I was never a strict partner. I went into this relationship with high self-worth and stellar self-esteem. I knew I was beautiful. I knew I was a catch. I knew he was lucky to have me.
We liked different things. He liked to read comics; I preferred thrillers and self-help books. We'd bond over our love of reading anyway. Same goes for films and series--I would spend days watching "pretentious" nordic murder mysteries, while he raved about romantic comedies about friends-to-lovers. I liked to date morenos, the typical pogi kind. And him, well. He only dated chinitas.
So I was the exception. With my brown skin and almond eyes, I marched into this relationship. I chose to be in this relationship. I chose to love him.
We had entirely different friend groups and best friends of the opposite sex. Neither of them was a big deal to us. We were solid, secure as stones. When we lost some best friends, we grieved knowing the other had our support.
Two of his girl best friends are chinitas. One of them, Callie, was someone he tried to pursue a year before we met. I never cared. They went on lunches, galas, and parties. I never batted an eye. He's allowed to have friends. I trust him.
And so this went on. From when classes started f2f, he would hang out with Callie. He would come over to her condo to watch anime. I was happy because anime wasn't my thing. He would pick her up to grab lunch. He would drive her home. I didn't care at all.
Then Callie finally broke it off with her boyfriend. Everyone was celebrating. It was a long time coming, and she finally had the guts to. He was so happy. I figured it was a friend thing. Wouldn't you be happy if your best friend broke it off with her boyfriend?
So life went on. I never had any doubts about us. I was so sure of him. I had my guy friends who I hung out with. I rejected men who tried to pursue me. I blossomed my existing female friendships. We took our exams and got A's. Life was normal.
Callie started dating again. As always, she ended up with a douche. My perfect boyfriend who is also a great friend always came to her rescue. He drove her around when her rebound didn't. He lent her his jacket to make her rebound jealous. I didn't understand, but then again, I didn't care. I wore my friends' jackets too.
Out of nowhere, he wanted to break up. I was so confused. This was three days after we went out on a date. We were happy then. And then he started telling me he wasn't...?
"All this time?"
"Sometimes."
"What triggered this?"
"I talked to my friends."
I was devastated. Things were good. He loved me. I loved him. He was just making plans to meet my family. I was about to move closer. We were in the midst of things becoming easy.
"Is there someone else?"
"No."
"Are you trying to become available for someone?"
"No."
"Is it because my room is always messy?"
"No." He laughed. "Well... what if it's the other one?"
My heart sank. It could only be Callie. Callie, who tells me every time she can that I'm gorgeous. Callie, who I plan mani-pedi dates with. Callie, who jokes that I should leave him for her.
I went to this relationship with my head high. 3.5 years in, and my friends consider us the epitome of a secure relationship. He and I are a success story. A perfectly imperfect match. The paragon of trust. My therapist told me he envies us. I decided not to let this go.
At the expense of my self-worth, I asked him to stay. To try as I did. To choose to try. I begged him to dignify us. The choice isn't only up to you. There is no perfect relationship. You must wake up every day and choose to try.
He agreed naman.
And he's been trying.
Except now, when he mentions Callie, I get dizzy. I forget to breathe. My throat burns. I think of him walking to her condo, with the friends-to-lovers trope in his subconscious. He must think about it when they're together. When he drives her around. When they eat lunch.
I haven't looked in the mirror for three days. Suddenly, I'm fat. And ugly. And fucking stupid for letting him hang out with a girl. And letting her wear his clothes. Does he think about her when he's with me? Does he think of her when he's inside me? Hahahahaahahahhahahahhahaha bye self-esteem

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Movies! Here are options for downloading or watching You Hurt My Feelings streaming the full movie online for free on 123movies & Reddit, including where to watch the anticipated Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Nicole Holofcener team up for a new comedy movie at home. Is You Hurt My Feelings 2023 available to stream? Is watching You Hurt My Feelings on HBO Max, Netflix, Disney Plus or Amazon Prime? Yes, we have found an authentic streaming option/service.

Watch Now🔴You Hurt My Feelings Online Free

A new comedy by A24 is coming our way this summer! You Hurt My Feelings was written, directed, and produced by Nicole Holofcener. The film is also produced by Anthony Bregman, Stefanie Azpiazu, and Julia Louis-Dreyfu.
