I consider myself to be a sociable person despite my introverted side. So, I enjoy spending time with people to know them better and connect with them.
I've noticed that most of the people I meet are boring. They're nice, there's nothing to say about that. But I get the impression that it's all small talk all the time, with no depth to the discussion. I feel like I've got a lot to say, whether it's about myself or just comments on life, society or whatever. But the other people don't seem to want to talk about themselves or the things they like with me. Each time I'm thinking "They're probably not comfortable talking to me about all that yet, so it's better to wait". But I feel like I'm always waiting, initiating discussions, asking questions, taking an interest in the other person and organising activities. But I feel like I'm trying too hard to maintain the relationship without getting anywhere. All I get are short answers, a cancellation of our planned activities or short and boring conversations. After a while, I end up talking less and less with these people. The worst part is that I no longer send the first message with them and I can tell you that my inbox is as empty as a desert if I don't do start anything.
I don't know why most people, especially in their 20s, avoid human interactions and don't look for their depth...

All my life I have had paranormal encounters, including multiple that my friends were also there to confirm.
Over the past year I have had multiple strange experiences while outside at night, usually it begins with me having a sensation of not being alone and then I get singular words and non verbal concepts that start to come into my mind. It includes new information that I take in and quickly forget or lose access to in my memory. This has only happened 3 or 4 times. Each time I did walk away with information and guidance on my current life and steps that I should take going forward, usually having to do with my spiritual practices. It was indicated in these moments that it was in fact an unseen non-human entity of some sort.
Within the same 12 months my friend started having similar experiences that escalated beyond mine to the point of something that resembled astral projection and receiving further information that correlates with mine.
It makes no sense. It's total insanity and sounds like a delusion and yet it all lines up even after discussing it with mentally healthy people I know.
I have had multiple psychological evaluations done in the past. I have discussed my paranormal experiences with a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a therapist and been told that the experiences and my interpretation of them seemed healthy and did not show signs of being delusional. My therapist remains unbiased about my experiences but does not seem to have concern for my grasp on reality at all.
So wtf? I feel kinda broken 😅😂

Was wondering about any differences in dating culture between China and the West, in case I make a fool of myself on a date lmao. What are some dos and don'ts? What does a typical date involve? What are most women looking for?
I'm Chinese Canadian and have conversational Mandarin

Well honestly this is more of a rant but my mom has always been giving tiny remarks about my body and stuff and also i am 15 (F) and today it just was too much for me, It was a normal conversation but it somehow turned into a convo about appearances and my mom she started saying if u want to get ahead in life blah blah appearances do matter and stuff you need to loose weight and i honestly didnt say much and she kept pressing on it and i ended up snapping and after that she literally said "have you looked at yourself in the mirror, do you really think you look good" "you look so fat ugly" I was kind of stunned she always talked about her childhood about how people commented on her body and stuff and now she does it to me. She has been doing this since i was a kid. Well anyways I felt really bad atp i mean this is really dumb idk why i am even talking about this but it kind of gets worse she starts saying i am obese blah blah and then she is like i want to know ur weight and basically she starts yelling at me to get the weighing scale and i really didnt want to at that point and basically we have this metal spatula and she like puts it at the stove and threatens to burn me with it (she did do that to me alot when i was a kid) if i did not weigh myself infront her and i ended up doing it and then she started shaming me more and more. I honestly dont know anymore I am about 68kgs and i am 5'9 i dont really think i am that overweight but i dont know. i have struggled with my body image alot like in 2022 and 2023 i came to a point where i did not even want to look at myself in the mirror i would literally avoid it i hated the way i looked sm my body and everything and recently i was trying my best to yk like myself and all that but i dont know my self esteem and confidence dropped more than ever. I dont think i have ever felt this shit like i would get it if it was about my health or whatever and i think there might have been a better way to say it i honestly just dont know
TL;DR: This is basically a mom just bodyshaming

Hello all,
PLEASE ANSWER WITH SYMPATHY. This is hard for me.
SUMMARY: We were serious to the degree that we had our marriage and everything planned even how our house would look etc. So you can say we were very serious. We both are at a point where we are in the forming years of our careers. One night he texted me saying that he wanted a no-contact break of 1-1.5 years to gain a financial standing to be able to provide for me and his family. He promised me that he would stay loyal to me and come back after this break. He wanted to focus on his career for this duration. Does he want to work for our bright future or is this an excuse for breaking up with me without the responsibility?
The full story:
So, My boyfriend and I have been in a serious relationship for a full 2-3 years now. We were serious to the degree that we had our marriage and everything planned even how our house would look etc. So you can say we were very serious. We both are at a point where we are in the forming years of our careers. It's like this I am starting college and he is in the last year of college. So, we were doing good and supporting each other.
Keep in mind that he was planning this for the last 15 days from this night, He didn't even drop hints. One night he texted me saying that he wanted a no-contact break of 1-1.5 years to gain a financial standing to be able to provide for me and his family. He promised me that he would stay loyal to me and come back after this break. He wanted to focus on his career for this duration. I supported him even though it pained me a lot to do. I was willing to support him in all hardships. I wanted to support him through thick and thin. I never asked for money from him like at all.I never even demanded time from him as I knew he was working towards his career.He is a great guy btw. He treated me well. I trust him a lot. I love him a lot.
I just wanted different opinions from special men and boys.
Does he want to work for our bright future or is this an excuse for breaking up with me without the responsibility?(The truth would be appreciated.)

