I just got prescribed Wegovy last week, have had a hell of a time finding my first box. The drama is LENGTHY but I’ve learned a few things along the way.
Last Friday I got the script and my doctor sent it to CVS in my town. After my appointment I stopped by to just see if they could fill it. None in stock blah blah blah. The big thing was my insurance needed a prior approval. No biggie. I called my doctors office and left a message as well as my insurance company (they explained further the same thing). I saw Amazon had it! I called to verify they did have it so I made a first attempt at transferring my script over. I waited all weekend and Tuesday nothing had changed so I made some phone calls to everyone and it was the general thought that this still takes time. This morning I still haven’t seen anything about the transfer happening so I made another round of calls. Amazon rejected it cause they can’t transfer a new script unless it is in stock, also on the back end CVS never responded to the request from Amazon. So naturally I talked to CVS and they said they sent it to Walgreens and to get in touch with them? I hadn’t even talked to Walgreens! Much less request to transfer this to them. After talking to Walgreens they informed me they have absolutely nothing on file for me whatsoever. I got back to CVS, CVS blamed it on their fax machine and somehow it was never received (I didn’t buy the excuse, both Amazon, Walmart AND Walgreens said CVS is not great about this in particular). I had explained to the actual pharmacist where I was trying to send this to, and asked if my script was still there with them. She had informed me yes, and if I find the medication elsewhere I could get her to verbally transfer the script over the phone because that would be easier.
I popped in to Walmart, and out of curiosity spoke with the pharmacist there. He was so very helpful, and informed me he was pretty positive another Walmart nearby had the dose I needed, so I had given them a call. It’s there!!! 3 boxes! So I told them what I knew and started the process to transfer over there ASAP. I’m not sure who the pharmacy tech at Walmart talked to over at CVS, but lines got crossed again saying “it was sent to Walgreens”. It took a few phone calls from then on and finally I got everything to Walmart. Since this was finished about 15 minutes before closing they said they would fill it, and I’ll pick it up tomorrow.
The other half of the situation is my approval from insurance isn’t complete. My insurance company had reached out to the doctors office and haven’t gotten back a reply. I’ve also tried calling twice today with no answer. My insurance company does have a hotline available for the doctor to call, and within minutes this can be complete. So cheers to hoping tomorrow I can plead someone to move on this first thing in the morning!
Lessons learned: when transferring a prescription, both the giving and receiving pharmacists can verbally pass prescription info. It’s less than a 5 minute phone call. I’d recommend this rather than other means especially from CVS. Also if you’re still waiting on your approval, and happen to get lucky like I have then reach out to your insurance company and explain that you want to get this done as quickly as possible… maybe they have a hotline similar to mine. And Amazon… make sure you reach out to someone on the phone before initiating a transfer! They can’t go through with it unless they actually have yours in stock. The other lesson, next time you’re in Walmart or any grocery store that has a pharmacy, just stop by! Either they might have it or you could find someone as kind as I did that was willing to help!
Just be really polite and communicate. That’s all! If it works out tomorrow then fridays are actually a perfect day to take my dose 🤗 I could update later if anyone is curious.

Hey. I'm 19f. I had my college graduation yesterday and skipped it to go to my sisters. That was the plan all along and I'm not upset cause I plan on getting a phd so I have a lot more graduation opportunities. Plus covid means I missed my hs graduation so it doesn't really matter to me the same, but, even if I wanted to go, it didn't matter cause my sister had her bachelors graduation tomorrow so ofc we pick her. She can't even get me a ticket, and yet she wants me to watch outside on the tvs so I've agreed cause I'm a good little sister.
We were supposed to spend the whole week together, this was planned for months but then she decided to work instead and she's refused to ever come visit me. So now this trip is pointless for me. I'm staying with my grandma who I lived with for a year. So the upside is I get to go to my friends birthday party tomorrow night! And she's one of my best friends so I'm super excited. Except now I don't get to go to that. We were supposed to have lunch with my sister tmrw before her graduation, she decided that doesn't work with getting ready so we'll do dinner instead and just uber eats pizza. Her grad will be done around 5pm, so back at her place around 6 (cause pics and stuff after), pizza there around 6:30. We'd leave around 8/9 and it's an hour and a half drive back to my grandmas and then a 45 minute drive to my friends. That means I'd get there around midnight and we're leaving saturday morning so I'd only be able to stay for about an hour and it would be a waste.
I'm so upset and I have to cover it all up cause everyone will say I'm overreacting. I'm not allowed to cry in my grandmas house (she's hit me or locked me in a room or outside when I have) and she's so overbearring that I can't take a moment to myself and I feel stupid for being sad, but my mom promised me that we'd be back at my grandmas around 7 and so I can go to my friends. So she's a liar, my life is over. Cause I've moved a bunch, all major moves, like around canada and america (Ottawa, toronto, nyc, la, small towns around) and in my current place (lived here for 2 years now) I've made no close friends and I really miss my actual friends. So I had an opportunity to see one and my moms just killed it.

Note: TLDR and Tips at the end.
I found out that I passed the PE Civil Structural a few weeks ago and as much as I wanted to post my results in celebration I felt compelled to provide a much more detailed response to my fellow engineers (especially those in the structural depth)! When preparing and doing research I had so much anxiety about the test. If you are like me, I tried to gauge the difficulty of the test based off of feedback and forum posts... However, you will hear everything from "Test is easier than xyz" or "It is much harder than xyz". Hopefully I can shed some light on this subject, give others a better sense of direction, and help you prepare so you crush it! (No I will not share with you anything even remotely close to what problems I saw on the test, this would break the NDA. I worked too hard to get here and so will you!)
​

My Background

I graduated from University of Portland, Oregon in 2015 with a BSCE and a good GPA of ~3.75. My civil friend group definitely helped me achieve that GPA by doing homework together. After graduation I did some additional studying to take the FE. I took it a few weeks after graduation at a Pearson Vue Center (turns out I would be back to the same one to take my PE) and passed it on my first try. Then I began my job search.
I applied to so many structural firms but had a hard time landing a job because they all wanted master degrees. Almost 4 months after graduation I landed my first job (remote) at a structural engineering software company that also provided consulting services. I can't help but laugh because the specialty/focus was on post-tensioned concrete (definitely did not learn any PT in school). I spent a few months learning the company's software and the basics of post-tensioned concrete. In fact a couple of the months I was in the customer support department.
Eventually I transitioned into the consulting department. We were typically subcontracted out by the EOR to do post-tensioned slab designs. I would say over 90% of my work was gravity design of two-way flat plate podiums. Oh.. and did I say I was remote? This made the job and learning curve so much more difficult. I could not simply hop over to my bosses office to ask a question and rarely did I get feedback on the work I did. I had no/little idea if I was doing things correctly. I honestly felt more like a drafter than an engineer because I would do the model creation, set up preliminary tendon layout/quantities based on 125 psi pre-compression and that was about it. Later on I got more understanding of what to look for when designing these systems (top and bottom stress limits, tendon sweep, deflection, crack mitigation, etc.) but the focus was still primarily the slab design.
About 3.25 years in (including a few months where I switched over to our licensing department to pick up slack) I was DONE with consulting. I was hating the long hours, the mediocre pay, and the lack of appreciation. One day the owner informed me that the consulting department was closing down. He gave me 3 months to look for another job. Fed up with consulting I asked if there was a different role I could take, his answer: Sales. Yuck... I just pictured a used car salesman. Talking with my colleagues and weighing the costs/benefits I decided to take the leap into a sales role. Part of this very difficult decision involved giving up on my dream of becoming a PE... I simply did not have the 4 years experience required.
Things changed about 1.5 years later and my new boss at the company approached me last year and asked if I was ever planning on getting my PE. I told him how I was short on the experience side of things and from there he put me in a position where I was using engineering (worked in the support team for another 6ish months and began the technical presentation side of my career).
In October of 2022 I signed up for the School of PE and schedule my test. I took the PE exam (CBT) May 16, 2023; 8 years after graduation and being out of consulting for almost 5 years. May 23rd I found out I passed!
​

Schedule and Resources

I allotted exactly 12 weeks to study with 1 day off before the test (which I did not actually do). After all was done I averaged roughly 25 hours per week; 300 hours total. Below is what my schedule looked like:
Week 1 - Week 8

• 3.5 hours of class with School of PE (M, T, W, R)
• 3 hours of rereading class notes/writing notecards on topics I felt needed consistent review (F).
• 4 hours rereading class notes/writing notecards (Sa)
• 3 hours rereading class notes/writing notecards (Su)
• 1 hour (re)doing class problems only using reference manual (Su). When I got to the structural depth part of the course, I spent this hour going through the codes to familiarize myself and honestly did not do any problems. (Su)
• Any spare time was spent doing School of PE flash cards and my own flashcards.