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Romantic comedies are always about finding your true love, but Nicole Holofcener has stood out in her career because her movies often focus on the struggles of maintaining or rediscovering love later in life. That once again looks to be the case in her new movie, You Hurt My Feelings, where she teams up with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
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While the movie is written and directed by Holofcener, it also has another big name in Hollywood right now behind it — studio A24. The producedistributor has long been known for its acclaimed entries that offer something different than the typical superhero/franchise fare of many other Hollywood studios. A24 has been on a particularly hot streak of late, with its 2022 movie Everything Everywhere All at Once winning Best Picture, as well as a slew of other movies earning awards and strong box office numbers. Will You Hurt My Feelings keep that momentum going?
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Already intrigued? We know you are, and we also know you're wondering how you can watch and stream You Hurt My Feelings from the comfort of your own home. Luckily, we did some research and have an idea of when this will happen.
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Fasten your seatbelt, because here's where you can watch and stream You Hurt My Feelings online.
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You Hurt My Feelings release date
After premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January, You Hurt My Feelings arrives in theaters for US audiences on May 26, which is the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.
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The comedy is going to be an alternative to the usual summer blockbuster fare, including in its opening weekend, going up against The Little Mermaid and the broad comedy About My Father.
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You Hurt My Feelings is also just one of many A24 movies set to come out in 2023, joining Beau Is Afraid, Past Lives and Talk to Me.
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Where To Watch You Hurt My Feelings:
As of now, the only way to watch You Hurt My Feelings is to head out to a movie theater when it releases on Friday, May 26. You can find local shows on Fandango, IMAX, Regal, AMC Theatres, Cinemark, Cineplex, Landmark Theatres, Alamo Drafthouse and Harkins Theatres.
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Watch Now: You Hurt My Feelings (2023) Online Free
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Otherwise, you’ll just have to wait for it to become available to rent or purchase on digital platforms like Paramount, Vudu, YouTube and Apple, or become available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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Is You Hurt My Feelings streaming?
No, You Hurt My Feelings isn’t streaming right now. It is exclusively available in cinemas after its wide theatrical release on May 26, 2023.
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Since A24 is set to share a digital release date, we can only speculate as to when it may be available to watch at home.
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Looking at Aster’s previous movies, both of which were also backed by A24, Hereditary had a wide theatrical release on June 8, 2018, while it became available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video and other platforms on August 21, 2018.
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Meanwhile, the director’s cut of Midsommar dropped in cinemas on August 30, 2019, before streaming on September 24, 2019.
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Aside from Aster’s projects, A24’s Oscar-winning hits Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Whale had a wide theatrical release on April 8, 2022, and December 21, 2022, respectively.
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The Michelle Yeoh-starring movie became available for streaming on June 7, 2022, while the Brendan Fraser-led drama didn’t come out until March 14, 2023.
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If you put all of these together, this averages out to just under two months – but it’s likely set to follow Aster’s previous flicks, meaning the wait might not be quite so long. We’ll be sure to keep you posted when updates roll in.
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Is You Hurt My Feelings Streaming on HBO Max?
No, You Hurt My Feelings will not be on HBO Max since it is not a Warner Bros. movie. Last year, the company dropped its movies on the streamer the same day they premiered in theaters. However, they have since stopped and like many others, started allowing a 45-day window between the theatrical debut and the streaming release.
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Is You Hurt My Feelings on Netflix?
No, You Hurt My Feelings will not be on Netflix. However, it is possible that it will make it to the streaming giant eventually seeing as it’s home to other A24 movies like Uncut Gems. Until then, you’ll just have to head out to theaters or wait until it becomes available on digital.
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Is You Hurt My Feelings Available On Hulu?
Viewers are saying that they want to view the new animation movie You Hurt My Feelings on Hulu. Unfortunately, this is not possible since Hulu currently does not offer any of the free episodes of this series streaming at this time. It will be exclusive to the MTV channel, which you get by subscribing to cable or satellite TV services. You will not be able to watch it on Hulu or any other free streaming service.
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Is You Hurt My Feelings on Amazon Prime?
We hate to tell you that ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ is not included in Amazon Prime’s library. But you can still make the most of your subscription by turning to other alternatives that the streaming giant houses, such as ‘Prisoner X‘ and ‘The Prison.’
