushes the boundaries of fashion and technology into the realm of the fantastical.

If so, did you stay or go? How did kids complicate things?
Here’s my story.
Husband of 5 years was caught texting a coworker and swore he would end it. He slept with her a few weeks later. He confessed that after a few weeks and after a lot of crying and discussion, we stayed married. He promised it was over and they were no contact. 6 months later we decided to have a baby. At 7 months pregnant, the girl messaged me and told me they had still been hanging out as friends, but had not slept together. I did some more investing and found out there was a second woman that he “only slept with once” and he had also been going to meet with her while I was pregnant, but they never slept together again, although he did try to. (I had the pleasure of reading all the messages between them). He had stopped seeing them both by the time I found out and had turned a new leaf. Since I was pregnant, I pretty quickly moved on and told him one more chance. I am 5 months pp now and really wishing I had left. I feel extremely selfish for wanting to leave because of the baby. If I was not pregnant, I would have left when I found out the other information. He’s a great dad and has really started acting right, but the damage has been done.
Please share your experiences.

I know this is a big ask, but I'm hoping someone here can advise me on structuring the overhaul of my one-acre property, which is currently overrun with invasives. It's gotten completely out of control, first due to my ignorance and then to several years of chronic illness, but now I'm ready to start the process of taking charge. Due to being out of commission for a long time, I'm extremely light on cash and friends, lol, so I'll have to do the work myself, but I'm feeling capable, if a little overwhelmed. I also have wicked ADD, so I know I need to start with a general plan or else I'll immediately get "overstimied" and give up or else get lost in the quicksand of "procrastivity." :)
Below is a list of the infections my property is facing, and below that is a list of potted natives I have waiting to replace the invasives. (My understanding is that I should plant something native immediately after removing an invasive so that something noxious doesn't move into the empty space.)
I would really, really appreciate any advice you guys have on timing, prioritizing, methodology, or anything you think will be helpful. <3
I'm in Eastern Massachusetts, in the Gulf of Main Coastal Plain ecoregion (https://bplant.org/region/807); I have a full array of sun-exposure areas, from full shade to full sun; my soil is not the best since I've only just started working on it by topdressing with compost and sheet mulching where I can, but it's benefited from not being OVER-worked, at the least. I purchased a bottle of triclopyr (Bonide's Stump-Out Stump and Vine killer), but so far all I've done is stare nervously at it.
INVASIVES
I have just finished taking down all of the FLOWERING garlic mustard. Now I have:

1. non-flowering (first year?) Garlic Mustard - a concentrated 25-square-foot area; allelopathic but at least I have another year before they flower
2. Oriental Bittersweet - massive infestation, it is literally everywhere; honestly it is the only thing holding my shitty fence together, haha, but I know it's gotta go before it sets fruit again
3. Multiflora Rose - four large bushes
4. Honeysuckle Bush - three large bushes
5. Japanese Barberry - one giant bush that was presumably planted by landscapers 10+ yrs ago and then 4-5 small volunteers throughout the yard
6. Tree of Heaven - 2 tallish, 2 small; the canes of these are no more than an inch thick, so at the very least I can cut them back, even if I'm not able to dig them out

My property also has four mid-sized White Mulberry trees, a crap-ton of purple irises, and an endless ocean of Vince and Lily of the Valley, but I didn't include them in this list because those seem the least offensive, unless you think otherwise.
NATIVES
I either received these as free leftovers from a plant sale I volunteered at or dumpster-dove them from the garden center where I work, so it's a big hodge-podge, but I'm not in a hurry for anything to look put together; aesthetics here are tertiary to supporting wildlife and filling in spaces to suppress invasives. (* indicates a seedling or young plant, otherwise they're mature plants.)

1. Winterberry Holly* (2, both female - pls welcome my lesbian hollies)
2. Viburnum Brandywine* (1)
3. Lobelia Cardinalis* (2) - I suspect that my soil isn't going to be moist enough to sustain these, but I want to attract hummingbirds so bad :(((
4. unidentified Oak trees thought to be in the "Lobatae" family* (3) - young babies, 5" and smaller
5. Juniper Squamata "Blue Star" (1)
6. Dwarf White Cedar "Little Jamie"* (9)
7. White Wood Aster* (3)
8. Tiarella* (5)
9. Tiarella, mature plants (3)
10. American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) (7) - I probably don't have enough moisture to support these, but I thought I might try planting them with ollas (which I already own)
11. Cutleaf Coneflower (1)
12. Black-eyed Susan (1)
13. Coreopsis (3)
14. Fringed Loosestrife "Firecracker," clumped with Evening Primrose (1)
15. Monarda Fistulosa* (1)
16. Monarda Punctata* (1)
17. Monarda didyma "Gardenview Scarlet"* (5) - these are babies and already have a touch of powdery mildew, so I'm not sure how long they're going to make it :/
18. Golden Alexander (5) - still tiny
19. Penstemon Hirsutus* (1)
20. Anemone Virginiana* (1)
21. Mountain Mint (2)
22. Big-leaf Aster (1)
23. Wild Ginger (2 clumps)

I also have about a billion Solidago volunteers throughout the yard, plus many Common St. John's Wort volunteers, which I could transplant into vacated spaces. Additionally, I was gifted a billion hostas, many sedums and many red irises, which could potentially occupy an area while I wait for natives to fill in?
Thanks so much again for any help you can give me!!!

I had this guy friend that I knew since middle school. We would talk and text almost daily and we had some of the same interests.
Some of our conversations entailed him sharing personal stuff with me, like being bullied or family conflicts. He was even kicked out of the house at 18 years old. This happened quite a bit, to the point where most of our interactions partially involved him talking about his problems. It was all coming to a head and I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt like he was treating me less like a real friend and more like a therapist.
I started keeping distance from him. I stopped answering his calls and texts and, several months into it, I even blocked his number. One day, I got a call from a blocked number and answered it. It was him. The conversation was brief and I admittedly lied and told him I was doing something. He asked me why his calls kept going straight to voicemail and, again, I lied saying that “my phone… uhh… did a thing.” I panicked.
A couple more months pass and I decided to block him on Instagram. Not too long after that, he noticed, because he sent me a direct message on Facebook asking, “Why did you block me? What did I do?”
I responded with this:
“Hey, Taylor. I’ve blocked you because in the past, you’ve treated me more like a therapist than a real friend. The issues you’ve had, like family problems, aren’t things that can be fixed with a phone call. I encourage you to go to real therapy to get some help. In the meantime, I need to move on from this friendship because it’s unhealthy for me. Please respect my wishes and leave me be. I truly wish you the best.”
Part of me feels bad, but I just couldn’t stand listening to anymore of him talking about his problems. I talked with my parents about it and we all came to the conclusion that this is what would be best. They assured me that this was the right thing to do, because I was putting myself and my mental health first. But I don’t know…
AITAH?

Hi all, I bought this tree at an estate sale in Albuquerque for $1. No idea what it is, but for some reason I’m convinced it’s a fruit tree…maybe because it looks like it’s on dwarfing rootstock? It leafed out later than just about everything else in my yard, but I think it’s unhappy in its very dense soil and maybe with sitting in a pot in a hardiness zone lower than it’s used to… I haven’t seen any flowers on it. Ideas?