Week 9

• In place of class hours, I did as much of the breadth problems as I could from School of PE: Quizes and the Workshop Problems. (not the "Build your own exam/quiz").
• I took the NCEES practice exam at the end of the week as if it was test day (started at 8am, timed myself, took the 50 min break, etc.). I expected to completely fail the Depth section since I had only really attended the class and did not work problems yet. However, I really wanted to gauge the difficulty of the test so I new what/how to study moving forward. I scored 56/80. 34/40 morning and 23/40 afternoon. I spent about 3 hours on the morning took and then spent 5 hours on the afternoon. I ran out of time and had to blind guess on about 5 problems, which I got all wrong by the way. (this is where googling feedback about the NCEES practice exam difficulty got bad for my confidence).
• Did flash cards while riding in the car, waiting for food at restaurants, etc.

Week 10

• Reviewed and reworked all problems I got wrong on the NCEES practice exam. Looking at my schedule I did not hit my typical hours for the week (I did 0 studying the day after taking the practice test).
• Did flash cards while riding in the car, waiting for food at restaurants, etc.

Week 11

• Solved Structural Depth problems (no timer) from: https://amzn.to/3qidEnV. I found this an ok book to use. It has some errors and mess ups. Also, the wording/clarity of the questions was not to NCEES standards. However, the concepts and procedures helped a ton with learning the subjects. I found these rather challenging and got over 20 of them wrong going through it the first time. I never touched the breadth problems from this book.
• Did flash cards while riding in the car, waiting for food at restaurants, etc.

Week 12

• Took PPI Structural Depth test 1 with a 4 hour timer: https://amzn.to/3Ne6ZnO. (25/40)
• Repeated problems that I got wrong from the David G book (over 3 days)
• Took PPI Structural Depth test 2 with a 4 hour timer. (31/40)
• Retook NCEES morning test. (40/40!!!)
• Did a School of PE make your own quiz, breadth topics only. (18/20)
• Reviewed NCEES PM questions. Took another school of PE Breadth quiz (16/20)
• "Day off before exam" I panicked and review topics that I struggled on or wanted to refresh (roughly 3 hours). You will actually notice I did not fill in my schedule that day because I was in such a panic. After studying I tried to take it easy as much as possible. I ate well, took the dog on a walk, got some good sunshine, etc.

Test Day

• My anxiety was so bad the night before that I slept only about 3 hours (and that is being generous). I found myself struggling with basic math due to the lack of sleep.
• My first 2 problems were rather scary. I definitely panicked thinking the whole test was going to be that difficult but it just so happened to be the first 2. I think I was uncertain/skipped about 10 morning problems. I finished the breadth section, including a brief 30ish minute review on flagged/skipped problems, in about 3.25 hours. Note: you might not get a perfect 40/40 split on the questions.
• Depth problems went super quick at first. I finished the first 20ish problems in about 1.5 hours. This left 3.25 hours for the last 20 problems, I thought I was golden on time, however, the last quarter of the test ate up a ton of time. I recall spending well over 15 minutes on a problem simply because I grabbed the wrong equation (thanks lack of sleep). I ran out of time and blind guessed on about 5. I had probably 25 flagged/skipped.
• I left the test knowing I did not get a 100% but also that I did not get 0%. Based on the number of flagged questions and potential mistakes my gut told me I probably got at least a 60%.

​

TLDR and Tips

If someone out of school for 8 years and not in a "traditional" engineering role for 5 years can pass this test, so can you! Not only that but I only Commit, work hard, and conquer! As test day approaches focus on all that you have done and all of your successes. This will help build confidence which is key. I would have loved to solve more problems and study more topics but the thought of what I didn't know overwhelmed me and definitely did not help with my anxiety.

• Set a schedule and stick to it as best you can. I honestly wish I had roughly 1 more week to do a final polish on topics I wanted to review.
• Save some PTO for those days you want to take practice exams/need a break. I took 3 days of PTO. I studied my normal amount on those days but then had the rest of the day to myself to exercise, play video games, do chores, etc.
• I honestly would not bother with the School of PE Depth problems too much. If you have extra time then go for it. They were simply way too focused and lengthy that they are not a good use of time IMO.
• ABSOLUTELY do these depth problems with a 4 hour timer: https://amzn.to/3Ne6ZnO
• Do the Depth problems from: https://amzn.to/3qidEnV
• Solve problems as if it were exam day; only use the resources available, remove the cover from your calculator, use one computer monitor. After doing this for a few days, I found myself making silly mistakes over and over again. I actually created a notecard for me to drill the process into my head (I even brought it with me on test day to read it before I got out of my car. Obviously I could not bring it in with me). The notecard read:

1. Read the problem CAREFULLY
2. Write down the variable AND units you are solving for
3. Solve (read table footnotes, watch conversions, verify correct table and variables)
4. Check math
5. Read problem AGAIN
6. Check units AGAIN
7. Answer

• While studying, review problems that you get wrong! I cannot stress this one enough. I even marked problems so I could come back and try them again a 3rd or 4th time if necessary.
• Ask for extra booklets and extra pens at the testing center if possible. The booklets are larger than I thought. This means you do not have to erase your work if you move on from a problem. I wish I would have known this going into the test. I also recommend turning it landscape rather than portrait.
• Try and bank some time for the afternoon.
• Do not get hung up on a problem. I really only took extra time on problems that I KNEW I would get right even though it took 10 minutes.
• Use the index for the codes on problems you do not know, even if you think the problem is a conceptual one. Search key words. You might find something that can help. If I would have done this, I probably would have gotten a few more problems correct.
• Pack the night before (lunch, calculator, snack, water, glasses cleaner, etc.).
• Sleep, exercise, and fit in fun. My reward each Saturday was going out to lunch with my wife and friends after studying. I would also play video games, go to a movie, or do something else on the weekends after I finished studying.

Some other resources that I was recommended but did not get the chance to use:

• Breadth Problems: https://amzn.to/43RP5N1
• https://civilengineeringacademy.com/breadth/

⛏ The 'Minelanders ⛏
Server address: mc.minelanders.com
Version: 1.19.4 [Java Edition]
Discord: https://discord.gg/QeBkd3Z
Overview:
The 'Minelanders is in its 5th Summer Server Edition now! Our new server opened on May 19th, and the community pitched in to create an incredible new spawn. We're a server with plenty to offer! We believe that Minecraft can be inherently political and strategic when other players get involved. So whether you are interested in building grand designs, griefing and PvP, growing an influential clan, running a commercial empire, or even just playing some Minecraft with a regular crowd, you are a part of something bigger than just yourself. Feel free to join the Discord, explore our community built spawn, and talk with the active community to see if you’re interested in playing on the server. And any time you're ready to start - survival is only 50 blocks away. Hope to see you playing on the 'Minelanders soon!
Vanilla Reimagined
General Information
We love the potential of vanilla Minecraft but feel some aspects of the game have not been properly balanced to allow for vanilla to flourish. Through the use plugins and extensive player feedback we have rebalanced villager trading, Elytras, autofarms, and more. No longer is there one "right" way to play, as we have allowed for all sorts of other forms of gameplay to be valid!
Features

• Currently a new player town has been founded for players looking for company at -650 150.
• We have clans, which allow you to team up with existing players or make your own clan with your friends.
• We offer plot protection in four sizes for in-game currency. You have to earn them! Note: Plots intentionally do NOT protect chests - only blocks.
• We have player shop plots available in spawn to sell things to other players. Our admin shops are already set up for players to earn money.
• The map size is limited to keep players relatively close - but it is still spacious with a 6k block diameter. The Nether has been increased in size (3:1 ratio rather than 8:1) to compensate for the smaller map.
• Donations to keep the server running are welcome, but give no in game advantages.

