Inspirational verses for daughters leaving for college

I (39/American/F) had a child with a (39/Indian/M) and I am now a single mother to a very curious 5 yr old daughter. Backstory: I was overseas in the military and taking a break for R&R. I had always wanted to visit India, so I booked a trip to Southern India. While I was there, I unexpectedly fell in love with a man I had met who lived in northern India. I had to return back to my post in the military, but we kept in touch. This was approximately 10 years ago. I was in the military for another 4 to 5 years and we kept in touch the entire time. I decided once I separated from the military that I wanted to do animal rescue work in India. I wanted to travel the country first to figure out where I was going to move to, and he offered to come with me. So we had chocked the country together, and I chose a place to move to that was not where he lived. He always respected my independence and never pressured me to be anything other than myself. We had a great relationship, and once I had moved to India, we flew to visit each other quite often. We were in love, so of course we were doing the deed. I had been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian disease years before I met him. So we never never use protection and I never never got pregnant. I also never got pregnant my entire life so it was not anything I was concerned about. I explained to him the condition and we never use protection. When I was leaving India to go back to the United States because of a visa issue, he came to help me pack and move all of my stuff. He stayed with me for a few weeks. I always respected his boundaries, that I was a secret to most of his family though I had met some of his friends and cousins over the years. We were both very respectful about each other’s boundaries. I knew that his religion was keeping him from telling his mother and immediate family about me. I had no issue with this. While he was helping me pack my stuff and move, he brought up the idea of getting married. I told him I don’t know if you want to marry me because I don’t know if I can give you what you want. I know he loved kids and wanted to be a father. He said he wanted to marry me and we went to see if we could get married before I left. The law and India are very strict and we were not able to get married there. So we decided we will just wait until I get back to America and do the marriage visa thing. When I got back, I was so nauseous. I never even thought to take a pregnancy test, until my best friend had mentioned it. So I took one … Just because I had no idea why I was so nauseous all the time. Turns out I was pregnant. I called him and I talked to him about it. He said that I could make whatever decision I wanted to because it was my body. He said he would support me in whatever decision I made. So I went and got all the tests done and thought really hard about it. I never actually wanted to be a mom after finding out that I most likely wouldn’t be. I had kind of come to terms with that. But I ended up keeping the baby. And I am so grateful and happy that I did. Even though things did not work out between he and I, I am still completely happy that I have such a wonderful, beautiful, amazing daughter to share my life with. From the point I found out I was pregnant and that I was going to keep the baby, he and I started making plans for the marriage visa. Though it was our plan before I even left India and knew that I was pregnant, now I feel like he wanted to be here even more. Up until she was six months old and I was preparing to send in the visa application and the application fees, he was totally on-board. When she was six months old, he decided he didn’t want to come here and he didn’t want to leave his family. So we parted ways and he then had no intention on keeping in touch with her through video messaging or telephone calls. I don’t know if it was his own feelings of guilt or that he felt like his family would disown him, but he just completely had no interest in her life at all after that. Now, whenever she ask me, which is not very often, I just say that he lives in India. I show her on a map where India is and where we are. She doesn’t ask anymore questions for now, but I know there will be questions later. And I don’t want her to have any feelings of abandonment. I don’t want her to feel like he chose his family and his life over her. But I also don’t want to lie to her. So I’m feeling very conflicted about how I’m going to approach the situation later down the line. If you have any suggestions or experience with this type of situation, Please share!

the title sounds pathetic but it’s very true. I am a young college student and work in sales part time. ive had good progress and have been consistent with them for the past 8 months and have only called out when sick which has been twice.
recently i was sick. i had a high fever and chronic coughs and congestion which i has communicated with my workplace and my school. its also the end of the semester, so the amount of work was piling up and my work schedule had interfered with my study days. If I wasn’t at school I was working. So I took this sick time to take advantage of my workload ( 3 days off). I couldn’t muster the energy I was so tired. My professors didn’t offer and extension so slowly my work piled up.
At 5AM I felt better and hadn’t called out for work, giving the impresssion that I would show up. I started to breakdown, overwhelmed with school work and feeling this impending doom that I would fail the semester. I mentally withdrew from everything. I started to pace, I couldn’t fall back asleep, I started to believe my life was falling apart. I turned off all of my devices. I was so nervous that I felt sick. I felt consumed by this shame. I didn’t leave my room for 2 days. I have missed calls and messages from my manager.
I know how irresponsible this is. Should I send a mass email to my management and hr? I also have contacted my doctor about this situation.
Is a recovery possible? In terms of work? Any advice on next steps?

I’m sorry for how off-the-rails this is going to sound. I’ve just had something very painful happen, and I just need to vent.
Do you ever just think back to when you were a baby, just born? You were innocent then. All the hardships, all the mistakes you or others made, none of it had happened yet. You didn’t choose the life you were given. You didn’t ask for anything that would happen next. Any pain, any loss. None of it was on you, not that young. You looked at the world with so much wonder, so much curiosity. Things hadn’t gone bad yet. Or maybe they had, and you just didn’t know. And they’ll leave their mark. And maybe there’s a better way than the life you’ll end up knowing. Maybe there’s a solution, one you’ll find eventually. But you don’t know what it is. And you won’t know, not for a long time. By then, so much pain will have come for you, and the people you care about.
Do you ever wish you could just go back, hold that little version of you in your arms, and tell them, even if they won’t remember it, that they’re strong? That they CAN make it? Would that do something, somehow?
God, I just wish I had held my anger in a little longer tonight.
I went off on someone who has caused me a lot of hardship. This is someone who’s very close to me, and someone who is the way they are for reasons that aren’t entirely under their control. They’re my older sibling. I’ve known them my entire life, and there’s always been problems. Tonight, they were very mad about something that had nothing to do with me. I walked in at the wrong time. I didn’t know what was going on, and they snapped at me to get out. I wasn’t going to say or do anything. I had to be in the room because I had to retrieve something. I got what I needed and left. A few minutes later, they were rude to me again. It was passive-aggressive. It wasn’t the intense, out-of-nowhere anger it had been. But the camel’s back broke. I screamed. I punched the door. It was disproportionate, but it was just after everything else I couldn’t take it anymore. And it became an entire thing. The two of us and our mom. It was only after it got that big that I saw just how hurt we all were, how hurt we’d always been. And then I just wanted the fighting to stop. And it did, eventually. And maybe it’s better that we just got everything out. Maybe things can change. I pray to whatever or whoever’s up there, if anything/anyone, that things finally will.
People are okay now. My sibling and I are okay. We’ve apologized to each other. Our mom and I are okay. Things are stable enough between the two of them. But nothing does this to me like home. Nothing makes me feel this fear, this pain, this loneliness. I’m in college, home now for the summer. This doesn’t happen to me there.
We’re born innocent. We’re not born wanting to do harm to others. We just want to know this world we have.
Things can be better. Things WILL be better than they are today. I just… wish they already were.

I’m working on a design for a mask that has a crest coming off the forehead, inspired by the alien queen from Aliens but not as large. Obviously it will leave a large cavity in the middle and it’s not realistic to have the whole thing be filled in so I’m wondering what’s the best material and/or technique to fill it in with?
My instinct is foam, but I’m wondering mostly if it should be a poured foam, or if filling it with sharpen foam pieces would be better? I accept this might just be something I’ll have to experiment with, but I’m looking for opinions from more experience makers.

Sorry, I'll delete this in a bit, I just need to rant.
My mom has been through a lot and I get it I really do. But she makes me out to be such a horrible child just because I'm not smart and I haven't done anything remarkable. She doesn't understand that I'm not capable for great success I'm just not build that way, and her high expectations are just too much to handle.
I don't do drugs or have sex or anything, I don't have irl friends anymore and stay in my room and I don't leave the house by myself. I clean and I take care of my sister and our pets. She gets mad at me for wanting to be alone and threatens to take my door if I lock it. I've never done anything myself and I have horrible self esteem. All the friends I've had are moving on with their lives and I feel like I'm stuck in time.
I graduated high school and I went to college for a while like my mom wanted. It seems like nothing I did was enough, and I had a breakdown. I dropped out of college which made me feel like such a failure, and that began showing my moms true colors.
If I wasn't doing something she deemed to be "successful" she would gossip about me to her family and call me lazy and ridiculous. She yells at me to get a job and says Ill be a loser if I don't grow up and start working. I have been applying to every job I can like crazy but not like she believes me.
She subtly tries to push me back into doing what she wants. She forces me into a corner and doesn't let me leave until I tell her what she wants to hear. She says horrible things to me lately, and horrible things about my girlfriend. She says I'm a horrible person like her family that takes advantage of her.
My dad never does anything, and my family doesn't like talking about problems. After every fight we always go back to normal the next day.
After my mom made me cry all night with her words and belittlement, and my family ignored me and my sister told me to stop crying since it was annoying her, I decided I don't want to live here anymore.
I say this, but every time I thought about it in the past, my mom the next few days would make an active effort to be nice and sweet to me. She would take me out somewhere nice and buy us food and be funny. She would say sorry and she only wants me to be happy.
But I know I'm capable of more, and capable of success, I can't do it if I'm here. It's a weird feeling but I know if I just get away, I can truly start to thrive. I want to leave so far away, and that fills me with guilt because I know deep down maybe she's just wanting the best for me, but she really hurts me. She's hurt me a lot and I always forgive her. I don't want her to keep hurting me though, so I think this is the right decision.
This year I will move out somehow. I want to be happy.

I remember a show I watched on TV with my mom several years ago, I think between 2014-2019. I remember really enjoying it and I want to watch it again, but I cannot for the life of me remember what it’s called.
I believe it was a thriller drama, and there was a teenage daughter in it named Lina. I may be mixing up shows, but I feel like I also remember some man being a murderer and his wife finding out by finding a box with victims’ items in it. He was worried she’d leave him and turn him in, but then she lit the box on fire, destroying the evidence.

