i’m very young. i’m still in school. i still have a lot of life left to experience. i also have way more things to learn. lessons, opportunities, and skills. but, i know some things. i know how this world works. the people in it and the things they’re willing to do. for a while, i was convinced that all people (or at least vast majority) were assholes. that nobody in this world was pure. that peoples desires were so disgusting which really disturbed me. that everyone being selfish and entitled through my personal experiences. this is what i thought. but that was until yesterday. yesterday, i got a haircut at a hair salon with my mother. yeah, you’re probably thinking about how something simple, like a haircut, could change my strong opinion about people. but please be open-minded. continuing, my name got called up by the stylist or barber or whatever you call them. it was a man. at first, i was scared. he was tall and buff. he looked really tough. (haha, that rhymed.) and he looked annoyed. i was wrong for already judging him. i haven’t even met the guy personally and already made assumptions. i guess i was part of the asshole majority. when i sat down, he asked me what i wanted and i told him just wanted a trim and some face framers. while he was cutting my hair, he made some small talk. and it really shocked me. none of my barbers have ever really talked to me or wanted to know about me. “what grade are you in?” he asked. when i told him, he was shocked because he thought i was older. he mentioned that he had two daughters in high school that i looked older than. i asked if they went to the town’s school district and he said that they were in another state which made me feel bad for asking. but he acted like he didn’t mind. while he was cutting the back of my hair, he asked me if i was familiar with x-men. i said yeah, and he told me that i had one silver hair which reminded him of rogue. i laughed and he told me not to be insecure about it because it was a sign of early wisdom. yeah, the conversations are really specific so i’m not going to mention all of them. through these detailed conversations, i learned a lot about him. he’s been in this town for a while, played for the high school teams. wresting and football. he also mentioned his dreams of becoming a doctor. something about cells interested him. he also loved the feeling of helping people and seeing a good change in them. which really made me smile. like i said, i always thought people desired malice. that people loved hurting others. but he proved me wrong. there are actually people out here that want to help. that genuinely care. i told him that he already helps people with hair cutting and it made him smile because he was new to this job and still learning. he also thanked me for my patience, for he preferred quality over quantity. he finished most my hair and went onto the front. i had asked for face framers. as he was about to cut my hair, he asked another co-worker for help. well, he didn’t really need help, he just needed some directions. the lady co-worker gave him some instructions and did the left side of my hair. he got it but while he was cutting the right side, he got stumped and asked a different co-worker for advice or help. he said he wasn’t really getting the hang of it so she took over. she said he did amazing, comforting him. she was so nice. she knew the exact words to say and perfectly phrased everything. she told me that my hair was beautiful and really thick. that i was blessed with a lot of hair. she cut my hair really good. sure, it wasn’t the way i had originally wanted, she started changing it to her liking, but it was still good. and her kindness really made me like the haircut even more. when they finished, they turned my seat to the mirror and i saw the final look. it was wonderful. the parts that he cut were straight and neat. the front was really really great. i liked it. she gave me a compliment saying i should be in a magazine and how she’s really contemplating if she should cut her hair like mine instead of growing it out for donation. and it really made me smile. i felt ugly a lot. i don’t think people or even myself liked the way i looked. and to hear that, from a pretty woman and man was everything. i hated it when people were sweet. i mean, i don’t hate the people or the sweetness. i hate how it makes me overthink and how it makes me drown in guilt for how i think of others. for how my mindset has been set to think this way. i thanked her and she also thanked me for letting her style my hair. gosh, i cannot believe this much generosity can exist in just two people. when i got up, i thought my mom would be happy or even shocked about my new look, but i thought wrong. she looked irritated and said it took long enough. she also said that nothing changed about my hair and that i looked the same even though clearly didn’t. it was a lot shorter than it was before. maybe she was too tired to see but other than that she was being a bit rude to him. that took a lot of effort for him, especially since he is new in hair cutting. yeah, it took a long time, but they did great. i got what i wanted and i’m not complaining about it. we paid and he thanked us for our patience. i thanked him for the great haircut and said goodbye. when we got in the car, my mom was continuing about it. it really made me sit there and think. thinking about my stupid opinion. i really wanted to believe that my opinion would change. yeah, i understand why my mom was irritated. that haircut took her money and a lot of her time. but it made me feel bad. bad about my stupid opinion, those two wonderful hairdressers, everything. i don’t know. maybe this asshole majority doesn’t even matter.

So I’ve been with my (28F) SO (30M) for almost three years now. He has ASPD and I also struggle with depression and ADHD, and possibly some other issues where I’m still awaiting medical re-evaluation from a psychiatrist, but the next appointment I’ll be able to see them is on September lol. I’ve been struggling really bad mentally and physically, and the fact that my SO has been in county for over a year and is most likely getting transferred to prison within the next month or two makes this even more difficult. From what I’ve been told, he’ll most likely be in prison for another year or two, if he’s lucky. This is my first time ever having to deal with this type of thing, and his first time going to prison, although he’s been in county for other things in the past. He and I were never the romantic type and before he got caught up we were both homeless and dealing with a lot of shit. We are also addicts, although we’ve both been clean from our DOC since he’s been arrested, which has been already a little over a year.
It’s basically starting fresh, since we were both deep into our addiction during the majority of our time together before he got arrested. Now that we’re both clean, it’s been very hard to articulate my feelings and communicate properly with him, which is the same for him. We’re both introverted, and have a hard time communicating our love for each other. I just want to know if there’s any suggestions from you guys where we can talk about things that ‘normal’ people do in a relationship. Him being in county makes it even harder since all I can do is wait for his calls or send him letters. I genuinely want to write more to him but can never actually say what I want to and it comes off awkward and forced. My overwhelming anxiety also exacerbate this issue.
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on what to write to him? Or if anything else, what would you recommend to do if you started a ‘new’ relationship? What do you ask? What is considered a ‘normal’ relationship? What do you do? It’s almost like we’re starting our relationship anew ever since our sobriety and I just want to keep him entertained so he won’t have to be stuck with his thoughts while he’s in there by himself alone. I would kindly appreciate it, and no judgment please. Thank you.

hey :)
30yo male. 11 days ago i got botox in my forehead and 11s for cosmetic purposes. 2nd time getting botox - first time in this area.
I’m unsure of the amount of units i received but i told her i didn’t want a full freeze. She is a reputable injector and was previously a RN.
2 days after my treatment I developed severe headache along with neck pain (neck pain has subsided but still lingering) the headaches lasted 3 days and have now stopped.
Day 4-7 flu type symptoms including night sweats (one night only) low energy, and sore joints all over my body.
Day 7-current I developed weird spots on my arm which have disappeared, canker sores in my mouth, and difficulty swallowing because my throat feels like something is stuck in it. Energy levels are bit better, but i feel anxious and depressed now because i can’t stop worrying.
I had blood test done (day 8) which the blood results showed inflammation somewhere in my body. Doctor says that may be from my achy joints.
i mentioned all these symptoms to my doctor but because I joined a botox support group on Facebook i’ve become suspicious of the botox. They told me the toxin has spread and given me botulism!! they urged me to flush my body with supplements and celery juices. I don’t know - seems a bit far fetched?? But now i’m doubting if my doctor knows what she’s talking about. My doctor says botox can’t cause this.
Ultimately i feel like i’m on the upper now - but has anyone else had similar symptoms post botox? i feel really scared 😭 I just want to feel better!! The symptoms i’m describing aren’t cold/flu/Covid as this feels different.