Rules:

1. Play in good faith
2. Be respectful of other players
3. No asking for stuff, advertising, or being annoying
4. Griefing is allowed, Lavacasting is not
5. No cheating
6. Alt accounts must be known to staff
7. No releasing personal information about another player
8. Circumventing intended server behavior is prohibited

Pictures from the last edition of the server It's too early for big builds in this edition!
Our resident small business, The Tiny Tavern
TRS main base
Vix's Cottage
Bina's Parenting School
Ponlm00's Wild West
Whysobad's Hogwarts
Our server has opportunity for building great things with the protection of plots, but don't forget to be cautious! Some players have sticky fingers.

⛏ The 'Minelanders ⛏
Server address: mc.minelanders.com
Version: 1.19.4 [Java Edition]
Discord: https://discord.gg/QeBkd3Z
Overview:
The 'Minelanders is in its 5th Summer Server Edition now! Our new server opened on May 19th, and the community pitched in to create an incredible new spawn. We're a server with plenty to offer! We believe that Minecraft can be inherently political and strategic when other players get involved. So whether you are interested in building grand designs, griefing and PvP, growing an influential clan, running a commercial empire, or even just playing some Minecraft with a regular crowd, you are a part of something bigger than just yourself. Feel free to join the Discord, explore our community built spawn, and talk with the active community to see if you’re interested in playing on the server. And any time you're ready to start - survival is only 50 blocks away. Hope to see you playing on the 'Minelanders soon!
Vanilla Reimagined
General Information
We love the potential of vanilla Minecraft but feel some aspects of the game have not been properly balanced to allow for vanilla to flourish. Through the use plugins and extensive player feedback we have rebalanced villager trading, Elytras, autofarms, and more. No longer is there one "right" way to play, as we have allowed for all sorts of other forms of gameplay to be valid!
Features

• Currently a new player town has been founded for players looking for company at -650 150.
• We have clans, which allow you to team up with existing players or make your own clan with your friends.
• We offer plot protection in four sizes for in-game currency. You have to earn them! Note: Plots intentionally do NOT protect chests - only blocks.
• We have player shop plots available in spawn to sell things to other players. Our admin shops are already set up for players to earn money.
• The map size is limited to keep players relatively close - but it is still spacious with a 6k block diameter. The Nether has been increased in size (3:1 ratio rather than 8:1) to compensate for the smaller map.
• Donations to keep the server running are welcome, but give no in game advantages.

Rules:

1. Play in good faith
2. Be respectful of other players
3. No asking for stuff, advertising, or being annoying
4. Griefing is allowed, Lavacasting is not
5. No cheating
6. Alt accounts must be known to staff
7. No releasing personal information about another player
8. Circumventing intended server behavior is prohibited

Pictures from the last edition of the server It's too early for big builds in this edition!
Our resident small business, The Tiny Tavern
TRS main base
Vix's Cottage
Bina's Parenting School
Ponlm00's Wild West
Whysobad's Hogwarts
Our server has opportunity for building great things with the protection of plots, but don't forget to be cautious! Some players have sticky fingers.

ok first of all sorry for the long post
I (F 17) am in love with a guy who feels unworthy of love because he is conventionally unattractive and has never been loved before. I can't be 100% sure if he knew how much I liked him, but we had instant chemistry and we just get each other. Right before I was planning on telling him, this girl Kate suddenly began to take interest in him.
So Kate was a new student at school this year and I was assigned to be her helper. I did absolutely everything I could for her, helping her to settle in and make friends. I was so kind to her and she was sweet. We became good friends and she would sit on one side of me in most of my classes, with him on the other. Maybe I should have told Kate, but he and I were clearly into each other. I should have told him sooner; I wish I did. And I think the only reason he hasn't told me how he feels is because he thinks I'm "out of his league" whatever that means.
But then I went away for a week, and Kate was all over him. He is insecure (but even that I love about him), so I think he was just enjoying the attention. He didn't really reciprocate, but he didn't stop her either. When I returned, everything was back to normal, but Kate would jump at every chance to flirt with him and I could see her eyes trail longingly after him. Just to be clear, I'm not someone who is bound by society's standards and I don't see myself as more valuable than anyone else, but (respectfully) Kate was probably more "in his league" if you get what I mean.
To complicate matters, he and I had a mutual friend (let's call him Leo) who used to have a crush on me. I turned him down kindly and now he is dating someone else. Although I can't help but wonder if he is jealous because Leo won't stop encouraging him to ask Kate out, which, after weeks, he still hasn't done.
Now you're all probably going to tell me to just talk to him and tell him how I feel, but I still really care about Kate. And I care about him, so I don't want to put either of them in an uncomfortable situation and I don't want to lose our friendships. I know talking to Kate about it is an option, too, but I'm not sure if we're close enough and I don't want to create drama because I'm not sure how she would react. I can't really talk to Leo about it either because he would probably just cause more trouble. At the moment, I'm just trying to be kind to everyone, but it's difficult because I love him so much. He deserves everything and I just want to help him and be there for him.
I know this sounds like a typical immature teenager caught in a love triangle, and I guess it is, but if anyone has any advice, it would be much appreciated. If I talk to anyone about it, I'm not really sure what I'd say. I know it sounds trivial and stupid and you're probably questioning whether a seventeen-year-old can even fall in love. I know I sound turbulent and chaotic, but I really care about people. Just know that more than anything, I want to do the right thing and I would rather suffer than hurt anybody else, but I just don't know how to navigate this.

Renting a new place in an unconventional location. Saw Telus guys working on the building during the showing so I figured if I went with them, it would be an easy hookup.
I was very very wrong. Call in and ask customer support and I guess I got lucky because the first guy I ever talked too was the only one who seemed to know how to read the information he had.
I asked about service and he said there was Fibre but it was disconnected and should be easy to reconnect, he would go find out and call back in 24 hours.
Never got a callback. Every agent I tried to ask about the situation acted like I was speaking an alien language. only giving me script responses with the Telus website as their only tool for information. it was like talking to an AI.
After multiple calls trying to reach someone who seemed real I gave up and accepted the 50mbps speeds.
Appointment was setup for earlier this week and the tech after being here for almost 5 hours couldn't get two 25 lines to my unit. said he needed access to a building that seems very irrelevant to my unit but I should have known he needed in. said best he can do is 25mbps. Bare bones basic internet. I gave him the okay just so I had something. I can't keep burning phone data.
Twenty minutes later he says he can't even do 25 I gotta call and reschedule with full building access. Whatever.
I call and reschedule for TODAY. Was told over the phone the 8th at 3pm. So I booked the time off work and contacted the realty company that own the building for the master key to get full access.
3pm rolls around and nothing. No call, no email. So I phone in to customer support. They tell me the appointment is tomorrow at 3pm. the 9th.
In the customer support end someone said one thing and punched in another so I lose hours of work and I don't know if I have access to this key tomorrow. At this point I'm very close to just buying starlink and bypassing all these internet companies it's just ridiculous how unorganized they can be with software designed to make being sloppy difficult.
I just want internet why is it such a chore to run a few cables.
Figure it out Telus. I live downtown in a small city, I'm not out 100km in forest.

