Greenville sc memorial day weekend events

When I first met her 8 years ago I thought she was gorgeous and that my cousin really lucked out because she was witty, incredibly smart and personal, and super fun to be around too. The more I got to know her, the more I liked her. 7 years ago they got engaged and even though there had never been anything between her and I, my gut hurt like a heartbreak and I realized just how much my feelings for her had snowballed into more than I bargained for. I was insanely jealous and thought about sabotaging their relationship because I wanted a chance with her. I never did it, but the thought crossed my mind. 6 years ago, my cousin confided in me that he had been interested in the swinger lifestyle and was contemplating bringing it up with her. They weren't married yet. He didn't want to scare her away but he also was worried it would affect their engagement if he brought it up. I encouraged him to, and not for selfish reasons. I honestly thought that if she truly loved him then she would consider his kink interest in swinging. If she gave him a hard no, then would he really want to spend the rest of his life with someone who wouldn't at least compromise somehow? Idk. I thought it made sense.
Anyway. He proposed the lifestyle to her and learned that she was not only interested, she was polyamorous and had been too nervous to bring it up for fear it would affect their engagement. Great. Just my fucking luck. 2 months later they are visiting me for a long weekend when we all had a friday off work. We decided to re-live childhood fun by making a giant blanket fort to watch a movie in and order take out. So at this point my cousin and I were both 29, she was 28(just a few months younger than myself). My cousin insisted that we need popcorn so he was going to make a quick trip to the store for popcorn and snacks. As he left, he joked that he knew his fiancee thought I was hot, and that I'd better take "really good care of her" before he gets back and winked at me. I laughed thinking he was just trying to make a cheesy joke but then he pulled out his phone and set an alarm, showing me, and said that I only had about 1 hour so I'd better "make it worth it".
She was in the living room setting up while he said this to me at the front door. I thought it was a really bizarre way to joke because he wasn't normally like that. And the it clicked.... they must think I'm willing to get involved sexually with her. I walled the 19 feet to the living room and rounded the corner to find her half naked, jeans draped on the sofa, pulling her shirt up to expose her stomach. She said she knew I was attracted to her, and then told me she was interested in me too and that she knew this must be so out of the blue, but that she wanted me so badly. My cock had never been so hard so fast. All I though was No, this is not okay, this is not how I wanted to get her. She kept talking though, telling me that she knew this must be a bit odd but that they were opening up their relationship and she had permission to "fool around" with me.... if I was interested.
Now when I say her tongue was down my throat in an instant, that's an understatement. The speed at which I grabbed her to kiss and pull against me felt like I hadn't even let her finish what she was saying. I could not believe it. It was like a too-good-to-be-true porno. We were frantically undressing each other, grabbing, kissing, biting holy fuck I didn't know I was into being bit. I could feel how wet she was against my leg when she rubbed up on me and I had to taste her. As soon as I started eating her out she stopped me, repositioned herself so we could 69 and God fucking dammit I have never had such amazing head. Within 3 minutes we were fucking. Every surface in my living room that day was christened and she told me repeatedly how much she had lusted after me and was so scared to bring it up, and how she couldn't believe she had been "missing out on this" this whole time. I naively responded much to the same sentiment and we damn well made the absolute most of that hour.
Just revisiting that memory has me rock solid.
The 3 of us talked that night about their lifestyle and the agreements they had in place, and how they both trusted me etc.. basically their agreement with each other includes that any sexual partners one or the other has must be approved by each other, ahead of time, and never in secret.
My issue is that, they got married that year, but she was having doubts about getting married and was afraid to pull out of the wedding because of family pressure. Yet, her and I have continued to have sex every chance we can.... and my cousin doesn't know.
His wife is having an affair, with me. I don't know how to stop, I don't even want to stop. It's been 6 years now and the guilt is eating me alive. My cousin is one of my best friends, I truly don't want him to hurt, and here I'm the asshole that's fucking his wife. I want her to leave him, and she wants to, but they had a kid together unplanned(broken condom) and she feels obligated to stay. I feel like I'm in love with her. I feel more committed to her than I ever was to my last girlfriend of 7+ years. I just want to end the agony of keeping everything so fucking secret and dishonest to my family, but I don't know where to start. I cannot stop thinking about her, fantasizing, it's driving me insane.

I am 33 F and my husband is 34 M. My husband and I have been in a rough patch for two weeks straight. It started off with him going to a bachelor party internationally where he spent $2000+ and where there lots of substances and sex workers present so safe to say I wasn’t thrilled but I wished him a safe trip. While he was at the party, he kept sending me pictures I didn’t ask for, which furthered my anxiety and two of the three nights his phone died / he fell asleep / he got home late. Safe to say, we didn’t discuss what level of communication would work for us and when he came back from his trip, we argued about it for a couple of days leading up to my birthday weekend. I don’t believe he engaged in those activities but I found it upsetting that he was unreachable for 12+ hours multiple nights for silly reasons.
Anyways…. For my birthday, I had communicated that I wanted a easygoing trip with us and our dog a few hours away. The only caveat was that I wanted to unplug from my phone for the weekend. My husband said he’d plan the weekend which is something I usually do for our trips or something we do together. Unfortunately none of the things he planned worked out for one reason or another. I ended having to figure out plans and meals three times because he had no suggestions and I couldn’t unplug as a result. This was upsetting - we didn’t get to eat out anywhere because my husband said he couldn’t find a dog friendly patio of a restaurant. The day before my birthday he asked me if I would want a cake or dessert and I also found that weird considering I always have cake on my birthday. Any of the places he planned to take me too were either closed or not accepting dogs. I was upset that he didn’t do proper planning into anything and we ended up wasting $1500 on the lodging alone. Mind you before going on the trip, I asked him if he needed planning help or needed me to pack some groceries and food to cook since we cook a lot at home and he said no, he has it taken care of. He didn’t take care of anything and one of the nights we had to skip dinner cause places closed. We ended up doing nothing as a result.
Anyway, we got back from the trip and I asked for a redo at home since the weekend was horrible. I told my husband I just wanted to go eat some pizza in town and just celebrate that way. My husband ended up surprising me with dinner reservations at some fancy fine dining Caribbean food. While I appreciate all cuisines, Caribbean fine dining is not my go to cuisine or something I truly love eating. I just wanted pizza and enjoy my day off doing something I wanted. Again, I was upset because I felt like my words were disregarded.
The last birthday event we had was today where we were suppose to celebrate group birthdays, mine included. I offer to bring a specific type of cake for my friends and myself (I mainly only eat this cake on my bday once a year so I look forward to it), but my husband said he’d take care of it. Am I wrong to assume that meant he would get the cake I wanted? Come to find out, he got something completely different cake from what I wanted to get or liked and had told him. Am I in the wrong for being ungrateful and upset? I feel like my requests were directly ignored and each time, it seems like my husband is trying his best but he kept disappointing me.

I went out to a restaurant/pub I’d never been to before for a pride event. I was excited. It’s got a nice location by the river and outdoor seating, a converted warehouse or something with large bays that open to the patio. First, I’m seated at an indoor table directly in front of one of the bays. I’m uncomfortable (I would realize more about why later) as people are walking directly behind me and I feel like I need to scoot my chair in more. I was apologetic and asked to move to another table that wasn’t in a walkway. Our drinks come the menu looks great, we order, but I’m still uncomfortable. I start feeling itchy. I realize I’m being heavily attacked by mosquitoes.
That makes sense. It’s riverfront. I guess I should have known. I haven’t spent much time outdoors yet this summer and am not in the habit of carrying bug spray or worrying about them.
I ask the waitress for my tab and boxes to go. I’m starting to swell a great deal. I don’t react well to misquote bites. She apologizes and I tell her it’s not her fault, how could she have known. And then she says “oh it’s the worst. We get ate to death all summer!” And chuckles.
So this fucking restaurant KNOWS their patrons are going to get bitten and DO NOTHING ABOUT IT?! Not even a warning?! I’m sure there some sort of food safe citronella or something. A sign at the door. Anything. I have 25 (at least) large, painful, miserable welts and am just praying the Benadryl kicks in soon. I can’t sleep or think or do anything to make myself comfortable. My joints hurt and my throat is swollen. And usually it take me a couple days to recover from bites so my whole weekend is fucked. I work long, stressful shifts in the summer and was really looking forward to relaxing days off.
I don’t want to blast the pub on socials. My friend is hosting the event and I don’t want it to reflect poorly on her. Also I know my own culpability here. I should have been more thoughtful and prepared or paid attention to why I was uncomfortable at first (I thought it was anxiety about being somewhere new). It just fucking sucks and I will NEVER return. Fuck the owners of that place. They’re putting the staff and their customers at risk.