Here's the story. Last week this Atlantic article was posted on neoliberal :
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/03/south-korea-fertility-rate-misogyny-feminism/673435/
The original version of the article included this startling claim:
Indeed, a 2016 survey by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family found that 62 percent of South Korean women had experienced intimate-partner violence, a category that included emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as a range of controlling behaviors.
Many users here fixated on this claim, and the comments section was full of disparaging comments about Korean men. The only problem? The statistic turns out to be completely bogus. It appears to result from a misleading translation in the english-language version of the Ministry's report (the correction notice on the Atlantic article tells a different story about the source of the error, but I don't believe it), which you can find here:
http://www.mogef.go.keng/lw/eng_lw_s001d.do?mid=eng003&bbtSn=704933
Here's the key section:
Spousal violence
□ Prevalence of Spousal violence
○ The study surveyed the victimization and perpetration of physical, psychological, economic, and sexual violence among married men and women over the age of 19.
○ As for women, 12.1% had been victims of spousal violence in the last year: 3.3% being physical, 10.5% psychological, 2.4% economic, and 2.3% sexual violence. 9.1% of women reported that they had perpetrated spousal violence.
○ As for men, 8.6% had been victimized by their spouse in the last year: 1.6% physical, 7.7% psychological, 0.8% economic, and 0.3% sexual violence. 11.6% of men reported that they had perpetrated spousal violence.
○ 18.1% of women were initially victims of spousal violence within the first year of marriage and 44.2% after the first year but within the first five. 62.3% of women experienced violence within the first five years of marriage, and 2.0% before the marriage.
Someone not critically thinking too hard might look at that last point and interpret it as saying that 62.3% of all Korean women have been abused. But that's not what it's saying -- it's saying that, of women who've been abused, 62.3% of them were abused in the first five years of their marriage.
There are several giveaways for why this is the correct interpretation: first, it's prima facie implausible that 62.3% of Korean men abuse their wives, given that Korea has an extremely low violent crime rate. Second, there's basically no way to get from a 12% annual abuse rate to a 62.3% rate over five years -- this implies that wife-beaters in Korea have zero recidivism! (I was mass downvoted for pointing this out in the original thread). Third, the report doesn't mention how many men start abusing their wives after five years, an omission that would be inexplicable unless the authors of the report assume the reader can easily deduce this figure for themselves by subtracting the other numbers from 100%.
I subsequently confirmed my suspicions by google translating the original, Korean-language version of the report, available here:
http://www.mogef.go.kmp/pcd/mp_pcd_s001d.do?mid=plc504&bbtSn=83
On pages 91-92 of the Korean-language version of the report, it's absolutely clear that the 62.3% figure is not intended as a proportion of all Korean women. These are the figures presented there:
First experienced abuse before marriage: 2.0%
First experienced abuse in first year of marriage: 18.1%
First experienced abuse in years 2-5 of marriage: 44.2%
First experienced abuse in first five years of marriage: 62.3%
First experienced abuse after five years of marriage: 35.7%
Note that these figures sum to 100%. On page 92, the report gives similar figures for men who've been abused, which also sum to 100%. If there was any remaining doubt I'm right about this, my interpretation was also confirmed by a Korean-speaking neoliberal user who read the original report.
What's the correct figure for how many Korean women have experienced abuse? Well, since The Atlantic fixed their error after I contacted them, you can find it in the current version of the article:
A 2021 study by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family found that 16 percent of South Korean women had experienced some kind of intimate-partner violence—a category that included emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as a range of controlling behaviors.
I found this number in the Hankyoreh, an actual Korean newspaper, and sent it to The Atlantic:
https://english.hani.co.karti/english_edition/e_national/1056632.html
So The Atlantic was originally off by a factor of 4. Oh, and a 16% combined emotional/physical/sexual/financial abuse rate is actually extremely low by international standards -- the figure for American women is more than twice as high! Whoops. Sorry, Koreans, we accidentally printed misinformation smearing you as a bunch of wife-beaters for our millions of readers. Don't worry, though, I'm sure this type of thing has never caused problems for any ethnic group in the past.
I feel obliged to add that neoliberal did not cover themselves in glory in the thread on this article. Just to be clear, guys, comments insinuating that Asiatics are all backwards, patriarchal abusers are racist. So are comments about how Korean women should ditch Korean men and maybe find love overseas (with a white guy?) instead. I have Korean friends who are devoted, loving husbands, they don't deserve to maligned like this. It almost seems like the users here will tolerate any amount of racism so long as it's packaged with enough misandry: "Its not Koreans that are the problem, it's those pesky Korean men." Not okay guys. Feminism is not an excuse for bigotry.

Bruno's power sounds like something the PRT would salivate over. He's essentially a precog that can clearly see into any point of the future he wants, that also lets anyone with him view it, that also shows how to change the outcome, while also creating a tablet that shows the prediction? That also has no user lash back or side effects? He'd probably have an entire department at Watchdog dedicated towards him. I almost want to say he's a thinker 10+. That feels way too high but at the same time almost all thinkers in the setting seem to be kneecapped so hard that he'd warrant it for being such an outlier.
Pepa also has the same problem of simultaneously sounding incredibly powerful on paper while also being absolutely uncontrollable and not that useful. If she could summon tornadoes or entire hurricanes in mere moments I'd say shaker 10+. If it's only general weather such as rain or clear skies I'd dump her all the way down to shaker 2.
Julieta is a tough one because her power seems so hard to classify. I guess it's technically a tinker power? It really doesn't fit any of the categories and it's completely useless as a combative power. I want to say tinker 0 because it's just healing bread and a single mall cop could neutralize her (the threat ratings are supposed to be about how hard they are to neutralize) but at the same time I could see them giving her an absurd rating (8+) just to drill it through people's heads that she is a priority in any situation. As far as everyone else is concerned she is essentially Panacea 2.0 and she can cook tinker food using regular ingredients that has zero upkeep and has no side effects on the user. If the PRT was proactive they'd be paying her a seven digit sum to just cook nonstop in one of the most heavily fortified buildings they could build. She would probably be one of the most prolific capes in existence just from the sheer amount of lives she'd save globally with her food. But at the same time you can just shoot her in the head. Another rating that'd almost entirely be political.
Dolores is a character I assumed was weak at first and then realized would have an absurd rating. Being able to process noise from hundreds of miles all around her while picking out any conversations she wants without having sensory overload? An easy thinker 5 stranger 8 combo right off the bat. If anything I'm probably underselling her since the only way to get around her is either knowing she's within a few hundred miles of you and avoiding saying anything or just completely soundproofing a room, which is a lot harder than you'd think. She'd be the ultimate informant. Just drop her in a city for a week and she'd probably have the locations of just about every gang hideout or villain haunt for you.
Camilo feels like he'd be a stranger 1. Can perfectly imitate people, but has none of the memories of them and would instantly be found out by the most basic M/S protocols. If he could imitate brutes and get their strength then he'd probably be a stranger 2 trump 6. Only reason the trump rating isn't higher is because he can only do it with brutes. I doubt he'd be able to though, so I'd stick with stranger 1.
Antonio feels like a strictly worse version of Dolores once you get down to it. Since he has to talk to the animals around him this means he's both completely limited to whatever animals are nearby but that he can't even master more than a few at a time because he needs to verbally ask them to do what he wants. I want to say master 1+ stranger 1+ because his power just feels so gimped by his surroundings. Maybe if he was in the middle of the jungle I'd give him a positive rating. I imagine he'd have great synergy with certain capes (such as Bitch).
Luisa feels like a Brute 6 shaker 1+ because of how casually she can toss around entire houses while also applying an effect on them that keeps them completely structurally stable while moving them. That brute rating might be a little too high, I'm not sure.
Isabela would probably be a shaker 9. Her range is insane, the plants she grows aren't even effected by physics or their normal limitations, and she could easily create poisonous plants or even mix and match them alongside other plants. I imagine she'd be able to destroy an entire city if she just went all out as fast as possible.
Mirabel is a trump 0. Her power can instantly permanently neutralize any power it wants and turn the cape into a baseline human. Unfortunately the power automatically activated on itself. /s

Okay so what essentially happened was in the fifth grade for the first two three months I would walk my brother out of school now. This was never a problem until one day he wasn't feeling well. When I went there he wasn't there I asked he's teacher where he was and she said he wasn't feeling well so he went home, I then ran outside because I was concerned about him that's where the problem start. One of the teachers there brought me the principal's office we started to argue. Well essentially a day or two later I left at school and I went to another one now the next school I went to was a Montessori School and trust me never send you kids there so essentially what happened was I met this kid named let's go with Jack will go with Jack so Jack he was never a really big fan of me he really was not a nice guy he wasn't the fifth grade but in the sixth grade he bullied me mostly and what are the teachers do absolutely nothing luckily I did have one teacher who is very nice and she did take my back sometimes now I also had a friend named William he wasn't really my friend he was also a complete joke to me now I kind of sympathize with William after this whole happened he had a hearing disability so I can't really blame him for everything but he was a jerk he'd make annoying noises he would completely annoy me for no reason at all we were friends for the first month or two essentially my problem started happening in the 6th grade now my anger level have been building up because of this Jack and William because they would not leave me alone they would annoy me mooselessly and essentially I hit my snapping point one day I had no this was all so in October one day I had face planted into the hard ground because one of my friends thought it would be a good idea to pick me up by my legs and feet and they could not hold me and my head went into the ground and my nose got impacted so I'm crying obviously I'm sent to go sit on near the door and after that I wouldn't stop crying because it's still hurt I wanted to go home and then I had to go to the principal's office because I won't stop crying so I kept crying and crying and eventually I threw up and it might have been something that I ate but I was not feeling well anymore and then my principal came in and said you need to stop being a baby and enough of those boo boos you won't send you home because of a boo boo and I flipped out at her I said I don't give two s**** leave me alone I am sick and tired of all the name calling they did call me names like coleteaha, cole Totem so I lost my crap and I had gotten kicked out am I the jerk.

