I don’t want to get into specifics since I don’t want anyone going after my alliance, but thought I’d ask here to see if anyone has gone through something similar in their state.
Long story short, our state’s first SvS is coming up in a few weeks. The state is controlled entirely by one alliance (and their subsidiaries of similar names) and one giant whale who is miles ahead of even the #2 in our state. Our alliance is in the top 1X of our state, and we have been completely excluded. It seems anyone who isn’t in the top 5 doesn’t get any communication from the president or any other alliances at the top. President has not told us any plans for SvS nor does he ever tell anyone when he uses the various president skills, so we miss helpful construction and research buffs.
We keep getting the same message in wc that we all need to come together so we can win SvS, meanwhile we get pushed around and left in the dark. I was told recently that all of the sudden we’re not allowed to attack other alliances gathering in our territory because we happen to be by some of the high level resources. If we don’t comply, they will zero our whole alliance.
I know everyone is going to say “spend more money”, but we have quite a few minors as well as college students in our alliance. We don’t want to take over the state, we just want to have a fun, inclusive culture like the other states do (or so I hear from my alliance members who have accounts in other states). Right now, my alliance, and several others are considering purposefully failing state prep so that another state can help us start from scratch. Or we’ll just wait until we can be eligible for state transfer eventually.
Any advice for us?

I recently just got blender and I really heard great things about it! But I have tried basic things like making a dount in blender and I don't understand the whole " Middle mouse button"/ "left click" or the short cut keys. I am on windows, and I have a very basic mouse with left/right and a middle scroll and nothing else. I am no sure if anyone has the shortcuts for windows for blender but all tutorial shortcuts aren't working for me. For example, for a project I had to do a ring selection of vertexes and the tutorial said press : Hold SHIFT+ALT and then left click on the edge. But when I do it, it doesnt work! Also for scaling or rotating, they say press S or R but it's not working! Same thing with G? I don't know if I need a new mouse? or do I need to press on the middle scoller of the mouse and then press the short cut keys? I have no clue what I am doing and everything seems complicated! I have way more experience with maya and I am starting to give up on blender already.

Introduction:

Hello, Hello everyone! I hope yall are doing good, and a Happy Pride Month to any and all who celebrate it. With a new month, comes a new challenge, and this one was right up my alley. Some of you will remember this concept from a couple of weeks ago, when it was a mere rough concept, but after taking feedback and seeing this month's challenge, I have fully ironed it all out. This is also the first time I have designed a Support Champion instead of a Carry or Bruiser style, and as you can probably tell from my submission history, I love making Mechanically Complex and Unique Champions. A Mechanically Complex/Unique Support was difficult for me, but as I mentioned, I got a lot of good feedback from people, and was able to create O'Rin, Lady of Butterflies
O'Rin is an Ionian, Vastaya that is supposed to be a mix of Battle Mage (or Warlock as I like to call them) and Enchanter, similar to Karma in that intrinsically she is a Support Champion that needs to be with an Ally in order to function, however she provides extreme amounts of Battlefield Utility and Damage, in this case through her Butterflies. Unlike Karma however, O'Rin is almost firmly set as a Bot LaneSupport Champion because her abilities revolve and rely on her allies. She could be a Mid Laner, in conjunction with a very tempo-oriented or Snowballing style Jungler, however she has very little tools in her kit that this would require, namely waveclear, consistent damage abilities and Lane Pressure of her own. On the other hand, just like Karma, O'Rin is designed to forego the traditional Support Items, barring World Atlas and maybe Imperial Mandate, in favor of AP Items as she scale incredibly well with Raw AP and Mage items in general. I foresee her Core build being World Atlas (Zak'Zak's Realmspike) > Imperial Mandate > Rabadan's Deathcap > Banshees's Veil/Cosmic Drive/etc in order to maximize the AP that she can get to turbocharge not only her Butterflies but also her abilities, especially considering that the abilities come with decently long cooldowns.
As to how she support's her Allies, O'Rin provides devastatingly powerful effects at the cost of long Cooldowns and Conditional Activation that relies on her teammates. She is very clearly designed to work in Higher Elos with Higher Skill pilots, however she provides a vast array of tools within her kit. The Butterflies on their own provide True Damage, Nearsighting. Crowd Control Amplification, Executes, %Max Health Burn Damage, Damage Amplification and Healing. Of course you cannot access these effects at the same time, but similar to Viego, participating in a Takedown Chain will allow you to rapidly cycle between effects of your choosing, allowing you to rapidly inflict whatever effects you want while in the middle of combat. In addition, her actual abilities provide Knock backs, Stuns, Heals, Shields, and of course work with her butterflies, creating a very potent Support Champion, at the cost of being incredibly squishy, incredibly complex and incredibly team reliant. More specific detail will be talked about in the Analysis Section below.

Base Stats:

Base Health: 530 + 90/Level
Health Regen: 4.0 + 0.5/Level
Base Mana: 400 +35/Level
Mana Regen: 7 + 0.5/Level
Armor: 30 + 4/Level
Magic Resist: 28+ 2/Level
Base AD: 50
Base AP: 70
Movement Speed: 335
Attack Range: 575

Abilities:

Passive: Butterfly Swarm:
O'Rin has a swarm of 3 Butterflies surrounding her, increasing by 1 when she reached Level 6, 11 and 16. Damaging Abilities and Applying Crowd Control send a Butterfly with a Unique Effect to that enemy. Healing or Shielding an Ally will instead send a Butterfly to them, empowering them to send a Butterfly of their own via the same conditions. Butterflies will stay with Allies for 15 seconds, before returning to O'Rin. If an Ally dies while bonded to a Butterfly, the Butterfly will immediately return to O'Rin.
Enemies can only be affected by a Butterfly' sent from the same Host every 10 seconds, unless Monarch's Ascension is used, Once a Butterfly has applied its' effects, it takes 1-5 Seconds, depending on distance from O'Rin, to return to her, and it cannot be sent to an enemy or ally until it is fed again.
O'Rin's Butterflies apply Unique Effects, depending on what plant O'Rin has fed them. Once all of O'Rin's Butterflies have been sent to an Enemy and returned, they must be fed again for the next 1.5 seconds, during which they are unable to be sent to an Enemy or Ally. O'Rin can choose what plant to feed them, to change what effect they apply:
White Lotus: Butterflies will deal an additional 12.5% Current Health True Damage to their Target
Black Nightshade: Butterflies will Nearsight Enemies and reduce their Movement Speed by 50% for 3 seconds. Additionally, the duration of any Crowd Control Effects applied within this time is amplified by 50%
Green Hemlock: Butterflies will Execute target Enemies if they fall below 7.5% Max Health. This effect will apply up to 1.5 seconds after the Butterfly lands on a target.
Red Wisteria: Butterflies will burn Enemies for 7.5% Max Health Magic Damage over 3 seconds
Blue Jasmine: Butterflies will deal an additional 40 + 20% Bonus AP Magic Damage to the target, and heal O'Rin or the ally which they where bonded to by 150% of the damage dealt.
Additionally, Butterflies will apply O'Rin's On-Hit and On-Damage effects only, however an Ally's Attack or Ability will apply their On-Hit or On-Attack effects like normal, via their own Attack or Ability.
Q: Chrysalis Kunai
Passive: O'Rin can store an amount of charges of this ability equal to the maximum amount of Butterflies she has. She regenerates a charge every 3 seconds. When she runs out of charges, O'Rin must be out of combat for at least 5 seconds before she will start regenerating charges again. Each charge has a 0.5 second, static cooldown between uses.
Enemies hit with 3 Kunai within 3 seconds are Knocked Away from O'Rin. If they hit Terrain, they are stunned for 0.75 Seconds, and a Butterfly is sent to them, if one is available and will apply its' effect, regardless of Butterfly Swarm.
Active: O'Rin throws an enchanted Kunai at a target enemy, dealing 20/30/40/50/60 + 35% Total AP Magic Damage.
Static Cooldown: 0.5 Seconds
Static Mana Cost: 25
W: Nectar of the Ancients
Passive: On Takedown, O'Rin can re-feed her Butterflies.
Active: O'Rin gives a target Ally some of her Sacred Nectar, healing them for 50/60/70/80/90 +40/45/50/55/60% Bonus AP and giving them 25/30/35/40/45% Bonus Movement Speed for the next 2.5/2.75/3/3.25/3.5 Seconds.
Cooldown: 15 Seconds
Mana Cost: 75
E: Flight of Beauty
Passive: While under the effects of Flight of Beauty, Allies cannot receive a Butterfly from O'Rin via Nectar of the Ancients, or Items, unless O'Rin is the target, in which case all of her Butterflies will contribute towards this ability.
Active: O'Rin surrounds herself or an Ally with half of her Butterflies, prioritizing ones that must be fed, granting them a (30/40/50/60 + 15/20/25/30/35% Total AP) per Butterfly, Shield for the next 2.5 Seconds. During this time, if any of the Butterflies can still apply their effects, and O'Rin or her Ally attempts to send a Butterfly to an enemy, then they will leave their Host and the Shield will decrease by the aforementioned amount.
Cooldown: 22/19/16/13/10 Seconds
Mana Cost: 125
R: Monarch's Ascension
Passive: If O'Rin dies while her Butterflies are in a Frenzy, the Butterflies will leave their hosts, and the Frenzy will dissipate.
Active: O'Rin summons all of her Butterflies back, feeds them with a plant of her choosing, puts them into a Frenzy for the next 15 seconds, and then sends her Butterflies to all of her nearby Allies. While in a Frenzy, they gain the following benefit;