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When Will You Hurt My Feelings Be on DVD and Blu-ray?
As of now, there is no set date last to when You Hurt My Feelings will be available on Blu-ray and DVD, but we'll keep you updated once we know more about when the film will be available on physical media.
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How to Watch You Hurt My Feelings Online For Free?
Most Viewed, Most Favorite, Top Rating, Top IMDb movies online. Here we can download and watch 123movies movies offline. 123Movies website is the best alternative to You Hurt My Feelings (2023) free online. We will recommend 123Movies is the best Solarmovie alternatives.
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There are a few ways to watch You Hurt My Feelings online in the U.S. You can use a streaming service such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. You can also rent or buy the movie on iTunes or Google Play. You can also watch it on-demand or on a streaming app available on your TV or streaming device if you have cable.
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You Hurt My Feelings cast
Julia Louis-Dreyfus headlines You Hurt My Feelings as novelist Beth. This is a reunion for Louis-Dreyfus and Holofcener, as the two previously worked together on the 2013 movie Enough Said. Of course, Louis-Dreyfus is best known for her TV roles as Elaine on Seinfeld and Selina Meyer on Veep, but she has also starred in The New Adventures of Old Christine, Downhill, You People and has a recurring role in the MCU as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
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Playing Beth's husband Don is Tobias Menzies. Many viewers will likely know Menzies from either his role as Prince Philip for two seasons on The Crown or in Outlander, though he has also appeared in big-name shows like Game of Thrones, Rome and The Terror.
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Other members of the You Hurt My Feelings cast include Michaela Watkins (Enlightened) as Beth's sister Sarah, Owen Teague (Mrs. Fletcher) as Beth's son Elliot, Arian Moyaed (Succession) as Sarah's husband Mark and Jeannie Berlin (Succession) as Beth's mother Georgia. Also appearing in the movie are David Cross, Amber Tamblyn, Zach Cherry, LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Sarah Steele.
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What Is You Hurt My Feelings About?
Nicole Holofcener has distinguished herself in her career by centering many of her works that deal with the challenges of sustaining or rediscovering love in later life. This appears to be the same situation for You Hurt My Feelings which tells the story of a woman and her husband, focusing on their relationship over the years. The couple’s apparent happy life takes a hit when their little white lies are revealed to each other.

I know it's not exactly fan art, but it's the most fitting for this kind of thing. Another fanfiction has it as its flair when it was posted here. Anyway, this is my output for the OnK fanfic train. I hope you guys enjoy! The link to the fanfiction.net page will be at the bottom.
***
With the rise of violence against celebrities also comes the rise of elements that protect against them. A rookie agent finds himself assigned to a famous idol with a promise to defend. And what was supposed to be a training assignment would eventually grow to so much more.
***
The young man grumbled as he trudged the halls of his home towards his father’s office. His hand would rake through his black hair in his face in annoyance while his two emerald eyes with four-point star-shaped irises focused forward. He already knew what was gonna happen and he wished he could refuse. He had been hoping to devote his time to honing his gaming skills with the hope of maybe one day joining a pro-E-sports team. But, because his father was an old man with a small scope of the modern world, he laughed and told him to do something real with his life. And something real meant taking over the family business one day.
Kurosawa Security Services, or simply KSS, is a Japanese family-owned security company based in Kyoto although they have offices all over the country and even abroad. KSS provides everything from security guards for convenience stores to close protection agents for top government figures. They can also provide security consultation and training. The service is rated as the best Japan has to offer with highly trained agents. KSS agents regularly train with the police and military elements like the Security Police and Special Forces Group. And in rare occasions, they would even train with the US Secret Service abroad. KSS is also the best because of the long history of the organization which dates back to the feudal era when Kurosawa Saitō picked up the sword and protected the local Daimyo from an attack. In other words, they had a long time to hone their craft.
Now, what makes a security company like KSS so big in a country where crime is almost non-existent? Isn’t Japan a safe nation? Those would be your first mistakes if you thought of them. It doesn’t matter which part of the world you’re on, good and evil exist everywhere. And good must be protected from evil. That’s why KSS exists.
And soon enough, the company will be in Akio’s hands when it's his father’s time to retire. That’s how the system works, despite what he thinks of it. So, now his ultimate tests will begin. His first assignment.