Hello folks of knife swap!
Today, I have many bugout clones! I order them from AliExpress and ship them here to the states, so I can sell them with super fast shipping and an actual guarantee that you’l get your gorgeous blade. It should be known that all profits will be going towards my first vehicle! Ask me about what I’m aiming for! Hint: early 90’s, Japanese, luxury, first model for its brand ever released.
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If the price is too steep for you, and you’re not looking for fast shipping, or maybe you’re outside of the U.S, feel free to go buy one off Ali or DH.
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Anyways, on to the details / important stuff! Here are the colors I have in stock, followed by the amount of them in stock. Each knife is brand new in box, completely unused. I haven’t even opened most boxes!
Black with standard blade 4
Black with black blade 6
Blue with standard blade 3
Blue with black blade 4
Khaki with standard blade 3
Khaki with black blade 5
Red with standard blade 2
Red with black blade 3
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What you get in the box: here
Time stamps (30 knives total): here
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For each knife, $35 is my asking price. If you’re buying several, or really just need a dollar knocked off the price, I can throw you a little discount, I don’t mind at all. Just good knives for a good car, fueled by a great community.
Thanks everyone!
-ST

Here I am sitting in a dark room opening my laptop preparing myself to a watch a video I recorded from our home, I wasn't ready for it I knew something was not right ever since she began working for that guy, I inhale deeply a let out a huge sigh and pointed the cursor to the video file and watched.
​
I was right she was having an affair, my world came crashing down as I watched her fucking that guy in our house in our own bed the worse part is she was enjoying every second of it everytime that asshole rammed her inside out I can her expresion being elated, I've never seen her expression like that before everytime I do it with her she just looks bored, she was drowning in pleasure moaning like there was no tomorrow.
​
I hated it, my anger kept rising as continued watching, to the point that I could only see red, why has she done something like this? have I not been a good husband? everything she asked for I always gave to her, everytime she wants a time with me I spend it with her, why? why? WHY!?
​
Was it my fault?
​
It wasn't like this there were times when both of us would be happy with each others company, I met my wife Shoko when were still in college, I confess to her the first day of school because I was mesmerized by her beauty, I thought she would reject me but to my surprised she said yes, I was so happy that I felt I floating in cloud 9 and shouted in joy.
​
Ever since then we've been together after graduation I took job and started working hard a year later I proposed to her and showed her a ring, a ring that I worked hard for her, with tears in her eyes she accepted my proposal and we got married the next year, It was the happiest moment of our lives, I thought it would last forever, I thought we'd be together forever but fate itself has something in store for me.
​
3 years in our marriage Shoko decided she wanted to work, then and there I shouldn't have agreed, but I wasn't the type of person who is controlling, we weren't poor we also wasn't rich, we live a perfectly balanced normal life, I can easily provide for the both use but she wanted to help somehow so without hesitation I agreed.
​
She began working a couple of months later, but as the days goes I noticed she started to become more and more distant and cold and before I knew she began to come how late at night, when she was still a housewife she would cook for both of us her cooking was delicious and it was the many reasons I wanted to go home early so I can taste her homemade cooking, but nowadays I just eat microwave meals.
​
From time to time she do have off days but it seems she's still focus on working and can't stop messaging on her phone, I've invited her to go eat sometimes and flat out rejects me telling me I should just eat by myself, her personality started to change she became more and more detest towards me and she wouldn't allow me touch her anymore everytime ask to the deed with her she just tell me to use my hand and the way she looks at me is like looking someone who jsut failed in life.
​
Her love for me is gone, but still I didn't lose hope that maybe one day she'll open up to me again and our love with each other would be rekindled, but I think I was just hoping for nothing.
​
One day I came home only to see an unfamiliar shoes in the hallway pretty sure it wasn't mine, as I walk in I saw Shoko talking to guy she introduced me to him, his name was Mr.Akizaki Shoko's boss guy was good looking, I mean I'm not gonna lie I was good looking too, but this guy could be an actor just disguising as a business man on how good looking he is.
​
Everytime Shoko talks about him I could see the spark on her eyes as if she was talking to someone she's been in love with for a very long time, I know because she used to look at me like that, her and Mr. Akizaki seems like very close friend, but I noticed something for a guy who's all about business he's clothing seems to be in disorder and my wife also look the same and they both out of breath.
​
I soon realize something was off after her boss left I asked her what was going on and she told me nothing happened, she scoffed at me and told me that she was just being hospitable to her boss and she can't believe I'm being suspecious about her and asked me "What's the matter with you?" I asked her the same thing but she just told me she doesn't want to argue anymore and went to take a bath and went to sleep.
​
I knew something was going on and I'm not going to wait for it much longer the next day my off day and while she was working I bought several suvaillance equipment, cameras, recorders, nanny cams the whole shebang and started putting them in discreet locations after everything was ready I waited.
​
And here I am watching them cheating behind my back recorded everything I couldn't help it and just started crying not of sorrow but of anger and resentment, I was so angry I was ready to march and scream at her but I didn't, I stopped myself and calmed down and called a good friend of mine to talk about it and have a drink.
​
At the bar:
​
"She did what!?"
​
my friend screamed when he heard the story, Keisuke Nato is good friend of my mind, no he's a like brother to me, we've been togther since middle school and always there when I needed some company to drink with.
​
"So what are you gonna do?"
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"I don't know...I-I just don't know" as I drink the whole glass of whiskey to drown my sorrow
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"Well you have the recordings, why not hire a lawyer? sue them both for damages squeeze them dry you know"
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"It's just that easy those 2 can easily pay me from the money they're worked for, no I want them to taste karma, I want them to feel something to the point they won't be doing that shit until they die" I poured another whiskey to my glass
​
"Hmmm...so what are you planning"
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"...."
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At this point I have no idea what to do, as continued drinking something caught my attention I saw a guy in black, he looks like one of those hitman guys in the movie, he had suitcase with him and then started to call someone and said "Job's done" and then lightbulb.
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"I have an idea"
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"Oh really?" Keisuke questioned
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"Yeah I teach those 2 a lesson they would never forget, I lesson about fear"
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"And how in the world would you achieved that?"
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"Do you still have "those" guns?" I asked
​
"Yeah it's still there"
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"Give them to me even the bullets"
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"Whoa! you're not planning to shoot them right? I mean those things aren't even real they're just replicas it can't be chambered with real bullets those guns are specifically made to fire blank ones, those are prop guns"
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"Exactly" I exclaimed "Listen this is my plan..."
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I told Keisuke everything and I could see a wicked smile forming from his face and then we both started laughing like maniacal villains people where looking at use weirdly but I just don't give a shit, cause my perfect revenge is about to begin.
​
I waited for the day my wife would go on those company retreat, after several days she told me that her company is going out of town to a well know hot spring.
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"I won't be home the next week, so don't even trying calling me while I'm there I'll be relaxing with some friends, I don't need you to call me every minute"
​
"Whatever" I just responed coldly to her
​
Days later she then left, I called Keisuke and brough the guns to my home.
​
"So where are we making these secret room of yours?"
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My plan is to make a secret room where I can hang those guns and make it look like a room of a hitman, I remember out closet has these empty space that covered up and decided to use it.
​
For a couple of ours both me Keisuke started working ripping walls, nailing woods, painting etc, a few days later our job was done and the room looks glorious like it came out from a movie set or something.
​
"Whew dude this looks legit" Keisuke added
​
"I know"
​
"So did it work?"
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"Oh yeah, she's suspecious of me"
​
Before all of this to make sure that my "Hitman" persona looks legit I purposely left some vague and cryptic cluse around the house, to make it look like I've been sloppy one of those was a briefcase full of pictures of wanted men, mugshots, wanted posters, some traget pics etc, I love the look of bewilderment look on her face when she first saw it.
​
I've also asked Keisuke to send me some letters through mail, Shoko has a habit in retrieving mails, she hands me some of those letters Keisuke made in black enveloped and I could see a curious looked on her face
​
Left some "bloodied" clothes in the washer which she obviously saw but refuse to elaborate on it and now she's been looking at me wary.
​
Also I acted like I recieved anonymous call from someone in the middle of the night, but it was Keisuke I asked him to call me in a specific time of the night were Shoko was still awake, I'm pretty sure she heard me talk like "Considered it done" or "You won't be worrying about that man anymore Mr made-up-name here" couldn't help but laugh from time to time and I'm sure she's starting to wonder what is happening cause it's bothering her.
​
A few months later I was preparing to go to work actually I'm on leave but Shoko doesn't know and then asked her a favor
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"Shoko a friend of mine will come here to pick something up I don't have time can you kindly give it to him, its a black gym bag upstairs in the closet"
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"Yeah sure I'll give it him" she replied
​
I can see the look of anxiousness on her face, it's working, I said my goodbyes and left and went to the bar me and Keisuke would go frquently and looked at the surveillance camera at home as both of us started drinking enjoying something that's about to unfold.
​
I could see Shoko pacing back and forth mumbling to herself about me changing and being so shady, a few moments later she heard a knock on the door, she opened it and lo behold a bald man wearing a black suit and shades was at the door, I could hear Shoko shriek when she saw the man standing in front of the door.
​
"Where did you find that guy again" I asked Keisuke
​
"Oh Manza he's good friend mine, we work togther in construction before a real gentle giant but has a very intimidating aura"
​
"Oh does he know the plan?"
​
"Don't worry I laid it out for him"
​
Shoko's POV:
What the hell!? who's this bald guy? is this Shinji's friend? I didn't know he has such friend!?
​
"....."
"Uhmmm...c-can I help you?"
​
"I'm to pick up something from your husband"
​
"Oh right the bag uhmm wait one moment"
​
I hurridly went to the bed room to fetch Shinji's bag, what is going on here, first those briefcases with mugshot of criminals and other people with targets on them and then those black envelopes and then those bloodied clothes in the washer, what is Shinji involved to? is there something he hasn't told me? I need to hurry and give the bag so he can leave, where is it?
​
Shinji's POV
​
Shoko entered the bedroom and started to frantically looking for the bag as she reach for the closet I execute a command on my laptop to slight make the door of the secret room open and sure enough I can see Shoko peeking and the look on her face was priceless, both me and Keisuke are having a blast like kids watching at a funny home video.
​
Shoko's POV
​
What the hell is this!? I didn't know there was a secret room inside our closet, what is happening here? I don't have time to investigate it, I grabbed the bag and went down stairs and handed it over to the bald man, before he can grab it for unknow reasons the content of the bag fell to the floor and I saw several bundle of cash in all 10,000 Yen, I was shocked to see a huge amount of money like that, the bald man shook his head and started picking up the money and looked at me and said.
​
"If I were I'd keep my mouth shut if you don't want any trouble"
​
All I could do is nod after, several minutes he said his goodbyes and left, I was shaken up, did my husband always have friends like that? but I'm more curious about that secret room in the closet, I decided to see what's on the other side.
​
Shinji's POV
​
"Looks like my skills in making props is still useful heh" Keisuke responded after seeing the whole cash of fake money spilling out
​
Keisuke once work in the entertainment business as Production Designer, he made a lot of stuff the look real but fake, I'm glad to have a friend like him with that kind of skills, because of that my charades will be undoubtedly believable.
​
"Hey! look your wife's entering the room again looks the cat got curious"
​
"You know what to do"
​
"Don't worry I'm ready" he then pull out a phone and dialed a number
​
Shoko's POV
​
God what the hell is this!? when did Shinji- guns!? this room looks like an office, there are some pictures of men on the wall, some maps, I don't even want to know what's inside those safes, is Shinji a hired killer or something!? oh god if he is one then- these guns look real, videos of people being torured? did he do all of these? oh no no no no, this must be a prank...right it's just a prank I think he's just trying to scare me. heh
​
oh no did he find out I was having an affair? shit...
​
wait a journal.
​
.....
​
Oh my god I can't believe this Shinji's a hitman!? when!? the journal detailed everything in how he killed his victims.
​
huh? what's this? it's about me
​
"October 7th
​
My wife has become cold and distant towards me, ever since she began working day by day I'm starting lose her, did I do something wrong? I was good husband provided her with everything she ever wanted, I never missed anything during special occasions and I did my best everything to make her happy, is she having an affair? is she cheating on me? I hid this 2nd life of mine from her because I want her to live normally but it she is cheating behind my back then I have no choice but to show her the real me...."
​
Oh no, what have I done? I don't want to die yet, I should just apologized and tell him the-
​
*You recieved one new message*
​
What!-oh it's just a voicemail, that scared me.
​
"Mr.Hayabusa I just want to thank you for getting rid of those men thanks to you business is booming, I already transfered some money in your account and a little bonus for making them suffer, I like the screams they make when you tortured have you seen the videos? I've sent them to you, anways thansk again and oh about your wife..."
​
About me!?
​
"If you think your wife is cheating on you I have a man ready to investigate her and follow her, just give me a call when you're interested, I'm sure we can quickly discover dirt on her and then you can punish her whenever you like"
​
No no no no no no! is this a dream this isn't happening is my husband really a hitman? has he killed people!? am I going to die!? I need to go out of here!
​
Shinji's POV
​
After Shoko entered the secret room I hurridly went home Keisuke told me she's in a state of panic and went down stairs after exiting the secret room, It seems my plan is working she can't tell the lie from the truth and that's fine by me all I had to do is just keep this charade up.
​
As enter the house I saw Shoko in front of the door, I can see the paranoia settling in and she suddenly hug me tight
​
"I love you! I love you! I love you!"
​
"Shoko what's the problem? you look tense as if you've seen a ghost"
​
"N-Nothing I just miss this can I hold you a bit longer"
​
"Of course" what a gullible bitch
And just like that Shoko did a 180 and became a loving wife again, I didn't know it would work like this I knew she had weak mind as she's easily get's persuaded, all I did was plant lies on her head and her weak mind accepted it without a hinch.
​
6 Months later....
​
Keisuke and I decide to met up and started drinking talked how our day was and how was everything
​
"So...how's life? how's Shoko doing?" he asked me
​
"You have no idea ever since that day she's been loyal as dog to me, everything I ask her to do she does it without any hesitation, she hasn't figured it out that all of it was just an elaborate lie to keep her in check"
​
"What about that Akizaki dude what happened to him?"
​
"Oh him, Shoko ended her relationship with him the day she left that company, I could hear her that night when she told her she's ending everything with him, erased his information from her phone and blocked him in every social media, but not before I copied everything from her phone just to be sure.
​
Shoko quit her job a week a later and has become a housewife again but she has become more paranoid than before.
​
I hired PI to investigate that Akizaki asshole and a month later the PI gave me a lot of receipt that I used to kicked that jerk out of his position by sending those to his bosses, what's worse Shoko wasn't the only one that fucker has been fucking, it seems he's been in bed with other co-workers and some his bosses wives, last I heard that guy is already in prison paying compensation with every money he earned."
​
"damn karma's a bitch"
​
"Yup"
​
"What about you? aren't you gonna divorced Shoko?"
​
"Not yet, I'm still using her as I see fit, she's a great onahole you know"
​
"Oh god don't tell me that"
​
"Don't worry as soon as I'm bored with her, I'm gonna sue her for everything but for now I'll just enjoy what little time I have with her"
​
"Touché"
​
*cling the sound of glass toasting"
​
The End

