Dirty texts to get your man hard
Every Man Should Know
2012.06.04 10:43 jayrady Every Man Should Know
You know that thing your dad was suppose to teach you but never did? Get yer dadvice right here!
2017.11.17 01:59 gorange_ninja r/RareInsults
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2012.01.06 16:09 Laina Homemaking: Cleaning, Organizing, Lifehacks and More
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2024.04.28 21:17 Dry-Exercise-275 Neverending situationship, to relationship. Breakup to rebound (Yes, I'm a mess)
Hello, I want to tell you a bit about my relationship story, if any of you relate or have any advice, perspective or anything I would gladly appreciate it! I also just want to provide some entretainment for ya'll as a way to cope. Thanks for reading:)
So I met this person (I'll call her "R") in around May last year. I had just ended a relationship with a long term girlfriend the year previous, and also having some failed dates afterwards. As a way to move on I started attending art shows and galleries, artists meetups in which I could meet new people and just overall be more social. This is where I met R. We were aware of each other beforehand, we just never got to "talk" until a mutual friend introduced us. Nowadays I see these as the good times. Life just felt better. It wasn't love at first sight, she was a somewhat akward, emotionally restrained and dorky person (I mean as kindly as I can) This is all something I wasn't used to, but I didn't let that detour my interest in her. There's just something about pationate artists that makes them endlessly captivating... We were both very eager to get to meet each other, and it really felt like we were taking things slow and calm, for a while. Hung out, went to cafés together, we happened to live nearby so we enjoyed a lot of calm walks. She was fairly quiet, but I just enjoyed soaking in her company. It felt right, it really did.
Turns out she was dating another person during this whole time. Enter "S" For some context, we both live in a small impoverished country, life's not bad but we are far from rich. This person is someone she met in one of her travels to Europe and so, at the time, it was a long distance relationship. I found out about this months into knowing her. I guess she felt somewhat guilty because she opened up about on the first day we ver held hands. R described how the relationship was failing and she was meaning to end it. I believed her, I was patient, understanding and I didn't mind. After all, we weren't techincally in a realtionship so why would I fret?
But of course, things ended up progressing. Things became more intimate between the both of us. I started visiting her regularly and this is where I actually and completely fell in love with her. The intimacy brought up a softer, kinder, more attentive side to her. She talked to me all about her interests, we went through her childhood photos together, cooked together and I got to know her family a bit. I visited her almost every week before going to class (We were both uni students). In retrospective, those months were the calmest I've ever felt.
Time is a bit foggy for me now, but it I would guess it was the week in which we kissed for the first time that I said "Hey, I just feel that if there was a right time to date, it would be now" She neither agreed or disagreed. I was okay with it. Maybe I brought it up too soon, I tought.
Imagine how I felt when she broke down the news to me. S was visiting our little tropical country, all the way up from europe for a videogame tournament. And being that he didn't know anyone else here, S would be staying at "R's" house. If you guessed I was angry, horrified, jelous, betrayed or whatever else, well I'm sorry to say you are wrong. I can see I acted a bit like a pushover at this point. Not only didn't I say anything, but I also provided full support and understanding in the situation. "Yeah, S already bought the tickets and he doesn't want to refund them, I understand" I said patiently. "Okay so he will be staying at your house for half a month? Alright, no issue with that" I'm now fully aware I'm also responsible for encouraging this behavior.
At the time, I learned to become as least troublesome as possible for her. And when he eventually came around, I stopped visiting, stopped uploading photos with her. All at her request. I learned to not complain or question at all. Nowadays i'm stuck between how I brough this own to myself and also her having some manipulative tendencies. It might be a bit of both, but i've always struggled at pointing fingers.
Still, there was something deeply wrong and embarrasing about this situation. I talked it out with friends and they all adviced me to dump her. Of course I didn't. We still had about half a year to go at this point.
Eventually this dude "S" left and I never brought up the topic again. She eventually told me they broke up, but, and would be deeply affected by it. I suppose she got over it. Still, it felt They would usually go like this: I would ask a question, she would answer in an ambiguous and obtuse way, I would press further, and at the end of it all, I would end up far more confused than before. These conversations usually ended when I felt dizzy and confused from all the semantics. Needless to say it was all very tiring and it went on for months and months. I would bring her over and my family will keep asking me if we were dating. i couldn't give them a straight answer.
During all this, we also had a lot of good times together. Things I still think about and deeply miss. I won't dwell on that but we became close friends, art collaborators, each other's comfort. We were always down for each other, when she was sick I would go visit her. She would pick me up from uni and said how she didn't mind at all, as she enjoyed my company a lot. I felt small and protected around her. It's weird I know. We would attend the same art events together and act like boyfriend and girlfriend in front of our friend group. She's this tomboy-ish, shy type person but let out her soft side around me. A fact that made me feel very special. I miss that a lot, too.
We made plans for long and short term, talked constantly. It really felt like the real deal, but it wasn't. The confusing conversations about the nature of our relationship were still as constant and tiring. I ended up not trusting her on giving me a yes or a no, ever. I ended up being okay with it all, but deep down I grew in resentment. I even went on some dates that never builded up to anything. This was my way to get back at her, but she still was the main character in my life. I was always, always there for her.
Things didn't reach a boiling point or anything. I was never argumentative with her, just genuenly curious on why was she doing this to our relationship, why wouldn't she just commit. I'll say this as unceremoniously as it felt at the time. I'ts january now, we had some great holidays together, with each other's family. We had this one call, the usual conversation. She eventually reached a point in which she said something among the lines of "Well I guess there's nothing stopping us from having a relationship. If it did were to happen, would you mind it happening over the phone?" I said no, and she replied "Well I guess that's it, we're dating now" I still can't understand this, but this moment felt empty. I didn't feel I earned it, or that it was special. But I knew it meant something, we were dating now.
Perhaps i've been painting myself as a bit of a victim until now, and even though it felt like it, this is the point I did very wrong. I just assumed the relationship didn't feel "real" And I was very unsatisfied for various reasons, most of them stemming from her personality. Perhaps this was unfair of me, I now think I don't understand how to truly love someone. It seemed she was commited to me, but at this point I was so exhausted I couldn't do the same.
Things dragged out, I dated her until I couldn't. I couldn't see a future with her anymore, I didn't know if I could even trust her. I still can't explain the mess of feelings I had at the time, but it felt as if I needed to escape, break off. I reverted to my old habits, I started talking to someone else. Let's call her "A" "A" caught my eye at the end of the year party at my university, she seemed like a fun, outgoing person and I ended up messaging her. We hit it off right away.
Long story short. I broke up with "R" with full intent to date "A" and "R" was heartbroken, absolutely hearbroken. She couldn't understand why I would do such a thing to her, and I did an awful job at explaining why. I was too afraid to anger her. Again, I take accountability for this and regret it.
She begged me, she reasoned with me, called me. I was over it, I felt unsatisfied and drained, didn't feel like myself. But I decided I should break things as soon as possible, as to not make them more painful and unfair for her. So a couple days after valentine's, I did so.
I started going out with "A" and had a great honeymoon period, had a lot of fun hanging out, sharing interests. At first "R" texted me, and I always replied back and was as understanding as I could be, but I always set the limit as to not meet each other. I don't know what to think about it anymore. Perhaps I was too dismissive. She needed me, but I was unavailable.
Things were a fog for the following two months after or breakup with "R"
I went out with "A" a lot, I didn't think about my past relationship at all. If you know anything about rebound relatinoships you might know where I'm going with this.
Two months pass and then, the smallest trigger hit me like a whole truck. "R" was my girlfriend, how did things end up so suddenly? What did it all meant? I felt like I did awful by not giving in to her offers to get back togehter, I felt I was blinded. I missed her a lot, I felt like i loved her and fucked it up. Couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, I was highly anxious, cried every day. I just missed her. I still do.
As you can tell, this leaves me no room to be a true partner to "A". This is something she doesn't deserve.
Three months in and I can sense how my shortcomings caused all of this. I failed both relationships. Nowadays I have convinced myself I truly love "R" but was too stuck up and blind to actually appreciate the way she loved me back. I still have this deep need to reach out and talk things out, but I also feel time is running out. This keeps me in a constant anxious state. I count the weeks with my fingers. One, two, three, four. How long was it the last time we talked? Is it too late now? would she hate it if I texted her? Does she still feel the same? Is she dating someone new?
Needless to say this compulsion took over my life for this past half a month, and of course my relationship whith "A" deteriorated. I stopped being as attentive to her, I started to dial back on my affection towards her and she noticed, she brought it up and I apologized, but still haven't given any reasons. She really is a sweet and understanding girl, but she also has a strong personality, she doesn't allow much BS in her life, and so she confronts things head on. I'm aware I should do the responsible thing and break up.
This past weeks i've been reaching out to friends, talking the situation out and also booked some theraphy appointments. I really need some help to sort things out. Im almost ashamed to admit this but deep down I feel the need to get back together with "R" I feel I became addicted to the challenge of our relationship, the rewards and the trials. "A" doesn't deserve this at all, of course. But i'm weak. I still can't build up the courage to break things off when she has given me no reason at all. This is how i've coped so far: I plan to bring up the topic on my first session of theraphy (That's tomorrow as the time I'm writting this) to get some guidance on how to break things off with "A" as I know, independently if I end up back in my old relationship or not, I'm in no position to date her, and it wouldn't be fair to lead her on. I know this will hurt the both of us too.
I know I'm not acting rationally but I figured I talked openly about it. I still have deep feelings for my ex and plan to talk to her about it before it is too late for the both of us. Everyone has adviced me to not to this at all, they've told me that "R" didn't respect me or my boundaries. I understand that, but I can't feel it as deeply as the need to explain myself, hear her out and just overall ammend things with her.
Again, this is were i'm at now. We're about two weeks from what would've been the aninversary of the first time "R" and I talked. Im delulu, I plan on texting her that very day for what I can only call spiritual reasons, but also to allow me to get some theraphy sessions in first.
I'f she's down to talk, I will. If she isn't I would at least not live with that regret forever. Maybe she's dating someone new, as she did with her last boyfriend and then me. I don't know. But that's my plan until now.
....................................................................................................................................................
TL;DR: I stayed in a long, confusing situationship for about a year in which my boundaries were not respected. Ended up dating a short while, broke it off, dated someone new and now I feel stuck, regretting everything. I'm aware none of this is okay.
....................................................................................................................................................
P.S, If any of you were invested enough to read until this point, I thank you a lot! Perhaps you are in a similar situation, or have been before, so I hope reading this has helped you gain some neutral perspective to your own situation, or just serve as harmless entretainment. I thank you for hearing me out.
I'm also aware I could come off as self pitying and frustrating to the reader, given my actions and apparent patterns of behavior. Still I thank you for reading and encourage you express your honest opinion if you feel inclined to do so. Just keep it respectful of course.
Again, thank you all for reading:) This has been very helpful to me so I'm happy I did it anyways. Have a wonderful day.
submitted by Dry-Exercise-275 to BreakUps [link] [comments]
So I met this person (I'll call her "R") in around May last year. I had just ended a relationship with a long term girlfriend the year previous, and also having some failed dates afterwards. As a way to move on I started attending art shows and galleries, artists meetups in which I could meet new people and just overall be more social. This is where I met R. We were aware of each other beforehand, we just never got to "talk" until a mutual friend introduced us. Nowadays I see these as the good times. Life just felt better. It wasn't love at first sight, she was a somewhat akward, emotionally restrained and dorky person (I mean as kindly as I can) This is all something I wasn't used to, but I didn't let that detour my interest in her. There's just something about pationate artists that makes them endlessly captivating... We were both very eager to get to meet each other, and it really felt like we were taking things slow and calm, for a while. Hung out, went to cafés together, we happened to live nearby so we enjoyed a lot of calm walks. She was fairly quiet, but I just enjoyed soaking in her company. It felt right, it really did.
Turns out she was dating another person during this whole time. Enter "S" For some context, we both live in a small impoverished country, life's not bad but we are far from rich. This person is someone she met in one of her travels to Europe and so, at the time, it was a long distance relationship. I found out about this months into knowing her. I guess she felt somewhat guilty because she opened up about on the first day we ver held hands. R described how the relationship was failing and she was meaning to end it. I believed her, I was patient, understanding and I didn't mind. After all, we weren't techincally in a realtionship so why would I fret?
But of course, things ended up progressing. Things became more intimate between the both of us. I started visiting her regularly and this is where I actually and completely fell in love with her. The intimacy brought up a softer, kinder, more attentive side to her. She talked to me all about her interests, we went through her childhood photos together, cooked together and I got to know her family a bit. I visited her almost every week before going to class (We were both uni students). In retrospective, those months were the calmest I've ever felt.
Time is a bit foggy for me now, but it I would guess it was the week in which we kissed for the first time that I said "Hey, I just feel that if there was a right time to date, it would be now" She neither agreed or disagreed. I was okay with it. Maybe I brought it up too soon, I tought.
Imagine how I felt when she broke down the news to me. S was visiting our little tropical country, all the way up from europe for a videogame tournament. And being that he didn't know anyone else here, S would be staying at "R's" house. If you guessed I was angry, horrified, jelous, betrayed or whatever else, well I'm sorry to say you are wrong. I can see I acted a bit like a pushover at this point. Not only didn't I say anything, but I also provided full support and understanding in the situation. "Yeah, S already bought the tickets and he doesn't want to refund them, I understand" I said patiently. "Okay so he will be staying at your house for half a month? Alright, no issue with that" I'm now fully aware I'm also responsible for encouraging this behavior.
At the time, I learned to become as least troublesome as possible for her. And when he eventually came around, I stopped visiting, stopped uploading photos with her. All at her request. I learned to not complain or question at all. Nowadays i'm stuck between how I brough this own to myself and also her having some manipulative tendencies. It might be a bit of both, but i've always struggled at pointing fingers.
Still, there was something deeply wrong and embarrasing about this situation. I talked it out with friends and they all adviced me to dump her. Of course I didn't. We still had about half a year to go at this point.
Eventually this dude "S" left and I never brought up the topic again. She eventually told me they broke up, but, and would be deeply affected by it. I suppose she got over it. Still, it felt They would usually go like this: I would ask a question, she would answer in an ambiguous and obtuse way, I would press further, and at the end of it all, I would end up far more confused than before. These conversations usually ended when I felt dizzy and confused from all the semantics. Needless to say it was all very tiring and it went on for months and months. I would bring her over and my family will keep asking me if we were dating. i couldn't give them a straight answer.
During all this, we also had a lot of good times together. Things I still think about and deeply miss. I won't dwell on that but we became close friends, art collaborators, each other's comfort. We were always down for each other, when she was sick I would go visit her. She would pick me up from uni and said how she didn't mind at all, as she enjoyed my company a lot. I felt small and protected around her. It's weird I know. We would attend the same art events together and act like boyfriend and girlfriend in front of our friend group. She's this tomboy-ish, shy type person but let out her soft side around me. A fact that made me feel very special. I miss that a lot, too.
We made plans for long and short term, talked constantly. It really felt like the real deal, but it wasn't. The confusing conversations about the nature of our relationship were still as constant and tiring. I ended up not trusting her on giving me a yes or a no, ever. I ended up being okay with it all, but deep down I grew in resentment. I even went on some dates that never builded up to anything. This was my way to get back at her, but she still was the main character in my life. I was always, always there for her.
Things didn't reach a boiling point or anything. I was never argumentative with her, just genuenly curious on why was she doing this to our relationship, why wouldn't she just commit. I'll say this as unceremoniously as it felt at the time. I'ts january now, we had some great holidays together, with each other's family. We had this one call, the usual conversation. She eventually reached a point in which she said something among the lines of "Well I guess there's nothing stopping us from having a relationship. If it did were to happen, would you mind it happening over the phone?" I said no, and she replied "Well I guess that's it, we're dating now" I still can't understand this, but this moment felt empty. I didn't feel I earned it, or that it was special. But I knew it meant something, we were dating now.
Perhaps i've been painting myself as a bit of a victim until now, and even though it felt like it, this is the point I did very wrong. I just assumed the relationship didn't feel "real" And I was very unsatisfied for various reasons, most of them stemming from her personality. Perhaps this was unfair of me, I now think I don't understand how to truly love someone. It seemed she was commited to me, but at this point I was so exhausted I couldn't do the same.
Things dragged out, I dated her until I couldn't. I couldn't see a future with her anymore, I didn't know if I could even trust her. I still can't explain the mess of feelings I had at the time, but it felt as if I needed to escape, break off. I reverted to my old habits, I started talking to someone else. Let's call her "A" "A" caught my eye at the end of the year party at my university, she seemed like a fun, outgoing person and I ended up messaging her. We hit it off right away.
Long story short. I broke up with "R" with full intent to date "A" and "R" was heartbroken, absolutely hearbroken. She couldn't understand why I would do such a thing to her, and I did an awful job at explaining why. I was too afraid to anger her. Again, I take accountability for this and regret it.
She begged me, she reasoned with me, called me. I was over it, I felt unsatisfied and drained, didn't feel like myself. But I decided I should break things as soon as possible, as to not make them more painful and unfair for her. So a couple days after valentine's, I did so.
I started going out with "A" and had a great honeymoon period, had a lot of fun hanging out, sharing interests. At first "R" texted me, and I always replied back and was as understanding as I could be, but I always set the limit as to not meet each other. I don't know what to think about it anymore. Perhaps I was too dismissive. She needed me, but I was unavailable.
Things were a fog for the following two months after or breakup with "R"
I went out with "A" a lot, I didn't think about my past relationship at all. If you know anything about rebound relatinoships you might know where I'm going with this.
Two months pass and then, the smallest trigger hit me like a whole truck. "R" was my girlfriend, how did things end up so suddenly? What did it all meant? I felt like I did awful by not giving in to her offers to get back togehter, I felt I was blinded. I missed her a lot, I felt like i loved her and fucked it up. Couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, I was highly anxious, cried every day. I just missed her. I still do.
As you can tell, this leaves me no room to be a true partner to "A". This is something she doesn't deserve.
Three months in and I can sense how my shortcomings caused all of this. I failed both relationships. Nowadays I have convinced myself I truly love "R" but was too stuck up and blind to actually appreciate the way she loved me back. I still have this deep need to reach out and talk things out, but I also feel time is running out. This keeps me in a constant anxious state. I count the weeks with my fingers. One, two, three, four. How long was it the last time we talked? Is it too late now? would she hate it if I texted her? Does she still feel the same? Is she dating someone new?
Needless to say this compulsion took over my life for this past half a month, and of course my relationship whith "A" deteriorated. I stopped being as attentive to her, I started to dial back on my affection towards her and she noticed, she brought it up and I apologized, but still haven't given any reasons. She really is a sweet and understanding girl, but she also has a strong personality, she doesn't allow much BS in her life, and so she confronts things head on. I'm aware I should do the responsible thing and break up.
This past weeks i've been reaching out to friends, talking the situation out and also booked some theraphy appointments. I really need some help to sort things out. Im almost ashamed to admit this but deep down I feel the need to get back together with "R" I feel I became addicted to the challenge of our relationship, the rewards and the trials. "A" doesn't deserve this at all, of course. But i'm weak. I still can't build up the courage to break things off when she has given me no reason at all. This is how i've coped so far: I plan to bring up the topic on my first session of theraphy (That's tomorrow as the time I'm writting this) to get some guidance on how to break things off with "A" as I know, independently if I end up back in my old relationship or not, I'm in no position to date her, and it wouldn't be fair to lead her on. I know this will hurt the both of us too.
I know I'm not acting rationally but I figured I talked openly about it. I still have deep feelings for my ex and plan to talk to her about it before it is too late for the both of us. Everyone has adviced me to not to this at all, they've told me that "R" didn't respect me or my boundaries. I understand that, but I can't feel it as deeply as the need to explain myself, hear her out and just overall ammend things with her.
Again, this is were i'm at now. We're about two weeks from what would've been the aninversary of the first time "R" and I talked. Im delulu, I plan on texting her that very day for what I can only call spiritual reasons, but also to allow me to get some theraphy sessions in first.
I'f she's down to talk, I will. If she isn't I would at least not live with that regret forever. Maybe she's dating someone new, as she did with her last boyfriend and then me. I don't know. But that's my plan until now.
....................................................................................................................................................
TL;DR: I stayed in a long, confusing situationship for about a year in which my boundaries were not respected. Ended up dating a short while, broke it off, dated someone new and now I feel stuck, regretting everything. I'm aware none of this is okay.
....................................................................................................................................................
P.S, If any of you were invested enough to read until this point, I thank you a lot! Perhaps you are in a similar situation, or have been before, so I hope reading this has helped you gain some neutral perspective to your own situation, or just serve as harmless entretainment. I thank you for hearing me out.
I'm also aware I could come off as self pitying and frustrating to the reader, given my actions and apparent patterns of behavior. Still I thank you for reading and encourage you express your honest opinion if you feel inclined to do so. Just keep it respectful of course.
Again, thank you all for reading:) This has been very helpful to me so I'm happy I did it anyways. Have a wonderful day.
2024.04.28 21:17 Flaky-Ship8176 I 17m found out my 16f ex recently unblocked me
She hasnt messaged me or anything and there must be a reason why she unblocked me. She said before she blocked me that she still loves me. She misses me and its hard for her to not text me and all that. But when we went to meet up she ended up panicming and not see me. She then texted me saying she doesnt want a relationship and we are completely over and all that. Im just really confused and what some advice on ehat I should do such as waiting to see if she texts me and to get an idea of why she unblocked me.
submitted by Flaky-Ship8176 to teenrelationships [link] [comments]
2024.04.28 21:17 Klokinator The Cryopod to Hell 554: HUMAN SUPREMACY
Author note: The Cryopod to Hell is a Reddit-exclusive story with over three years of editing and refining. As of this post, the total rewrite is 2,158,000+ words long! For more information, check out the link below:
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(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
When Phoebe steps up to the podium, her heart wavers for a moment.
Neil's twisting of reality, and his manipulation of the masses has truly gone far beyond what she could accomplish.
In her eyes, only one word describes the man seated behind her.
Shameless!
It doesn't take her much effort to deduce that Neil must have decided to marry Corporal Hurent on the spot in order to obtain political brownie points. Having spoken to Jason several times over the last several weeks, she's long known about Neil and Linda's only recently budded romance, and that the two of them haven't even been particularly serious in their courtship attempts.
They aren't enjoying some youthful whirlwind romance. They've barely even held hands!
The idea that Neil would use Linda as a political prop sickens Phoebe. She feels a momentary urge to vomit out of pure disgust, but holds that desire in, stabilizing herself to face the crowd once more.
She could call Neil out, but what would that accomplish? Many people wouldn't believe her, and even if they did, it would seem like an even cheaper political ploy than what Neil did. It would only serve to harm humanity's interests in the long run by planting seeds of distrust.
Phoebe softly sighs.
She'll have to take the high road, even if he goes low.
"Well, hello again, everyone." Phoebe says slowly. "I'd like to first offer my congratulations to Neil and Linda on their engagement. I'm pleased to see that they will be starting a family together. Neil is certainly correct that humanity needs to focus on reproducing and getting our numbers up..."
She pauses for half a beat.
"...though, I do wonder about something. How are people supposed to raise a family together if our species is on a perpetual path of making enemies, dredging up ancient hatred, and otherwise doing everything we can to foment turmoil among our non-human peers? Please take it from a mother like me; raising a family is hard enough when your living situation is unstable. And losing a child can irreparably break a piece of your soul away."
Neil maintains his smile, but inside, he feels more than a little angry by her implication. After all, he knows well the pain of losing a family, even more than she does.