You ma'am were my everything, from the moment I first saw you walking to my tow truck. I was in aww of you in that moment I was so hooked I can't explain it in any other way. I just needed to get to know the real you. Looking back I wish I could have slowed everything down a lot because we moved so fast. Opened the door for you and got you up into the truck. At first she was impressed I even would do that for her. She said it made her feel special and no one had ever done that for her. As I walked back to my door to get in time for me started to slow as I thought about a million things at once I was so drawn to her wanted everything for her and me to be amazing and guys, it really was great from my seat. She's absolutely gorgeous, sweet yet she's a pretty bad ass chick though. She's into heavy metal and rock over anything. She's my only ginger I've ever dated in my life. She's so beautiful, selfless when she knows u need something she is the first one to get it for you and she's an amazing cook, So incredibly sexy, and no matter what she broken and all was the only woman that I ever bought a real ring for wherever would and that red hair gets me now every time I find one around in my truck or my house. She loves to play with it as her nervous habit I used to say she was marking her territory jokingly but I loved watching her do it I love watching her play with it It was awesome to just be able to look over at her and see her sitting there was the greatest feeling in my life next to having my children and watching them be born. Seeing her smile was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen in my life That's what I lived for I lived for being silly with her and joking around and just having a good fucking time and spending that time with her no matter how much it was. I loved it always. Even when we fought I didn't ever stop loving her I did never stop caring about her obviously I was in it for us. Call me a wuss whatever you want I don't care I honestly have a thing with other people's hair it grosses me out when it is off the body so I'd have these piles of hair is have to immediately get out of the floor of my work truck when id open it for her to get her out of the truck lol it grossed me out but I didn't really care it was more funny that she was nervous cus we were so chill together. I quickly fell for this girl front the start and she was exactly what I said in the title. She's always going to be my blue little sundress passenger seat princess, the only women I've ever actually seen, planned, or dreamed of a future with and I've had longer relationship with kids even. But she has two sweet little girls that are amazing as well and I have become attatched to them as well throughout this 3 years. Especially because when her and I first met and went on our date I knew already that she was a mom of two but I hadn't met either one of them yet. Days after she was still with me and we spent every waking moment together in that truck. And we had a great time It just felt right. After that weekend was over we went to pick up her 3-month-old daughter. We had to go to the next town over and get her from her dad's house. As I got this little girl up into my truck put her car seat in the back of the tow truck I did what any normal person would do when meeting a baby for the first time. Started talking to her just to see her reaction to me. She was so sweet and so damn cute. She smiled so beautifully and was just so amazing it brought back all the memories for me having my kids. And that one really just cemented in the fact that I wanted to do this so much for my girl and I and for these kids cuz they were amazing. I spent my days just working away. Most the time with her by my side. There was times where yes we were not together 100% there's things she had to go do. Which was fine That's what we needed some time apart to miss each other cuz we did spend a lot of time together but honestly As long as we were there in my truck we were amazing together just hanging out while I was working spending time together and she said she loved watching me work. She loved how manly I smelled after and during a days work. Everything was great. So before her and I met I was always working and keeping to myself just trying to focus on myself but I lived in a hotel. So since her and I got hooked up together, we lived in my hotel which was not bad at all it was a fairly big hotel that offered reduced rates for long extended stays and they offered me a corporate discount. So it was fairly inexpensive as far as paying for the place but it was still extremely expensive compared to renting someplace. But it was by my own money because she had no income no job that I paid for everything. Literally everything. So as I worked 7 days a week and worked from time outta bed in the morning until well after midnight. I had no time to find our own place for cheaper living to start new direction for us. So she started searching for our own place to rent. Let's say we got distracted from that because of this damn drama that seemed to always be happening with her life. I'd always listen to what was going on with her and try to help. It's what I do in my everyday life I jump out of a truck when people are at their worst and it makes me feel a sense of joy because I get to get out of the damn truck like Superman get over to them and calm their life down a little bit slow it down for them when they're in their worst moments of the day and just take that weight off their shoulders. I get that fulfillment for my life that joy and it drives me to keep going That's the only reason I push through my days. I lived for it, soon after meeting her she became a big part of that meaning for me so much so I never even realized that it would end up costing me my career because I just couldn't do it anymore getting in that truck And as I open the door I see her there in the passenger seat with a flooded memory that comes rushing in and I get happy really quick like it's all real again and as soon as I sit down take my guys off that seat I look back over when it close the door cuz I'd always smile back at her when I got in the truck and she's not there and it breaks my heart every single time I experienced this so imagine getting in and out of that truck every day all day long and having to do that. I've been such an emotional wreck now that I literally had to go to my boss and quit my job because I couldn't safely do it and this was the job ladies and gentlemen that I prayed for at the end of our relationship I wasn't working hadn't been working for a few months because I just found out that I got cancer in my throat. So I got depressed I didn't know how to tell her my mom anybody being only 37 years old that I'm not going to be here that long Not as long as I thought so it started to destroy me and by this time in our relationship two and a half years in we had had several moves several little breakups but we'd always come back together and we always seemed great afterwards but then it always seemed like something would come up or she would lie or do something that I didn't like or that I wasn't approving of and every time I tried to talk to her about it she would just blow up at me and yeah there was lots of red flags I missed her out of a relationship I wish I could have done so many things different but stress and being what it is and everything you know I let my emotions get the best of me I let my my everything get the best of me every single time because as soon as she starts yelling it makes me louder and I just don't see anybody giving me that kind of a disrespectful stance especially when I'm trying to be calm I'm trying to just talk to them about it and then they blow up and makes me want to blow up right back So yeah my mistake but are honestly feel like it was just to cause me to do that so she could break up or we can break up and she can run away for a couple days and go get what she needed somewhere else and then come right back. That's what I feel like now. Don't know if it was all lie from delusional or what but everything I've read on here it all speaks to me so much that I honestly I really feel like I was lied to the entire time I was made to believe something that was never true This girl told me she loved me like 3 months in and I honestly felt it before that but I really think it was all just a facade now for her We found each other and we were broken pieces everywhere we started putting our lives together picking everything up putting ourselves back together and we felt more complete than anything is the way I saw our lives up until a year and a half into it though it was for me even with the little small breakups and stuff it was amazing It wouldn't trade it for the world soon as I found out I had cancer though guys It broke me I wasn't working I wasn't doing anything for myself and yeah that I regret I regret not just telling her right away because looking back now it may have helped but I doubt she would even cared She probably would have broke up with me then is how I feel now. But I never told her until almost 3 weeks after we broke up. The 17th of this month was my birthday my 38th birthday The day after is her 3-year-olds 3-year birthday. Which I didn't get to go to even though that little girl calls me dada loves me like there's no tomorrow and I love that little girl so so much she was like she was my daughter shortly after I found out I had cancer I was taking care of that little girl not working but taking care of her all day everyday for months in my house with her living here and my girlfriend living here while she worked. Then she's sitting here telling me griping at me that I need to get back working by about she can't be the only one working but then if I did that we wouldn't had a babysitter We would have nowhere for "Our daughter" She always insisted when I would say her daughter because she has a lot of hateful feelings towards her baby daddy. The other thing I forgot to mention is the fact that about 2 years into our relationship she went through a pretty major surgery for herself No one was there for her except for me I sat with her through the whole thing waited for her at the hospital I waited on her hand and foot at my place of living She laid in my bed took care of her gave her everything she needed and would do it again in a heartbeat The point is that I was there stood by her side took care of her in every way I needed to every way I could. In the first part of our relationship all the way through I'd say the first half She was always constantly wondering if I had eaten today or if I needed food or if I wanted her to cook me anything or I mean would she selflessly would do every single time she was happy to do it She loved doing it She loved being at the hotel and me coming home to a cooked meal how she would do it in her bra and underwear because just for shits and giggles you know She was the most sexually appetizing person I've been in with in my entire life number one and from day one of our relationship I never saw any other female on this planet My eyes never strayed not once they only saw her She was my everything. Fellas tell me when you fell in love If you ever felt the same because I know for me there was another woman on this planet that could ever even have compared to my woman she was so sexy so incredibly just mesmerizing for me and having her in my arms I felt complete I felt like a man I felt like I would move to heaven and earth for this woman and I was trying doing everything I could and it always just seemed like our little stupid spats and our bickering was so much more to her than it was to me because she would always end up leaving and going to her sisters. Her sister was and is so incredibly damaging for her mental state that I'm surprised that this woman has not killed herself yet She has no movement in her own life she's a stay-at-home girlfriend for her boyfriend of 16 15 16 years something like that and she is about a cow about 300 lb heifer that has always been jealous of anything the little sister gets that makes her happy that makes her have a better life than what big sister has then big sister has to sit there and destroy little sisters mental state just to bring her back down so she can feel good about her own self So anytime she ever went back there that's exactly what happened Big sister would just tear her down and break her down and it's just sick and that's where I think first mistake for us ever went was allowing her to move in there because as soon as she did seem like everything started going downhill and that's when I started finding things out about how much she was actually lying to me about stupid silly little things because her brother in-law and sister would talk to her about our relationship at night when they're all home together or whenever and they'd be giving her advice when these two are alcoholics they will not ever get married even though they've been together forever but this is just to not lose social security crap it's ridiculous there's a real fear of commitment between the two and a lot of damage between the two and it just fed right into my woman's head and I'm really truly believe it loud it her to be severely poisoned cuz she started turning into a completely different person but yet I still loved her like the day I first met her I still looked at her exactly the same I still do to this day even though she won't have anything to do with me for whatever reason I don't know I never got a reason but after everything we've been through I honestly felt like every time she made me promise never to leave her every time she made me the promise that she would never leave me no matter what blah blah blah I feel like it was all just a game to her now and a game to her family because my woman was the child that was traded off when things got too stressful for Mom she was the kid that was sent to the hospital to you know being the mental ward because it was just too tough for Mom to cope with having two kids and being as destroyed of a person as she is So of course that's led to a lot of emotional damages for my woman and for that entire family It's led to alcoholism and the other side of the family with her sister and her mom being best friends they hang out all day long and it's about the worst family situation you could think of but sadly she will still choose her family over anybody at the end of the day even though they don't choose her like that It breaks my heart to watch honestly the best thing she could do is cut them off from her life but there is a lot of times that she needed them there because she had no other option is what she felt instead of when we fought going there honestly alsoever wanted her to do is just calm down and instead of leaving stay here choose me over that bullshit fight choose me over the fucking nonsense of everything because at the end of the day none of it mattered to me I always forgave her for everything not because I wanted to be the doormat or because I allowed myself to be the doormat but because when I grew up I grew up in a Christian family That's what we do if we fight we work shit through I may not be the best Christian in the world but I know the values that I have in my family were not the same as hers they traded her off when times got tough they never showed her unconditional love so she doesn't even know how to unconditionally love her own children and it's really sad cuz honestly to this day I feel like that little girl would choose me over her own mother and that breaks my heart for her. I realize I've been rambling on for a while now but this one really doesn't sit right with me guys I've never had any issues with any breakup since this one and I know the mental state she was in when she made it and made this choice but the way she did it just recently after having promised her yet again and her promising me that we would never leave each other and to always fight for the relationship. She comes over about a 3 weeks ago we have sex been seen each other in a few days few days prior to that we went and took "our daughter" to her dentist appointment she had to be knocked out at and did great through who'd she want afterwards after she woke up me Not her mom just me to comfort her. So being the dad that I am of course I did that I gave her the comfort she needed we had a great day together but it was short-lived. My girl's been in such a bad spot mentally but she refused to talk to me about it I could never get her to open up and yes I did a lot of things wrong because I was always trying to fix her or trying to help her through it is how I see it She saw it as me trying to fix her and she said I don't need to be fixed. But I know I didn't see it that way and that may have been my mistake because she wasn't looking for advice or whatever on how to try to help her through it but she just wanted somebody to listen to her which I did I can repeat everything she's ever told me about an issue word for word I can almost predict in my head I can sit there and say okay what's she going to say. And then I can literally as she's saying it out loud I can pretty well determine already know what she's going to say while listening though just to make sure I don't miss anything It ends up being the same thing every time and it's always all about her family's issues and things going on between them. It's been this way for the last year and a half probably since she moved in there now just before this breakup she had been for a couple months looking for place for us to go cuz I want out of where I'm at now and she obviously wanted out of there and so she was supposedly looking for it for a place to go That was ours because I got a new job I sat here and prayed for a new job that I had applied for and they just weren't moving fast enough or something I guess because like 4 days before she broke up with me they called and I started working I was so happy I got back in that truck I was doing it for her for us for me for those girls everything was going the way I had invisioned it going. Then like I said two days go by she came over spend some time together We had a little quickie and then we went to her appointment with the psych doctor couple days later she breaks up with me This is how I wake up the next morning after being at work all night long in my tow truck to a text message and I'm blocked on everything every single social media outlet every everything that we had together online I'm just blocked. Knowing the mental state she was in I was like what the hell is going on now I got a short text message that said something like I can't do this anymore This is after going through her girl parts being taken out being with her the entire time waiting on her hand and foot this is after saving her daughter because her drunk ass sister drove home from their mothers house while watching the like 5-month-old baby at the time and ran the car into the fucking house in the middle of the night and we were both working shoot while she was watching her That's why she was watching her So of course I get a phone call she can't leave work and she's freaking out because her daughter was just in the car that just slammed into the house and did thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars worth of damage So what happens This guy goes and rescues the child and keeps the child with him the entire rest of my work night until mom gets off work there's lots of reasons that this woman has loved me completely and tried so hard and there's lots of reasons why I've loved her as completely as I could and tried so hard and tried getting back on track now I used her in those kids and myself to get me back to a point where I could even start to function again after finding out I had cancer and not knowing how to tell her or anybody and what hurts the most is the fact that she just gave up and just blindsided me with all of this if I feel like and it kills me but this is what I had to do because of her putting all her walls up and just stonewalling me with everything and knowing the fact that even on her Facebook she chose to not put family photos of us for up there but to put every other photo of that entire time together on there even ones that she had taken separately with just her and her girls making it look like nobody else was there the entire time She just failed to include the you know few pictures she took all of us. Which are now deleted off her phone obviously cuz she deleted everything of us together She always does that She always does it just deletes them because she never had any good memories as a child so she has an inability to just keep that stuff because it's painful to her now for some reason even if it was a happy memory She doesn't like those happy memories cuz those are painful that they're not going to happen anymore so she just erases everything and gets rid of it because it's easier for her while I'm not that type of person I'm a sentimental person I keep everything So of course when she goes gets her mind off track whatever I start to be sweet and send her you know our pictures together and things because I know she's already done deleted them which gets her nine times out of 10 and gets her right back to where she needs to be and realizing that I'm there for her that I I want her I choose her and I choose to do this together well not this time She completely stonewalled me wouldn't even respond to me for days and it was literally out of the blue So I'm freaking out because I'm thinking she's going to go hurt herself which she's tried to do a few times and she just reapped on all her medication the last time she tried to hurt herself that's what had happened She took all of her medication and thank God nothing happened but now she had you know six new bottles of pills which would have done it so I was scared for her life honestly. So I was literally just freaking out day after day night after night and all while having to work at night now with this new job in the truck that I was freaking out because I couldn't see her in my passenger seat anymore and then I was seeing her and then I was worrying about her and I was concentrating more on her than I was even able to do my job like I said I had to give it up even though I sat there and prayed for her prayed for myself to pray to get the job and it was literally a blessing because they created the position for me they didn't need to fill a position they created it for me I've been doing this job for well over 10 years of my career and I'm damn good at it Just not right now and so for the last month after everything that I found out everything that it's been said This is what I had to do guys and I I can't regret it I can't feel any type of way about it but I've been pushing and pushing and pushing on purpose because I know she's not coming back no matter what That's the way she feels but once I stop trying to fight for the relationship to fight for her and fight for those kids I know she's going to start to feel the feelings of losing me and it's going to start getting into her head so I knew if I stopped talking to her that's what would happen and she would try to slide right back into my life a month later whenever however it would happen she would come back eventually and I'm not going to be in a new place in my life where I would allow her to do that I can't So what I did was I pushed on purpose not only because she made me promise to do it but because I knew it's what needed to happen because I needed my mental state to be better and it's not right now I'm a wreck right now because of this woman because of losing this woman cuz I honestly felt like she's the one person on this planet that I would never let go. So my life is just turned into a fucking wreck on a wreck on a wreck because of her vindictive nature her mean-spirited bullshit when she gets mad She doesn't not have a filter so she uses her daughter against me how's it feel no that you'll never see "her daughter" ever again trying to dig into my heart and just cause more pain This is the type of stuff she would say to me That would just break me down to nothing. I've literally been in tears since the breakup and before that because I I think I kind of knew it was coming but I was just so depressed that I couldn't do anything I would cry every night even a month before we were broken up I would cry every night just cuz I missed her I missed her being next to me but that was her own fault that was her own doing She lied put words in my roommate's mouth that were never there and she couldn't apologize She could not be an adult and apologize to him and then it would have been fine She would have been a loud back at the house She would been able to come see me but she just is not the adult that I thought she was or that she used to be before when we first got together and and I don't understand what happened I can't see where it all just went so terribly wrong except for her moving in with her family. It has been the greatest experience of my life loving this woman but at the same time in the end it has been so destructive so I had to make sure that she would never come back So for the last month I've been pestering her coming at her yelling at her calling her all these names in the book and just destroying anything she ever had for me because I won't let her back into my life I can't cuz I know if I do it will be the death of me so I'm choosing me over the love of my life. The woman that I have lived for for this past three fucking years of my life given everything to worked my ass off so I could fucking just keep going the next day to provide what I could for us as a family mind you have paid for everything every waking moment for the first year and a half of our lives because she didn't have a job She didn't work so I paid for everything and that's everything we needed for the baby as well. That couldn't get bought with food stamps. Literally drained every bit of funds that I had saved up everything Just took me for a rollercoaster ride through hell but I chose me I choose me now And hopefully the apartment that she was finding for us the one that she supposedly went to Once she supposedly is at now I hope her I wish her all the best but I had to sit here and destroy any chances of ever being with the woman that I still to this day want because I know she comes back crawling back I knew that I would take her back in a heartbeat and I just can't do it so I had to get it done and over with for me for her for everybody because I won't be hurt like that I won't be disrespected like that I won't be turned into a monster because she tears me down with her hateful little remarks and digs into my heart that are totally unnecessary when I'm being everything I can try to be and be sweet for her She literally anytime I would try to be sweet would turn it into something it's not telling me I'm manipulating her telling me I'm doing this I'm doing that well okay so that's what I'll do That's what I thought and that's exactly what I did If I'm the monster let me know cuz I feel like it honestly but I know it's for the best. To my little blue sundress princess, the love of my life I'm Sorry I had to do what I did sweetheart I'll always love you no matter what babe Just can't have you walk back into my life and and destroy everything that I build from here on out because I'll end up killing myself and I don't want that to happen so this is goodbye even though I know you'll never read this. Just know that I see you everywhere in every place I go there's memories that flood back to me everyday that are amazing or that are bad or that are just that their memories they will fade eventually hopefully but for now they are still too real for me to just forget like seems like you want to do by going out there and supposedly live in your best life faking it just to make it for the rest of the world being that strong independent woman with that attitude exactly even though I know you're sad inside I know you just buried those feelings All the love you had for me and you're lying to yourself but that's on you now I tried I really really tried to get you to understand that that's where we were headed was the life we wanted so sorry I asked you to choose me and love me for me instead of love me for what I had or didn't have. I'm sorry I needed to do this or even felt like I needed to do this cuz I will always love you no matter what, But now my life is going to be for me and for me only for its remainder because you gave up the fight and I ended it.