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Marc gave it another go. He tipped his hand forward. The silver patty rolled off him, dropping toward the cave floor.
It stopped short of hitting the path. The shiny disc halted in the air, dangling at the end of a thin white line.
He watched the small wheel spin. It might have been the most fun he’d had all year. Even more fun than that mud puddle he’d found the other day.
How does it keep going? Marc thought to himself. And without any power??
Marc assumed the disc was some sort of technological marvel from the past. But the Archives had little information on it, only a name. It was called a “yo-yo.”
They all must have had one of these, he posited.
As Marc walked down the stone ramp, he cast the yo-yo again. The toy’s quiet spin was the only sound in the cavern. The soft hiss of string versus metal reverberated gently in the spacious cave.
Marc focused all his attention on the little gadget. He was determined to enjoy every last minute of the universe, no matter what. And that evening, the yo-yo more than accomplished that goal.
The shimmering yo-yo, however, couldn’t prevent the world around him from crumbling. The ground started to rumble. The rest of the cave shook with it. The underground city shook as the plasma storm above battered it—and the rest of the planet.
Marc’s home broke down. Cracks appeared in the ceiling. Waterfalls of dust poured out of them. It wouldn't be long before the whole thing collapsed. That is, if the plasma storm didn’t swallow it whole first.
Whatever.
A few clumps of dirt wouldn’t ruin Marc’s fun. He pulled the hood of his shawl over his head and extended his ragged sleeves toward each hand. His clothes shielded him from the falling dust; the gritty particles made themselves at home on his messy shawl. And Marc was free to perfect his newest trick.
The rumbling died down though as Marc descended the ramp. The yo-yo string didn’t wobble so much, and he didn't have to watch his steps as carefully. He just hoped the quaking wouldn’t come back to ruin his event.
Speaking of which, Marc glanced ahead toward his destination below. What he saw rocked him even harder than the earthquake had.
What in the sinkpits…?
Marc stopped in his tracks. He even started to reach for his knife. All because he’d detected a speck of something suspicious. Something he didn't see much of every day: color.
Showy landmarks weren’t something endemic to his home. The Outpost was more of a dusty gray-and-brown sort of place. The walls were sandstone. The floor was sandstone. And the ceiling? …Granite?
No, sandstone. All under the faint glow of a string of depressed lightbulbs.
The intriguing blip in the gray-and-tan collage was farther up the path. Ahead of the ramp, on Level 8, Marc saw the same three steel doors he was used to seeing. The front doors of underground homes, lined up in a row, each closed into the cave wall.
However, there was something different about the third door. It looked… alive. Like it didn’t belong in a dreary place like the Outpost. But it was too far away to tell what exactly had been done to it.
Marc squinted at it suspiciously. The third door happened to be his destination. And now it was weird.
He considered waiting and observing the mutated door. A child of the Outpost, Marc had developed a healthy fear of the unusual.
These habits, along with his instincts, kept him safe. They’d specifically preserved him while the rest of humanity perished.
But he shrugged off the instinct to wait. Something new and “different” was ahead, and he wanted to see it.
But just as a precaution, it was time for his yo-yo’s last trick. He got in one final throw then placed the toy into his satchel. He dropped it on top of his arsenal of cables, wrenches, and screwdrivers.
And by the time he’d snapped the satchel shut, the long ramp had bottomed out. He’d made it to the next level.
To his left, the wall had been spray-painted. Scrawled-out black letters stood against the sandy background. They stated, “Now Level 8.”
Marc followed the sign. He stayed close to the wall, crossing to the stone pedestrian path. He passed one untouched steel door with a dusted-over mail slot in the wall beside it. Then he passed a second home—abandoned like the first. And finally, he arrived at his friend’s place and the mysterious blip on Level 8.
To his surprise, the steel door elicited a flush of emotion. His heart floated upward. And the portrait before him drew his focus in like an otherworldly beacon.
How did it get so…?
Marc pulled back his hood. The ground popped with the sandy grains he released.
He could hardly believe the difference. The door used to blend in with the others: another ridged steel face that spent most of its time rusting or collecting dirt.
But it was no longer muffled by the dust and dirt that had built up over the years.
Today, it sung. Paint streaks flew across its visage. They swirled and spiraled, forming stars and other shapes. Where previously gray and rust dominated, colors sprang forth—colors that Marc didn't even have the names for. They were many, and they were warm, like the evening sky just after sunset. Marc could hardly wrap his head around the entire image.
He swelled with gratitude.
Only you could have pulled this off. He thought of his friend, the painter. The one person in the colony who’d ever been any fun. The one other person in the colony who was left…
The artist had done the unthinkable. Foraging the garden below for something other than food. Spending work time measuring and concocting the perfect blends of paint. And then slathering their fingers across the giant door, until its old face was but a memory. And all that effort for only a single other person to appreciate.
Newly inspired, Marc searched for an unpainted space on the metal canvas. He found one and knocked on the door.
He took a step back and waited. The outside of the Outpost was lively. Excited wind rushed through the canyon.
By contrast, the Outpost itself was silent. If there was anyone left to say anything, they may have even called it “dead.”
Or nearly dead, anyway. The last morsel of it came to life as the door in front of Marc groaned.
It floated off the ground, inching upward. On the other side, Marc could hear a hand crank clicking away.
Ktch… ktch… ktch… ktch…
The corrugated door lifted, and the door rolled up. The tip of the artist’s painting started to slip from view.
Ktch… ktch… ktch… ktch…
Behind the door, chains reeled at a slow clip. The heavy curtain was halfway up. Marc could now see his best friend's lower half. Buff Lenorkian legs pumped back and forth with each crank.
The door unveiled even more of the owner. A torso in a metal suit appeared. Four ripped arms stretched out of it. They rotated, moving to the clicking beats of the door.
Ktch… ktch… ktch… ktch…
The door raised a few inches further, uncovering the bottom half of a cobalt blue face. Two rows of razor-sharp teeth smiled from ear to ear. A few inches more, and Marc could see the whole of the Lenorkian’s face.
Sid greeted Marc as the last of the door raised.
“Finally!” he said.
Marc didn’t get a chance to respond. His body lurched forward involuntarily. He slammed into Sid’s metal suit.
Crrrrrick!
The armor squealed as Sid’s upper two arms squeezed him tighter. The lower set of arms had reeled Marc in.
Marc hated hugs. Stupid mushy emotional wraparounds. But just this one final time, Marc returned the gesture. He squeezed Sid back.
“Happy Worlds’ End!” Sid said from the other side of the embrace.
“Yeah,” Marc replied, “Happy Worlds’ End.”
The two separated.
“Cool painting, by the way,” Marc said. He pointed at the rolled-up door. “I didn’t think you’d top the one in the garden.”
“You think so?” Sid sheepishly smiled. “Well I’ve had more time to practice since… you know.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Marc said. “Me too. That’s how I actually got you something.”
Marc swung his heavy satchel around. He rifled through it, squeezing through cables, knocking handles and parts out of the way. And then—ah.
He fished out a crumpled rag. Holding it in one hand, he began to gently unfold it.
“I found this a few days ago in the garden,” he said. The edges of the cloth fell. They revealed a small, glass object. It sparkled.
Marc continued, “I think it fits your style—I mean, I know it’s a little smudged and chipped but...”
He swirled the crystal trinket around. The cavern’s incandescent light flittered across its clear edges.
He touched it too, tracing the slender portion of it with his thumb. It was the neck of the crystal swan.
“It’s yours,” Marc said, offering up the bird.
Sid cupped two shovel-sized hands and accepted the gift.
“It’s beautiful…” he said, examining it. “I can’t believe anything like this could have survived this long.” He looked up at Marc and smiled, “Thank you so much. I just wish I had a little longer to could enjoy it.”
They chuckled lightly about their impending obliteration.
“Well, come on in,” Sid said. He extended both of his left arms. They gestured toward the cave interior. “We’ll finish off this universe how it started,” he said. He mashed his upper two fists together. “With a bang!”
“I hear that!” Marc nodded. He crossed over into Sid’s house.
As Marc passed Sid, a wave of discomfort hit him. Sid had switched out his usual t-shirt and jeans. He wore old armor instead. And the metal plating taunted Marc.
Marc’s next question came out more accusatory than curious.
“So… a Lenorkian throwback, huh?” he asked Sid.
Sid had just finished finding the perfect home for his swan. He left it on a shelf next to the front door.
He turned to face Marc. He hid his embarrassment behind a jagged smile.
“Oh!” he said. “Uhhh…” Three of Sid’s arms disappeared behind his back. The cone-shaped cuffs at the end of each wrist clanked against the back of his chest armor. The fourth arm nervously scratched his blue head. “I don’t know,” he said. “It's stupid, I guess. I can take it off… if you want.”
Marc didn’t want to address the topic head-on. He stopped in the cave’s entry. He pretended to admire the walls—as if he’d never seen sandstone before.
“No, leave it on,” he said. “You look… like a true Lenorkian.” He turn around and forced a smile.
It wasn’t enough.
“Okay, let’s get this out of the way,” Sid said. He marched up to Marc.
Sid took a deep breath before he spoke.
“Tonight's really important to me,” he continued. “This is the last impression anyone’s going to make on the universe. So I need you on board.” He continued staring down at Marc. “Can you do that? For me?”
Marc didn’t see what the big deal was. It was just a couple of best friends hanging out.
“Yeah, why not?” he shrugged. “End it the way it started.”
The exchange turned into awkward silence. Neither knew what to do next. They had never been in a situation like this before—never attended such an event. What the Archives called: a par-ty.
Sid shook off the figurative mask he’d been wearing—one that was uncharacteristically dour. His eyes lightened, and he bobbed his head knowingly.
“I went through the Archives to see how this works,” he said. He walked toward the long horizontal counter against the wall—the kitchen.
On the counter, chaos ran wild. Bowls and kitchenware spread across the surface. And the insides of his pots and pans resembled the dirty mouth of a garbage chute.
Marc wasn’t sure what to think. Was cleaning the host’s kitchen a staple of ancient parties?
Sid too seemed a bit confused. His next words came out robotically, as if he was practicing a new word he’d learned.
“’Can-I-offer-you-a-drink?’” Sid asked. He stood nervously in front of the counter.
Looking closer at it, three unusual objects stood apart from the kitchenware mess. It took Marc a while to remember what their outdated, bendy material was called.
Plastic. Three pink and plastic cups sat equidistant from one another.
“I got these from here,” Sid reached under the counter and pulled up some sort of transparent bag. Pink cups just liked the others were stacked on top of each other inside.
Sid packed the bag back under the counter.
“So?” he asked after he finished. He held all four hands together in anticipation. His smile may have looked like an industrial-grade rock shredder, but it was hard to resist his innocent blue face and big wide eyes.
Marc eyed the pink cups one last time.
“This better not kill me,” he said.
Sid wasted no time. He excitedly grabbed a cup and walked over to a large pot sitting on the counter.
Using a nearby ladle, he plunged into the vat. An unappetizing sloshing sound resulted. And Sid, as strong as he was, seemed to struggle with scooping out some of the mystery liquid. But in the end, he pulled back the ladle and unloaded an opaque, muddy liquid into the cup.
“It's a homeworld classic called fludge,” Sid said as he finished pouring.
He treaded over to his reluctant friend and handed off the plastic cup.
“Did you say ‘fludge’?” Marc asked. He swished the cup around cautiously. The earthy liquid hardly budged.
“Yeah, fludge! Us Lenorkians invented it. It’s kind of the only tasty thing we ever bothered to make.”
Marc sniffed it. It smelled… burnt? Maybe a little dusty, too? But he could have just been smelling the cave.
Sid left Marc alone with Marc’s questionable new assignment. He returned to the pot to pour himself a drink.
“Just try it!” he said.
Marc looked down again at the dark soup. It could kill him. Or maybe it wouldn't.
Either way, it was his last drink.
He took a timid sip and waited to be repulsed. The fludge trickled to the back of his tongue. As it hit, Marc’s eyes widened. But not with regret.
He swallowed.
“Now wait a minute…” he said. He smacked his lips together. Then he took another, larger sip.
This curious dark liquid had a unique taste to it. The taste was earthen—but unoffending. It also had a subtle undercurrent of sweetness to it, combined with a spicy kick. It was delicious.
“This might be the best drink in the entire Outpost!” Marc exclaimed.
Pure joy bloomed on Sid’s face. “See! I told you: the greatest thing we ever made.”
He held his own cup above his open jaws. The falling fludge was no match for the alien. He guzzled it down, licked his lips, and then went back for more.
As Sid fashioned himself another drink, Marc noticed something a tad unsettling. A third pink cup stared back at him. It prompted an uncomfortable thought, but he shoved the thought back down.
The Lenorkian carried back his second drink. Though this time, he took it in small, human-sized sips.
But he quickly reanimated. In the middle of a sip, Sid got a wild look in his eyes. His irises turned from their natural violet to scarlet. He yanked the cup from his face and swallowed.
“Argh, how did I forget?” he said. “I got music!”
Marc cut his sip short too. “No way. You got music?”
“I think so!”
Sid did an about face. He slammed the half-empty cup on the counter. Then he shuffled toward a giant metal column protruding from the far wall. Four ink-blue hands wrapped around the cover of the vent. And he went for it.
Sid struggled to pull off the cover of the vent at first. His armor ballooned around his biceps as his muscles bulged outward. Yet the cover wouldn't budge.
But it seemed like an important part of his evening plans. He scolded the stubborn vent, banging on its top.
“Oh, you’re gonna get it now!” he said. He latched onto the vent again.
This time, he put even more effort in. To the point where Marc sensed that Sid was losing a grip on his own body. Out of his forehead, two thumb-sized cones began to rise. His breathing turned low and raspy. And his whole body seemed to expand as he repositioned himself for leverage. Then with one final pull, like a wild beast, he let out of a deep, guttural roar.
“HAWRRRRRRRRRRRGGH!” The roar echoed off the cave walls.
And with that, the stubborn vent cover finally popped off. A breath of wind pulsed through the room as the air pressure equalized itself.
But the wind wasn’t finished. After the initial pulse exited, a mighty gust picked up where the original pulse left off. The vent shot more wind into the room, but rapidly, like a storm. Tiny coarse particles rattled inside the duct. And in the room, a rush of wind whipped past Marc’s face. He felt little nips across his exposed skin as it passed him.
Both partiers shielded their faces from the most direct blasts of air. Sid smiled nervously as he looked to Marc. He raised his voice over the whining airstream.
“It’s from the sandplains above!” he said in an elevated voice. “I thought we’d use the sandstorm for music! Do you like it?”
Music… Marc wasn’t exactly an expert. Even though humans were said to be naturals at it, not much on the subject had made it into the Archives. The Outpost didn’t have much of it either. The closest he got was the occasional chant, stray birds twittering about, or maybe someone banging on rocks.
But Marc did know one thing on the subject. Where there was music, there was dancing.
That said, he had never danced before either. But a long time ago, his parents told him it was something all humans could do. It was something they carried in their blood. Once humans found a pattern in music, they could match it to their body language. And once they’d synced melody and movement, they could ride that wave to a whole new experience.
Might as well give it a shot, he thought. Marc too put his cup on the counter.
With his hands free, Marc backed up toward the middle of the room. He closed his eyes, felt the wind. It filled his ears with its gusty energy. It hit him in pumps as the storm raged above.
Though not totally predictable, the wind did hit him consistently. There was some sort of kinetic pattern to it.
Yes, a pattern.
Well actually, he’d heard it called by another name. What was that word his mother had used? He opened his eyes when he remembered: rhythm.
Marc stretched out his arms. He relaxed his hips. He felt the wind’s whips and waves across his arms. He let his arms follow them, swaying with the current. Not long after, his hips joined in. They too gyrated, trying to match the energetic gusts. He kept at it. And the first time Marc felt both himself and the wind moving together, he grinned.
“This is amazing!” he said. Around them, the wind crooned.
Sid was entranced. He nodded back while staring at Marc’s strange movements. He’d never really seen dancing either. But he figured he would give it a shot too. He loosened up his arms and walked onto the dance floor with Marc.
Before dancing himself, he studied Marc first. He watched how the scavenger moved his arms—and when the scavenger moved his arms.
Sid’s limbs followed. Four muscular arms rose in the air, like fighter jets on their way to a dogfight. And on a one or two second delay, they swayed after Marc’s.
For a while, they followed Marc completely. Then Sid went down his own path. The Lenorkian’s movements grew aggressive and battle-like. He punched at the wind swiping across him. He shuffled his feet as if swapping battle stances.
He caught Marc’s curiosity. Even as a novice, Marc could tell Sid’s movements weren’t traditional by any means. But to Marc, it was dancing all the same.
The two danced to the chorus of the air above. They laughed occasionally as changes in the rhythm of the wind tripped them up. In his head, Marc compared it to the painting on Sid’s door. The colony had never seen anything like this either.
Then something interrupted their dancing. The ground beneath them shook, throwing them off their feet. Heavy gray dirt trickled from the ceiling as the entire cave rumbled. And outside, the distant sky flashed and crackled. Its light illuminated the cave in violent spurts as the boys struggled to stand back up.
Eventually, the violent quaking and frightening flashes died down. The plasma storm held its breath once again.
The boys got back on their feet, but all the joy had seeped out of Sid’s face. He just stared at the floor in deep contemplation. Even as the windy music started back up.
Marc figured he would rescue his friend from whatever dark thoughts had turned up. Naturally, the end of the universe was a real bummer.
“End of the world got you down, huh?” He tried to laugh it off. The whole situation was pretty sad. Especially when they were having so much fun. But it was best to end the universe on a high note, right?
Nevertheless, Sid seemed dejected. He mumbled something inaudible.
“Dude, I can’t hear over the song!” Marc said in an elevated voice.
Sid spoke up over the wind. “That’s not what I’m upset about,” he said, his voice still fairly low.
“Then what are you upset about?”
Sid blurted out his response. “Because I invited Tōn-E, okay?”
He couldn’t bring himself to look Marc in the eye. Because he knew what was coming.
“YOU DID WHAT?!” Marc shouted over the music. Marc himself stomped over to the vent. He picked the cover off the floor—though he struggled quite a bit with it. It was heavier than Sid made it look. But he hoisted it back into the mouth of the vent. The music shut off. The steady drop of sand on the cave floor ceased.
“Say that again,” he leveled in Sid’s direction.
“What was I supposed to do?” Sid remade eye contact. “Not invite the only other intelligent being to the last party the universe will ever have?”
Marc needed no time to answer. He nodded insistently. “Yes. That was exactly what you were supposed to do. What the hell, Sid?” Marc would have continued, but there was another disturbance outside. He caught a glimpse of movement in the doorway.
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Thanks for reading some of my words :) I’m trying stuff out, so let me know what you think.
The rest of the story is here
Based on this prompt