"Humanity needs a bigger population. A MUCH bigger population." Phoebe continues. "A hundred times bigger would still be insignificant in the scheme of the Milky Way. The Volgrim Technopaths alone would still outnumber us a hundred to one, to say nothing of the Demons! But I disagree with this idea that humans loving non-humans is a terrible thing. Who is to say that any form of love is wrong? I would rather a man lie with another man than have them lash out and try to hurt one another! Love is always good, and we humans would do well to focus more on it!"
Some of the people in the audience raise an eyebrow. To these sorts, Phoebe's speech once again comes off as naive and idealistic.
Luckily, she immediately addresses that in her next statement.
"Of course, Neil is also right about the fact that we are in a war, and thus we cannot necessarily live perfect, quaint little lives. The Plague could attack Tarus II tomorrow, and that would be a terrible tragedy, to say the least. We must be ready and willing to battle to the death with those who would cause us harm, and that fact is not in dispute."
She crosses her arms, looking somewhat annoyed.
"You know, I've noticed a certain theme underlying all of Neil's words. He speaks of Jason rather nastily, as if my husband were a buffoon who constantly fails over and over again while failing to improve as a man, and as a leader. I take offense to this implication because in a roundabout way, it implies I am stupid for believing in him. Nothing could be further from the truth!"
"Jason has been hard at work of late. He has come up with several incredible new forms of technology, warfare tactics, and holistic improvements to our species that we haven't told you all about yet. He has been testing them for viability, and many appear to be quite promising."
Phoebe looks at various random people in the crowd, holding her gaze on each one for a second or two before moving on. This effect makes it seem as if she is looking at specific individuals, making them feel special.
"Humanity is Flawed..." Phoebe says slowly, causing the hairs to stand up on the back of Neil's neck. "That has been the case since the Archangel Uzziel first uplifted us from the DNA of our simian ancestors. From the very beginning, she placed invisible shackles on our power at the behest of Archangel Raphael..."
Dammit! Neil thinks. She waited until she had the final retort to bring out the information about the Flaw! I thought she might not even mention it publicly for fear of the news getting out! Are she and Jason truly so unafraid of our enemies knowing all of our advancements?!
While Neil rages internally, Phoebe continues.
"The Human Flaw is a mysterious condition. Jason and I were uncertain of the effects that would occur if we cleansed it, and we didn't want to get anyone's hope's up in the event that doing so didn't work. But, I assure you, fixing Humanity's Flaw HAS resulted in an incredible benefit to our species. We're still uncovering all the after-effects, but so far the results have been nothing short of wondrous!"
...
Inside the Changeling Bunker, hidden deep beneath the Fortress of Retribution's upper plateau.
A handful of Changelings hurriedly speak into communication devices as they watch the broadcast. One of those happens to be the Sixth-Class Settler, Informer Jin, who has taken command of the situation ever since their superior Changeling officer's disappearance. After Mephisto's attack on Tarus II, Operative Duugo disappeared, and nobody knows where they went.
Jin hurriedly collects all the information they can find about the Human Flaw as they prepare to transmit a data burst to Volgarius, synchronized with the random fluctuations in Tarus II's atmospheric static so nobody will be the wiser.
Just before Jin is ready to transmit, a female voice speaks in his head.
[Operative Jin. I have already informed the Founders of this matter.]
Jin sits up slightly in their chair. They recognize the voice as belonging to the High Psion known as Creator Demila.
You have? Jin thinks, allowing their mind to be read.
[Yes. Do not risk a data burst needlessly. I am observing Tarus II from a hundred kilometers above the upper atmosphere. I have known about the Human Flaw for longer than you can imagine, as well as the Wordsmith's repairing of it some time ago. I am in talks with the Founders as to what measures we should take to mitigate the situation.]
This one contemplates and comprehends. Jin acknowledges, lowering their hands as they decide to go along with what Demila says. As the highest ranking Volgrim in the area, she is naturally to be deferred to on matters such as these.
[Delete that log you were going to make as well.] Demila adds. [It would be best if we do not leave any traces for the humans to find. We are not certain if and when they might uncover your base of operations.]
A sensible plan. This one will do as you say. Jin says, before reaching into the files and deleting Phoebe's statements about the Human Flaw.
Satisfied, Demila retracts her Psionic Sense.
She remains levitating in the Void while listening to the speech on the planet below, an expression of worry playing upon her face.
[This is a dangerous game.] Demila says to herself. [It could cost the Volgrim Empire dearly...]
The voice of Desire whispers seductively inside her mind.
Every gamble is dangerous, Demila dearest. Desire says. If you want to climb to the peak of power, you have to be willing to break a few rules. Otherwise, with your... lacking foundation... you will never achieve it.
Demila glowers at that thought. [If I fail to ascend after paying this price, that would be truly miserable.]
...
Phoebe continues her speech, growing more excited as she speaks.
"Fixing the Human Flaw is more significant than you all know! We first discovered that it was repairable as a result of our brave men and women who don T-REX suits and protect our civilization every day. Several amazing individuals, such as Lieutenant Samuel Baker, Private Ashley McCarthy, and others have worn the Power Gloves and become capable of manipulating mana when assuming the forms of other species. It was through these transformations that we discovered they were harnessing far more magical might in their base human forms than they should have!"
Samuel Baker also listens from his seat in the audience. His eyes widen as he hears this news.
"The Flaw was, in essence, a hard limit on the height any human could ascend." Phoebe explains. "But thanks to Jason, we have released the limiters on all of our human brothers and sisters. We've been carefully observing all of you ever since we fixed your Flaws, and there are some surprising takeaways! As mentioned before, Samuel Baker can now wield the powers of a male fairy, while Ashley McCarthy can transform into a powerful Orc at will, even without the use of her Power Glove! Others are sure to gain new, previously unseen powers as time progresses!"
Private Ashley cringes inside as she hears her deepest fear become exposed. Oh god, now every guy is going to know that I can transform into an ugly orc! I'll never get married!
Phoebe continues to speak. "We are still not entirely certain what effects will occur to humanity now that our Flaw is gone, but we are expecting an extreme uptick in metaphysical abilities. To explain it succinctly... every human now has the potential to become uplifted to the same level of power as the Wordsmiths! You are all capable of becoming mighty Heroes!"
This time, her words have a major effect. Until this moment, nobody in the crowd quite understood the significance of fixing the Flaw.
What would it do, allow them to become fairies? Orcs?
That didn't sound particularly appealing.
Sure, they might be able to wield more power on the battlefield. But if they had to turn into a whole other species, would they even be 'human' anymore?
However, now that they realize they could climb to the same peak as the Wordsmiths, this excites them greatly!
The crowd goes wild!
Who wouldn't want to be able to conjure any phenomena they desired with a single word? Who wouldn't want to ensure their own safety in a chaotic galaxy?!
Cheers roar throughout the crowd as people stand and applaud Phoebe.
"Incredible!"
"Thank you, First Wordsmith!"
"Thank you, Miss Hiro!"
"Humanity will conquer the universe!"
Phoebe smiles at everyone, waving politely as she waits for them to calm down. Before long, the roaring crowd loses some momentum, and they return to their seats.
The atmosphere of the debate changes permanently though, as people realize the Wordsmith has not been remaining idle. If humanity were to obtain just one more powerful Hero at the level of the Wordsmiths, who knows how much further their species could be uplifted? From that perspective, healing the Flaw is a tremendous merit that could never be repaid.
"As I said before," Phoebe continues, "my husband and I expect to observe many strange metaphysical phenomena occurring as time passes. If any of you spontaneously start controlling flames, or become weirdly adept at brewing tea, or anything else that seems out of the ordinary, I would advise you to seek me out or someone else in the administrative sector. We need to document all the changes so we can find out the full extent of healing Humanity's Flaw. In the coming months, Jason and I will release a detailed report on our findings so that all humans can benefit from our research."
Phoebe pauses for a moment.
She clears her throat and assumes a much more serious expression.
"There is one last side-effect of curing the Flaw." She says. "It's only hypothesized at the moment, but we believe it may be of even greater significance than granting every human the chance to become a Hero..."
The audience falls silent. Everyone listens with rapt attention.
What could be even crazier than becoming a Hero?!
...................................
Elsewhere, on Tarus II, Belial and Rosalia hurry back to the Western Hospital atop the Upper Plateau.
Within a minute, they race into the hospital and down a hallway, where they find one of the human nurses standing beside a hospital bed, while Kiari thrashes around on it, rubbing her head and massaging her chest.
"Aargh!" Kiari cries. "Hurts! Oh devils, it hurrrts!"
"Kiari!" Belial exclaims, quickly darting to her side. "Where does it hurt?! I'm here to help!"
"Everywhere..." Kiari whines. "H-head, chest, stomach, even m-my butt! It all hurts! Feels... feels like there's a parasite eating me alive! Aaaugh!"
"A parasite?" Belial asks with a frown.
Rosalia's heart skips a beat, but she says nothing, only watching anxiously as an invisible question mark seems to coalesce above Belial's head.
"I faintly remember... didn't that one Emperor back then use parasites?" Belial mumbles to herself. "He implanted them in countless demons... but he's been dead for eons. It can't be him."
She quickly shakes her head, then returns her attention to Kiari. "Here, let me inspect you with my magic..."
Belial transmits a general purpose healing pulse into Kiari's body, greatly easing her pain.
After less than ten seconds, her eyes widen in shock.
"What! How... how is this even possible?" Belial gasps.
"Did you find the problem?" Rosalia asks, suddenly feeling nervous. "It's not some sort of a parasite... is it?"
"Well. Depending on... how you define a parasite... it could be called that." Belial mutters to Rosalia.
She turns to look at Kiari, who has calmed down somewhat thanks to the pain-reducing power of Belial's magic.
"Kiari. I don't know how this is possible but... somehow..."
She pauses.
"...you've become pregnant!"
Kiari doesn't immediately react. She looks at Belial in confusion.
"What? Pregnant? No... that isn't possible. Only Broodmothers can bear children. How could I...?"
"I don't know." Belial says helplessly. "I was under the impression demonesses didn't even have wombs. Somehow, in some way... a miracle has occurred."
Kiari looks at Belial for a few seconds, and the realization dawns on her that the Emperor of Passion is telling the truth.
The impossible has happened.
Kiari's eyes turn moist. She tentatively touches her belly, a look of awe on her face.
"I'm... I'm going to be a mother?"
...................................
"Through our experimentation, we have made a shocking discovery." Phoebe says, continuing from before. "The human genome is exceptionally powerful. It is a force of nature none of us knew could exist. The Human Flaw did not merely limit our ability to wield magic... it also limited our biology itself."
Her expression becomes focused.
"The human genome is frighteningly potent. It can overpower other genomes in ways my husband and I have only begun to discover. Our research has concluded that in the event of a cross-species mating attempt, if the human should impregnate or become impregnated by a non-human... the resulting child will have a 95% chance of being human when born."
Neil's eyes flicker with shock. This news completely catches him off-guard. Never did he imagine that the Hiros were holding back such a secret!
Revealing it now completely changes the dynamic of their debate!
"That isn't all." Phoebe continues. "As you are all aware, the human species is the shortest-lived of all Sentients. Haven't you always wondered why we humans barely make it to 100 years of age while the demons and various monster species are effectively immortal, or at least live far longer than us?"
She shakes her head.
"You might be thinking that fixing the Flaw will make our species immortal. No. It will not. But we have finally uncovered the reason for why we live such short lives. And the answer is unbelievable."
Phoebe pauses to build anticipation. She looks up at the sky, as if peering at the Psion hovering in the upper stratosphere, then she looks back down at her fellow humans.
"As it turns out, the human ability to assimilate in its natural form far eclipses the ability of any other Sentient species. Not just the monsters, not just the demons, but even the Volgrim too. With the flaw fixed, many of you will sudden come into possession of vastly swifter minds, bodies that can be trained at speeds far eclipsing your previous performance, and superhuman abilities we cannot even begin to comprehend!"
Phoebe stands up straighter than before, maintaining a proud posture.
"Neil was right when he said we should become fruitful and multiply our population! What he did NOT know is that we humans no longer need to stick strictly to ourselves! I imagine that soon, VERY soon, a wave of pregnant monsters and demons will begin appearing all across Tarus II! In fact, I'd bet good money many are already pregnant as I speak!"
...
The impact of Phoebe's words this time far eclipse everything she's previously said.
All across Tarus II, various succubi, various female monsters, and even a few female goblins gasp as they hear her words.
"Pregnant?" One succubi asks. "I... I've been with several human men recently! There's no way I'm pregnant, right??"
"This is great!" Another succubus chirps. "I've always been jealous of human women for getting to raise their own kids. Maybe I'll be a mother soon myself!"
A female Harpie covers her mouth with her wings as she blushes toward her human mate. "Th-that's why, for the past few days, I've been feeling..."
...
"Jason and I had a child not long after we met." Phoebe continues. "At the time, it all felt like things moved quickly, but now I know why. It's because Heroes like Jason innately lack the Human Flaw. They are powerful and effective reproducers, and soon all the men and women of our species will be like him. Repopulation will not be a problem so long as we stick together!"
Phoebe finally reaches the conclusion of her speech.
"That is why I must reject Neil's notion that humans and demons cannot intermingle. If we want to restore humanity's greatness, then our demon allies will be able to help us more than we imagined! We must stick together as one people! Humans, monsters, and demons alike! Together, we can create a better future not just for humanity, but for the entirety of the Milky Way! We can defeat the Plague, then spread love and peace across the cosmos!"
"Now, my fellow humans... who's with me?!"
Phoebe raises her fist in the air. In unison, nearly the entire theater of people join her!
Everyone rises from their seats, and a huge cheer erupts all across human-controlled space!
Not just the humans, but the monsters and demons as well! All of them feel well-represented, and as if they have not been excluded by the First Wordsmith and his wife. Unlike Neil, who seems to only spread disorder among species, Phoebe truly seems to have everyone's interests at heart, and that continues to make her more universally likable than her opponent.
As Phoebe stands in place, waiting for the crowd to finish their cheering, Neil slowly stands up. His eyelids flicker with annoyance as he realizes he has been played by the Wordsmith's Wife. Even with Hope's help, he did not realize the full extent of what fixing the Human Flaw could accomplish.
Now, he will have to change his strategy on the fly.
He approaches the podium to stand side-by-side with Phoebe, shooting her an emotionless glance that doesn't give away his inner thoughts.
"Good speech." He mutters.
"Thank you." Phoebe says, beaming a triumphant smile back at him.
The second phase of the debate will soon begin...
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...................................
(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
When Phoebe steps up to the podium, her heart wavers for a moment.
Neil's twisting of reality, and his manipulation of the masses has truly gone far beyond what she could accomplish.
In her eyes, only one word describes the man seated behind her.
Shameless!
It doesn't take her much effort to deduce that Neil must have decided to marry Corporal Hurent on the spot in order to obtain political brownie points. Having spoken to Jason several times over the last several weeks, she's long known about Neil and Linda's only recently budded romance, and that the two of them haven't even been particularly serious in their courtship attempts.
They aren't enjoying some youthful whirlwind romance. They've barely even held hands!
The idea that Neil would use Linda as a political prop sickens Phoebe. She feels a momentary urge to vomit out of pure disgust, but holds that desire in, stabilizing herself to face the crowd once more.
She could call Neil out, but what would that accomplish? Many people wouldn't believe her, and even if they did, it would seem like an even cheaper political ploy than what Neil did. It would only serve to harm humanity's interests in the long run by planting seeds of distrust.
Phoebe softly sighs.
She'll have to take the high road, even if he goes low.
"Well, hello again, everyone." Phoebe says slowly. "I'd like to first offer my congratulations to Neil and Linda on their engagement. I'm pleased to see that they will be starting a family together. Neil is certainly correct that humanity needs to focus on reproducing and getting our numbers up..."
She pauses for half a beat.
"...though, I do wonder about something. How are people supposed to raise a family together if our species is on a perpetual path of making enemies, dredging up ancient hatred, and otherwise doing everything we can to foment turmoil among our non-human peers? Please take it from a mother like me; raising a family is hard enough when your living situation is unstable. And losing a child can irreparably break a piece of your soul away."
Neil maintains his smile, but inside, he feels more than a little angry by her implication. After all, he knows well the pain of losing a family, even more than she does.
"Humanity needs a bigger population. A MUCH bigger population." Phoebe continues. "A hundred times bigger would still be insignificant in the scheme of the Milky Way. The Volgrim Technopaths alone would still outnumber us a hundred to one, to say nothing of the Demons! But I disagree with this idea that humans loving non-humans is a terrible thing. Who is to say that any form of love is wrong? I would rather a man lie with another man than have them lash out and try to hurt one another! Love is always good, and we humans would do well to focus more on it!"
Some of the people in the audience raise an eyebrow. To these sorts, Phoebe's speech once again comes off as naive and idealistic.
Luckily, she immediately addresses that in her next statement.
"Of course, Neil is also right about the fact that we are in a war, and thus we cannot necessarily live perfect, quaint little lives. The Plague could attack Tarus II tomorrow, and that would be a terrible tragedy, to say the least. We must be ready and willing to battle to the death with those who would cause us harm, and that fact is not in dispute."
She crosses her arms, looking somewhat annoyed.
"You know, I've noticed a certain theme underlying all of Neil's words. He speaks of Jason rather nastily, as if my husband were a buffoon who constantly fails over and over again while failing to improve as a man, and as a leader. I take offense to this implication because in a roundabout way, it implies I am stupid for believing in him. Nothing could be further from the truth!"
"Jason has been hard at work of late. He has come up with several incredible new forms of technology, warfare tactics, and holistic improvements to our species that we haven't told you all about yet. He has been testing them for viability, and many appear to be quite promising."
Phoebe looks at various random people in the crowd, holding her gaze on each one for a second or two before moving on. This effect makes it seem as if she is looking at specific individuals, making them feel special.
"Humanity is Flawed..." Phoebe says slowly, causing the hairs to stand up on the back of Neil's neck. "That has been the case since the Archangel Uzziel first uplifted us from the DNA of our simian ancestors. From the very beginning, she placed invisible shackles on our power at the behest of Archangel Raphael..."
Dammit! Neil thinks. She waited until she had the final retort to bring out the information about the Flaw! I thought she might not even mention it publicly for fear of the news getting out! Are she and Jason truly so unafraid of our enemies knowing all of our advancements?!
While Neil rages internally, Phoebe continues.
"The Human Flaw is a mysterious condition. Jason and I were uncertain of the effects that would occur if we cleansed it, and we didn't want to get anyone's hope's up in the event that doing so didn't work. But, I assure you, fixing Humanity's Flaw HAS resulted in an incredible benefit to our species. We're still uncovering all the after-effects, but so far the results have been nothing short of wondrous!"
...
Inside the Changeling Bunker, hidden deep beneath the Fortress of Retribution's upper plateau.
A handful of Changelings hurriedly speak into communication devices as they watch the broadcast. One of those happens to be the Sixth-Class Settler, Informer Jin, who has taken command of the situation ever since their superior Changeling officer's disappearance. After Mephisto's attack on Tarus II, Operative Duugo disappeared, and nobody knows where they went.
Jin hurriedly collects all the information they can find about the Human Flaw as they prepare to transmit a data burst to Volgarius, synchronized with the random fluctuations in Tarus II's atmospheric static so nobody will be the wiser.
Just before Jin is ready to transmit, a female voice speaks in his head.
[Operative Jin. I have already informed the Founders of this matter.]
Jin sits up slightly in their chair. They recognize the voice as belonging to the High Psion known as Creator Demila.
You have? Jin thinks, allowing their mind to be read.
[Yes. Do not risk a data burst needlessly. I am observing Tarus II from a hundred kilometers above the upper atmosphere. I have known about the Human Flaw for longer than you can imagine, as well as the Wordsmith's repairing of it some time ago. I am in talks with the Founders as to what measures we should take to mitigate the situation.]
This one contemplates and comprehends. Jin acknowledges, lowering their hands as they decide to go along with what Demila says. As the highest ranking Volgrim in the area, she is naturally to be deferred to on matters such as these.
[Delete that log you were going to make as well.] Demila adds. [It would be best if we do not leave any traces for the humans to find. We are not certain if and when they might uncover your base of operations.]
A sensible plan. This one will do as you say. Jin says, before reaching into the files and deleting Phoebe's statements about the Human Flaw.
Satisfied, Demila retracts her Psionic Sense.
She remains levitating in the Void while listening to the speech on the planet below, an expression of worry playing upon her face.
[This is a dangerous game.] Demila says to herself. [It could cost the Volgrim Empire dearly...]
The voice of Desire whispers seductively inside her mind.
Every gamble is dangerous, Demila dearest. Desire says. If you want to climb to the peak of power, you have to be willing to break a few rules. Otherwise, with your... lacking foundation... you will never achieve it.
Demila glowers at that thought. [If I fail to ascend after paying this price, that would be truly miserable.]
...
Phoebe continues her speech, growing more excited as she speaks.
"Fixing the Human Flaw is more significant than you all know! We first discovered that it was repairable as a result of our brave men and women who don T-REX suits and protect our civilization every day. Several amazing individuals, such as Lieutenant Samuel Baker, Private Ashley McCarthy, and others have worn the Power Gloves and become capable of manipulating mana when assuming the forms of other species. It was through these transformations that we discovered they were harnessing far more magical might in their base human forms than they should have!"
Samuel Baker also listens from his seat in the audience. His eyes widen as he hears this news.
"The Flaw was, in essence, a hard limit on the height any human could ascend." Phoebe explains. "But thanks to Jason, we have released the limiters on all of our human brothers and sisters. We've been carefully observing all of you ever since we fixed your Flaws, and there are some surprising takeaways! As mentioned before, Samuel Baker can now wield the powers of a male fairy, while Ashley McCarthy can transform into a powerful Orc at will, even without the use of her Power Glove! Others are sure to gain new, previously unseen powers as time progresses!"
Private Ashley cringes inside as she hears her deepest fear become exposed. Oh god, now every guy is going to know that I can transform into an ugly orc! I'll never get married!
Phoebe continues to speak. "We are still not entirely certain what effects will occur to humanity now that our Flaw is gone, but we are expecting an extreme uptick in metaphysical abilities. To explain it succinctly... every human now has the potential to become uplifted to the same level of power as the Wordsmiths! You are all capable of becoming mighty Heroes!"
This time, her words have a major effect. Until this moment, nobody in the crowd quite understood the significance of fixing the Flaw.
What would it do, allow them to become fairies? Orcs?
That didn't sound particularly appealing.
Sure, they might be able to wield more power on the battlefield. But if they had to turn into a whole other species, would they even be 'human' anymore?
However, now that they realize they could climb to the same peak as the Wordsmiths, this excites them greatly!
The crowd goes wild!
Who wouldn't want to be able to conjure any phenomena they desired with a single word? Who wouldn't want to ensure their own safety in a chaotic galaxy?!
Cheers roar throughout the crowd as people stand and applaud Phoebe.
"Incredible!"
"Thank you, First Wordsmith!"
"Thank you, Miss Hiro!"
"Humanity will conquer the universe!"
Phoebe smiles at everyone, waving politely as she waits for them to calm down. Before long, the roaring crowd loses some momentum, and they return to their seats.
The atmosphere of the debate changes permanently though, as people realize the Wordsmith has not been remaining idle. If humanity were to obtain just one more powerful Hero at the level of the Wordsmiths, who knows how much further their species could be uplifted? From that perspective, healing the Flaw is a tremendous merit that could never be repaid.