• Butterflies can now apply their effects 3 times before they must be fed again
• Butterflies will now travel 2x faster to and from Targets, Allies and O'Rin
• While in a Frenzy, Butterflies will return to their Host instead of O'Rin
• Butterflies from the same Host can affect the same Target every 3 seconds now

Once all Butterflies have calmed down, they return to O'Rin and must be fed once again.
Cooldown: 180/120/60 Seconds
Mana Cost: 100

Lore:

Long Ago, when peace and harmony covered the land, the Spirits walked freely across the Land of Ionia. With them, the Vastaya did as well, romancing the humans and embracing the calm and steady life that Ionia was known for. Each Spirit took the form of an animal native to Ionia, and roamed the land, wholly unknown to the commonfolk and sustaining the Spirit of Ionia itself.
Mirithra, the Spirit of Nature itself, was oft to take the form of a Large, Colourful Butterfly and roamed the land, making sure that the Humans and Vastaya alike kept it proper. Myths and Legends grew from this, describing either a gentle, protective Butterfly that blessed those who came upon it, or a monstrous, cannibalistic flying creature that consumed any and all who dared tread foot on its' land. Nobody knew which story was true, yet all who walked amongst the sleepy forests, along the ivory coasts, up the craggy, granite peaks kept this story in mind. At the same time, others dismissed such things as the story that it was.
Indeed, there where some that took this the other way, and instead of treading carefully, took it upon themselves to hunt and slay this creature, not understanding what it actually was. Most failed, however after the son of a Lord was killed, the Spirit was hunted and slain. The beautiful butterfly that once flew through the forests, was cast into the depths of a dark cave. Its wings broken, its body full of stone and lead, it reverted into a Chrysalis and the Spirit went into a deep hibernation.
Millennia passed, and the tectonic forces of the world eventually revealed the entrance to the cave once more, and this was how O'Rin's ancestors found it. Still in the Golden Age of Ionia, her ancestors nurtured the Chrysalis, for they where stewards of the land instead of defilers of nature. After many years, the Spirit awoke yet again, but this time forsoke its bestial form. The only remnant was an intricate tattoo in the shape of a butterfly, that lain upon the chest of the clan's newborn child. But this was no ordinary marking, for rather it was a blessing by the Spirit upon its' caretakers, that gave them an extended life of eternal youth and the ability to commune with the Spirits themselves.
The ones marked by such a tattoo where elevated to Matriarch or Patriarch of the clan itself, for such powers where a sight to behold, and came with great wisdom and a long, powerful life. Yet for all these gifts, only the first born child of the Blessed could be granted such powers as well, and upon that child's birth, the Blessed would be found dead and a Butterfly would be found amongst the child's cradle. The butterfly would be a lifelong companion of the new Blessed, as they grew and matured both into a caretaker of Ionia and as the head of the clan.
O'Rin was the newest in this line. Just as previous generations had, her mother had died in childbirth, and her father had vanished, and in their place O'Rin was born with the tattoo upon her chest and a venom black butterfly resting upon her cradle. Such an ominous sign was not forgotten by the clan's elders, for this was the first time in history that a Black Butterfly was found with a child. In a quick, panic-driven, fear-induced coup, they cast out O'Rin as the head of the house, throwing her into the deepest, darkest prison within the massive estate.
Located amongst the high peaks of Northern Ionia, within the dense granite, the prison was O'Rin's home for the first part of her life. Yet within the darkness, amongst the cool air, isurrouunded by unyielding stone, the Black Butterfly found its way to O'Rin and just as previous generations, accompanied her as she grew within the the Prison known only as The Well of Despair. Yet instead of despair, O'Rin grew and matured with a sense of defiance. Instead or murderers, rapists and all other sort of criminals, she found instead people who where loyal to the estate rather then the Elders. Unbeknownst to the recent generations, the clan's elders had slowly corrupted and consolodated power to themselves, deposing all who stood in their way, and turning O'Rin's family into a puppet, while they ran the estate for themselves. With the Black Butterfly at her side, these former soldiers, stewards, clerics and advisors raised O'Rin in the ways of her ancestors. Reading by the ghostly candlelight, sh learned of the legends behind her family. Training by the handful of hours fo snlight, she became adept at a multitude of martial arts. Speaking in echoes through the mountains, she learned the Common Languages and the Uncommon languages.
In time, her Vastayan Roots came to fruition as well. From a young age, her skin was mottled and grew into rough scales. Her tongue, grew longer, and eventually split into a fork during her teenage years. Her irises changed from wholly circular to narrow slits, yet her vision became acutely stronger. Through her childhood, such changes where met with awe, and could not be controlled,yet in her teenage years she became adept at changing herself at will. She could disguise her mottled, scales as pale, smooth skin. She coudl shorten and fuse her tongue for a short time. She could rapidly grow out her hair after much exhaustion, to lose it days later.
Soon, her day of reckoning came, for upon her ascent to womanhood, she and her adoptive family escaped from the mountain prison, and set off for her ancestral home. Behind her a massive vanguard followed, made up of all those who who where falsely imprisoned with her, but also the humans and vastaya alike who where downtrodden by the clan's elders. Yet beside her always, was the same Black Butterfly that had been with her since birth.
She and her allies quickly overwhelmed the Elder's soldiers, and she retook her ancestral position back. With great speed and brutal efficiency, she purged the corruption and rot within the estate and instituted people who where not only loyal, but also capable in their place. Nevermore, was anything like this going to happen to her family again, and indeed the estate continued to thrive. Notably, she had her people hide and protect her lands with the strongest magic they knew of. Nestled between a mountain ranges, and amongst sleepy forests, these magiks guaranteed their survival from any potential physical and political invaders.
By in large the estate functioned like normal. Her vassals continued with their life, living in peace and prosperity like all before them, but she instituted a strict return to the stewardship that had been lost generations ago. Her land, while physically hidden, was quite easily accessible, and it became a respite for the Spirits, be they escaping from Human Hunters, or the Azakana that opposed them. Make no mistake, Humans, Vastaya and all in between lived amongst her estate, but only the Spirits could come and go as they pleased.
The heart of this Stewardship, was the Butterfly Shrine, where not only the original Spirit of Nature, Mirithra, permanently lived, but any other Spirit could visit to rest and recover in either their Mortal Form or their Animalistic Form. The Butterfly Shrine was half in the physical realm and half in the Spirit Realm, and was the crown jewel of O'Rin's estate. Humans could come and go, offering prayers and offerings to the Spirits, while the Spirits themsleves could rest, safe from the influence of physical hunters and Azakana alike.
The smoke from prayer incense drifted constantly through the air. Silent prayer took place amongst the Courtyards and Gardens. Food and other offerings where placed at the numerous shrines. The Gardens themselves where tended and amongst the plants, an incomprehensible collection of Butterflies lived with the Spirits. Notably, O'Rin's signature Black Butterfly could always be seen amongst the swarm of rainbow colored insects, for just like her ancestors, O'Rin had the power to commune directly with the Spirits directly within the realm, and served as bridge between worlds, and Mirithra had quickly bonded with her, re-uniting her family line, with the Spirit itself.
It was her duty as the Speaker of the Spirits to commune with them, but it was also her duty as Aegis of the Ancients to protect them as well. Such was the case, when invaders pierced the veil between worlds and began to defile the land with chaotic, dark magic. Yet as quick as they came, they fell quicker still for O'Rin wielded powers that where hitherto unseen. The gardens of the Butterfly Shrine, home to Butterflies and Spirits alike, rose up against the invaders. Thought quite beautiful, the Butterflies where capable of destruction themselves and O'Rin was their caretaker.
In time, she met a handful of outsider, that somehow traversed through the Spirit World and had arrived at the Butterfly Shrine. She knew not how they had survived, nor why they had come, yet all who arrived where clearly strong enough to survive amongst the Spirit Wilds, and respectful of the Spirits themselves to travel amongst them for so long. She met a tall, lithe swordsmen, with a red mask bound to his face, bleeding from many wounds and collapsed upon the forest's floor. She met a Ninja Master and his Apprentice, traveling amongst the Wilds, in search of the Spirits themselves, in search of harmony. She met an armored warrior. and his Acolytes, wielding shadowy, chaotic magic also in search of a Spirit. She offered them a respite, amongst her people and Spirit's alike and it was only their respect of the Spirits that kept them alive. As for keeping the Butterfly Shrine a secret, O'Rin bound all of them with a Blood Oath before they left the refuge, cursing them to hold their tongue lest they immolate in unending Spirit Fire.
In time, she found herself growing older, and with it came new responsibilities. She was of child-bearing age, and Tradition and Fate meant that she was to take a lover and give birth to a new heir, one who would take up the mantle as Speaker of the Spirits and Aegis of the Ancients. Yet O'Rin took care in whom she pursued, for haste was of nigh importance to her. She did eventually take a lover after many years, and many years after that they married, and years after that she found herself heavy with child. By no means, was she her young self that had overthrown the Elders but nor was she an old, demented Lady like the Elders that she had overthrown. Her pregnancy would be long and hard, but she was determined to uphold her duties till the birth of her daughter. In her mind,she knew that her life's end was near upon her, yet she felt a serene sense of happiness, knowing that child would be born into a safe world, accompanied by a Butterfly of their own, and would serve the Spirits as she had, reaping the same benefits she had.