I’ve had a rough college career. Some of it because well, I was lazy- but genuinely during that time I did not want to be alive. I was lazy in every aspect, almost got fired from a restaurant job and decided I needed to get my shit straight. 1st semester (during the “hard time”) I failed all my classes. No one knows but I tried to commit suicide. I felt so pathetic. 2nd semester I passed with a C and B, but had not been able to get my aid back yet because I hadn’t taken enough credits. After a 2month appeal process, I got my aid back.
I was doing great, 100 averages and everything on time. At my job, I began having serious issues with a manager so I decided to leave. My old manager was working at a new restaurant and promised me a job. The new job is the worst place I’ve ever worked, 40+ hours weekly even tho I’ve begged for LESS to work on schoolwork. I never meant to prioritize my job over school. Before I knew it one month before classes ended I was riding low C’s due to lack of sleep and energy. I finished with 3 C’s and 2 D’s. because my GPA was originally so low, I didn’t meet the GPA requirement and well I lost my aid again. I will be back to working 50 hours a week on top of school to pay for this. On top of a $250 car payment.
Posting this because I feel so sorry for myself I can’t even function. I can’t even send an email to my advisor because what’s the point. I can’t tell any of my family, because I tried so hard to get to this point just to say I fucked it up again. On top of that my friends are moving to their respective colleges soon. I’m just stuck, and it’s all my fault. What do I even do