"As I said before," Phoebe continues, "my husband and I expect to observe many strange metaphysical phenomena occurring as time passes. If any of you spontaneously start controlling flames, or become weirdly adept at brewing tea, or anything else that seems out of the ordinary, I would advise you to seek me out or someone else in the administrative sector. We need to document all the changes so we can find out the full extent of healing Humanity's Flaw. In the coming months, Jason and I will release a detailed report on our findings so that all humans can benefit from our research."
Phoebe pauses for a moment.
She clears her throat and assumes a much more serious expression.
"There is one last side-effect of curing the Flaw." She says. "It's only hypothesized at the moment, but we believe it may be of even greater significance than granting every human the chance to become a Hero..."
The audience falls silent. Everyone listens with rapt attention.
What could be even crazier than becoming a Hero?!
...................................
Elsewhere, on Tarus II, Belial and Rosalia hurry back to the Western Hospital atop the Upper Plateau.
Within a minute, they race into the hospital and down a hallway, where they find one of the human nurses standing beside a hospital bed, while Kiari thrashes around on it, rubbing her head and massaging her chest.
"Aargh!" Kiari cries. "Hurts! Oh devils, it hurrrts!"
"Kiari!" Belial exclaims, quickly darting to her side. "Where does it hurt?! I'm here to help!"
"Everywhere..." Kiari whines. "H-head, chest, stomach, even m-my butt! It all hurts! Feels... feels like there's a parasite eating me alive! Aaaugh!"
"A parasite?" Belial asks with a frown.
Rosalia's heart skips a beat, but she says nothing, only watching anxiously as an invisible question mark seems to coalesce above Belial's head.
"I faintly remember... didn't that one Emperor back then use parasites?" Belial mumbles to herself. "He implanted them in countless demons... but he's been dead for eons. It can't be him."
She quickly shakes her head, then returns her attention to Kiari. "Here, let me inspect you with my magic..."
Belial transmits a general purpose healing pulse into Kiari's body, greatly easing her pain.
After less than ten seconds, her eyes widen in shock.
"What! How... how is this even possible?" Belial gasps.
"Did you find the problem?" Rosalia asks, suddenly feeling nervous. "It's not some sort of a parasite... is it?"
"Well. Depending on... how you define a parasite... it could be called that." Belial mutters to Rosalia.
She turns to look at Kiari, who has calmed down somewhat thanks to the pain-reducing power of Belial's magic.
"Kiari. I don't know how this is possible but... somehow..."
She pauses.
"...you've become pregnant!"
Kiari doesn't immediately react. She looks at Belial in confusion.
"What? Pregnant? No... that isn't possible. Only Broodmothers can bear children. How could I...?"
"I don't know." Belial says helplessly. "I was under the impression demonesses didn't even have wombs. Somehow, in some way... a miracle has occurred."
Kiari looks at Belial for a few seconds, and the realization dawns on her that the Emperor of Passion is telling the truth.
The impossible has happened.
Kiari's eyes turn moist. She tentatively touches her belly, a look of awe on her face.
"I'm... I'm going to be a mother?"
...................................
"Through our experimentation, we have made a shocking discovery." Phoebe says, continuing from before. "The human genome is exceptionally powerful. It is a force of nature none of us knew could exist. The Human Flaw did not merely limit our ability to wield magic... it also limited our biology itself."
Her expression becomes focused.
"The human genome is frighteningly potent. It can overpower other genomes in ways my husband and I have only begun to discover. Our research has concluded that in the event of a cross-species mating attempt, if the human should impregnate or become impregnated by a non-human... the resulting child will have a 95% chance of being human when born."
Neil's eyes flicker with shock. This news completely catches him off-guard. Never did he imagine that the Hiros were holding back such a secret!
Revealing it now completely changes the dynamic of their debate!
"That isn't all." Phoebe continues. "As you are all aware, the human species is the shortest-lived of all Sentients. Haven't you always wondered why we humans barely make it to 100 years of age while the demons and various monster species are effectively immortal, or at least live far longer than us?"
She shakes her head.
"You might be thinking that fixing the Flaw will make our species immortal. No. It will not. But we have finally uncovered the reason for why we live such short lives. And the answer is unbelievable."
Phoebe pauses to build anticipation. She looks up at the sky, as if peering at the Psion hovering in the upper stratosphere, then she looks back down at her fellow humans.
"As it turns out, the human ability to assimilate in its natural form far eclipses the ability of any other Sentient species. Not just the monsters, not just the demons, but even the Volgrim too. With the flaw fixed, many of you will sudden come into possession of vastly swifter minds, bodies that can be trained at speeds far eclipsing your previous performance, and superhuman abilities we cannot even begin to comprehend!"
Phoebe stands up straighter than before, maintaining a proud posture.
"Neil was right when he said we should become fruitful and multiply our population! What he did NOT know is that we humans no longer need to stick strictly to ourselves! I imagine that soon, VERY soon, a wave of pregnant monsters and demons will begin appearing all across Tarus II! In fact, I'd bet good money many are already pregnant as I speak!"
...
The impact of Phoebe's words this time far eclipse everything she's previously said.
All across Tarus II, various succubi, various female monsters, and even a few female goblins gasp as they hear her words.
"Pregnant?" One succubi asks. "I... I've been with several human men recently! There's no way I'm pregnant, right??"
"This is great!" Another succubus chirps. "I've always been jealous of human women for getting to raise their own kids. Maybe I'll be a mother soon myself!"
A female Harpie covers her mouth with her wings as she blushes toward her human mate. "Th-that's why, for the past few days, I've been feeling..."
...
"Jason and I had a child not long after we met." Phoebe continues. "At the time, it all felt like things moved quickly, but now I know why. It's because Heroes like Jason innately lack the Human Flaw. They are powerful and effective reproducers, and soon all the men and women of our species will be like him. Repopulation will not be a problem so long as we stick together!"
Phoebe finally reaches the conclusion of her speech.
"That is why I must reject Neil's notion that humans and demons cannot intermingle. If we want to restore humanity's greatness, then our demon allies will be able to help us more than we imagined! We must stick together as one people! Humans, monsters, and demons alike! Together, we can create a better future not just for humanity, but for the entirety of the Milky Way! We can defeat the Plague, then spread love and peace across the cosmos!"
"Now, my fellow humans... who's with me?!"
Phoebe raises her fist in the air. In unison, nearly the entire theater of people join her!
Everyone rises from their seats, and a huge cheer erupts all across human-controlled space!
Not just the humans, but the monsters and demons as well! All of them feel well-represented, and as if they have not been excluded by the First Wordsmith and his wife. Unlike Neil, who seems to only spread disorder among species, Phoebe truly seems to have everyone's interests at heart, and that continues to make her more universally likable than her opponent.
As Phoebe stands in place, waiting for the crowd to finish their cheering, Neil slowly stands up. His eyelids flicker with annoyance as he realizes he has been played by the Wordsmith's Wife. Even with Hope's help, he did not realize the full extent of what fixing the Human Flaw could accomplish.
Now, he will have to change his strategy on the fly.
He approaches the podium to stand side-by-side with Phoebe, shooting her an emotionless glance that doesn't give away his inner thoughts.
"Good speech." He mutters.
"Thank you." Phoebe says, beaming a triumphant smile back at him.
The second phase of the debate will soon begin...
2024.04.28 21:17 Klokinator Cryopod Refresh 554: HUMAN SUPREMACY
When Phoebe steps up to the podium, her heart wavers for a moment.
Neil's twisting of reality, and his manipulation of the masses has truly gone far beyond what she could accomplish.
In her eyes, only one word describes the man seated behind her.
Shameless!
It doesn't take her much effort to deduce that Neil must have decided to marry Corporal Hurent on the spot in order to obtain political brownie points. Having spoken to Jason several times over the last several weeks, she's long known about Neil and Linda's only recently budded romance, and that the two of them haven't even been particularly serious in their courtship attempts.
They aren't enjoying some youthful whirlwind romance. They've barely even held hands!
The idea that Neil would use Linda as a political prop sickens Phoebe. She feels a momentary urge to vomit out of pure disgust, but holds that desire in, stabilizing herself to face the crowd once more.
She could call Neil out, but what would that accomplish? Many people wouldn't believe her, and even if they did, it would seem like an even cheaper political ploy than what Neil did. It would only serve to harm humanity's interests in the long run by planting seeds of distrust.
Phoebe softly sighs.
She'll have to take the high road, even if he goes low.
"Well, hello again, everyone." Phoebe says slowly. "I'd like to first offer my congratulations to Neil and Linda on their engagement. I'm pleased to see that they will be starting a family together. Neil is certainly correct that humanity needs to focus on reproducing and getting our numbers up..."
She pauses for half a beat.
"...though, I do wonder about something. How are people supposed to raise a family together if our species is on a perpetual path of making enemies, dredging up ancient hatred, and otherwise doing everything we can to foment turmoil among our non-human peers? Please take it from a mother like me; raising a family is hard enough when your living situation is unstable. And losing a child can irreparably break a piece of your soul away."
Neil maintains his smile, but inside, he feels more than a little angry by her implication. After all, he knows well the pain of losing a family, even more than she does.
"Humanity needs a bigger population. A MUCH bigger population." Phoebe continues. "A hundred times bigger would still be insignificant in the scheme of the Milky Way. The Volgrim Technopaths alone would still outnumber us a hundred to one, to say nothing of the Demons! But I disagree with this idea that humans loving non-humans is a terrible thing. Who is to say that any form of love is wrong? I would rather a man lie with another man than have them lash out and try to hurt one another! Love is always good, and we humans would do well to focus more on it!"
Some of the people in the audience raise an eyebrow. To these sorts, Phoebe's speech once again comes off as naive and idealistic.
Luckily, she immediately addresses that in her next statement.
"Of course, Neil is also right about the fact that we are in a war, and thus we cannot necessarily live perfect, quaint little lives. The Plague could attack Tarus II tomorrow, and that would be a terrible tragedy, to say the least. We must be ready and willing to battle to the death with those who would cause us harm, and that fact is not in dispute."
She crosses her arms, looking somewhat annoyed.
"You know, I've noticed a certain theme underlying all of Neil's words. He speaks of Jason rather nastily, as if my husband were a buffoon who constantly fails over and over again while failing to improve as a man, and as a leader. I take offense to this implication because in a roundabout way, it implies I am stupid for believing in him. Nothing could be further from the truth!"
"Jason has been hard at work of late. He has come up with several incredible new forms of technology, warfare tactics, and holistic improvements to our species that we haven't told you all about yet. He has been testing them for viability, and many appear to be quite promising."
Phoebe looks at various random people in the crowd, holding her gaze on each one for a second or two before moving on. This effect makes it seem as if she is looking at specific individuals, making them feel special.
"Humanity is Flawed..." Phoebe says slowly, causing the hairs to stand up on the back of Neil's neck. "That has been the case since the Archangel Uzziel first uplifted us from the DNA of our simian ancestors. From the very beginning, she placed invisible shackles on our power at the behest of Archangel Raphael..."
Dammit! Neil thinks. She waited until she had the final retort to bring out the information about the Flaw! I thought she might not even mention it publicly for fear of the news getting out! Are she and Jason truly so unafraid of our enemies knowing all of our advancements?!
While Neil rages internally, Phoebe continues.
"The Human Flaw is a mysterious condition. Jason and I were uncertain of the effects that would occur if we cleansed it, and we didn't want to get anyone's hope's up in the event that doing so didn't work. But, I assure you, fixing Humanity's Flaw HAS resulted in an incredible benefit to our species. We're still uncovering all the after-effects, but so far the results have been nothing short of wondrous!"
...
Inside the Changeling Bunker, hidden deep beneath the Fortress of Retribution's upper plateau.
A handful of Changelings hurriedly speak into communication devices as they watch the broadcast. One of those happens to be the Sixth-Class Settler, Informer Jin, who has taken command of the situation ever since their superior Changeling officer's disappearance. After Mephisto's attack on Tarus II, Operative Duugo disappeared, and nobody knows where they went.
Jin hurriedly collects all the information they can find about the Human Flaw as they prepare to transmit a data burst to Volgarius, synchronized with the random fluctuations in Tarus II's atmospheric static so nobody will be the wiser.
Just before Jin is ready to transmit, a female voice speaks in his head.
[Operative Jin. I have already informed the Founders of this matter.]
Jin sits up slightly in their chair. They recognize the voice as belonging to the High Psion known as Creator Demila.
You have? Jin thinks, allowing their mind to be read.
[Yes. Do not risk a data burst needlessly. I am observing Tarus II from a hundred kilometers above the upper atmosphere. I have known about the Human Flaw for longer than you can imagine, as well as the Wordsmith's repairing of it some time ago. I am in talks with the Founders as to what measures we should take to mitigate the situation.]
This one contemplates and comprehends. Jin acknowledges, lowering their hands as they decide to go along with what Demila says. As the highest ranking Volgrim in the area, she is naturally to be deferred to on matters such as these.
[Delete that log you were going to make as well.] Demila adds. [It would be best if we do not leave any traces for the humans to find. We are not certain if and when they might uncover your base of operations.]
A sensible plan. This one will do as you say. Jin says, before reaching into the files and deleting Phoebe's statements about the Human Flaw.
Satisfied, Demila retracts her Psionic Sense.
She remains levitating in the Void while listening to the speech on the planet below, an expression of worry playing upon her face.
[This is a dangerous game.] Demila says to herself. [It could cost the Volgrim Empire dearly...]
The voice of Desire whispers seductively inside her mind.
Every gamble is dangerous, Demila dearest. Desire says. If you want to climb to the peak of power, you have to be willing to break a few rules. Otherwise, with your... lacking foundation... you will never achieve it.
Demila glowers at that thought. [If I fail to ascend after paying this price, that would be truly miserable.]
...
Phoebe continues her speech, growing more excited as she speaks.
"Fixing the Human Flaw is more significant than you all know! We first discovered that it was repairable as a result of our brave men and women who don T-REX suits and protect our civilization every day. Several amazing individuals, such as Lieutenant Samuel Baker, Private Ashley McCarthy, and others have worn the Power Gloves and become capable of manipulating mana when assuming the forms of other species. It was through these transformations that we discovered they were harnessing far more magical might in their base human forms than they should have!"
Samuel Baker also listens from his seat in the audience. His eyes widen as he hears this news.
"The Flaw was, in essence, a hard limit on the height any human could ascend." Phoebe explains. "But thanks to Jason, we have released the limiters on all of our human brothers and sisters. We've been carefully observing all of you ever since we fixed your Flaws, and there are some surprising takeaways! As mentioned before, Samuel Baker can now wield the powers of a male fairy, while Ashley McCarthy can transform into a powerful Orc at will, even without the use of her Power Glove! Others are sure to gain new, previously unseen powers as time progresses!"
Private Ashley cringes inside as she hears her deepest fear become exposed. Oh god, now every guy is going to know that I can transform into an ugly orc! I'll never get married!
Phoebe continues to speak. "We are still not entirely certain what effects will occur to humanity now that our Flaw is gone, but we are expecting an extreme uptick in metaphysical abilities. To explain it succinctly... every human now has the potential to become uplifted to the same level of power as the Wordsmiths! You are all capable of becoming mighty Heroes!"
This time, her words have a major effect. Until this moment, nobody in the crowd quite understood the significance of fixing the Flaw.
What would it do, allow them to become fairies? Orcs?
That didn't sound particularly appealing.
Sure, they might be able to wield more power on the battlefield. But if they had to turn into a whole other species, would they even be 'human' anymore?
However, now that they realize they could climb to the same peak as the Wordsmiths, this excites them greatly!
The crowd goes wild!
Who wouldn't want to be able to conjure any phenomena they desired with a single word? Who wouldn't want to ensure their own safety in a chaotic galaxy?!
Cheers roar throughout the crowd as people stand and applaud Phoebe.
"Incredible!"
"Thank you, First Wordsmith!"
"Thank you, Miss Hiro!"
"Humanity will conquer the universe!"
Phoebe smiles at everyone, waving politely as she waits for them to calm down. Before long, the roaring crowd loses some momentum, and they return to their seats.
The atmosphere of the debate changes permanently though, as people realize the Wordsmith has not been remaining idle. If humanity were to obtain just one more powerful Hero at the level of the Wordsmiths, who knows how much further their species could be uplifted? From that perspective, healing the Flaw is a tremendous merit that could never be repaid.
"As I said before," Phoebe continues, "my husband and I expect to observe many strange metaphysical phenomena occurring as time passes. If any of you spontaneously start controlling flames, or become weirdly adept at brewing tea, or anything else that seems out of the ordinary, I would advise you to seek me out or someone else in the administrative sector. We need to document all the changes so we can find out the full extent of healing Humanity's Flaw. In the coming months, Jason and I will release a detailed report on our findings so that all humans can benefit from our research."
Phoebe pauses for a moment.
She clears her throat and assumes a much more serious expression.
"There is one last side-effect of curing the Flaw." She says. "It's only hypothesized at the moment, but we believe it may be of even greater significance than granting every human the chance to become a Hero..."
The audience falls silent. Everyone listens with rapt attention.
What could be even crazier than becoming a Hero?!
...................................
Elsewhere, on Tarus II, Belial and Rosalia hurry back to the Western Hospital atop the Upper Plateau.
Within a minute, they race into the hospital and down a hallway, where they find one of the human nurses standing beside a hospital bed, while Kiari thrashes around on it, rubbing her head and massaging her chest.
"Aargh!" Kiari cries. "Hurts! Oh devils, it hurrrts!"
"Kiari!" Belial exclaims, quickly darting to her side. "Where does it hurt?! I'm here to help!"
"Everywhere..." Kiari whines. "H-head, chest, stomach, even m-my butt! It all hurts! Feels... feels like there's a parasite eating me alive! Aaaugh!"
"A parasite?" Belial asks with a frown.
Rosalia's heart skips a beat, but she says nothing, only watching anxiously as an invisible question mark seems to coalesce above Belial's head.
"I faintly remember... didn't that one Emperor back then use parasites?" Belial mumbles to herself. "He implanted them in countless demons... but he's been dead for eons. It can't be him."
She quickly shakes her head, then returns her attention to Kiari. "Here, let me inspect you with my magic..."
Belial transmits a general purpose healing pulse into Kiari's body, greatly easing her pain.
After less than ten seconds, her eyes widen in shock.
"What! How... how is this even possible?" Belial gasps.
"Did you find the problem?" Rosalia asks, suddenly feeling nervous. "It's not some sort of a parasite... is it?"
"Well. Depending on... how you define a parasite... it could be called that." Belial mutters to Rosalia.
She turns to look at Kiari, who has calmed down somewhat thanks to the pain-reducing power of Belial's magic.
"Kiari. I don't know how this is possible but... somehow..."
She pauses.
"...you've become pregnant!"
Kiari doesn't immediately react. She looks at Belial in confusion.
"What? Pregnant? No... that isn't possible. Only Broodmothers can bear children. How could I...?"
"I don't know." Belial says helplessly. "I was under the impression demonesses didn't even have wombs. Somehow, in some way... a miracle has occurred."
Kiari looks at Belial for a few seconds, and the realization dawns on her that the Emperor of Passion is telling the truth.
The impossible has happened.
Kiari's eyes turn moist. She tentatively touches her belly, a look of awe on her face.
"I'm... I'm going to be a mother?"
...................................
"Through our experimentation, we have made a shocking discovery." Phoebe says, continuing from before. "The human genome is exceptionally powerful. It is a force of nature none of us knew could exist. The Human Flaw did not merely limit our ability to wield magic... it also limited our biology itself."
Her expression becomes focused.
"The human genome is frighteningly potent. It can overpower other genomes in ways my husband and I have only begun to discover. Our research has concluded that in the event of a cross-species mating attempt, if the human should impregnate or become impregnated by a non-human... the resulting child will have a 95% chance of being human when born."
Neil's eyes flicker with shock. This news completely catches him off-guard. Never did he imagine that the Hiros were holding back such a secret!
Revealing it now completely changes the dynamic of their debate!
"That isn't all." Phoebe continues. "As you are all aware, the human species is the shortest-lived of all Sentients. Haven't you always wondered why we humans barely make it to 100 years of age while the demons and various monster species are effectively immortal, or at least live far longer than us?"
She shakes her head.
"You might be thinking that fixing the Flaw will make our species immortal. No. It will not. But we have finally uncovered the reason for why we live such short lives. And the answer is unbelievable."
Phoebe pauses to build anticipation. She looks up at the sky, as if peering at the Psion hovering in the upper stratosphere, then she looks back down at her fellow humans.
"As it turns out, the human ability to assimilate in its natural form far eclipses the ability of any other Sentient species. Not just the monsters, not just the demons, but even the Volgrim too. With the flaw fixed, many of you will sudden come into possession of vastly swifter minds, bodies that can be trained at speeds far eclipsing your previous performance, and superhuman abilities we cannot even begin to comprehend!"
Phoebe stands up straighter than before, maintaining a proud posture.
"Neil was right when he said we should become fruitful and multiply our population! What he did NOT know is that we humans no longer need to stick strictly to ourselves! I imagine that soon, VERY soon, a wave of pregnant monsters and demons will begin appearing all across Tarus II! In fact, I'd bet good money many are already pregnant as I speak!"
...
The impact of Phoebe's words this time far eclipse everything she's previously said.
All across Tarus II, various succubi, various female monsters, and even a few female goblins gasp as they hear her words.
"Pregnant?" One succubi asks. "I... I've been with several human men recently! There's no way I'm pregnant, right??"
"This is great!" Another succubus chirps. "I've always been jealous of human women for getting to raise their own kids. Maybe I'll be a mother soon myself!"
A female Harpie covers her mouth with her wings as she blushes toward her human mate. "Th-that's why, for the past few days, I've been feeling..."
...
"Jason and I had a child not long after we met." Phoebe continues. "At the time, it all felt like things moved quickly, but now I know why. It's because Heroes like Jason innately lack the Human Flaw. They are powerful and effective reproducers, and soon all the men and women of our species will be like him. Repopulation will not be a problem so long as we stick together!"
Phoebe finally reaches the conclusion of her speech.
"That is why I must reject Neil's notion that humans and demons cannot intermingle. If we want to restore humanity's greatness, then our demon allies will be able to help us more than we imagined! We must stick together as one people! Humans, monsters, and demons alike! Together, we can create a better future not just for humanity, but for the entirety of the Milky Way! We can defeat the Plague, then spread love and peace across the cosmos!"
"Now, my fellow humans... who's with me?!"
Phoebe raises her fist in the air. In unison, nearly the entire theater of people join her!
Everyone rises from their seats, and a huge cheer erupts all across human-controlled space!
Not just the humans, but the monsters and demons as well! All of them feel well-represented, and as if they have not been excluded by the First Wordsmith and his wife. Unlike Neil, who seems to only spread disorder among species, Phoebe truly seems to have everyone's interests at heart, and that continues to make her more universally likable than her opponent.
As Phoebe stands in place, waiting for the crowd to finish their cheering, Neil slowly stands up. His eyelids flicker with annoyance as he realizes he has been played by the Wordsmith's Wife. Even with Hope's help, he did not realize the full extent of what fixing the Human Flaw could accomplish.
Now, he will have to change his strategy on the fly.
He approaches the podium to stand side-by-side with Phoebe, shooting her an emotionless glance that doesn't give away his inner thoughts.
"Good speech." He mutters.
"Thank you." Phoebe says, beaming a triumphant smile back at him.
The second phase of the debate will soon begin...
submitted by Klokinator to TheCryopodToHell [link] [comments]
Neil's twisting of reality, and his manipulation of the masses has truly gone far beyond what she could accomplish.
In her eyes, only one word describes the man seated behind her.
Shameless!