Quotes and Interactions:

Pick Quote: Behold! The Butterfly Swarm takes flight!
Ban Quote: The Swarm will not rest!
Zed: My Butterflies will devour you and your dark magic, Defiler!
Shen: My praises, Spirit Walker. The Spirits themselves bow to you...
Akali: Careful young one! Your blades are Sharp, but my Butterflies are hungry!
Kennen: Where you to visit the Butterfly Shrine, you would achieve the Enlightenment that you so desperately desire...
Syndra: I pity thou. An unjust fate, for a woman whom was destined for greatness...
Karma: Your play at serving the Spirits! My family has served for Millennia!
Yone: The Azakana have been culled, and for that you have my thanks!
Xayah: Your actions are admirable! Mayhaps you would join our Sanctuary?
Rakan: A pity that you are spoken for, but your loyalty is admirable nonetheless!

Inspiration:

I was debating whether to put this above, but I decided to put it here. Apologies in advance to TheHerald for having to read all the way down here in order to see if this qualifies for the competition. This champion qualifies for the competition under the Art of Inspiration. My initial Inspiration was from Vincent van Gogh's Butterfly Series, however the specific Inspiration behind the Butterfly Swarm Theme and the Feeding Mechanic is Long Grass and Butterflies as well as Grass and Butterflies. The paintings are an abstract work where you can interpret the paint as either long grass in a field while blowing in the wind, or Butterflies feeding upon grass in a field. This became the initial inspiration, and of course I took it and ran to create the fundamental mechanics behind O'Rin.

Gameplay Analysis:

Writing a Gameplay Analysis is almost as fun as designing the champions themselves. It allows me to explain how my vision for the Champion and their gameplay, while also allowing me to reflect upon the design process and fix any errors or ambiguities that arise. But anyway, I digress.
O'Rin's main Mechanic is of course the Butterfly Swarm that she manipulates. Just a disclaimer, this is the first time I have ever build a Support Champion, however I think I did a decent job. Initially the effects that the Swarm can apply look to be incredibly strong on their own, in fact when I designed them I thought about what sort of passive would I give to a BruiseHypercarry, ie:

• %Current Health True Damage is very similar to Fiora's passive, and incredibly strong in the hands of a Bruiser or Assassin
• Nearsighted and Crowd Control Amplification are rare enough effects that a Support's entire Passive could be just this and it would be strong.
• Green Hemlock is The Collector's Passive but slightly better, and while you don't necessarily build The Collector for the Execute, and Execute is an Execute. This is incredibly good for Bruisers and/or Marksmen
• Red Wisteria is Burn effect that scales with Max Health. Everyone knows how annoying Brand is, and the ability for multiple people to apply this is similar in that vein. This could very well be a Mage's Passive on its' own.
• Blue Jasmine is a decently strong Damage Modifier, that also heals for a huge portion of the damage dealt. On its' own this could be the passive for a BruiseAssassin

However, these strong effects are gated behind some conditions that neuter O'Rin from spinning out of Control. Namely, that you can only apply these effects from the same "Host" once every 10 seconds, or in the case of her Ultimate, once every 3 seconds. Coordinating these effects would mean having a team that actually knows what O'Rin does and can function around her, which is the second Mechanism that keeps her balanced. O'Rin's intrinsic Butterfly Mechanics rely on your ADC/Team as a whole to understand what they do, and how it affects the rest of the kit. For example, Flight of Beauty is a shielding ability, but it can also be turned into an Offensive Ability at the cost of the Shield itself. The final effect that gates O'Rin, is the fact that all of her Butterflies have the same effect, which means that based on your Gamestate and Team Composition, you may want a different effect. For example, if you have a high octane, early game comp, White Lotus and Blue Jasmine are going to be more valuable compared to Black Nightshade or Red Wisteria. Consequently, if you are facing a heavy BruiseTank/Juggernaut Comp, then Red Wisteria and Green Hemlock will be more valuable. Even if you are skirmishing in 2v2s instead of 5v5s, then Black Nightshade would be more valuable then anything else, because you can lock down and kill the carry int he skirmish fast. What ability to use and spread to your Allies is going to depend on a lot of factors, and having a good team that can capitalize on your decision is also important for O'Rin to function properly
As mentioned, Flight of Beauty and Nectar of the Ancients are the abilities that synergize the best with the overall Butterfly Mechanic. Nectar of the Ancients is a decently strong, scaling heal, but more importantly this is the main way that O'Rin can get a Butterfly onto an Ally. Butterflies will only go to an Ally if O'Rin can heal or Shield them, so she needs one of each type of ability. The Heal itself scales incredibly with AP and also applies a MS Bonus that scales with rank in how long it lasts and how large the bonus is. Truth be told, this is a very powerful ability on its' own, but combine it an the Butterfly Mechanic, and you have an Enchanter that is unquely suited for more aggressive ADCs instead of scaling Hyper Carries. Flight of Beauty is the shielding ability, and uniquely it scale not only with rank, with AP but also with Butterflies. Specifically, the AP Ratio increases with Rank, and because O'Rin intrinsically scales the amount of Butterflies that she has, it also increases the total Shielding AP Ratio that is used.
Then we come to the Coup de Grace of the kit, Monarch's Acension. In essence, t is really simple, because it is a huge stat boost at the end of the day, but it allows O'Rin to make her Buttrflies and in extension her teammates extremely lethal and punishing. First, it automatically allows O'Rin to re-feed her Butterflies, which means that she can change what effect they apply just before or just after a teamfigth starts. From there it provides utility, such as the ability to re-apply effects on the same target every 3 seconds instead of 10, as well as being able to apply said effects 3 times instead of 1 before needing to be fed. This makes her O'Rin absolutely lethal in team fights, as applying something like Black Nightshade or White Lotus on a significantly lower cooldown and with the ability to do it multiple times means that unless O'Rin is dealt with immediately or before a fight, it will be very hard to combat, given the sheer amount of stats and effects that she allows her team to apply. However, killing O'Rin will dissipate the swarm, and therefore if you can kill her early in the fight, then the combat pressure she applies will also be gone
The main point behind having such High AP Ratios that scale as hard as they do was to incentivize O'Rin to not build Support Items, but rather AP/Mage Items. All of her abilities scale incredibly hard with AP, and this is because I wanted to push her towards a more Karma-esque build path. My intended, or rather predicted build path would be a World Atlas (into Zak'Zak's Realmspike) into a Blackfiretorch, followed by an Imperial Mandateand finished by a Rabadan's Deathcap. This gives the Mana and Raw AP, which O'Rin desperately needs/wants to turbo charge her abilities, whilst till providing some form of Support Utility. Namely, Imperial Mandate is arguably the best Support Item in the game, and O'Rin perfectly synergies with it, given her poke with Chrysalis Kunai and the Crowd Control Effects on Black Nightshade. Dipping into Imperial Mandate reduces the total amount of AP you can get in 3 items, which realistically Supports most commonly hit only 3 items or so, but the Coordinated Fire effect synergizes too much with the kit to not dip into it. Blackfire Torch gives her the Mana she needs, and also AP, but more importantly the Burn from BFT will spread via her Butterflies that deal damage. This means that with the help of her Allies, she can very quickly spread the Burn to many enemies, which in turn amplifies her AP temporarily, which in turn amplifies her Healing and Shielding. Rabadan's Deathcap is a must for any AP Centric Build, so that is why its the Capstone of this build.
Rune Wise, I actually think that O'Rin would take Unsealed Spellbook more then any other Keystone Rune. She is unique in that she does not really benefit from any other runes specifically, as the entire kit is really around enabling her teammates, but on the flip side, the traditional support runes really do not feel like they would fit either. Summon Aery would be the other potential Keystone Rune, but at the same time O'Rin actually benefits from being able to cycle her Summoner Spells because it would give her the flexibility she needs in order to survive or switch gears to help her teammates. Beyond that, I catered her Base Stats to be very Mana Hungry, so going Inspiration Primary with Boots + Biscuits > Sorcery Secondary with Mana Runes would probably be her most optimal Rune page.
Finally, in terms of weakness, O'Rin is designed to be incredibly squishy and immobile. Her Cooldowns are pretty long, and her envisioned build path has little little CDR. As well, her abilities are impactful when used offensively or on other people, so not wasting it on herself and using it on the proper target is important. Additionally, her high dependence on AP means that she is goign to be buying the most expensive item in the game, being Rabadan's Deathcap, which not only has a terrible buildpath but is coming off the income of a Support. In total, O'Rin really wants to play aggressively and snowball her lane matchups, while simultaneously being incredibly squishy and immobile. As well, she wants to be paired up with an aggressive ADC, which means that she will often be putting herself in danger, but if she can be piloted correctly, she can take over games on her own, given how strong her Butterflies are and how fasts he scales with AP.

I'm feeling really bad today. It's been a terrible day. Now I'm looking for someone to accompany me while drinking my beer. We can talk about everything. Life is long but the stories are short. Would you like to accompany me? I'm waiting for your chat requests.

Can we talk about the ongoing crime here? my father worked at BPD for 20 years and retired about 9 years ago. anyway it seems as if crime has gotten worse here since 2015. but today, i noticed most of the BPD officers are literally my age & im 25. they’re getting younger & younger, and it seems as if collectively the force isnt focused on murders; they seem to be focused more on drugs. does anyone know what they have planned or if they’re doing planning anything? i can go on all day about the heinous crimes that literally shouldnt happen here everyday. ive lived in Trussville up until 2 months ago, now i live in Ensley due to it being affordable & since its the first time leaving my parents’ house. i carry a gun everyday and i live in fear because a literal 90% of the males i went to (Erwin) Middle School with, died by 21 and are still dropping. it can happen to anybody here. it seems as if its not scaring the money away but still..What is BPD doing? i want to make a video on Tiktok about the blood pressure of this city & want to include things that should be known. history will be destroyed if the violence doesnt simmer down.