You might have read my reconstruction of the draft final Brienne chapter from AFFC Russian 1st edition, and F&B draft from German and Russian translations. Last week I came across a review (7kingdoms. ru/story/all-russian-editions-review/¹) of the Russian ASOIAF editions, saying "The first edition of A Feast for Crows contains a translation that is not from the final version of the English text - the agent allegedly sent the wrong file. The difference between this and the final version is mainly in the details, but the last two chapters of Brienne differ enormously." which suggests there are more differences that can be reconstructed. So I asked Narwen, the admin of 7kingdom .ru (the best AOISAF news site IMO) if they have a list of those differences. The reply is no, but they have a fan-made translation at wolfswood. ru, which corrects thousands of mistakes in the official ASOIAF translation. So those differences can be revealed by making diff of the two texts.
So I took three days checking the diff results, carefully picking only the differences that probably reflect English draft rather than mistranslation, and I found two cases:

• Prologue

Единственный дракон, занимавший мысли Пейта, был сделан из желтого золота. Пейт гадал, что стряслось с этим алхимиком. «Он сказал, что через три дня будет здесь». "Я не вор", - сказал ему Пейт, но когда дракон заплясал, подмигивая...
The only dragon Pate cared about was made of yellow gold. He wondered what had happened to the alchemist. The third day. He said he’d be here. "I'm no thief," Pate told him, but when the dragon danced, winking...
An echo of the title ADWD, deleted when the title changed to AFFC.

• Cersei I

а мой уродливый братец станет короче на голову.
and my twisted little brother valonqar will be short a head and rotting.
Кровь Тириона, мерзкого карлика.
The blood of Tyrion, the vile dwarf. Tyrion’s blood, the blood of the valonqar.
In English final version valonqar is mentioned in Cersei I, VI, VIII, IX, X. Russian translation didn't use it in Cersei I but used it in later chapters. This fits the report that earlier draft of Cersei I didn't mention valonqar.
Both cases occur early in AFFC, the later chapters appear to be closer to the English published version, with the notable exception of the final Brienne chapters. I think the agent sent the file for translation in multiple parts, say, part 1 contained the chapters finished in 2004, part 2 had chapters finished in 2005 and some chapters in part 1 were now revised. As I have to rely on machine translation to read Russian, there are probably more secrets of GRRM's draft that still lie in the Russian translation, but that's beyond my capability now.
Many thanks to Narwen for aids throughout this research.
​

1. As reddit blocks all .ru sites, I have to insert a space in the url.

Backpacking solo is one of my favorite things in the world. I realize that for females going on a trip by yourself, especially backpacking, can seem pretty daunting. What are some tips you've learned along the way?
A few of mine:

• Always have at least the first night of the hotel booked in any new town you are staying. When you are sleep deprived and jet lagged you can be not as alert as you need to be and the last thing you want to do is stumble around a new city searching for a place to stay that is safe.
• Dress code - a lot of places around the world, women need to be more covered up. Some places they like you to be more modest you can get away with shorts and a tank top but it draws unnecessary attention. Always bring long pants and and long sleeves. When in doubt, I always try to cover up more.
• Have multiple credit cards and debit cards. Keep them in different places. - this goes for everyone.
• Never go out alone at night. Always be with a group. Same for early morning before people are out on the streets. I learned this the hard way in Thailand once.
• If you drink, don't get too messed up with people you just met or at the local bar. If you do drugs.... just don't if you are solo on the other side of the world. If you have to, wait to get back to your hostel to drink more/take anything.
• I've found that each country/location has different scams. Do some research beforehand to get an idea of what you might encounter and need to watch out for.
• Don't wear too much makeup/glam up. I make myself look kind of poor and not very attractive most of the time, unless it's something extra special I have planned. I already stick out like a sore thumb as a blonde white girl, no need to try to more.
• No brand names. It's also a little ridiculous to walk around a 3rd world country with $500 shoes/backpack. I've seen it happening a lot lately on backpacker routes and am always pretty shocked.