I (18F) will be graduating high school in a couple days. I have a big family but when celebrating events for me I like a small circle there and because my anxiety would make me feel uncomfortable with the situation. So I invite four of my older sisters to attend the ceremony, my mother as well but I didn’t want any of my other siblings to attend. (Side note I’m not really close with the half of my family I didn’t invite mainly cause we just live separate lives now) So my mom went and invited everyone to attend my ceremony even though I told her I only wanted my sisters there. I tried telling her I didn’t want any of them there and now everyone is calling me rude cause I don’t want them to come. I would get it if they’d want to come but it’s my celebration and I don’t really want them there.
So am I the a hole?

I (F 17) am in love with a guy who feels unworthy of love because he is conventionally unattractive and has never been loved before. I can't be 100% sure if he knew how much I liked him, but we had instant chemistry and we just get each other. Right before I was planning on telling him, this girl Kate suddenly began to take interest in him.
So Kate was a new student at school this year and I was assigned to be her helper. I did absolutely everything I could for her, helping her to settle in and make friends. I was so kind to her and she was sweet. We became good friends and she would sit on one side of me in most of my classes, with him on the other. Maybe I should have told Kate, but he and I were clearly into each other. I should have told him sooner; I wish I did. And I think the only reason he hasn't told me how he feels is because he thinks I'm "out of his league" whatever that means.
But then I went away for a week, and Kate was all over him. He is insecure (but even that I love about him), so I think he was just enjoying the attention. He didn't really reciprocate, but he didn't stop her either. When I returned, everything was back to normal, but Kate would jump at every chance to flirt with him and I could see her eyes trail longingly after him. Just to be clear, I'm not someone who is bound by society's standards and I don't see myself as more valuable than anyone else, but (respectfully) Kate was probably more "in his league" if you get what I mean.
To complicate matters, he and I had a mutual friend (let's call him Leo) who used to have a crush on me. I turned him down kindly and now he is dating someone else. Although I can't help but wonder if he is jealous because Leo won't stop encouraging him to ask Kate out, which, after weeks, he still hasn't done.
Now you're all probably going to tell me to just talk to him and tell him how I feel, but I still really care about Kate. And I care about him, so I don't want to put either of them in an uncomfortable situation and I don't want to lose our friendships. I know talking to Kate about it is an option, too, but I'm not sure if we're close enough and I don't want to create drama because I'm not sure how she would react. I can't really talk to Leo about it either because he would probably just cause more trouble. At the moment, I'm just trying to be kind to everyone, but it's difficult because I love him so much. He deserves everything and I just want to help him and be there for him.
I know this sounds like a typical immature teenager caught in a love triangle, and I guess it is, but if anyone has any advice, it would be much appreciated. If I talk to anyone about it, I'm not really sure what I'd say. I know it sounds trivial and stupid and you're probably questioning whether a seventeen-year-old can even fall in love. I know I sound turbulent and chaotic, but I really care about people. Just know that more than anything, I want to do the right thing and I would rather suffer than hurt anybody else, but I just don't know how to navigate this.

So I had this dream last night. For context, I usually have pretty elaborate dreams, so it's not like I'm unused to this. They mostly have to do with stuff I'm going through, and I mostly only remember dreams when I'm having a paticularly rough time all over. I usually tell all about them to my mom, who's pretty interested in these sort of things, but this time all she said was that 'it's probably just stress'. I don't really think about my dreams all that much, but this one just keeps haunting me. I haven't been able to think about anything else this whole day.
So as I said, the dream itself is pretty elaborate. I'm not sure from where on it starts being relevant regarding the way it ended up, but it started with a shorter scene, where I had to pay for a very expensive family dinner, which we ended up having to eat on some stairs in front of the building of my old high school. I was feeling very anxious about how much it was already costing, and people kept ordering more. (this was probably because I've just recently been to a very expensive wedding, and it's still on my mind.) That feeling prevailed, but the scene itself changed to a beach. It was a pretty normal, retro-looking beach, and I was sitting by a small, floating building that was a bakery. I knew that the reason why I was there was because we were celebrating my birthday, and that there was supposed to be a jacht somewhere waiting for us with a lot of my friends on it. Then something happened, something important I can't recall, and me and a couple others were drowning in the sea. I remember seeing a very tall boy with dark hair in our group, and he looked almost helpless. we finally found shelter around what looked like a public phonebooth sticking out of the water, but we couldn't call for help, because the only thing you could use those for was to order cakes from the bakery. then the water became shallow, and we walked towards the shore. there were now lifeguards with whistles waving around for people not to go deeper, but I knew that I had to, since I had to find the jacht and my friends. so when the guy wasn't looking, I snuck around him. just before him, there was a class of middle aged asian women doing water gymnastics (I study chinese in my free time, so probably something from an educational vid stuck.) and I suddenly saw a rosary floating by me in the water. I picked it up, and saw that where the beads met and the cross was, there was a piece of porcelain decoration, about a quarter of a palm in size. it was shaped like a rounded triangle, and on one side, it had two snakes in the shape of an infinity sign, in gorgeous shades of green, and on the other, an almost black ouroboros. a couple of the women came walking towards me, but they never looked me in the eye. I gave it to them because I didn't know whose it was, and then walked around the guard. by then, the sea around us had changed into a big swimming pool, and there were dirtroads cornering it with a lot of green plants everywhere. I kept walking, and reached a small group of trees, behind which I could see water. there was a small set of stairs to the side, along a wrought iron gate leading to an old fashioned building (the sort with tube flats.). as I walked down, I saw a young girl sitting in the grass on the other side of the closed gate, looking at me and taking photos of me. she showed them to me, but all of them were blurry, and on the last one, the only one where my face was entirely visible, it looked as if a whirlpool was about to swallow me. we agreed that she'd take some more, and I turned my back to walk further to pose, but from the corner of my eye I saw her mouth widen, her smile too wide and too sharp, like in those movies, but not as cringe, and honestly just. scary enough, and I saw her nails sharpen (she had beautiful nails, whitish-see through, with vine patterns on them, and I saw that she was raising it, about to swipe at me or get me. and I looked at her in disappointment, and the grinned almost sheepishly, seeing that she couldn't get me. after that, I walked deeper into the water, and saw three or four other people, all middle aged. one of them was a fat, balding man, and another a curly, frizzy-haired woman with audible speech issues, who asked me if I "wanted some" of whatever she had in her coffee mug. all of them were completely dressed, even though they were sitting in the greenest water ever, submerged to the shoulders. I politely declined and she nodded at me, saying that maybe that was the right choice, since it had spiders in it anyway. she then spat something back into her mug. (once, I almost drank a spider that was drowning in a cup of milk. I still remember the wild movements of its legs in my mug.) she started walking alongside me, and we soon reached the other side of the small lake, no bigger than a block. we walked on asphalt now, and she was telling me about something important, but I was looking back at the girl's house,and wasn't paying attention. I could very dimly see through a window the vague outlines of a kitchen. it looked very sad, in a british way. I looked away. I asked the woman if she knew where the jachts were, and she pointed in a direction, where there really seemed to be water. I walked alone. I entered a building that was all too-dim lights and gilded furniture. I walked through empty halls and corridors. a relatively short corridor was filled with mirrors. they were hanging everywhere. everywhere. I looked in them as I walked by, and my own face looked back at me. it was horrifying. it was me, but my worst features were amplified. the way the dark circles look underneath my eyes, and the way one of my eyes is bigger than the other, the way one of my cheeks is softer than the other. I knew what I was seeing was It. the thing. I walked along, knowing that it was only a part of me, and that it couldn't hurt me. I walked into a salon, all dark wallpaper and ebony furniture, and a half-set-up funeral in the middle. where the urn was supposed to stand, there was a headless dummy dressed in black velvet and a white lace collar around its neck. the room had three doors both from the side I'd come from and the direction I was headed. going forward, all thre led to the same smaller hall. eventually, I made my way out, and I found the jacht, although from closer up it became a huge catamaran, with up to five boats passengers had to sit in in single rows, almost like on airplanes. by then I knew that I was looking for a particular friend, and there she was, in all her glory. a girl I knew from school was sitting in the boat closest to me, and she tried to explain that there was much more space inside than it seemed. we said goodbye, and left to go back. this sea seemed much bluer, much colder than both the previous ones. while on out way back towards the scwry building, I was starting to suspect that my friend wasn't my friend at all, but much rather an alternate version of 'It'. I didn't say anything, but I was getting more anxious, and I picked up my pace. I was in a hurry, and didn't pay attention to go back through the same doors that I initially came through. I missed a door when entering the funeral scene, which by then looked almost completed, and I knew that was when I fucked up. I felt as my body was posessed by 'it'. we walked back to the mirror hall, and I knew that it had been with me ever since I left there, clung to me, waiting for me to make a mistake. it looked into each of the mirrors, grimacing, and I grimaced back at it. it looked horrible, disfigured almost, and I knew all it was was the worst version of my subconscious. my own worst version. now its image was a constant in the reflections, not just resurfacing from time to time. I felt like I was drowning in my own head. I could feel that it was thinking of doing things I would never do, planning things - and then I realised, that I could also cling. I could also wait until 'it' made a mistake. and then I could--- before I could think it through, I felt like drowning. then darkness. for a long time. then I woke up.
what could this mean?