So, I've watched the AITA videos on YouTube all the time, so I thought I would bring a couple of my stories here. (This is a long one, so bear with me.) I tried to post this on another aita page but there were too many rules. I'm sure everyone else has a more interesting story than me. also new here don't know how the app works. so chill on me.
I (19, female) recently moved out of my apartment so I could save for a better one. So, I recently went back to my moms for a bit (40, female) with her husband (35, male). Before I even thought about coming back home, my mom always told me, "Come back home. You can have the room back. Nobody helps me with the dog or clean. We missed you so much; I've been depressed since you've been gone."
Now, before I get to the story, let me give you some background on my (16, female) sister. I'll give her a fake name. Let's call her Nya. My mom would complain about how my sister (27 female), who has custody of my sister, uses my sister's taxes for herself and my niece, and Nya never gets anything. Now, I understand her frustration, but she's a hypocrite. She asked my dad's wife if she could claim me last year. Mind you, I was 18, and if Shes complaining that my sister should've gotten her taxes, then mine should've gone to me, all $5,000 of it, but I didn't trip about it at first. Well, she got me furniture with the taxes after I told her I did not want or need any furniture in my room, so I had stuff I didn't even want when I already had stuff. She told me, "When you move, you can take it." Well, I moved to my boyfriend's mom's house for a couple of months and then got my own apartment. I went to ask if I could get my furniture, and she's going to say, "Oh. Nya sleeps in here when she visits on weekends, and it's set up to be her room." she could've kept my old furniture in storage if she was going to play in my face like that. Nya only visits 8 times out of the whole month unless it's a holiday, no school, or half a day. She could've given me my furniture. I was laying on an old mattress that came from my boyfriend's moms place and it hurt our backs. I was paying so much for rent and just to live that I couldn't afford to get a new one. I really hated Nya because she knew what she was doing. On my birthday, she got gifted more things than I did because she had an attitude. But when it was hers, I didn't get NOTHING. Imagine someone else getting more gifts than you on your own birthday. They had me pierce my own nose at 15, but Nya professionally got hers done. My nose closed up, and we've done this about 6 times, but they got her pierced twice on both sides her nose. When she'd come over, if they'd go out, she'd always ask for something, and if she didn't get her way, she wouldn't speak with my mother or her husband. Almost every time I see her, she has something new that my mom got her. She comes over and uses my mom; she doesn't even hang out with my mom when she's here unless they go out. She hides in the room. And ironically, every time I leave stuff around her, it goes missing. She would steal stuff from my mom too, and the whole time, it would be something of mine that my mom was holding onto for me. Over $300 worth of stuff she's stolen or got CAUGHT stealing. She's able to call my mom a (b word), but I was told, "You can cuss; just don't ever call me a (b word)." Like my sister basically owns her at this point. You might've already seen where this was going.
My mom called me the day I was packing, which was literally Tuesday. It's been no more than 4-5 days, and it's already been so much drama. She had an attitude like she was surprised I was coming back, but me and her spoke several times the month before about it. She swore up, down, left, and right that it was okay. Silly me for thinking my mother, of all people, could be relied on. Well, she picks me up and complains how I had too many bags (it was 5 black bags and like 5 tiny grocery bags. My boyfriend had most of the other stuff, including big furniture that he was taking with his mom because she has a house. my mom has an apartment). I'm not surprised she was complaining; it's all she does. She said she didn't know what to do with the room yet because she "didn't want to pick favorites." The craziest part was Nya herself said I can stay in here and remember that its important.
She waited till about 9 o'clock PM to tell me that I could sleep in there. Now I had several bags, and they would've cried if they were all in the living room, so I took them in the room, but by now, you can probably tell nothing pleases them. A1 complainers. Well, everything was fine at first until my older sister texted me Friday night and said, 'Mom and Nya don't know how to tell you ONCE AGAIN that they don't want you in that room. I'm not trying to start drama; I just want you to know they said you moved Nya's stuff and threw it on the floor.' This did, however, create drama. Also, what does she mean by 'AGAIN'? And I didn't throw a THING on that floor. My sister literally didn't sleep the whole time because she was so ever so sick that I was in here relaxing with my man who came to visit. So, I did text my mom how I felt, and I told her about how she gets everything, but she wants to say 'bull they say you were the princess' when I was like freaking 5, yeah. What have you really done but make me feel less than the other? So comes morning, and her husband came banging on the door telling me to unlock it (the door was already unlocked. Get a load of this guy.), and I'm GROWN; this man really came at me sideways talking about 'get the f in the living room.' Mind you, I have a past with anxiety; I will faint, and they know this. I don't like arguing. I said, 'No, I'm leaving.' Now I didn't know where I was going to go yet because my boyfriend's mom has all 6 of her kids in the house right now with no space. So I had to call my Poppop the WHOLE time my stepfather would not shut up. (Ohh, brother, this guy stinks.) My mom wouldn't stop screaming, and I got stressed and screamed to just stop, and I started crying because of course, I have anxiety and I'm overwhelmed because its 3 people yelling over something they said i could do. My chest was tight, and I was shaking. Then my mom really had the audacity to tell Nya, 'She don't want u in here because she said u stole.' I told my mom to keep that private. My sister was stealing my underwear, and I told her (funny because I literally JUST bought her some clothes and underwear). I asked her to keep it between us. Oh boy, I won't tell her NOTHING again. I forgot she got a fat mouth. Anyways, I called my grandpa, and I'm his baby, so how could he ever say no? He's the only one that ever cares for me anymore. I felt bad because my mom started crying, so I said, 'I'll be back tomorrow it's ok.' Stupid, I know. Because she didn't care when I was crying and using the inhaler trying to get air.
And might I add, my sister said 'no what did I steal. She can come say it to my face.' I wanted to knock her socks off. She literally left to go to a friend's because I was in the room after she said I could be in there. That should tell you she didn't come to hang out with mom. Everything about her makes me mad. She does stuff that I do, and she thinks I don't notice. She took my style, even my personality, and my interests. Like I'm a hello kitty girl. I wear hello kitty pants, Kuromi bookbags, and just hello kitty anything including my decor. And I paint so I have hello kitty paintings (I'm good at it too), and she happened to all of a sudden like it too. My hairstyles are unique; I do my own thing. She tries to do her hair like mine. All the TV shows and YouTubers I watch, she started all of a sudden liking. At first, it was cute; I thought she looked up to me. Until I realized she's just trying to BE ME, and she doesn't even like me. Anyways, I went to my Poppop and my Nanas, and my mom tried to guilt trip me on Facebook, and I told them everything that happened, and they agree with me that my mom is being unfair, considering I will be there for about 30 days and my sister only 8 times out of the month. I told my mother that now my sister won't be comfortable coming here because she doesn't know how to just shut up and just be a mother. My nana said it was so immature to really tell Facebook that we 'hate' her. Also, can I add that I've only been here 4 days because I went to my Poppop's last night. Then my mom had the audacity to tell me to keep the room clean when it was a mess. Then when I went to clean it, she told me to leave the stuff there. My sister didn't have it clean; it was a mess. I moved out this little fireplace and 2 blankets, and that's literally what they were mad about. Excuse me for cleaning your brown smoked out and molded walls and provided more space. Excuse me for cleaning the bedding that had cat fur all over it because I couldn't breathe. Cry a river.
so aita?