Evergreen, a rather welcoming name. Perfect for a land full of calm, peace and beauty. Evergreen in this case is the name of a vast kingdom. This kingdom is an incredibly complicated but majestic land and its people as well. Now sit back, relax and enjoy as I tell you about Evergreen.
First of all, where did Evergreen come from? Well the most early evidence of anyone living here was over 8000 years ago though if you truly think about it it could be as far back as 50 000 years. You see, the oldest trace of civilization in the kingdom is a large ancient hotel in the center of Heatherlea. No other building outdated this and that record is still held up to this day. The actual date of foundation of the kingdom is completely unknown and absolutely no one can tell when it could ever be because of the incredibly vague amount of information on anything before the recorded history of Evergreen. Though not everyone is so clueless, one person may know the answer on the timeline and that is The One Hundred.
You may be asking who this One Hundred person is. He is the oldest person in Evergreen and supposedly some sort of God. Very little is known about him but all that is known is whoever this person is, they are the most powerful in the kingdom.
Now I think you’ve heard enough about the kingdom itself and the basics on it now why don’t we get to work on actually unraveling this massive mystery. But with so many things to explain, how can this ever have an order? Well that’s very easy to do, this is a catalog of everything to know on the topic of Evergreen. Let’s begin.
Cities of Evergreen
Evergreen is the main city of the kingdom, it is used as a capital as well as the largest megalopolis of the city. Though in Scriptorium, the language of Evergreen, they don’t have terms for city, megalopolis or metropolis. So to them everything is a settlement, village or town. In this kingdom the size of a village does not matter only its population and Evergreen having over 1 000 000 people living in it, it’s considered the largest village in the kingdom. Which is quite a fitting label for the capital of such a large kingdom. Though not only Heatherlea contains an important building. Evergreen has the Main Hall and Steffy’s Mansion, both constructions are very important because they contain Aletine. Aletine is a rare gem that will be explained later on but for now all you need to know on Aletine is that it is very rare and very precious. The buildings each have an arch constructed fully of this material.
The whispers of Evergreen
Not everyone in Evergreen is happy with what they know about the kingdom. Certain things are very secretive and though on the outside it seems like a perfect place it is shrouded in mystery and entangled in a web of unknown like a huge tapestry of mystery. The people of the villages are mostly happy with how everything is going except for one thing. They want to know more about the village’s origin. You see, Steffy, The One Hundred, Heathotel and Aletinian do not want too much information to escape into the public’s hands. A disquiet hums beneath the seemingly idyllic surface of Evergreen. Whispers flit through bustling marketplaces, hinting at an enigmatic past shrouded in secrecy. Kept under lock and key by Steffy and the other main powers of Evergreen, the population never ceases to speculate what they could be hiding. Is it a secret civilization before us? Or could it be that Aletine is the secret to the lost time? No matter what the citizens say not one word has been spoken by anyone in control. And there is a good reason behind all of that which will be explained later on.
Architecture and style of Evergreen and it’s settlements
A warped image of Evergreen is fabricated when you dig deeper than what’s on the idyllic surface of Evergreen. But the kingdom is still a majestic land. Its architecture is primarily biomimicry as the villagers are very connected to their surroundings and the flora that they share the world with. The respect for nature in Evergreen is reflected everywhere, in the architecture, in the culture, celebrations and many more subtle depictions. The style that the land has adopted over the millenia is a very calming one, they believe in living life to its fullest so the architects try to make things as pleasant to live in as possible in almost every way possible. You will never find any hostile architecture in the city as its capital status means that it must show a good example for the other settlements to follow. However, the pervasive calmness of Evergreen's architecture raises questions. Could this serene aesthetic be a deliberate ploy? Is biomimicry a way to mask the secrets hidden beneath the tranquil surface? The One Hundred, with their knowledge of the lost civilization and the interdimensional threat, may have a vested interest in maintaining this facade of idyllic peace. Steffy, with his atmosphirec gem of unknown origin, might also find solace in the calming influence of these biomimicry structures. No one can know for sure but until more is learned why not enjoy centuries of perfected design and let the peacefulness wash over you as you stroll through the markets and quiet neighborhoods of the town.
The rest of the settlements
Evergreen does not have that many large towns, only about 4 main ones, Evergreen, Azalea, Heatherlea and Islafield. Those main towns are surrounded by much smaller ones but the main focus is on the four towns above.
Islafield
Islafield is, as the name suggests, mostly for farming hence the ‘field” in its name. The town is near a lake also named Isla The lake is used for fishing as well as a way to water the crops of the town. This majestic town is the main source of nourishment for the entire kingdom with 60% of its land consisting of fields and crops. The kingdom contains 5.6 million inhabitants which is a vast amount of mouths to feed and according to the way Steffy wants to run the kingdom, everyone should have the same chance with life per se he just doesn’t want anyone to starve or die before their time that is the primary reason why he allowed Islafield to become such a large producer of food. He would usually want people to get their produce from the same town in which they live in though since he has 5.6 million people to feed he made the exception that Islafield can export its harvest to the other towns. Other than the beautiful fields of flowers and crops Islafield doesn’t really hold much interest in the eye of the population of Evergreen. Though it is considered the most naturally beautiful town in the kingdom, its beauty does not help it much with population, it has been on a decline ever since the vault of Aletine became public knowledge. Perhaps the Aletinians, a secretive cult entrusted with crafting tools made of Aletine, might hold knowledge about this strange and sudden decline. Despite the dwindling population, Islafield remains a vital part of Evergreen. However, its idyllic facade now masks a layer of intrigue, begging the question: is Islafield truly just a farming town, or is it a cornerstone in a larger, undisclosed operation of the Aletinians?
Heatherlea, a town of beauty and intrigue
Heatherlea, nestled in Evergreen's north, throbs with a unique energy.This bustling town transforms into the kingdom's prime tourist destination during warmer months, welcoming an influx of 700,000 visitors. The undeniable allure? The enigmatic Ancient Hotel, an 8000-year-old structure, the oldest human-made wonder in Evergreen. However, Heatherlea's charm extends beyond the Ancient Hotel.,underneath the ancient hotel hides a vault. The most secure place in the entire kingdom. Inside of that vault is a supply of Aletine. Since Aletine is only found in that singular spot underneath the hotel a vault was built around the mine to keep everyone out of there given how precious Aletine is.Other than its main attractions, its marketplace features the kingdom's tallest stand, showcasing the rare blue and orange Heatherberry. Yet, the exclusivity of these berries in Heatherlea raises questions. Found primarily in the south, their presence here seems curiously deliberate. Is it simply a marketing ploy, or could it be part of a larger scheme? Heatherlea's vibrancy and tourist appeal are undeniable, but a disquieting question lingers: is it a genuine haven, or a meticulously crafted facade designed to distract from the secrets buried beneath the surface?
Azalea, a town shrouded in floral mystery
Azalea is known for one reason, if you look closely at its name you will notice that it contains the name of a flower. Azalea is named after the rhododendron by the same name, Azalea. This specific flower only grows in the town for unknown reasons and once again the reason for the flower's appearance in this one part of the kingdom is gatekeeped by the main powers The One Hundred, Steffy with his atmosphirec gem, and the Aletinians, each with their vested interests in the mysteries of Evergreen, all seem particularly invested in keeping the reason for the Azalea's exclusivity under wraps. Intriguingly, Azalea attracts a disproportionate number of Aletine sellers, who use the flower's beauty to showcase their wares. Why this specific town, rather than a more prominent location? Could there be a connection between the Azalea's unique properties and the Aletine gem? The motives of the sellers remain shrouded in secrecy, adding another layer to the mysteries swirling around Azalea and deepen the mystery of Evergreen.
Shadows in Evergreen: Unveiling the Kingdom's Cults
Evergreen's power structure extends beyond the readily apparent figures like Steffy and The One Hundred. Shrouded in secrecy, a network of cults weaves its influence through the kingdom. While some, like the Aletinians, maintain a relatively benign presence, crafting tools from the enigmatic Aletine, others operate with a more veiled agenda. The Heathotels, shrouded in mystery themselves, stand out for their potential hostility. Their enigmatic purpose and unknown connection to the Aletinians, an exclusive society rumored to possess knowledge on the craftsmanship of Aletine weapons, fuel speculation about their true motives. Do they cover the Aletine's power for their own gain, or are they safeguarding Evergreen from a yet-unknown threat? The secrecy surrounding these cults casts a long shadow, leaving the question unanswered: are they guardians or hidden dangers lurking within the kingdom's idyllic facade? The Heathotels: Enigmatic guardians of the ancient stone The heathotels are a mostly harmless cult. They are in charge of the protection of the Ancient Hotel and are the only ones who have full access to the vault containing all the Aletine. They seem to worship the hotel itself and treat Aletine adorned objects with the same respect as they would do to Steffy himself. They are highly secretive with the reasons on why they respect the precious stone so much and what connection they seem to have with the ancient hotel. While the other power players, like The One Hundred and Steffy himself, strive to keep the Heathotels' activities shrouded, their efforts only heighten the intrigue. This raises the question, if the Heathotels are truly a benign force, why such a concerted effort to conceal their practices? The Heathotels' enigmatic presence throws a long shadow, leaving the question unanswered: are they protectors of the Aletine and the Ancient Hotel, or are they guardians of a far deeper secret? The Aletinians: Sworn Crafters of Aletine Wonders Among Evergreen's enigmatic factions, the Aletinians occupy a distinct position. Eschewing the rigid structure of traditional cults, they follow a oath instead of a set of rules.The specifics of this oath remain a closely guarded secret, fueling endless whispers and speculation. The Aletinians, as their name suggests, possess a unique bond with Aletine. Interestingly they do not worship the Aletine but instead they treat it with reverence, viewing it less as an object and more as a potent material.The true purpose of the Aletinians is to forge everything that is created out of Aletine. They are hand picked, allegedly to safeguard the kingdom's precious Aletine supply, to ensure the safety of the kingdom’s supply of this majestic gem they can only be of a certain sanity. Once again the villagers have their own theories, whispers abound about an Aletine-infused substance used in the selection process, a method to ensure only the "worthy" wield the gem's power.Though to be granted the incredible privilege of handling Aletine directly is very prestigious as only 30 people have the privilege of handling the precious Aletine. But many things are still unclear with them as well. Why do these artisans operate outside the Ancient Hotel, traveling all the way to Azalea to practice their craft? And why, despite their seemingly benign nature, does Steffy strive to keep them hidden from the public eye? The Aletinians remain a captivating enigma, their purpose and connection to Azalea hinting at a deeper role within Evergreen's veiled secrets. The Nevergreen: Shadows Reaching for Forbidden Power In stark contrast to the Aletinians, who utilize Aletine for crafting, stands the enigmatic Nevergreen cult. Driven by a sinister agenda, they seek to weaponize the gem's power, a truth known only to Steffy and The One Hundred. Whispers abound of their attempts to breach the Aletine mine's containment, a reckless act that some speculate triggered a deadly conflict, the War Of Gods, shrouded in secrecy. Steffy himself, it seems, remains unaware of the Nevergreen's potential role in this ancient war. He and The One Hundred instead attribute it to a nebulous embodiment of darkness. The Nevergreen also strive to make the deepest secrets of Evergreen public knowledge. They are the reason why the Aletine vault became known to the villagers of Evergreen. The One Hundred and Steffy tried to cover it up by saying that the villagers deserved to know the truth of where the Aletine came from. But in reality it was an elaborate plan birthed by the leader of the Nevergreen. The identity of the Nevergreen's leader is a captivating mystery. Villagers whisper of a connection to Steffy's ancient enemy, this enigmatic embodiment of darkness. They are also rumored to have connections to the mysterious interdimensional threat looming over the kingdom, a danger only The One Hundred seems fully aware of. This raises the question, if The One Hundred knows everything about Evergreen, why do they still remain passive? Are they truly guardians, or are they somehow entangled within the complex web woven by the Nevergreen?
Gleams of Forbidden light and beauty Aletine, gem of untold power Aletine, a captivating gem shrouded in mystery, sits at the heart of Evergreen's enigmatic power structure. Its existence fuels whispers, speculation, and a fierce struggle for control amongst the kingdom's secretive factions. Here, we delve into the mystery concerning this precious stone. First of all, what are the origins of Aletine? Evergreen's bustling streets are rife with speculation regarding Aletine's origins. Villagers, known for their colorful theories, theorize that it is a form of interdimensional material, arrived here at the mysterious cataclysmic event that destroyed everything. Rumors abound of a ripped veil between dimensions, spewing Aletine into Evergreen while leaving devastation in its wake. While most of these village tales are dismissed as mere flights of fancy, the recent revelation of the Aletine vault beneath the Ancient Hotel has given some credence to the notion of an extraordinary origin. However, the truth remains shrouded in secrecy. Only Steffy and the other powerful factions possess any concrete knowledge about Aletine's arrival in Evergreen. Unveiling Aletine: Myth and Reality Clash The truth behind Aletine shatters some village myths while confirming others. While not interdimensional as some theorized, the gem undeniably originates from beyond Evergreen's reality. Its arrival coincided with the cataclysmic event that reshaped the kingdom, a truth only The One Hundred truly understands. This revelation validates a part of the villagers' extravagant theories, a devastating event did occur. However, it disproves the notion of a dimensional tear bringing Aletine here.The gem's origins remain shrouded in secrecy, fueling speculation about the civilization it hailed from. Unveiling the Secrets of Aletine Aletine is the most precious and most protected thing in all of the kingdom. The amount of secrecy surrounding Aletine is almost enough to rival the secrecy surrounding The One Hundred. With so much secrecy surrounding the gem you might be wondering why it is such a big secret. Well as explained before Aletine is hidden under the ancient hotel, the oldest building in Evergreen. Located beneath the ancient hotel, the oldest structure in the kingdom, Aletine predates all other known resources. The exact date of its arrival remains locked away in the archives of The One Hundred, who possess the sole understanding of its properties. Historically, they reveal information only in dire circumstances to safeguard the kingdom. Steffy's mansion and the main hall boast massive Aletine arches, a testament to the gem's power: repelling dark energy and matter. Steffy had the arch built in his mansion after the battle with The Embodiment of Darkness. The gem releases an aura around it stopping anything that contains darkness from passing through whatever it is built in. The shape of the arch is also a key detail to securing the room at the maximum. The arch shape lets the aura bounce off of it and spread to the rest of the mansion but in smaller quantities. Steffy and The One Hundred are the only two who possess this key information about Aletine. Aletine's potential extends beyond this defensive ability. Could it hold further, untapped properties? The possibility of weaponizing this powerful gem remains a question with potentially far-reaching consequences. Aletine’s connections Aletine is not only known to Steffy and The One Hundred. The public knows about this gem as well but so do all the cults in Evergreen. The Heathotels’s archives contain the largest collection of knowledge on Aletine other than what Steffy and The One Hundred know. A single, crucial truth about Aletine's connection to an interdimensional entity eludes even Steffy. Only The One Hundred and the enigmatic leader of the Heathotels are privy to this knowledge. Aletine is connected to some other worldly being. Since its roots can be traced to outside of Evergreen’s world, there must be some other civilisation that made contact with the gem before the Great End. Another thing to take into perspective is that Aletine is one of the oldest substances in the world. Its age could suggest a lost civilization predating the cataclysmic "Great End." Could this civilization have been the first to harness Aletine's power? The gem's connection to another world fuels this speculation. Aletine has undoubtedly passed through countless hands over millennia. Are the Aletinians, with their oath of secrecy, truly in control? Or is Steffy merely a pawn in a larger game? Perhaps a hidden organization, like a rogue faction within The One Hundred or a descendant of the lost civilization, manipulates events from the shadows. The question of who truly controls Aletine lies at the heart of Evergreen's mysteries. Aletine’s potentials Aletine reigns supreme as Evergreen's most potent gem, rivaled only by the enigmatic atmospheric gem. It has many magical properties,Its most celebrated property being the fact that it can repel dark energy and dark matter which came in handy during the War Of Gods. It can also be used for a multitude of different things. One of the most outstanding creations with Aletine is the arches in the Main hall and Steffy’s mansion. They are guarding the archives which contain precious and secretive documents on Evergreen as well as artifacts that have not been exposed to the public. With so many possible uses for Aletine only a select few are actually used. The Aletinians have been told only 6 times in the last century to forge weapons out of Aletine. With those orders coming straight from Steffy himself. With the looming interdimensional threat it is highly likely that a war will start in the next millennium. Who will be the 2 sides is still a mystery. Steffy is also worried about a rebellion, Aletine has caused unrest in the villages which have caused small riots and raids of the libraries and archives yet all of them end in failure. It is another very likely possibility that a civil war will start in the next few hundred years. The main powers may be aware of this and are preparing to defend themselves if this possibility becomes a reality. Yet, the question lingers: with Aletine's apparent defensive capabilities and no documented harm to Evergreen, why such secrecy? Are the powers hiding something more sinister? Could they be preparing for a threat far greater than a civil war, a threat hinted at by the whispers of an interdimensional entity connected to Aletine? Lempty, a gem of mysterious beauty Lempty gems, with their captivating light blue hue and characteristically rough, quadrilateral edges, are a ubiquitous presence in Evergreen. Lempty is not much of a very interesting gem. It is mostly used for decorative purposes and not very much in weapon smithing.Though it has a lack of properties, It has very famous use, Steffy himself has a 5000 year old Lempty encrusted egg. It is originally made out of the bedrock of Evergreen, Eslud, with a few pieces of Lempty embedded in it’s surface. Even with such a useless facade with no redeeming qualities, it is still widely used in architecture especially in the northern villages to portray the cold and the snow that those villages usually experience. Lempty can be found in almost every mine in Evergreen, since it is very widespread it has a very small value. Compared to Aletine it is 7 000 000x less valuable. Since it is so cheap it can be found in almost every piece of jewelry and almost every building contains even a bit of Lempty. Rumors of Lempty's untapped potential for healing pique curiosity. Though currently as mere folklore, such mystery raises intriguing questions. Is Lempty truly just a decorative gem, or is there more to its story? Perhaps Steffy's undying devotion to the Lempty egg holds the key to unlocking its secrets. The parasitic presence of Lempty throughout Evergreen hints at a potential significance waiting to be discovered. Eslud, the foundation of Evergreen Eslud reigns supreme as the most common stone in Evergreen. It literally forms the foundation of the world, as the very mines themselves are carved from this versatile material. Eslud is used most commonly in construction since it can resist high temperatures and immense amounts of pressure. The only interesting property of Eslud is that no matter how much pressure is on it, it stays flexible allowing for buildings made out of it to withstand high winds and earth-shattering quakes. It is also the stone of choice when making heirlooms since it can withstand so much damage keeping the heirloom good as new for generations. The most famous example of this is the 3000 year old Eslud box that has been passed down as the Retule family heirloom. More than just a common stone, Eslud embodies the resilience and unwavering spirit that lies at the heart of Evergreen itself. Atmospheric gem, a power of nature The atmospheric gem is the true rarest gem in Evergreen as it is only found in one place, on the tip of Steffy’s magical staff. It has the power to control the atmosphere hence the name atmospheric gem, thanks to its power to control the atmosphere, Steffy chose this gem as his crystal of choice to harness its magical properties. Though Steffy never found this gem in nature since it is a mix between Aletine, Lempty and Celusi. The exact process of how the Atmospheric gem came into existence is still a closely guarded secret with only Steffy and The One Hundred knowing how the gem was fabricated. The exact origins of the Atmospheric Gem remain a closely guarded secret. While Steffy acknowledges the possibility of finding such a gem naturally in a faraway corner of the universe, he downplays the chances of it existing on Evergreen. It takes intense heat and pressure to let it form correctly and there were many failed attempts to create Atmopsheric with the failures themselves playing a crucial role in the final product. It is quite obvious what Atmospheric does, however, how it achieves this control remains a mystery. Steffy and The One Hundred keep the details shrouded in secrecy. This secrecy fuels speculation: what truly powers the gem, and what drove Steffy to dedicate over a century to crafting it for a seemingly limited ability to control the weather? Could there be a grander purpose behind its creation, a power yet to be revealed? Celusi, the geriatric gem of Tyrlosuh Celusi is one of the rarest gems in the kingdom rivaled only by Aletine. It can only be found in Heatherlea, usually near a patch of heatherberry; studies have shown that the heatherberry benefits from the light residue that emanates from the Celusi. The major families of Evergreen usually have a reserve of Celusi to pay the more hefty fines as well as create new heirlooms for each generation. Unlike the highly sought-after Aletine, Celusi possesses no outwardly magical properties, at least to the casual observer. Steffy and the other major powers seem largely uninterested in the gem. Yet, a single, magnificent purple Celusi, a rarity in its own right, resides with the Tyrlosuh family, one of Evergreen's wealthiest and most prominent lineages, containing almost 250 current living descendants and over 10 generations are currently in the lineage which means they’re are 140 year old people in the family. Botinelosi, is the oldest person in the family standing at 164 years old and is the first person to ever use Celusi in the art of crafting. He stumbled across it while mining in the outskirts of Heatherlea near the village where the family originated, affectionately also named Tyrlosuh. Steffy originally seized control of the mine where Botinelosi found it. The quick seizure of the mine raised suspicion on the properties of Celusi. Steffy eventually allowed Botinelosi to have full control over the mine. Rumors spread through the kingdom like a wildfire, Botinelosi's silence on the matter, coupled with the Tyrlosuh family's secrecy, fuels the rumors. What truth are they hiding? Could Celusi's beauty mask a more significant purpose, a power that rivals even Aletine's? Polompty, a concoction of nature Polompty, a breathtaking gem with an allure unlike any other, shimmers with the colors of Lempty, accented by veins of Eslud embedded deep within its interior. It also comes from the same location as Celusi, near the Tyrlosuh village. By taking its location into consideration it may lead you to believe that Polompty is simply an underdeveloped version of Celusi, which is what Botinelosi originally believed when first discovering it in the abandoned Reveras mine right near the Tyrlosuh mine. Polompty was originally put under extensive studies to discover more information on it, all the studies ended up coming with one answer: Polompty is a marvel of nature, a harmonious blend of 6 different stones and gems. Which explains the presence of Eslud in its core as well as the colors of Lempty. Since it has such a strange yet intriguing beauty it captivated crafters's curiosity which caused an influx of its use to fabricate jewelry. However when Lomi, daughter of Botinelosi, became head of the family the mine was closed off to the public and all sales of Polompty stopped causing shockwaves in the gem market, sparking the infamous Polompty rush. The Polompty rush, a desperate search After Lomi shut down the mine, the supply of Polompty slowly trickled to a stop. Lomi's aged father, Botinelosi, allowed his son Bisel to sell the remaining stones stored in the Tyrlosuh archives. With the Polompty market back on its feet, the family had satiated the market’s hunger. However, Lomi had a different vision for the family's future. She declared her son, Utigo, as her heir, bypassing Bisel's claim. Bisel sadly accepted to avoid being ostracized by the family ending the power struggle for the leadership of the Tyrlosuh lineage. The gem market, unable to sway Lomi, eventually turned its attention elsewhere. It wasn't long before the Retule family, sworn rivals of the Tyrlosuh family, discovered a small grove of Polompty near their Heatherberry fields. With the supply restored, markets everywhere flourished and the Polompty rush ended. This new source rekindled the market for three years, until this supply dwindled as well. Now, with both sources depleted and demand still high, a question lingers: Why did Lomi close the mine, causing economic turmoil? Does she possess knowledge of a hidden danger associated with Polompty, or is there a deeper secret to this extraordinary gem's origin? Families of Evergreen, cults in disguise Tyrlosuh family, from gemstone guardians to fallen shadows The Tyrlosuh family is the largest and wealthiest family in the entire history of the kingdom, they originate from Heatherlea and their family founder is Botinesoli and his loving wife Temorla Tyrlosuh who had 2 children, Lomi Tyrlosuh and Bisel Tyrlosuh. Bisel was originally the next heir for the head of the Tyrlosuh family but after Lomi took power as the first heir she decided to declare her son Ugito as the next heir. Bisel accepted his fate to never be head of the family to avoid being exiled by Lomi. With her decision she completely bypassed Bisel’s bloodline from the lineage, completely extinguishing any chance for any of his descendants to ever ascend to the title of head of family. Though this has never been done in the family, Lomi received backlash from both family members as well as the public as this was seen as an unforgivable act of treason to her own blood. With her destructive decision she removed over 30 descendants from having the last name Tyrlosuh. Bisel’s new family line, the Bisenoty, decided to declare a familial war against the Tyrlosuh. Sparking the Biserlosuh familial war. The Biserlosuh Familial war After Bisel declared a familial war against the Lomi, the population of Azalea and the, affectionately named, Tyrlosuh town, started to pick sides. At the time Bisel had the most support by the villagers considering Lomi was the cause of the Polompty rush. Which brought both fortune and misfortune, and had threatened to burn villager’s houses unless they followed her orders as their new leader, which sowed distrust between the populace. The war was not particularly disastrous since it was between 2 armies of around 400 people. Though the amount of lives lost caused an impact in the surrounding area and sent a shockwave in the gem trade market since the Tyrlosuh family were the largest exporters of stones and gems. Both families ended up losing a combined 86 members, 21 from the Bisenoty family leaving only 13 people left and the rest were from the Tyrlosuh family. This disaster would leave over 1300 civilians injured and over 700 dead, it also caused the partial destruction of the town of Tyrlosuh and the complete destruction of the Bisenoty town. Though not only the family’s town were left in ruin, entire neighborhoods of Azalea were utterly ravaged thanks to the supporters of the 2 families. With Evergreen on the brink of a civil war, Steffy himself had to step in and end the war. Though his attempts failed and the war continued for another 2 years before Lomi and Bisel decided to end the battle for the safety of the kingdom as more and more supporters began to sprout and begin fighting in the other towns. With Evergreen on the brink of absolute and utter chaos, Evergreen’s main entrances were shut down and the capital went into lockdown as protests arose, those protests leading into more chaos with the 2 sides arguing and fighting right outside the Main Hall. The Tyrlosuh archives were burned, the Tyrlosuh and the Reveras mines caved in in certain parts and the majority of the Tyrlosuh made jewelry was either sold to another crafter or destroyed entirely sending hundreds of thousands of objects into the Gray Realm causing a widespread jewelry shortage as well as worries on the safety of the Gray realm. After the war ended the Tyrlosuh family was fined 400 pieces of Celusi and their entire Polompty fortune was seized by the Heathotels. Downfall of the Tyrlosuh After the end of the Biserlosuh war, the Tyrlosuh family lost control over the Polompty mine, the majority of their Celusi hoard, their archive was burned to the ground and their hometown was partially in ruins. With Lomi’s dictatorship over the family and her undying hate for the Bisenoty family as well as the Retule family, she forced the Bisenoty family, which was ravaged by the war, to merge back into the Tyrlosuh family name, unifying the rivals and stopping any further familial civil wars from happening. Bisel decided to step down from the lineage and instead become the first person in the history of Evergreen to not be part of a family, whether it is big or small. With Bisel now gone Lomi had no one to challenge her in her dictatorship of the Tyrlosuh family. Until Botinelosi, founder of the family, decided that the lineage had embarrassed itself enough and removed Lomi as ruler. But Lomi refused and since Botinelosi was in his early 160s he couldn’t fight back against her and allowed her to continue her rule. The public had already lost interest in the family and was now fully against it destroying any hope of any new ruler to repair the damage caused by Lomi’s reckless decisions. The Tyrlosuh family, once revered, now exists as a cautionary tale. Their fall from grace serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the devastating consequences of family discord. However, whispers still linger. Is Lomi truly broken, or is she biding her time, waiting for the opportunity to reclaim her lost glory? And what secrets lie buried beneath the ashes of the Tyrlosuh archives? The answers to these questions may hold the key to the Tyrlosuh family's redemption or their complete downfall. Retule family, fruit fanatics or fantasy fighters? The Retule family stands as a beacon of peace in the often-turbulent world of Evergreen. Unlike their gem-obsessed counterparts, the Tyrlosuh, the Retules view conflict with a deep aversion. Witnessing the devastation of the Biserlosuh War solidified their pacifistic stance. They famously disarmed themselves, donating all their Aletine weaponry to the Aletinians. But they still needed to make a profit, so their founder, Ruservi, created the Reveras mine right near the future area for the Tyrlosuh mine. Ruservi was the first person to explore and exploit that part of the kingdom since it was usually used as a tourist attraction for the rest of the towns to visit the lovely northern flora. He eventually discovered a cave which led into a large cluster of Celusi, which eventually led him to create the Reveras mine to mine out this new source of gems for the kingdom. After extensive testing his scholars noticed that Celusi had positive benefits to Heatherberry and enhanced its growth which led Ruservi to found the largest Heatherberry farm in the history of the kingdom. He led the family into a fruit empire for 140 years until he grew too old to lead the family anymore, at his 178th cycle he decided that his son Rymo would become the new leader of the Retule family. This decision came after the end of the Biserlosuh war which started a large change of ruler in many sections of the kingdom, families were giving way to new rulers and the cults were discussing the leaderships. Steffy decided to join in the massive leadership change adding new managers into the departments and a new Head Librarian into the archives. By the end of the leadership changing era Ruservi had already been ruler of the Retule family for a few months, during those few months he had commissioned the construction of a new town for the Retule family and everyone else who wanted to live there. Though this new project was a cover up for a more devious plot, he was in fact commissioning the Aletinians to forge Lempty weapons for his descendants, which caused distrust in the family after news of this plan came into the light. This revelation cast a shadow over the family's pacifistic ideals. Was Ruservi preparing for a war he alone foresaw? Or was there another, undisclosed reason for the clandestine weapon production? These questions continue to plague the Retules, a family caught between their commitment to peace and the shadows of a hidden agenda. Gatosi family, shadows of the kingdom Hidden within the bustling kingdom of Evergreen lies the Gatosi family, shrouded in secrecy and wielding a power unseen. The Gatosi are in charge of the safety of the archives which explains their secrecy and low popularity amongst the populace of Evergreen. They do not have any famous appearance nor have they ever participated in a war since their founding 3000 years ago. Their founder, Guvn, created the family after he noticed the amount of hate that the concealed archives would get from the public. Forever haunted by the everlasting threat of misuse in the archives. He decided to found a new family that would be in charge of protecting these archives and maintaining their secrecy. But considering the fact that Guvn founded the family over 3000 years ago it means he is long dead, he was 343 at the time of his death which leaves him as the longest serving Head Of Family in the history of the kingdom. They originally were treated with hate because the archives were seen as a threat thousands of years ago. But nowadays the archives are a staple in the culture of Evergreen. Captivating the public’s knowledge on what could be hiding in those labyrinth-like buildings. Now, nestled away in the secluded neighborhoods of Islafield, the Gatosi cultivate their unique Yoern vegetables, rumored to enhance mental clarity, a necessity for navigating the labyrinthine archives. While whispers of their reclusive nature follow them, the Gatosis family silently fulfills their role, the shadows of the kingdom their only companions. Fruits of Evergreen, source of nourishment and mystery Heatherberry The humble heatherberry is a ubiquitous presence in Evergreen's northern villages, especially Heatherlea, its namesake. This incredibly common fruit harbors a rare variant, the purple and orange heatherberry found only in one singular farm in Heatherlea. The farm’s owner has kept their identity to protect this incredibly rare variant of heatherberry. The whispers of Evergreen have always condensed into a wide array of conspiracy theories, in this case they believe that the heatherberry is a mystical edible stone that was brought to the kingdom from the forgotten civilization before Evergreen. Despite repeated debunking. A plethora of people still believe that this outlandish theory is true. The purple and orange heatherberry has been widely known for its rarity but also for its properties. The purple and orange heatherberry has been subject to multiple tests, including Eshwar Mestec’s famous 7676AGE experiments. Controversy and mystery cling to the heatherberry, yet it remains the kingdom's beloved snack, a daily indulgence for an impressive 96% of the population.
If you took the time to read everything please give me feedback or some sort of constructive criticism please