Tl;Dr: Son had a crappy teacher who punished him for being ND. How can I explain to future crappy “neurotypical” teachers how his NDs affect him?
Full story: Last year, during my son’s first year in public school, his teacher was intolerant towards his divergent behaviors, especially his stimming and loss of focus. For example, she was harsh enough on him that when my wife and I visited for a birthday surprise, we walked in on her yelling at him in front of the class. He was in tears. It got to the point that he didn’t want to go to school anymore.
We had multiple meetings with this teacher, trying to come up with methods to help my son, but it felt like she dismissed our explanations about his neurodivergence as excuses for bad behavior. He understands the materials and does well academically, which is what puzzled the teacher, because she thought that since he does well, he can’t possibly have any mental issues affecting his behavior and is just a difficult child.
Coincidentally, this teacher has had training to help students with downs syndrome and autism, though I suspect she was referring to “low-functioning autism” (please forgive me if I use any outdated terminology; I am also neurodivergent but have only been recently coming to understand myself and my son). She is more patient towards her students with those NDs but seems to be less tolerant of kids who are “not divergent enough.”
Luckily, this year he had an amazing teacher who was trained throughly in helping all sorts of neurodivergent children as well as having raised several herself. It was a night/day difference. I wish that more teachers were like her, but chances are we are going to run into more like the first teacher. I will do what I can to make sure he has good teachers, but I can only do so much.
I spoke with another parent whose child is also ND and had the same intolerant teacher, and when the parent had told the teacher that their child is diagnosed ND, this teacher’s response was “And does that make a difference?”
Of course it makes a difference! But I lack the words to describe them to someone like her.
My question is: How can I better explain to the less-tolerant teachers how my son’s divergences affect him?

*trigger warning - grief*
Dear Minnie,
I miss you dearly, more than words could describe. Since 1954, when we were sitting on that big stone fountain in Darlington, listening to the chime of that old clocktower, wondering when the man of our dreams would sweep us off our feet like Cinderella, I have believed our bond to be unbreakable, something that nothing short of divine intervention can break.
I still remember (and am sure that you do too) how, when we were so much younger, we would sit by that fountain for hours. I’m sure you remember too, we would watch the water trickle down the side of the cheaply carved rock and, when we were both called in to eat dinner and go to bed, I would sneak out to the telephone box and call your landline, and we would stay awake, talking for far more hours in hushed tones, so as to not wake your old ma, about which member of which band was most attractive.
We only seemed to blink before you were in New York.
Neither of us could afford a plane ticket, so we would communicate purely by telephone and occasionally by letters. It was 74 by then and letters had gone out of style. The world had changed so much by then, and our world had changed even more. Do you remember how confused I was when you fell in love with Darren? I remember you telling me, all excited, practically jumping. He’s nice enough, but nowhere near as nice as all those band members we were talking about by then. Oh and the wedding! It was unbelievable how brilliant it was. I can still remember the colour of the roses. Do you remember how they were the exact same colour of Darren’s hair? That was that last time I saw you.
In fact, that was the last time I had ever left Darlington. If you remember, my back had gotten so bad by that point that I could hardly sit in a car for ten minutes, never mind all the hours it would take to fly to New York. And of course, you were nowhere near able to afford the ticket with your apartment’s prices. I remember talking on the phone about it.
“130000 Dollars!” you said to me “130000!”
And I told you “That’s just what you get for moving to such an expensive city. You could move a little bit further into the country.”
But of course, Darren was an actor, so he needed to be in the city and that company you worked for was in the direct middle of there. I don’t remember what it was called, it was something to do with fashion.
By this point it was the nineties, I was on benefits and had become a writer. I had sent you the first draft of my novel. ‘World’s apart’ it was called, I remember it so well. It was about us. We were living worlds apart too. Well, by 2000, it was published. I, Pam Earnest had a novel published and out to the public. Obviously, we both know it was a bit of a failure in terms of sales, but that wasn’t the point! I had pushed us out there, I loved it.
Now, our lives had slowed down a bit by this point as we grew older, and the world changed around us. There are no longer any telephone boxes on the street corners, and the big stone fountain has been removed. We can’t talk like we used to.
Loreen from down the street has started helping me around with my back, but I can’t call you on the phone anymore. I miss you Minnie.
I love you Minnie.
I miss you.
Sincerely,
Pam.

this is the only place where i feel i can share my story, and i hope im not alone.
hi everyone, i was homeschooled from 2008 up until 2021 which is the year i graduated. i’m 21 now.
my parents got involved in a religious sect long before they started to homeschool me, but i do believe it’s the main reason why they started to homeschool me because they didn’t want me to be influenced by the outside world and didn’t trust the education system.
i don’t remember most of the education aside from being taught how to read from maybe 6-8 years old? my education has been a blur. i can’t recall if i was ever put in a co-op but i think i was? in 2014-2015 i had to take state tests and i failed all of them. i will never forget me and my siblings walking out of burger king and my mom crying when she found out i had failed. as of recently, i realized that the only reason that i failed those tests was because nothing in those tests matched the curriculum i was being taught. i was doing A.C.E packets if anyone knows what those are. that same year my mom got me a math tutor, and that woman was sent from heaven as she didn’t abandon me, nor shamed me for my issues. she started doing math u see curriculum with me. im a visual learner with math, which makes doing math 10x more difficult. aside from basic addition and subtraction, that’s all i really know. it’s bad enough to where i can’t trust my own brain to do math and have to use a calculator. i was evaluated by the tutor a few times throughout the years and it was very ugly for me at some points. with my parents being brainwashed by the religious sect and me having 3 younger siblings, my education was put on the back burner. i hated doing school work, so naturally i stayed in my room and was on the internet to escape my reality. a lot of the things i know are because of the internet, but academic wise, i hardly know anything it seems. by 2019 the same tutor from 2015 had started a co-op.. or something like that. again, i can’t be certain. the only things i remember doing was math, AP LIT, and some history. like i said, my education is a blur. i was living in a state with no other relatives except for my mom and siblings as my parents had separated and divorced and my dad moved out of state the same year. if im being honest, my household was abusive, and i needed to escape. i did not care about my education as i was suffering and i just couldn’t focus. no child likes school, but i wanted to learn but i just couldn’t function in the environment i was trapped in. this also applies to the same year i graduated as i was planning to get out.
i wasn’t set up for life like the rest of everyone else and it has created a massive insecurity within me. i have zero idea how college works, i dont know how to even apply for it, nor have i ever stepped foot into a public school. this whole thing is extremely foreign to me. due to my academic years being a blur for me, i feel it’s safe to say i have education neglect. the tutor (or teacher?) i considered to be a motherly figure to me as she could see i was not in a good situation but there was only so much she could do, but im still grateful for her. my high school graduation was held at a church and my diploma just looks sketchy to me. i truly do not have a good education and i also suspect learning disabilities. i can’t be certain, but i can assure you if i could change the way my brain functions, i would do so in a heartbeat. i got my drivers license back in november and it took me forever to get. i’m just now realizing how bad this could be for me if i don’t have a future career, but i don’t know where to begin because my prior years of education have simply not been good for me. i have poor memory and my brain feels like a scattered mess. in 2013 my parents considered sending me to public school, but i knew i was doomed. i was only 10. i knew i would be bullied by other kids and i knew i couldn’t survive that. between being bullied by children and my own parents, i chose to put up with my parents. a few months prior to graduating, both me and my tutor discussed possible autism. since graduating and escaping my household, i have learned a lot about the neurodivergent community and can see neurodivergent traits within myself. so not only do i have a poor education and potential learning disabilities, there’s also the potential of me being neurodivergent. both my mom and tutor suspected learning disabilities but i have never been able to be diagnosed.
i’ve been left to fend for myself and a lot of the things i know i have either learned from the internet, or taught myself. i remember being taught grammar and punctuation but i can’t remember what age that was, but in 2016 that’s when i taught myself. for all i know, my punctuation and grammar still probably isn’t the best but that’s due to me being self taught.
i apologize for the long read, as i’m just expressing my past. im currently married and although my husband accepts me, i still worry for myself and my future career due to everything i have expressed. i feel hopeless, scared, and due to being sheltered and the internet being my escape at a young age, im still learning how to operate in the outside world. specifically in work environments, those who haven’t been in my situation can tell something is off with me and that’s due to how i’ve been treated by them. it hurts badly because everyone can see something is wrong, but my own parents failed to take action for me.
my siblings are in public school now, and they all struggle with math, but that seems to be the only thing. everything they know, there is a good chance i don’t know any of it. my sister is 15 and told me she would help me figure out college and it’s so embarrassing to have someone so much younger than me help me out with this stuff. i love my siblings dearly, and they deserve everything good that happens to them as we all suffered together, but they’re also getting the life and education i never got to have. i mentally feel like a child trapped inside a 21 year olds body. i should be in college, getting a degree, being this successful business woman that my mom wanted me to be. no child is capable of doing these things that a 21 year old is capable of. this all has left me with intense shame.
thank you to everyone who took their time to read my story. i hope im not alone.
p.s. i apologize for everything being messy in this. any questions that are asked i will do my best to answer them.

Hi, for a school project I need to make a short film but I don’t have any friends that would want to be in it, I was wondering if it would be possible to have one person play all the characters without it being too obvious by using like makeup, editing etc. The characters are never in the same shot so I feel like it might be possible? I’m not sure though I just don’t have other ideas 😭
If anyone has any better ideas that would be rly helpful too, I was going to animate it instead but I don’t have time.