Back when I was a junior in high school, there was a senior student, let's call him "Rudy," who took the same classes I did, but just one year ahead of me.
We had some people in the same circle of friends, but we did not really hang out together or interact. Basically, I just knew of him and he knew of me, but we were not friends or ever had any hostile interactions.
Some things I knew about Rudy were that he was a bit high strung and was known to be a bit of a show off. Something like an arrogant football player movie character, except he was not a football player. My interactions with Rudy were very limited and when we crossed paths, it was very sublime, just a head nod or a "sup?"
Now to the time he bullied me. It was the last week of school so classes were essentially just watching movies or chilling with your classmates if that class already gave you the final exam. The class I was in was pretty much done for the year so we were just hanging out until the next class started. It was in a portable building with an adjoining door to another classroom. I worked late the night before so I put my head down and took a nap. I heard the adjoining door open and people talking. One of the voices I heard was Rudy, but there were no unusual conversations going on, so I just kept my head down in my desk chair thing. Next thing I knew, I felt a slap on the back of my neck. I popped my head up and saw Rudy standing next to me and he was chuckling. I just gave him a confused look, shrugged and put my head back down to go back to sleep. A few seconds later, I felt something really heavy hit the back of my neck. It was super painful and even the back of my eyes hurt.
Apparently, Rudy took a heavy text book and held it a few feet above my head and dropped it on my neck!
I quickly stood up saw Rudy laughing. I took a quick look around to see if it was someone else who hit me and he was the only one near me. I reared back, made a fist and hit him with the hardest hook punch I could manage. It felt like slow motion when I saw his sunglasses fly while tumbling across the room. The desk/chair thing I was sitting in was now hanging around my legs so I knew I was not able to move if Rudy was going to make a counter attack so I got ready to guard or throw another punch. Luckily, a couple of my classmates grabbed Rudy and pulled him away from me.
The teacher's office was right behind me and he came out to see what the commotion was. He saw me standing with the desk around my legs and 2 people holding Rudy.
He looked at me and said "Sit down and stay there!" He looked at Rudy and said "Go back to your class and keep your ass in there!" Then he went back to his office and that was all that happened. I didn't get in trouble or anything, and I don't think Rudy got in trouble either.
The next day, I say Rudy in the hallway and he had a hoodie on and sunglasses to hide the black eye I gave him. We never interacted again the rest of the week/school year.
Fast forward about 20 years later and I saw a post on facebook that Rudy was killed in action in Iraq. As a veteran myself, I have a lot of respect for those who gave their lives in combat. However Knowing Rudy's character, he was someone who's reason for joining the military is so he could shoot people.
So in the long run, I have no sadness for his passing. If anything, I feel sorry for those who were most likely bullied by him in the military. And for those who say I'm an asshole for not feeling sad over his passing, that's fine. You obviously never had to serve with people who were bullies in the military. Not all military people are noble and some were even killed by their own troops.