I (19m) have had a lot of problems between my divorced parents over the years, and I thought things had mostly calmed down by now but for the past year or so problems are popping up a lot. This post will get long.
Some background: My parents (39f & 39m) divorced a long time ago, back when I was in elementary school. It was very rocky for me when I was younger, as I lived (and still live) primarily with my mom, and she had a lot to learn and figure out about parenting in general, let alone being a single mom and trying to date to put her life together as best she could. Her dad, and my grandfather, was very rough on her when she was younger, and as a result she had a tough time trying to get on her feet and go to college, on top of my parents getting pregnant with me pretty young. After a while, she figured it out, and now I live with my mother, my stepdad (41m), my brother (14m) and a newborn sister who's a little over 2 months old.
I started college last fall at a prestigious & expensive STEM school I've dreamed of attending for a very long time. I had a very rough first year, as I've learned that I'm what people consider a "gifted kid" and never really learned a lot of things integral to learning and studying which made me burnout very fast and get lost easily. I'm going to be doing some personal coaching / therapy to see if I can work on this for this coming fall. Because of the price, my dad was very adamant about my joining an Army ROTC program on campus to earn a scholarship to cover my tuition, and in exchange I will be contracted to serve as an Officer for 8 years; 4 years active duty and another 4 in reserve. My dad is an Army vet and felt that it would be best for me to do, on top of him also having experience enough with the Army to help me. The process of discussing this stressed me out a lot over the summer as a rising freshman, and that's in addition to a lot of pressure from him to join the Air Force or Naval Academies instead of my dream school for the benefits. It stressed me out a lot, and it was very hard for me to articulate my discomfort with the entire thing since my dad basically gave me a recruitment speech for everything and broke it down on the basis of merit and reward rather than what I would be willing and able to do.
After a lot of turmoil between my parents and grandparents (grandfather & grandmother on my moms side who i will refer to as such; grandparent on my dad's side isn't relevant) we got my dad to relent and I committed to my dream school for that year. I also did go along with the ROTC plan since I do need the money, and I have found that for the most part I enjoy being in ROTC. During this time there have also been a lot of other issues but it would be too many to recount here.
Now for my problem.
My dad figured out about a Veterans Affairs rep on my campus, and we filed for a stipend that would pay out money to me as a dependent college student of a veteran. From filing this I would receive $1200 every month during school months.
My grandfather intended on buying me a car following high school graduation, but because of my dorm situation, decided to wait until after my first year of college since I wouldn't be able to use it until then anyway.
My dad discussed with my grandfather about keeping half of my stipend payments (which are wired to his bank account when they roll out at the start of every month) to save and giving me half. His reasoning was that my grandfather can be very difficult to work with sometimes, and he wanted to make a good impression on him by giving him money I would have saved to help cover insurance costs or other related things on the car once my grandfather buys it. The issue I and my mother took with this at first was that I had no say in how they decided things, but at that point I couldn't bring myself to say anything and sort of rolled over to go along with it.
Now, my grandfather is beginning to look for a car for me, but given my situation with finances and other things I ended up covering, I really need that money. I'm hoping for an internship at a company a family friend works at so that I can still have an income over the summer, but there's no guarantee, and I want to have my money accessible to me for what I need, and I trust myself to make sure I have what I need left over to pay for my car for the 2-3 months I will have it before I go back to school and my stipend starts again. I texted my dad about it yesterday, but he gave me a runaround about needing to "play things smart" with my grandfather, asking why my mom doesn't give me the child support money my dad pays her, and telling me that I need to be responsible and make sure that I'm contributing to my car with that money instead of leaving it all up to my grandfather.
I took a major issue because it wasn't my decision. I don't see how I'm being responsible and saving the money for the grandfather when it's in an account I can't access, and my dad was going to be the one giving it to him. I also didn't understand why I was trusted to sign up for the Army but not manage a few thousand dollars to save for car insurance. I wasn't able to properly articulate everything I thought and felt over text, but I questioned a lot of things and talked to my mom about what would be best for me. My dad also wanted me to set up a bank account with Navy Federal, which he uses, since he can instantly transfer the money to me if I really wanted it. I already have a bank account and I saw no reason to make another one. Apparently he wanted to avoid using Venmo so the money wouldn't be classified as income, and he wanted to make sure he could transfer money to me easier and also secure the bank's benefits for me early.
Today, I talked to my grandparents about the situation to see where things stood regarding the car and what money they needed. My grandfather had already called my dad and said I should have the money, and that if I blow it all before he gets the car then it'll be my problem when I can't pay for the insurance. My grandmother agreed with him and that was their stance on it. My mom also texted my dad in this time establishing that he shouldn't ask about a new bank account (he asked about it before and we told him no), and that she felt the need to step in because the situation has been very frustrating for me and I don't know how to approach these kinds of conversations with my dad anyway. He responded very aggressively and rudely and they didn't say anything beyond that.
He eventually came by to give me a check for that money and drop off my brother who had spent the weekend there, and he talked to me about how he felt alienated from me since I wasn't talking to him much over the past few months, being upset that I went to my mother about my problems instead of being a "grown man" and talking to him about it, and fighting so much about the money which gave the impression that I didn't trust him. I had a lot of feelings and thoughts, but I couldn't bring myself to say what I really felt when I spoke to him. I basically ended up saying what I needed and just let him leave.
This whole situation has me very upset, and I'm honestly feeling worse now after I have that money than I did before I asked him for it. I don't understand why I feel this way. I don't understand why it's so hard for me to talk to my dad but I get so nervous and anxious that I just can't be as open with him as I would be with my mom.
I just want help from others who may have experienced this kind of situation before, and to know if I'm going about the situation and/or my relationship with my dad wrong. So, AITA?