June commences my low-buy. I owe $8,000 on my credit card for legal fees pertaining to my divorce which isn't yet over and my expenses now exceed my monthly income due to childcare costs and therapy appointments for both my child and I. I went from being mostly frugal, not needing childcare, having all of my needs/wants met, and having several thousand in savings to now being in debt, essentially becoming a single parent overnight, and having all of my accounts cleaned out by my soon-to-be-ex who is, by the way, ordered to pay me a set amount each month, but that's not happening, unfortunately. Also, I currently have full use of the marital home and am responsible for all of the bills.
I'm planning on taking this day by day. I'm really kind of overwhelmed by it all tbh. My biggest weakness is eating out, so this is where my primary focus lies.
Always allowed: - Mortgage, utilities, taxes, security camera subscription, credit report monitoring, and groundskeeper services. - Car maintenance, registration renewal (or whatever it's called), and fuel. - Clothes and school supplies for kiddo including a new backpack. (He has had his current bag for five years.) - Groceries for kiddo. Vitamins and medications as necessary. Almond milk, eggs, chicken and fish, salsa, miso, nori, and fresh veggies for me. Weekly groceries to not exceed $50. - Legal fees ofc. - Childcare. - $30 monthly max limit for kid's fun money. I pay for him to go to an indoor gym because right now his seasonal allergies are kicking his butt. - Weekly therapy sessions for me and bi-weekly sessions for kiddo. - Netflix.
Never ever allowed: - Eating out 'just because.' I need to shop my pantry first!! I have enough on hand to make weeks of food! I can easily make jambalaya, tuna or tilapia or chicken w/ rice and veggies, shrimp or fried eggs with grits, spaghetti, refried beans and eggs on toast, tuna on rice cakes, burgers, sushi, cereal, miso soup, and even peanut butter cookies. I can have edamame, canned oranges or pineapples, and popcorn for snacks. - Any knitting or crafting supplies or other items meant to take away my boredom. I have a plethora of video games I haven't played and books I haven't read, I can journal in the paid app I already have or I can review my finances, I can knit or paint or work on an activity book, I have oil pastels and crayons and colored pencils to entertain me, I have a paid yoga subscription and all the materials needed to start practicing, I can clean the house, or I can call someone. - Laundry supplies. I might prefer liquid detergent, but I have enough pods and liquid to last several months. - Cleaning supplies. As much as I dislike the smell of harsh chemicals, the reality is that I have months of supplies on hand.
Mindfully allowed: - New underclothes. Mine are several years old and clearly worn out. - 1 meal out with kiddo for my birthday. - $50 to spend at the rodeo. I bought tickets last year and I'm very much looking forward to this day. - Conditioner for me and maybe deodorant for the kid. No other grooming supplies allowed since we have an over-abundance of them. (I have to check with my kid regarding an alternative option to his deo rather than buying new. Please note: neither of us will be going stinky in any way, shape, or form. We have tons of supplies on hand.)
I think that's everything for now. No matter how I run the numbers I'm still coming up in the red, so my goal is to decrease groceries and fuel as much as I can and figure out how tf to make money. I can't sell anything in the house while the divorce is pending, I live out in the middle of nowhere where we don't have DoorDash, Uber, InstaCart, or any of these services, and I can't utilize my local library because it got shut down. Due to my current work schedule, the only times I can figure out trying to accrue more funds is on the weekends. However, most of my Saturdays are spent making up time lost at my job due to court dates. And Sundays are difficult because our whole town pretty well shuts down entirely on this day.
I don't know what to do except not spend any more than I am required to. And that starts now.

So this happened last year. And this was also one of the first times I had ended up getting bag searched… I F17 I believe at the time was using the bathroom at my old highschool I just graduated from🕺 and I’m the type that If I have to shit. I’m gonna take my shit. So at the time the people I hung out with were stoners, and they were known at the school already (mind you I had just transferd to this school) and we had a hall monitor that would go into the bathrooms and just walk the halls. Luckily. She got fired due to her fucking weirdness n shit at the end of the year. She would always bang on the stall doors and assume that there was a group of girls in the stall even if there wasn’t at the time. Anyways…
I can remember this so vividly, I was on the second floor gym side bathroom and I really had to shit. I had my nic on me at the time too because usually that helps me. All of a sudden I hear the bathroom door just swing open- and these are pretty heavy doors too. And I just hear “come out now!” And I’m looking around the stall with no one there with me. And this bitch starts banging on the stall door. And I’m telling her to hold on I’m using the bathroom. Next thing I know bitch somehow opens the door and walks into the stall. 🧍‍♀️🚽 that’s what I felt like. Then she’s gonna say “oh. You need to lock this door” EXCUSE ME IT WAS LOCKED, YOU BROKE IN! Blah blah she walks out and I wipe my ass. I step out the bathroom to be greeted with the fucking school officer and he tells me “whatever her name is (can’t remember it) said you were acting strange” 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️ ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? next thing I know I’m in the office getting fucking bag searched all because I wanted to take a damn shit. Now- they didn’t find the nic bc it was in my bra. But dear lord. This was only one of the story’s with this woman and this school’s admissions.
So glad I graduated 😭

The amount of FUD being thrown around is almost comical. We're dealing with a barrage of baseless claims and wildly illogical statements—it's clear there's a hefty psychological game at play here, far beyond mere numbers and charts. So, here’s a quick psychology session.
We've noticed all sorts of anomalies—unexpected surges and dips in stock prices, weird data, strange behaviors in BRK, Gold futures, and FTDs, alongside bizarre trading volumes. These anomalies are what we refer to as signs of near collapse, small, often overlooked indicators that hint at bigger underlying issues. Typically, these glitches are difficult to decode in real time, presenting a classic case of predictive difficulty where we sense something's amiss but can't pinpoint what until it's possibly too late. It's only with retrospective clarity that the significance of these early warnings becomes evident.
Our friends shorting the stock? They're trapped in a whirlwind of cognitive dissonance, refusing to see the positive changes in GME despite clear evidence. Their focus remains solely on information that supports their negative forecast, an oversight fueled by confirmation bias.
And yes, they rationalize every step of the way. System justification theory is at full throttle here, with shorts convincing themselves that the market's mechanisms are still valid, that the stock is not subject to naked shorting multiple times the float, that the data can be trusted, even as those very structures begin to crack.
These investors are also classic victims of the sunk cost fallacy, continuing to invest in their shorts, unable to stop because they can't bear the thought of all that wasted effort and money.
Their persistence? It’s a clear case of normalization of deviance—they've ignored the warning signs so long that skipping them has become just another part of their routine.
When reality hits and GME’s true value is undeniable, watch as the shorts scramble to cover their positions, setting off a domino effect. As the situation spirals, blame attribution will kick into high gear. Suddenly, it's everyone else's fault—market manipulators, misleading advisors, you name it, DFVs position is fake. I’ve seen SO many different stories. Anything but admitting their own miscalculations.
I will take a screenshot of all FUD I see in mainstream media. I will make a big poster of it, and I’ll hang it over my bed. I will sleep well, while I hold my favorite stock.