AITA for ending the relationship with my best friend
Long story ahead but there is lots of context. Jump to **** for main AITA situation.
My (f26) best friend (f26) "Taylor" and I have been best friends for about 3 years; we met at work. We became close very quickly. Taylor has a husband (boyfriend when we met) "Jesse". Almost a year into our friendship Jesse proposed to Taylor and they decided they wanted to try to have a baby before the wedding. I was very supportive of their decision and was there for them during her entire pregnancy. I was so excited to be an "auntie", which they graciously granted me the title. My love language is gift giving and I do it purely out of love, not expecting gifts in return. Since the beginning of her pregnancy until this last time seeing her, I had gotten Taylor and her baby lots of items (diapers, clothes, toys, handmade blankets) out of the love I had for them; nothing crazy expensive or inappropriate. Right after the baby was born (about a week), Taylor, Jesse and baby moved across the country for Jesse's continuing education/job. Taylor and I vowed to make our friendship work long distance. Three months later was their wedding. I was hurt because I was not asked to be a bridesmaid, though there were more groomsmen than bridesmaids. Instead, very last minute I was asked to carry the baby down the aisle and I was so excited for my "special job". Things did not go as planned that wedding weekend. The other bridesmaids were very rude to me, not wanting to include me in wedding party activities, and literally taking the baby out of my arms, though I was willing to share them any time. I was supposed to walk the baby down the aisle with the rings but when we lined up, a bridesmaid took the rings out of my hands agressivly and gave them to the best man. I had taken care of the baby all day while the wedding party was getting ready and also had gotten the baby ready (dressed, changed, fed). After I got the baby ready, I took him for wedding party pictures, in which I was wasn't allowed to participate in. There actually aren't any pictures of Taylor and I from her wedding. I watched the baby til the babysitter came and got him at the reception, this was the plan so we could all enjoy the reception like adults. A little later Taylor then asked me if I would stop drinking and watch the baby overnight for them because the night babysitter backed out. She didn't ask family (her sober mom) or her bridesmaids (one pregnant/sober). At first I was honored to be asked, but it really was a change of plan. Being the sober one, I ended up taking on responsibilities that shouldn't have been on me. This included getting a very intoxicated guest out of the reception venue nicely because the bar staff was threatening to call the police on the girl causing a scene. I didn't want Taylor to have this memory of her wedding so I got the girl a ride home even though she screamed at me and threw wine on me, all without Taylor knowing. I also had to give first aid to a guest that slipped and fell. I ended up driving the very drunk bride and groom back to the hotel and picked up the baby. The bridesmaids were nowhere to be found to help during any of this. I never explained my frustration to Taylor, because that day wasn't about me and I moved on (my own fault for not ever telling her). Fast forward three months after the wedding and I fly across the country to visit them. For the most part we had a great time and did lots of activities, always busy and fun. The only "red flag" was when Taylor and Jesse propositioned me to join them in the bedroom, to which I politely set a boundary and declined. According to Taylor, Jesse was "very bummed" that I said no. Everything was fine and Taylor and I continued our long distance friendship.
****Fast forward another 6 months from then and I am going out again to see them for the baby's first birthday. I arrive and the whole vibe is just off but I'm determined to have a good time. Taylor doesn't seem to want to do much and takes the baby to daycare a lot while I was there even though she didn't have to work (I didn't care if he was with us). As a birthday present to her and the baby, I wanted to take them on a day trip to Disney (not far from them at all). We had dicussed this plan for a long time and Taylor at least claimed to be excited. I paid for the tickets with fast passes and parking, again just wanting to spend time with them, not expecting anything in return. We had everything ready to go for the morning we left because we wanted to get there early. We ended up there late, which is not a big deal, it takes longer with a baby. We get to the park and it is already decently busy. After we eat a sit down breakfast at Taylor's insistence, we get in line for a ride. We ended up riding 2 baby friendly rides and then she and I rode one "adult" ride with rider swap for the baby. After the third ride (we have maybe been there at most 3 hours) and she states out of nowhere that she thinks the baby is done and they should go home, after i had already booked the next ride. I was floored because everything was fine I myself had just fed and changed the baby who was content. Taylor said I could stay if I wanted and Jesse would pick me up later. So I was left alone at Disney ALL day. I was very disappointed, but again said nothing in the moment. After running all over the park all day, Taylor still wanted to do "girl's night out" that evening so we went out. At the restaurant I was on SC taking pics of the balive music, snapping my bf, when she took my hand and said "babe you're here to see me, you need to put your phone away". I felt like a little kid in trouble. So I apologize and put my phone up. We go to another bar across the street for the rest of the night where I order a drink infused with absinthe. I had never had it before and wanted to try it but I didn't want Taylor "mothering" or "griping" at me so I didn't tell her and got her a regular drink. Also i was already mad and didnt think it was any of her business what i was drinking as long as it's legal and we have a ride. Later that night we were about to get an Uber back and Taylor's phone is almost dead at 3AM. So I messaged Jesse and told him that we would be back soon and that I had absinthe but that i didn't tell Taylor. There was nothing else in the message and I have never sent him any sort of flirty or inappropriate message before, and never would. Taylor ends up being very controlling the rest of the trip and I couldn't wait to get home in a couple of days. Once home a couple of days Taylor calls me and starts going off on me about messaging Jesse the night were were out. I told her I was sorry for lying to her about the absinthe and sorry if I made her feel uncomfortable messaging him, not my intent at all. I also told her it was in no way meant to be flirty or even sneaky and really not even to do with him. I was intoxicated and wanted to tell someone I drank absinthe and I knew I wouldnt be in trouble with him and was already telling him we were safe and on the way home. She is still yelling so I hang up. I then procede to text her with a calm, well thought out text and tell her I had a bad time out there and how disappointed I was with the Disney thing, but was nice about it and even apologized again for my phone and messgaing Jesse. I didn't take any low blows or call names or anything like that. I hear nothing at all for 2 weeks (longest we've ever gone without talking) and spend 3 therapy sessions trying to work through this. My therapist said it sounds like an unhealthy relationship and it may be time to end it. My therapist also said I wasn't inappropriate and was confused herself. I wrote Taylor a nice, long, no blame, email telling her that I think we have changed and that I was thankful for her friendship but that we probably shouldn't be friends anymore. I again apologized for any hurt I had caused her unknowingly and told her I hope she has a happy/healthy life and id always care about the baby. I get an email back fairly quickly that essentially turned everything around onto me. Saying things like "you don't know how to communicate your needs ", how upset still she was about me being on my phone because she wanted quality time with me (but left me at disney??), "youve been having a rough year and youre taking it out on me" (blaming it on a trauma from a year ago), "you over extend yourself with the gifts", and how she couldn't trust me with Jesse (and how lucky she is that hes so "honest"). She never once apologized for leaving Disney, being weirdly controlling, or ANY of the other ways she hurt me. I have not responded to this email and don't plan to do so because it would just turn nasty and i dont want that, i just want to be done with the friendship. AITA for ending the friendship?