I always thought of my life as fairly ordinary. I work for an embroidery hat company, crafting custom designs for sports teams and local businesses. I take pride in my work, and it pays the bills. My wife, Autumn, is the love of my life, and we have a teenage daughter named Aurora. She's a bit of a stoner and tends to ignore her parents, but I chalk it up to teenage rebellion. I never thought anything sinister lurked beneath the surface of our seemingly normal life.
But I was wrong.
It all started with small, almost imperceptible changes. Autumn seemed distant, her eyes less warm, her touch colder. I convinced myself it was just the stress of daily life getting to her. One evening, I was working late on a new hat design for a local baseball team when Autumn walked into my home office. She smiled, but there was something off about it—something I couldn't quite place.
"Leighton," she said, her voice sounding slightly distorted, "you need to take a break. You've been working too hard."
I nodded, grateful for the interruption, and followed her to the living room. We sat in silence for a while, the only sound being the hum of the ceiling fan. I glanced over at Autumn, and for a split second, I thought I saw her skin ripple, like a stone dropped into water. I blinked, and everything was normal again.
"Hey honey, you okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Of course," she replied, her smile returning, but it didn't reach her eyes.
I tried to shake off the unease and focus on spending time with her. But strange things kept happening. One night, I woke up to find Autumn standing at the foot of our bed, staring at me with an intensity that made my skin crawl.
"Autumn? What are you doing?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
She blinked, as if coming out of a trance. "I... I don't know," she murmured, climbing back into bed.
The next morning, I was in the kitchen making coffee when Cameron, my neighbor and best friend, knocked on the back door. Cameron and I have known each other for years, and he’s always been a solid sounding board for my worries.
"Hey man, you look like shit," Cameron said, handing me a beer even though it was barely 8 AM. "What's going on?"
I sighed, taking a long swig. "Something's off with Autumn. Last night, I woke up and she was just standing there, staring at me."
"Maybe she's sleepwalking or stressed out," Cameron suggested. "Women are complicated, man. Just talk to her."
I nodded, but deep down, I knew this was more than just stress.
One night, I had a long phone call with my Maw Maw Debby. She's always been the wise matriarch of our family, offering advice that was usually spot on.
"Maw Maw, I think something's wrong with Autumn. She’s been acting strange, and I swear I saw her skin ripple."
"Leighton, sometimes our minds play tricks on us. But trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it probably is."
Her words lingered in my mind as I hung up the phone. I decided to confront Autumn directly.
"Autumn, we need to talk," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "You've been acting really strange lately. Is there something you're not telling me?"
She looked at me, her eyes flickering with that eerie light I'd seen before. "Leighton, there's something you need to know," she began, her voice trembling.
Before she could continue, Aurora stumbled into the room, eyes bloodshot. "Hey, can you guys keep it down? I'm trying to watch TV," she mumbled.
"Aurora, go to your room," I snapped, more harshly than I intended. She rolled her eyes and shuffled away.
Autumn took a deep breath. "Leighton, I'm not who you think I am."
My heart pounded in my chest as I watched her skin begin to shift and change. Her flesh turned pale and sickly, taking on a greenish hue as if decaying before my eyes. Her eyes, once warm and inviting, now glowed with an eerie, otherworldly light.
"Autumn, what... what are you?" I stammered, backing away.
Her mouth stretched unnaturally wide into a sinister grin filled with razor-sharp teeth. Her limbs elongated and contorted, moving with an unsettling grace. From her back sprouted grotesque appendages that resembled twisted, gnarled branches, each ending in a razor-sharp claw.
"I am an entity from another realm," she said, her voice now a chilling whisper. "I took this form to blend in, to live among humans. But I can no longer maintain the facade."
I was frozen in place, unable to comprehend the horror before me. "Why... why did you choose us?" I managed to ask.
"I needed a place to hide, a family to observe. But now that you know the truth, I can no longer stay."
As she spoke, her hair, now resembling writhing serpents, hung in matted strands. Wisps of shadowy mist emanated from her body, and the air around her grew cold.
"Leighton, I'm sorry," she said, her voice filled with an emotion I couldn't quite place. "I never meant to hurt you or Aurora."
Suddenly, Aurora burst back into the room, her eyes wide with shock. "What the hell is going on?" she screamed.
Before I could say anything, Autumn's monstrous form began to mimic Aurora's appearance. In an instant, she looked exactly like our daughter, down to the last detail.
"Aurora, run!" I shouted.
But the real Aurora stood frozen, her eyes locked on the creature that had taken her mother's place. "Mom?" she whispered, her voice trembling with fear.
The entity turned to me, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light. "Leighton, you need to understand. I may look like a monster, but I still have feelings. I care about you and Aurora."
I shook my head, unable to process the nightmare unfolding before me. "You're not Autumn. You're not my wife."
The creature's eyes softened, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of the woman I had loved. "Maybe not. But I tried to be."
With that, the entity transformed into a shadowy mist and vanished into the night, leaving Aurora and me standing in stunned silence.
In the days that followed, Cameron tried to help make sense of it all. "Man, that's some messed up stuff," he said, shaking his head. "But you gotta move on. For Aurora's sake."
I nodded, knowing he was right. But the memory of Autumn's transformation haunted me. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was still out there, somewhere, watching us.
One night, as I was tucking Aurora into bed, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "Dad, do you think Mom will ever come back?"
I hugged her tightly, trying to hide my own fear. "I don't know, sweetie. But we'll be okay. We have each other."
As I turned off the light and closed her bedroom door, I couldn't help but feel a cold shiver run down my spine. Our lives would never be the same, but we had to keep moving forward.
For now, we lived with the chilling knowledge that the world was far more terrifying and mysterious than we had ever imagined. And somewhere out there, the entity that had taken Autumn's place was still lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to return.

I’m back :)
41f dating a 42m for 9 months. While I have had doubts about our relationship - it’s mostly my nature to have doubts - overall it is the healthiest and most nurturing relationship I’ve been in, not to mention that this is the first person I’ve dated in my life that I can actually (yes it’s cheesy) consider growing old with and that feels the same way (I know it’s early and we are taking our time). He said today he thinks we are perfectly matched, and has considered marriage.
The issue we keep running into is bio babies. I’ve probably posted on it before but as I get to know him I keep learning more about him and what motivates him I have more clarity.
We were both on the fence when we started dating but he gets closer to a yes while I’m still unsure.
I already have an 11 year old. I left her dad five years ago because I was considering a second, knew I didn’t want it to be with him, and wanted to leave it up to the universe. Since then we’ve had a pandemic and the world has gone to shit and now I’ve been a solo parent for three years and was unemployed for three months recently so it isn’t like things have been easy. I’m tapped out, and I’m sure my fertility is declining. I have some chronic unidentified health issues that, due to sexism in the health care field, have just been dismissed instead of adequately ruled out and treated.
Kids haven’t been on his mind most of his life. He always thought “maybe if I meet the right person” and now apparently I’m that person. He seems to want some assurance from me that kids are going to happen, while simultaneously seeming unwilling to leave our relationship, which leaves me feeling stuck and unsure.
I have communicated that I am looking for a partner who is committed to me (and my kiddo) first and foremost regardless of what could happen with a baby in the future and that I don’t want to feel pressured around this. Whenever I say this he backs down and says we can just take things one day at a time. But then he’ll find a way to bring it up again usually when we mention progressing our relationship.
Every time the conversation comes up it’s extremely distressing to me. I haven’t been able to discern - even with therapy - what is stress/trauma/fear vs whether it’s something I actually don’t want.
Not only did I have complications with my first, our combined ages make the whole thing risky business, we both have autoimmune illness, and neither of us have strong support systems, esp family, though he has money. I question our capacity.
He was an only child and has had limited experience with babies and children. Today, my daughter had friends over and he balked at how loud it was and went to another room. I’m like, what do you think it’s like living with them? He also loves loves lovessss his sleep lol
He has said some other things that make me feel concerned about why he wants kids. How he’s afraid of dying alone and while relationships come and go kids don’t leave you. When his mom was sick how many old people there had no families and he doesn’t want that to be him.
How he wants renewed purpose. How he wants the experience of shaping a human. How he wants a kid that looks like him so doesn’t want to adopt.
On my end I can easily get lost in the fantasy too but when I assess this situation it makes me go hmm.
My ex, for all his flaws which included mental health issues that are the reason he is not involved, wanted a baby because he loved kids and wanted a family. There was no lack of love on his part. He doted on our daughter until he couldn’t anymore. His love for kids was obvious the second I met him - how he reacted to babies while we were out, how he talked about having a family.
I’m not getting any of that here. As much as I may be open to putting my body through all that I’m concerned he isn’t in it for the right reasons and doesn’t actually want children.
Meanwhile it feels our relationship is at a standstill and I can’t figure out a way around the impasse. We’ve talked about it but aren’t really getting anywhere lol
I would love some perspective on this and fresh insight to help me think through what to do.