[EDIT: My initial post was removed for violating the sub‘s rules, therefore I removed a few things. I hope this post is okay now! Thanks]
Hi all, so I‘ve always struggled in life and always felt I was different from everyone else or that there‘s something wrong with me. It feels as if I‘ve always been playing life on hard mode and I didn‘t know why. I‘m a guy and 33 years old and live in Germany btw. I‘ve been suspecting autism for a while now but I still can‘t really wrap my head around it. I‘m trying to get diagnosed but the wait times are insane (upwards of three years). Therefore I‘d be very thankful if you could give me some insight based on your experiences because this is really keeping me up at night. Sometimes I think I must be autistic 100% but at other times the thought feels surreal and ridiculous. To give you a bit more information here‘s a list of some of the things that make me suspect autism (in no particular order):
Some of my symptoms:
1) I absolutely can‘t stand sudden loud noises, especially sirens, firecrackers, glass shattering and motorcycles accelerating. It gives me an intense and very unpleasant feeling of dread and I get accelerated heartbeat and breathing. 2) Bright lights are physically painful for me to look at. I noticed this especially with stroboscope lights at clubs or raves. 3) My visual perception seems to be way better than the average person‘s, i.e. I notice small details others don‘t, I can immediately spot someone in a crowd and I notice even slight changes about someone‘s appearance others don’t. I also have a photographic memory. 4) My sensory perception is quite sensitive in general, e.g. I can‘t ignore any kind of background noise. I used to work in sales in a large office with other people being on the phone all the time, which was hell. I‘m currently working in the marketing department of a large company where I have my own office which is much better for me. I also perform way better there than at that other job. I‘m also very sensitive towards any kind of strong smells. 5) It‘s hard to describe but I kinda feel a bit disconnected from my body. Apparently that‘s an autism symptom. 6) I cannot relate to the average person at all. A lot of things „normal“ people do feel completely irrational or pointless to me. I‘ve always felt like an alien. I‘m also self-aware enough to know that I probably seem a bit odd to the average person too. I‘ve always felt that I didn‘t fit in anywhere. 7) Adding to that, other people seem to quickly sense that I‘m different from them as well. 8) I‘ve always been struggling way more with things that seem to come easy to other people. I often feel exhausted and tired from just daily life. I feel like I need way more rest than other people in general and now realize that I‘ve been (unknowingly) pushing myself too hard my entire life. 9) People sometimes think I‘m aggressive or intimidating when I don‘t mean to be. It might be due to my physical appearance (I‘m 6‘3, 220 fit and have a short haircut with a beard) but I‘ve been experiencing this on a regular basis. What is a neutral facial expression to me apparently looks pissed off for some other people. 10) I generally like doing things the same way, e.g. I‘ve been going to the gym and doing boxing for 9 years now and the repetetiveness/routine is what I like most about these sports. I‘ve also been eating the same things for breakfast every day for years. 11) Social interaction doesn‘t come naturally for me at all, I use different scripts for specific situations all the time. It‘s like people are playing a game everyone knows the rules to except for me and I try to participate by imitating what I see others do without fully understanding why they do it. 12) My mom told me I used to often line up my toys as a kid, especially toy cars. 13) When I‘m stressed I often shut down and need time to cool off, so to speak. I can’t focus on anything anymore and feel very overwhelmed. If I‘m further stressed while in that state I get aggressive. When I was a kid I had huge meltdowns where I would start screaming and smashing things. 14) I hate surprises, I generally prefer things to be predictable (e.g. before I visit a new restaurant I will check the menu online before. I also like knowing who to expect to be there at social events) 15) When I‘m interested in a topic I want to learn everything about it. I love collecting information about things I‘m passionate about (fitness, boxing, cars and motorsports). 16) I used to be excessively clumsy as a kid and had bad coordination. 17) I often did things that could be considered stimming when I was a kid such as constantly repeating phrases, whistling or tapping my feet, which drove people around me crazy. 18) When I was little I would often forget to eat or go to the bathroom because I was so invested into my favorite topics. 19) I’ve always struggled with keeping up friendships. Many times they faded and I‘m not sure why, which makes me sad. 20) Speaking of which, I‘m probably more interested in things than people. 21) I really dislike crowds and being in one stresses me out. I can‘t stand large gatherings of people for this reason. 22) I hate this „beating around the bush“ thing normal people do instead of simply saying what they want from you. I‘ve always been way more direct (probably too direct sometimes without meaning to) 23) I absolutely suck at processing verbal instructions or verbal input in general 24) Lastly, I often feel very lonely and misunderstood which sucks.
I know this was ridiculously long so I thank you for taking your time! I mean it!

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As mentioned in my show and tell post, I ordered the Hisenior Mega5EST as they seemed like a quality set flying below the radar and with nice tuning. Also, I was kinda of looking for something to replace my Variations which I enjoyed very much but had some issues with.
TLDR:

• they're awesome, with just a few minor flaws
  
• very safe pick, they do most things right
  
• the bass is great, but not perfect
  
• treble is smooth and safe
  
• mids are pretty much perfect
  
• very addicting
  

Impressions
I would describe the overall sound signature of the Mega5EST as relaxed neutral with a bass boost. They're kind of unique though, overall tame but also not warm or boring. The sound signature is very inoffensive and would probably work for everyone. There are still plenty of details presented in a controlled and safe way. I can see this kind of tunning working for those who find many recent popular IEMs bright or harsh, as there is none of that harshness here (except for just one thing which I'll try to elaborate in the treble section).
Bass
The bass is great, very punchy, and dynamic with emphasis on mid-bass but without ever gett boomy. Where it falls behind a bit is in the sub bass and, when compared to the behemoths like Z1R or Monarch MK3, it's not as refined and lacks overall detail. For example, the bass guitar and snare drums sound perfect but there is the lack of rumble with the bass drum or even the double bass. I still enjoy the bass overall and it's probably the best I've heard at this price range.
Mids
Now here it gets really interesting, the lower mids feel like a natural extension of the bass while still being decently separated. While this might be the reason the Mega5EST lacks the sense of separation like on some more expensive IEMs, it also provides a very smooth yet still fun signature that is very addicting. There is a masterfully executed bass tuck that keeps the body and fullness like no other IEM that I've tried.
The overall timbre and vocals feel natural and to my surprise, even the female vocals, while not at whisper-at-your-ear level (khm, Simgot EA1000) , sound really good. Overall, I'd say mids are excellent with the lower mids being practically perfect.
Treble
At first glance, the treble on the Mega5EST feels overly safe, not dark, just kind of boring. It does nothing wrong but lacks some of the excitement. There's a fine line to making treble smooth yet detailed, something I feel only more expensive IEMs do right (MMK3, Z1R, even Variations) and Mega5EST is playing it very safe here. There is a strange peak at around 9-10kHZ that sometimes pops out (Bonhams cymbals on When the levee breaks, for example). It's not always noticeable but can be somewhat annoying at times. but other than that, the treble is well-controlled, just lacking that extra sparkle that some of us love.
Fit and build quality
The Mega5EST feels like a premium product both in presentation and quality. The fit is very good and I really really like the cable. The only con would be the 4.4 mm termination with no option to change it. The packaging is also pretty epic and comes with a sturdy plastic case and a pretty cool carrying pouch detachable from the same case.
Comparisons
Moondrop Variations
Until recently I owned the Variations and I still think they're an excellent IEM - back in the day I prefered them over the Monarch MK2. Yes, there's a noticeable mid-bass tuck, but also an unmatched subwoofer effect. The upper mids can be too much but the treble is pretty much perfect. Variations is a 2-year-old IEM that still gets regularly mentioned in comparisons with current FOTMs and I think that speaks for itself.
Personally, I felt a bit bored with Variations and had some fitting issues which the Mega5EST fixes but introduces some of its own. I guess a year from now we'll have a more objective comparison on both. At the moment, the Mega5EST edges them out but you can't go wrong with either of these two.
Simgot EA1000 Fermat
I really like the EA1000 and I do think it's a bit underrated around here. The Mega5EST does feel like an upgrade in every way over the EA1000 with just a few quirks going in the favor of the Fermat. The vocals are more forward on the EA1000 and with the right tracks, it can sound magical. Also the bass on the EA1000, while overall inferior, feels better textured and more tasteful on certain tracks. Everything else, the Mega5EST is a better IEM, no question about it.
Thieaudio Monarch MK3
On a technical level, the MK3 is a beast and the best IEM I've ever heard. Instrument separation, imaging, positioning etc. are unparalleled. Yes, it can be borderline fatiguing due to the sheer amount of information it brings forward but for me it's never too much. Compared to the Mega5EST, the MMK3 is clearly superior in technicalities, it has better treble and while both have great bass, I prefer the MMK3 as it has that Variations style sub-bass retained while still being punchy enough. The MMK3 mid-bass is not at the same level as the Mega5EST but it's a trade-off I'm happy to accept due to the mentioned excellent sub-bass. The mids are where I feel the Mega5EST holds its own. It's got that addicting full-bodied feel that the MMK3 lacks and is better suited for relaxed listening.
The best comparison would be if you imagine the MMK3 as expensive summit-fi speakers and the Mega5EST as a self-built setup you have at home. While not nearly similar in their technicalities, both have their place, it just depends on what you're in the mood for.
Sony IER Z1R, Sony XBA-N3
I'm lucky enough to own both of the legendary Sonys and felt both would be an interesting comparison to the Mega5EST. The bass on the Z1R is unrivalled (except the MMK3 imo) and indeed it is a bar set too high for the Mega5EST. For example, the drums sound great on both but with bass guitar, the Z1R edges it easily. Also with the Z1R subbass, you exactly feel what's missing with the Mega5EST. The treble on the Z1R, while it might be too much for some, is magically well executed for me. Where the Mega5EST comes forward again is the lower upper mids (lol) and mids in general, providing a smoother overall feel. While not at the level of the MMK3, the Z1R is noticeably more technical than the Mega5EST which comes at no surprise considering the price difference.
The XBA-N3 is on the other side of the spectrum. Masterfully tuned, the XBA-N3 does fall short on the same technicalities the Z1R excels at, with the Mega5EST falling right in between.
At first, the Mega5EST reminded me so much of the XBA-N3 due to both having that full-bodied sound that's easy to listen to while still being fun. While this is true, the overall presentation with the XBA-N3 overdoing it, the bass bleeds into the mids somewhat and sometimes does feel congested.
While I'm not sure the Mega5EST will achieve the legendary status of both the Sonys, I feel comfortable placing the Mega5EST right in the middle of the two - doing most things right.
Conclusion
If it isn't obvious by now, the Mega5EST is an excellent IEM. It's not without flaws (nothing is), but those only come up in comparisons with much more expensive IEMs. Trading blows with IEMs considered TOTL speaks for itself and even comparison to the Variations should be a compliment on its own, despite the haters.
I've read somewhere that the only two IEMs you ever need are the Variations and the Z1R... While obviously a joke, from a certain standpoint, I can see it.
Given that the current $300-600 IEM market is all but oversaturated, I still feel the Mega5EST is a safe blind buy. It does most things right, some things excellent and practically nothing wrong. Due to the excellent tuning, I find myself reaching for them as the default go-to choice, they're really addicting. I haven't heard all of the recent popular choices (Hype 4, Pilgrim, Volare etc.) yet I still feel I could safely recommend the Mega5EST. In fact, I would actually suggest skipping the $300-400 tier and try to save up for the Mega5EST as it does actually compete with the big boys. The Mega5EST could help you escape the mid-fi hell and even be a great companion if you ever achieve the preference-based TOTL heaven.