I have a new build that is mostly used for really heavy Excel work/day trading/having one thousand browser windows open at once. Tried playing a bit for Fornite this weekend too. The 32GB of Corsair Vengeance RGB SL seems plenty but expense aside, I was wondering if it would make any sense to throw two more sticks in there up to 64GB. Thoughts are: don't want to lose the opportunity to buy the exact same model RAM (maybe this isn't an issue/will always be available) and I can add more RGB obviously... Any actual downsides to doing this? Hit 53% memory usage at an estimated 75% of what I would use this PC for. Seems fine. Literally just wondering if I should throw two more sticks in my amazon cart to have on hand/on the shelf (or to actually install now).

My husband came home wasted on Thursday after a company event. For context we live in a country let’s say like Ireland where drinking until drunk is not uncommon… They had a huge event for clients and he was supposed to make it home by 11pm since they very next day on Friday afternoon he was headed to a bachelor party until Sunday. He promised me he would come home early so he could be with our daughters on Friday morning before the bachelor… Well… He arrived at 5:30am completely destroyed. Apparently the coworkers moved the party to the office (they have a bar there) and he came when the cleaning ppl kicked them out.
He then woke up at 10:30 still drunk and proceed to take a 2 hour nap in the living room. Leaving the girls completely to me. (Which is ok I love them but not the plan) I’ve never been so angry with him tbh just the week before we both drank way too much for this brothers departure improvised party and with the bachelor party coming the last thing I expected was this.
He always told me only drinks in this company events cause he doesn’t go out otherwise. But this proves it wrong. Shows that he was lying to me since the beginning and he does it just cause he likes it and he can’t control it. On top of everything he wasn’t even remorseful and actually gaslighting me for being angry. Telling me “what was wrong with me… To take a chill pill… that the event was so much fun” this part was new to me. He never did this before he was always ashamed.
So I did what every bitchy wife would and secretly dressed up and took a taxi to a mall just to leave him and his hangover to deal with our kids and potentially miss the first night of the bachelor party. But instead his parents came to the rescue leaving him off the hook and diminishing my efforts to make him face real consequences of his stupidity.
He is still on the bachelor thing. We haven’t spoken since Friday. He texted me a couple of times on Saturday saying he was sorry but so very vaguely that sounded more like he didn’t wanna deal with this once he comes back today on Sunday destroyed, hangover and possibly drunk…
I don’t know what to do!! I decided to have June as a sober month myself. Planned on doing some trips on my own which I’ve never done since the babies are born!.. And maybe have a talk to him? But he will laugh at my face if I tell him he has a drinking problem, specially cause of last weekend we both drank like that!
Oh please give me your insight. I feel at a loss. I live in his country and have no family or many friends here!.. He was so far my rock but something feels so off!.. I even low key feel he cheated on me idk why. He isn’t the type but idk. What should I do?

Are you looking forward to your next vacation? Whether it's a weekend getaway or a long-awaited trip abroad, traveling can be a stressful experience if you're not prepared. That's why we've compiled a list of 10 travel tips that will help you stay organized, save money, and make the most of your time away. From packing hacks and money-saving tips to insider advice on staying healthy while on the go, these tips are designed to help you get the most out of your next adventure. So sit back, relax, and let's get ready to embark on the stress-free vacation of your dreams!

Plan and research your trip ahead of time

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Pack light and smart

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Keep important documents and valuables safe

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Stay hydrated and healthy

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Make a budget and stick to it

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Stay connected with loved ones back home

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Embrace local culture and customs

Embracing local culture and customs is a great way to have a stress-free vacation. Take the time to learn about the local customs and traditions, and try to respect them during your trip. This may include learning a few phrases in the local language or trying the local cuisine.
Another great way to embrace local culture is to participate in local activities and events. This may include attending a cultural festival or visiting a historical landmark. By immersing yourself in the local culture, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for your destination and make lasting memories.

Relax and enjoy the journey

Finally, remember to relax and enjoy the journey. Traveling can be stressful, but it can also be a rewarding and enriching experience. Take the time to appreciate the sights, sounds, and experiences of your destination. And don't forget to take breaks and rest when needed. By staying relaxed and present, you'll be able to enjoy your trip to the fullest.