My (25F) grandmother (72) has been diagnosed with cancer and has been given a few months to live. I would like to see her but there's drama surrounding it.
Some context: My grandma and I have hardly spoken over the past 5 years, our only contact being over text message with the odd happy birthday, Merry Christmas. I've seen her once in person. I have 2 children, one who she hasn't met but she sent a gift for the birth (which I thanked her for). We had a great relationship growing up other than she was always a borderline alcoholic and was very unfiltered and could get nasty when drunk.
Everything changed when she ruined my wedding day. She got so drunk and insulted my husband and a bunch of other things. It was completely unprovoked and she just got her liquid courage to be an AH, on my wedding day of all days. We didn't speak for a few weeks following and when we finally did, after pleading family members told me to reach out, we had a phone conversation where she half arsed apologised to me but refused to apologise to my husband.
Fast forward, her being terminal has made me have a long think, I wanted to reach out and see if she was happy to see me and my kids (not husband) as I think it'll give me some peace and I think she would really be happy. I don't want to use this to fully reconcile (I don't think), I purely just want to see her for the probable last time and have her meet her new grandchild. I wanted to kind of put it in her court, not just appear out of nowhere as I wanted to make sure it was something she'd want to. If she didn't, that was fine with me.
I mentioned this to my parents and I got the stupid comment from my mum of 'Do you think you'll be put into her Will?'. I was shocked hearing this, even though I think it was a bit of a joking comment. I'm aware my grandmother has hardly anything and I couldn't care less and made that clear to my mum. If I was bothered, I wouldn't have cut to next to no contact with her as I know she'd be as she always was, spending money she doesn't really have on me as that's her love language so to speak. My dad then perked up and told me that my Auntie had took my dad's ear off over the phone earlier because he told her that he told me she was diagnosed. My relationship with my Aunt isn't great, we aren't close (she lives hours away and I saw her like maybe once a year when I was growing up if that) but she still reaches out occasionally, comments on my Facebook and so on. She told my dad that I don't have the right to know and that she hopes that I don't think I can worm my way into my grandmother's life now she's dying.
I'm just conflicted as it truly isn't my intention to just want to be in her life again for some money or for anything other than thinking seeing her will bring us both a little peace during the end of her life.
So, WIBTA for reaching out to see her?