Those are just a couple, but I'm wondering what other people have found useful for them.

im not gonna bullshit around what happened. here it is, and I am not afraid to be criticized so please please please, I want to be better:
I (22F) and my ex (26M) have been in a beautiful, loving relationship for about 9 months. We met last year, and we fell deep in love with one another. Our values, beliefs, goals, and future. lifestyles, family, preferences ALL LINED UP. And attraction, amazing sex life, and respect, we were each other BEST FRIENDS. We treated each other with unconditional love and care. Anytime we "fought" in person, it was easily resolved because we always argued with respect and passion, and always understood one another, even if it hurts. We were very healthy and compatible.
However, 3 months ago, my bf (at the time) had to go on a 3-month work trip (which he is still there and I am in our home city). We planned to stay together and make it work. However, because his career hit an exponential rise in workload, our initial plans to "stay in touch" began to dissipate.
Now, out of our 9 months together, THIS specific month was too much to compromise. I am about to explain what happened, and I would love to hear outside perspectives if this is something that is "normal" in relationships, and can be reconciled if the love truly is unconditional.
I want to give you traits as to who I am, and who he is, as a person. Because these factors really make or break relationships.
Both, my partner and I share similar core traits that we love about each other- Compassion, self-awareness, understanding, empathy, kind, ambitious, family oriented. We also are very very sensitive. We both are very sensitive to each other's moods and tones and can read each other like a book.
My ex (26M) is very mature, well rounded, self-sufficient, and confidence. Basically, this man is an amazing person. He is beautiful inside and out. Of course people have flaws, but I was able to love his flaws while we were together. and He loved me for that. We never had any malicious or evil intent. No game-playing, no lying, no deception. He is pure genuine love.
Now, I would describe myself the same way. I have so much love for the world, and I am dedicated to becoming a child psychologist to fulfill my need to heal. However, I struggle with regulating my emotions when specific triggered appear.
the thing is, everyone, EVERYONE, has "Demons", "triggers" child hood trauma...
And my ex (26M) has effectively been able to work on his issues and keep up with them (ofc he would slip up a couple times, but easily forgivable).
But, since I am (22F) with not much life or romantic experience. So I fucked up. I FUCKED UP REDDIT. I let an immature survival response scare the man I love away.
This month, while he's been away on work, the phone communication was cut almost more than half. His work had gotten so busy, that he didn't realize that his free time would have been so taken up. And be basically uninvited me to come visit him for 2 reasons: 1. He is very busy, and wants to focus on his work, 2. He could tell I was struggling mentally and suggested I reach out to my family or friends so he doesn't need to worry about me all the time.
I struggle with "depressive" and "manic" episodes, however, they are very rare because I am medicated, and treated. My boyfriend always knew of my issues, but never became an issue. until we were away for each other for 3 months, I regressed 20 years and became an ADULT BABY. I mean, I was screaming, crying, on the phone. Blowing his phone up like a crazy crazy person. He asked for a break, but since I was out of my mind, I flipped out again.
I called him 4 days ago, he answered aggressively. He rarely gets angry or holds a grudge. Bit He told me I crossed his boundaries, and that he is so overwhelmed that he cant give me anything anymore. He said I don't believe him when he says he loves me, and that he is coming back for me. So he broke up with me. He said to not reach out and he wouldn't reach out.
We haven't spoken in almost a week.
I am devastated. It snapped me completely out of that manic craze.I am faced with the consequences of taking love for granted.
I know my fault, I want to be better, and I am getting better. My whole perspective of who I am , and who I REALLY WANT TO BE is so clear now. And I know I NEVER want to be that girl again.
I am grieving over the loss that someone who told me our love was special and doesn't lie, yet it somehow still ended because of an immature stupid mistake that sensibly would scare a man away forever.
My ex arrives back to our home city full time in THREE WEEKS.
We still have each others stuff. I am watching his plants, clothes, keys. wtc.
All our families and friends still follow each other and view each other's stories. even after a week of no contact.
My ex also said he really doesn't want to break up with me, but he has no choice. I cqnnot decifer if that means he will forgive and reach out, or if he throws away anyone with one sight of a red flag.
But the type of person he is, he knows, people define who they are by the mistakes they never do again. He believes its how people grow and conquer that define character. and if he is that mature, I believe he may be open to allowing me to properly apologize in person.
If I really really know who he is based on our beautiful relationship and love, there is NO WAY in which he would leave our very last phone call the way it ended over ONE heated misunderstanding:(. My gut tells me he will reach out when he is back, and is settled, and is healed from the trauma I caused him. and honestly, he is such a beautiful person, that I wouldn't be angry if he never reached out. Because I know I took for granted true love, and its my responsibility to pick up the pieces.
I just know, once we look into each others eyes again, after 3 months of tragic heart ache, all the unfinished sensations of awe, attraction, mysteriousness, and passion. I truly feel our love was special. And once he is reminded of all the healthy and amazing memories when he is settled back home after a stressful 3 month work trip, maybe he will reach out. maybe he will want his stuff.
And that can be my moment is just show him, even if its a 5 second goodbye, that I am healthier, happier, and more independent than before. I want to glow. I want to glow even brighter than when he first fell in love with me
And he will see how my flaws are beautiful, just like how I see his flaws as beautiful.
Or am i in denial?
did i lose true love?

Here me out. First time posting here, bare with me if anything been covered, open to discussion in the comments. If there’s a delay, it’s because I’m currently watching the show again!
The pilot begins, and Mark starts off crying. Then a few scenes later he’s suddenly he’s department chief.
We learn later how much of a true friendship Mark and Petty had. We are also told over and over Mark is severed because his wife died. We learn this also not true, she alive and well on a different floor and is in a state of unknown or wellness sessions.
They emphasis quite a bit outtie wise that Marks character needs to get over, cope, or resolve the passing of his wife. His innie is constantly searching for answers to the point that data refinement is a total non working shit show towards the end. It’s so absurd that you lose sight of the obvious.
Mark is trying to find his wife, trying to remember things as an innie, and an outtie. If outtie Mark has a false memory - wife died, sad, must sever… that is a pretty simple and logical chain of events, and we also know the simplist explanation is typically the correct one.
My theory: Mark has been severed into 3 parts. There is the known Innie Mark, Outtie Mark. The reason what Petey did was dangerous and ended brutally is because he just sort of mashed both Innie and Outtie together. There is a third part of the brain that knows the true reason for getting the procedure.
No one recalls why they opted to get it and how it went down in an canonically correct flashback, except for Helley.
I believe Mark, Irving, Petey, and everyone else that has been severed for a while, especially if older - did not fully understand what was happening and why. I believe they were Guinea pigs, lab mice, test subjects.
Mark and his wife probably wanted to buy a house, have a baby and someone at Lumon offered housing, promotion, job security, utilities, and but not limited to meals. They were offered a dream job opportunity- have it all and only enjoy the fruits of your labour. For some reason Mark and his wife can no longer be together, potentially due to an incident at Lumon.
From there I do not know, but I definitely feel that Mark has a lot more to process than he truly can understand at this time. I think there is a 3rd part of his brain that is the subconscious and he, and everyone else need to activate those memories to merge again without repercussions.
It’s definitely odd how much they push Marks wife being dead yet she’s at Lumon, if someone has a theory or this has been brought up- please I humbly ask for enlightenment.

Please enjoy the entirety of this post equally.