Conclusion

Traveling can be stressful, but with the right preparation and mindset, it can also be a stress-free and enjoyable experience. By planning ahead, choosing the right accommodations, packing light and smart, keeping important documents and valuables safe, staying hydrated and healthy, making a budget and sticking to it, staying connected with loved ones back home, embracing local culture and customs, and relaxing and enjoying the journey, you can make your next vacation a stress-free and unforgettable experience. So go ahead, book that trip and get ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime!
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I'll preface this by saying that I'm a young'n. I won't specify my age, just for the sake of privacy. Skyrim has been a huge influence on my life and I thought it would be cool to share for anyone bored enough to read a glorified "little gamer's autobiography" on Reddit. I'm sure I'm remembering some of this wrong, but the timeline by itself should be pretty exact.
I was about 7 at the time, if my memory serves me. Close estimate at worst. As a little guy I was into a lot of stuff, and usually every 2 weeks I would switch topics I was unreasonably obsessed with. Usually the cycle would be Marvel, Cthulhu, werewolves, DC, Predator (the movies and the few games - way too young to be into something like that but it's an interest that remains to this day), stuff like that. During the werewolf phase of this cycle, I went to my dear mom (as you do) to ask her if she knew any werewolf games. After a few instances of this question, she said something along the lines of "well, you can turn into a werewolf in Skyrim". This little answer set off a very important chain of events. One thing led to another, and I ended up with Skyrim on my Xbox 360 on my stupid little box TV. Don't be fooled, this was when the PS4 and Xbox 1 were well into the modern gaming zeitgeist, my family was just really poor at the time. The PS3 and the aforementioned 360 were my consoles. 360 was a hand-me-down from my uncle and the PS3 was an old one of my parents. These were not my first, I played the Wii-U a fair bit and Wii-bowling was my introduction to videogames. Back to the meat and potatoes, Skyrim. I watched a video on my PS3 a few days before on the little box TV, some guy in a little bunch of glaciers in Skyrim turns into a werewolf to fight an enemy I can't remember. This lit up my brain like a wildfire. I immediately fired it up on the 360, one of the probably three games I had on it at the time. It was my secondary console. I played my heart out on the little thing, with only one character. He had my name. Werewolf, ring of Hircine, heavy armor, greatsword, which is what I'd guess is the exemplary character for a 7-year-old Skyrim boy. In my time on the 360, me and my parents ended up moving into a trailer park somewhere else. I never really made it to the end of any of the questlines, and from memory, my playthrough ended without the main quest pursued or any other faction questline for that matter, the College of Winterhold being the exception for reasons I'll give in a second. My most vivid memory of Skyrim at this age goes like so: I'm sitting crisscross applesauce probably only a foot away from this low-quality box TV. A few days before I had discovered that there was a magic forge under Winterhold, and you could do a glitch where you could make Daedric armor without consuming the ingredients if you grabbed them from the box quick enough. Little me was (and still is) obsessed with looking cool in videogames. Daedric armor was my holy grail as a little guy. I instantly pursued the College of Winterhold, and I can't remember this part well but I know there's some way to summon a Daedra on top of the college or something like that - I did that. Killed the Daedra, got a heart so I could forge the armor. After a bunch of time getting the ingredients, I made my way to the forge. I was there, about to put the ingredients in, when my parents are going out the door to the grocery store. (I was in the living room playing. I didn't have a room in that trailer, only really a mattress in my dad's room which I sometimes slept on. I usually took the couch in the living room so I could watch TV instead of his laptop.) My mom asks me "hey, do you want to come to the grocery store with us?" I'm too engrossed in the game and just kind of wave them away. While they're gone I forge a two sets of Daedric armor (with a bunch of save-scumming and error) under the college, one for me and one for my follower, and I am happier than ever. I killed a few enemies in the snow (with my still iron weapons) and B-A Daedric armor. My memory gets fuzzy at this point. I either kept playing for a while or quit close to there. Not important.
Christmas comes and my grandpa buys me a PS4. I stay on that for a while, not playing Skyrim. Soon after, my grandpa buys an Xbox 1.. FOR HIMSELF. Specifically to play PUBG on. He liked PUBG a lot, then. (He's not dead. He just plays other games now. Me and him used to co-op Halo and stuff, but now he's more into mobile games because he's old.) He didn't like PUBG on the Xbox, so he gave it to me. Glorious rediscovery of Skyrim begins a few years later. Mods. My favorite mod at that point was the ported Predator mod (because as I said earlier, loved Predator, still do). Played that for hundreds of hours. Had other playthroughs, too, without the Predator mod. Some were mages, rogues, warriors, I really branched out. I was into the roleplay of it. A lot. Once again, my memory kind of fails me here. I don't have many stand-out experiences from that time period, though I do remember being on voice chat with my friend Joe a lot while playing the game and sometimes broadcasting to him from the now-dead broadcasting thing I forget the name of. Good times. Heavily modded times. Hundreds of hours into Skyrim. Loved every second. What's weird, though, is I still never pursued any of the factions really. Didn't pursue the main quest. I do vividly remember completing the DB questline and being in absolute awe. I loved that. I remember sitting on the couch during one of the important parts of that questline (which I wont specify for spoiler's sake I guess) and I called my mom in to watch because I was so excited. Skyrim is a beautiful thing.
A few years later, my entire family pitches in to buy me a wicked PC and gaming chair. Still have the PC, chair broke a while ago. I play my fair share of Steam games that I could finally play after watching YouTube videos on them for years. Absolute bliss. Then.. another glorious rediscovery of Skyrim. With better mods, too. I decided to go with Oldrim for some weird reason. One of my friends showed me a mod he made as an add-on to another one I frequently used and I really loved it. That was like, the only reason I went with Oldrim. Still have that mod, still use it. Won't specify the mod for privacy's sake. Still played with the Predator mod very frequently, still do, but loved it more because the PC version has way more stuff. Bunches and bunches of playthroughs, around 100 mods, life's good. I make a character named Orrid, a Redguard, who practices the old Yokudan art of Sword-singing. He's still my main character and I'm still going through with roleplay and story arcs galore.
My mom separates from my dad. They don't get divorced, but feel like they'd be happier if they lived in separate houses and just visited each other very frequently. Don't mean to get too real, but it's mildly important. All three of us are still happy, and I have a sister now. She used to annoy me at the other trailer, but now I have an actual room in my apartment and she doesn't bother me 24/7 like usual. Back to Skyrim! I keep playing at the new apartment. It's actually running right now, in my room, in my apartment. Still going with Orrid, having a grand old time. I recently got my mom back into Skyrim on HER Xbox 1.
I go to church. I live in Southeast North America, you kind of have to go to church here. I'm in a youth group, and we have a videogame room. This paragraph happened a week or so ago. We play the Nintendo Switch, mostly Mario Kart (which I destroy everyone at). The pastor broke out Skyrim. I played Skyrim a couple times, but me and the pastor both kind of realized it couldn't go on because it was single player and with me destroying everyone at Mario Kart and the single player game combined nobody really dwelled there but me. It might as well have been my own little plane of Oblivion. I had a character named Orc Masterson, with the intent to actually do the main questline. At some point, the pastor comes to me and tells me he's gonna have to take the game off the list for the greater good. I agree. I'm about to leave the building, because it was post-lesson time, but pastor's quickly disconnecting the Switch and its charger. He runs up to me with the little thing. "Said-A-Funny, take the switch. Beat the game by next Sunday as Orc Masterson, do me proud." He knows I've never finished the main quest. He's as big a nerd as me, and plays Skyrim too. I initially declined taking the Switch, because I felt like I was inconveniencing him, but he INSISTED. I walked out, the Switch freeze-framed on me about to fight Mirmulnir. I decide to take this challenge as seriously as possible. It's the last few weeks of school, and every day I get back, instead of playing Skyrim on my PC as Orrid, I play Skyrim on my loaned Switch as Orc Masterson. I realize the family's going to the beach and I'll have to have an extension on my Orc Masterson challenge time. He obliges.
Last Wednesday, at the beach. I beat the main questline of Skyrim for the first time in my life. I sent a text to my pastor, and I did him proud. I'm going to return the Switch and its charger today at the church function. Level 20, Orc Masterson. A Skyrim character devoted to my pastor.
To close out, I've played Skyrim for a lot of my life and will continue to play for a lot more. My pastor will too. I love the game, always have, and I find it really funny how the game has followed me from console to console, house to house, grade to grade. One of two decorations in my new room is a tiny Skyrim poster my grandpa put up himself.
What a game.

Sorry I’m advance for this long ass rant/vent. I have no one to talk to and just need to get this off my chest.
I work & commute 12 hrs/day 5 days a week. I wake up at 3:30am everyday just so I can maybe have 30 minutes to drink my coffee and read my book. I leave at 6am land get home around 6pm. I get one episode of Bluey to sit down and nurse my toddler before rushing to make dinner, clean up dinner mess, take a shower with my kid, then read her a book and be in bed by 7:30.
Saturdays I spend catching up on chores and laundry and doing house/yard projects. Sunday I spend a good portion of the day meal prepping for the week because if I don’t, I will end up feeding my kid cereal for dinner all week and buying junk food at the gas station on my lunch break. Then I try to spend part of the day playing with and focusing on my kid, but that doesn’t always happen because I’m usually at my emotional max getting tugged on and yelled at to be held while I’m trying to do a million things. I’m in bed by 7:30pm for work the next day.
I have no friends. Literally, none. I have no social media so not even the illusion of a community/friends. Sometimes I’m lonely and wish I had friends, but then I realize even if I did, I’d have no time to ever do anything with them. The thought of even trying to make a friend at this point sounds daunting and exhausting and impossible.
My sister invited me to a girls camping trip this weekend with her friends, and my mom actually agreed to watch my kid overnight tonight so I could go, and I was going to stay in the trailer with her opposed to bringing a tent so it would have been totally stress-free. It would have been the first fun adult activity I would attend in almost a year. But my daughter was sick last weekend and my mom decided she didn’t want to risk getting sick. So I couldn’t go.
I wanted to go to Home Depot today to get some stuff for my garden, and I couldn’t even do it because I did not have the mental energy to deal with wrangling my adventurous toddler who refuses to sit in carts or just walk next to me in a store. This happens every weekend—I want to go grocery shopping, end up not going because I don’t have the time or energy so I either order grocery delivery/pickup. I want to take my kid to do fun stuff but doing so will mean half my weekend to-dos don’t get done then I’m stressed out all week.
My kid is constantly getting sick and I am always missing work to stay home with her. Any PTO I accrue will go to all the time I take off to stay home with her. I have 100% sole custody with zero involvement from her father. Once every few months when a grandparent agrees to an overnight, it’s always on a Friday where I’m too tired to even finish a movie before falling asleep by 8. Then I have to get my kid by 9am the next day because you know the grandparents have lives too, they can’t just watch their grandkid all day (heavy /s if it wasn’t obvious). Even if I could muster up the energy to do something fun, I have no friends to go do anything with. Once I went out by myself last summer and ended up going home crying at 10pm because seeing all these groups of friends out made me realize just how lonely I am. I went out hoping to make friends and no one wanted to be my friend. I thought working would gain me some friends, but I work with literally all men and I’m an attractive female so trying to start an outside of work friendship with any of my coworkers is just a recipe for disaster.
If the rest of my life goes like this, what kind of memories will my kid have? What memories will I have? Working my ass off and being too tired to ever get rewarded for it. Hell even if I just worked 4 10s, I feel like my life would be immensely better. I work a physically demanding job now, but before this I just was waitressing for the majority of my life. Can’t work that field anymore though because there is zero flexibility which is essential when you’re a single parent. I wish I could have a WFH job but everything I’ve seen you need either experience in the field, some sort of license, or degree. None of which I have. I also have a felony record (over 4yrs old) so I don’t have unlimited possibilities on where I can work. Hell I’d even be happy to work like a 2-3 day workweek of 13-14hr shifts if I was able to find childcare for those kind of hours. Part of me almost wants to just go back to school and try to live off the grant money again, but I have to go full time to get that money meaning I can’t even work a part time job because I cannot handle that much on my plate.
I don’t know man. Lately I just keep thinking, is this all there is to life? I love my kid to death but I can’t even enjoy my time with her anymore because there’s always something to do. I wish I could just be one of those families who lives out of a converted van/rv and travels the country and actually lives. I hate this. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so lost and alone.