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Never posted on Reddit before but...here I go. I (18F) was recently confessed to by my friend (17F) boyfriend (18M). We're going to call her B and her boyfriend V since I don't want to put out names.
I will be honest I already feel like my friends have a right to be upset with me. I have always been the wing woman when it came to helping the guys with their girlfriends. Mostly because I was close to them and as you know girls, they complain whenever something goes wrong. I give my input and send them on their way. However last week V had texted me. "I have a question but I would like to keep it between you and me. Is it bad for me to have feelings for another girl? I still love B a lot and want to know if this is normal?"
I told him yes, it's normal. However if he really loved B then he would stay with her. Crushing and cheating are two different things. As long as you don't act upon that crush while dating a current lover. At least, that's how I see it. I got curious and asked if this was a girl he saw in one of his classes and of he interacted with her a lot or if it was only brief. Or if maybe this girl was similar to B.
He tells me "yeah. She's similar to B but tbh B is one of a kind. I don't flirt with her. We just talk. But being completely honest? I have no game at all haha"
I asked if it was someone we've seen before. If it was a girl we all knew kinda well it would be awkward. I wouldn't stop him, but it would cause tension.
"It's possible you might know her. If I tell you, you won't tell the others will you? Not even B?"
I didn't respond around this time because I was in a class.
"She's also pretty hot. B is first on my list but she's a close second." I started to get nervous. He was being very cheeky with his information. I asked if it was one of my lesbian friends as a joke. Obviously that wasn't it.
It wasn't until thirty minutes later he texted "her name is ___(my name)".
My heart stopped and I froze. I have bad anxiety. I personally hate it because it interferes with my day and makes it hard for me to function normally. This confession knocked the cool, calm facade I had that day. I couldn't respond. I knew what to say but for some reason I didn't send him a "yes it is bad because it's me. You know I have a boyfriend and that B is a very close friend of mine. What are you thinking?"
I still went to his class to help him and another friend of mine (17F) we'll call her T with our lesbian friend (17F) who we'll call H. H helps T with math while I help V. I kept everything normal with just less friendly, joking personality. I remained neutral. Even after seeing how I treated him, he continued to text me.
"So in conclusion this is about you. I'll ask again, is it wrong for me to have feelings?"
I still didn't respond. He continued to text me throughout that night. My brain raced with many questions, scenarios. Why would he try and see if a close friend of his girlfriends would reciprocate? why does he keep pushing the topic? Should I keep this from B? If I do and she finds out later, will everyone hate me for not being honest? What do I do?
Next morning, no text. Nothing. I went to my counselor and told her what was going on. She thought it was unbelievable as well, suggesting I go and tell B what happened and leave it to her. So that's what I planned to do. I texted B, and waited to meet with her in the counselors office. Only to find out from the counselor that V was with B. I told her something came up through text and that I would have to find another time unless she wanted to come see me after school.
B was very confused as to why I suddenly backed out. Texting and asking me what was going on. I told her I just needed to tell her something that was bothering me. Apparently, this stressed out V and he eventually told her that day. When B comes up to me, the look in her eyes was dull. I asked if V has already told her. She confirmed it, fidgeting and clearly upset. "I'm sorry you had to hear this." "It's fine" was all she said.
Clearly it wasn't. Weekend goes by and Monday rolls in. I avoid the table to go take some time to think and work on an essay. Met up with the counselor again and told her what happened. She told me to drop it from here on out. So I did.
The next day, everyone's acting strange when I sit down. As if uncomfortable. We talked about how the school gave us too many pages for signatures. "I'd have one for each friend. T, T's boyfriend, H, and B gets two pages because she's so special." V said.
An uncomfortable silence filled the table. Ah. Apparently he's trying to make up for it. I wasn't surprised with him not considering me a friend. It didn't really hurt. But his behavior was childish and made me roll my eyes. This continued. Either comments or him getting up and just leaving. Unless B was around he was pampering her. If it was just him, he'd leave the second I came near. I never complained to the girls, T and H about much except asked them if they saw me a particular way with how they were acting. They said no but their facial expressions said otherwise.
I ended up going to H about how I wanted to ask B if me and her were okay, and possibly talk with V but without excusing his actions. Later that day H told V about my comment on him being a man child.
While on the phone with my boyfriend, I hear a voice. "Hey you! I need to speak with you! " I turn to see V. He was running towards me. I got hopeful. Was this it? The chance for us to talk and clear the air?
Suddenly he's screaming and cussing at me. "F-you! F-you you stupid Btch! You like talking sht about me?"
Meanwhile H stands a yard away from him, watching this all go down. My boyfriend is on the line, shocked. "V I'm on the phone with my boyfriend can you not...do that." I was shaking. He continued to scream at me until I began to break down in front of a bunch of people. I asked him to please leave me alone, fear had taken over my body and I was ready to run. Girls behind me were cackling. I was humiliated.
I made one comment. Apparently once H told him, he told T and H the comments I made when I was upset with them about something a month and a half ago. What I said was in a rage, I don't even remember what it was I said until it got repeated back to me by them word for word. V had memorised everything I said. I told them the truth. That yes, that is what I had said. It wasn't okay and I was incredibly sorry.
However. It was made known to me that he told them because they had ASKED. Why, I had no idea. But they made this worse than what it should have been. Me and H talked in private. Our conversation was confidential. The fact she told him and T had asked "well what have you and ___ said about us just so you two aren't using it as ammo to get us to choose sides."
Excuse me? None of that would have ever happened. Ever. Because it has nothing to do with T and H. The fact that they felt like that was important, sucked. I already lectured T and M about it and how that was an extremely low blow.
I'm supposed to get into a limo with these guys and go to prom. Other than my three girls, I have no one. I have tried talking to V this morning, he is not receptive. Once again dropping an F bomb and walking off. I feel like if I hadn't said anything, this wouldn't be Happening. Prom is in two days and nothing is going right. B isn't upset with me other than that I went into detail about how I felt about the situation and why I think V is in the wrong to H. However I feel like the biggest asshole for even saying something because of how I've been treated. So... AITA?

Hey everyone,
I applied late, around May 13th, and received the rejection email yesterday. However, I am still genuinely happy for the following reasons:

1. Thinking obsessively about YC for a month catalyzed so many new ideas and good conversations.
2. The month I spent waiting was exhilarating. Not only was I anxious, holding onto some hope, but I also learned so much from you guys and other founders around the world.
3. I binged on startup school, and that has been fun.
4. It's nice to know that there's no San Francisco for me this summer. I can now move on with other plans I had for the next couple of months. San Francisco must (and will) happen some other time.