It doesn't take her much effort to deduce that Neil must have decided to marry Corporal Hurent on the spot in order to obtain political brownie points. Having spoken to Jason several times over the last several weeks, she's long known about Neil and Linda's only recently budded romance, and that the two of them haven't even been particularly serious in their courtship attempts.
They aren't enjoying some youthful whirlwind romance. They've barely even held hands!
The idea that Neil would use Linda as a political prop sickens Phoebe. She feels a momentary urge to vomit out of pure disgust, but holds that desire in, stabilizing herself to face the crowd once more.
She could call Neil out, but what would that accomplish? Many people wouldn't believe her, and even if they did, it would seem like an even cheaper political ploy than what Neil did. It would only serve to harm humanity's interests in the long run by planting seeds of distrust.
Phoebe softly sighs.
She'll have to take the high road, even if he goes low.
"Well, hello again, everyone." Phoebe says slowly. "I'd like to first offer my congratulations to Neil and Linda on their engagement. I'm pleased to see that they will be starting a family together. Neil is certainly correct that humanity needs to focus on reproducing and getting our numbers up..."
She pauses for half a beat.
"...though, I do wonder about something. How are people supposed to raise a family together if our species is on a perpetual path of making enemies, dredging up ancient hatred, and otherwise doing everything we can to foment turmoil among our non-human peers? Please take it from a mother like me; raising a family is hard enough when your living situation is unstable. And losing a child can irreparably break a piece of your soul away."
Neil maintains his smile, but inside, he feels more than a little angry by her implication. After all, he knows well the pain of losing a family, even more than she does.
"Humanity needs a bigger population. A MUCH bigger population." Phoebe continues. "A hundred times bigger would still be insignificant in the scheme of the Milky Way. The Volgrim Technopaths alone would still outnumber us a hundred to one, to say nothing of the Demons! But I disagree with this idea that humans loving non-humans is a terrible thing. Who is to say that any form of love is wrong? I would rather a man lie with another man than have them lash out and try to hurt one another! Love is always good, and we humans would do well to focus more on it!"
Some of the people in the audience raise an eyebrow. To these sorts, Phoebe's speech once again comes off as naive and idealistic.
Luckily, she immediately addresses that in her next statement.
"Of course, Neil is also right about the fact that we are in a war, and thus we cannot necessarily live perfect, quaint little lives. The Plague could attack Tarus II tomorrow, and that would be a terrible tragedy, to say the least. We must be ready and willing to battle to the death with those who would cause us harm, and that fact is not in dispute."
She crosses her arms, looking somewhat annoyed.
"You know, I've noticed a certain theme underlying all of Neil's words. He speaks of Jason rather nastily, as if my husband were a buffoon who constantly fails over and over again while failing to improve as a man, and as a leader. I take offense to this implication because in a roundabout way, it implies I am stupid for believing in him. Nothing could be further from the truth!"
"Jason has been hard at work of late. He has come up with several incredible new forms of technology, warfare tactics, and holistic improvements to our species that we haven't told you all about yet. He has been testing them for viability, and many appear to be quite promising."
Phoebe looks at various random people in the crowd, holding her gaze on each one for a second or two before moving on. This effect makes it seem as if she is looking at specific individuals, making them feel special.
"Humanity is Flawed..." Phoebe says slowly, causing the hairs to stand up on the back of Neil's neck. "That has been the case since the Archangel Uzziel first uplifted us from the DNA of our simian ancestors. From the very beginning, she placed invisible shackles on our power at the behest of Archangel Raphael..."
Dammit! Neil thinks. She waited until she had the final retort to bring out the information about the Flaw! I thought she might not even mention it publicly for fear of the news getting out! Are she and Jason truly so unafraid of our enemies knowing all of our advancements?!
While Neil rages internally, Phoebe continues.
"The Human Flaw is a mysterious condition. Jason and I were uncertain of the effects that would occur if we cleansed it, and we didn't want to get anyone's hope's up in the event that doing so didn't work. But, I assure you, fixing Humanity's Flaw HAS resulted in an incredible benefit to our species. We're still uncovering all the after-effects, but so far the results have been nothing short of wondrous!"
...
Inside the Changeling Bunker, hidden deep beneath the Fortress of Retribution's upper plateau.
A handful of Changelings hurriedly speak into communication devices as they watch the broadcast. One of those happens to be the Sixth-Class Settler, Informer Jin, who has taken command of the situation ever since their superior Changeling officer's disappearance. After Mephisto's attack on Tarus II, Operative Duugo disappeared, and nobody knows where they went.
Jin hurriedly collects all the information they can find about the Human Flaw as they prepare to transmit a data burst to Volgarius, synchronized with the random fluctuations in Tarus II's atmospheric static so nobody will be the wiser.
Just before Jin is ready to transmit, a female voice speaks in his head.
[Operative Jin. I have already informed the Founders of this matter.]
Jin sits up slightly in their chair. They recognize the voice as belonging to the High Psion known as Creator Demila.
You have? Jin thinks, allowing their mind to be read.
[Yes. Do not risk a data burst needlessly. I am observing Tarus II from a hundred kilometers above the upper atmosphere. I have known about the Human Flaw for longer than you can imagine, as well as the Wordsmith's repairing of it some time ago. I am in talks with the Founders as to what measures we should take to mitigate the situation.]
This one contemplates and comprehends. Jin acknowledges, lowering their hands as they decide to go along with what Demila says. As the highest ranking Volgrim in the area, she is naturally to be deferred to on matters such as these.
[Delete that log you were going to make as well.] Demila adds. [It would be best if we do not leave any traces for the humans to find. We are not certain if and when they might uncover your base of operations.]
A sensible plan. This one will do as you say. Jin says, before reaching into the files and deleting Phoebe's statements about the Human Flaw.
Satisfied, Demila retracts her Psionic Sense.
She remains levitating in the Void while listening to the speech on the planet below, an expression of worry playing upon her face.
[This is a dangerous game.] Demila says to herself. [It could cost the Volgrim Empire dearly...]
The voice of Desire whispers seductively inside her mind.
Every gamble is dangerous, Demila dearest. Desire says. If you want to climb to the peak of power, you have to be willing to break a few rules. Otherwise, with your... lacking foundation... you will never achieve it.
Demila glowers at that thought. [If I fail to ascend after paying this price, that would be truly miserable.]
...
Phoebe continues her speech, growing more excited as she speaks.
"Fixing the Human Flaw is more significant than you all know! We first discovered that it was repairable as a result of our brave men and women who don T-REX suits and protect our civilization every day. Several amazing individuals, such as Lieutenant Samuel Baker, Private Ashley McCarthy, and others have worn the Power Gloves and become capable of manipulating mana when assuming the forms of other species. It was through these transformations that we discovered they were harnessing far more magical might in their base human forms than they should have!"
Samuel Baker also listens from his seat in the audience. His eyes widen as he hears this news.
"The Flaw was, in essence, a hard limit on the height any human could ascend." Phoebe explains. "But thanks to Jason, we have released the limiters on all of our human brothers and sisters. We've been carefully observing all of you ever since we fixed your Flaws, and there are some surprising takeaways! As mentioned before, Samuel Baker can now wield the powers of a male fairy, while Ashley McCarthy can transform into a powerful Orc at will, even without the use of her Power Glove! Others are sure to gain new, previously unseen powers as time progresses!"
Private Ashley cringes inside as she hears her deepest fear become exposed. Oh god, now every guy is going to know that I can transform into an ugly orc! I'll never get married!
Phoebe continues to speak. "We are still not entirely certain what effects will occur to humanity now that our Flaw is gone, but we are expecting an extreme uptick in metaphysical abilities. To explain it succinctly... every human now has the potential to become uplifted to the same level of power as the Wordsmiths! You are all capable of becoming mighty Heroes!"
This time, her words have a major effect. Until this moment, nobody in the crowd quite understood the significance of fixing the Flaw.
What would it do, allow them to become fairies? Orcs?
That didn't sound particularly appealing.
Sure, they might be able to wield more power on the battlefield. But if they had to turn into a whole other species, would they even be 'human' anymore?
However, now that they realize they could climb to the same peak as the Wordsmiths, this excites them greatly!
The crowd goes wild!
Who wouldn't want to be able to conjure any phenomena they desired with a single word? Who wouldn't want to ensure their own safety in a chaotic galaxy?!
Cheers roar throughout the crowd as people stand and applaud Phoebe.
"Incredible!"
"Thank you, First Wordsmith!"
"Thank you, Miss Hiro!"
"Humanity will conquer the universe!"
Phoebe smiles at everyone, waving politely as she waits for them to calm down. Before long, the roaring crowd loses some momentum, and they return to their seats.
The atmosphere of the debate changes permanently though, as people realize the Wordsmith has not been remaining idle. If humanity were to obtain just one more powerful Hero at the level of the Wordsmiths, who knows how much further their species could be uplifted? From that perspective, healing the Flaw is a tremendous merit that could never be repaid.
"As I said before," Phoebe continues, "my husband and I expect to observe many strange metaphysical phenomena occurring as time passes. If any of you spontaneously start controlling flames, or become weirdly adept at brewing tea, or anything else that seems out of the ordinary, I would advise you to seek me out or someone else in the administrative sector. We need to document all the changes so we can find out the full extent of healing Humanity's Flaw. In the coming months, Jason and I will release a detailed report on our findings so that all humans can benefit from our research."
Phoebe pauses for a moment.
She clears her throat and assumes a much more serious expression.
"There is one last side-effect of curing the Flaw." She says. "It's only hypothesized at the moment, but we believe it may be of even greater significance than granting every human the chance to become a Hero..."
The audience falls silent. Everyone listens with rapt attention.
What could be even crazier than becoming a Hero?!
...................................
Elsewhere, on Tarus II, Belial and Rosalia hurry back to the Western Hospital atop the Upper Plateau.
Within a minute, they race into the hospital and down a hallway, where they find one of the human nurses standing beside a hospital bed, while Kiari thrashes around on it, rubbing her head and massaging her chest.
"Aargh!" Kiari cries. "Hurts! Oh devils, it hurrrts!"
"Kiari!" Belial exclaims, quickly darting to her side. "Where does it hurt?! I'm here to help!"
"Everywhere..." Kiari whines. "H-head, chest, stomach, even m-my butt! It all hurts! Feels... feels like there's a parasite eating me alive! Aaaugh!"
"A parasite?" Belial asks with a frown.
Rosalia's heart skips a beat, but she says nothing, only watching anxiously as an invisible question mark seems to coalesce above Belial's head.
"I faintly remember... didn't that one Emperor back then use parasites?" Belial mumbles to herself. "He implanted them in countless demons... but he's been dead for eons. It can't be him."
She quickly shakes her head, then returns her attention to Kiari. "Here, let me inspect you with my magic..."
Belial transmits a general purpose healing pulse into Kiari's body, greatly easing her pain.
After less than ten seconds, her eyes widen in shock.
"What! How... how is this even possible?" Belial gasps.
"Did you find the problem?" Rosalia asks, suddenly feeling nervous. "It's not some sort of a parasite... is it?"
"Well. Depending on... how you define a parasite... it could be called that." Belial mutters to Rosalia.
She turns to look at Kiari, who has calmed down somewhat thanks to the pain-reducing power of Belial's magic.
"Kiari. I don't know how this is possible but... somehow..."
She pauses.
"...you've become pregnant!"
Kiari doesn't immediately react. She looks at Belial in confusion.
"What? Pregnant? No... that isn't possible. Only Broodmothers can bear children. How could I...?"
"I don't know." Belial says helplessly. "I was under the impression demonesses didn't even have wombs. Somehow, in some way... a miracle has occurred."
Kiari looks at Belial for a few seconds, and the realization dawns on her that the Emperor of Passion is telling the truth.
The impossible has happened.
Kiari's eyes turn moist. She tentatively touches her belly, a look of awe on her face.
"I'm... I'm going to be a mother?"
...................................
"Through our experimentation, we have made a shocking discovery." Phoebe says, continuing from before. "The human genome is exceptionally powerful. It is a force of nature none of us knew could exist. The Human Flaw did not merely limit our ability to wield magic... it also limited our biology itself."
Her expression becomes focused.
"The human genome is frighteningly potent. It can overpower other genomes in ways my husband and I have only begun to discover. Our research has concluded that in the event of a cross-species mating attempt, if the human should impregnate or become impregnated by a non-human... the resulting child will have a 95% chance of being human when born."
Neil's eyes flicker with shock. This news completely catches him off-guard. Never did he imagine that the Hiros were holding back such a secret!
Revealing it now completely changes the dynamic of their debate!
"That isn't all." Phoebe continues. "As you are all aware, the human species is the shortest-lived of all Sentients. Haven't you always wondered why we humans barely make it to 100 years of age while the demons and various monster species are effectively immortal, or at least live far longer than us?"
She shakes her head.
"You might be thinking that fixing the Flaw will make our species immortal. No. It will not. But we have finally uncovered the reason for why we live such short lives. And the answer is unbelievable."
Phoebe pauses to build anticipation. She looks up at the sky, as if peering at the Psion hovering in the upper stratosphere, then she looks back down at her fellow humans.
"As it turns out, the human ability to assimilate in its natural form far eclipses the ability of any other Sentient species. Not just the monsters, not just the demons, but even the Volgrim too. With the flaw fixed, many of you will sudden come into possession of vastly swifter minds, bodies that can be trained at speeds far eclipsing your previous performance, and superhuman abilities we cannot even begin to comprehend!"
Phoebe stands up straighter than before, maintaining a proud posture.
"Neil was right when he said we should become fruitful and multiply our population! What he did NOT know is that we humans no longer need to stick strictly to ourselves! I imagine that soon, VERY soon, a wave of pregnant monsters and demons will begin appearing all across Tarus II! In fact, I'd bet good money many are already pregnant as I speak!"
...
The impact of Phoebe's words this time far eclipse everything she's previously said.
All across Tarus II, various succubi, various female monsters, and even a few female goblins gasp as they hear her words.
"Pregnant?" One succubi asks. "I... I've been with several human men recently! There's no way I'm pregnant, right??"
"This is great!" Another succubus chirps. "I've always been jealous of human women for getting to raise their own kids. Maybe I'll be a mother soon myself!"
A female Harpie covers her mouth with her wings as she blushes toward her human mate. "Th-that's why, for the past few days, I've been feeling..."
...
"Jason and I had a child not long after we met." Phoebe continues. "At the time, it all felt like things moved quickly, but now I know why. It's because Heroes like Jason innately lack the Human Flaw. They are powerful and effective reproducers, and soon all the men and women of our species will be like him. Repopulation will not be a problem so long as we stick together!"
Phoebe finally reaches the conclusion of her speech.
"That is why I must reject Neil's notion that humans and demons cannot intermingle. If we want to restore humanity's greatness, then our demon allies will be able to help us more than we imagined! We must stick together as one people! Humans, monsters, and demons alike! Together, we can create a better future not just for humanity, but for the entirety of the Milky Way! We can defeat the Plague, then spread love and peace across the cosmos!"
"Now, my fellow humans... who's with me?!"
Phoebe raises her fist in the air. In unison, nearly the entire theater of people join her!
Everyone rises from their seats, and a huge cheer erupts all across human-controlled space!
Not just the humans, but the monsters and demons as well! All of them feel well-represented, and as if they have not been excluded by the First Wordsmith and his wife. Unlike Neil, who seems to only spread disorder among species, Phoebe truly seems to have everyone's interests at heart, and that continues to make her more universally likable than her opponent.
As Phoebe stands in place, waiting for the crowd to finish their cheering, Neil slowly stands up. His eyelids flicker with annoyance as he realizes he has been played by the Wordsmith's Wife. Even with Hope's help, he did not realize the full extent of what fixing the Human Flaw could accomplish.
Now, he will have to change his strategy on the fly.
He approaches the podium to stand side-by-side with Phoebe, shooting her an emotionless glance that doesn't give away his inner thoughts.
"Good speech." He mutters.
"Thank you." Phoebe says, beaming a triumphant smile back at him.
The second phase of the debate will soon begin...
2024.04.28 21:17 8minitarantula8 Theyfabs amiright
I hate when those THEYFABS say they envy my ATROCIOUS androgynous features, they have no idea what it's like to be a binary trans and they're being transphobic!!! Obviously these people represent ALL OF THEM, these dumb attention seeking women need to stop invading trans men spaces!!!!!! What's the point of being trans if you don't want to fulfill every expectation? WDYM you don't nearly fit into being a man or woman??? Stop making shit up, you're making the rest of us uncomfortable and look bad to the cissies GOD PLEASE PICK ME!!!!!!!!!!!
/Uj While I believe that there should be spaces for binary trans people, for some reason so many jump to hating others in the community. Like just bc these people don't understand every aspect of the binary experience doesn't mean they're suddenly making their entire identity up! I have a enby gf (they/them, fem nouns) who I've known for 8 years and like... It's like sometimes they don't treat others like they're three dimensional people. I get being frustrated when people fail to grasp ur dysphoria but that's not a reason to hate the whole group. Ironically these people end up perpetuating the hatred they themselves face
submitted by 8minitarantula8 to transgendercirclejerk [link] [comments]
/Uj While I believe that there should be spaces for binary trans people, for some reason so many jump to hating others in the community. Like just bc these people don't understand every aspect of the binary experience doesn't mean they're suddenly making their entire identity up! I have a enby gf (they/them, fem nouns) who I've known for 8 years and like... It's like sometimes they don't treat others like they're three dimensional people. I get being frustrated when people fail to grasp ur dysphoria but that's not a reason to hate the whole group. Ironically these people end up perpetuating the hatred they themselves face
2024.04.28 21:16 Mindless-Action-7978 Please help me (25m) come to terms with why this ended and whether this is a rare case where I should contact her (22f) again in 4 months
So this girl (22f) was in one of my (25m) university classes 2 years ago, and I immediately thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, just absolutely gorgeous. Didn't think much of it because I was in a relationship at the time (which I ended a couple years later) and then when I was single again I decided I had nothing to lose with following & messaging this girl from my class on instagram. We had a ton in common, i'm very passionate about mountaineering & photography and she was very into hiking, she was a very talented athlete / played on the university team where I also played on university team, we were both into painting, running & working out, and also into videogames. It felt like we were the perfect match for each other. Our first date went really well, it was so easy to talk to each other and there was instant chemistry. She had such a strong joyfulness in her that was so infectious. But at the end of the date, she said she needed a bit of time to think about if she's ready to go on more dates because she had just recently gotten out of a 3-month relationship a month back and a relationship before that one that ended terribly. I thought that was a fine idea and appreciated her taking time to make sure she's ready, and I had also just ended a 3 year relationship (which i told her about and had lost feelings for my ex quite a while before I broke up with her). I let her be for a few weeks, then messaged her again to see if she would be interested in a second date. Our second date was the best date of my life, we met up early in the morning and went hiking to a nice view, shared really deep things about ourselves and felt like we already had such a deep connection. I've been in a 1.5 year relationship, a 3 year relationship, but have never felt something that felt as right and comfortable as I did with this girl. We then afterwards went to my favourite thai restaurant (she ended up skipping one of her classes because she wanted to keep spending time with me), and then eventually went back to my place and played mario and cards, and one thing lead to another and she slept over at my house (10/10 never felt so much chem), and then I made her breakfast in the morning. Our second date was over 24 hours long and I just felt like I was on top of the world with her, and could tell she felt the same. She said that she feels so safe and comfortable with me, and couldn't get tired of spending time with me even after 24 hours straight together. We decided we were going to take things really slow in terms of putting a label on us, so we continued going on dates and hanging out almost every day for about 4 weeks. She was the most encouraging person I had ever met, very often telling me she cared about me and how great of a man I am, how thoughtful I am, how attractive I am and that she really appreciates me. She said she had never been treated so well before. I bought her flowers and chocolate and would drop off food for her while she was studying. She actually cried of joy once when I wrote her a really nice card with some flowers (the exact types she said she liked) and chocolate, and was so unbelievably appreciative. She would bring me donuts and coffee while i was working sometimes, and bring ingredients over to cook dinners and we had many sleepovers together. Everything was going amazing, I had never been treated so well by a girl and it felt so easy to put into the relationship everything I could, it just felt so right and healthy. But then, she started having some mental issues, sobbing in front of me about issues with her best friend / roommate becoming distant & cold to her, issues with her crazy ex of 2 year relationship (who cheated on her with 2 underage girls and got in trouble with police for it). The pedophile ex was leaving bible verses about forgiveness and flowers on her car and shit, and kept appearing where she was on campus. I wanted to go talk to him and tell him off but the girl said I was the only person in her life not connected to drama with him and she wanted to keep it that way. A couple of her friends had continued being friends with her ex which made her feel very betrayed, and seemingly everyone in her campus life was connected to him one way or another, and she said I felt like an escape from that traumatic situation. And on top of that, she was very stressed out by her heavy course-load. She was also supposed to be finding a place off-campus to live the next year with her best friend, but they were having issues in their friendship. She started coming over less and not answering texts as often and felt very different from her normal self and she started going to counselling too. I was as supportive as I could possibly be and she was so appreciative of me, but I could tell she was struggling. I would be there while she would cry and vent and listen and talk her through it all, calm her down. She said that she feels so much better when she's with me, but feels so bad that she's relying on me. Then she started bringing up a few times that she wants to talk about "what we are", so one day when we were having a picnic at a park she brings it up and I say some really nice things and that I really want to become official when she's ready. She says that she wants me to make it a special moment when I ask her to be official and she seems very happy and excited about it all. Then, from this point on, she becomes very scarce, taking a whole day to answer texts sometimes, only being able to hang out about once or twice a week for short periods. One night when she was over, she asked, "how do you have so much to give in this relationship? You're amazing. I wish so badly I could give the same but I'm struggling mentally right now and so stressed about school and other things. I'm scared of hurting you because of how I am right now." I assured her that I fully understand that there's periods where one can give more than the other, and I just want to be there to help her through what she's going through.
She also was supposed to be back with her parents for the summer after school ended, 4 hours away from where I live, as she had summer work lined up there, which we already talked about and were okay doing mostly long distance until she's back in september. We wouldn't be able to see each other often though because she worked on weekends, and i work mon-fri.
At the end of march, she went home to visit parents for 4 days to get away from everything causing her stress. I didn't hear much from her while she was gone, but when she came back, she asked if we could talk. She drove over, and said some things "i've been very distant for the last while and I am really sorry, you deserve so much better. I like you and you have all the qualities I want in a man. I feel frustrated that I can't give in the relationship right now because of my mental struggles. You have been so thoughtful and encouraging and giving so much, and I appreciate it so much, and I usually can give a lot myself in a relationship. I feel guilty that I am relying on you so much for my wellbeing right now. I think I need to be single and spend time getting myself out of these mental struggles on my own without relying on someone else. The next girl you end up with is going to be so lucky to have you"
I told her some things like "I feel really bad about what you are going through, but I don't want another girl, I just want to be there to help you through and make this relationship work. You have made me feel so special, I finally felt like I found someone who treats me so well. But if this is what's best for you, I am not going to try to change your mind. I will be sad, but I will be okay. I am not mad at you and I will not hold anything against you. Don't doubt in yourself, I know you are going to excel finishing off the semester, you are so intelligent and hard-working. In these hard times is when you will learn the most about yourself and I know you will get out of this rut at some point and have gained so much wisdom through it all."
She then teary-eyed said "thank you for everything you have done for me. You have been so mature and understanding through everything. You are truly amazing and so intelligent and I appreciate all the encouragement and support you have given me, it has helped me so much."
I then said,"do you think we could try again in the future when you are feeling better, after summer when you're back?"