Shame on all of those who post comments or questions or even think about NK! She’s an innocent victim and deserves to be left alone! Anyone who thinks anything negative about her must believe she was involved in the crime. You’re just jealous, spiteful, hateful people AND you must have been cheated on yourself!
How could she know CW wasn’t getting separated or that SW was pregnant! It’s not like she could view SW’s Facebook page! That would be an invasion of privacy and NK has a strict personal code of ethics! And it’s not like she worked with CW and had the ability to ask a co-worker or even overhear personal information about him.
How could you not have compassion for a woman who was looking forward to wedding the man she was in love with and dreaming of giving him his first son! After all, those of us who have 2 sons know the 2nd one is just, meh. She was happily looking for wedding gowns when the dreams she held dearly for 6 whole weeks were violently cut short!
The trauma she must have endured while deleting texts and worrying whether LE was going to harass her about what she talked about during a PRIVATE conversation! (Shame on them too for asking about that AND for even thinking about talking to Jim!) Oh yes, and the stress she endured trying to mimic empathy for Bella & CeCe. (They were so little!)
If you want to spew your hate towards NK, go join another sub where sicko’s are tolerant about victim bashing!
EDIT - I’m totally being sarcastic here. I forgot to add that at the end of my post, lol!

I lived 2 years in a different country, there I met this guy and we were together as a couple for the 2 years I lived there. Since the very beginning I told him that my plan was to staying there 2 years and coming back to my country, that if he wouldn't see himself moving with me to my country it would be better to split there and not postponing the breakup. Initially, he said he would like to move with me or at least try it in a future blabla but he didn't seem too convinced. I didn't insist him more because I wanted to give him time to think about it carefully.
However, when my time was almost finishing there I gave him an ultimatum: "I'm moving back soon, are you coming with me or not?" I also proposed him to have a long distance relationship as long as he had the conviction of moving a future. He said he would think about it (again, yes) and after two weeks he broke up with me saying that he didn't want to move with me because he couldn't see himself living in another country, which is something that I understood.
Anyway, we had a friendly break up and we both ended up crying, because despite of this issue, we really enjoyed our time together as a couple. He wanted to keep in touch with me and I agreed with the condition that it would take me a couple of months with 0 contact before being emotionally able to have a conversation with him. He agreed too and said "don't worry you can text me to catch up with whenever you feel ready".
After 5 months dealing with the stress of moving countries again, the break up and so on I decided to text him for his birthday (he never took his birthday seriously but I thought he would like the typical "happy birthday" message). I took the chance to ask him in the same message how was him etc. His answer was dry as a desert, I was expecting something different after all I've been through in the last months. He just answered with a "thanks I really appreciate it" nothing else.
4 months after that "conversation" have passed and he hasn't texted me or anything similar. That annoyed me so much that I've been reconsidering some aspects of when we were together. Yesterday I decided to delete him from every social network (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp etc) and pretend that this never happened. Honestly I think I deserved a better answer, even if for him was painful to read my message or whatever.
Then, my question is: do you think he had something against me or its just the typical "I don't know what to do" thing that men do when they feel vulnerable in a situation?