A few years ago, I accepted a job offer with a verbal understanding that my new employer would give me flexibility on when I could take my paid time off to sit exams for my job relevant degree.
Surprise! They didn't honour it. The work hours were also much higher than they indicated (unpaid time) which reduced my ability to study since I had much less time at home.
It was a terrible culture, it seemed that people either didn't stay long or they became nasty and bitter in order to survive. It wasn't long before I was looking for a new job.
When I gave my months' notice the manager gave me a dressing down about how selfish I was and uncaring of my employer and colleagues. They then told everyone I was leaving because I thought I was better than them all. I had people asking me if I had really referred to them as scum and didn't believe when I said no. I had to spend that last month with no one speaking to me, overhearing comments (deliberately said loudly) saying I was a stuck up bitch and various other derogatory comments.
So on my last day I took everyone's favourite knife and fork from the staff kitchen (the only ones that weren't from the cheapest IKEA set you can buy).
It's the stupidest tiniest pettiest revenge but every time I use them at home it makes me smile.

I want to thank everyone who commented on my first post for their empathy and advice. This has really been helping me so much. Original post here: https://www.reddit.com/Sciatica/s/bs94rfBX8y
Yesterday my lower back pain increased and my right arm also started to feel strange, so I went ahead to urgent care. The doctor expressed concern that my parasthesia was not localized or following one obvious nerve path and suggested I go to the ER instead. So I went to the ER. Doctor ordered a CT of head and full spine without contrast. Findings came back written as such:

• Alignment normal. Vertebral heights are maintained. No listhesis. At L4-5 there is broad-based disc bulge. No stenosis. Short pedicles congenitally. At L5-S1 there is mild disc height loss and disc bulge or protrusion. No central canal or foraminal stenosis resulting.
• Thoracic alignment normal. Vertebral heights are maintained. There is minor endplate marginal osteophytosis at the upper and mid thoracic levels from spondylosis. No listhesis. Central canal and neural foramina are patent. Paraspinal soft tissues unremarkable.

Cervical and head findings were completely normal.
The ER doc deemed this not significant enough to explain things and said they were "basically clear", though he also off-handedly said the thoracic findings could explain my arm issue. I'm super confused why bulging noted would not point toward sciatica?
Ultimately, he told me I needed to call my PCP and get an MRI. If the MRI shows anything, neurology claimed to him that they would move my appointment sooner (currently scheduled for mid-September). He said that if I can't get my PCP to order an MRI, I should come back to ER. I asked why he couldn't just order it right now then? "Cost and resource issue."
Despite telling them my pain was 8-10, they didn't want to give me anything. Finally got the expected scripts, steroids and flexeril. I am reluctant to take the steroid because they make me feel horrible and I've already had 2 rounds of steroids for other issues in the last 6 months. Thoughts on steroids at this point?
So, I walked away absolutely terrified. Both urgent care and ER doctor mentioned needing to determine if I have a more serious nerve condition, such as a myelin sheath disorder. They were name dropping things like MS and ALS. I know I shouldn't over-analyze the findings as a non-expert, I'm just desperate for this to be "just" sciatica and stress, and confused by their throwing out such serious disease names without any other supporting evidence.
I guess this morning I'm blowing up my PCP to get seen/get an MRI ordered. Idk how long that will take or how much it will cost. I'm sure you've all been in this boat. Balancing life stress, work, pain, discomfort, anxiety, fear, for idk how long. It's hard to exist.