She said "i don't know. I don't want you to be waiting for me."
I said "I won't be hung up on you. But send me a text if you are feeling better in the new semester."
She said "okay" with a smile on her face.
We hugged and said our goodbyes. It's been a month now, I haven't messaged her but think about her often, throughout every day. I miss her tremendously, but I am still able to have fun in life and hanging out with friends, working out and following passions. So I'm glad I'm not totally messed up, I just simply miss her a lot. We still follow each other on social media and she watches all my stories, almost instantly after I post them seemingly when previously she was rarely on her phone, which likely means absolutely nothing but. I'm trying to kill the hope that is still lingering in me for my own mental wellbeing, but can't help myself but think about trying to reach out to her in 4 months when she's back to see how she's doing and if we can try again. She said when she was breaking up with me that she likes me and I have all the qualities she wants in a man, so I feel like I have a chance still if the stars align... but I am also open to other options and meeting other girls when I am healed up. But damn do I miss her.
Do you think she simply wasn't interested in me anymore and her reason for breaking up was a cover-up? Or do you think she simply had way too much going on in her life causing mental issues, and she just needed to escape everything and reset, build herself back up to normal while spending time back with her parents 4 hours away for the summer.
submitted by Mindless-Action-7978 to BreakUps [link] [comments]
She also was supposed to be back with her parents for the summer after school ended, 4 hours away from where I live, as she had summer work lined up there, which we already talked about and were okay doing mostly long distance until she's back in september. We wouldn't be able to see each other often though because she worked on weekends, and i work mon-fri.
At the end of march, she went home to visit parents for 4 days to get away from everything causing her stress. I didn't hear much from her while she was gone, but when she came back, she asked if we could talk. She drove over, and said some things "i've been very distant for the last while and I am really sorry, you deserve so much better. I like you and you have all the qualities I want in a man. I feel frustrated that I can't give in the relationship right now because of my mental struggles. You have been so thoughtful and encouraging and giving so much, and I appreciate it so much, and I usually can give a lot myself in a relationship. I feel guilty that I am relying on you so much for my wellbeing right now. I think I need to be single and spend time getting myself out of these mental struggles on my own without relying on someone else. The next girl you end up with is going to be so lucky to have you"
I told her some things like "I feel really bad about what you are going through, but I don't want another girl, I just want to be there to help you through and make this relationship work. You have made me feel so special, I finally felt like I found someone who treats me so well. But if this is what's best for you, I am not going to try to change your mind. I will be sad, but I will be okay. I am not mad at you and I will not hold anything against you. Don't doubt in yourself, I know you are going to excel finishing off the semester, you are so intelligent and hard-working. In these hard times is when you will learn the most about yourself and I know you will get out of this rut at some point and have gained so much wisdom through it all."
She then teary-eyed said "thank you for everything you have done for me. You have been so mature and understanding through everything. You are truly amazing and so intelligent and I appreciate all the encouragement and support you have given me, it has helped me so much."
I then said,"do you think we could try again in the future when you are feeling better, after summer when you're back?"
She said "i don't know. I don't want you to be waiting for me."
I said "I won't be hung up on you. But send me a text if you are feeling better in the new semester."
She said "okay" with a smile on her face.
We hugged and said our goodbyes. It's been a month now, I haven't messaged her but think about her often, throughout every day. I miss her tremendously, but I am still able to have fun in life and hanging out with friends, working out and following passions. So I'm glad I'm not totally messed up, I just simply miss her a lot. We still follow each other on social media and she watches all my stories, almost instantly after I post them seemingly when previously she was rarely on her phone, which likely means absolutely nothing but. I'm trying to kill the hope that is still lingering in me for my own mental wellbeing, but can't help myself but think about trying to reach out to her in 4 months when she's back to see how she's doing and if we can try again. She said when she was breaking up with me that she likes me and I have all the qualities she wants in a man, so I feel like I have a chance still if the stars align... but I am also open to other options and meeting other girls when I am healed up. But damn do I miss her.
Do you think she simply wasn't interested in me anymore and her reason for breaking up was a cover-up? Or do you think she simply had way too much going on in her life causing mental issues, and she just needed to escape everything and reset, build herself back up to normal while spending time back with her parents 4 hours away for the summer.
2024.04.28 21:15 ThrowRAFruitSalad5 I (30M) recently single after a 12 years relationship, have been set up with a coworker (26F). Help, i'm lost.
Hello, I apologize in advance this will be a VERY long text, and I’m not a native English speaker First a bit of context about me:
I (30M) have separated from my ex-girlfriend (30F) a year ago, as she left for Japan for 6 month, then 9, then never to return again. We had been together for 13 years. Over this year I’ve reached the lowest point of my life, until I, and her I guess, progressively understood we had no future together. I drowned myself into work and relied on close friends and eventually started to feel a bit better.
Two month ago she finally came back to have a last talk with me and the rest of her family, she took back some of her belongings but ultimately left me to deal with the remnants of our past life.
Today I live alone, progressively digging through our things and packing what’s Her’s t for her mother to take away sometime next month (we live far away and both of us work). Most of my friends are work colleagues.
Now for the actual thing I need advice about:
A month ago, while I was working at my desk besides two close colleague-friends, a lab technician (26F), came to one of them to ask for their approval about a problem she had. I was absorbed by my own work, but was more or less aware of their conversation. I made a snarky comment about her situation (nothing offensive). My colleagues laughed and so did she. I lifted my eyes from my screen and was taken by surprise by how beautiful she was. I gazed at her for a second or so until I collected my spirits. I don’t think she could tell, but my friends / colleagues, who know me very well, noticed my interest, and poked me about it for the next hour or so. I never thought I would see her again as I left for a two week holyday back to my family.
When I got back, I had almost forgotten about this encounter, but my colleagues had not ,and in the meantime, they had established she was single and they involved her manager (yeah I know this is borderline unethical) to make us meet again: Me and my colleagues all have the same job, but we have our preferred domains. The beautiful lab technician’s work doesn’t normally fall into my perimeter, though I am perfectly able to deal with it.
One of my colleagues asked me to take care of a small matter in their name, I accepted but still enquired about why they needed me to, as things have been a bit slow lately. I noticed they were hiding something from me and pressed on. They finally explained me that they set this up with her manager so we would meet again. I’m a bit of a straight arrow so I was slightly angry at first but eventually accepted because : A- She was unaware and wouldn’t feel uneasy about the situation B- I would most likely end up thinking she was stupid (yes, I’m also a bit of an arrogant asshole, and very few people find grace in my eyes) which would end this nonsense. C- I am a mere mortal, and wanted to see her again
The meeting came on, and it went good, I’m now aware that she also is smart and funny. More problems for me I guess, but I didn’t intend to do anything more for the time being. She had been nice and friendly, we even lost our subject for a bit and talked about other things. That’s when things go south: When she came back from the meeting, her manager spilled the beans. One of my conspirator colleagues spoke with her, and she told them that she had a bit of second thoughts about it (you don’t say?? Playing matchmaker for one of your subordinates?) and they were told two things: A- The beautiful lab tech was told BEFORE our meeting that I might have a crush on her and still came and acted friendly and nice towards me. B- She was not taken aback by her manager’s revelation, did not exhibit anything that would suggest she’s angry (and we had every right to be in my eyes)
And here I stand now, wondering what to do. I feel like I should apologize to her, and still ask her out. PS: This event happened on Friday morning. On Friday afternoon, a girl I don’t know and has no reason to, checked my linkedin (nobody ever does except head hunters), I found out they are the same age from the same school…
PPS: I am not, in anyway a hierarchic superior of the beautiful lab tech. i just represent some kind of authority over most decisions and people have to seek my approval in many matters.
Help me please. I really don’t want to fuck this up, i really feel like getting to know her a bit better over a date, but it feels like i'm not entirely ready. Give me advice on my next step please.
submitted by ThrowRAFruitSalad5 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
I (30M) have separated from my ex-girlfriend (30F) a year ago, as she left for Japan for 6 month, then 9, then never to return again. We had been together for 13 years. Over this year I’ve reached the lowest point of my life, until I, and her I guess, progressively understood we had no future together. I drowned myself into work and relied on close friends and eventually started to feel a bit better.
Two month ago she finally came back to have a last talk with me and the rest of her family, she took back some of her belongings but ultimately left me to deal with the remnants of our past life.
Today I live alone, progressively digging through our things and packing what’s Her’s t for her mother to take away sometime next month (we live far away and both of us work). Most of my friends are work colleagues.
Now for the actual thing I need advice about:
A month ago, while I was working at my desk besides two close colleague-friends, a lab technician (26F), came to one of them to ask for their approval about a problem she had. I was absorbed by my own work, but was more or less aware of their conversation. I made a snarky comment about her situation (nothing offensive). My colleagues laughed and so did she. I lifted my eyes from my screen and was taken by surprise by how beautiful she was. I gazed at her for a second or so until I collected my spirits. I don’t think she could tell, but my friends / colleagues, who know me very well, noticed my interest, and poked me about it for the next hour or so. I never thought I would see her again as I left for a two week holyday back to my family.
When I got back, I had almost forgotten about this encounter, but my colleagues had not ,and in the meantime, they had established she was single and they involved her manager (yeah I know this is borderline unethical) to make us meet again: Me and my colleagues all have the same job, but we have our preferred domains. The beautiful lab technician’s work doesn’t normally fall into my perimeter, though I am perfectly able to deal with it.
One of my colleagues asked me to take care of a small matter in their name, I accepted but still enquired about why they needed me to, as things have been a bit slow lately. I noticed they were hiding something from me and pressed on. They finally explained me that they set this up with her manager so we would meet again. I’m a bit of a straight arrow so I was slightly angry at first but eventually accepted because : A- She was unaware and wouldn’t feel uneasy about the situation B- I would most likely end up thinking she was stupid (yes, I’m also a bit of an arrogant asshole, and very few people find grace in my eyes) which would end this nonsense. C- I am a mere mortal, and wanted to see her again
The meeting came on, and it went good, I’m now aware that she also is smart and funny. More problems for me I guess, but I didn’t intend to do anything more for the time being. She had been nice and friendly, we even lost our subject for a bit and talked about other things. That’s when things go south: When she came back from the meeting, her manager spilled the beans. One of my conspirator colleagues spoke with her, and she told them that she had a bit of second thoughts about it (you don’t say?? Playing matchmaker for one of your subordinates?) and they were told two things: A- The beautiful lab tech was told BEFORE our meeting that I might have a crush on her and still came and acted friendly and nice towards me. B- She was not taken aback by her manager’s revelation, did not exhibit anything that would suggest she’s angry (and we had every right to be in my eyes)
And here I stand now, wondering what to do. I feel like I should apologize to her, and still ask her out. PS: This event happened on Friday morning. On Friday afternoon, a girl I don’t know and has no reason to, checked my linkedin (nobody ever does except head hunters), I found out they are the same age from the same school…
PPS: I am not, in anyway a hierarchic superior of the beautiful lab tech. i just represent some kind of authority over most decisions and people have to seek my approval in many matters.
Help me please. I really don’t want to fuck this up, i really feel like getting to know her a bit better over a date, but it feels like i'm not entirely ready. Give me advice on my next step please.
2024.04.28 21:14 JiminyCrisis Obesity has ruined my life and alcohol is a huge factor. I NEED to be done with it but I don’t know if I’m strong enough.
Context: I am a single mother, in my thirties.
I cannot stand myself and the way that I just don’t care about anything. I fear I can’t change. I want to deep down but when it comes to facing the habits, temptation always takes over. That goes for food and booze. I’ve been “trying” to lose weight for YEARS. Almost ALL of my life. I know how to count calories but just can’t stick to it. Now with alcohol. I’m “trying” to cut back but then whoops — there goes another bottle.
This past week I’ve finally decided to choose the belief that will actually help me change - I can’t handle moderation. I can’t control my alcohol intake.
Alcohol hasn’t ruined my life in typical ways. Never was violent, never broke the law, never got behind the wheel of a vehicle drunk. In fact the only person I’ve hurt is myself. And my daughter, just by the sheer fact that I fail to set a good example to her.
But mostly me. I have blown up to 340 pounds. That is the damage alcohol has contributed to. Probably my liver too, I don’t know. For the first time in my life I missed a period. It’s been two months without one and previously it’s come every month like clockwork. I’ve destroyed my body and it just gets worse and worse.
My strict religious upbringing meant I was sheltered from alcohol. So when I finally tried it at the ripe age of 24, it was exciting. I thought being drunk was the funnest thing ever. Clearly I was not allowed to have much fun as a kid because now alcohol is my go to for fun and relaxation.
From there I just never stopped, it’s been 8 years of alcohol abuse now. I would buy a bottle every weekend and take straight shots until I was absolutely annihilated. That meant I surrounded myself with people willing to do the same and eventually ended up pregnant by a man who hurt me deeply with mental abuse and cheating. (Because he was also an addict who couldn’t take accountability.) I thought I was the responsible one in the relationship but I was just codependent. Over time I have come to see that I am just as unaccountable as I thought he was, the only difference is that the damage I do is to myself.
I was 230 pounds when I got pregnant by that guy and the doctor said I should be losing weight during pregnancy since I was already obese. Well, that didn’t happen. (It was easy to stay sober for the pregnancy. Just like it’s easy to stay sober when I need to - at work, around family, while driving. Since I can compartmentalize, I told myself I don’t have a problem.)
ANYWAY, after the baby I was 270 pounds. I figured it would come off over time. But this was 2020. I was still reeling from my relationship and new reality as a single parent to an infant, and COVID on top of it? I immediately went back to drinking.
I lived with family and would hide the empty bottles, my excuse being they were too religious and would kick me out, but also a part of it was my own shame in drinking so much. As a heavy girl, a few shots does nothing to me. So I can really put it down. I can drink a whole fifth at this point, being at my highest weight ever.
Anyway the reality of single parenting took over and every time I saw my weight I was mortified but it only ever went up and up. Hit 300 pounds and was beyond disgusted. Hit 320 and thought surely I can’t get worse. And here I am now at 340, still trying to make excuses for myself to drink. I am going to die if I don’t change. Not because of alcohol poisoning. But because of the way I can consume calories with it. I can eat so much when I’m drunk. And I DoorDash a ton because I’m lazy as hell. I still overeat sober but nothing like when I’m home alone and drunk.
A week ago I got a calorie counting app because I had to face another fact - I don’t understand how much I’m eating if I don’t analyze what’s going in my mouth. That’s how I got to this size. My dumb ass thought I could factor booze into this calorie counting. The first week of tracking, I pre-measured the booze into a separate glass and told myself that was it for the night. 500 calories worth of vodka. But after drinking my allotted amount, I was drunk enough to say fuck it and finish the bottle.
I’ve been deluding myself so SO hard my entire life.
Another excuse I’ve been using is that the term “alcoholic” is fake, since substance abuse is on a spectrum. And therefore it’s not who I am. But maybe right now it’s more helpful to identify as an alcoholic. I know that’s controversial. But how else am I going to feel enough shame to change.
I wish I cared more about myself. I wish I didn’t come home from work every day and just hide. Alcohol is just a way for me to avoid reality. Same with food. Same with scrolling on my phone. Take these things away and I’m just left with silence.
Yeah, I have my kid and I love her more than anything in this universe. But I can’t get all my needs met through a child. So here I am still fucking myself up. I want to change for her and for myself. I just don’t know how to feel better at home.
I have had so many instances in the past several months where I tell myself I’m done with alcohol for a while, and I end up having a mental battle with myself in the car that always ends up with me driving to the liquor store. I had maybe one time when I put mind over matter and skipped the liquor store. I felt good about myself in that instance but it’s so hard to resist. That’s what I’m afraid of, acknowledging this problem and still not being able to resist it.
I’m an adult with a car and money, I should have the self control to say no but those things enable me to say fuck it. The more money I have, the more booze I buy. And the more food I buy. I got a nice tax return plus a bonus from work that I wanted to invest, and what did I do? Blew it all. I’m so angry at myself for that.
Why am I like this? What is so broken in me that I am this lazy and neglectful? Yeah I’ve got some nutso religious parents, but none of my siblings have this issue with their weight. Just me.
And yes I know I need therapy. Been there and done that, and I can’t sustain it financially. I can blow $20 every week on a bottle and that seems to be my mental relief. But please don’t tell me therapy as if I haven’t already heard of it.
I hate this body and mind I was born with, it feels like a prison. I want to change. I hope that admitting these things to myself is an important step.
submitted by JiminyCrisis to offmychest [link] [comments]
I cannot stand myself and the way that I just don’t care about anything. I fear I can’t change. I want to deep down but when it comes to facing the habits, temptation always takes over. That goes for food and booze. I’ve been “trying” to lose weight for YEARS. Almost ALL of my life. I know how to count calories but just can’t stick to it. Now with alcohol. I’m “trying” to cut back but then whoops — there goes another bottle.
This past week I’ve finally decided to choose the belief that will actually help me change - I can’t handle moderation. I can’t control my alcohol intake.
Alcohol hasn’t ruined my life in typical ways. Never was violent, never broke the law, never got behind the wheel of a vehicle drunk. In fact the only person I’ve hurt is myself. And my daughter, just by the sheer fact that I fail to set a good example to her.
But mostly me. I have blown up to 340 pounds. That is the damage alcohol has contributed to. Probably my liver too, I don’t know. For the first time in my life I missed a period. It’s been two months without one and previously it’s come every month like clockwork. I’ve destroyed my body and it just gets worse and worse.
My strict religious upbringing meant I was sheltered from alcohol. So when I finally tried it at the ripe age of 24, it was exciting. I thought being drunk was the funnest thing ever. Clearly I was not allowed to have much fun as a kid because now alcohol is my go to for fun and relaxation.
From there I just never stopped, it’s been 8 years of alcohol abuse now. I would buy a bottle every weekend and take straight shots until I was absolutely annihilated. That meant I surrounded myself with people willing to do the same and eventually ended up pregnant by a man who hurt me deeply with mental abuse and cheating. (Because he was also an addict who couldn’t take accountability.) I thought I was the responsible one in the relationship but I was just codependent. Over time I have come to see that I am just as unaccountable as I thought he was, the only difference is that the damage I do is to myself.
I was 230 pounds when I got pregnant by that guy and the doctor said I should be losing weight during pregnancy since I was already obese. Well, that didn’t happen. (It was easy to stay sober for the pregnancy. Just like it’s easy to stay sober when I need to - at work, around family, while driving. Since I can compartmentalize, I told myself I don’t have a problem.)
ANYWAY, after the baby I was 270 pounds. I figured it would come off over time. But this was 2020. I was still reeling from my relationship and new reality as a single parent to an infant, and COVID on top of it? I immediately went back to drinking.
I lived with family and would hide the empty bottles, my excuse being they were too religious and would kick me out, but also a part of it was my own shame in drinking so much. As a heavy girl, a few shots does nothing to me. So I can really put it down. I can drink a whole fifth at this point, being at my highest weight ever.
Anyway the reality of single parenting took over and every time I saw my weight I was mortified but it only ever went up and up. Hit 300 pounds and was beyond disgusted. Hit 320 and thought surely I can’t get worse. And here I am now at 340, still trying to make excuses for myself to drink. I am going to die if I don’t change. Not because of alcohol poisoning. But because of the way I can consume calories with it. I can eat so much when I’m drunk. And I DoorDash a ton because I’m lazy as hell. I still overeat sober but nothing like when I’m home alone and drunk.
A week ago I got a calorie counting app because I had to face another fact - I don’t understand how much I’m eating if I don’t analyze what’s going in my mouth. That’s how I got to this size. My dumb ass thought I could factor booze into this calorie counting. The first week of tracking, I pre-measured the booze into a separate glass and told myself that was it for the night. 500 calories worth of vodka. But after drinking my allotted amount, I was drunk enough to say fuck it and finish the bottle.
I’ve been deluding myself so SO hard my entire life.
Another excuse I’ve been using is that the term “alcoholic” is fake, since substance abuse is on a spectrum. And therefore it’s not who I am. But maybe right now it’s more helpful to identify as an alcoholic. I know that’s controversial. But how else am I going to feel enough shame to change.
I wish I cared more about myself. I wish I didn’t come home from work every day and just hide. Alcohol is just a way for me to avoid reality. Same with food. Same with scrolling on my phone. Take these things away and I’m just left with silence.
Yeah, I have my kid and I love her more than anything in this universe. But I can’t get all my needs met through a child. So here I am still fucking myself up. I want to change for her and for myself. I just don’t know how to feel better at home.
I have had so many instances in the past several months where I tell myself I’m done with alcohol for a while, and I end up having a mental battle with myself in the car that always ends up with me driving to the liquor store. I had maybe one time when I put mind over matter and skipped the liquor store. I felt good about myself in that instance but it’s so hard to resist. That’s what I’m afraid of, acknowledging this problem and still not being able to resist it.
I’m an adult with a car and money, I should have the self control to say no but those things enable me to say fuck it. The more money I have, the more booze I buy. And the more food I buy. I got a nice tax return plus a bonus from work that I wanted to invest, and what did I do? Blew it all. I’m so angry at myself for that.
Why am I like this? What is so broken in me that I am this lazy and neglectful? Yeah I’ve got some nutso religious parents, but none of my siblings have this issue with their weight. Just me.
And yes I know I need therapy. Been there and done that, and I can’t sustain it financially. I can blow $20 every week on a bottle and that seems to be my mental relief. But please don’t tell me therapy as if I haven’t already heard of it.
I hate this body and mind I was born with, it feels like a prison. I want to change. I hope that admitting these things to myself is an important step.
2024.04.28 21:14 GoldenTNT1987 AITJ For Not Wanting to be Friends with Someone who Lied about Almost Dying just for Attention? TL;DR
So I have a friend, who I shall refer to as Sarah (that's not her real name) and another i shall name Karly (that's also not her real name).
Karly is best friends with Sarah, and Sarah often spends time at Karly's house. since Karly has a bunch of siblings, Sarah helps out with the brothers too. when I first met Sarah, she was fairly nice, but something felt off. you see, my mother went through hell and back and because so gifted me with the oh so powerful gift of something i like to call "Vibe-Check". if i feel like somethings off about the person, their Vibe-check report will be at stake. and in this case, Sarah was at risk of not passing the vibe check.
you see, we are high school at this time, so smoking is kind of common amongst the students. when I used to sit with Sarah at lunch (we had a section where we could eat outside) she would often smoke, or in this case, use a vape. I didn't mind it since she wouldn't try to force me to smoke or anything and it's her life, she can do what she wants. that is until one day she says she'll stop smoking. again, fine by me, it's her life. but, a few days later, I go over to Karly's house and we're chilling in her room when Karly and I get up to go get some snacks. Karly uses the restroom really quickly, and so I head back to the room by myself, snacks in hand.
now a thing about Karly's place is that she is the eldest out of all her brothers, and two of her brothers are toddlers and would often walk into Karly's room when they are left to play.
anyways, I walk in and Sarah is Vaping with the windows closed and the door cracked open. I was confused, since not even a few days ago she said she stopped smoking. she said she just needed to get the edge off because of her family. (quick side note, she had no family problems. I know this because of my mothers coworker, which will later be explained in the story AND I have went over there before.) I then quickly ask her to put it away because of the toddlers and the fact that none of the windows were open. she does and that was the end of that.