In brief, I close this chapter with new ideas, new hopes, different questions, great connections, renewed dreams, and an overwhelming amount of hard truths. Let's toast to that and enjoy the ride!
What did you guys learn in the process?
​
P.S. This is my first-ever Reddit post. Lol.

Dukas sighed. He had taken this elective because it seemed interesting, but now it was biting him in the ass. The first exam was tomorrow - possibly today, what time was it again? - and what had previously seemed like a fun little dive into the Sasnak, the eccentric culture that had only been mentioned as an afterthought at the edge of his primary studies, had turned into a descent into madness.
It's all speculation, he thought. Unfortunately the Sasnak left very little in the way of written records until far later in their development, which is what made them so frustrating. Most of what was known was what was written by other cultures, and rarely was it kind. Study the drunk pirate culture, that'll be a fun little class. Stupid Dukas. He read on in the section of Sasnak Astronomy.

...Prior to the development of the Carnatak calendar, the Sasnak and Sasnak-ra had both developed one each: Tonyak and Itir.
The Tonyak calendar focuses largely around the migration and breeding of important sea life. It is used mostly by the Sasnak, though some Sasnak-ra use it to keep track of what fish and whales are passing nearby at the time. The most important sea-life for the Sasnak vary wildly from region to region. For example, southern Akinimod groups such as those of the Eternal and Undying Morekahs in the pre-1000s have a general affinity for cobia ("black crabeaters") and yellowfin. Month names generally include what type of fish is passing by a region, such as the Island of Twapitpuj or the Shasaka domain, at a particular time. As such, months in the Tonyak Calendar are generally much shorter than that of the Itir and Carnatak calendars (and varied in duration), and are not subdivided into weeks. More properly, the subdivisions of the Tonyak Calendar are better called the Sasnak term for them: Tonyarkaht - "fish time". The term month is also colloquially used for this.
The Itir calendar is much more like those used in the present day: subdivided into seasons and months (based on lunar movement) and further subdivided into weeks. It is exclusively used by the Sasnak-ra as it is used for the growth of the "five gifts of Atook" - domesticated Maize, Beans, Chillis, Gourds, and Sugarcane - and supplemented by the hunting gathering of undomesticated flora and fauna.
The Itir calendar is much more like those used in the present day: subdivided into seasons and months (based on lunar movement) and further subdivided into weeks. It is exclusively used by the Sasnak-ra as it is used for the growth of the "five gifts of Atook" - domesticated Maize, Beans, Chillis, Gourds, and Sugarcane - and supplemented by the hunting gathering of undomesticated flora and fauna.
The Itir calendar is much more like those used in the present day: subdivided into

Wait, thought Dukas, running his hand through his hair, I read this already...

Both the Tonyak and Itir calendars make special dispensation for the Monsoon season through the summer months of the year, and then sync up with the same month names and periods. The Monsoon season is spent ashore for both the Sasnak-ra and the Sasnak, and the first week being spent as a festival at the tribal Morekah center. Sasnak will remain in close proximity to the Morekah for the entire Monsoon season, while Sasnak-ra will return to their villages after this festival is completed. Sasnak chiefs will use this time to plan their next movements for the year and to arrange cooperative efforts.

The Carnatak Calendar

While the rigor of the Carnatak calendar is largely a later development, its early form originated at approximately this time. Stellar and planetary movement tracked by the Marehs form the keystone of this Calendar - the five visible planets and the moon phases being the timekeepers. Twelve "grand constellations" were used in the Carnatak calendar, and also used for Sasnak navigation efforts:

Dukas groaned. This would be on the final.

1. The Crab - the crab is only depicted as having one claw.
2. The Leviathan - a depiction of a whale, occasionally with tentacles. A sea monster in Sasnak folklore.
3. Atook - A popular sasnak god. Depicted with an amphora.
4. Nil-tiyak - A character in a sasnak myth. Cursed for indeterminate reasons.

Cursed for indeterminate reasons could be the title of Dukas's autobiography.

5. The School of Fish - seven fish, each an individual star, swimming as a school.
6. The Ship - A depiction of a sailing houseboat
7. The Skull - The crude depiction of a bird skull.
8. The Dragon - a winged fish-serpent.
9. The Sisters - a group of three sisters, from the Nes-lo legend.
10. The Torch - a depiction of a torch, or perhaps a flaming spear.
11. The Vortex/Storm - the galactic arm.
12. Sellitna - A sasnak god. A man holding a spear in each hand. His head, a brightly glowing "star" is now properly identified as another galaxy.
The proper names of these constellations are speculated or unknown: their constellations have been seen in the interior walls of certain Morekahs, with associated illustrations of what they depict.

Crabclaw Navigating

Sasnak Astronomers and Navigators typically used tools in the shape of a crab claw to measure the distance of particular stars - originally, the actual pincers of crabs and lobsters may have been used. Occasionally these pincer-tools would be used as a map imitation of the Sea of Itiah and surrounding land themselves in the hand of a Sasnak Chief, marked with the location of various land settlements that they would frequent. Usually these tools were worn as an amulet.

Dukas's eyebrows raised. For a bunch of drunken pirates from hell, as the Hortens often referred to them as, they were a clever lot.

Sasnak astronomers would also make use of five planets visible to the naked eye to tell time, and record time as they passed through and between particular constellations. A day may be designated as the first planet being in the Sellitna constellation, the second and fourth being in the Ship constellation, and so forth. The combination of these methods results in almost 25,000 years of unique dates. The rigor of these dates in the calendar was not accomplished until much later in Sasnak development, but began at this early period.

Wait. Was that it? Dukas thought. The section ended there. Compared to his book on the Luzum cultures, the book on the South Gorgonea cultures was practically a feather, and the vast majority of it on the P'ufspuj kingdoms. Sasnak were again, barely an afterthought, with just a few pictures of some ruins and some ships and a few sections of text. Was this even the right textbook?
Context: Dukas is screwed.

I hope you're all doing well. Today, I need to vent about something that's been bothering me for a while. It's about my 15-year-old friend and his inappropriate behavior towards my little sister. Strap in for a story that will make your blood boil!
Let me give you some context first. I'm a 15-year-old male, and my little sister is 12 years old. We're pretty close, and we share everything with each other. Now, here's the problem: one of my closest friends, whom I've known since elementary school, has been getting a little too cozy with my sister, and it's making me extremely uncomfortable.
It all started a few weeks ago when my sister came up to me, looking puzzled. She told me that my friend, whom I'll call Saad, had been messaging her on social media and acting overly friendly. At first, I thought it might be harmless banter, but as my sister showed me the messages, I realized there was something seriously off about them.
Saad was using flirty emojis and making suggestive remarks towards my sister. Keep in mind, he's 15 and she's only 12! I was furious. How could someone I considered a close friend try to engage my little sister in such inappropriate conversations?
I immediately confronted Saad about it. At first, he denied everything, claiming it was all just friendly conversation. But when I presented him with the evidence, he couldn't deny it any longer. He admitted that he found my little sister attractive and thought it was okay to talk to her that way.
Needless to say, I was livid. I told him how inappropriate and unacceptable his behavior was, and that he needed to cut it out immediately. I also warned him that if he didn't stop, I would have no choice but to inform our parents and even involve the school authorities.
To my surprise, Saad apologized profusely, saying he didn't realize how his actions were affecting me and my little sister. He promised he would never cross that line again and that he values our friendship too much to risk losing it.
However, the trust between us has been significantly damaged. It's hard for me to view Saad the same way, knowing what he's capable of. My sister, on the other hand, was shaken by the whole ordeal but relieved that I had her back.
Since then, I've been keeping a close eye on Saad's interactions with my little sister. So far, he's been true to his word, but I can't help but feel a sense of unease whenever they're around each other. It's sad to think that something like this could potentially ruin a long-lasting friendship.
I'm sharing this story with you, Reddit, to emphasize the importance of setting boundaries and speaking up when we witness inappropriate behavior. As young people, it's crucial for us to protect and support each other, especially when it comes to our siblings.
If you've ever been in a similar situation or have any advice on how to handle this, please share your thoughts. Thanks for lending an ear, everyone. Stay safe out there!