A dark room, filled with clothes and objects thrown around, held a girl, crying on the floor. Her silky silver hair splattered on the ground, with dirty pinky pajamas. Her tears would fall beneath her eyes, wetting the place with her constant and long cries.
V was afraid, unsure. She didn't know what her love thought of her, but his actions hurt her more than any words. Her sunshine was avoiding her, depraving her of it's vitamins that she so much needed. The memories of his looks at her pierced her chest, they weren't hateful, but terrified. He was afraid of her presence, of her. She, who loved him so much, was being neglected of what should be only hers, by the one himself. This was all that bitch's fault. If that twintailed whore hadn't talked with him, he would never be like this. She corrupted him with her two haired fangs, covincing him to bite that damned misinformation, losing the paradise that was their future. Worst of all, she had hope she'd be able to fix everything after his sister's death. She tried to get close to him, but it didn't work. He never listened to her, prefering to stay silent and never repond or react to anything she did.
V punched the floor in frustation. She couldn't believe she made that mistake, allowing such evil to approach her beloved. She could never let it happen again. She had to protect him from everything, all that could do harm to such perfection, but first, she had to gain his grace again. For that, it's best to just talk with him tomorrow.
The next day, V was standing at the school's entrance, waiting for him. She looked more presentable than her home self, wanting to look good for her sun. In the distance, she could see him walking, although, unlike his old self, he was much more gloomy, wearing a hoodie, hiding his face and sheltering his chest with his body. A sight that hurt V and, unfortunaly, was becoming more common to see. He was getting closer to her, but with no signs of even noticing her presence, so she decided to act.
"Hey N, how's your day?" She cheerfully asked him, waving at the boy, but his steps got quicker and he walked right by her side, not answering her question or even glancing at her. This surprised V, leaving a hole in her chest. She tried to follow him, but her body was frozen, pierced by sadness to the ground.
Wandering eyes watched as she suffered, finding amusement in her reaction.
Time passed, she tried to find him in any place, but it seemed that he had disappeared from school. However, she was sure she would see him on class, he never missed one, no matter what.
When she sat on her place, she smiled, seeing that he really was here, but before she could say anything with him, the teacher entered and V recognized this one, he hated talking in his class, so she decided to wait for the bell to ring once again and this pest to be gone.
The bell was heard by the entire school, meaning this class was finally over. It was a bore, as usual, but now, that the poor excuse of a drone was out of the room, she could finally speak with N. V got up and walked to his chair. He was even more gloomy than in the entrance, he hadn't even spoken to the teacher. His lack of happyness was affecting everyone around him, seeing that everyone seemed less joyful.
"Hey N, can we talk-" Before she could finish, N abruptly got up and walked away from her, going out of the room. Everyone looked at the scene, wondering if the two had a fight, since they used to be so close to each other.
From a chair, the same eyes looked with a faint laughter. It would be easier than it thought.
V didn't try to speak with him in class again. Judging by his mood, he would just repeat the same thing. V could feel a hand grasping her core with force, nearly exploding it. Why did this have to happen to her? She just wants his love, nothing more. She could feel tears wanting to leave her eyes, but she couldn't allow them to ruin her reputation. She had to keep it in. Her home was waiting for her when this ended. There, alone, she could do whatever she wanted.
The bell rings one more time, now, annoucing recess. Everyone got up, including N, and so did V. They all walked to the cafeteria, waiting to get their lunch, with others picking their tables. V followed her love, wanting to sit by his side and have a conversation about everything that is happening. She approached him when he walked out of the food line with his plate.
"So N, how about we-"
"Sorry, can I sit with you guys?" She was once again interrupted, although this time, he talked. His voice sounded horrible, as if any sound produced by his vocal cords hurt his flesh, but this wasn't what worried V the most. He had asked a table full of students she was sure he never even talked to. They looked at him and accepeted. He then sat on their side, leaving no room for her. She could only walk away, tears forming on her eyes, looking for any empty table where she wouldn't be bothered by anyone.
Why was he doing this? She just wanted to talk, clear things out, explain to him that she wasn't a monster he had to fear. Why couldn't he accpet this? She leaned on the table, covering her face from everything else. No, she couldn't blame him. What fault did he have on this? He only fell for lies told by the true monster. She couldn't blame him for being himself, she wanted that, more than anything at the moment.
Hours passed and V didn't try to talk with him again, fearing the worst. She only observed him from afar, watching how his old self was being washed away by the more depressing view of himself. Only if she wasn't so naive. The bell rang one last time. They now had to go back to their houses. If she had any chance to talk with him, it was now.
At the entrance of the main building, everyone was alredy gone. V made sure to pick a time where no one would be around. Maybe he was just shy to talk in front of everyone, she had to think about his side too. He was getting ready to leave, when she decided to confront him.
"N, we need to talk" The boy, who was ready to leave, stopped, however, he didn't look at her "I-I just want to talk about things N, to explain what's happening, so, please, let's talk about everything" She pleaded. His fist clenched, but he gave no response, although, he didn't move either. He was just standing there, listening. He wanted to say something, his body was shaking.
Slowly, he turned to her, his eyes meeting hers, expressing a mic of terror with aggressivness. This made V's look soften. He didn't seem happy to talk with her, but it couldn't be that, he was probably just surprised. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Although, only this action filled V's core with hope. He's finally going to talk wity her, address her directly once again. She couldn't wait to hear her name on his voice once again.
"I've been following you the whole day" A female voice with a heavy russian accent was heard from behind V. She turned around, seeing a girl, about the same size as Lizzy used to be, with red hair and eyes, wearing the normal school outfit of a white shirt, stamped with the school's name, and dark blue shorts, paired with black boots, carrying an abnormally large dark red backpack. V could faintly remember this girl being one of Lizzy's friends, but she only wondered where she came from? V was sure she had checked every place, making sure there was no one in school other than them "But I finally caught you murder queen"
"Who are you?" V asked with a lifted eyebrown. N closed his mouth and only observed the situation in front of him.
"I'm Doll, one of Lizzy's friends. You know, the one you killed" She said with an angry tone. V narrowed her eyes. How did she know? No, this had to an asumption, there was no way she really knew.
"Oh, please. I didn't kill anyone, so just fuck off will you?" The silver haired girl showed the middle finger to the red haired, just wanting to be over with this pointless discussion and continue her talk with her beloved.
"Oh, I will" Doll said with a smile, putting her backpack on the ground and pulling out an AK-47. V and N's eyes widened at the sight of the gun, however, the boy didn't have enough reflex to escape, different from the girl, who quickly grabbed his wrist and ran to a corner where they wouldn't be hit, just as the russian girl started shooting.
The two silver haired were able to escape any fatal injury, but V noticed that N was clenching his shoulder with force, making small whimpers. She feared the worst, only for her to notice a black liquid squirming through the gap in between his fingers. He had been hit by a bullet.
How dare that bitch! First she attacks her for a fucking assumption, now that whore hurts her beloved!? No, things couldn't be this way. That stupid, demented little slav would feel what was like living in the USSR.
As much as V wanted to lunge on the red haired girl and rip out her organs, she was still firing her gun, but what worried the silver haired the most was that she could guess that Doll was approaching the corner with each second that passed. This was bad, if she reached their location, she doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know how to fight someone with an alredy firing gun, but she had to run out of bullets at some point. That's it, she would strike at that moment.
As if magic, the loud sound of gunshots stopped, but V didn't jump out of her cover yet. She didn't knew if the russian had only stopped or ran out of ammunition, the former being the worst scenario for her and N. So she waited, until, the sound of something falling to the ground echoed to her ears. That's what she wanted to hear, confirmation Doll was reloading, so it was safe to attack.
In one quick movement, V got out of cover and lunged at the russian girl with everything she had, but, after jumping towards her, V noticed that Doll was looking at her with a big smile on her face, as if she wanted that to happen. Before the silver haired pinned her down, she ripped her shirt, revealing mutiple active bombs strapped to her body. N got out of cover, leaning on the wall, looking at the fight scene unfold, unaware of what's going to happen. V brought Doll to the ground, as the russian took a detonator from her pocket.
"Это для Лиззи, сука" She spoke, pressing the button before the femme on top of her could escape.
All the bombs on Doll's body exploded, creating a huge ball of fire that engulfed her body, burning to nothing but a black powder, the only pieces of her remaining being the ones from the corner of her body that were exploded away. The center of the explosion hit half of V's body, burning it completely, but not desmebering her.
Her body was sent flying across the area, hitting a wall close to the corner she was before. The impect against the concrete nearly sent her unconscious, but something inside of her kept her mind running. She fell to the ground, but her vision darted around the place looking for something, no, someone.
N was laying on the gorund, clearly unconscious with a part of his head blown off, oil oozing out of it like a fountain. She started to cry and weakly crawl towards him. When close enough, she hugged his body, giving him a kiss on the forehead, right on the side of the wound.
"Please... Don't die" Was all she said in between cries, before closing her eyes.