I would've brushed it off if it wasn't for something that happened that made me so ticked off I can't look at Sarah the same.
so a year after that, I was sitting inside at a lunch table and peacefully eating my sandwich, when Karly comes towards my table with her lunch, looking visibly upset. I put down my lunch and ask what's wrong, and Karly explains that Sarah was in the hospital for liver failure and told Karly she had a 75% chance of dying. Karly breaks down and I try my best to comfort her, trying to reassure Sarah that she will be alright. again, my make-shift Spidey senses were starting to tingle, and i sensed something wasn't right.
now my mother at the time worked with Sarah's older sister, Ray (that's not her real name) at a coffee shop. when I came home that day and explained to my mother what happened, my mother said that was weird, since Sarah visited the coffee shop that day, looking completely fine. confused, I asked for more details and my mother informed me Sarah was indeed fine, and that Ray just had a liver biopsy.
you can imagine how ticked off i was.
not only did Sarah lie about being on the edge of death, but she worried Karly to the point of her breaking down.
so I texted Sarah and asked her how she was feeling (this was two days after she told Karly about her "liver damage"). this was the following message.
Me: hey, Sarah, how was your day?
Sarah: hey OP, it was fine. yours?
Me: it was decent. hey, I heard from Karly you were in the hospital for something to do with your liver. are you ok?
Sarah: yeah, I'm fine.
Me: good, good. when did you get out?
Sarah: a day ago.
.... yeah. I was beyond ticked. Karly was one of my best friends, and Sarah is taking advantage of her kindness and empathy? nuh uh. I went off, but I won't say what I said cause I used... VERY colorful language.
after that, Sarah acted like nothing happened. she still smokes and makes up small lies that don't even matter. Karly is still friends with Sarah, and I can't look at Sarah the same. I still can't forgive her and even if i had to, i can't. she hurt one of my dearest friends and until I see some change I find it hard to even think of her as the same sweet person I thought. next month is Karly's B-Day party and Sarah is invited along with me being invited as well. I am seriously on the fence about going or not because Karly is seriously one of my dearest friends. if I don't go, will i be the jerk? or have I been the jerk all along? what should i do?
submitted by GoldenTNT1987 to AmITheJerk [link] [comments]
Karly is best friends with Sarah, and Sarah often spends time at Karly's house. since Karly has a bunch of siblings, Sarah helps out with the brothers too. when I first met Sarah, she was fairly nice, but something felt off. you see, my mother went through hell and back and because so gifted me with the oh so powerful gift of something i like to call "Vibe-Check". if i feel like somethings off about the person, their Vibe-check report will be at stake. and in this case, Sarah was at risk of not passing the vibe check.
you see, we are high school at this time, so smoking is kind of common amongst the students. when I used to sit with Sarah at lunch (we had a section where we could eat outside) she would often smoke, or in this case, use a vape. I didn't mind it since she wouldn't try to force me to smoke or anything and it's her life, she can do what she wants. that is until one day she says she'll stop smoking. again, fine by me, it's her life. but, a few days later, I go over to Karly's house and we're chilling in her room when Karly and I get up to go get some snacks. Karly uses the restroom really quickly, and so I head back to the room by myself, snacks in hand.
now a thing about Karly's place is that she is the eldest out of all her brothers, and two of her brothers are toddlers and would often walk into Karly's room when they are left to play.
anyways, I walk in and Sarah is Vaping with the windows closed and the door cracked open. I was confused, since not even a few days ago she said she stopped smoking. she said she just needed to get the edge off because of her family. (quick side note, she had no family problems. I know this because of my mothers coworker, which will later be explained in the story AND I have went over there before.) I then quickly ask her to put it away because of the toddlers and the fact that none of the windows were open. she does and that was the end of that.
I would've brushed it off if it wasn't for something that happened that made me so ticked off I can't look at Sarah the same.
so a year after that, I was sitting inside at a lunch table and peacefully eating my sandwich, when Karly comes towards my table with her lunch, looking visibly upset. I put down my lunch and ask what's wrong, and Karly explains that Sarah was in the hospital for liver failure and told Karly she had a 75% chance of dying. Karly breaks down and I try my best to comfort her, trying to reassure Sarah that she will be alright. again, my make-shift Spidey senses were starting to tingle, and i sensed something wasn't right.
now my mother at the time worked with Sarah's older sister, Ray (that's not her real name) at a coffee shop. when I came home that day and explained to my mother what happened, my mother said that was weird, since Sarah visited the coffee shop that day, looking completely fine. confused, I asked for more details and my mother informed me Sarah was indeed fine, and that Ray just had a liver biopsy.
you can imagine how ticked off i was.
not only did Sarah lie about being on the edge of death, but she worried Karly to the point of her breaking down.
so I texted Sarah and asked her how she was feeling (this was two days after she told Karly about her "liver damage"). this was the following message.
Me: hey, Sarah, how was your day?
Sarah: hey OP, it was fine. yours?
Me: it was decent. hey, I heard from Karly you were in the hospital for something to do with your liver. are you ok?
Sarah: yeah, I'm fine.
Me: good, good. when did you get out?
Sarah: a day ago.
.... yeah. I was beyond ticked. Karly was one of my best friends, and Sarah is taking advantage of her kindness and empathy? nuh uh. I went off, but I won't say what I said cause I used... VERY colorful language.
after that, Sarah acted like nothing happened. she still smokes and makes up small lies that don't even matter. Karly is still friends with Sarah, and I can't look at Sarah the same. I still can't forgive her and even if i had to, i can't. she hurt one of my dearest friends and until I see some change I find it hard to even think of her as the same sweet person I thought. next month is Karly's B-Day party and Sarah is invited along with me being invited as well. I am seriously on the fence about going or not because Karly is seriously one of my dearest friends. if I don't go, will i be the jerk? or have I been the jerk all along? what should i do?
2024.04.28 21:14 catalingpc Hi everyone, virgin media/o2 issue.
I’ve been with virgin media for a wee while ,they provide my wi-fi , last saturday I went and added an o2 sim as I want to switch from vodafone and it gives me an internet speed boost,so I’ve added the sim, the direct debit for the new sim card, been told 7to 10 days to get my sim and the boost, friday got the e’mail to say my boost it’s on,then got an e’mail to make an id with o2,done that,then it was another e’mail saying they’ve canceled my sim because my e’mail was already registered with o2(I have never been with o2 before) ,so I went on the online chat with them 1:40 then on the phone till 4:30 ,on the chat I was being told I need to make a new order all together ,we did,took about 1h20 min,then when to set all the direct debit the links I was sent wouldn’t work,so I decided to phone about 3,after getting passed between virgin media and o2 , I was told to provide another email address,I did, then the guy said I will phone u bk meanwhile make another e’mail address (3rd) , then after he phones and provided the 3rd e-mail address he says ,could you make an g’mail address pls? It was 4:30 at this point at which I’ve responded with no . I got a text today from o2 : Just letting you know your payment method has been changed to One Time. This means you will need to make payment of your monthly bill manually. You can do this using MYO2 or by calling 202. Didn't request this change or you wish to reinstate your Direct Debit? Call us on 202 (free from your mobile). I am soo confused,and my anxiety is over the roof to contact them again🙈
submitted by catalingpc to VirginMedia [link] [comments]
2024.04.28 21:14 Mindless-Action-7978 Please help me (25m) come to terms with why this ended and whether this is a rare case where I should contact her (22f) again in 4 months
So this girl (22f) was in one of my (25m) university classes 2 years ago, and I immediately thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, just absolutely gorgeous. Didn't think much of it because I was in a relationship at the time (which I ended a couple years later) and then when I was single again I decided I had nothing to lose with following & messaging this girl from my class on instagram. We had a ton in common, i'm very passionate about mountaineering & photography and she was very into hiking, she was a very talented athlete / played on the university team where I also played on university team, we were both into painting, running & working out, and also into videogames. It felt like we were the perfect match for each other. Our first date went really well, it was so easy to talk to each other and there was instant chemistry. She had such a strong joyfulness in her that was so infectious. But at the end of the date, she said she needed a bit of time to think about if she's ready to go on more dates because she had just recently gotten out of a 3-month relationship a month back and a relationship before that one that ended terribly. I thought that was a fine idea and appreciated her taking time to make sure she's ready, and I had also just ended a 3 year relationship (which i told her about and had lost feelings for my ex quite a while before I broke up with her). I let her be for a few weeks, then messaged her again to see if she would be interested in a second date. Our second date was the best date of my life, we met up early in the morning and went hiking to a nice view, shared really deep things about ourselves and felt like we already had such a deep connection. I've been in a 1.5 year relationship, a 3 year relationship, but have never felt something that felt as right and comfortable as I did with this girl. We then afterwards went to my favourite thai restaurant (she ended up skipping one of her classes because she wanted to keep spending time with me), and then eventually went back to my place and played mario and cards, and one thing lead to another and she slept over at my house (10/10 never felt so much chem), and then I made her breakfast in the morning. Our second date was over 24 hours long and I just felt like I was on top of the world with her, and could tell she felt the same. She said that she feels so safe and comfortable with me, and couldn't get tired of spending time with me even after 24 hours straight together. We decided we were going to take things really slow in terms of putting a label on us, so we continued going on dates and hanging out almost every day for about 4 weeks. She was the most encouraging person I had ever met, very often telling me she cared about me and how great of a man I am, how thoughtful I am, how attractive I am and that she really appreciates me. She said she had never been treated so well before. I bought her flowers and chocolate and would drop off food for her while she was studying. She actually cried of joy once when I wrote her a really nice card with some flowers (the exact types she said she liked) and chocolate, and was so unbelievably appreciative. She would bring me donuts and coffee while i was working sometimes, and bring ingredients over to cook dinners and we had many sleepovers together. Everything was going amazing, I had never been treated so well by a girl and it felt so easy to put into the relationship everything I could, it just felt so right and healthy. But then, she started having some mental issues, sobbing in front of me about issues with her best friend / roommate becoming distant & cold to her, issues with her crazy ex of 2 year relationship (who cheated on her with 2 underage girls and got in trouble with police for it). The pedophile ex was leaving bible verses about forgiveness and flowers on her car and shit, and kept appearing where she was on campus. I wanted to go talk to him and tell him off but the girl said I was the only person in her life not connected to drama with him and she wanted to keep it that way. A couple of her friends had continued being friends with her ex which made her feel very betrayed, and seemingly everyone in her campus life was connected to him one way or another, and she said I felt like an escape from that traumatic situation. And on top of that, she was very stressed out by her heavy course-load. She was also supposed to be finding a place off-campus to live the next year with her best friend, but they were having issues in their friendship. She started coming over less and not answering texts as often and felt very different from her normal self and she started going to counselling too. I was as supportive as I could possibly be and she was so appreciative of me, but I could tell she was struggling. I would be there while she would cry and vent and listen and talk her through it all, calm her down. She said that she feels so much better when she's with me, but feels so bad that she's relying on me. Then she started bringing up a few times that she wants to talk about "what we are", so one day when we were having a picnic at a park she brings it up and I say some really nice things and that I really want to become official when she's ready. She says that she wants me to make it a special moment when I ask her to be official and she seems very happy and excited about it all. Then, from this point on, she becomes very scarce, taking a whole day to answer texts sometimes, only being able to hang out about once or twice a week for short periods. One night when she was over, she asked, "how do you have so much to give in this relationship? You're amazing. I wish so badly I could give the same but I'm struggling mentally right now and so stressed about school and other things. I'm scared of hurting you because of how I am right now." I assured her that I fully understand that there's periods where one can give more than the other, and I just want to be there to help her through what she's going through.
She also was supposed to be back with her parents for the summer after school ended, 4 hours away from where I live, as she had summer work lined up there, which we already talked about and were okay doing mostly long distance until she's back in september. We wouldn't be able to see each other often though because she worked on weekends, and i work mon-fri.
At the end of march, she went home to visit parents for 4 days to get away from everything causing her stress. I didn't hear much from her while she was gone, but when she came back, she asked if we could talk. She drove over, and said some things "i've been very distant for the last while and I am really sorry, you deserve so much better. I like you and you have all the qualities I want in a man. I feel frustrated that I can't give in the relationship right now because of my mental struggles. You have been so thoughtful and encouraging and giving so much, and I appreciate it so much, and I usually can give a lot myself in a relationship. I feel guilty that I am relying on you so much for my wellbeing right now. I think I need to be single and spend time getting myself out of these mental struggles on my own without relying on someone else. The next girl you end up with is going to be so lucky to have you"
I told her some things like "I feel really bad about what you are going through, but I don't want another girl, I just want to be there to help you through and make this relationship work. You have made me feel so special, I finally felt like I found someone who treats me so well. But if this is what's best for you, I am not going to try to change your mind. I will be sad, but I will be okay. I am not mad at you and I will not hold anything against you. Don't doubt in yourself, I know you are going to excel finishing off the semester, you are so intelligent and hard-working. In these hard times is when you will learn the most about yourself and I know you will get out of this rut at some point and have gained so much wisdom through it all."
She then teary-eyed said "thank you for everything you have done for me. You have been so mature and understanding through everything. You are truly amazing and so intelligent and I appreciate all the encouragement and support you have given me, it has helped me so much."
I then said,"do you think we could try again in the future when you are feeling better, after summer when you're back?"
She said "i don't know. I don't want you to be waiting for me."
I said "I won't be hung up on you. But send me a text if you are feeling better in the new semester."
She said "okay" with a smile on her face.
We hugged and said our goodbyes. It's been a month now, I haven't messaged her but think about her often, throughout every day. I miss her tremendously, but I am still able to have fun in life and hanging out with friends, working out and following passions. So I'm glad I'm not totally messed up, I just simply miss her a lot. We still follow each other on social media and she watches all my stories, almost instantly after I post them seemingly when previously she was rarely on her phone, which likely means absolutely nothing but. I'm trying to kill the hope that is still lingering in me for my own mental wellbeing, but can't help myself but think about trying to reach out to her in 4 months when she's back to see how she's doing and if we can try again. She said when she was breaking up with me that she likes me and I have all the qualities she wants in a man, so I feel like I have a chance still if the stars align... but I am also open to other options and meeting other girls when I am healed up. But damn do I miss her.
Do you think she simply wasn't interested in me anymore and her reason for breaking up was a cover-up? Or do you think she simply had way too much going on in her life causing mental issues, and she just needed to escape everything and reset, build herself back up to normal while spending time back with her parents 4 hours away for the summer.
TL;DR:
Have an absolutely amazing couple month stint with my dream girl in every way, never been treated so well by a girl, she's so invested in the relationship and me, she says she wants me to make it a special moment when I ask her to be official, she starts getting bad mental health issues and breaks down crying in front of me often, acts very different than the super joyful and happy girl she was before. Because of her past traumatic relationship (being cheated on with underage girls), friends betraying her and staying in contact with her pedophile ex that lives on same university campus as her, her pedo ex leaving flowers and bible verses on her car, her best friend who she's supposed to find a place to live with becoming cold and distant, her heavy course load stressing her out heavily. She ends us just before I can ask her to be official, because she frustrated she can't treat me as well as she wants to in her current state, she feels dependant on me for her wellbeing, and she goes home to live with her parents for the summer to reset and try to get healthy again. Was this a cover-up for why she ended the relationship, because i feel like if you truly like someone you would make it work through the hard times? Or did she just simply have way too much stress going on in her life and needed to escape everything.
submitted by Mindless-Action-7978 to relationships [link] [comments]
She also was supposed to be back with her parents for the summer after school ended, 4 hours away from where I live, as she had summer work lined up there, which we already talked about and were okay doing mostly long distance until she's back in september. We wouldn't be able to see each other often though because she worked on weekends, and i work mon-fri.
At the end of march, she went home to visit parents for 4 days to get away from everything causing her stress. I didn't hear much from her while she was gone, but when she came back, she asked if we could talk. She drove over, and said some things "i've been very distant for the last while and I am really sorry, you deserve so much better. I like you and you have all the qualities I want in a man. I feel frustrated that I can't give in the relationship right now because of my mental struggles. You have been so thoughtful and encouraging and giving so much, and I appreciate it so much, and I usually can give a lot myself in a relationship. I feel guilty that I am relying on you so much for my wellbeing right now. I think I need to be single and spend time getting myself out of these mental struggles on my own without relying on someone else. The next girl you end up with is going to be so lucky to have you"
I told her some things like "I feel really bad about what you are going through, but I don't want another girl, I just want to be there to help you through and make this relationship work. You have made me feel so special, I finally felt like I found someone who treats me so well. But if this is what's best for you, I am not going to try to change your mind. I will be sad, but I will be okay. I am not mad at you and I will not hold anything against you. Don't doubt in yourself, I know you are going to excel finishing off the semester, you are so intelligent and hard-working. In these hard times is when you will learn the most about yourself and I know you will get out of this rut at some point and have gained so much wisdom through it all."
She then teary-eyed said "thank you for everything you have done for me. You have been so mature and understanding through everything. You are truly amazing and so intelligent and I appreciate all the encouragement and support you have given me, it has helped me so much."
I then said,"do you think we could try again in the future when you are feeling better, after summer when you're back?"
She said "i don't know. I don't want you to be waiting for me."
I said "I won't be hung up on you. But send me a text if you are feeling better in the new semester."
She said "okay" with a smile on her face.
We hugged and said our goodbyes. It's been a month now, I haven't messaged her but think about her often, throughout every day. I miss her tremendously, but I am still able to have fun in life and hanging out with friends, working out and following passions. So I'm glad I'm not totally messed up, I just simply miss her a lot. We still follow each other on social media and she watches all my stories, almost instantly after I post them seemingly when previously she was rarely on her phone, which likely means absolutely nothing but. I'm trying to kill the hope that is still lingering in me for my own mental wellbeing, but can't help myself but think about trying to reach out to her in 4 months when she's back to see how she's doing and if we can try again. She said when she was breaking up with me that she likes me and I have all the qualities she wants in a man, so I feel like I have a chance still if the stars align... but I am also open to other options and meeting other girls when I am healed up. But damn do I miss her.
Do you think she simply wasn't interested in me anymore and her reason for breaking up was a cover-up? Or do you think she simply had way too much going on in her life causing mental issues, and she just needed to escape everything and reset, build herself back up to normal while spending time back with her parents 4 hours away for the summer.
TL;DR:
Have an absolutely amazing couple month stint with my dream girl in every way, never been treated so well by a girl, she's so invested in the relationship and me, she says she wants me to make it a special moment when I ask her to be official, she starts getting bad mental health issues and breaks down crying in front of me often, acts very different than the super joyful and happy girl she was before. Because of her past traumatic relationship (being cheated on with underage girls), friends betraying her and staying in contact with her pedophile ex that lives on same university campus as her, her pedo ex leaving flowers and bible verses on her car, her best friend who she's supposed to find a place to live with becoming cold and distant, her heavy course load stressing her out heavily. She ends us just before I can ask her to be official, because she frustrated she can't treat me as well as she wants to in her current state, she feels dependant on me for her wellbeing, and she goes home to live with her parents for the summer to reset and try to get healthy again. Was this a cover-up for why she ended the relationship, because i feel like if you truly like someone you would make it work through the hard times? Or did she just simply have way too much stress going on in her life and needed to escape everything.
2024.04.28 21:14 Sparky_McDibben Lord Ruthven (Night At The Opera) Boss Analysis
SPOILERS FOR NIGHT AT THE OPERA
So I was running Night At The Opera\* (from Tales of the RED - Street Stories), and Ruthven impressed me with how incredibly effective he was as a boss fight. I figured I'd do some analysis on that while I had downtime today, to see what we can learn from the mechanics. I don't expect this to be a revelation for more experienced GMs, but if you have additional lessons from running this guy, please drop them in the comments for all (including me) to learn from!
I ran Ruthven right out of the book. He has a +16 Evasion (8 REF, so he's dodging bullets), +18 Melee Weapons, and no Concentration listed (this came in handy). When Concentration came up, I gave him a +2 (as all Edgerunners are supposed to get), in addition to his WILL of 6.
submitted by Sparky_McDibben to cyberpunkred [link] [comments]
So I was running Night At The Opera\* (from Tales of the RED - Street Stories), and Ruthven impressed me with how incredibly effective he was as a boss fight. I figured I'd do some analysis on that while I had downtime today, to see what we can learn from the mechanics. I don't expect this to be a revelation for more experienced GMs, but if you have additional lessons from running this guy, please drop them in the comments for all (including me) to learn from!
I ran Ruthven right out of the book. He has a +16 Evasion (8 REF, so he's dodging bullets), +18 Melee Weapons, and no Concentration listed (this came in handy). When Concentration came up, I gave him a +2 (as all Edgerunners are supposed to get), in addition to his WILL of 6.
- Effect: That +16 Evasion bonus hit hard, nerfing PC and companion damage significantly. This let him stay in the fight for much longer than a regular villain, even one fairly well-armored. More time on the board = higher pucker factor for the player.
- Lesson: Avoiding damage is much more useful than tanking damage - dodging bullets is a must if the boss could reasonably have access to this ability
- Effect: +18 Melee Weapons let him hit pretty often, but occasionally my PC would roll a 10 or I would roll a 1, so it's hardly guaranteed. In addition, using Melee Weapons guaranteed some amount of damage and armor depletion to my player, leaving them unnerved, and heightening tension while the ROF2 on the Wolvers let him feel like a whirlwind - constantly on the move and constantly dealing damage. Character death was a very real possibility.
- Lesson: Go all the way into the paint with bad guy attacks. Excellent Quality is the starting point. Do you need to make up some cyberware / street drugs / bullshit to let your boss feel awesome? Do it, and just make sure it's destroyed or used up by the actual fight.
- Effect: So one of the things my PCs had done was investigate Ruthven's past as Dr. Huntver. They talked to the ex-wife I made up and heard about how completely insane he'd gone, and that she said a bunch of terrible things about him. So when my player gets face-to-face with Ruthven, and he offered to make her his "bride," she promptly threw that in his face. I rolled Concentration to see if Ruthven's delusions held, and she cracked his cool. I ruled that imposed a -2 penalty to all actions he took during the fight (effectively losing a Facedown), which probably saved the character's life.
- Lesson: As you create bad guys, don't be afraid if your PCs discover (or create) weaknesses. It makes the PC feel clever, and unless they completely blindside you with something that totally nerfs the boss, apply a -2 penalty to the boss' actions (once per clever idea) and move on.
2024.04.28 21:13 Felizem_velair_ Female women, how often do you have to lie about not enjoying sexual stuff?
I often see this "lose/lose" talk with men on the internet. Mostly with those that complain a lot. When women are sexually open, they call them whores but when they are more tame, they will shit on them about how big of a liars they are by putting on this "saint" disguise and how much they actually enjoy dirty stuff when no one is looking.
So I though, how much do you lie about your sexuality to not look bad? Of course, talking to everyone about all the things you like to do in bed is a one side of extreme (even I, as a man, hate this kind of talk) but pretending to not like sex at all is another side of extreme. This is actually one of the things that make me self conscious around women too. This concept that women are not as interested in sex so if I try anything I will be labeled as a horny creep.
submitted by Felizem_velair_ to PurplePillDebate [link] [comments]
So I though, how much do you lie about your sexuality to not look bad? Of course, talking to everyone about all the things you like to do in bed is a one side of extreme (even I, as a man, hate this kind of talk) but pretending to not like sex at all is another side of extreme. This is actually one of the things that make me self conscious around women too. This concept that women are not as interested in sex so if I try anything I will be labeled as a horny creep.