Comedy Cellar is a great date spot.
Just avoid sitting in the front row if you don’t want to be the target of jokes.
Row boats, roller skating, cooking class, pottery class, painting class, mani/pedis, art gallery, concert, volunteer somewhere.
Board game cafes! You could start with The Uncommons.
Look up drink and draw (on Wednesdays) in Williamsburg. Easy enough to get to, and then you can go to Barcade right afterwards.
New York City has inspired some of the most famous romantic comedies of all time, from When Harry Met Sally to Serendipity. So why is it that all too often, we fall back on the less-than-novel dinner and drinks date? Sure, we New Yorkers have some of the best culinary experiences at our fingertips, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't shake up our date-night plans every now and then. There are plenty of unique date ideas in New York City that are totally romantic and won't cost half your rent. In addition to being easy on the wallet, they just might make you fall in love with the city all over again, too.
From comedy shows and karaoke to scenic strolls and gallery hopping, these are the best date ideas in New York City.
44 Great Date Ideas to Keep Your Marriage Fresh
01
Get Reacquainted With Central Park
More than 8.6 million people live in New York City, but it doesn't feel that way at this four-season and free-to-enter oasis in the middle of Manhattan. Measuring in at 840 acres, there's plenty of room to go around here, whether your idea of the perfect date is a picnic lunch on the Great Lawn, a paddle across Central Park Lake in a rowboat, or a visit to the Central Park Zoo.
02
Explore the Met or MoMA
For residents of New York state, admission at The Met is pay-as-you-wish, so you and your date can browse the storied museum's 5,000 years' worth of artwork and still have some cash left over to grab a quick bite at one of the museum's on-site eateries. MoMA, on the other hand, waives entry fees between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, so plan your outing accordingly.
03
Take a Sunset Stroll Across the Brooklyn Bridge
Whether you start at the Brooklyn or Manhattan side of the stone-and-steel bridge, you'll encounter an intoxicating panorama that really outdoes itself come nightfall. Plan a stroll around sunset to watch as the skyline is enveloped in golds and ambers before transforming into a glittering display of lights as the sun slips behind Manhattan.
Brooklyn Bridge Park hosts a weekly movie series during the summer to cap off your bridge-crossing with a free flick.
04
Explore the Hudson by Kayak
With a mission of "promoting public access to the water for all," Downtown Boathouse offers free kayaking between the months of May and October. Push off from the organization's locations on Pier 26 or Governor's Island for a 20-minute paddle through NYC waterways.
05
Lace Up Your Roller Skates
Relive a childhood pastime with a visit to Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 2 Roller Rink. In the shadows of the Brooklyn Bridge, the outdoor facility hosts regular public skate sessions that are either free or under $10, plus the cost of skate rentals. (Aim to show up on a Friday evening for DJ-led sessions.)
06
Hit the Ice
When temperatures drop, swap your wheels for a blade and hit the ice-skating rink at Central Park, The Rink at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, or, for a date experience that's quintessentially NYC, Rockefeller Center. You can glide under the festive canopy of twinkling city lights while holding hands to keep warm for a romantic night to remember. Finish the evening by snuggling up with a cozy cup of hot cocoa.
07
Book a Private Karaoke Room
Most New Yorkers love to karaoke, but when was the last time you actually went? Book a room at Sing Sing Karaoke in the East Village and let loose with your partner.
08
Browse the Stalls at a Food Market, Festival, or Flea Market
If you're not opposed to a daytime date, meet your S.O. at the Brooklyn Flea, Grand Bazaar NYC, or Chelsea Flea Market. Not only are these spots open year-round, but their pay-as-you-go pay structure also allows you to spend as much (or as little) as you want. Similarly, food halls and markets (think Smorgasbord or Essex Market) and city-sponsored festivals follow a no-purchase-necessary format. Bookmark the NYC Parks events calendar to stay informed about upcoming low-cost and free events.
09
Beat Each Other's High Scores at an Arcade
Give your date a glimpse of your competitive side by challenging him or her to a round of Skee-Ball, ping pong, pool, pinball, or an old-school video game. Spots like Full Circle Bar and Cellar Dog promise all of the above, plus brewskies and mixed drinks for the 21-and-up set.
10
Take a Spin on a Carousel
Channel your inner child with a ride on one of NYC's famous carousels, like the Central Park Carousel ($3.25/ride), The Battery's SeaGlass Carousel ($6/ride), or Hudson River Park’s Pier 62 Carousel ($3.50/ride). But if you have to choose just one, go with Jane's Carousel ($2/ride). Dating back to 1922, this historic, 48-horse carousel merges nostalgia with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.
11
Travel Back in Time at The Cloisters
Live out your romantic medieval fantasies with a trip through The Met Cloisters. Inspired by European churches, castles, and monasteries, these lush gardens and majestic architecture are home to The Met's extensive medieval art exhibits.
12
Catch a Budget Flick
New York has several independent movie theaters to choose from. Try catching a flick at Syndicated. This Brooklyn venue offers food, drinks, and movies—all under one roof. Grab a seat in the cozy theater-meets-restaurant to watch a second-run flick for just $9, then order from a menu of drinks and handheld eats to enjoy while you watch.
Syndicated also has a bar area that screens two movies via a duo of projectors, allowing you to match your movie-watching to the duration of your drink.
13
Ride the Staten Island Ferry
Who says the Staten Island Ferry is just for tourists and school field trips? Add it to your date-night itinerary and take advantage of a free (and dare we say romantic) cruise between Whitehall in lower Manhattan and St. George on Staten Island (or vice versa). Spend the 25-minute ride marveling at the city skyline and snapping selfies with the Statue of Liberty in the distance.
14
Skydive Indoors
Enjoy the thrill of skydiving without the weather restrictions or, let's be honest, sheer terror of jumping out of a moving aircraft. Located in Westchester, iFly is worth the short trek to experience the sensation of flying in the safe and controlled environment of state-of-the-art wind tunnels.
15
Stroll Across the High Line
A stunning example of adaptive reuse, this defunct elevated rail line-turned-linear greenway hosts manicured gardens, soothing water features, scenic overlooks, and conversation-starting art installations along its 1.45-mile stretch—and it's free for all to enjoy. We recommend popping by Chelsea Market first for a grab-and-go bite to enjoy on the High Line's many benches and seating areas.
16
Take a Walk in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
A fantastic (and quiet) alternative to the classic weeknight drink, a walk through the Brooklyn Botanical Garden will give you a chance to chat with your date—without having to compete with the noise of a bar. Admission is reasonably priced at $18, but you can score free entry if you show up before noon on an in-season Friday (or any weekday during the winter).
17
Try a Cocktail-Making Class at Liquor Lab
If you need some liquid courage to help you soldier through those awkward gaps in the conversation, take a cocktail-making class at Liquor Lab, which leads imbibing students in the creation of craft cocktails, from margaritas to iconic NYC drinks.
18
Spin Vinyl at Tokyo Record Bar
Grab a drink and a bite to eat at Tokyo Record Bar, an izakaya and vinyl bar where you help make the playlist for the night—so you'll get to know (read: judge) your date's musical taste.
19
See a Concert at Carnegie Hall
Dinner and drinks are nice when you're on your second or third date, but a concert at Carnegie Hall is unexpected and something you frankly probably never do as a New Yorker. It's a surefire way to impress your date.
20
Explore a New Neighborhood
Trying something new is one of the best ways to form a deeper connection with someone, so pick a neighborhood you've never been to, and go for an adventure. May we suggest Red Hook?
21
Try Your Hand at Axe Throwing
Need to let off some steam and plan a memorable date night? Axe throwing is probably an experience neither of you has had a good go at. LiveAxe and Kick Axe Brooklyn both offer indoor throwing possibilities that you won't forget. Who knows? You might even find your calling.
22
Get Your Game on at Royal Palms
Skip the local sports bar's pool table and try playing shuffleboard instead. Royal Palms in Brooklyn is a guaranteed good time—and it's way more fun than the bowling alleys at Chelsea Piers.
23
Strike Out at the Brooklyn Bowl
If some old-school bowling is your thing, we get it. There's nothing quite as satisfying as the sound of pins falling down and the sweet taste of victory that goes with it. Get in the competitive spirit and take your date to Brooklyn Bowl for some live tunes, local brews, and delectable eats.
24
See a Comedy Show
Sure, comedy shows are a bit of an NYC cliché, but they're also really fun. And while it can be awkward on a first date to get grilled by the comedian on stage at the Comedy Cellar, your visit is sure to be a memory in the making.
25
Try a New Fitness Class
A date can be a great excuse to experiment with a new and novel exercise. Try Flatiron's Brrrn, where 50-minute fitness classes are held within a studio that's been chilled to a cool 50°F. You can even try the infrared sauna together afterward. Take advantage of first-time student discounts to save some money.
26
Take a Cooking Class at Eataly
Cooking together is a great way to deepen a connection with someone new, but in tiny NYC apartments, it can be quite challenging. Why not take a cooking class instead? Eataly offers a great selection, from pasta-making to pizza workshops.
27
Go Glamping on Governors Island
Collective Retreats has established itself in NYC with escapism experiences that make you feel like you're anywhere else. Take a ferry to Governors Island, and spend an evening glamping under the stars overlooking the Manhattan skyline for the dreamiest of date nights.
28
Take a Pottery Class in Brooklyn
If you've fallen into a routine of going to the same restaurants or watching the same TV series each Monday night, switch it up with a pottery-making class at Choplet in Brooklyn. You'll channel your inner Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze.
29
Sculpt Blindfolded
Or, up the ante on that Ghost-style date night by amplifying the sensory experience. Unarthodox's Sculpture Without Sight offers a unique art experience that reconnects you with your senses—specifically touch—by closing your eyes. The blindfold frees you from the visual plane and allows your hands to do all the talking.
30
Tour the Galleries in Chelsea
Chelsea is filled with incredible art galleries, but be honest: When was the last time you actually visited them? Walk around the various gallery spaces with your S.O. and pick imaginary art for your future home together.
31
Treat Yourselves at Ancient Aire Baths
If you're feeling a little exhausted from a long day at work or have young children at home, treat yourselves to a day at Ancient Aires Baths, where you get to just relax in a romantic candlelit environment.
32
Walk Through Halls of Gems
Want to commemorate finding your very own diamond in the rough? The Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History boasts over 5,000 sparkly specimens for quite the magical moment. (We're talking a legendary 563-carat sapphire, folks!)
33
See a Burlesque Show
Give the Broadway shows a rest for a far more provocative production. Whether it's dinner theater at Duane Park or the transportive atmosphere of Nurse Bettie, this date-night activity is sure to set the mood.
34
Visit the Museum of Sex
Speaking of setting the mood, an educational tour of the Museum of Sex should do it for the sapiosexuals among us. From a historic catalog of visual erotica to more hands-on exhibits, this museum admission ($36) will certainly give you the most bang for your buck.
35
Gaze at the Stars at Hayden Planetarium
Whether your love was forged in the stars or the two of you are die-hard cosmo-junkies, a space date is difficult to pass up. The American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium offers a riveting tour of the final frontier.
36
Scale a Building
When you live in a city that boasts some of the highest buildings in the world, what else is there to do but scale them? City Climb offers an exhilarating bird's-eye-view over 1,200 feet above the ground from the Edge's apex.
37
Enjoy a Scenic Cruise
Or, take in the sights without the heart-pumping adrenaline rush by hosting your date night on the water. Reserve a table aboard one of the city's many floating restaurants for a skyline view that's hard to top.
38
Peruse the Books at The Morgan Library & Museum
From ultra-rare first editions to manuscripts, drawings, and sheet music from some of history's most famous and talented artists, The Morgan Library & Museum has it all. Once the personal collection of J. Pierpont Morgan, the dramatic edifice houses plenty of architectural and literary delights to get lost in.
39
Start a Book Club for Two
If all those books whet your literary appetite, why not start your very own book club for just the two of you? Make a day out of visiting some of the city's most charming book stores to stock up on future reads. Some of our favorites include The Strand Bookstore in the East Village and Sisters Uptown Bookstore in Harlem.
40
Channel Your Inner Spy
If you spent your formative years living a double life as an imaginary spy, boy do we have a date night for you. SPYSCAPE may be a high-tech counterintelligence museum, but it also serves as a training (play)ground to really put those carefully cultivated skills to the test. We're talking laser beam hallways and lie detector tests aplenty!