I'm looking to start a fragrance "collection" as the title suggests. I'd like to preface that I don't know much about cologne, and I've done limited research on the topic. There's a lot of information out there, and honestly I'd just like some basic advice on what to get. I live very far from places where I could smell these in person so I have to either make a day trip out of it or ask a bunch of hobbyists online who deal with this stuff regularly. Any opinion you have to share I appreciate, since I know very little.
TLDR: Please recommend me cologne
I'm a 26M, I live on a coastline, most of where I go socially is on/near the beach or in open grassland (uncultivated). Everything I use soap/deodorant wise is un-scented. I'm not looking to be flashy, I just want to smell good.
I'm looking for:

• A Warm Weather Cologne
• A Cold Weather Cologne
• A Casual Cologne (Wearing T-Shirts & Shorts / Light Exercise)
• A Work Cologne (Suits / Business Casual)
• A Special Occasion Cologne (Ball/Dance/Date)

Bonus question, I'd also like to know where Dior Fahrenheit would fall on this list, since its a cologne I have personally smelled, and really liked.

Starting in 7th grade I have classmates who always calls me dumb and make fun of me for being "dumb". Personally I don't see myself as someone who's dumb but more on just burnt out in studying. I encountered many problems in life but still managed going to school everyday, take quizzes, exams and still look fine, even with them calling me dumb, fool and slow in every different words they can. I admit I'm not perfect specially when it comes to acads but my grade is always line of 9 (A to A+), I recite if I know the answer, I take leader roles even if I'm not the 1st in rankings and is the leader of our research groups consecutively since 9th grade until now in 11th grade. Although I changed schools after 10th grade I still hear a classmate say that I'm dumb. I admit that there are times too when I don't really study much and don't get a pleasant score but does that mean I'm dumb? I also really don't understand why they have to call me like that, wether we're close or not. and it actually affects me now because ever since that happened, I often felt like everyone thinks I'm dumb(🙁)so it's kinda dissapointing that there's always people like this in my life. Did y'all experience something similar to this?

Been a while since my last discussion post, but I’m back with another one. Wow! A combo of not having the right inspiration for one and text posts not performing like image posts do and you have a lack of discussion posts lol, but anyways, the topic, right?
Body hair is certainly a topic. While I reckon just about anybody has their “experiences” with it, at least from my perspective adding gender screwery on top certainly doesn’t help things. At least as I understand, men naturally just produce more and thicker body and facial hair than women. There are always exceptions of course, but by and large that’s the case. For now I’ll be focusing on the male end of things from a male perspective, but in another discussion post I might tackle my (of course, biased) views on the female end. Keep that in mind, obviously none of these are “objectively correct” these are purely my opinions and personal experiences.
So I’ll talk about the male side first, since that’s the side I actually deal with on a daily basis. Let’s just say I’ve had quite a bumpy ride, both literally and figuratively, and I doubt I’m anywhere near the end. Things first started way back in high school. I’d just turned 13, and this was unfortunately the time my body decided to turn on me. Growth spurt after growth spurt, leg hair first appeared and arm hair kicked into turbo, my voice was phasing into adulthood, and only about a year or two later would I feel the beginning of facial hair. As an adult I’ve come to peace with those changes, they’re natural and I’m okay with that, but 13 year old me was very much not happy. Most boys my age seemed excited to be growing into maturity, while I was happy exactly how I was and did not ask for any of these rapid changes. While I could discuss plenty others, gotta stay focused on the hair lol. For a good chunk of high school I just kinda gave up and let my leg hair grow. I didn’t like it, but I tolerated it cause it was too much of a headache to bother with. Eventually though, around senior year I wanna say, I pulled the classic blunder: shaving my entire legs with no shaving cream and the razor I use for my face. Needless to say, I was in pain for like a week afterwards. Very bad idea, but I inevitably had to come clean with my Mom. Ya can’t waddle around the house all day without questions being asked.
So after some talks, I got set up with some proper shaving stuff, and long story short i jumped from that to Nair, to epilation, back to Nair, and right now I’m back to shaving. What a journey. I figured I’d discuss my experiences with each method. So, epilation. In short if you’re unaware, at least with the sort of epilator I bought, it’s a machine with basically tiny tweezers all along the surface of a rotating barrel. You press it lightly against your skin, and as it whirrs it plucks off hairs individually. I know it sounds like a torture device but it’s really not nearly as bad as it sounds. On the plus side it removes hairs from the root, so your skin will be smooth for quite a while, (a solid few days for me), and when hair finally does poke back through, it’s typically quite soft. This means for me I only did it about once a week. Cons are that it is SUPER painful the first time around, and while it gets a lot better with time, it’s never fully painless. Particularly any part of your skin where there’s not much bone or muscle directly below can really hurt. Epilating my knee didn’t hurt much at all, but going for the butt taught me a lesson lol.
Nair is nice in that you’re not placing metal right up against your skin, and it lasts a little longer than shaving, (about two days for me). Issue with that though is in my experience, it can be nigh impossible to both avoid chemical burns and actually get all the hair off. Now, considering the biological difference and that it’s aimed at women, I imagine it’d work much better for them, but for me? I never quite found the sweet spot of just enough in both amount and time left on the skin to get a clean “shave,” but not too much so as to get a burn. Heck, sometimes I’d get an awful burn AND it wouldn’t get it all off. So that was fun. However, what it does have over both other methods is getting into crevices and going on sensitive skin. Not sensitive skin in relation to abrasives or burns, but in terms of what I was saying earlier about not having much muscle or bone directly beneath. Nair is kinda the best way I’ve found at getting hair on my foot where there’s awkward crevices and shapes, and on my “rear” where epilation hurts like crap and shaving is harder to do. I still keep a good deal around for this reason.
And finally, shaving. Unfortunately the shortest lasting method, but also the least painful in my experience. I’d say the biggest downfall is the time it lasts, I shave after I get home from work every evening and I can already feel stubble by the time I wake up. The plus is that, unlike my experience with the other two methods on my legs, my skins finally been clearing up from irritations since I’ve started shaving. It’s still a slow process, but I’m willing to trade a tiny bit of stubble you can barely see at all over red and bumpy patches of skin lol.
Ultimately I don’t think any of these methods is definitively better than the others. It all depends on your skin type, how it reacts to each, your pain tolerance, how much time/money you have to spend on hair management, how close and how long you need each “shave” to be, etc. It’s not one size fits all, so if you’re ever dissatisfied with any method you’re using I’d recommend trying the others sometime. You might find something working better for you, or heck, you might mix some together like I do. And of course, there are plenty of men who don’t care and just let it all grow. While that may not be my style personally, we’re all free to do what makes us feel comfortable, y’know? That and eventually I’d like to just get laser and be done with all this headache entirely, but unfortunately that costs money so it’ll be quite a while before ai can afford it. Either way I wish y’all the best of luck in your journeys here, cause if you’re anything like me? You’ll need it lol.