I meant “party” in the sense that the campaign itself never started and totally understand we all have busy lives. But about a year ago my friends and I decided to start a new campaign that would begin as a “who done it” prior to a tournament we would all participate in. We start at lvl 7 and just create wealthy badasses is what the guide lines basically were for the whole party. Other two members were both sorcerers and I was a bard who would not use instruments but allocate my bonuses towards stunts thats I perform. Honestly felt like I made my most favorite character ever and been dying to see what playing as them would be like. Sadly we couldn’t be able to find the time to start it yet and I can’t blame em. Life just be going on and whatnot. Each time we talk about it and remember our players we hype up the idea again and how we would play them. At this point I’m just dying to play them. Starting to give up on the idea of it happening but I want this character to exist somehow. If anyone is interested here is my character. Hope anyone enjoys it and sorry for the long read. Dm also has my stats btw, sorry. Feel free to talk about your characters also.
Oslo Winmore
Backstory Long ago- an outlaw named Lazlo Winmore had found power, wealth and fame like no other pirate during “The Age of New Beginnings”. Lazlo’s accomplishments made his bloodline wealthy beyond imagination for many generations to come. With such wealth within a family there had come a point where his lineage had adapted to wealthy behaviors and adopted similar mindsets to those of a higher class... Ultimately becoming what their great great great grandfather had once despised. After finding out the history of his family’s bloodline and source of wealth: Oslo Winmore had a moment of clarity. A vision of freedom that made himself feel comfortable inside his skin for the first time ever. He decided to became an outlaw of the sea with his younger brother in hopes to achieve the same notoriety of his ancestor by stripping themselves of all titles and possessions for a life of adventure. After a few years of unforgettable laughs, achievements and looting of many sorts- a tragic battle left himself and his crew on the verge of death with few survivors. Leaving the disheartened bunch shipless and broke. They were left off the coast of Windwall. His small group had to scrape up whatever they could in order get by for awhile. No weapons, no spirit, no destination in mind, they decided to settle at Windwall and wait until their wounds would eventually heal. Upon discovering the kingdom of Windwall operating in ways that lead to common folk suffering, Oslo decided he couldn’t stand the sight any longer. His group of friends started performing impressive stunts at a close proximity to the capital in hopes of obtaining funds that would later be used to aid those in need. Project XP had then become established as an organization of Oslo’s and provided protection to the lower class residents. Inspiring hope amongst the kingdom peasants, Oslo became a voice of the people. As these events grew larger and large they reached a point of success to where he became recognized by lords and the king himself. After word had spread of his amazing performances, his presence alone attracted many visitors to the area which brought economical prosperity to Windwall like it’s never seen. Many refer to him as “King of the Common” but King of the underground had a better ring to it in his mind. Activities in the shadows were monitored and eventually spearheaded by the young group of individuals to which the king had no choice but to look the other way so that his kingdom could still prosper. His image became a topic of discussion to both sides of wealth and poverty. Whether or not you loved him or hate him, he showed nothing less than compassion to those who deserved it. However, a strange new drug called “Baby Blue” has been invading the lands of Cornwood and eventually made its way to Windwalls shipment or substances. Horrified by the effects led by this drug, Oslo is determined to find out who is manufacturing and distributing this abomination and total buzzkill.
The grout: Home of Project XP Warehouse area where events are held and stunts are practiced. Some activities may be under the table and somewhat shady. Others are awe provoking. Areas include: Pray room, slay room, weight room, safe room, blaze room, trade room, stage room, boom room Entrance fee is lifted to those who are considered an outcast. Some are allowed to crash where there’s space if we recognize they’re about that life.Multiple areas are marked as “Danger Zone” where intense practices are held.
You are passing through at your own risk of harm. PROJECT XP does not take responsibility for any injury and/or death that may occur.
Project XP members
Oslo: Ring leade Daredevil Stunt Maste ((Considers Project XP his magnum opus. Has a lot of internal monologues)) [drow-tiefling Bard]
Knievel Winmore: Performative Arsonist/ Fire dancer ((Brother of Oslo Winmore, occasional loose cannon, wishes they were pirates again instead of performers)) [Drow-Tiefling Rogue]
Clam: Right hand man/ Tiger Tame Swordsman ((Always covered in jewels. Pet Tiger named Oro. Twin blade wielder )) [Human Fighter]
Boe & Beaux : Twin Bouncers/ HandyMen ((Unusual consumption, hard to give orders when names sound similar)) [Dwarven barbarians]
Aderet Lavish: Heale Illusionist/ Restoration Expert/ ((Gender bending abilities. Considers everyone annoying. Sees everyone like younger siblings)) [Wood Elf Cleric]
ROD: Announce Hype Man/ ((Loyal to The Grout. Merchant of illegal substances. Still can’t afford cost of living. Unable to speak quietly)) [Human -Monk Free spirit being]
Craddoc Dudum: Condemned Magical Scientist/ Cleanup crew/ ((Collects corpses due to stunt casualties. Research is unknown)) [Changling Wizard]
Bibbins: Demolitions expert/ Stunt Coordinato Enginee ((Ex mob boss- formerly known as “The Big B”. The guy who knows a guy. Old timer who can finally cut loose)) [Gnome tinkerer]
Patches: Practice Dummy ((Sentient crash dummy. Lives to fall apart. People tend to confide with him most)) [undead]
Masami Yano: Quartermaste Legal Advisor ((Constantly stressed. Former New York City resident. Had switched dimensions by a witches spell)) [Human Attorney]

Mali ba ko na nawawalan na ko ng respeto sa mom ko? My mom is a mistress of an old man for more than a decade now. We never tolerate her sa totoo lang ayaw din namin pumupunta yung guy dito sa bahay. As time goes by di naman huminto yung guy to prove that he really cares sa amin. Business man yung lalaki he provides our weekly grocery kahit may work na kami magkakapatid para may pambaon kami sa office, home cooked meals to be exact para di kami masiyadong bumibili ng pagkain sa labas. Even may nagkakasakit samin kahit may hmo's naman kami nagbibigay siya ng pambili ng gamot and giving us money to celebrate occasions(birthday's/Christmas). For almost a decade ganito na yung set up. 2023 came for almost 6 years of being single I finally entered relationship with a single father. I'm 27 and his 32. May stable job si guy and siya lahat napoprovide ng needs ng daughter niya. Eversince then ayaw ng Mom ko skanya dahil may anak. Then I invited my bf new year last year para makilala niya buong family ko and inalok siya uminom ng relatives ko mahina alcohol tolerance ng boyfriend ko hindi talaga siya umiinom nalasing si bf sa bahay ng tita ko. Since then laging minumura ng nanay ko yung bf ko kahit humingi ng sorry yung bf ko through text kasi nahihiya siya sinabi ni Mom ko kesyo baka naman lasinggero talaga yung boyfriend ko ganyan I admit na nakakahiya yung nangyari first time nameet yung family ko tapos nalasing siya. Yung tito and tita ko sinabihan yung Mom ko na hingian ng cenomar yung bf ko. Kumuha naman yung bf ko inabot ng 1 week for him to get a copy nung pinakita na yung cenomar ang sagot ng nanay ko baka pinagawa mo lang sa recto yan. Ang nag asikaso ng cenomar nung bf ko is yung mom niya kinausap ako humingi din ng sorry sa nangyari. Hiyang hiya ako sa treatment na binibigay ng pamilya ko kasi maayos akong tinatrato nung nanay ng bf ko. Yung feeling ko parang ganun ba ka taas tingin ng family ko sa estado ng buhay namin I can't even considered us na middle class. My bf still goes here sa bahay because of me to prove that his really sincere with his intentions pero wala pa din kahit sinusubukan ng bf ko na magmano sa Mom ko hinahawi niya lang yung kamay ng bf ko tumutulong tulong yung boyfriend ko sa pag maintain ng bahay kasi sobrang laki at 3 babae lang kami andito naglilinis linis siya kapag rest day niya to help me out and para ma kakaalis din kami if we want to go on a date. There are times na dito din sa bahay natutulog bf ko if naabutan siya ng ulan tapos di siya makauwi agad sa sala siya lagi natutulog pero yung mom laging binabagsak yung pagsara ng pinto ng cr at ng kwarto to the point na nagugulat kaming lahat at nagigising bakit ganun yung pagkakasara ng pinto. September 2023 came nagkaron ng major operation yung mom ko because of myoma. Ang pasok ko sa office 5pm to 2am di ako pinayagan mag leave kasi kulang sa tao that time. Para magkaron ng peace of mind bf ko na I'm safe he decided na sunduin ako sa office may motor naman siya kaso ang pasok niya opening to closing sa mall siya nagwowork sa mandaluyong from 9:30am to 11pm ang shift niya. From mandaluyong to bulacan ihahatid ako sa medical city ortigas and after ako maihatid uuwi siya sa Valenzuela. Pagka dating namin dun nireready pa lang yung mom ko for her operation my bf still tried pay respect na magmano andun na yung nurse sa room tinapik niya palayo yung kamay ng bf ko nag tinginan yung 2 nurse. I was about to burst out sa galit my bf tap my shoulder and said huwag na mahal kailangan maging okay si mama mo sa operation. Fast forward to November 2023 nakarecover na yung mom ko nakakaattend na siya ng highschool reunion and at that time my relationship with my bf is a bit shaky because his fighting for the custody ng anak niya kasi tinatakot siya na ilalayo yung anak niya skanya simula nung nalaman nung babae that I'm existing na sa buhay nung bf ko ( for background yung babae nagloko and may sarili ng kalive in partner starting pandemic may anak na din sila) my bf decided na maghiwalay muna kami para di ako mastress since I'm having problem with my health I had TB adentitis kailangan ko mag sick leave for 4 months to get rest and makarecover. December 2023 came my bf is still fighting for the custody ng anak niya during the time na magka hiwalay kami hindi nawala yung communication and secretly coming with me sa mga check ups ko kasi alam nga ng family ko na hiwalay na kami my mom never stops saying na kaya ka nagkasakit dahil sa bf mo puro stress binibigay sayo. January 2024 nararamdaman na yung impact na wala akong work from medicine to bills na nakaunder sakin sila na sumasalo. We didn't know that my mom is seeing her classmate nung highschool na may asawa na din everytime pala na umaalis siya. And sila pa din nung older guy since nararamdaman na nila yung effect na wala akong work sinasama ako palagi nung mom ko sa tinatambayan nung older guy para manghingi ng pera kesyo pambili ng gamot ko (may pambili ako ng gamot ko kahit papano kasi my bf decided na magbenta ng mga binebake ko at ibang niluluto ko to help me sa medical expenses ko) hindi napupunta sakin yung pera na hinihingi ng Mom ko dun sa long term relationship niya ginagamit niya yung pera pampamasahe para makita yung isa niyang bf na highschool classmate niya before. Ginawa niyang habitual yung pang hihingi ng pera everyweek nakakahalata na yung longterm bf niya na bakit humihingi ng pera nag papadala pa din ng stocks sa bahay minsan inaabot yung pera pag walang napadala na stocks dito sa bahay pero di naman pinambibili ng pagkain. Sumama na talaga yung loob ko skanya nung harap harapan niya sinabi na hindi ka maghanap ng lalaki na may position sa trabaho at kayang magbigay ng pera sayo hindi ako tumulad sa mga pinsan ko nakapag asawa ng may kaya sa buhay and may mga sarili bahay na. Yung mga pinsan ko never inobliga ng mga tito at tita ko na magbigay sa bahay nila hawak nila sariling sahod nila kaya sila nakaipon nakapag pa kasal at nakabili ng bahay. Hindi alam ng mga tito at tita na my mom is a cheater and a mistress wherein tingin nila sa mom ko sobrang banal na palasimba and mabuting ina. Hindi ako yung may malaking income sa bahay yung kapatid ko may pinaka malaking share ang inaasikaso lang palagi ng nanay ko yung kapatid ko pati pambaon niya matanda naman na kami kaya iniisip ko na okay lang yan. Pagdating sakin bahala na ko sa sarili ko inaayos lang yung sakin kapag malaki laki naabot kong pera sa bahay simula nung bumalik na ko sa trabaho. Hindi ko na alam gagawin ko. As time goes by everytime na nakikita ko yung mom ko puro galit napifeel ko.