Attention Texas Rivian Owners!
We've got some electrifying news! ⚡ The weekend of August 12, we're shifting gears from the open roads to the sandy shores of Surfside Beach in Texas. 🏖️
It's beach cleanup time! We're calling on all Rivian owners to join us as we unite for a cause that's close to our hearts - taking care of our planet.
We're more than a group of electric vehicle owners, we're a community that shares a passion for nature and adventure. 🌳🏞️ That weekend, let's demonstrate what the Rivian family is all about!
Let's get our hands dirty for a cleaner beach! 👏🏖️🚮 Bring along your friends, family, and lots of enthusiasm. It's going to be a fantastic day filled with camaraderie, fun, and a positive impact. 🎉💪
Mark your calendars for the weekend of August 12 at Surfside Beach, Texas. Let's ride clean, leave clean, and make unforgettable memories together. 📅🌊
RSVP on Facebook so we can get a headcount! Hope to see a wonderful turnout!
https://facebook.com/events/s/surfside-rivian-beach-clean-up/264561936117145/?mibextid=RQdjqZ

Here's the pitch. It's very much a work in progress. This is the intended setting for this tabletop RPG: https://www.reddit.com/RPGcreation/comments/13v5iw4/does_this_sound_in_any_way_promising_or_does_it/
The Old World
The truth is, no one remembers much about the old world. People have recorded dreams, visions, and flickers of memory but no concrete picture emerges, just a sense of vastness that would swallow the new world whole. All anyone is sure of is that there was a world before and that much of the language and basic concepts came from that place. How those ideas truly fit together is a mystery.
​
The Breach
The Breach happened 273 year cycles ago. Something truly strange had happened, some event that cut the folk of Ghost Gasket off from the previous world. The memories are nearly as dim as the memories of the old world. Shifting chaos and strangeness and a fracturing of the known rules. Madness. Screaming. And then people woke up, finding themselves in Neo Victoria, a city built in a suspended bubble of glass that's harder than steel. And around the bubble, only an endless maze of airless pipes and tunnels.
​
Neo Victoria
A stack of blocks built by a child. A ramshackle collection of mismatched styles. Gilt and poverty are scattered with no discernable pattern. The City seems both familiar and strange to those who found themselves in it. There are baroque stone mansions, tenement buildings, factories, temples, and workhouses. Clockwork abounds. The city seems to function as a vast machine designed to support life in the claustrophobic emptiness of the Tunnels.
​
The city was stratified from the very beginning. Some found themselves seemingly in possession of vast wealth while others woke up in small shacks with leaky roofs. People picked up from the Breach as best as they could, trying to find a life in the new world.
​
Humans and Abhumans
Humans aren't the only denizen of the city. Altered humans known as Abhumans exist and seem to be a melding of "normal" humans and stranger lifeforms. They have unusual biologies and strange powers. There are five main types: Changelings, Dhampir, Werebeasts, Nephilim, and Warpspawn. They seem familiar as if they were created to be similar to myths of the old world, but no one is sure why some people woke up altered. Many people find Abhumans repellant, that they inspire hate and superstitious fear. Others see them as just another flavor person. Abhumans usually find themselves in the lower classes regardless of their origins after the breach. Society in general is often rigged against them, with the majority of normal humans controlling them through social rules and outright laws.
​
Old Herald
Old Herald lies at the very center of the city, an intricate clock tower. The awoken citizens built a whole new system and calendar based on the machinations of the tower. There are 50 seconds in a minute, 78 minutes in an hour, and two 13-hour shifts. The months consist of 23 days and the year cycle consists of 13 months. During the Day Shift, the city's lights come on and a drizzle of "rain" spills down from plumbing built into the top of Neo Victoria. At night, the lights and rain turn themselves off and darkness reigns. Work is done during Day Shift, with the various poor and working class toiling to build or farm the products needed by the city. The rich control the factories and universities, spending their time managing the flock or trying to puzzle out the mysteries of the New World.
​
The Tesseract Mall
The Tesseract Mall can be found below Old Herald. This ornate cube-shaped building is bigger on the inside than on the outside. It has become the de-facto marketplace for the city. Costermongers, hawkers, hucksters, merchants, and snake oil salesmen ply their wares.
​
Amorphotech - The New Science
As time has passed, the folk of New Victoria have begun to learn the rules of this world. The overall system of thought is called Amorphotech. Matter and energy behave in unusual ways. They have an inner essence that can be separated and distilled known as Amorpho. It is a kind of formless non-substance. Amorpho can, in turn, be transformed into new matter and energy, both the types familiar to Old World memory and new forms wholly unknown to that world.
​
Amorphotech takes two main forms: Alchemy and Amorphic Engineering. Alchemy deals with creating special substances out of Amorpho that have special properties. The known forms of Amorphic Matter are Phlogiston (amorphic gas), Alkahest (amorphic liquid), Manacite (amorphic stone), Orichalcum (amorphic metal), and Bio-Iliaster (an unusual substance that can meld with biological beings).
​
Amorphic Engineering is taking alchemical substances and building devices that take advantage of their properties: pipeships, rayguns, and stranger devices.
​
Sorcery - Words of Power
Amorpho can also be manipulated with True Speech, a kind of formulaic language that mixes word concepts with what's called Amorphic Math to create effects. These are called spells and rituals, simply because that's the closest thing New Victorians are familiar with.
​
True Speech can be inscribed on objects and charged with Amorpho to create Relics, magical objects with strange powers. Those who wish to use these activities must attune to them, letting the Amorpho in their bodies and minds flow into the objects and back to form a metaphysical circuit that allows them to use Relics.
​
The Tunnels - A Cosmic Sewer
There are airlocks built into New Victoria. People have been curious about them for some time but had no way to survive an exploration into The Tunnels, the name for the labyrinth outside of New Victoria. Gradually, techniques and technology for exploring beyond the glass emerged. Pipeships are flying ships created using Amorphotech, sealed from the void, and able to traverse the empty spaces of The Tunnels using burning Phlogiston for propulsion.
​
The Tunnels aren't as empty as they seem at first glance. Created artifacts and constructions have been found formed by some form of beings who once lived in the Tunnels but seemingly vanished. These beings have been named the Precursors. Other creatures and entities have been discovered, some hostile, some mere animals, and others so strange that their mere presence is dangerous. There are even gardens and forests nestled within the pipes, made of plants, fungi, and more unusual sessile lifeforms.
​
The Precursor Civilizations
The Precursors don't seem to have been human at all. Sentient, certainly, but the things they left behind seem to be built by alien minds. Many people believe they created The Tunnels and New Victoria, that they are indeed responsible for the folk of the old world finding themselves here.
​
Much of what they created breaks conventional logic and even the new sciences of Amorphotech. They seemed to be able to warp time, space, flesh, and minds into wholly new forms.
​
Cults and Faiths
Strange beliefs abound in New Victoria. Many have formed different faiths and philosophies based on the mysteries of this new world. There are three main faiths in New Victoria: the Universal Pipists, the Exit Seekers, and the Wall Burners.
​
The Universal Pipists believe that there is nothing else but the pipes. That is, the Tunnels extend to infinity, a whole universe of pipes. The Exit Seekers, conversely, think there is something beyond, that an exit can be found out of the Tunnels entirely and into a whole other world or worlds that are much less constricted. The Wall Burners are an offshoot of the Exit Seekers. They believe that an exit will have to be built, that the walls of this universe will have to be breached in order to escape.
​
Political Movements and Social Clubs
There are several other, more political philosophies that formed during the arguments over the years on how to run New Victoria. There are utopian socialists, merchant capitalists, conservative monarchists, technoccult fascists (who believe those who master Amorphotech should rule through authoritarianism), and amorpho-transcendental anarchists. That last group believes that advances in Amorphotech will discover whole new ways to organize society.
​
Others have formed social clubs, ad-hoc organizations formed around some idea or hobby. There are detective clubs, journalism clubs, adventure societies, and amorphotech hobby clubs. These may have connections with other, larger factions in the city or they may be smaller, independent organizations.
​
Finally, there are a few secret societies that are similar to social clubs, except that their membership is closed and hidden. The Hidden Lodge is the oldest. No one is sure what pursuits they engage in but there are rumors that they have ears in every quarter and that they infiltrated their members all over the city.
​
Another secret society is the Raven's Wing, a criminal organization that controls most crime in the city, including illegal vices like drugs, gambling, and prostitution.
​
The final secret society of note is the Toy Breakers, an anti-technology group that is seemingly behind several acts of sabotage, assassination, and other forms of terrorism meant to stop the proliferation of Amorphotech.

So, my son is 10 and he’s the sweetest purest soul on earth. He’s also still very much a kid. He still plays with legos and sleeps with stuffed animals.
When he was 3 I dated a guy who had a daughter his age and they played together. We hadn’t seen her in years until last year she started at my sons school. I think they kind of had an instant bond because they were friends when they were little. They’ve been close ever since.
My son left that school so they’re at different schools again, but they still hang out. The girl has become a trouble maker. She was just suspended from school for something. I couldn’t get the whole story. Over Memorial Day I took them to the beach for the three day and weekend and I caught her shoplifting. She’s also a pathological liar. She lies about EVERYTHING. She also made a comment when her mom didn’t answer the phone that she was “probably having sex” idk I just felt like it was inappropriate for a child her age to say that.
So my son is over at her house right now with another girl friend of hers. They’re watching the movie “Missing” I don’t think it’s appropriate. I don’t want to smother him I know kids grow up but I feel like this little girl is growing up to fast and I want my son to enjoy childhood for as long as possible. I’m also concerned that he’s going to get in trouble hanging out with her. I already told him he could stay the night there but I regret it. Idk what to do I don’t want my son to resent me if I don’t let him hang out with her. What should I do?