2024.04.28 21:13 NoAssociation9611 Another Pattern From A Con Artist Doing His Thing..
 | This man has been never straightforward about anything. He uses his fans for his gain. ( a lot of people on TikTok) He uses his children as props in content that isn’t funny whatsoever. He only cares about himself. Making this hoodie, in every aspect is wrong! He is a hypocrite, has no self-worth and will not stop using his followers. When will people stand up to him for all the shit he is doing about the exact stuff he is trying to defend. He hasn't given a cent to Tunnel To Tower Foundation as of date! He is a con artist, a pathological liar and is ripping people off!! submitted by NoAssociation9611 to Im_an_InFlUeNcEr [link] [comments] Whoever bought a tumbler from him on April 19th, when he went live at his warehouse? Get a refund and this is a pattern that he has done over the last few years. Kevin, There is a difference between talking shit about a person and talking truth about a shitty person. ( just look at your patterns of bullshit you have done to charities. ) |
2024.04.28 21:13 DenseNeighborhood176 chainmail armour should go invisible if you use an invisibility potion
chainmail armour currently doesnt have any significant uses, but is extremely hard to get a full set of. if you didnt know already, mobs can see your armour if you use invisibility and so can players of course, so there will finally be a good tradeoff for getting a full set on chainmail armour.
submitted by DenseNeighborhood176 to minecraftsuggestions [link] [comments]
2024.04.28 21:13 shut-it-trav Manahouc Holler [SF]
When winter came to my house in these hills, the town would often send a boy every once in a while to make sure I was ok, especially before a snowstorm. Often, they would send one of the William’s boys, usually the youngest one, Jim. Jim was a bright eyed boy of around sixteen that looked just like his grandfather. He was a kind boy, and would always let me sit and ramble about times past as us grey haired folk tend to do.
“Jim! it's great to see you.” I say to him, eyes beaming with a happiness, eager to have company. He had the glow of youth you forget you lose as you age. “Hell, it's damn cold. Let’s get you warmed up.” I commanded, first closing the door and then guiding him to the chair by fire. As I sat down in the seat opposite, he asked, “What’s up pop? How is life up here, need anything?” His face was a mix of curiosity, and concern. The face you make when any older person is talking, I suppose.
I took a deep breath, and dismissing of pleasantries, I realized its about time for a tale almost as old as me. When I asked if he wanted to hear a story, he nodded his head, and i began. I started telling him the story of the Manahouc Holler, staring into the fire.
Manahouc was the name of the tribe that lived here in these hills long before the white man came. They were a proud and mighty people, who fought for their land, who knew the secrets of this land and the things within the woods. In a rare case, the US government did not see the need in anymore fighting for such a small piece of land, they made a deal with the natives. The small remnants of the tribe were to have one holler for themselves. Now obviously, they gave them the smallest and most useless one they could find.
When my father moved from Ireland as a boy, his father had just enough money to buy a small patch of land to feed his family, right beside the Manahouc Holler. Being from Ireland, he had a soft spot in his heart for the natives, as he could sympathize with the English intruding. He only left because they had pushed him to via starvation. He taught my father to treat them with respect because they knew the land more, which may become a valuable friend in hard times. A lesson my father taught to me.
That’s why, at age 20, when I saw a native man lost in a freak blizzard, I got him in, fed him some of my wife’s warm food, and let him stay until the storm had passed. I didn’t think nothing of it, but after that they started treating us real well. They would give us occasional good deals, gifts, the like. We got to know our surprise visitor real well. His real name was some native word for "foolish" I cannot remember, lost to time I suppose. The name he said I could call him, after butchering his real name a couple times, was Brother John. He picked that name after a book character he liked.
Brother John was the main farmer for the dwindling tribe. Everyone farmed, but it seemed he was the only one making money off it for them. Despite reported bad soil and a small overall operation, he always outproduced everyone around him. Droughts, floods, it didn’t matter.
That is what angered the rich white farmers the most, that a supposed “dumb savage” was outproducing them. They would often discuss what to do, in their mansions and estates. But none was ever so bold as to try anything. Eventually, they sent two “good ole boys” to sabotage their crops a time or two. But no matter what they tried, it either failed or the damage that was done, was minimal.
Soon, rumors started going around town as rumors tend to do. I heard everything from a blessing to soothe the past, to black magic revenging it. Reported signs of mythical beasts prowling the shadows, stealing chickens. From native tales to folklore from the motherland. I never believed any of it though. Brother John was kind, and helpful. I couldn’t see him partaking in anything nefarious. I assumed they just knew the plants and land better than we did.
Well, about 10 years after i saved Brother John, prohibition came to the county. It was graciously accepted by the elites. Most of them were Southern Baptists and saw it as a way to control the predominately Catholic and Presbyterian common folk. An added benefit was that prohibition allowed them to spread rumors about moonshine stills in Manahouc Holler as a way to divert from their moonshine stills. Then force them out by acting on these claims.
With the support of the elites, Sheriff Connolly and his 20 new deputies went into Manahouc Holler. The word from the reputable elites was that the whole tribe had been involved in crime. When "men of the law" came into the grouping of huts that was the tribe, they found no one, alive nor dead. Not even a sign of life. It was like only the huts had ever existed there.
When they spread out to examine the property, they were picked off one by one. Beasts of the forest, ranging from wolves and stags to cougars and bears were taking these men into the shadowy forest. From the scream, it sounded like the animals hated these men, taking their time with them. A young man brought in to be a helping hand to the posse was Chester Russell, and he was also the only man left alive. Chester was a black man and was a sharecropper on the property of James E. Alexander, the richest man in town. He saw the carnage begin and bolted right out of the camp. As he fled, he could hear animals chasing him. He had never ran that fast, almost like he was being helped by the wind, he would claim later.
He made it to the property line and looked back, seeing the animals stop at the tree line. According to Chester, they just sat there, growling or grunting. Most thought Chester was lying, either to cover up the truth, or to gain attention. I knew Chester pretty well, and knew when he was lying. Awful poker player, that man. I knew he was telling the truth.
He would only tell me the details if I bought him a bottle of whiskey, though. He claimed that remembering it was like asking to be punched in the face. The way their red eyes looked at him, as if knowing exactly who he was. The stench, the pack smelled of death, of rotting, of decay. He swore that further behind property line, there was a beast that towered over the others, hidden in the shadows save for the giant, blood red eyes.
I knew he was telling the truth, but it didn’t matter what I thought, at least not to the rich. See, after a year without word from the natives, the rich landowners agreed to split the holler amongst themselves. Each would receive an equal part. As time went on, however, these families would start to experience hardships. They would either rack up heavy debts and then end up paying off them off by selling all their possessions, or they move out west. Either way, these families faded into obscurity.
Eventually, even the Alexanders would face hardships. They were the richest, and the last ones of those elites. The only surviving Alexander would hang himself in his mansion losing all his money on drugs and women, which was back in the 70s. Since then, there hasn’t been a buyer, it is technically property of the state.
No one ever saw the Manahouc again.
After concluding my story, I leaned back, and took a long gulp of the water Jim had poured me. He sat there for a while without speaking.
“I think I believe you,” he said, breaking the silence. “but why tell me this?”
“Jim, you see, Brother John’s father was the medicine man for the tribe. When he heard what I had done for his son, he personally visited us. He blessed me with the ‘gift of life and vitality of two men’. I didn’t know what to say, so I just accepted it. I didn’t think he ever actually blessed me with longer life in that encounter for years and years, but now I am sure of it.” I leaned in real close, as if trying to whisper in a room that had a crowd in it, not just Jim and I.
“I tend to hide my age, and I beg the few that know my age to keep it a secret. You see Jim, this story took place in the 1921. I am 144 years old, and I feel that my time may be finally coming to an end, and someone young needs to know this story."
submitted by shut-it-trav to shortstories [link] [comments]
“Jim! it's great to see you.” I say to him, eyes beaming with a happiness, eager to have company. He had the glow of youth you forget you lose as you age. “Hell, it's damn cold. Let’s get you warmed up.” I commanded, first closing the door and then guiding him to the chair by fire. As I sat down in the seat opposite, he asked, “What’s up pop? How is life up here, need anything?” His face was a mix of curiosity, and concern. The face you make when any older person is talking, I suppose.
I took a deep breath, and dismissing of pleasantries, I realized its about time for a tale almost as old as me. When I asked if he wanted to hear a story, he nodded his head, and i began. I started telling him the story of the Manahouc Holler, staring into the fire.
Manahouc was the name of the tribe that lived here in these hills long before the white man came. They were a proud and mighty people, who fought for their land, who knew the secrets of this land and the things within the woods. In a rare case, the US government did not see the need in anymore fighting for such a small piece of land, they made a deal with the natives. The small remnants of the tribe were to have one holler for themselves. Now obviously, they gave them the smallest and most useless one they could find.
When my father moved from Ireland as a boy, his father had just enough money to buy a small patch of land to feed his family, right beside the Manahouc Holler. Being from Ireland, he had a soft spot in his heart for the natives, as he could sympathize with the English intruding. He only left because they had pushed him to via starvation. He taught my father to treat them with respect because they knew the land more, which may become a valuable friend in hard times. A lesson my father taught to me.
That’s why, at age 20, when I saw a native man lost in a freak blizzard, I got him in, fed him some of my wife’s warm food, and let him stay until the storm had passed. I didn’t think nothing of it, but after that they started treating us real well. They would give us occasional good deals, gifts, the like. We got to know our surprise visitor real well. His real name was some native word for "foolish" I cannot remember, lost to time I suppose. The name he said I could call him, after butchering his real name a couple times, was Brother John. He picked that name after a book character he liked.
Brother John was the main farmer for the dwindling tribe. Everyone farmed, but it seemed he was the only one making money off it for them. Despite reported bad soil and a small overall operation, he always outproduced everyone around him. Droughts, floods, it didn’t matter.
That is what angered the rich white farmers the most, that a supposed “dumb savage” was outproducing them. They would often discuss what to do, in their mansions and estates. But none was ever so bold as to try anything. Eventually, they sent two “good ole boys” to sabotage their crops a time or two. But no matter what they tried, it either failed or the damage that was done, was minimal.
Soon, rumors started going around town as rumors tend to do. I heard everything from a blessing to soothe the past, to black magic revenging it. Reported signs of mythical beasts prowling the shadows, stealing chickens. From native tales to folklore from the motherland. I never believed any of it though. Brother John was kind, and helpful. I couldn’t see him partaking in anything nefarious. I assumed they just knew the plants and land better than we did.
Well, about 10 years after i saved Brother John, prohibition came to the county. It was graciously accepted by the elites. Most of them were Southern Baptists and saw it as a way to control the predominately Catholic and Presbyterian common folk. An added benefit was that prohibition allowed them to spread rumors about moonshine stills in Manahouc Holler as a way to divert from their moonshine stills. Then force them out by acting on these claims.
With the support of the elites, Sheriff Connolly and his 20 new deputies went into Manahouc Holler. The word from the reputable elites was that the whole tribe had been involved in crime. When "men of the law" came into the grouping of huts that was the tribe, they found no one, alive nor dead. Not even a sign of life. It was like only the huts had ever existed there.
When they spread out to examine the property, they were picked off one by one. Beasts of the forest, ranging from wolves and stags to cougars and bears were taking these men into the shadowy forest. From the scream, it sounded like the animals hated these men, taking their time with them. A young man brought in to be a helping hand to the posse was Chester Russell, and he was also the only man left alive. Chester was a black man and was a sharecropper on the property of James E. Alexander, the richest man in town. He saw the carnage begin and bolted right out of the camp. As he fled, he could hear animals chasing him. He had never ran that fast, almost like he was being helped by the wind, he would claim later.
He made it to the property line and looked back, seeing the animals stop at the tree line. According to Chester, they just sat there, growling or grunting. Most thought Chester was lying, either to cover up the truth, or to gain attention. I knew Chester pretty well, and knew when he was lying. Awful poker player, that man. I knew he was telling the truth.
He would only tell me the details if I bought him a bottle of whiskey, though. He claimed that remembering it was like asking to be punched in the face. The way their red eyes looked at him, as if knowing exactly who he was. The stench, the pack smelled of death, of rotting, of decay. He swore that further behind property line, there was a beast that towered over the others, hidden in the shadows save for the giant, blood red eyes.
I knew he was telling the truth, but it didn’t matter what I thought, at least not to the rich. See, after a year without word from the natives, the rich landowners agreed to split the holler amongst themselves. Each would receive an equal part. As time went on, however, these families would start to experience hardships. They would either rack up heavy debts and then end up paying off them off by selling all their possessions, or they move out west. Either way, these families faded into obscurity.
Eventually, even the Alexanders would face hardships. They were the richest, and the last ones of those elites. The only surviving Alexander would hang himself in his mansion losing all his money on drugs and women, which was back in the 70s. Since then, there hasn’t been a buyer, it is technically property of the state.
No one ever saw the Manahouc again.
After concluding my story, I leaned back, and took a long gulp of the water Jim had poured me. He sat there for a while without speaking.
“I think I believe you,” he said, breaking the silence. “but why tell me this?”
“Jim, you see, Brother John’s father was the medicine man for the tribe. When he heard what I had done for his son, he personally visited us. He blessed me with the ‘gift of life and vitality of two men’. I didn’t know what to say, so I just accepted it. I didn’t think he ever actually blessed me with longer life in that encounter for years and years, but now I am sure of it.” I leaned in real close, as if trying to whisper in a room that had a crowd in it, not just Jim and I.
“I tend to hide my age, and I beg the few that know my age to keep it a secret. You see Jim, this story took place in the 1921. I am 144 years old, and I feel that my time may be finally coming to an end, and someone young needs to know this story."
2024.04.28 21:12 _BTSOT7dipity Guys my dermatologist won't help
Hello friends, I had the worst acne of my life and I quit going to school for 4 or more months and I did not go anywhere It has been such a nightmare and constant feeling of hopelessness and my parents and everyone around me whether it be a stranger ir someone I know they had been so judgmental and embarrassed me in public and infront of many Even my dermatologist is not helping me. So I was on accutane for 4 and a half months that also 10mg/day then my doc told me that my course has been completed and that was it like..? My skin was still so hard to touch and I had many scars and hard bumps too but he said no then after a week or two I visited him cuz my skin went back yo how it was even worse oil build up and dirt since I travel a lot He EVEN encouraged my mother to make me stop using any cleanser and told to wash my face with hot water...? My confidence is all going down I am in my peak years of college and going around everyone stares and passes comments I tried and searched online for dermatologist but yet they hand me a skincare pack of their company by just online analysis.. I wanted to get accutane and a stronger dose until my face gets softer and like there aren't ant signs of it getting worse now my parents won't take me for my skin conditions and I've tried all of those acne skincare but it foes not help onky accutane made me feel a little bit better but they stole that from me too Everytime I go to the dermat he gives me life lessons and only boasts instead of reccommending me with something. He says wear a jeans cloth around your face in the sun don't apply sunscreeb I mean like wth is this even? So I should cover myself the whole day and even with that I'd still get more additional problems? Guys I genuinly need your help. Uhh should I take a 30 mg dose for a while? Cuz it was recommended to me during the start of my accutane journey for 2 weeks.. My mother shames me my fatger encourages her people call me old and ask wheter I am a drug addict?? It has been really hard.. thanks Can I get an expert advice?? on this instead of going to my dermat I'd just ask ya'll here...
submitted by _BTSOT7dipity to Accutane [link] [comments]
2024.04.28 21:12 Repulsive_Union2244 [[FOR HIRE]] -- Pay Someone to Take My Statistics Exam For Me Reddit -- Take My Statistics Test For Me -- Do My Statistics Exam -- Statistics Exam Taker -- Pay Someone to Take My Online Statistics Class For Me -- Pay Someone to Take My Statistics Class For Me -- MATH: Probability Algebra MyStatLab
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submitted by Repulsive_Union2244 to Statisticshelpers_ [link] [comments]
MY CONTACT INFO:
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I am very knowledgeable and proficient in assisting students in a wide range of mathematics classes. I can help students complete their homework assignments and other projects get an A on quizzes, tests, and exams (including proctored assessments) answer online discussion posts write essays & papers in MLA APA Chicago format and provide general overall academic help in each math course listed below:
- Advanced Placement Honors High School Level Math
- AP Calculus AB A.P. Calculus BC
- AP Statistics
- Biostatistics Bio-Statistics
- College Algebra Intermediate Algebra
- Business Calculus
- Business Statistics
- Business Math
- Calculus I Calculus II Calculus III (Calc)
- Geometry
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Maths
- Liberal Arts Math
- Logic & Reasoning
- Multivariable Calculus Multi variable Calculus
- Precalculus Pre-calculus
- Probability & Statistics
- Psychology Statistics Psych Stats
- Quantitative Reasoning Quantitative Methods Quantitative Literacy (Quant)
- Statistics (Stats)
- Statistics for Social Sciences
- Trigonometry (Trig)
- I have a master's degree in Applied Statistics from a university in New Jersey, USA. As a result, I am very proficient in helping students with various types of Statistics courses including Biostatistics Business Statistics Elementary Statistics Probability & Statistics Psychology Statistics.
- I have extensive knowledge and skill with helping students get through various statistical concepts including all of the following in alphabetical order:
- ANOVA Bar Graph, Boxplot, Dot Plot, Histogram, Pie Chart Bias Binomial, Exponential, Poisson, Gamma, Uniform Distribution Central Limit Theorem Chi-Square Test Coefficient of Determination (R^2) Conditional & Relative Probability Confidence Interval Correlation Coefficient (r) Critical Region Critical Value Descriptive & Inferential Statistics Effect Size Expected Value Experiment vs Observation Goodness of Fit Test Hypothesis Testing Interpolation & Extrapolation Interquartile Range (IQR) Kurtosis Left, Negative, Right, Positive Skewed Distribution Logistic Regression Mean, Median, Mode, Midrange Multiple Regression Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio I Population Parameter Normal, Symmetric & Bell Shaped Distribution Null & Alternate Hypothesis One & Two Sample T-Test One & Two Sample Z-Test Ordinary Least Squares Outliers P-Value Pooled Variance (Equal Variances) Proportion R^2 Range Regression Regression Line Reject & Fail to Reject Ho Relative & Cumulative Frequency Distributions Relativity & Reliability Right, Left, One, Two Tailed Tailed Hypothesis Test Sample Statistics Sampling Methods (Convenience, Stratified, Simple, Cluster, Systematic) Significance Level (1%, 5%, 10%) Skewness Standard Deviation& Variance T-Score Test Statistic Time Series Type I & Type II Errors Unbiased Estimators Z-Score
- I am well-versed in helping students do well in Algebra 1 & 2 College Algebra Intermediate Algebra Pre-Algebra and I am very knowledgeable and proficient in the following algebra topics in alphabetical order:
- Absolute Values Circle Equation Domain Exponents Graphing Horizontal & Vertical Asymptotes Inequalities, Equations & Functions Inverse Functions Linear, Exponential, Logarithmic, Quadratic Equations Logarithms Maximum & Minimum Values of a Graph Number Lines One-to-One Functions Parallel & Perpendicular Lines Plotting Points & Ordered Pairs Point-Slope Form Polynomial Division Polynomials Radicals Range Rational & Irrational Expressions Rational Functions Real Roots Real Zeros Relations & Functions Slope Slope-Intercept Form Square Roots Standard Form of a Line System of Equations System of Inequalities Variables X and Y Intercepts
- I am well-versed in helping students do well in Calculus I, II & III, Calculus 1, 2 & 3, Business Calculus, Multivariable Calculus, Vector Calculus and I am very knowledgeable and proficient in the following calculus topics in alphabetical order:
- Absolute & Local Maximum and Minimum Antiderivative Area & Volume Chain Rule Concavity Continuity Convergence Test Critical Points Curvature Curve of Rotation Curve Sketching Derivatives Divergence Test First & Second Derivative Test Fourier Series Implicit Differentiation Increasing / Decreasing Functions Infinite Series Integrals Integration by Parts Jacobian Matrix Limits L’Hopital’s Rule Maclaurin Series Mean Value Theorem Partial Derivative Product & Quotient Rule Reiman Sum Related Rates Simpson’s Rule Solid of Revolution Substitution Rule Taylor Series
- I firmly believe that I have many attributes and skills that set me apart from other tutors. Below is a list of qualities that makes me an ideal fit to help you master your coursework:
- Proficient in CollegeBoard AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC & AP Statistics exams.
- Skilled with International Baccalaureate Math Exams: IB Maths HL & IB Maths SL
- Can intentionally answer a few problems incorrectly at the student's request.
- Can text solutions to the student while they are taking a proctored exam.
- Upon request, can purposely obtain grades below an A (ex: B+, B, C+, C-).
- I can stretch out the time to a plausible length for timed exams and assignments before submitting them.
- Have reliable software that can change my IP address to match the closest major city near the student.
- I have exceptional multiple-choice exam-taking skills. I have mastered the various techniques to make calculated guesses for the correct option in standardized exams such as the SAT & GRE.
- I have no problem with requests to solve sample problems upfront to prove my knowledge & proficiency of the course concepts.
- I can provide glowing references & strong examples of work done for past clients to verify my academic skills.
- I can also provide, upon request, complete detailed calculations with explanations for solutions to the problems worked on.
- I am quite skilled and adept in using multiple modernized educational platforms and software, including but not limited to: Brightspace MyStatLab D2L WebAssign Canvas MyMathLab Blackboard ALEKS
- Can format term papers and discussion posts in APA MLA Harvard Chicago Vancouver OSCOLA IEEE format.
- I have multiple paid subscriptions to a wide range of academic tutoring resources, including Chegg, Quizlet, CourseHero, Brainly, Grammarly, Study. com, Bartleby, Slader, Transtutors, Slideshare, StudocU, Turnitin, Academia, SymboLab, WolframAlpha, and Scribd to help guide to solve exam & homework questions that I may not immediately know.
- However, I am smart enough not to blatantly plagiarize solutions online but instead write them in my own unique words, formatting, & mathematical terminology.
- I have access to a very sophisticated graphing calculator and various mathematical software that provides step-by-step solutions to complex mathematical problems within seconds, allowing me to provide exact solutions to the student in a timely manner.
- I have impeccable handwriting and a high-quality mobile scanner app that allows me to scan written solutions in very legible high-definition JPG, PNG, or PDF formats.
- I have no problem speaking with potential clients on the phone.
- I have an authentic suburban upper-middle-class American accent, similar to the actor: Ben Stein.
- However, be wary of so-called “tutors” who refuse to accept any phone calls or have a strict “text / email only” policy.
- These “text-only” / “email-only” tutors are usually located outside the U.S. and are afraid their foreign accent will expose their true nationality.
- Approximately 98% of the time, I write all my texts & emails in grammatically correct U.S. English with proper punctuation and occasional typo.
- Unlike some alleged “U.S.-based tutors,” I do NOT write using broken English or grammatically incorrect texting shorthand (example: "wut u need help wit??").
- I write my ad in proper American English, the same way I always text and email people.
- I can guide students on formatting & writing term papers, essays, and discussion posts in APA MLA Chicago Harvard format.
- If the tutor you’re checking out consistently writes using egregiously horrendous grammar, do you honestly think it’s a good idea to trust them to help you do well in your class?