Hi everyone, I (20y/o F) went out on a first date with this guy (19y/o M) last Thursday, as we have Been scheduling to do this for about a month now. He picks me up from my apartment, and he was standing outside the car door holding it open for me and says I looks great and he was glad I was able to take the time to see him tonight and we go to a restaurant then hookah lounge. We talk about ourselves, who we are, what we do and what we like .. you know ordinary first date stuff, and he brings up marriage and how he wants kids pretty young (marriage is a pretty common topic in middle eastern culture (he is Armenian and I am Iranian) so it’s not weird haha), and I would like the same as well - I graduated highschool at 15 and recieved my bachelors in Nursing at 19, 2 weeks ago actually haha- so I think by 23/24 I would like to be married and settled down. Anyways , he talks about how he can’t wait to take me to these other places in our next date, and we just really really got along, the vibes were so right, he is like a male version of me. He made me feel so comfortable , anytime he had to get up to use the rest room or etc, he would be like “ is it okay if I leave you alone for 2 mins if not it’s okay I’ll stay “ and he even introduced me to his family friends and bestfriends dad bc he owns the lounge & at the end of the night he was like " can we take a video together for our memories " so we did and he played an armenian love song to the video 😭 and the night on after i got home, i texted him i had a great night and i was looking forward to seeing him soon, he agreed and I just said “okay! “
A week now has past and no response , so I texted him saying I hope he’s been doing well and it was kind of strange to why I haven’t heard from him, so I told him that I don’t know if he just wants to be friends or something (because I don’t do that no talking for a few days BS ) so I told him to let me know what’s up so I can move forward and like etc … he didn’t reply to that and I sent that Tuesday (last night at 7pm) - I even posted an insta story and he watched it. I do not know what the hell went wrong. Is he just like immature? I never talked to someone who is near my age bc I have been hanging with adults since a teenager since I was in college at an early age, all my friends are 25-30, so I just don’t know if men my age are just immature and play games. Bc I do not, i just want to get straight to the point and if what I want isn’t what you want then tell me so I can find someone else. I’m just so confused on why he would act like that on our date , introducing me to his close friends and family friends, taking videos with me “ for memories “ and doing all that other bull shit.

Hi all! My psychiatrist brought up the possibility of me having cyclothymia. We didn’t get the chance to talk about it much in depth yet. This came about because my therapist mentioned that I experience what may be hypomania at times. I’m a little confused from what I’ve been reading online about it vs. what my psychiatrist has told me.
First of all, when I told my psychiatrist that I experience periods of usually a few days where I have a burst of energy and productivity, am much more talkative, super social (which is the opposite of my normal personality), and end up taking on way more than I can actually do, she seemed really skeptical that my therapist used the word hypomanic. She said her clients that have hypomanic episodes did things like driving recklessly, soliciting sex from strangers on Craigslist, and spending $10k in one go. She said it’s not hypomania if I’m not doing extreme impulsive things. But that it might be cyclothymia (isn’t hypomania a part of cyclothymia?)
Another thing is, when I look up cyclothymia it says it involves a mild depression. Now it’s hard to say how depressed I am in comparison to other people, but I definitely don’t consider my depression to be mild. I have not self-harmed or attempted suicide, nor have I been hospitalized, so I suppose it could be worse. However I do have suicidal ideation on a regular basis and am just generally emotionally unstable. I would say I am depressed 80% of the time, feeling okay 10% of the time, and happy 10% of the time.
Does anything usually trigger the high and low moods? For me sometimes there’s no trigger, and other times something minor will happen that will send me into the full blown euphoria or depression (usually depression). I started noticing these mood cycles when I was taking Pristiq, an SNRI. I stopped taking it but still experience it.
I also have OCD, and my psych prescribed me Prozac for that. She said that we should focus on treating my OCD first, and later on we can talk about mood stabilizers. Everything I’ve seen online says that people with cyclothymia should not take antidepressants alone, so I am skeptical of starting an SSRI.
Basically what I experience are anywhere between hours to weeks of high highs and low lows, but the lows are much more frequent. The highs are amazing and I never want them to end, but sadly they don’t last very long. When I’m upset I’m extremely upset. I manage to function somehow, I’m in grad school and I work. My sleep however is pretty unfazed regardless of my mood, unless I am crying at night and can’t sleep. During the highs, I feel like I could sleep less, but I also don’t really have trouble sleeping a normal amount.
I’m not asking for anyone to diagnose me, just trying to learn more and hear others’ stories. Any input is much appreciated, thank you!

A few months ago I completed a feature-length adaptation of a short story by a horror author who is fairly well known within the world of Lovecraftian weird fiction. I paid for an option on the story, and I have something of a working relationship with the author (I adapted another one of his stories, and we've communicated frequently about different ideas for scripts).
The story in question has been analyzed extensively in online forums, blogs, podcast episodes, etc. and I had no intention of using a film adaptation to definitively answer all the questions that provoked so much speculation. Having effectively lived within the story for the months it took to write the script, I’ve got clear answers to a lot of questions a viewer might have after the first time watching the film, but I have no intention of giving all the answers away and discarding the cryptic elements that have fascinated so many readers. Nothing in the script is arbitrary, and clues are sprinkled throughout. Some things are left a little more ambiguous, or maybe suggestive is the better word, where Explanation A and Explanation B might be equally plausible (and, from a certain angle, maybe Explanation C makes a bit of sense…) but you’re never going to get a definitive answer about it. Think Mulholland Drive, Donnie Darko, Eyes Wide Shut, etc. (I'm not comparing my script to any of those, just pointing out that it would likely fall into the category of movies that could initially frustrate a viewer, but reward repeat viewings).
I sent a draft of the script for an evaluation to The Black List. Here's an edited version of some of the feedback:
"_____" is a unique and intriguing horror story with a distinct worldview and a dreamlike atmosphere. While eventually we want a more definitive plot, the script creates such a singular nightmare that its surreal tone draws us in... We do want more answers, but what the script leaves us with is haunting and memorable in its own context.
As fascinating as this script is as a philosophical portrait, the story itself is underwhelming and flat. There is a general lack of direction or driving motor that makes the pacing drag out and the plot often feel nonexistent. This tone may be better suited to the literary source material than a cinematic feature, because the cerebral, somewhat detached approach can seem endless and repetitive. The lack of details and clarity can be frustrating... The ultimate takeaway is hard to discern. It's as if the story is keeping something from us, and we have lingering questions.
"___" is a one-of-a-kind cerebral horror story that grabs our attention and doesn't let go. The script engages cerebrally and viscerally. Fans of [original author] would be drawn... Right now it can be hard to grasp the overall takeaway. Still, it's a compelling script overall, and it leaves a strong impression. The movie would be worth talking about. "
I'm not going to contest that I could do more add some momentum to the story, and I've been working on restructuring a few scenes to make their connections more direct. I've also been trying to increase the sense of urgency and momentum. That said, much of the criticism reflects my actual intentions for the script. Many of the scenes aren't supposed to have a clear purpose until the whole story is consumed and processed. There's a central plot point on which much of the action pivots that is not revealed until literally the last line of dialogue, or what would probably be the last ten seconds of screen time. The main character does drift through certain nightmarish scenes that don't obviously connect until some secrets are revealed later, sometimes through blink-and-you'll-miss-it lines of dialogue. And again, there are other secrets which aren't fully revealed, but suggested - very deliberately, since that's part of the original story's enduring appeal.
So while I'm not dismissing the criticisms, and acknowlege that there's room for improvement, I guess my question is whether or not this seems like a serious issue, or something that's simply going to require a more open-minded audience. I know that has an air of "These philistines can't recognize my unique genius!" and I'm very conscious of not wanting to come across that way. So I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's had struggles with more unconventional or "difficult" material that doesn't necessarily tick all the boxes from screenwriting class. I guess I'm stuck between making adjustments to satisfy a hypothetical everyman audience and keeping the integrity of my original vision, and the author's.
Thanks in advance.
​

We’ve seen Grogu and Dins bond grow throughout the series, and it’s obvious (even to other characters) that they have a fatheson dynamic. In S1, Ahsoka says that Din is like a father to him, and this season we see Bo refer to him as Grogu’s dad at least twice. However, so far Din has only referred to himself as Grogu’s ward, and Grogu as a foundling in his charge. Meanwhile, Paz refers to the foundling Ragnar as his son and child. From this, it’s not clear (to me) if all mandalorian children are called foundlings, or if Paz has simply adopted this foundling as his son.
I’ve seen lots of people speculate that Grogus first words will be “This is the way” or some variation, but I think it may be as simple as “Dad”. For one, it’s easier to say than a whole sentence, and it’s a common first word for kids, but it also just seems like the logical next step in their relationship. It could lead to Din beginning to refer to Grogu as his son and himself as a father instead of just a guardian, in a major character arc. What do you think?