So a little background is that we are a family of five, it’s myself, my husband, a 4 year old, a 3 year old and a baby who turns 1 in September. I’m a stay at home mom and my husband works full time. After having our youngest, we tossed around the idea of being done but we weren’t 100%. I think something in us wants one more baby but when we talk we can never come to an agreement of when would be the right time to plan having another one and also just a bit of anxiety runs through us on how it is going from three to four in all ways. I think if we had one more sooner rather than later I imagine there is an upside to having them all so close together and all of their stages such as diapers, potty training and whatever else would kind of just all mash together then we’d be completely done with those things in a few short years but I also do not know if we’d be overwhelmed, however I feel if we wait too long the downside I can see is the fact they will be far a part in age depending on how long we wait and I’m not sure how it would be having a baby then the three older ones being in school and if it would feel like starting over. For those of you who went from three to four, how were you sure you were ready and how was the transition? Is it easy going from three to four or would you say more difficult? Open to opinions, personal stories and whatever else, I just ask that you are kind and non judgmental. Thank you!

TLDR: My abusive parents are reacting really badly to my (21F) engagement with a woman. They are taking out their anger on my little brothers who live at home, so I am going to call my dad to try to fix things. What should I do/say on the phone?
I don't know if this is the right place to post this. I've never posted on reddit before, but I just really want to type this all out and get it off my chest.
I'm a 21 year old woman who just got engaged a little over a week ago to my female partner of three years. We've been talking about getting engaged for literally our entire relationship, so I was over the moon when it finally happened.
Naturally, when you get engaged, you want to tell your family. Now, here's my history with my parents. My dad was physically and emotionally abusive to me and my brothers for our entire childhoods. He hit us, but that was far from the worst thing he did. The way that he mentally wore us down every single day is something that I don't think I will ever fully get over. I moved away from home three years ago for college, and I still flinch and start to cry whenever I hear someone raise their voice, no matter what they're saying. My self-esteem is basically non-existent, even though it's way higher than it was before I met my fiancee. My brothers all have similar issues. Basically, what I'm saying is that my dad hurt us all a lot, but he also isolated us and made us believe he was our whole world. My older brother and I, who no longer live at home, still call him almost every day, even though he makes us feel like shit on a lot of the calls. It still just feels wrong not to call.
My mom was not as emotionally abusive as my dad. She said the occasional hurtful thing, but I think every parent does. And she only hit us when we were really young. The most horrible thing she did was stand there and watch. Whenever her children were standing in front of her husband, shaking in fear and crying, all she did was watch. Never once did she stop him. Never once did she even say a single word to him about it, even when she promised us she wouldn't let him hurt us anymore. Every single promise was empty. I never once had the childhood comfort that my mom would protect me. I had proof that she wouldn't. But still, she was the lesser of two evils, so I got much closer to her and trusted her far more than I trusted my father. Still, to this day, I am closer to my mom and more likely to tell her things.
Now, I came out to my parents about a year ago. I've known for sure I was gay since I was in middle school (but I "knew" without the words to put to it for as long as I can remember), and I'd been with my now-fiancee for two years at that point. They had met her multiple times as my "best friend" and told me they really liked her. I was absolutely terrified to come out to them, but I just couldn't hide it anymore. My parents have a weird relationship with the gays. They believe that gay people should have human rights and shouldn't have violence perpetrated against them, but they think being gay is a sin and also just gross (in their words). I had no clue how they'd react to their own daughter being gay. I decided to bite the bullet and tell them over the phone that I was actually dating my "best friend." Surprisingly, they reacted really well during this conversation. They told me they would always love me no matter what, and they were glad I told them.
The year following that conversation has been a mixed bag. The next time I visited home, my mom repeatedly told me that all she wanted was for me to be happy, my dad told me he loved me, and then he also yelled at me and lectured me for being gay. He talked to me a lot about religious reasons for why I shouldn't be gay, and ended the trip by telling me that me being gay makes him really uncomfortable, and I can't blame him for that because being gay is unnatural. But my parents called my then-girlfriend their daughter, invited her to stay at their house, came to visit us, and even met her parents. All the while having the occasional outburst about how they just can't take that I'm gay. I also heard from my brothers that they were talking all kinds of shit behind my back while saying sweet, loving things to my face. As you might imagine, I have been in a constant state of whiplash this past year (my whole life, really).
Back to the engagement. I decided to tell them on a weekend trip to visit my older brother and his fiancee. My older brother has always been my best friend and biggest supporter, and he thought it would be a good idea to call with him there in person. I called my younger brothers who live at home (they're 18 and 16) to tell them the news beforehand, warn them, and double check that I was telling our parents at a time that worked okay for my little brothers. I was feeling physically sick while waiting to tell my parents. I was so scared. After a lot of hyping up by my fiancee, my brother, and my future sister-in-law, I called them. The moment I told them the news, they hung up on me without saying a word. I was devastated. They didn't even care about me enough to say one word to me.
We decided to just carry on with our day and not worry too much, so I tried to hide how upset I was because I didn't want to ruin it for everyone. At the end of the night, my mom sent a voice message to the family group chat. This voice message absolutely wrecked me. She said that she could never accept me marrying my fiancee because marriage is between a man and a woman. She said that she has been hoping for my whole relationship that I would find a man to marry. She said that she hung up because she just can't stand the idea of me marrying a woman. I felt physically sick, like my mom doesn't know me at all and I don't know her. Everything she said was so casually cruel. I have never in my life wanted to marry a man. How could she wish for something that would make me so unhappy when she said that all she wants is my happiness? I don't know. I was so sad that I felt numb.
We all decided to go no contact with them for at least a little bit. The next day, they were blowing up our phones, but we just ignored them. I didn't want to listen to them talk. I felt betrayed, and so, so hurt.
We continued to ignore them, but about a day later, one of my little brothers (the 18-year-old) texted me and our older brother to say that things were really bad at home, and he didn't know what to do about it. I immediately felt so horribly guilty. My dad was taking his anger at me out on my little brothers. I have always felt the need to protect my little brothers (as I feel all siblings should). Whenever they were in trouble, I tried to either calm my dad down or turn his attention away from them and onto me, depending on which one I felt would help more. But now that I don't live at home, I feel completely helpless. I asked my little brother what he thought would be most helpful, and he asked us to call and just listen to them. No problem, I'd do anything for my little brother. My older brother and I called them last night, but they didn't pick up.
My dad just called me a few hours ago, and I decided not to ignore him for my brothers' sake. I texted him that I would call him once I got off of work, but I'm so scared. I want to help my little brothers, but nothing my dad is going to say is going to change my mind. I love my fiancee so, so much. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She makes every dark day better just by being there to hold my hand. I just wish my parents would see that. I wish they could see that it doesn't matter that she's a woman, what matters is that we're so happy together and perfect for each other. I just wish they could see that. And I wish I knew what to do to make life better for my little brothers.
That was really long. I'm so sorry. Does anyone have any advice for what to do in this situation? Thank you.

I'm gonna give people a rundown of Welsh politics and why Vaughan Gething might lose a motion of no confidence in the Senedd tomorrow.
Let's wind the clock back a bit. Mark Drakeford has announced he's stepping down as First Minister. Jeremy Miles and Vaughan Gething have both gotten onto the leadership ballot.
Scandal #1: The Donation
For context for all of this, Welsh Labour rules state that the maximum amount of spending by any candidates in the campaign is £20,000.
During the leadership election, it emerged that Gething had accepted an enormous £200,000 donation from millionaire businessman David Neal. David Neal had been previously convicted in 2013 of illegally dumping waste on a conservation site. He was prosecuted again four years later for not removing it. His company, Resources Management Limited, is currently subject to a criminal investigation by Natural Resources Wales. What's more, it appears that whilst Vaughan Gething was a minister under Mark Drakeford, part of his ministerial portfolio was the Development Bank for Wales, which had loaned Neal's company £400,000. As I understand it, Gething did not have authority over which companies get loans and whatnot.
It is believed Gething got around the spending rules in the leadership election because the rules state that the spending cap applies to campaign materials (leaflets, etc). It is believed Gething potentially hired people to phonebank for his campaign.
Despite all this, he won extremely narrowly - 51.7%.
Scandal #2: COVID Inquiry and iMessages
A screenshot of a group chat from 2020 was leaked to the press recently wherein Gething says "I'm deleting the messages in this group. They can be captured in an FOI and I think we are all in the right place on the choice being made."
If Gething had been deleting messages regarding the discussions around decisions made by the Welsh Government regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, then that means he perjured himself when he gave evidence to the COVID Inquiry saying that he had properly handled data relating to the Welsh Government's handling of the pandemic.
Quoting the Guardian: "It is not the first time Gething has come under fire over Covid phone exchanges. During the Welsh leg of the inquiry in March, Gething blamed a “security rebuild” of his Senedd mobile phone for the deletion of WhatsApp messages from the time of the pandemic, calling it “a matter of real embarrassment”. "
In response to the leak, Vaughan Gething sacked his minister social partnership, Hannah Blythyn (Member of the Senedd for Delyn), alleging she had been the one to leak the messages to the press. Blythyn strongly denied that she was the leak.
The key problem with Gething's claim that he was referring to Welsh Labour Group business when deleting messages, is that if that were true he would have no concern about FOI requests because FOI would not apply to those communications. It would only apply to communications regarding government business.
Shortly following Blythyn's sacking, Plaid Cymru announced they would be ending their power-sharing agreement with Welsh Labour, meaning Welsh Labour is now governing as a minority party with 30 out of 60 seats in the Senedd.
VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE:
The Welsh Conservatives have tabled a motion of no confidence in the First Minister, which is set to be voted on tomorrow.
Currently, there are quite deep cracks in the Welsh Labour Senedd Group. Lee Waters, Senedd Member for Llanelli, on the 1st May in the Senedd Chamber criticised Gething for having taken the donation and for not taking it back, saying this is "not a matter of confidence, but of conscience". Alun Davies, Senedd Member for Blaenau Gwent, quote tweeted the video of Waters saying "And many Labour members agree with Lee."
Today, in response to the Welsh Government U-turning on manifesto commitments to alter school timetables made during the 2021 Welsh Parliament Election, former FM Mark Drakeford criticised Lynne Neagle (another Labour MS) and was repeatedly heckled throughout his response to Neagle by Hefin David, Senedd Member for Caerphilly. David then subsequently stormed out of the Senedd Chamber after being effectively told to shut up and let Drakeford speak by Yr Llwydd (The Speaker).
This spat in the Senedd Chamber on the eve of a vote of no confidence in Vaughan Gething is spelling out that there is simmering tensions in the Welsh Labour Senedd Group.
All it would take is one Labour MS to vote against or to abstain on the vote, and Gething loses the vote.
The vote is symbolic; it will not trigger any formal process in which Gething has to resign. But losing a VONC so quickly into a new First Minister's premiership following a historically popular First Minister in Mark Drakeford is very bad for Welsh Labour indeed. Especially when your biggest opponent is Plaid Cymru, headed by Rhun Ap Iorweth who is a former BBC reporter and because of that is a talented media performer.
All is not well on the Labour benches in Cardiff Bay.