Hello!
MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!
This one's been bugging me for a while now. I read it sometime this year, I want to say within the last 4 months. This is what I remember:

• This book was in a series. Featured college aged characters; had the mafia trope or something similar. I did not read the previous books, just this one. From what I read, the FMC was portrayed as the villain.
  
• In the book that I am looking for the FMC and MMC were close. They were sleeping together and maybe hiding it from their friends. Something happened, a falling out between the two, and it turned into hate filled hookups on his part. He hated her and wanted to hurt her while she pined for him. From their friends pov, MMC led them to think that she was stringing him along.
  

-At some point, the fmc along with another guy from the previous books joins their circle. The MMC is very interested in her, and hooks up with her. The FMC hooks up with the guy.

• FMC is very very heartbroken because the MMC has moved on. I remember she leaves town to get away from it all, and starts having really dark thoughts. Suicidal thoughts.

-Time passes. MMC seemingly does not care at all about her, neither does her friends who have written her off. Time passes.

• Two of their mutual friends get into some trouble. One is comatose and drugged up, the other calls the FMC for help. (The person responsible wants to draw out the 1st fmc). This FMC then calls the MMC, he doesn't answer. She calls one of their mutual, he doesn't want to help.
  
• She eventually gets kidnapped, drugged, raped, and forced to go along with the villain plan to capture the 1st fmc. To do this, the bad guy throws a party at his house. The unsuspecting MMC and his friends attend. 1st fmc included.
  
• FMC is forced to distract them while the bad guy takes the fmc. I don't remember what happened at the party, I just remember that they all think she was working willing with the bad guy. This further alienates her from them.
  

-In the latter part of the book, she tells them that she will help to take the bad guy down. MMC notes that she is not the same. She is closed off and timid. At some point, MMC confesses to their friends that he had led them to believe certain things about her, things that were not true. They thought MFC was a heartless brat who played with his feelings, when it was the other way around.
That's all I remember. Thank you in advance for your help!

In January I received settlement money from an accident I had last September. Since the accident I never asked anyone to borrow money for concerts or go on a trip.. I was only worried how I’d be able to pay my rent. My dad is the type of person that if he sees you have money he will not leave you alone unless he enjoys of that money too and if he doesn’t get some of that money he will make you feel like you’re the worst person in the world..
He asked for money to go to a concert. I told him that I didn’t think that was possible because my priorities are to pay the rent and bills. He responded by going off on me and telling me that he wasn’t gonna steal the money he was gonna pay it back.. I didn’t wanna deal with him so I let him borrow it.. later that day he asked to borrow money again because he was informed that his brother got sick and he needed money. I didn’t offer him anything because I thought he had money to sent him.. he then told me to let him borrow money for his brother via text. I left him on Read, he saw I didn’t reply and he said that thanks for nothing, that that was the last time he was ever gonna ask me for money and that I better not need anything from the family because they will remember how I didn’t want to give my uncle money for his medical bills.
So I sent him money. That was in Jan. and has still not paid back, he’s been asking me for money for his car, gas, vinyls, books. Why do I keep letting him borrow money? Because my dad is a narcissistic asshole and I will never hear the end of how bad of a daughter I am for not letting him borrow money when he “needed”. He calls me to go out for lunch and stuff but I don’t like going because he will make me pay.. we’re not talking about a $10 dollar plate.. more like a $35 dollar plate per person.. not even I go to a restaurant with that type of pricing. I really want him to basically leave me alone, he doesn’t seem to understand that that money is for groceries and bills. What should I do? If I all of a sudden just disappear on him I’m sure he’s going to go to everybody telling them how bad of a daughter I am.
Today while eating he showed me a picture.. picture of him at Universal studios. I don’t even go to universal studios with that money. I told him today that I need him to pay me before the end of this month because that money is going towards the rent. He said no, that he’ll pay me back maybe by the end of June because he still needs to pay my brother what he owes him. I confronted him about this, asking him why he he’s asking for money if he has a stable job and he responded with “I don’t know.. “

*Do Not message or add me just to unfriend me or ghost me. * Greetings future partner ❤️ I'm still searching for you. I have to be honest and say that I am losing hope trying to find you.Please be somewhere. I want my search for a partner to be over. I'm seeking adventure in my life with someone I can call a forever partner. I'm tired of the loneliness and the sheltered lifestyle that I've lived. It would mean a lot of you could read through this post so that I could make sure we are compatible. Even if we start off as friends that would be fine.
Here's to new beginnings and new connections. PLEASE make sure you READ through the WHOLE POST also please be respectful when messaging me * *If you're the type to be impatient, block, or ghost easily, then save both of us the trouble and DO NOT message me! I'm not trying to come off as mean but I'd much rather you not message me if you're the type of person to do that. If something isn't working just let me know. We're all adults.
Greetings, I am seeking a long term relationship monogamous with the end goal being matrimony. I am not one for playing around and being used casually as it doesn’t suit me personally. Ideally I'd prefer a man that has his life already in place so that I can be able to share life with him and for him to take care of me. I would expect my future man to have a fiscally stable job and be able to support me and our future family. I wouldn’t be opposed to being a housewife. There are few reasons why I would like to work or work part time: 1) Being abandoned with nothing, 2) I want to feel fulfilled and not bored. Happy to discuss possible dynamics, I'm flexible. I would love a synergistic partnership where we are both able to mold our minds and fill our hearts with warm affection. I will be there to support you throughout your journey and celebrate every moment with you. I want you to be proud of you just as you are with me. I want to show you that you are truly cared for and appreciated by gestures of love such as massages and other forms of entertainment. I would expect the same from you as well. Even if we are both working adults we can still make our relationship work in the best way possible. I have seen this come out well for people who are dedicated and willing to make their relationships work. For a strong relationship to occur I would expect effective (transparent) communication from you. If you are going to be busy just be honest and let me know you won’t be able to talk to me.Also, if you need your space both mentally and physically let me know. I understand that we all have our lives to attend to but it is incredibly important for people in a relationship to be transparent when circumstances arise in a timely manner in order to avoid future conflict. If this relationship isn’t going to work I would expect you to tell me and not ghost or block me before giving me a reason why. We are all adults so I would expect nothing but maturity. Starting out I don’t want the pressure of sex to be pushed onto me. I’d rather let time tell in all of its glory.
Now onto my true introduction
My name is Angie and I'm from Georgia in the United States. I've been lonely for quite some time and find it hard to find a soulmate in IRL. What I'm looking for is someone who I can connect with and have wholesome conversations with. I want to be able to treat my future soulmate well just as much as they do me. The biggest part of a long lasting relationship is the ability to communicate openly without worry. I'd love it if my significant other has a dark sense of humor and continues to crack me up non-stop. As cheesy as it may sound I long for those late night calls and cute texts. I want for us to drive out the very best in each other; become our support system. A little bit about me is that I grew up in Florida and not too long ago moved to Georgia. I'm currently in college to become an RN but I'm also passionate about cosmetic chemistry and nutrition so I may seek to build my own business in the future. I'm passionate about science and theoretical applications especially within the medical field. I'd appreciate it if my partner is open minded about varying topics and welcomes healthy conversations. Appearance wise I'm open to seeing if we have a connection and feel as long as you are well groomed and practice basic hygiene you are good. Although, I must say that attraction is key in a relationship so I will have to go off on that as well. To add on, I enjoy playing video games, exercising (I've been slacking off lately), cooking and baking (vegan), playing board games, reading, exploring nature, playing sports (basketball and soccer) for fun, and trying new experiences. I hope to save up and travel someday. It would be nice for my partner to be able to set up our travel itinerary.
My Physical Description:
I am a black woman who’s twenty five years old (almost 26 in December) with Afro-Carribean, Japanese and Swedish ancestry. I’d still consider myself black presenting since that’s more along the lines of what I appear as phenotypically. I have dark brown curly hair (Mainly 3c type curls) and brown eyes. I am 5 '4 on the thicker spectrum (not at all obese but thick boned and have thunder thighs). I am trying to exercise more to become fit. I used to weight lift when I was younger but since then have lost lean muscle mass. Having a partner that is willing to work out together sometimes is rather rewarding. A man who has drive and appeal is incredibly sexy. I would also like to point out that I am curvy and noticeable in certain aspects (I’ll leave it up to you to decide).
*You have to be MINIMUM 21 to date me *
If distance will be a problem and you aren't willing to make it work then DON'T MESSAGE ME!!
If you will be too busy to pursue a relationship then DO NOT contact me!! * *Again, No ghosters or blockers!! Seeking a person who seeks a relationship with God and/or is open to one Must be free from venerial diseases and must be willing to get tested(will discuss) Bonus points if you're vegan Ideally I would like someone that is taller than me (I’m 5’4) I prefer a man that is fit or trying to be. I'd prefer someone who is fiscally stable and able to support the both of us* A big red flag for me is smokers. It isn't good for your health nor is it sexy to me.* It's important for me to point out that I want children in the future and need someone who may want that as well. If you're interested in how I look and want to know more about me, message me. Although I don’t make it a huge deal, I do prefer White and East Asian men. But I do love all types of men and welcome them. As stated before I emphasize communication and would prefer you to be honest and say if something is wrong instead of ghosting or blocking without stating the reason. Fair warning if I can be socially awkward sometimes and don't know what to talk about so please be patient with me as I'm learning to be better conversation wise

This is just me ranting.
I’m 20 years old. I want to move out so it’s easier for me to finish school and to improve my mental health. I was living on my own from the ages of 18-19 for college, but because things on the financial end weren’t going so well, I had to move back in with my parents. So I was supposed to be moving at the beginning of this month, but since the place I was supposed to be living at isn’t suitable according to my parents, specifically my mom, I’m not allowed to leave now. I wanted to leave because I just want to get the fuck out of this state. I have a job that burns me out so bad to the point I feel like I need to rest for a couple of weeks before I go back. I’m falling behind in school because I’m already so depressed from my job, the fact I barely have any friends in this state, and the fact that I have to live in a house where nobody gives a shit about me. Like why do I have to stay if nobody even gives a shit about where I go, what I do, or how I feel. I don’t have a car, so it isn’t like I can just up and leave. Trying to get one but I can’t really find any affordable cars that aren’t for parts.
Like idk am I just a spoiled little brat for wanting some damn independence and to be happy????? I’m losing my mind everyday and no one cares. I’m so fucking tired bro.