I'm organizing a dinner and board games meet-up at Red Ginger on Saturday, 1st June (Madaraka Day) to socialize and make new friends.
This will be our 5th meet-up event this year and most of our community members are Redditors -- because we started on Reddit.
The community has grown to the point where it's now common to randomly bump into people who met at our events and became friends hanging out together at different popular joints in Nairobi over the weekend.
We now have small communities of people who met at our events within our community.
Unlike most events, we curate the experience so you don't feel like you're forcing the conversation with small talk that feels like an interview.
For instance, if you're coming to our dinner meet-up, we'll play Two Rooms and a Boom where you get to play a character while interacting with other participants.
So if your social life is in the pits for whatever reason, join us for dinner and board games next week on Saturday (1st June) at Red Ginger.
Since it's hard for people to be in a social mood with an empty stomach, we always have food at our events and this time, the ticket is inclusive of a buffet dinner.
Here is the website if you want more details: https://thesocialtournament.co.ke/
And if you want to join our WhatsApp community, click "Join Our Community" on the website.

I’ve lived here since I was a baby but all the people with different nationalities kinda linked together in school so maybe that’s why I feel like this, maybe I just don’t understand Irish culture. My ex partner is Irish and we have a child together.
Ever since I have moved house his family have been calling to my house uninvited and have been genuinely helping a lot with unpacking, tidying up etc. I have a baby under 3 months old.
First of all maybe this is just the Eastern European in me but I find it so strange that they keep coming over and they keep helping so much. Part of me is questioning what their motive is.
They are being very nice to me except sometimes I feel they are taking the piss out of me. For example we were setting up furniture the other day and i had to plug something in behind it. They said just go under it, it’d be easier than pulling the furniture away from the wall to get the plug. I fell for it with my stupid baby brain and went literally underneath the furniture when I realise they were just trying to make fun of me. They weren’t laughing or anything though which made it worse and I felt rlly embarrassed and cried after they left.
One of his family members keeps making “jokes” about taking my baby and offers to take my baby and let me and my ex move away to a different country, or for her to go on holiday with my baby halfway across the world.
I’m currently having trouble with my landlord as in she literally walks into my house or shows up in my back garden. One time she told me I was a good mum and if I wasn’t she would be reporting me to social workers. I perceived that as a verbal threat. I said it to his family and one of them said she would kill someone if they said that to her, the other one said the landlord was only joking.. I asked both of them if they thought this was a threat and they said no, so I just kinda left it at that..
A day or two after this happened my landlord was looking at my baby along with my MIL and my landlord goes “they’re so cute how could anyone ever hurt them” and they both went on to say they think them people are sick in the head. I think this is just a weird thing to even say in the first place.
My ex’s mum apparently knows my landlords ex-lover (someone she had an affair with) very well. That got me thinking if she knows him so well how does she not know my landlord?
I asked her about it the other day, about the affair and how she knows about it, and she all of a sudden is pretending she never knew anything about an affair and that she’s never heard of it till I said it to her..
They sat me down the other day and told me a story of a boy from my country who is “slow” and doesn’t even know how to write his name or speak his own language. They said he is an adult but acts like a child and says things like that he wants to be a robber when he grows up. They supposedly questioned him on this and in the end he changed his mind and decided he wanted to work for the council.
I laughed nervously and said “are they robbers” (they meaning the council) and the response was “idk you tell us, are insert my nationality here people robbers?”. The interaction was just so awkward.
I don’t speak my own language because I’ve lived her for so long. I’m also dealing w the council at the minute, I’m renting through HAP. Were they trying to say something about me in a roundabout way? If they have a problem with me why do they keep calling to my house?..
Another thing is my ex used to call me a rat all the time. Because I ended up in hospital homeless bc of him and me fighting (I was pregnant at the time) and a social worker approached me. We started talking and I warmed up to her and realised our fights weren’t just fights and that I was in an abusive relationship. She told me I was in an abusive relationship.
She reported everything I said to Tusla and obviously my ex went mad about it. He kept calling me a dirty rat and told me to go run back to the social workers. I do feel ashamed and embarrassed over it all. But the outcome was my child is now protected.
Fast forward to now, recently I was rustling trying to get something out of a shopping bag and one of his family members didn’t know I had come back so early (she didn’t see me). She said what’s that?? My mum was there at the time and told her it was only me. His family member goes “oh I thought it was a rat”. She uses the word rat in her vocabulary a lot around me and puts emphasis on the word.
Am I just far too sensitive? Am I plain stupid for not being able to make sense of this? If they don’t like me why are they pretending to like me? And if they do like me why are saying/doing things to embarrass and hurt me? I don’t get it.
Also one thing my ex has done a lot is pretending he doesn’t know someone, then later on I find out it’s his cousin and they literally grew up together.. is this common for Irish people to pretend they don’t know people when they really do?
My brain feels fucked trying to figure it all out. If they don’t like me why can’t they just leave me alone? I feel like I can’t breathe. Also now I’m thinking since my MIL knows my landlords ex lover so well, maybe she also knows my landlord and she has something to do with her snooping around when I’m not here?
I’m tired of trying to read all these hidden cues. Why can’t they just be upfront. I feel really stupid for not understanding. Someone clue me in.