OK,so it's 6 am in the morning and my sleep deprived brain came up with this idea
So,the merger would be like this:
First and Second Impact happen according to cannon. The famous biochemist Walter White and his wife Gretchen are hired by SEELE to construct the Evangelion units.
The other scientists who are part of this project are Skyler Lambert, Walter's mentor Eliott Schwartz and a female version of Jack Welker. Walter and Gretchen have a child named Jesse Flynn White.Skyler has a child that is a female version of Gale Boetticher and Jack has a daughter that is a female version of Todd.
I'm not that well versed in the hows and whys of what happened in this period,so I may be missing some details,but the main gist of it is this:
The Ehrmantraut Expedition sent by SEELE starts Second Impact,a female version of Mike barely escapes alive after her father,Matthew sacrifices himself.
The GEHIRN stuff happens,Gretchen is absorbed by Unit 01, Walter sends Jesse to live with a foster family that's his actual family in Breaking Bad, filled with sorrow from losing his wife,he uses his biochemical expertise to create Holly,a being comprised of Gretchen's genetic material and that of Adam's.Her hair is blue due to the chemicals used by Walter.
He then begins pursuing a relationship with Skyler,that is one-sided,same way it was in Evangelion.The original Holly is killed by Skyler in a fit of rage,yada yada.Things remain the same in this part,it's just that the characters are changed to the ones I thought of.
Ditto for the Asuka stuff,the female version of Jack is partially absorbed,but he commits suicide by gunshot instead of hanging himself.Other than that,it's the same.
The female versions of Gale and Mike meet in college,female Mike falls in love with one Hank Schrader,and then that should be it for the pre-show timeline.
Now,for the Angels,I am not really sure,my intent is to leave them alone as they are,maybe make one or two represent a member of the Salamanca cartel,Tuco=Ramiel,the cousins=Israfel,but I'm not certain.
However,the two final angels I have specific plans for. Oh,and I forgot to mention,SEELE would be a stand in for the cartel too,maybe have Eladio as Keel.
As for the series itself,it would take place in Albuequerque-3,Jesse would attend Albuequerque-3 Municipal High-school and he would become friends with Badger(Toji) and Skinny Pete(Kensuke).The class rep,Lydia would be part of this social group as well.
As for the NERV bridge crew,it would be Saul Goodman(Hyuga),Marie(Maya) and Huell (Aoba). These ones I'm not so sure of,I made Aoba Huell only because I couldn't come up with any other named business associate of Walt that could fit.
As for Saul,I'm not sure if I should have him crush on female Mike or not.And sorry to do lesbian erasure here,but I'm thinking Marie will have a crush on Hank instead of Gale. I'm too tired to think on how the series would go,so I'll say that it goes according to the original Evangelion timeline,just with the characters changed.
The personalities would maybe be mix of Breaking Bad character and Evangelion character,Jesse would be a mix of Jesse,Walter Jr and Shinji for example.
Now,to finish this off,I haven't given much thought to the altered third impact,so I'm just going to tackle the last two major characters that I haven't introduced yet. I can't quite figure where to put Hector,so I'm making him Armisael,mainly cuz it died by Rei blowing herself up.
Now,for what in my opinion is the spiciest one,Gustavo Fring as Kaworu Nagisa.He would do the same things that Kaworu did,maybe with a bit more of an accent on driving a wedge between Jesse and Walter.
I keep thinking about scenes in Evangelion that would involve these characters,but I'm too tired to elaborate on them.
I get that it's scuffed in places,but to me it seems like a good harmonisation of the two series overall.But that's just my opinion.
Thoughts?

Recently my girlfriend (F19) told me that she wants to break up with me possibly in the future. I (M20) asked why and got a list of reasons that basically summed up my mental illness such as SH and breakdowns etc. which I see a therapist for. There were also some communication issues that I have since worked on although she has never been great at communicating either. This is the first time I’ve heard of any issues for a few months and honestly thought our relationship was going great even with some normal small ups and downs. I’ve tried talking to her about this and haven’t gotten far since they are in a different country traveling right now and she doesn’t want to talk about it until she’s back. (She’s gone for another month). When asked how long she has thought about this, I was told since the last time she tried to leave me at the end of summer 2022. Which that time I thought she was just worried that she was hurting me by being polyamorous which we both are so I talked her out of it not knowing there was more to it. I can’t stop thinking about this and it hurts a lot to think our relationship will possibly be over but also that my mental illness stresses her out that much. What do I do? I really love her and she says she is really in love with me but still wants to possibly break up.
TLDR: my girlfriend (F19) says she wants to break up with me (M20) and the reasoning is towards my mental illness and she has thought about this since last summer but not communicated it to me. I really love her, what do I do?

Bad Dragon toys are all made of the highest quality silicone! So watch out when storing them next to toys that aren’t the same grade silicone! Companies can label any grade silicone as medical grade but that doesn’t mean they won’t hurt your Bad Dragon brand toys! Avoid PVC, Jelly, and Rubber sex toys! Especially don’t store them touching your Bad Dragons!
So you want to buy your first Bad Dragon? Go for it! They may be expensive but you pay for quality! Even if you’re not super into knots, tentacles, or monster size dildos they have more humanoid models: Archer (Uncut), Archer, John, Pierce, etc! They run large so please check the measurements before you buy! My first Bad Dragon toys were a M/M Sveinn and a M/M Demon Dick! I made the mistake of only using the photo for reference!
When it comes to buying you’re typically going to buy from the inventory, you can browse the models on their home page or using the “shop now” button. When browsing the models you can click on any of the toys and come across a sizing chart and a photo reference! Once you’ve decided on what you are looking for go ahead and click on the inventory! It’s gonna be organized by price “low to high” by default but you can decide to sort it by “A-Z” “Z-A” “Size: Small to Large” “Size: Large to Small” or even by the date it was added to the inventory! If you’re looking to save some money I suggest going to the filter option and looking for “flop” toys! These toys will still be body safe but may have minor imperfections! Small nicks and pigment inclusions can take a toy that’s $115 and bring it down to $98! They won’t always be super discounted but you never know when you’ll find the toy of your dreams!
If none of the toys in the inventory are the exact color or size you’re wanting customs are open the first Friday of every month! It might cost you a little more if you’re wanting a fade or marble (fades not supported on mini toys as well as some custom colors)
This is all of course after you’ve decided on what model will fit your needs!
For humanoid toy lovers who know what they like and want to stick to it I recommend Archer (Uncut) in Mini/Small for those without a size kink! I own a M/M and even with my raging size kink it is a beast to concur!
Side note: when taking bigger toys (even vaginally) you’re going to want to use a lot of water based lube! Bad Dragon toys are no joke! I definitely recommend their cum lube as it is designed with their toys in mind (now in clear as well if cum color isn’t doing it for you) another lube I recommend is KY jelly! It’s a classic for a reason!
If a tentacle is something you’re curious about I recommend Ika for both Anal and Vaginal! It’s got a nice tapeswell that isn’t too overwhelming for a beginner or a seasoned pro! Even using my size L/M I find it’s not dauntingly thick! Tako is a very underrated model as well! Especially since it can double as a grinder for external stimulation at the drop of a hat! I also own a S/M Pretzal which is great as well but isn’t a frequent in my rotation!
If you were Team Jacob in your Twilight phase knots might be for you! If your ao3 history heavily features omegaverse fics…I’m gonna say you’ll enjoy a knot! Bad Dragon has a wide variety of these, but my top two are gonna be Diego and Nova! I love the model Diego so much I own a S/M and a M/M! Vaginally both these toys are in my top ten! Anally I recommend Razor, his tip is slightly curved with makes for easier insertion (with the added bonus of prostate stimulation for those with prostates)
I save a cowboy…ride a horse! If equestrian cocks are your cup of tea you’re in the right place! Personally I recommend Bumblehooves for a beginner, and Slepnir if you’re here for girth like me! Something about the way their slightly larger heads pop in is really satisfying vaginally! Anally I recommend Mystic! Or if you’re not quite sold on the whole ‘save a cowboy, ride a horse’ bit!
If you were weirdly attracted to the dementors when you first watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban….or maybe you found yourself drawn to the Xindi (Maybe you like villains idk) If that’s true then you’re probably looking for something more demonic or alien in nature! You’ve come to the right place! I’d say there are probably more options in this category! However, I recommend the classic Demon Dick for both Vaginal and Anal! Anally if you’re looking for Prostate stimulation I’ll give Kelvin a good shoutout! He’s so curved he’s gonna pinpoint any g-spot you have!
Now I must warn you about the toys I DO NOT recommend to a beginner! If you’re a a pro go ahead and buy them! Whatever you wanna do! However, if size is an issue for you I don’t recommend Baron, Flint, Lenneth, or Fenrir! Even in size mini Fenrir, Flint, and Baron are quite large!
What size and firmness should I get? Hmmm that’s a hard question to answer! Personally I don’t recommend Firm Firmness, there is just less give! Especially if it’s a larger model! My go to method is the wider it is, the softer you’ll want it! A thin soft toy is almost as useless as a XL firm toy! Toys come in Soft, Medium, and Firm! You can also do split firmess when making a custom toy to help it stand better! A long but softer toy won’t stand as well on its own and may lean! Suction cups and firmer bases make these easier to use!
You can also purchase toys with cum tubes which will simulate ejaculation! These toys can be fun but are especially hard to clean! I’ve owned two toys with cum tubes and both times the tube has molded! It is a feature that is erotic but risky! My main issue is making sure the toy and the tube are dry! Buy at your own risk!
YOU MUST CLEAN YOUR TOYS!!!
You don’t want bacteria on your sex toys! Especially expensive, pretty ones! Now if you live with parents/roommates it isn’t life or death if you don’t wash them after every use! However, I don’t recommend waiting more than two days! My routine is I wash each toy before and after use, with swarm water and a gentle soap! Then on a bi-monthly basis I deep clean all my toys and the containers I store them in! You can sanitize your Bad Dragon toys in a dishwasher, or soak them in a 10% bleach solution! I recommend washing them with soap AFTER you soak them…
LET YOUR TOYS DRY BEFORE PUTTING THEM AWAY!!!
I store all my sex toys including my Bad Dragon toys in fabric storage bins, and a small chest with soft lined drawers meant for jewelry or lingerie! Besides the soft bins/drawers I also keep all my toys in drawstring bags! Most are in sheer bags or smaller toys are in Crown Royal bags! Bad Dragon sells their own storage bags! They are your safest choice!
Thanks for reading! Hope I covered everything…