Background
I always had trouble with van Richten in RAW. The van Helsing analogue was supposed to be a famous monster killer, a very serious man, but most everything he does is high camp kitch... Disguises himself as a circus owner? Arrives in town with a monkey? Gives said monkey to a toy maker? Writes notes to himself about an orc that can chew iron bars? Wears a 'hat of disguise' and a 'ring of mind shielding'? Has a starving tiger... in a circus wagon.... that is his master plan.... to commit Vistani genocide?????? How can anyone take this guy seriously?
On top of that, you have Esmerelda, the one of the pair who seems to actually fight monsters, herself Vistani, whom we're told is van Richten's protege? Who, despite her seeming professionalism, has no idea nor plan to stop her mad sensei from wiping out her people... by starving tiger....?
So, I rewrote the guy. I like him much better this way. He's much more fun to play. An opportunity for role playing DM to really chew some scenery. Hopefully some of you like it too.
The party met him in Blue Water, but he was cagey as in RAW. They never really took interest in him & I never knew what to do with him, so he faded a bit into the background. Then the Feast of St Andral & Vallaki burning... suddenly Rictavio appears, shaking, snarling circus wagon in tow... "You know me as Rictavio, master of the circus, lord of the ring! But I am actually a Vampire Hunter! Meet me tomorrow at my tower!" With that unexpected & unprovoked revelation, he gallops off dramatically through the burning gates into the night....
​
Van Richten - Vampire Hunter
Simply put... Rudolph van Richten is barking mad. The former owner of what is now the Walpole and Son Bookstore in Vallaki, he went out of business as, lost in his endless library of fantasy, he would spend days forgetting even to unlock the front door . He was particularly fascinated by the book "The Chilling Tales of Rudolph van Richten, Vampire Hunter." , a melodramatic, but well-read pulp novel written long ago by a Barovian author who claimed to see visions from beyond the mists and was later institutionalized.
The young Rudy, now without job or means, retreated further into his fictional world and now imagines himself to be the famed monster hunter himself! He is Strahd's arch-enemy (although Strahd has never heard of him) , constantly hunted and on the run. He disguises himself in increasingly absurd ways - the latest being the carnival barker Rictavio (he got the idea from a traveling circus - Refugees from the Carnival dark domain in the Ravenloft guide and a future random encounter). To complement the deception, he "acquired" a wagon from an unsuspecting farmer, which he painted in bright, splashy colors and purchased a monkey from the Lake Vistani.
When the party first encounters him at the Blue Water in Vallaki, he will have been spying on the Lake Vistani for the last several weeks. He regularly pulls his carriage up just outside of their camp, dons his 'Hat of Disguise' and in an exaggeratedly thick accent, pretends to be a fellow Vistani 'from far south'. The Vistani regard him as a harmless crank and regularly ask him to tell them more funny stories about their "brothers to the south" - which become increasingly inventive with each telling - and to sell him bits of random junk... err... "magical Vistani treasures", including a 'Ring of Mind Shielding' which is actually nothing more than a cheap electrum plated brass ring that's already starting to rub off and make his fingers itch (evidence that he is under constant assault from Strahd!). The Vistani might be a bit less welcoming, however, if they knew he was also stealing their laundry to train the very real tiger that he has locked in his circus wagon (it followed him, for its own purposes, from the Carnival).
​
Meeting Van Richten
When the party arrives at the tower, they will find van Richten waiting for them there - he has just arrived from his regular 'infiltration' of the Vistani. He introduces himself with a dramatic bow & flourish "For more than three decades now, I have undertaken to investigate and expose creatures of darkness to the purifying light of truth and knowledge. "Hero" I am named in some circles, "sage" and "master hunter" I am called in others. That I have survived countless supernatural assaults is seen as a marvel among my peers; my name is spoken with fear and loathing among my foes. I…am… Rudolph von Richten, Vampire Hunter!!" (This is both the opening to his papers in RAW and - in this version - the opening paragraph to the fictional novel "The Chilling Tales of Rudolph van Richten, Vampire Hunter"). As he pronounces his name, trilling his 'r's to an absurd length, he throws back his cape, revealing an overabundance of vampire hunting weapons, hand sewn in loops and pockets: wooden stakes, silver daggers, holy water, holy symbols, mirrors and a long string of garlic bulbs around his neck. Before the party can react, he seems to remember that he is outdoors where the evil one could be listening and in a loud whisper warns that the night has ears and they "shouldn't speak out in the open!"
He invites the party into the tower, but stops suddenly before the door, arms shielding the party from invisible danger. "Stand back! My tower is equipped with a powerful ward! If you make the slightest move, a bolt of lightning will strike you down from the skies!" He gestures at the door pointing out scratches in the old wood, which, if the party squints hard and applies a great deal of imagination might be stick figures...? "You must do as I do, if you want to live!" As the party watches bemused, van Richten contorts himself into a complicated series of silly poses and facial expressions. He insists that the party does the same (make your players get up and repeat your dance!). Then... nothing... He gestures to follow, opening the mundane and harmless wooden door to the tower.
As the party walks up the stairs of the dismal and ruined tower they see a broken platform & worn statues. Van Richten, turns dramatically at each floor and addresses the party: "This was the tower of the great Wizard Kazan (another figure from an adventure book he read) and is protected by an anti-magic shield! Strahd can not hear them or pass its walls! We are safe here!" He walks up the stairs a pace then turns, hand dramatically extended in the face of the party, pointing to his ring... "How do I fool the dark lord when I am outside, you ask? Behold! The great treasure of the Vistani! A Ring of Mind Shielding!" Up another floor on the creaky stairs, van Richten again wheels to face the party, pointing out the 'Stone Golems, that protect the tower from intruders!" When the party touches them, small bits of rock chip off and rattle their way down the tower.
When the party finally arrives at the top of the tower, van Richten opens the door. A powerful smell of garlic and sweat fills the air. The room is full of rows of garlic hanging from the roof, the walls are covered with holy symbols and mirrors. The floor is covered with piles of handwritten books (his notes and plans, which he copies down in an indecipherable script of his own invention - which reads suspiciously like pig-latin.) There are strings criss-crossing from wall to wall, forming an intricate net between hundreds of scraps of paper and drawings attached everywhere, all seemingly leading to a single torn out portrait of Strahd, defaced with cartoon horns & fangs in red and the words 'Vasilli!!??!?!' written in red pen underneath (The party recently learned Vasilli's secret). Some of the strings have drawings or recognized villains: Lady Wachter, the Baron & Izek, but there's also the Martikovs (with a feather pinned to it), Walpole the bookseller (with exaggerated glasses and a dunce cap drawn on) and Claudia from the orphanage (with the name Belasco!!!!! underlined twice in red).
Most surprisingly, there is also a monkey here, swinging from string to string towards its master, pulling a few from their nails as it does. Van Richten shouts loudly "Piccolo, stop it! Filthy monkey! You'll destroy my research!" He users the party into the room. Once in, he turns again to face them: "Now I can reveal what I have learned! The true enemy is not Strahd! It is… Madam Eva!." At this revelation, he slams the door shut revealing that all the lines around the room also connect to a crudely drawn picture of Madam Eva, with the words "Must see the Takkora. How does she know?!?!?!" written in all caps and triple underlined. "It is true! How could she know what is in the cards unless she was controlling it from the start! Haven't you ever wondered how she knows your fate? Do you know also why some are born without souls? It is her! She is the puppet-master of Ravenloft!" (In my game, she's responsible for the missing souls, so - like with many things, he's crazy, but makes some connections others don't)
By now the party's suspicions are confirmed… this guy is not living on the same plane of reality… but he misreads their understanding as agreement. "Ah, you see it too! I understood it when I visited the Lake Tser Vistani camp in disguise! They mistook me as one of their own… see?" He puts on the "Hat of Disguise" (a hunter's cap with some sort of metal paper wrapped around it) which was hanging from a holy symbol on the wall and spreads out his hands wide as if demonstrating a singular transformation. Seeing no reaction, he pulls off the hat. "Do not worry friends, it is I! Rudolph van Richten!" "They took me to Madam Eva and she read my fortune. She told me that my story would soon come to an end. A threat! That's when I knew I was getting close. She said a new chapter could only begin if I found the Vistani girl Arabella at the Lake camp." (In my game, Arabelle is a future threat to Madam Eva's plans, so she's manipulating Van Richten). "But I saw through her trickery. I knew that little girl would spell my doom! So I went to the Lake Vistani, found her alone and cut off her head!" (Here the party firsts starts to see his madness isn't totally harmless). He flings open a footchest and pulls out a heavy burlap bag. "I commanded the dead to speak and it told me its secrets. It confessed that Madam Eva was the true power behind the mists!"
"Now you know. I need your help to defeat Madam Eva once and for all! I have trapped a ferocious beast from beyond the veil. I have kept him chained and ravenous in my cart. I have tormented him wearing Vistani clothes. You will help me take it to Madam Eva, we will disguise ourselves as a carnival, then when she emerges from her tent, we will release the tiger!" He lifts two fingers up to his mouth like fangs and snarls.
​
Enter Esmerelda
At the end of this rant, the door behind the party slams open. In it, stands a tall, wiry Vistani woman with long curly black hair tied back behind a brown scarf, wearing beaten leather armor and a tarnished, yet obviously cared for silver rapier. She's been following the party since they left Ravenloft (They just finished the dinner). The Tser Pool Vistani speak highly of them, but anyone leaving that place might be an agent of Strahd, so she's cautious and hostile.
Esmerelda is a Lake Vistani, the sister of Arrigal. She is ashamed of her people's support for Strahd and of their practice of bringing outsiders into Barovia. She left the camp when she was a teenager because she refused to stand by Arrigal as he supplicated to Strahd after his father died, leaving him heir. Always a capable fighter, on her own, she has become much more so. Unwelcome with her people, she drifted until she found her way to Krezk, where she fell in love with Kolya, the eldest son of the Krezkovs. They were to be married - against the wishes of Anna, suspicious of Vistani - when Dmitry was killed by werewolves while hunting for the winter. Anna, mourning her son, blamed Esmerelda for having brought a Vistani curse on her family and she was exiled.
With nowhere else to go, remembering the tattered book she found as a child and taught herself to read with - "The Chilling Tales of Rudolph van Richten, Vampire Hunter." - she pitted her formidable skills against the werewolves terrorizing the region. Although she tells herself she does this to protect the innocent, she also feels the need to disprove the prejudices against her people. She gets on better with the Tser Vistani, whom she often trades with, but she's suspicious of Madam Eva for reasons she can't quite put her finger on (Madame Eva knows she's a blood relative of Arabelle and is destined to aid her in the future contest to become the next seer).
​
Esmerelda vs Van Richten
As soon as she opens the door, she taunts van Richten: "So you're the famous van Richten? Destroyer of the Lich of Lamordia? The Headless Rider of Kalakiri? The Death Knight of Darkon…? Children's books... I read them when I was a young girl. What would you do, great monster hunter, if you felt the claws of a werewolf around your throat, if you felt its breath on your neck?" She approaches, her rapier tapping on the overstuffed cape van Richten wears. "Which bit of that worthless junk in your bags would you reach for, eh? Your crazy head would be ripped off your shoulders before you could choose" With a swift slash, Esmerelda cuts the burlap bag containing the head of Arabelle and a heavy rock with a crude face painted on it tumbles out onto the floor. "You're a fake."
van Richten protests: "But… I… I've seen a warehare turn into a rabbit at the full moon! I knew a half orc who could chew through iron… a giant plant monster that could sing most beautifully…" (All of these are in in his notes and will later appear as a random encounter in the Carnival). "Wait till I get my tiger!" he threatens, pushing the party aside as he runs through the door, down the tower.
She now turns her attention to the party, taunting them: "Why were you in Ravenloft? Taking orders from your master? Getting reward for your service - she fingers the crystal bracelet (a gift from Strahd). After a talk, Esmerelda demands the party prove themselves (a way she has of 'asking' for things): "Come to Krezk… they have a werewolf problem. If you are truly the heroes you claim to be, you should not fear a few monsters?" She throws a leather satchel on the table and several fangs spill out. "I don't" (Esmerelda is also a breadcrumb to Krezk & Werewolf Den).
As the party follows her down the tower, they find Van Richten fighting with the lock on his circus wagon. Whatever is inside must be clawing great furrows into the door to get out, since it's shaking the small cart to pieces. Seeing the party, he spits at them 'Vistani lovers, you'll pay for this betrayal!" With that last burst of anger, he pries the lock off the wagon and an enormous Sabertooth tiger leaps out, knocking him to the ground. He manages to scamper just far enough away that he can pull himself up as the tiger, with the scent of the man who had been starving and taunting it for weeks in its nostrils, slowly begins to stalk its prey. Terrified, van Richten runs into the tower, slamming the door behind him as it furiously claws at the wooden door, trying to get in.