Hi! I understand from reading here that a stranger cannot tell me if I have rOCD or real relationship problems... but I just really feel that I need the point of view of someone who isn't my sister, my best friend or my therapist. Or myself. Or I just need to vent. I don't even know.
I often find myself doubting if my boyfriend and I are right for each other, but also doubting my own doubts and I guess that's part of the reason why I'm in here.
The doubts will often be triggered by what I think are very real problems, and I don't feel like they are made up from nowhere.
However my problem is I just can't differentiate if the thought I'm having is exaggerated because I have a tendency to ruminate and catastrophise, or if I'm thinking about it because it's a real problem that is causing unhappiness in my relationship. Or it's a real problem but one that should be worked through and not worth breaking up over.
There are issues such as the following (and what I'm thinking about is... is this a "real" list of real problems that I'm experiencing or is it a list of reasons I have rOCD?):
compatibility in hobbies: my boyfriend, if he decides on how he wants to spend a whole free sunny day, he will likely spend the entire day in front of the computer from the moment he wakes up until the moment he goes to sleep. I will likely want to spend the day outside, or doing different activities, seeing people. We sometimes join each other in the other person's hobby, and it's not like this above example 100% of the time, but I feel like the discrepancy between how we actually want to spend our days if we didn't adapt to each other is too big.
compatibility in sex: I have a higher sex drive, and want to explore or use sex as a way to connect. He doesn't seem to want that or I don't see evidence of him trying to solve his own sexual problems that might be hindering sex for us. We've been talking it over hundreds of times during the years we've been together, taken courses on my initiative etc, but it's still an active problem and it's hurting my self esteem something horrific. Our non sexual intimacy however is great.
compatibility in energy levels: I really want to do a lot of things, but I often feel like I'm pulling teeth getting him to join in. I often feel as though he will do things for my sake only, because he knows it makes me happy. And thats ok, i do things only for his sake too. But as soon as the possibility to leave appears, from the event, the concert, the social gathering, the dinner, the time spent in the cabin, the forest etc., he will go for it and it always makes me so sad to feel like he doesn't actually want to be there.
compatability in terms of communication: I often feel hurt or annoyed since he communicates at what i feel is like a minimum and what he does communicate is what I've told him to communicate because I need it. Its not crazy things, it's like wanting him to let me know he's going to his parents for dinner that same day and won't eat at home, or is going dancing the same evening with a woman ive asked him to keep an open communication about. It's much better now but I feel like our differences in communicating have caused some of our biggest and longest periods of hurt and crisis in our relationship - in which I have been the one to openly suffer the most.
his health and enjoyment of life. From things he's said in the past I feel like his mental health is a problem and affecting all of the above, but I don't see him seeking help for it. He doesn't exercise, he might forget to eat. When I'm away or when we didnt live together he'd struggle to take care of himself and the home or do anything other than sit by his computer. When I come home he'll jump up and great me and suggest to cook or hang out. And it makes me so sad that maybe he wouldn't be thriving or doing any of that if he wasn't in a relationship that he puts in so much effort for.
I'm worried that my asking him to make changes will eventually make him unhappy or bring his self esteem down. Or that it already has. All the things that have improved our communication, sex life, division of household chores, etc. have come about because ive asked him to change... but how much can one person really ask the other to change and still claim to love them the way they are? I feel like I'm constantly asking for change. Maybe he could be with someone who accepts him the way he is, and thinking that makes me so sorrowful. He's really a beautiful person. I'm simultaneously feeling that the changes I'm making to bring us closer in terms of compatibility is causing me to not feel like I'm living my life to the fullest. Like spending more time at home, choosing screen time, spending less time at the events, social gatherings etc.
These thoughts have been with me in varying intensity from the beginning of our relationship. I don't doubt that I love him or that he loves me, we have a good life together but the thoughts keep occurring after seeing him again by the computer, coming home from work after he's had the day off and at home all day yet no chores have been done or he hasn't left his room. Feeling like I'm holding back my enjoyment or excitement for life because I know that he will not want to do as many things or stay for as long at the family event etc.
I recently suggested that he might have gaming addiction and it hurt him terribly. After now reading up on rOCD and fearing that I have it, I also fear that I'm hurting him with these allegations needlessly.
Maybe his computer use or mental health is in fact not a problem and I'm making him feel criticised for the way he is and what he likes to do.
Maybe it is a problem in that we want to do different things and i should face the fact that we're incompatible and break up even though I love him
Maybe all of the above is rOCD and I'm thinking about ending it with a guy I love because of made up thoughts and fears and I should instead go to even more therapy (been in therapy for about a year)
I just feel... lost, like whatever decision I make is somehow wrong for me. Staying feels wrong, not enough. Leaving feels wrong, and I fear that I'll regret leaving a great guy i love because he is (or maybe isnt?) depressed or doesn't enjoy life as much as I do.
Am I in the right forum? Am I making up that I have rOCD? Why can't I just trust my own feelings?

Hi everyone. I 21M have a few issues I need some help with. I’ve been battling with this for quite some time now, in fact now that I think about it I can’t even tell you when all of this started.
I’m an avid weed smoker - literally every day and am by definition a porn addict. I’ve been denying both of these facts for years now saying that I’ve got in check and maybe it’s normal or “not as bad as other people”. No one in my life knows where I’m at currently. I’ve always had a small circle of friends although I’ve always made acquaintances along the way like in school and university but have in recent years struggled to make close friends. I’ve had 2 friends whom I’ve considered to be my best friends but as the years went on we seem to have grown apart, I have almost no contact with them although one is in uni with me and we speak mainly about coursework but I’m almost certain I won’t even get birthday messages once we graduate. They’ve both made friends and have created their own circles in a sense which I think is perfectly normal and is actually good for them however I feel I was slowly just cut off which hurts but I mean it is what it is. Anyway it’s due to facts like this I feel I’m alone in my life. I feel if I were to switch my phone off for a week I’ll have nothing but emails and group chat messages when I switch it back on. I’m not sure how else to explain it but to give you some context my friends and I have all turned 21 this year and last year. For my birthday I invited 3 of my friends over for a dinner and we went out all three of them had big celebrations and I had no idea about it- in fact I only got a response to their birthday wishes the next day. It’s because of things like this I find it extremely hard to open up to any of them because I feel if I’m not even close enough for that I highly doubt there’ll be time to speak to me about anything like this properly I also run the risk of them telling their friend groups which has happened in the past - not for anything serious like this but enough to be put off you know.
I have been trying now for over 2 years to stop smoking weed and cigarettes and to stop watching porn but I simply haven’t made any progress. There’s been patches along the way where I cut down my usage of all of these Maybe not necessarily at the same time but I did and it was difficult. I struggle financially but somehow I just make it happen there’s been days where I’ve had an over drawn bank account and managed to smoke a ridiculous amount through those acquaintances and all sorts of tricks to make it same with cigarettes. I literally told myself today I’m abstaining and won’t do anything it’s been 1 and half hours since then and I’ve smoked weed, watched porn and had 2 cigarettes. This is the first Time I’m saying it but I have absolutely 0 control over my actions and it’s killing me.
I struggle to get out of bed every single day and 9 times of out 10 I smoke weed almost immediately. I’m extremely lonely (there’s a backstory in here about how I didn’t have phone for a little while but for now just understand after that period my social life has never been the same) I contemplate suicide almost everyday but eventually just get up and try to get on my with my day.
I’m studying engineering which is a very demanding course which doesn’t really afford me much free time. I haven’t had a relationship since high school and had one somewhat romantic relationship with one person whom I’ve known since I was 7. I didn’t work out because i was just so desperate for intimacy and attention I just fell short on every other aspect of a relationship I undoubtedly left her or some issues regarding relationships and I feel terrible for it. I’ve also developed crippling social anxiety- I struggle to speak to people I barely know and it’s become actually embarrassing( a while back I stayed at a friends house his sister and her boyfriend were there- the Sunday morning everyone was in the lounge and my friend asked me to come sit there and chat you know I spent almost 1 hour trying to force myself to get up and to there but just couldn’t eventually I did and by then they were all getting ready to shower and had been all over the house - it killed me inside)
I have absolutely no idea where to go from here and need some advice I can’t afford therapy but I feel even if I could I’d find some reason not to do it
Sorry for the long message I’ve been putting this off for a while lol