I've posted about my frustration with my spouse a lot recently, but I am dealing with my own struggle with too much stuff. Enough things didn't go according to plan today that I really needed to reflect on how I've been doing recently and find something to celebrate in my own journey.
Sometimes the victory isn't in what we get rid of; it's in what doesn't come in, in the first place. I'm posting to celebrate that type of victory.
Sales, plants and seeds are among my weaknesses. Last year I made a firm commitment to not purchase any annual bedding plants until we have replaced our fence and installed a drip irrigation system for whatever containers we're putting the annuals in. As tempted as I was, I did not purchase any annuals last year and have not purchased any this year. This year I went through the vegetable seeds I've purchased over the past several years and shopped there first before purchasing more seeds this year. Over Memorial Day weekend, it felt like I was being bombarded with advertising for holiday sales every time I picked up my smartphone. I can ignore most of them, but two were especially enticing because I really am looking to purchase those items within the next 6 months. The time just isn't right, right now.
With every tempting ad, email alert, social media post, and text message reminding me of these two particular sales, I reminded myself that I did not need to find something to buy just to take advantage of the sale. I also had a discussion with myself about the facts of the matter, which are:

• Fact: they will have another sale with the exact same discount the next three day weekend, and possibly for Father's Day.
• Fact: the item I want to buy is out of stock in my size and preferred color.
• Fact: they will restock. I do not need to find a second choice and "make it work." I can hold out for my first choice.
• (Fact: finding a second choice and making it work is how I acquired every pair of shoes I donated several weeks ago, as well as every single article of clothing I will donate when I go through my closet and the totes of "out of season," "not my current size" and "I just got bored with it" clothing in my attic in a couple of weeks.)
• Fact: I am decluttering and buying something just to take advantage of a sale is not consistent with my goal.
• Fact: I have two upcoming "significant expenditures" that I need to take into consideration.

So, I took myself out of the loop. I unfollowed their social media group because that's where most of the buzz about the sale originated. I will make a final decision about unsubscribing to promotional email and text alerts based on the activity over the next 30-60 days.

As a person who normally likes rainstorms and rain, I really need to state, this rain we've been gifted with this year is getting ridiculous. Especially after this past Memorial weekend and today. This is going on to my fourth year in Charlotte. Never have I seen such weird weekend-driven rainstorms in my life.
There are three weekends of the year where I don't want bad weather. Any other time I don't care. Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Any other weekends are game for whatever. You plan for these weekends as everyone is off, and it can really ruin weeks of planning.
Last week Memorial's day had some of the crappiest weather I've ever seen. We pushed plans with friends to today (Saturday) and despite the forecast looking clear for the whole weekend, we sure enough got another evening of downpours.
I know it rains here often. I know I cannot control the weather. I know weather fluctuates more than it used to (for whatever X political reason you want to excuse in your comments). But Geeze, 80's and sunny Monday - Thursday and rain/downpours Friday-Sunday needs to stop.

33f & 42m. 5 months as boyfriend / girlfriend and this week my family member had a terrible hospital accident and BF basically went MIA the whole week except for a few hours in-person Monday (7-11pm) and then quick replies to texts I mostly initiated of good morning and good evening the rest of the week. We live 200 miles from each other. I’m going to send this to him tomorrow 11AM. I basically feel neglected and like I’d rather be alone than be with someone who makes me feel alone.
“I have been unhappy with how/where our relationship is - I have felt like your near lowest priority since Memorial Day weekend. Almost like you are intentionally de-prioritizing me, hoping that I will be the one to break up with you. A week you knew was beyond awful for me yet your (in)actions have evidenced basically zero meaningful support (you prioritized boys night Sun then your friends Tues-Thurs and then decorating appointments Fri- or am I wrong?). With your frequent Online Dating Site logins this week, it’s pretty obvious to me you don’t wholeheartedly want to continue our relationship, but for unknown reasons you are choosing to not articulate your changed sentiments out loud. Am I mistaken? If in fact you do care about me/us, I would prefer the blunt truth, and if you prefer to end this right now, I won’t resent you or be angry with you in any way. If I don’t hear from you by tomorrow morning , I’ll just consider the No-reply to be tacit assent and that’ll be that. Thanks.”
Edit: he was also working the entirety of the week&weekend prior, which I understood bc it was work , just this week&weekend he flipped and prioritized almost everyone/everything (friends, etc) over me when I needed him the most .
Note: we declared exclusivity long ago but never articulated about taking down our dating profiles and I saw on Fri this week he logged in Thurs AND Fri and then just now he also logged in Saturday
Roasts welcome…..

These few days I been ranting, I hope nobody will bash me with words. It's okay to read my rant just don't push me down further as I don't even know how to lead in life with a smile, My heart feels so stigmatized, tight and heavy. Being born shortly after by my biological mom, some unverified reason happen between my mom and dad leads to divorce. I was very young back then, probably 3-5 years old and I can't talk as I have not yet learn how to, suddenly as this point of time writing this post, I can't believe how much time has passed, the last time I was a child, I felt small, my hands, legs, and there are less things I know about the world, I wasn't so upset or so depressed, but something wasn't feeling right, that love and emptiness I felt, even though I can't describe how it feels back then but subconsciously I miss my mom so much, I have only a memory left of my mom that before she abandoned me, my dad bring me to visit my mom once in awhile, ok very attached to my mom and would hug her everytime I see her. Even though like I said I can't speak, I enjoyed spending the short time with her at her house with my grand mother, I can no longer remember their faces, I know my mom was a very pretty lady wnd petite lady though she was short. She would buy DVDs something that genz won't understand, of Pokemon and digimon animes but back then I don't know it's an anime _(..)/ I could sit at the bedroom on the bed watching peacefully, I don't know what the story in Pokemon and digimon was about back then but the memory remains there till as I grow up with understanding of Pokemon I know what was the thing of memory I had. The two things I remembered was that Bulbasaur refused to evolve even though his species has all evolve, despite Venusaur wanted him to do so, he was so attached to its trainer and that love force him to remain the same which I do not know why maybe the fear to be no longer the same identity? The another was whereby ash, misty, Brock was put into sleep by Gengar and they saw a giant gengar and Alakazam was fighting, but when they touch Gengar or it ate them they fell into his stomach not dead as of they're inside a giant jar, I also remember my grandma bring me to her work place which was primary school but everytime it was emlty, filled with no students maybe because it's weekend? I don't know but when I was with her, I would just run around the canteen while my grandma cleans the canteen, it was so nostalgic, life was so simple back then. I don't need to care anything else.. it was a very simple and sacred love I had from then, but looking backwards, it was a just call before the storm. Everything bad starts happened, before I notice I no longer able to see my mom and grandma again, I was sent to different of my mom I think from my dad but it was just a short time, and I was constantly move from one place to another, but of course the reason was because nobody want to for free especially without money, fast forward that my dad married another woman, and that was really the nightmare that soon to begin, although when I was told to call her mom, it will never ever replace the love I had for my biological mom even though her love for me and the time spending her was short. As I was growing I will always ask my dad where's my mom and he know I was referring to my biological mom as I was very attached to her. I miss her and I know she will never come back but a child I do not know why and I just only kept missing her. That woman that my dad marries brought me to her family, they are a very traditional kind of mindset family and sort of rich, well selling fishball noodles till able to demolish and rebuild terrace house ya over the last few years and I was living there since then till I'm 12 years old. Moving to my dad's house was the hell period and start of the nightmare, always constantly I get beaten up by canning all over my leg and body, forcing to stand for 2 hours because I was too stupid unable study well. I remembered now suddenly that I was force to keep memorize English words for 2 hours sometimes and while crying and standing I had to repeat the words that I am learning for, spelling test often has in school that's why*
Fast forward to secondary school a new school for me, at age of 13/14, lost my previous friends as they went other schools because I wasn't staying at the woman's family house anymore which was nearer to my previous school. Orientation of the school day which is first day, my days of being bullied starts, was bullied by my group of Malay classmates, and I got angry but I cried while angry that is why the bullying continues for 3-4 years, each time I angry, I'll cry at the same time even when I'm angry. There was once my entire school books in my school bag was thrown into the dustbin according to the teachers and couldn't be found. It will be funny, like who even bring entire year of school books? Yup that's me, that woman wanted me to bring and I hate to bring or put it in my bag. I wanted to make friends with my classmates, even those female classmates but I do not know how, like 13 years old kids nowadays knows how to use iphone and I don't even know how to say: May I be your friend, because this doesn't exist in my brain, which I do not know how to even say or what's sentence so the only way to get their attention was by running around in class, and running to slam myself into the wall, pulling girls hairs to get their attention, it's kind of childish, but what to do? I literally don't even know how basic gestures works. Another reasons why I can't express myself properly was also because of my ADHD symptoms and back then I was very very hyperactive! for my school life, can't go anywhere after school and only home and I only can study at home, there's nothing for me to play and it was very bored as I can't sit still, it feels like a prison especially when holiday comes because I can never go out to play. Although I dislike that woman but I like her mother, she's the only one who will pamper me, and often I go back with her to that family house when I was at the hakwer centre, well they're selling fishball noodles that's why. Always when I wanted those toys from capsule machine, which cost a dollar, she gave me but when that woman knows I always get scolded for asking people to buy for me things. My classmates sometimes ask me why does my legs are full of blackmarks but I was scared, I do not dare to tell them that it was because that woman canes me almost everyday. Something causes my parents to talk to my school counselor because of me getting bullied in school everyday and that was a huge alarm as when I get bullied I would scream to the extend almost the whole school would heard and teachers has to come out of the office to look what's happening, my school counselor advise my dad to bring me to see a psychologist I think which is at child guidance clinic and also a time table where by I can go out 2-3 days, but when I was late on of the days when I called that woman, as my dad was busy driving taxi. She threatened me in Chinese that when I go home I will know what happened, terrified of that I dare not go home and had to sleep outside my classmates house which is at the stairs for 1 night, that woman made a police report not because of me lost but because I didn't return home to get beaten by her. Police didn't understand me either and there's no child protection law back then so I only can constantly get more beatings, as mentioned for going to child guidances, I was given to do IQ test but, of course they didn't tell me and till now I don't even know how high is my IQ level but more importantly my dad and that woman just wanted that medicine as they thought it will call me down even after getting beaten, everytime I get beaten and my anger and fear reach broke I will cried and lost control of myself and when one day I decided not to eat anymore they stop bringing me to see doctor because it can no longer control me. I was given only $4 a day, but my classmate who pity me will bring me out after school to lan cafe to play computer with my other classmates, a group of 5 including me. My dad and that women eventually found out and also knows that my school has a system of giving food coupons and that made that woman make her next move by reducing my pocket money to $2. I forgot to mention too, with my medical condition I was unstable in my mind and emotions but they seems to have a habit of further scolding, beating, and agitating me further and alot of times I only can cry in fear against them in the house as there's no other adults there to protect me. This fear letched on to me and made me very very negative, lonely, till today. Alot of times I wanted to find ways to (sui side, wrote in this way to avoid using sensitive words) there was once in army (19 years old) I went and bought a box of Panadols and swallowed 15 -18 tablets but I somehow knew it wasn't enough or deadly to end my life, ended up me seeing medical doctor at the airbase I was in and went to hospital to have IV drip to also flush out the paracetamol, ever since them I no longer able to take Panadol or tablets with similar taste and size due to allergic or the the featrauma of my body subconscious.
At the end of the day, during my entire growing stage life from child to adult, my brain devloped twice as slow than everyone my age and even till today there are some things I may not understand which sounds complicated to me or I'll never understand. I didn't have a normal love life either having girls comes up to me telling me they like me or me confessing to girls I like because I don't even know what's like and love, there was a girl I like and everytime she saw me she would wave to me, she's from a different class as she's smart, probably express or normal acad and is a sort of student council, a contemporary dancer in her cca, I subconsciously like her back then not know that. I always envy others when I walker pass those children with their parents who bring them out or when I sees them so happy playing or interacting with each other. I could only ask my self in my heart, why am I so different and why I couldn't have what normal people haves. Things that are worse is when I see baby or young child cries, my heart start to beat fast and I start to become Abit distracted and uncomfortable, maybe emotional because of the trauma I got child abused. I always sees many girls confessing to my classmate and his younger brother, envy that why so many girls like them, like felt they're so cool enough for girls to approach them be it irl, or online through Facebook. I guess the most depressing and unpleasant moments was I constantly sees girls going to their house to get **** by my classmate's brother, and I knew those girls like them but to him it's just flings, I felt so engioue everything in my life I'm opposite of what normal humans are, and all these experience and memories letch on to me till today made me unable to express or communicate well with people, I feel very lonely, especially after whek my ex classmate and his family treated me so badly, as I was degraded for not working, and saying my medical condition is nothing compared to people with autism and disability like having no hands and no legs, I was also compared to Michael Phelps through my ex-classmate brother, when I have no money I was treated badly and look down on, especially when they buy food for me and then proceed to say those stuffs towards me but when I have money they became so friendly, they made me left my dad's house which give my dad to tell me not to go back his house anymore as he was planning to "sell his house to buy a smaller house" due to debts. My classmate doesn't bother how I felt or my situation, because they lost job during covid period so asking me to rent there would help them have some cash, fast forward to 1 year ago I was rushed by them to get out of their house we one or their siblings coming back from oversea with his wife. I have no one else so I have to apply for a shelter from social workers, and when that extend from November to December till today they demand me to pay $300 when they knew I have no money even when I'm planning to study. Last few weeks because if that I started crying and got very uncontrollably depressed, I realisi that one of the reason because of them that made me depress and affect my behavior and life was because of them. My dad doesn't talk to me for 2 years and suddenly he message me to wish my birthday wish last year but realized he wanted to borrow money from me. Many people told me just let go off the past but how many actually knows that it's easier said than done, basically like a heavy chain are anchoring to me. Nobody knows how it feels to be alone in this entire world, having no one to be there with you be it, the time where I'm happy, sad, having surgery, suffering and crying alone. Even though I can't end my life because of fear and lack of beavery, I'm living a life of monochrome just to wait for me one day to leave this world be it old, sickness, or accident. I really hope one day I will be free from this anchors of pain, fear and grief.