After walking for what seemed like hours he reached a pair of large doors. He knocked on them and was asked to come in by a voice on the other side, so he complied. Entering, he was greeted with a fairly large office for only one man. And that man was currently seated behind a desk reading through some papers.
“Hey, Dad,” He greeted as he sat down on one of the chairs before across from him.
Kurosawa Tadao put the papers down and then looked at his son before smiling. He was an aging man with black hair that was already greying and blue eyes that had four-point star-shaped irises.
“Hey, Son! How’re ‘ya doing?” He asked.
“Just fine. I was finally getting my KDR up in Black Ops and I was planning on getting my skills up in CSGO later. But, here we are,” Akio answered.
“Staying inside is not good for your body you know.”
“I planned to play basketball tomorrow and I have band with the boys this weekend.”
“It’s still unhealthy because it’s exactly anything productive. You’re 17, Son, you need to start shaping up for your career,” Tadao said.
“I’ve been shaping it up since I was five,” Akio muttered.
“And that’s why we’re here right now. Your first assignment, son! It’s the moment of truth! Aren’t you excited?” Tadao asked with a wide grin as he picked up a folder from the side.
“No, not really,” Akio answered flatly.
“Well, maybe you’ll be excited once you find out who I’m assigning you to. Spoiler alert, she’s an idol,” He said with a grin, whispering that last part as he handed him the file.
“I’m not into idols, Dad,” He said flatly as he took the file.
“Your little brother a good chunk of this company’s personnel, and hell, a good chunk of the population are though,” He commented.
“That doesn’t make sense. Everyone can have different interests. And Goro, well, I guess being tied to a hospital bed for years does that to you,” He said sadly.
“You’re one weird kid, you know.”
“Well, I was raised by the likes of you, Dad,” Akio retorted with a sly grin which made his father laugh.
“Well, you got me there,” He chuckled and promptly silenced himself to let his son read.
“Hoshino Ai? Never heard of her. Although I admit she is pretty cute,” He mumbled as read through the file with her picture on it. He took in her personal information like date of birth, age, physical appearance, and all the usual things. And then he got to a part that listed her status— “What the fuck?! She’s pregnant?!”
“Language, Akio!” Tadao scolded. “Anyway, officially, she’ll be taking a break from showbiz for a while due to ill health. Actually, she’s pregnant and they’re trying to keep it under wraps. Bad for business, because a lot of fans are a bunch of lonely losers, they’ll drop her just because she has kids.”
“Language, Dad,” Akio retorted and shook his head. “Well, teen pregnancy is bad, but it’s unfair for her to be hated for that reason.”
“Yeah, the life of a celebrity is a lot shittier than most people would think. I know, your mother was a singer, she dealt with that too when we were found out,” Tadao said with a frown before smiling a bit. “She
“Please don’t tell me about your romances, Dad,” Akio cringed. “Anyway, Hoshino-sama will be my protectee, huh?”
“Yes. She’ll be heading here with her management agency soon to settle the contract. And then you’ll be heading to the countryside where she can lay low until she gives birth. That’s the basics of it.”
“Alright. Babysit a pregnant teenager and keep her from doing anything dumb. Should be easy enough,” He said.
“Do not underestimate the dangers tied to the entertainment world, Akio,” Tadao reminded. “As I’ve said, a lot of them are a bunch of lonely losers or generally just of questionable character. Some of them will go to great lengths just for attention. Fans can get really wacky after all. It’s already happened before. Not to mention, all the snakes in the industry. Someone might want to up their game so they think about eliminating the competition. You get the point.”
“I’m very aware, Dad, don’t worry,” He assured then sighed. “Just doing this and my studies at the same time? What am I gonna do?”
“That’s rich coming from someone who was planning on just lazing around all day. Besides, you’ve been homeschooling for more than a year already, right? I’m sure you can get a read in every day without compromising your job.”
“Well, it’s not impossible, but it’s gonna suck,” He said then sighed. “Alright, I’ve got this. Not much of a choice anyway. Anything else I should know?”