My friend has been feeling rough since her therapist upped her Abilify to 5 mg. Almost every side effect of the medication she had. Well, I'd been up and down with her from the time we went to bed. Saturday 2 am. I'd wake up to her crying about her muscles spasms, not being able to breathe, and her chest hurting. We thought it was from her not bringing her sleep apnea machine with her. I mean, she took her medicine the day before and it helped her chest not hurt. Well, about noon I noticed her face once the window light shined on her. I flipped out. She looked like death and her lips were bluish. I called my dad and he had me call my aunt and uncle next door to see if they'd watch my kids. OK, so I did. I literally said to them, "Can you guys watch my kids, I need to take my friend to the hospital right now." They said they couldn't and that they were taking her daughter out. I called my dad back and told him. He wasn't happy of course (my dad was an hour away). I hung up and I went and made my husband get his a$$ up (he works 2nd and some of 3rd shift). Of course my aunt walks up there and hinders me from leaving because she wouldn't shut up long enough to let me get a word in edge wise. My friend was incoherent, but she managed to get in my car.
Before anyone ask about the ambulance, let me explain. It took them forever to arrive the last time I called them for my sister. It was like 20 minutes. The ride to the hospital for us is like 20 to 25 minutes if you do 60 mph in a 45 zone.
Anyway, my friend gets in my car and I had her call her mom. Her mom said she's not making any sense. She was very incoherent by the half way there mark. By the time I got 2 minutes away, She said, "Oh my God!" And tensed up before completely going limp (she coded). I ran the red light since no one was there and quickly hurried to the ER. My friend had 2 heart attacks 1 in my car and 1 like 4 hours later. She coded both times. CPR brought her back, but it took 10 minutes. I stayed by her side as much as the hospital staff allowed me to be. Her parents and brother had to drive like 5 to 6 hours to get to her as she was visiting me from out of state. While I was sitting there in the ER, I sent my aunt a text. I was as nice as I could be. I sent her: "I love you guys, but your plans could've waited for at least an hour. I needed to get my friend to the freaking ER and instead I was held up by others. Right now, I don't know if she is going to live as she is in critical condition and on a ventilator. She coded before I got into the hospital parking lot, and they had to do 10 minutes of CPR. My only friend. Love you guys, but I'm beyond P.O."
Her response was, "This is your uncle we didn't know she was that bad off and why didn't you call sooner than you did we would have changed our plans?"
I'm sitting there even more ticked off. Like, how am I supposed to call sooner if I've been dealing with my 3 kids and trying to care for my friend at the same time. She didn't look like that 30 minutes prior while she tried to eat cereal. I looked at her while she fell asleep eating that cereal I fixed her. I took her blood pressure, but I couldn't read the electronic stuff and she was just in and out of it, so she couldn't tell me (she was in nursing school). Emergencies come up out of nowhere, so please tell me how the heck am I supposed to let someone know ahead of time to watch my kids? They hadn't even left yet, so they could have called her daughter up and said they'd be late. I would've called someone else once I got my friend to the hospital and situated. I'm very upset about all of this and I feel like I could have saved her life if I hadn't had been held up by certain individuals. I want to blame them for her not making it since my aunt held me up about 10 to 15 minutes longer than needed. I keep blaming myself in all of this. I'm even blaming her therapist that upped her medicine. She had a majority of the bad side effects of Abilify. I lost my only friend. She was 29. We spoke every single day and sent each other silly videos off of Facebook. She loved my children so much. It's hard to find friends like her.
As the title says and as of now, I'm not really into speaking to my aunt and uncle.

Folk from all walks of life live in the melting pot that is Alderheart, the Great Tree City. Whatever your reason for living here whether you are a local or have immigrated, this place is home, perhaps a home away from home for some but home nonetheless.
The Birdfolk Council has noticed you. They have heard of the skills that you possess. By whatever avenue that your name landed upon their ear is not immediately known to you. Have friends and allies been bolstering about your work? Did a rival attempt to throw dirt on your name? Have whispered rumors of your abilities spread through the leaves? Nonetheless, were summoned to appear before them.
That was months ago. You recall the tight feeling in your stomach as you stood before the council, wondering what they could possibly want. Maybe you weren't even the type to listen to the council and would think of the many things they could do with their summons and where they could shove it. Eventually someone (or even yourself) convinced you to appear. It'd be more trouble to ignore it than to simply deal with the matter at hand. You could at least find out what it is they want.
In the end, that wasn't the case. This is definitely more trouble. The "Royal Family" is a figurehead for Everden: a group of pompous nobles that hold no real power outside of social circles. For whatever reason (good or bad) the Bird Council saw it fit that you and your skills would benefit this family in some way. No, they did not go into detail. They did not even mention what skills you have that caught their eye. At this point, you aren't sure what they know about you.
The Goldfeather royal family, on the other hand, seems to know a great deal about you and your background. Though of course you may have your secrets, they still seem to know more than the average friend or extended family member would. For the last few months you have worked inside the Goldfeather Manor. They leave you to your own devices for the most part; however, when your skills are needed, they do not hesitate to call on you.
Hello! I’m looking for a few people to round out a party for an upcoming campaign in the Humblewood setting. The plan is to play on Tuesdays from Noon CST/CDT to roughly 5pm. The campaign is text based (no need for a mic nor a camera). Ambient music will be provided upon request. This is a roleplay heavy game set in a High Fantasy game but combat and exploration are still active components of it. I would say the split is something akin to: - Roleplay: 50% - Exploration: 30% - Combat: 20% These numbers are not set in stone and are very fluid based on player character decisions. If this game interests you, please fill out the following form, add me on discord, and send me a chat request. I hope to hear from you soon.
https://forms.gle/6KYQwY3U5fMU3adS6

So just this past week I find out he was talking to one of his girl co workers outside of the job. They texted on snap here and there and he was liking her pictures on instagram. She followed him but he never followed her. Probably because he was hoping I wouldn't figure it out.
But I seen her liking his post on Facebook and that's how l put all the pieces together. I asked him to hang out and I took his phone and looked thru it just to find them messaging on snap about "I wish you were here and send food" and he replied with same or something like that. And that confirmed it for me so I went off and started crying and saying how could you do this and he kept saying she was just a co worker nothing more and I told him to just take me home and he not once seemed to care.
So I broke up with him and removed him off everything. then he went and told his family that we broke up and he told then what happened (his family is toxic and judgmental) and they didn't seem to care much. He tried calling me and texting me but I never answered and then he sent a text explaining everything and finally giving me the closure I needed. And we had a deep conversation regarding everything and he went into detail about her and him. and I guess she worked in the department his aunt worked at which he also works too but different department so that's how he knew of her and said it was only just casual but he soon realized how he would feel if I did that and he came to terms we were going thru a rough patch and he regretted it so much and would do anything to get me back . But here's the problem.
when we were talking about working things out he said I'm just afraid my family will make this a huge issue. I told them we broke up and explained what happened and why it ended but if I tell them we got back together they will just talk shit and won't want you around. I then tell him, your family won't want me around but you're the one who cheated on me?
And he's like yeah they're just like that they will make this a big deal and talk shit. That caught me off guard because I know his family is super negative and judgmental bu* can't come to terms of why they wouldn't be mad at ,
instead. He said his family also reacted poorly when his mother and father divorced and they didn't want the father around anymore. I'm so confused dude I just need some input on this because what