I am new to the hackintosh scene. I recently got my hands on an AMD GPU and decided to try using it as part of a Ryzentosh as a fun experiment. I followed the dortania guide to a tee, and I cannot get the system to properly boot into OpenCore, and therefore MacOS. Every time I boot into the USB drive from BIOS, I get the error shown in the below log paste:
00:000 00:000 BS: Starting OpenCore application...
00:000 00:000 BS: Booter path - \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI
00:000 00:000 OCFS: Trying to locate filesystem on B92CB998 B7BFFA98
00:000 00:000 OCFS: Filesystem DP - \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI
00:000 00:000 BS: Trying to load OpenCore image...
00:000 00:000 BS: Relative path - EFI
00:000 00:000 BS: Startup path - EFI\OpenCore.efi (0)
00:000 00:000 BS: Fallback to absolute path - EFI\OC\OpenCore.efi
00:000 00:000 BS: Read OpenCore image of 987136 bytes
00:000 00:000 OCM: Loaded image at B6A9DF98 handle
00:000 00:000 OCM: Loaded image has DeviceHandle B92CB998 FilePath B6A9BF98 ours DevicePath B6A8BF18
00:000 00:000 OCCPU: Failed to get FSBFrequency data using Apple Platform Info - Not Found
00:000 00:000 OC: Starting OpenCore...
00:000 00:000 OC: Booter path - EFI\OC\OpenCore.efi
00:000 00:000 OCFS: Trying to locate filesystem on B92CB998 B6A9BF98
00:000 00:000 OCFS: Filesystem DP - EFI\OC\OpenCore.efi
00:000 00:000 OC: Absolute booter path - EFI\OC\OpenCore.efi
00:000 00:000 OC: Storage root EFI\OC\OpenCore.efi
00:000 00:000 OCST: Missing vault data, ignoring...
00:000 00:000 OC: OcMiscEarlyInit...
00:000 00:000 OC: Loaded configuration of 53549 bytes
00:000 00:000 OCS: No schema for HibernateSkipsPicker at 2 index, context !
00:000 00:000 OCS: No schema for PointerDwellClickTimeout at 5 index, context !
00:000 00:000 OCS: No schema for PointerDwellDoubleClickTimeout at 6 index, context !
00:000 00:000 OCS: No schema for PointerDwellRadius at 7 index, context !
00:000 00:000 OCS: No schema for ResizeUsePciRbIo at 12 index, context !
00:000 00:000 OC: Got 31 drivers
00:000 00:000 OC: Driver OpenRuntime.efi at 0 (HFS+ Driver) is being loaded...
00:000 00:000 OC: Driver OpenRuntime.efi at 0 is successfully loaded!
00:000 00:000 OC: Watchdog status is 1
00:075 00:075 OC: OpenCore DBG-085-2022-10-04 is loading in Optional mode (0/0)...
00:124 00:049 OC: Boot timestamp - 2023.03.30 04:13:09
00:168 00:043 OCCPU: MP services threads 12 (enabled 12) - Success
00:208 00:040 OCCPU: MP services Pkg 1 Cores 7 Threads 2 - Success
00:249 00:040 OCCPU: Found AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Six-Core Processor
00:289 00:040 OCCPU: Signature 800F82 Stepping 2 Model 8 Family F Type 0 ExtModel 0 ExtFamily 8 uCode 0 CPUID MAX (D/8000001F)
00:430 00:141 OCCPU: FID 136 DID 8 Divisor 0 MaxBR 34
00:470 00:040 OCCPU: CPUFrequencyFromTSC 3399993254Hz 3399MHz
00:510 00:039 OCCPU: CPUFrequency 3399993254Hz 3399MHz
00:551 00:040 OCCPU: FSBFrequency 99999801Hz 99MHz
00:592 00:040 OCCPU: Pkg 1 Cores 6 Threads 12
00:642 00:050 OC: OcLoadNvramSupport...
00:684 00:042 OCVAR: Locate emulated NVRAM protocol - Not Found
00:727 00:043 OC: Not deleting NVRAM 4D1EDE05-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B38C14:DefaultBackgroundColor, matches add
00:769 00:041 OC: Not deleting NVRAM 4D1FDA02-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B30102:rtc-blacklist, matches add
00:811 00:042 OC: Not deleting NVRAM 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82:boot-args, matches add
00:854 00:042 OC: Not deleting NVRAM 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82:ForceDisplayRotationInEFI, matches add
00:904 00:049 OCVAR: Setting NVRAM 4D1EDE05-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B38C14:DefaultBackgroundColor - ignored, exists
00:947 00:043 OCVAR: Setting NVRAM 4D1FDA02-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B30102:rtc-blacklist - Not Found
00:989 00:041 OCVAR: Setting NVRAM 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82:ForceDisplayRotationInEFI - ignored, exists
01:032 00:043 OCVAR: Setting NVRAM 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82:SystemAudioVolume - ignored, exists
01:074 00:042 OCVAR: Setting NVRAM 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82:boot-args - ignored, exists
01:116 00:042 OCVAR: Setting NVRAM 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82:csr-active-config - ignored, exists
01:159 00:042 OCVAR: Setting NVRAM 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82:prev-lang:kbd - ignored, exists
01:280 00:120 OCVAR: Setting NVRAM 7C436110-AB2A-4BBB-A880-FE41995C9F82:run-efi-updater - ignored, exists
01:323 00:043 OC: Current version is DBG-085-2022-10-04
01:366 00:042 OC: OcMiscMiddleInit...
01:419 00:052 OC: StorageHandle B92CB998 with Disabled LauncherOption pointing to Default
01:463 00:044 OC: OcLoadUefiSupport...
01:504 00:041 OCAU: OcAudioInstallProtocols (0, 0)
01:548 00:043 OCAU: 4B228577-6274-4A48-82AE-0713A1171987 protocol - Not Found
01:592 00:043 OCAU: C32332DF-FC56-4FE1-9358-BA0D529B24CD protocol - Not Found
01:633 00:041 OCAU: F4CB0B78-243B-11E7-A524-B8E8562CBAFA protocol - Not Found
01:675 00:041 OCAU: 3224B169-EC34-46D2-B779-E1B1687F525F protocol - Not Found
01:719 00:043 OCAE: Builtin installed
01:761 00:041 OCRTC: Wake log is 0x00 0x00 0 0x00
01:805 00:043 OCOS: Discovered rotate NVRAM override to 0
01:859 00:054 OC: Automatic SB model j160 from model MacPro7,1
01:901 00:042 OC: Loading Apple Secure Boot with j160 (level 1)
01:968 00:066 OCII: AIFTimerBoostInit Current timer is 10000
02:132 00:164 OC: Installing KeySupport...
02:174 00:041 OCII: gST->ConIn B9713460 vs found B9713460
02:218 00:043 AIK: Using 5 (50ms)
02:260 00:042 OCABC: ALRBL 0 RTDFRG 1 DEVMMIO 0 NOSU 0 NOVRWR 0 NOSB 0 FBSIG 0 NOHBMAP 0 SMSLIDE 1 WRUNPROT 1
02:302 00:041 OCABC: FEXITBS 0 PRMRG 0 CSLIDE 1 MSLIDE 0 PRSRV 0 RBMAP 1 VMAP 0 APPLOS 0 RTPERMS 1 ARBAR -1
02:343 00:041 OCABC: Firmware has 2054557 free pages (747037 in lower 4 GB)
02:387 00:044 OCABC: Got rendezvous with OpenRuntime r12
02:429 00:042 OCABC: MAT support is 1
02:471 00:041 OC: RequestBootVarRouting 1
02:525 00:054 OC: AVX enabled - 1
02:569 00:043 OC: Got 31 drivers
02:612 00:043 OC: Driver OpenRuntime.efi at 0 (HFS+ Driver) is skipped!
02:654 00:041 OC: Driver OpenRuntime.efi at 1 () is being loaded...
02:696 00:042 OCABC: EfiBootRt candidate -
02:739 00:042 OCABC: IsEfiBootRt 0 (BP 1, Apple 0)
02:781 00:041 OCB: Arch filtering 0(24576)->B6848018(24576) caps 4 - Success
02:829 00:048 OC: Driver OpenRuntime.efi at 1 cannot be started - Already started!
​
I have tried both OpenCore 0.9 (the newest one) and picked 0.8.5 (what the log is from) to see if an older revision would fix it, but to no avail.
My specs are as follows:
AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Six-Core Processor
XFX AMD RX 580 8GB Graphics Card
8GB DDR4-3000
240GB SSD + 2TB HDD
Boot Drive is thumb drive formatted in FAT32, as per the guide's instructions.
My configuration file is linked here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pBUBBdTA2Lz8IUItyfZkmjSo3_l3xOnj/view?usp=sharing