“Yeah. Remember this, you do not ever let your protectee out of your sight. Wherever she goes, you go. That being said, don’t be too overbearing, and make sure to give her room to breathe. She is a woman, she will want her space. Also, try not to set such a tight atmosphere. Try being her friend, and she’ll be easier to work with. Tomita will meet you tomorrow too to evaluate you. You’ll also be reporting to him your progress during your task.”
“Noted, Dad. In that case,” Akio stood then positioned himself directly in front of the table before bowing. “I shall see this task to the end.”
***
Idol music was not his cup of tea and Hoshino Ai was a complete stranger to him till that moment. He’d spend a whole week with the pre-preparations with one of the senior agents until it was time to meet the latest customers. Then he would meet Hoshino Ai for the first time and they’d make their first impressions of one another.
***
“Are you really sure about this?”
“We’re going to need a shield just in case. Lot’s of wackos around here. Besides, we’ve already agreed to meet.”
“It’s just, there’s a lot of shady dealings in the security world.”
“Are we any better? Besides, KSS is the best this country can offer. I also know the company head personally too, we went to high school together, and he owes me. We’ll be just fine.”
“Um, o-okay…”
“I didn’t understand any of that, but okay!”
“Never change, Ai…”
How do you keep a secret from the world? Simple: you lie. You lie a lot. But then you realize it’s not so simple and every day is spent with fear that everything might fall apart. Just trying to get anywhere was a massive undertaking. For example, right now. Two adults and a pregnant teen in a car. Aside from the teen pregnancy, there’s nothing strange at all about it. But if you knew who the car’s passengers were, then you’d immediately understand.
After a couple of hours of driving (making occasional turns to make sure they weren’t followed and consequently getting lost a couple of times) they finally reached their destination which was a large estate in the outskirts of Kyoto. A guard met them at the gate, and after the driver talked and showed some credentials, they were let in. It took another minute or two until they reached the house where a group was waiting for them. The car group got out of their vehicle with the house group greeting them shortly after. A man with short blonde hair and yellowish-brown eyes underneath some shades stepped forward and led the group.
“Ichigo-san, you’re still about as ugly as when I last saw you,” Tadao greeted with a cheeky grin as he approached.
“Tadao-san, you’re clearly the most repulsive one here. I see you still haven’t taken my advice to get your face fixed,” Ichigo greeted with a snarky expression as he also approached.
Once close enough, they locked hands for a shake before pulling each other in for a hug.
“It’s nice to see you again, friend! How’re you doin', man? No troubles getting here?” Tadao asked.
“I’m just fine. Getting here was a lot smoother than we thought. But we are exhausted,” Ichigo replied.
“I imagine. Remember that time in Second Year when we bought booze with fake IDs and we had to run for it?”
“Ha, how can I forget?! I was terrified the cops would get us!”
As the two men shared stories and laughed, everyone else present could not help but be astonished at how casual the two were being. It almost was like this wasn’t a business meeting.
“Yeah, those were the days,” Tadao laughed and turned to the other two people to address them. “Before we continue any further, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kurosawa Tadao, head of Kurosawa Security Services, and I welcome you all to my home. It’s nice to meet you!”
He then stepped toward the next person. She was a rather tall woman with long strawberry-blonde hair and pinkish-brown eyes.
“And you must be Miyako, his wife, yes?” He asked.
“Yes, I am,” She said with a polite smile as they shook hands.
“You know, I’ve always wondered how someone with a face like his could get married. But here we are,” He joked earning a laugh from her.
“I sometimes wonder why I decided to marry him too,” She commented and they both laughed.
“Huh? What?” Ichigo said but was ignored.
Then, Tadao moved to the last person. She was a short girl with long violet hair with matching eyes that have stars in them. But her most distinct feature was the bulge in her abdomen showing her pregnancy. Moreover, she looked like she wasn’t even 18. This observation made his gut wrench due to feeling pity for this poor girl’s bad decision. Regardless, he put on his best smile and took her hand.
“And you must be Hoshino Ai,” He greeted. “I’ve heard all about you, but since I’m the stereotypical old man, I’m not into your music. Regardless of that, and after listening to a couple of songs, I think you’re doing some very great work in your field.”
Her lips curved into a smile that cured souls as her eyes seemed to shimmer. Tadao kept himself from reacting, but at that moment he knew why she was so popular.