Hello, my name is Fobos. I have been working with AI generation since 2017, and I have developed a good sense of its application in images and art. I noticed something strange while watching videos about the adventure on the official channel. They showed an illustration of a young Vecna, and it seemed odd to me. I consulted a friend who is a traditional digital artist, and he confirmed that something felt off.
Here is a list of illustrations I find suspicious:

1. A young Kas and Vecna muse about the destruction of Oerth (Ch. Introduction: Danger to the Multiverse)
2. The Dark Powers have gifted Kas a powerful artifact to help him destroy Vecna (Ch. Introduction: Danger to the Multiverse)
3. What mischief is Mordenkainen up to? (Ch. 2)
4. The next piece of the Rod of Seven Parts is inside an enormous war machine (Ch. 4)
5. The graymatter engine serves as Landro's brain, though it can't control the colossus's mechanical systems (Ch. 4)

Regarding the first illustration, my artist friend said: "The faces of the characters and other elements seem to be oddly processed by artificial intelligence. The background also appears to be AI-generated. Look at the shoulder pads of the character on the right – I don't think even AI could make such a mistake. They are different! The faces of the characters look blurred, and the hair is very strange. The background lacks logic. The hands seem to be inserted from a photo. By the way, I'm laughing a lot at the chairs."
Regarding the second illustration, he said: "I laughed at the second one – the fingers are of different thicknesses, with varying numbers and lengths of phalanges. I have a feeling that the face was taken from somewhere without permission."
Regarding the last one, he said: "The last work looks like it was generated by AI, and then photobashed."
I do not wish to accuse the creators of these illustrations or WoTC of doing anything wrong without proof. I just believe they should be transparent about this matter, and I suggest that the community discuss it.

I’ve been thinking about this post for a long time, and probably haven’t written it because it’s intensely painful and also I have a 10 week old daughter 😅
Save for a very short phone call on Monday, I haven’t spoken to my Mum in about 3 weeks. We live in different parts of the country and the came to stay for a night to “help”, but stormed off the next day and took a 3 hour bus journey back home.
I’m 36f, a speech and language therapist, and a recently qualified child and adolescent psychoanalyst… it’s probably already clear that I’ve spent a lot of my adult my life trying to understand my own childhood and heal myself by healing others.
My gorgeous little girl is adjusting to life outside the womb and (like any baby) can be a bit fussy. The source of the explosion and subsequent abandonment from my Mum was her snapping at me for not wanting to leave the house while my baby was crying (I wanted to settle her first) and me finally standing up for myself and telling my Mum that she was not to try and shut me down for telling her how unhelpful she was being. So she stormed off for an hour, came back, packed her things and left. My husband (a great support) questioned why she was leaving a day early and she put on her usual mask and was all polite, while ignoring me. I held it together until she left, and then sobbed like a little girl.
Since then she ignored every photo of her only grandchild that I posted into our group WhatsApp. My husband was supposed to be going away this weekend but cancelled it as he knew my Mum wouldn’t be coming to help. She left me a voicemail on Monday saying she “wanted a word with me” - a phrase that instilled terror in me as a child but made me laugh now. When I called her back she pretended like nothing had happened, asking me about the weather. She said “do you still want me to come up this weekend” and I replied telling her (carefully chosen words) that my husband had cancelled his trip as I hadn’t heard from her in two weeks and was uncertain about what she was going to do. She handed the phone to my Dad (a classic enabler), who also pretended everything was now fine, and that as far as I can see, is the end of my relationship with my Mum. I am so relieved and also so sad that she has ruined her relationship with what will be her only source of grandchildren(my narcissistic brother doesn’t have children and my Mum is in her mid 70s and quite frail).
I have always been the emotional scapegoat for my family, the little cheerleader who takes on everyone’s feelings and makes them better. I have experienced horrible shaming by my mother at every opportunity she got. Even on my wedding day she made it about her “you are a credit to me” rather than “I am proud of you”. She abhors the relationship I have with my husband and talks at length about useless my father is and how little he supported her when they had children. While I was pregnant she continuously told me how much weight I’d gained but that I would lose it once I got back exercising. In her eyes I am not a person, I an extension of her and if I am not a projection of her unfulfilled desires, then I am nothing.
I suppose my point is that even as an adult, who has been in therapy for a long time, and objectively know what is happening in a relationship dynamic, we can be so very deeply hurt by a very old wound that developed before we had words to think about feelings. I’m very confident that the cycle of intergenerational trauma ends with me, and boy is it hard.
TL;DR at 36, my relationship with my mother is over and even though I’m a therapist, it hurts.

I 24 (F) and my fiancé 28 (M) have been together for two years and engaged for 3 months. We both are Indians.
My friend let's call her "Leela" happens to be an a dating app- Hinge. She recently sent me a screen recording of my fiance's VERIFIED profile. Upon discovering his profile my heart was shattered and millions of thoughts were racing through my mind. I firstly thought it would be fake but his profile has a voice prompt where he's speaking few lines and it's his voice.
I confronted him and at first he denied and blamed me that to shutup and I'm on the dating app. I pulled out my phone and showed him his profile and he went numb. After few minutes of him hyperventilating he confessed that he was scared of tieing the knot and wanted some kind of validation from another women but hasn't met anyone in real life and done anything physical. I doubt he's lying about not meeting and asked him to give me some time.
I told this to my parents and they were ofcourse upset and wanted to talk to his parents which they did.
His mother's response was that he is not married and deserves to blow off some steam somewhere else and he complained about me not making time for him to his parents. Mind you I always had weird vibe about his mother and she proceeds to say "who will marry her?".
His family is now harassing me and calling me all sorts of names and threating to make nasty rumours about me. And this motherfucker is apologising and begging to take him back and marry him.
This son of a bitch told me he was a virgin but IS NOT and wanted to lose it on the first night of our marriage but he's just a manipulative liar.
I am at loss of words and mentally too drained.
What should I even do?