We were together for four years, we spent almost 20 hours a day together during that time. We were traveling during covid, and lived in a cabin when not traveling.
We had small problems, which I thought could be easily fixed. The problem is I didn't begin work to fix them until after she left. We were on and off no contact for the first month. After I realised she was serious, I went no contact. Flew overseas to get drunk on a beach for a week. After a few days, I came home intent to become the person she deserved.
I spent the month working on myself. I got fit, I got extremely fit, the first time I've had a sixpack in my life. I reflected on what went wrong with out relationship, I wrote a list of items I needed to apologise for, as well as items to say thank you for.
After 73 days since breakup, 50 days no contact, I was traveling to her town for an event, so in the evening I messaged to ask if she would like to meet up, she did not, however she seemed happy to talk on the phone. She was more than happy to hear my appologies, as a way to let her know that a lot of problems I previously ignored, I had now accepted, addressed and apologised for. We talked for about an hour, I went point by point, through my poor behaviour. I was glad to get it off my chest, I think she was glad to hear it.
I told her I would be going for a run along the beach for sunrise the next morning if she wanted to join me. To my surprise, she invited me to come surfing with her.
So at 5am the next morning, I went running along the beach until she arrived, when we crossed paths on the beach, we didn't even say hello. We just went straight into the surf, swiming, talking and surfing. While in the surf, she asked me for a hug, commenting that I am 'shredded' and have a new tattoo.
After surfing, we sat on the beach, for a bit before she suggested we go for coffee. We had breakfast together and talked for a few hours, she commented it was as if we were traveling again. We were both obviously loving being back together. She agreed to my invite to meet me at the beach in the evening, for fire twirling.
During our time together that morning, we even held hands briefly, she put hers on the table and was talking about intemacy, so I held it, she didn't remove it, or flinch, I held it and corressed her for a minute.
When we left, she held onto the hug, I was the one to break it. I said 'see you tonight'
Within a few hours, she'd messaged. Today was hard on her, so we wouldn't meet tonight, and my number would be blocked. We tried, we failed and she wouldn't go backwards.
A few hours after this, she tried to call twice, however I was in a meeting so couldn't answer. She sent a text, saying we shouldn't have met, as her heart is broken all over.
In the evening, I didn't bother going to the beach, or even ask if she still wanted to go. I went back to my city.
I sent her a message, saying we need more time apart, a month. I told her that it was obvious we were both deeply in love with each other, to the point I can invisage our future family. I let her know I had already left, so wouldn't go to the beach. I told her I loved her, and now I'm back in no contact.
I suspect our meeting coincided with the dumpers timeline of nostalgia. Along with her seeing me looking so happy, healthy and fit. I think she expected to come and confirm her decision. However the reality was that we were still heavily attracted to each other.
In the evening, after the long drive home, I had the realisation, that the script feels it has flipped. Almost as if I broke up with her today, she is now at home upset, I am not to bothered as I had a greate weekend, and enjoyed seeing her.
We arn't back together, I still don't know if we ever will. However the levels of respect between us changed.
We broke up because she lost respect for me. I think the respect is back, the love is there. However she is the most stubborn human I've ever met, when it comes to her following through with a decision.
Take from this what you will.

If you've reached this far, it's because of some happy confluence of my words, the Reddit algorithm and fickle fortune.
Our meeting seemed to dangle so much on fate, it's only fair we pay our dues. Give it our best shot. Do justice to the matchmakers of heaven. The directors of this romance. I'm on the quest for a sweet companion. Someone with a good heart. Kind and empathetic - Like my own. The good person at the end of the romcom when the attractive antagonists lose their allure.
Someone who enjoys intellectual discussions. Who likes dissecting her topics of interest and squeezing it for all the insight if offers. Someone who loves listening to someone passionate about the things they love. Someone whom I could talk to the entire day about the various events filling it and make observations about the overall arcs of our lives.
Our conversation begins with pleasantries and surface-level introductions – the most rudimentary and formal aspects. Gradually, the outer layers crack, and a lighthearted joke reveals another layer of depth. Common or contrasting tastes in art become the social customs for forging new connections.
The conversation starts out with pleasantaries and outward introduction of our demographic information - the most rudimentary. The most formal. Gradually, the outer layers crack and a mild joke cuts across the mask and we're another layer deep. Common or different tastes in art are the usual social custom for making new acquaintances.
Soon, our conversation flows like a roaring river eliciting deep intellectual and emotional responses from both of us.
We're discussing prized memories and cherished fantasies of the future. Chalking out hypotheticals and admiring the other's world views. Pretty soon, we're suddenly bare and feeling a strong bond by virtue of what we've shared.
Small silences punctuated the conversation. These silences were not awkward. It was a comforting waterfall of connection. It was the silence that followed from both of us knowing and enjoying the bond created by our hearts.
I love the feeling of talking to someone and, within a short span of time, feeling as though I have known them for lifetimes. It's a bond that surpasses those formed in everyday interactions..
I'd like someone who is open to and enjoys voice calls. I'd love to have someone to call at the end of the night, as I'm cozy in my bed, or maybe sneak in a call for pleasure amidst the endless perfunctory ones I have to take.
Our general moments of sugar would only be interrupted by strong torrents of spice. Moments when we'd be filled with raw, animalistic passion and forego any kind of sophistry. Times when we'd cast away the side of ourselves that everyone in real life knows and give free reign to the animal inside of us - hungry for the other. I should warn (or maybe delight) you that In my erotic fantasies I enjoy being someone far different from my usual reticent self into someone who firmly takes charge.
I do not want someone who only wants to talk for a day. I want someone who intends to talk for a few weeks at least. I also do not want someone who is simply reaching out to me because they're bored. Only reach out if you genuinely liked the post and genuinely want to talk long term.