I posted on here before that my sister Mellissa losing her kids she has 7 in total katelynne is 19 kay din is 13 Lillianna is 11 Miracle is 6 zanders are 8 and Ransom and Rytheme are 2 years old today is their birthday the whole problem started in 2019 when Melissa found her old crush from school his name is Aron.
Aron and Melissa are dating i knew from day one I didn't like him he was controlling in my eyes all he ever did was tell Melissa what to do I noticed this when we all gathered at my sister Jessica's house early for Christmas since she wouldn't be in town
Jessica is married to a Mexican who I adore his name is Andres so normally every other Christmas and summer she would go with her son to Mexico to spend time with his family we were having a good time until he began texting and calling Melissa
he had been living with her that next year in 2020 we found out some disturbing things Melissa didn't want to get pregnant again so she had an IUD inserted in her arm to prevent her from getting pregnant what Aron would do was squeeze her arm to break the IUD so he can get her pregnant
In April of 2020, I moved into my sister's house i was previously living with my mom under her landlord's radar until I got accused of stealing clothes which is ridiculous and then I got banned so I moved into my oldest sister's Jessica house
Just a few days after moving in my sister Jessica came into my room and told me that Aron had beat up Melissa and it was bad she had bruises and gashes all over her from her beating on her and DCFS had gotten involved
DCFS told her that if she did not get rid of Aron she would have no choice but to take her kids away because of what happened his kids also displayed abuse his son was violent and his daughter would sit there and watch as Zander who is Autisic was getting dressed disturbing
Then in May of 2021 Ransom and Rytheme were born Ransom was born with Cleft feet while Rytheme was normal but Aron's control over her got worse during this time we got calls from the kids more and more often asking for Jessica to come to get them because they were scared
Aron and Melissa were fighting again Melissa was also an alcoholic so they would fight when they were mostly drunk is when the fights they both wanted to run the household when it should have been Melissa since it was her house
Then 2022 started we did not hear much of Melissa leading up to this year she came over on Christmas and it seemed she was still under his control she would pick up immediately after he would call this worried us because she was pregnant
January nothing February nothing then March happened Kaydon her 12 year old called us saying Melissa was drinking again and that he found an empty vodka bottle in her trash can we told him to tell his bio dad stevie and Stevie told her case worker
this was March 2nd of 2022 that year was very eventful if you ask me multiple false police calls from her on us threats from Aron stalking us because he didn't like that we had his kids and multiple false reports to DCFS from her about us citing that we were abusing the kids
all reports came back unfounded of the course she also posted on Facebook slandering Jessica saying that she always wanted her to have her kids taken away which wasnt true she had gotten her kids taken away and then we had to immediately find babysitters for the babies
Jessica worked so did Andres and I and Jessica had a deal when I moved in that i didn't have to babysit if I didn't want to as you can tell babysitting 2 infants a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old autistic child was not an easy thing to do
At first, our babysitter Brooklyn just quit babysitting Zander saying his meltdowns were way to much and then she quit watching the babies so i took over it was from April- to October of 2022 in between that time I had given a lot of my time up to babysitting i never got a day off
on top of making sure I fed and changed the babies while making sure the older kids got to bed on time I had to also clean the house and this was proven to be too stressful on me the fact Jessica's son Zion would always contradict me this would lead to fights we had
In August of 2022, they went on vacation for 6 days and this was a saving grace for me since i got 6 whole days to myself in September of 2022 I had gotten into a fight with Zion her husband was supposed to be off that day but he went somewhere with the older kids
so it was just me Zion and the babies Zion wanted to watch tv i said no he tried to snatch the remote from me and a fight happened the fight got so heated because he kept trying to follow me around if i went into the kitchen where he was the livingroom there he was the bathroom there he was
Finally, i went outside and he tried grabbing me until the neighbor came out he then went inside and locked me out of the house twice once back inside I yelled WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU, YOU DONT HAVE A RIGHT TO LOCK ME OUT AND THERE ARE BABIES IN THE HOUSE!!!" he then shoved me so I called Jessica
Jessica sped home and she laid it on him thick saying that she was taking his game until he learned to keep his hands off of me Andres came just in time to see him try and put his hands on Jessica and he beat up Zion Jessica had to pull him off of Zion
the next two months he just went on walks until his mom would be home until October I was putting all the same colors of play dough in the same container and my vape was by the tv so I could just grab it and go outside he purposely knocked it to the ground
I asked him about it and he blamed the 5-year-old for it but there were 2 problems to this story 1 -I had it scooted back to where the 5-year-old couldn't reach the vape and 2- the 5-year-old is smarter than most and knows not to touch it
this is when the final fight happened Andres had already left for work and Jessica was already at work I didn't want to fight with him so I told him to stop but he didn't want to be kept it up he started following me around the house but this time I chose to ignore I got hungry
so I went to grab a knife and a potato so I could cut up a potato i can make myself a baked potato and he grabbed a knife of his own this made me feel threatened so I called Jessica no answer i texted Jessica no answer so then I tried his andres I called him no answer I texted him no answer this was after I told the older kids to go to the playroom
after no answer, I called the police the police came Zions Dimbass went outside with the knife to talk to the police I told the officer what happened and he told his side of the story too not long after they left Jessica came home instead of her yelling at Zion for starting a fight she yelled at me
so the next day Jerry told me he wanted me to come to the hills and talk to him and at the same time I felt like she was going to make me move out she said she would pick Melissa's kids over me every time which upset me
so I went and got papers for Indian Hills and signed them she tried to backtrack as soon as DCFS said it was unfounded but I told her I did not want to babysit anymore so she had Stevie and Jen babysit This only lasted a month so November thru December
after they quit it was Ricky Katenynnes boyfriend who babysat Kateynee came now and then to help out but she had her job and Ricky did not follow any rules Jessica had some strict rules when it came to ways to babysit the baby
such as cleaning up the mess and not vaping around the babies if one of the kids is sick keeping them away from the babies and letting the babies sleep whenever they wanted Jessica didn't want them sleeping past 5 pm so they would have a sleep schedule
After Ricky quit due to him accusing Zion of looking up porn on the internet on one of the kid's tablets and being told that maybe he was the one doing it then Jessica tried to pressure me into babysitting again even though in October we sat down in the kitchen and i told her how I felt
then she told me she understood the deal we made and that the only time that she would ask me to babysit was for school stuff and doctor appointments and when she went to the boat that's what she calls the casino so she had to quit her job at the restraint so that she didn't have to worry
January and February we were living off of food pantries and behind on bills then mom mentioned on Addus and working for Travis and so she signed up went to orientation and now she works for Travis
now for the update :
last day of court was today and they told Melissa she will not be getting her kids back She is back on medicine and she is doing her classes but the one thing she was not doing was accepting the fact that it was Aron who got her kids taken
thank you Reddit for joining me on this wild ride

I’m looking to buy a couple moss poles for my monsteras today. Any local plant nurseries that you recommend? I’m near the Live Oak area, so ideally somewhere not too far.
Additionally, I’m planning on repotting them. Any advice on soil and pots is welcome and appreciated!
Also, are they fickle if you move them? The place I have them in my home gets them a decent amount of light, but a new leaf is yellowing. Would moving them into direct sunlight for a stint of time be okay?