I met this girl in school last year, and we started dating just before we graduated. Because of that, we didn't get to spend much time together as a couple while in school. After graduation, we went our separate ways—she's studying architecture, and I'm studying engineering at different colleges.
At first, our relationship was amazing. We were like lovebirds, hanging out every week, whether in person or online. Both of us are shy, so it took a few weeks before we had our first kiss. But after that, things started going downhill.
We finally posted our first stories together on Instagram, hiding it from her mom because she's a strict Christian who doesn't allow her daughter to date until she's independent. Somehow, her mom found out, and since then, we've rarely gone out together. We decided to stick to messaging until we can figure out a better solution, or when she visits her grandma for a month in the middle of this year. Her grandma supports our relationship.
Things seemed fine at first, but then I started noticing some strange behavior from her. She constantly likes videos of other guys on Instagram and TikTok, like Michael B. Jordan, anime characters, and Justin Bieber. She doesn't seem jealous at all. She says that if someone wants to cheat, they'll cheat, so why bother worrying?
The most frustrating part is how long she takes to respond to my messages. I understand we have different schedules—I study in the morning, she studies in the afternoon, and she goes to church every night. But come on, I go to the gym and sometimes have classes in the afternoon too, yet I never take long to reply. She treats me well, tells me she loves me, and talks about marriage and kids, but her actions don't match her words. She uses TikTok daily but rarely sends me couple videos or calls me like she used to.
I'm really at a loss here. I love her so much, and she's the perfect girlfriend in many ways, but all these issues and her mom's interference are driving me crazy. Should I wait until she visits her grandma to try and fix our relationship, or should I just break up with her?
OBS: She was the complete opposite when we first decided to date. It could be because we were on our winter break, that's why i'm trying to hold our relationship until summer break. But I don't know if it is the right thing to do.

• Do Not message me just to ghost or block me! Think it through before you message me!! I don't want to get emotionally hurt again.*

Greetings future partner ❤️ I'm still searching for you. I have to be honest and say that I am losing hope trying to find you.Please be somewhere. I want my search for a partner to be over. I'm seeking adventure in my life with someone I can call a forever partner. I'm tired of the loneliness and the sheltered lifestyle that I've lived. It would mean a lot of you could read through this post so that I could make sure we are compatible. Even if we start off as friends that would be fine.
Here's to new beginnings and new connections. PLEASE make sure you READ through the WHOLE POST also please be respectful when messaging me * *If you're the type to be impatient, block, or ghost easily, then save both of us the trouble and DO NOT message me! I'm not trying to come off as mean but I'd much rather you not message me if you're the type of person to do that. If something isn't working just let me know. We're all adults.
Greetings, I am seeking a long term relationship monogamous with the end goal being matrimony. I am not one for playing around and being used casually as it doesn’t suit me personally. Ideally I'd prefer a man that has his life already in place so that I can be able to share life with him and for him to take care of me. I would expect my future man to have a fiscally stable job and be able to support me and our future family. I wouldn’t be opposed to being a housewife. There are few reasons why I would like to work or work part time: 1) Being abandoned with nothing, 2) I want to feel fulfilled and not bored. Happy to discuss possible dynamics, I'm flexible. I would love a synergistic partnership where we are both able to mold our minds and fill our hearts with warm affection. I will be there to support you throughout your journey and celebrate every moment with you. I want you to be proud of you just as you are with me. I want to show you that you are truly cared for and appreciated by gestures of love such as massages and other forms of entertainment. I would expect the same from you as well. Even if we are both working adults we can still make our relationship work in the best way possible. I have seen this come out well for people who are dedicated and willing to make their relationships work. For a strong relationship to occur I would expect effective (transparent) communication from you. If you are going to be busy just be honest and let me know you won’t be able to talk to me.Also, if you need your space both mentally and physically let me know. I understand that we all have our lives to attend to but it is incredibly important for people in a relationship to be transparent when circumstances arise in a timely manner in order to avoid future conflict. If this relationship isn’t going to work I would expect you to tell me and not ghost or block me before giving me a reason why. We are all adults so I would expect nothing but maturity. Starting out I don’t want the pressure of sex to be pushed onto me. I’d rather let time tell in all of its glory.
Now onto my true introduction
My name is Angie and I'm from Georgia in the United States. I've been lonely for quite some time and find it hard to find a soulmate in IRL. What I'm looking for is someone who I can connect with and have wholesome conversations with. I want to be able to treat my future soulmate well just as much as they do me. The biggest part of a long lasting relationship is the ability to communicate openly without worry. I'd love it if my significant other has a dark sense of humor and continues to crack me up non-stop. As cheesy as it may sound I long for those late night calls and cute texts. I want for us to drive out the very best in each other; become our support system. A little bit about me is that I grew up in Florida and not too long ago moved to Georgia. I'm currently in college to become an RN but I'm also passionate about cosmetic chemistry and nutrition so I may seek to build my own business in the future. I'm passionate about science and theoretical applications especially within the medical field. I'd appreciate it if my partner is open minded about varying topics and welcomes healthy conversations. Appearance wise I'm open to seeing if we have a connection and feel as long as you are well groomed and practice basic hygiene you are good. Although, I must say that attraction is key in a relationship so I will have to go off on that as well. To add on, I enjoy playing video games, exercising (I've been slacking off lately), cooking and baking (vegan), playing board games, reading, exploring nature, playing sports (basketball and soccer) for fun, and trying new experiences. I hope to save up and travel someday. It would be nice for my partner to be able to set up our travel itinerary.
My Physical Description:
I am a black woman who’s twenty five years old (almost 26 in December) with Afro-Carribean, Japanese and Swedish ancestry. I’d still consider myself black presenting since that’s more along the lines of what I appear as phenotypically. I have dark brown curly hair (Mainly 3c type curls) and brown eyes. I am 5 '4 on the thicker spectrum (not at all obese but thick boned and have thunder thighs). I am trying to exercise more to become fit. I used to weight lift when I was younger but since then have lost lean muscle mass. Having a partner that is willing to work out together sometimes is rather rewarding. A man who has drive and appeal is incredibly sexy. I would also like to point out that I am curvy and noticeable in certain aspects (I’ll leave it up to you to decide).
*You have to be MINIMUM 21 to date me *
If distance is an issue and you aren't willing to commit then DON'T MESSAGE ME!!
If you will be too busy to pursue a relationship then DO NOT contact me!! * *Again, No ghosters or blockers!! Seeking a person who seeks a relationship with God and/or is open to one MUST be free from venerial diseases (must be willing to get tested) Bonus points if you're vegan Ideally I would like someone that is taller than me (I’m 5’4) I prefer a man that is fit or trying to be. I'd prefer someone who is fiscally stable and able to support the both of us* A big red flag for me is smokers. It isn't good for your health nor is it sexy to me.* It's important for me to point out that I want children in the future and need someone who may want that as well. If you're interested in how I look and want to know more about me, message me. Although I don’t make it a huge deal, I do prefer White and East Asian men. But I do love all types of men and welcome them. As stated before I emphasize communication and would prefer you to be honest and say if something is wrong instead of ghosting or blocking without stating the reason. Fair warning if I can be socially awkward sometimes and don't know what to talk about so please be patient with me as I'm learning to be better conversation wise

Me 20F and him 21M have been friends for about a year. We met at college freshman year and we are now in our sophomore year. He has not done anything with anyone at school except for me. I didn’t hookup with him until just recently and it happened twice two weeks apart. Each time I ended up waking up and ubering home to my house he didn’t say a word to me. He also never texted me. To top it off I heard he was talking about it to his friends ): I asked why he didn’t snap me the second time and he said that I don’t Snapchat him. I left him on open in the winter when I went home from college. We are friends outside of the going out scene but I straight up asked him when he said I was the only girl he has done ANYTHING with at school if he would date me? He didn’t answer the question and made the excuse it is summer and I live far away from him. I honestly could be delusional but all the hints I’m getting is he only wants me for one thing and one thing only but I can’t wrap my head around why he has called me super pretty and attractive while it’s just us and also in front of other people. Not to mention again I’m the only one he’s done anything with at school and that is hard to find where I go as a sophomore. He has also been affectionate in front of others at the clubs. Please help me out. Call me delusional or tell me I have a chance ? When I come back for school in the fall do you think we could end up dating? Currently we both have each other on open. But we never really snapped before we started hooking up.
TL;DR we have been hooking up, he calls me super attractive, he said he wouldn’t date me because I live to far from college for summer, he has me on open but I also leave him on open. Is he interested?

I 40F come from a very strict matriarchal family. My parents divorced when I was very young, which lead to a very shitty childhood where I was SA’d by various men in both households. At one point I had to continue to live with my abuser for years until I got married and moved out. My mom is the obedient dutiful daughter, because whatever my grandma says goes. My aunt and uncle were the black sheep, because they defied her. My grandma who I can best describe as highly volatile, manipulative, quick to anger, controlling, and money hungry, was recently diagnosed as bipolar. She created a shit storm at the house and in her home country that she traveled to two months ago. I should add, my mom never left the nest and to this day still lives with my grandma, my step-grandpa, my stepfather, and my brother. My mom has always been teased that she refused to cut the umbilical cord, but it’s the truth. She leaves in fear of having any regrets if something happened to my grandma. She lived under my grandma’s thumb all her life, she has sacrificed her life, marriage, and kids for my grandma. In our culture respect means, not talking back, doing everything your elder tells you to do, and keeping your mouth shut. My mom was more opened minded with my upbringing, but these beliefs still held true during my upbringing.
I’m 40, married, with my own family, but I’m still expected to abide by these set of rules. I recently moved back to my home state (where my family lives) temporarily due to work, I’ll be moving again soon. My mom and her sister had to travel to my grandma’s country to go and handle the shit storm she had created, because people couldn’t deal with her anymore. I have been the person my mom and everyone relays on for everything…for years. I moved out of the country for a few years and somehow I was still the person they would go to for EVERYTHING. Mind you, my mom has my brother to relay on for help and my aunt has her son (both adults), but somehow it’s always my responsibility. I am also, the person my mom vents to about all her issues, especially those with my grandma. Over the years it’s been one issue after another, it never ends. Through my grandma’s manic episode, I’ve been the one who has to be there for her for support and everything else. Anyhow they are due back really soon, and my stress levels and anxiety levels have been through the roof. I have so much resentment towards my mom, my grandma, and aunt (it’s all related). Resentment that has built up throughout the years, resentment of the expectations they have put on me, resentment because I have always felt like my mom has always put my grandma over me (ex: I had to continue to live with my abuser, because my mom refused to leave my grandma). Their household is very toxic, but it’s all they know, so it’s considered normal. What I’ve mentioned on this post is just the tip of the iceberg, there is so much to unpack with my family.
Anyhow, my mental health has been taking a toll, I’m always anxious, stressed, and angry. My grandma has created a heck of a shit storm, we are left to pick up the pieces and clean up after her….as it is always the case. Anyhow, I finally reached my limit. To add, my aunt is mad at me for calling her out, which I’m fine with. I’m just tired, I’m so done, I feel taken advantage of because as they have previously said, “(my name) always listens and does what we tell her to do.” Well I’m DONE and with their impending return, I decided to temporarily go no contact, I don’t want to deal with the drama anymore. Mentally I’m drained from the never ending vents, it feels like a broken record, because nothing ever changes. I’m questioning my own sanity, because I feel like the AH. I don’t live near them, but I’m expected to be available at all times for whatever they need. This has been my life for years, and I’m tired, drained, and feel like I can’t give anymore without it affecting my marriage. Thankfully, my husband is very supportive of me, but I also have a child to think about. I would never think of putting this much stress on him. Which is another point of contention (how I’m raising my child). I feel like an ungrateful daughter and bad for temporarily going to no contact. But I can’t keep having anxiety and dreading my family. So tell me, am I the AH?