- I am very knowledgeable and well-versed in a wide range of educational software to tutor students in including but not limited to: Acellus ALEKS APEX Learning Aplia Blackboard Brightspace Canvas Cengage CengageNow Connect ConnectMath Connexus CPM D2L Discord Edmentum Eviews Examity Excel Hawkes Learning Honorlock Khan Academy Knewton LimeSpring Lumen Maple MasteringChemistry MasteringPhysics MathXL (XL) MATLAB McGraw-Hill Microsoft Word Minitab Moodle MyAccountingLab MyEconLab MyITLab MyLab My Lab MyMathLab My Math Lab MyOpenMath MyPsychLab MySocLab MyStatLab My Stat Lab NCSS Open Source Software Pearson PERT PlatoWeb PowerPoint Prezi R Respondus Lockdown Browser with Webcam Sapling SPSS Stata StraighterLine Straighter Line WebAssign Web Assign Webex (Cisco) WebWork Wiley WileyPlus Wonderlic Zoom
As of 2021, I have tutored and helped students enrolled at the following U.S. universities community colleges county & city colleges schools for-profit institutions listed below in alphabetical order:
- A - C: American Public University System (APUS) Arizona State Ashford Brigham Young Brown Broward California State (Fullerton) Capella Chamberlain (Illinois) Colorado Technical Columbia Columbia Southern Cornell
- D - K: Dallas College Dartmouth DeVry Excelsior College Florida International Florida State Full Sail Georgia State Grand Canyon Harvard Houston Community College Ivy Tech Community College Kaplan Kennesaw State Kent State
- L - T: Liberty Lone Star College System Kaplan Miami Dade Michigan State CUNY State University of New York (SUNY) Northern Virginia Ohio State University of Phoenix (UOP) Penn State Princeton Purdue (Davenport) San Diego State San Francisco State San Jose State Southern New Hampshire Southern Nevada Stanford St. Petersburg Strayer Texas Tech
- UNIVERSITY OF: Alabama Arizona California (UC) Central Florida Chicago Cincinnati Florida Houston Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) Iowa Maryland Minnesota Michigan North Texas Pennsylvania Southern Florida Texas Toronto
- U - Z: UCLA Extension Utah State Utah Valley Valencia Walden U Wake Technical Western Governors Wilmington Yale
- I offer several unique payment plans, including a weekly plan, a discounted monthly plan, a discounted half-now / half-later plan, and highly discounted up-front rates.
- I can accept the following payment methods for my services: PayPal Debit Cards Square Cash Credit Cards Cash App Venmo.
- Only people located in North America have access to Venmo Cash App Zelle.
- This is an excellent way to determine if the person you're dealing with is from the United States.
- Within reason, I offer a partial or full money-Back guarantee if the student is very unsatisfied with my academic services.
- For other subjects, you can reach out to me, and I can connect you with one of my tutoring partners who can provide general academic assistance for the following subjects:
- Art & Design: Art History Design Film Studies
- Business: Accounting (Acc) Biz Courses Business Administration (Biz Admn) Business Calculus Business Law Business Statistics Corporate Finance Economics (Econ) Finance (Fin) Financial Accounting Intermediate Accounting Intermediate Microeconomics (Micro) Macroeconomics (Macro) Management (Mgmt) Managerial Accounting Marketing MBA
- Computer Science: C C++ Computer Programming (Comp) Java Python R (Introduction & Intermediate Level Only)
- Humanities: Communications (Comm) English Literature Essay & Term Paper Writing, Editing, Proofreading Essays History Papers Philosophy (Phil) Religious Studies Theology (Theo)
- Mathematics: A.P. Calculus AB & BC Psychology Statistics AP Statistics Bio statistics Calculus I (1) Calculus II (2) Calculus III (3) College Algebra Differential Equations Discrete Math Finite Math Functions General Math Geometry Liberal Arts Math Linear Algebra Multi-variable Calculus Partial Differential Equations Precalculus Probability Quantitative Reasoning Real Analysis Statistics Trigonometry (Trig) Vector Calculus
- Science & Medicine: Anatomy & Physiology (A & P) Biochemistry Biology (Bio) Biostatistics Earth Science Environmental Science General Chemistry (Chem) Healthcare Medicine Nursing Nutrition Organic Chemistry Physics (Phys)
- Social Sciences: Anthropology Economics (Econ) Geology Law & Justice Liberal Arts Liberal Studies Political Science Psychology Sociology
Considering the fact that you found my contact information online, it’s understandable to be skeptical regarding the legitimacy of my services. Therefore, I’m willing to do all of the following to help you feel more secure in trusting me with your academic needs:
- 1) Speak with you on the phone and answer any questions you may have so that you have the opportunity to assess and analyze my tone, articulation, accent, diction, dialect, regionalisms, pitch, vocabulary, word choice, intonations, and inflections.
- NOTE: I’m a New Jersey-born Irish/Italian-American, but I have been told that I speak in an erudite & articulate suburban American accent with a “professor style” voice somewhat resembling the voice of actor: Ben Stein.
- 2) Agree to do some homework questions of yours upfront with the work fully shown in real-time to prove my mastery of the course content.
- 3) Send you screenshots of at least five past scores I attained from completing exams & homework assignments for other students in the same type of class you need help with.
- 4) Send you full screenshots of written exam solutions I wrote up by hand for students in the past in the same course that you need help with so that you can see my neat handwriting.
- 5) Provide you with the contact information of students who have utilized my services in the past who would be more than willing to vouch for my skills.
- If you are interested in my services and would like to learn more info, please feel free to reach out to me.
- Text messages and email are the fastest and easiest ways to get in touch with me. However, I gladly accept phone calls.
- If I don't respond right away, I am most likely helping a student at the time and not currently available to speak on the phone. But I always make a solid effort to reply to texts, emails, and phone calls within an hour.
- I take my work as a tutor very seriously, and I always aim to do my best to help my students excel in school. I have a solid and sincere passion for academic achievement, and with my help, I am positive that I can help students obtain very high grades with minimal stress and effort.
- Please feel free to contact me if you're interested in my services and would like to learn more. I'm available 24/7 via phone call, email, and text. Again, thank you for taking the time to read my Reddit tutoring ad, and I hope to hear from you soon!
MY CONTACT INFO:
WhatsApp: +1 (213) 594-5657
Call: +1 727 456 9641
Website: hiraedu. com
Email: info@hiraedu. com
IMPORTANT: When reaching out, please try to include the following information in the initial text message or email so that I can have all the important details necessary to determine the rate for my services:
- Name You Prefer to Be Called
- Name of the Class You Need Help With
- Type of Assessment Help Needed: (Entire Course, Exams Only, HW Assignment, Essay, etc.)
2024.04.28 21:11 Nearby-Cantaloupe855 How do I admit my feelings to a female friend?
Hey red scare friends, I am in a delicate situation I would like to get some advice on. Last summer, I met a girl named Emily at a summer internship in NYC. She was in a relationship at the time and I was seeing someone on and off so I didn’t develop any feelings for her until around the summer.
She was very kind to the people around her and we had shared interests in books, art, volunteering, and general life outlook. We had many deep 1:1 convos at lunch about people and life. I knew she had a boyfriend and felt very ashamed that I held feelings for her so I treated her just as good friend. She has always been oddly physical with me, asking for multiple hugs when we parted ways and holding my arm when I'm down. At the end of the internship, I left NYC for my senior year of college but we still texted each other here and there.
I just started work full time in NYC and got dinner with her and another mutual male friend. After the usual catching up stuff, she told us she recently broke up with him due to him cheating behind her back (we are the first people she told since her boyfriend shares a social circle with her). She said she is having trust issues and will be focusing on school for the next two weeks as her group members have ditched their project to go to pro-Palestinian protest (which I support but c’mon).
How and when (I want her to emotionally recover first) do I express my feelings to her? Also, I’m told that when girls want to date male friends in their social circles, they will let you know in some way but I have a hard read on whether she really likes me as a friend or if there’s something more there.
submitted by Nearby-Cantaloupe855 to redscarepod [link] [comments]
She was very kind to the people around her and we had shared interests in books, art, volunteering, and general life outlook. We had many deep 1:1 convos at lunch about people and life. I knew she had a boyfriend and felt very ashamed that I held feelings for her so I treated her just as good friend. She has always been oddly physical with me, asking for multiple hugs when we parted ways and holding my arm when I'm down. At the end of the internship, I left NYC for my senior year of college but we still texted each other here and there.
I just started work full time in NYC and got dinner with her and another mutual male friend. After the usual catching up stuff, she told us she recently broke up with him due to him cheating behind her back (we are the first people she told since her boyfriend shares a social circle with her). She said she is having trust issues and will be focusing on school for the next two weeks as her group members have ditched their project to go to pro-Palestinian protest (which I support but c’mon).
How and when (I want her to emotionally recover first) do I express my feelings to her? Also, I’m told that when girls want to date male friends in their social circles, they will let you know in some way but I have a hard read on whether she really likes me as a friend or if there’s something more there.
2024.04.28 21:11 Initial_Document4815 Mobile auto detailing
 | Hello I am starting my own mobile detailing business. We service all of Tucson and its greater areas. Get your car looking brand new with services brought to you just call or text (520)273-1068 to schedule submitted by Initial_Document4815 to Tucson [link] [comments] |
2024.04.28 21:11 souleater205 M24 [M4F] Indiana/Online one handed bandit looking for his lifelong partner in crime
Hey I'm Gabe l'm from the US and I am 24. l'm a pretty introverted dude and honestly not that talkative so im hard to talk to. Im trying to work on this bit its just not in my nature i guess. Anyway, I am mostly into games and anime but like to spend time with someone in general. I am about 5'9" and honestly a bit overweight but I have been trying to work on it and have lost some weight. As you can guess from the title, I was born with one hand but I don't let that get me down. Really just want it to put it out there so that it doesn't become a surprise to anyone.
If you'd wish to know my favorite games are the mass effect series and the metroid series. Play a lot of FFXIV and Helldivers. I always need a gaming partner so thats a huge plus.
Favorite anime is Steins;Gate and Overlord. I enjoy a lot of other shows tho. Like with gaming I need someone to watch stuff with so again, a huge plus.
Beyond that, huge star wars nerd, along with anything to do with space (i just love space). Also big into computer and actually run my own server.
If you are wanting to know, I am a big dom. I don't want a relationship just based on sexual drive but do want to put it out there for anyone curious. Being a sub isn't a necessity to me as im pretty go with the flow with a lot of things though.
What I'm looking for: * someone 20-28 years old. * someone who's loving and loyal * not extremely overweight. I don't mind if your are a bit overweight since I'm not much better but I don't like extreme overweight. * someone who's into some of the stuff I'm into. I have issues talking with people who have nothing in common with me lmao. * no kid(s). Sorry but I'm not really into people with kids already. I dont have kids either so don't have to worry about that on my side lol.
That's pretty much it. Feel free to dm if interested. Tell me your favorite movie to prove you read it all and i can filter out scams. Not big on reddit dms so would prefer to move to discord but i understand if you want to keep it on reddit for a bit first. Just might not see your message for a little bit on reddit. If you read all of this thanks for reading and have a nice day.
submitted by souleater205 to r4r [link] [comments]
If you'd wish to know my favorite games are the mass effect series and the metroid series. Play a lot of FFXIV and Helldivers. I always need a gaming partner so thats a huge plus.
Favorite anime is Steins;Gate and Overlord. I enjoy a lot of other shows tho. Like with gaming I need someone to watch stuff with so again, a huge plus.
Beyond that, huge star wars nerd, along with anything to do with space (i just love space). Also big into computer and actually run my own server.
If you are wanting to know, I am a big dom. I don't want a relationship just based on sexual drive but do want to put it out there for anyone curious. Being a sub isn't a necessity to me as im pretty go with the flow with a lot of things though.
What I'm looking for: * someone 20-28 years old. * someone who's loving and loyal * not extremely overweight. I don't mind if your are a bit overweight since I'm not much better but I don't like extreme overweight. * someone who's into some of the stuff I'm into. I have issues talking with people who have nothing in common with me lmao. * no kid(s). Sorry but I'm not really into people with kids already. I dont have kids either so don't have to worry about that on my side lol.
That's pretty much it. Feel free to dm if interested. Tell me your favorite movie to prove you read it all and i can filter out scams. Not big on reddit dms so would prefer to move to discord but i understand if you want to keep it on reddit for a bit first. Just might not see your message for a little bit on reddit. If you read all of this thanks for reading and have a nice day.
2024.04.28 21:11 Mindless-Action-7978 Please help me (25m) come to terms with why this ended and whether this is a rare case where I should contact her (22f) again in 4 months
So this girl (22f) was in one of my (25m) university classes 2 years ago, and I immediately thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, just absolutely gorgeous. Didn't think much of it because I was in a relationship at the time (which I ended a couple years later) and then when I was single again I decided I had nothing to lose with following & messaging this girl from my class on instagram. We had a ton in common, i'm very passionate about mountaineering & photography and she was very into hiking, she was a very talented athlete / played on the university team where I also played on university team, we were both into painting, running & working out, and also into videogames. It felt like we were the perfect match for each other. Our first date went really well, it was so easy to talk to each other and there was instant chemistry. She had such a strong joyfulness in her that was so infectious. But at the end of the date, she said she needed a bit of time to think about if she's ready to go on more dates because she had just recently gotten out of a 3-month relationship a month back and a relationship before that one that ended terribly. I thought that was a fine idea and appreciated her taking time to make sure she's ready, and I had also just ended a 3 year relationship (which i told her about and had lost feelings for my ex quite a while before I broke up with her). I let her be for a few weeks, then messaged her again to see if she would be interested in a second date. Our second date was the best date of my life, we met up early in the morning and went hiking to a nice view, shared really deep things about ourselves and felt like we already had such a deep connection. I've been in a 1.5 year relationship, a 3 year relationship, but have never felt something that felt as right and comfortable as I did with this girl. We then afterwards went to my favourite thai restaurant (she ended up skipping one of her classes because she wanted to keep spending time with me), and then eventually went back to my place and played mario and cards, and one thing lead to another and she slept over at my house (10/10 never felt so much chem), and then I made her breakfast in the morning. Our second date was over 24 hours long and I just felt like I was on top of the world with her, and could tell she felt the same. She said that she feels so safe and comfortable with me, and couldn't get tired of spending time with me even after 24 hours straight together. We decided we were going to take things really slow in terms of putting a label on us, so we continued going on dates and hanging out almost every day for about 4 weeks. She was the most encouraging person I had ever met, very often telling me she cared about me and how great of a man I am, how thoughtful I am, how attractive I am and that she really appreciates me. She said she had never been treated so well before. I bought her flowers and chocolate and would drop off food for her while she was studying. She actually cried of joy once when I wrote her a really nice card with some flowers (the exact types she said she liked) and chocolate, and was so unbelievably appreciative. She would bring me donuts and coffee while i was working sometimes, and bring ingredients over to cook dinners and we had many sleepovers together. Everything was going amazing, I had never been treated so well by a girl and it felt so easy to put into the relationship everything I could, it just felt so right and healthy. But then, she started having some mental issues, sobbing in front of me about issues with her best friend / roommate becoming distant & cold to her, issues with her crazy ex of 2 year relationship (who cheated on her with 2 underage girls and got in trouble with police for it). The pedophile ex was leaving bible verses about forgiveness and flowers on her car and shit, and kept appearing where she was on campus. I wanted to go talk to him and tell him off but the girl said I was the only person in her life not connected to drama with him and she wanted to keep it that way. A couple of her friends had continued being friends with her ex which made her feel very betrayed, and seemingly everyone in her campus life was connected to him one way or another, and she said I felt like an escape from that traumatic situation. And on top of that, she was very stressed out by her heavy course-load. She was also supposed to be finding a place off-campus to live the next year with her best friend, but they were having issues in their friendship. She started coming over less and not answering texts as often and felt very different from her normal self and she started going to counselling too. I was as supportive as I could possibly be and she was so appreciative of me, but I could tell she was struggling. I would be there while she would cry and vent and listen and talk her through it all, calm her down. She said that she feels so much better when she's with me, but feels so bad that she's relying on me. Then she started bringing up a few times that she wants to talk about "what we are", so one day when we were having a picnic at a park she brings it up and I say some really nice things and that I really want to become official when she's ready. She says that she wants me to make it a special moment when I ask her to be official and she seems very happy and excited about it all. Then, from this point on, she becomes very scarce, taking a whole day to answer texts sometimes, only being able to hang out about once or twice a week for short periods. One night when she was over, she asked, "how do you have so much to give in this relationship? You're amazing. I wish so badly I could give the same but I'm struggling mentally right now and so stressed about school and other things. I'm scared of hurting you because of how I am right now." I assured her that I fully understand that there's periods where one can give more than the other, and I just want to be there to help her through what she's going through.
She also was supposed to be back with her parents for the summer after school ended, 4 hours away from where I live, as she had summer work lined up there, which we already talked about and were okay doing mostly long distance until she's back in september. We wouldn't be able to see each other often though because she worked on weekends, and i work mon-fri.
At the end of march, she went home to visit parents for 4 days to get away from everything causing her stress. I didn't hear much from her while she was gone, but when she came back, she asked if we could talk. She drove over, and said some things "i've been very distant for the last while and I am really sorry, you deserve so much better. I like you and you have all the qualities I want in a man. I feel frustrated that I can't give in the relationship right now because of my mental struggles. You have been so thoughtful and encouraging and giving so much, and I appreciate it so much, and I usually can give a lot myself in a relationship. I feel guilty that I am relying on you so much for my wellbeing right now. I think I need to be single and spend time getting myself out of these mental struggles on my own without relying on someone else. The next girl you end up with is going to be so lucky to have you"
I told her some things like "I feel really bad about what you are going through, but I don't want another girl, I just want to be there to help you through and make this relationship work. You have made me feel so special, I finally felt like I found someone who treats me so well. But if this is what's best for you, I am not going to try to change your mind. I will be sad, but I will be okay. I am not mad at you and I will not hold anything against you. Don't doubt in yourself, I know you are going to excel finishing off the semester, you are so intelligent and hard-working. In these hard times is when you will learn the most about yourself and I know you will get out of this rut at some point and have gained so much wisdom through it all."
She then teary-eyed said "thank you for everything you have done for me. You have been so mature and understanding through everything. You are truly amazing and so intelligent and I appreciate all the encouragement and support you have given me, it has helped me so much."
I then said,"do you think we could try again in the future when you are feeling better, after summer when you're back?"
She said "i don't know. I don't want you to be waiting for me."
I said "I won't be hung up on you. But send me a text if you are feeling better in the new semester."
She said "okay" with a smile on her face.
We hugged and said our goodbyes. It's been a month now, I haven't messaged her but think about her often, throughout every day. I miss her tremendously, but I am still able to have fun in life and hanging out with friends, working out and following passions. So I'm glad I'm not totally messed up, I just simply miss her a lot. We still follow each other on social media and she watches all my stories, almost instantly after I post them seemingly when previously she was rarely on her phone, which likely means absolutely nothing but. I'm trying to kill the hope that is still lingering in me for my own mental wellbeing, but can't help myself but think about trying to reach out to her in 4 months when she's back to see how she's doing and if we can try again. She said when she was breaking up with me that she likes me and I have all the qualities she wants in a man, so I feel like I have a chance still if the stars align... but I am also open to other options and meeting other girls when I am healed up. But damn do I miss her.
Do you think she simply wasn't interested in me anymore and her reason for breaking up was a cover-up? Or do you think she simply had way too much going on in her life causing mental issues, and she just needed to escape everything and reset, build herself back up to normal while spending time back with her parents 4 hours away for the summer.
TL;DR:
Have an absolutely amazing couple month stint with my dream girl in every way, never been treated so well by a girl, she's so invested in the relationship and me, she says she wants me to make it a special moment when I ask her to be official, she starts getting bad mental health issues and breaks down crying in front of me often, acts very different than the super joyful and happy girl she was before. Because of her past traumatic relationship (being cheated on with underage girls), friends betraying her and staying in contact with her pedophile ex that lives on same university campus as her, her pedo ex leaving flowers and bible verses on her car, her best friend who she's supposed to find a place to live with becoming cold and distant, her heavy course load stressing her out heavily. She ends us just before I can ask her to be official, because she frustrated she can't treat me as well as she wants to in her current state, she feels dependant on me for her wellbeing, and she goes home to live with her parents for the summer to reset and try to get healthy again. Was this a cover-up for why she ended the relationship, because i feel like if you truly like someone you would make it work through the hard times? Or did she just simply have way too much stress going on in her life and needed to escape everything.
submitted by Mindless-Action-7978 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
She also was supposed to be back with her parents for the summer after school ended, 4 hours away from where I live, as she had summer work lined up there, which we already talked about and were okay doing mostly long distance until she's back in september. We wouldn't be able to see each other often though because she worked on weekends, and i work mon-fri.
At the end of march, she went home to visit parents for 4 days to get away from everything causing her stress. I didn't hear much from her while she was gone, but when she came back, she asked if we could talk. She drove over, and said some things "i've been very distant for the last while and I am really sorry, you deserve so much better. I like you and you have all the qualities I want in a man. I feel frustrated that I can't give in the relationship right now because of my mental struggles. You have been so thoughtful and encouraging and giving so much, and I appreciate it so much, and I usually can give a lot myself in a relationship. I feel guilty that I am relying on you so much for my wellbeing right now. I think I need to be single and spend time getting myself out of these mental struggles on my own without relying on someone else. The next girl you end up with is going to be so lucky to have you"
I told her some things like "I feel really bad about what you are going through, but I don't want another girl, I just want to be there to help you through and make this relationship work. You have made me feel so special, I finally felt like I found someone who treats me so well. But if this is what's best for you, I am not going to try to change your mind. I will be sad, but I will be okay. I am not mad at you and I will not hold anything against you. Don't doubt in yourself, I know you are going to excel finishing off the semester, you are so intelligent and hard-working. In these hard times is when you will learn the most about yourself and I know you will get out of this rut at some point and have gained so much wisdom through it all."
She then teary-eyed said "thank you for everything you have done for me. You have been so mature and understanding through everything. You are truly amazing and so intelligent and I appreciate all the encouragement and support you have given me, it has helped me so much."
I then said,"do you think we could try again in the future when you are feeling better, after summer when you're back?"
She said "i don't know. I don't want you to be waiting for me."
I said "I won't be hung up on you. But send me a text if you are feeling better in the new semester."
She said "okay" with a smile on her face.
We hugged and said our goodbyes. It's been a month now, I haven't messaged her but think about her often, throughout every day. I miss her tremendously, but I am still able to have fun in life and hanging out with friends, working out and following passions. So I'm glad I'm not totally messed up, I just simply miss her a lot. We still follow each other on social media and she watches all my stories, almost instantly after I post them seemingly when previously she was rarely on her phone, which likely means absolutely nothing but. I'm trying to kill the hope that is still lingering in me for my own mental wellbeing, but can't help myself but think about trying to reach out to her in 4 months when she's back to see how she's doing and if we can try again. She said when she was breaking up with me that she likes me and I have all the qualities she wants in a man, so I feel like I have a chance still if the stars align... but I am also open to other options and meeting other girls when I am healed up. But damn do I miss her.
Do you think she simply wasn't interested in me anymore and her reason for breaking up was a cover-up? Or do you think she simply had way too much going on in her life causing mental issues, and she just needed to escape everything and reset, build herself back up to normal while spending time back with her parents 4 hours away for the summer.
TL;DR:
Have an absolutely amazing couple month stint with my dream girl in every way, never been treated so well by a girl, she's so invested in the relationship and me, she says she wants me to make it a special moment when I ask her to be official, she starts getting bad mental health issues and breaks down crying in front of me often, acts very different than the super joyful and happy girl she was before. Because of her past traumatic relationship (being cheated on with underage girls), friends betraying her and staying in contact with her pedophile ex that lives on same university campus as her, her pedo ex leaving flowers and bible verses on her car, her best friend who she's supposed to find a place to live with becoming cold and distant, her heavy course load stressing her out heavily. She ends us just before I can ask her to be official, because she frustrated she can't treat me as well as she wants to in her current state, she feels dependant on me for her wellbeing, and she goes home to live with her parents for the summer to reset and try to get healthy again. Was this a cover-up for why she ended the relationship, because i feel like if you truly like someone you would make it work through the hard times? Or did she just simply have way too much stress going on in her life and needed to escape everything.