Hey, I'm 21M from the East Coast US, and I'm looking a long term relationship. I'm doing school online, and I should graduate in June or sometime in the summer this year. When I'm not doing that, I play video games, especially Minecraft, Nintendo games like Pokémon and Mario, and city-building games, play and follow sports like tennis and basketball, and doing Sporcle quizzes when I'm bored (lol). I like a lot of different types of music, like classic rock, 90s hip hop, and a little bit of most other things. I'm about 5'10 (177 cm), short dark brown hair, brown eyes, (very) white, and skinny. (In terms of type of girl I'm looking for, I'm not too picky, but I like a smart and funny girl, with long hair. I have discord, Instagram, and I guess snapchat if you don't want to talk here.

Hi yall, I’m a junior in high school and just like a lot of you I didn’t get into the summer programs of my dream. I work for this company and they’re creating a new photography program that’s catered for high school students.
Unlike other programs, we’re not selective and will work with all high school students that apply despite background, grades, whatever. We’ll create an online platform where we display the photography of high school students. These photographs don’t have to be vogue magazine level but they can be of anything like displaying your hobbies, your neighborhood, digital art, etc. This will occur over the summer and it’s very flexible but we would have deadlines for photos. We would essentially create a platform for you guys to display your hobbies and passion, giving credit to each person and a short description of the photo. This would allow business and colleges to see your interests outside of school and it’s a great opportunity to show what kind of person you are. We’d also have prizes, awards, and hours as ways to track your engagement.
I’m making this post to gauge interest towards the program. Ik many of you didn’t get into your dream programs so the team I work with has come up with this program to give everyone a chance to do one more meaningful before college. Send me a private message or comment photo if ygs might be interested in something like this. Thanks for listening!

I was just listening to Bethany's podcast. For quite some time I've been wondering about her mother's story even before her passing. She was always very vague when it came to her mother. I don't think we'd even know her name if she didn't do those public magazine quotes or whatever that disparage Bethany.
And one of her recent podcasts she mentions that her mom burned it had a sister which is I think the most info we've ever gotten about her mother Bernadette and that she has three cousins and their names at least first names.
I'm inquisitive by nature I'm a researcher and it's always made me a little questionable how there's like no info out there about who her mother was where she came from Bethany's grandparents on her mother's side etc. Is Birk her maiden last name or a married name?
Of course I have absolutely no right to any of this information Bethany does not need to share it. I feel like it just gives validity to her story and it also makes me question some things because very rarely can you not find any info on someone especially in my line of work and prior to Bethany's mother marrying her stepfather the paracella guy there's absolutely nothing on her no info of schooling no info on siblings parents anything and I just find it odd that she's been able to keep that private I mean kudos to her.
Yet some people like in my line of work find it odd that there's no info it's so I'm just quite curious is anybody had any am I missing something does anybody know anything further about the situation. Like I know her father left when she was two to go to California to set up his horse training there but they didn't divorce until she was four so that would be 1974.
I don't know if be and her mother move with how about that point but you have so much info about her father's family and that's not Bethany choosing so I understand that but to have absolutely nothing about her mother like she's got like a two sentence obit.
I know Bethany went through a lot and she had some serious issues with her mother and I listened to all the things that she said and I was sobbing at the end like I totally understand her pain just for my employment I find it odd that there's nothing to go on.
Like if I was trying to find a lost relative and reconnect someone with the other person they were with previously like there would be no way for me to find Bethany's Aunt for example cuz there's nothing linking them.
I'm just curious is there ever been any more info set about this woman then she's a horrible person and that her last name was Birk and she had problems. I think even though she had so many issues she had to have had some of the things some accomplishments in her life she graduated from school she got a degree in whatever she was a licensed hairdresser or whatever I'm making that last part of course but like there's usually something to go on. Perhaps Bethany intentionally made it that way so that people couldn't find out more info but she did say that her grandparents were horse trainers like her father and stuff but still there's like nothing about her past and the family that she comes from. And I just think that that piece of the information would be validating to those who view Bethany negatively like I think it could explain a lot if some of the puzzle pieces weren't missing.
Sorry for my rant I just am curious if I'm missing something if anybody was ever given any more info if anybody have more insight into this woman cuz I think she deserves more than just that little blurb of oh she died.
Especially if yours down the line someone wants to research about her and her own family for there to be nothing to go on. Like I was curious if her father's name was Robert j Frankel or if his real first name was his middle name because on his find A grave they have the picture of the original marker before the tombstone comes in and it says Julian Robert Frankel not the other way around.
It's just wild to me that and the reality TV world that her and Sonia too have been able to keep their original lives like their original immediate family private although unlike Bethany with Sonia there was stuff to go on like I could actually fill in all the blanks with her and although I would never share that publicly from what I found and to respect other family members of Sonia is including her own mother.
If they both been able to create this image that is contained which you don't see very often in the reality TV world. So I'm just curious is anybody know that she was born Bernadette Birk. I mean Bernadette checks out because she was born Catholic so that makes sense but was Birk her maiden name or a married man because even Bethany said she was married more times than she knew about.
I don't know I was trying about these stories so wild even beyond what she shared and what I believe there to be known

(for the sake of the story ill call the birthday girl nora and the other friend sam)
I(27F) was invited to go have dinner with a couple of my friends to celebrate nora’s birthday which is something we plan for every year. For context I met both these girls at work and developed friendship with them while maintaining distance just to keep it safe, I know alot of people dont like to bring work into their personal lives and I agree to some extent but I am already a cautious person and had enough experience with toxic people before so im not worried.
The week leading to the birthday party we would ask each other what we were planning on wearing, thats when I mentioned that I might be wearing a certain white dress that I had purchased to motivate myself to work harder at the gym. I had asked that birthday girl over 3 times if it were ok for me to wear the dress and that she can be completely honest with me if she didnt want me to to which she answered no its fine ofcourse!
The day of the birthday I wore the dress and I was feeling myself looking good and feeling confident which means everyone is about to have a good time😂. This is where the drama begins, the plan was we would meet each other at the lounge at about 8pm and the place was pretty close to my house and im a punctual princess I hate being late so its even better for me. Sam on the other hand is the opposite and that was not new news, knowing her we had pushed the booking late which made nora upset because she wouldnt be able to enjoy the night without thinking about how much time she had left.
Long story short Sam showed up late and the tension was high, after having dinner we decided to go to the party area, Nora wanted to wear her second outfit that she brought with her so she left to go change, thats when Sam decided to take me aside and have a little girls chat with me in the toilet, she proceeds to let me know that she felt that Nora wasnt happy that I wore white to her birthday outing which I thought was silly since first I asked her and she said it was fine, second I asked her more than once and third she said it was fine :), I understand that people may be reluctant to speak up sometimes and if I felt that she would be upset I wouldn’t have worn the dress, also this is not a bridal shower or an engagement party and even if it was I dont see why the colour of my dress matters that much since other people we dont know would be wearing White where we were going anyway.
Apologies this story is not short😂, anyways when Sam brought that up I proceeded to pretend like I cared and that my house is nearby and I could change my dress if that made her feel uncomfortable to which she replied “oh no dont overthink it im not even sure if thats what she feels its ok”, so I didnt. We had fun and had some laughs, got a few number and left.
The day after I told my real life bestie about this little interaction and we both thought about why Sam would say something like that if it wasnt necessary and not even facts like it was just a “feeling she had”, am I actually the AH?

Hey everyone,
I’m in a bit of a pickle and could use some advice. My beloved D200 got stolen recently, but luckily, I managed to get it back in a rather funny turn of events (though that’s a story for another time). The good news is, it’s mostly intact with no major damages. However, the flash was broken when I recovered it, and I haven’t been able to find a replacement.
Does anyone know where I might be able to find a new flash for my D200 (on a rather short notice, somewhere around FL)? Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Edit 1: typo