I only have 12 weeks left of unemployment and I am starting to get nervous. I apply to almost 50 jobs a week and I got nothing. I am thinking of applying to 100 jobs a week now. I am scared because I will be fuck once unemployment runs out. I am now applying to minimum wage jobs, but even they are super flaky. I will call them tomorrow but office hours are closed since it's 7pm.

A friend (~15) of mine (18) , who I know a little well but am not that close with, mostly just talk through school, sent me a message today while I am working as an overnight summer camp counselor. The message basically started by implying that it was copy-pasted to multiple people, and stated that they had cut themselves multiple times and has a doctor’s appointment scheduled for next week (what I assume to be a check-up). They then go on to say that they will likely end up going to a mental hospital, and followed that with “This DM is tell you that I love you and do not worry about me please.” They then ended this message (around a paragraph) with saying that if I know a way to get rid of cuts fast, to ‘let them know how’. I don’t know what to say, what to do, or even who else received this message. Please help.

Well this sucks. I'm in college now, so I've been away for about two years (I come back in the summer & on vacations etc.) and she tells me about some weird guy who's following her around school, sitting with her etc. I'm sort of protective so I tell her to stay away from the guy & she gets bitchy & I ignore her for a few days, when I text her back, nothing until a week later.
Then she texts me all sorts of crap about him & tells me that she's hanging out with him and she sends me a pic of both their hands and some painting thing.When I came back from college and saw her, she goes on telling me how they were "close friends" and that she was loyal and told me about him & that I never believe her, while also telling me that they were so close that her friends thought they were dating.
A little more talking and she tells me they were going out and he was buying her food and jewelry & they SHARED AN ICECREAM.She said that it was "normal" and they're just close friends & she always shares food with her friends.I know she's cheating on me, but I really don't want to believe it.

And I do not like it. I do not have a job but have been looking. I was in school but it is summer. I do set my alarm for 1130 am and then 12 pm. BUT I always shut them off and go back to sleep. I just feel like a bum or something when I sleep that late. Like I might as well sleep til 4 pm or something. Its weird like the alarms ring and I ALWAYS say "okay just lay here for ten more minutes" and I sleep until 1250 or 1255, THEN right at 1pm the "tiredness" goes away. I have conditioned myself to sleep that late it seems. I miss the old days when I would wake up at 11 am and lay there until 1130 then wake up. Its only when I have to be somewhere that I actually get out of bed early. I guess it also does not help that I stay up until 3 am usually. I have been going to bed at 230 am but not falling asleep til 330 or 4 am now, its like I have insomnia. I always say too "tomorrow wake up right at Noon, no exceptions". LAME.