“Thank you so much, Tadao-san! You know, I don’t think I’m that popular to begin with but I’m always so happy to hear that someone like what I do!” She said happily.
He chuckled a bit. “I used to be in a band in middle school and high school, so I still try to stay up to date with the latest musical trends these days. Although, I still don’t know much. I mostly get my info on that from my own agents.”
He glanced to the side followed by Ai shortly after to see three younger agents standing stiffly as they tried to ignore them. They knew exactly who she was. All three of them have her as their phone’s lock screen wallpaper. And it’s clear that they wanted to talk to her, but they couldn’t. And even if they could, they didn’t know how. Ai giggled in amusement while Tadao just stared.
“Anyway, now that introductions have been made, let’s go inside where it’s more comfortable. I know you’re here for business, so let’s dive right in. We’ve also prepared snacks and refreshments inside in case you want some. Ichigo, my valet will take care of your car, so give him the keys please,” Tadao said as he gestured for them to follow.
“Do you have ice cream?” Ai asked.
“We sure do!”
“Yay! Let’s go!”
After Ichigo handed over the keys to a valet, Tadao began leading them into his home with the trio following shortly after. But before that, a mischievous thought entered Ai’s mind and she acted quickly. She suddenly turned to look at the trio of agents who tensed up even more under her gaze. Worse, they realized that she was up to no good just from her grin. But before they could even speculate what she was up to, she suddenly did her signature love heart hand pose with a smile. In a flash, the three agents felt their knees go weak in the presence of such moe cuteness that they struggled to stay upright as they covered their mouths to silence their ecstatic screams. Satisfied with her handiwork, Ai giggled as she left the scene of the crime.
“Um, are they gonna be alright?” Ichigo asked nervously as he saw one of them falling over.
“They’ll be fine.”
They entered the huge house and led them through a series of hallways that were decorated with all sorts of interesting stuff. One of them was some sort of cannon on a towed carriage, except, aside from one big barrel, it’s got multiple little ones arranged in a circle with a crank.
“Kurosawa-san, what’s that?” Ai asked.
“Oh, this? This is a Model 1874 Gatling Gun. It fires a .45-70 caliber round from top-loaded 20-round box magazines with a rate of fire of about a thousand rounds per minute, although, it really depends on how fast you can crank it. It was one of the most revolutionary weapons ever designed and it changed the battlefield forever. This specific weapon here was used by the Imperial Army against revolting samurai during their last stand in the Battle of Mount Shiroyama, the last action of the Satsuma Rebellion,” He explained. “Sometimes I wonder what the samurai were thinking in their last moments just before they were all gunned down.”
“Wow,” Ai whispered in awe.
“Indeed. I don’t even know where my father dug up this gun,” He said before tracing across the black-painted barrels of the old weapon.
“That’s so cool!” She exclaimed happily then fished out her phone from her hoodie pocket. “Can I take a picture with it?”
“Ai, we’re here in business and the man’s likely very busy, so let’s not take anymore—” Ichigo said but was cut off.
“Sure thing! Our meeting is the only thing I have on my schedule today, so I’m basically free to do anything!” Tadao interjected with a wide smile as she took her phone.
What followed next was a comedic scene which was basically an old man doting on his granddaughter while he took pictures of her doing cute things. Meanwhile, everyone else present just stared with blank expressions.
“So much for not being into idols,” Ichigo muttered.
“These are so good! Thank you so much, Kurosawa-san!” She thanked him with a wide smile after going over the pictures.
“You’re very welcome! And you know, we’ve got a lot of goodies in this house, maybe you’d like to take some pictures with them too?” He offered.
“I’d love to!” She squealed.
“Mhmm!” Someone cleared their throat.
Looking in that direction, they saw a young man dressed in a nice business suit who was basically a younger version of Tadao. He approached them with his hands in his pockets and regarded them with a straight expression.
“You’re getting off track here, Dad. We’re still conducting a business,” He said as a matter of factly. “And what happened to ‘no touching of the expensive decor’?”
“Oh come on, son, do you honestly believe I can refuse that?” Tadao complained as he gestured to Ai who maintained a happy expression as she looked at the photos.
“Don’t enable her, Dad. Ma’am, please stop touching the gun, it’s very old and very expensive,” He said.
“Ai, get off of it,” Ichigo ordered.
“Aw, okay,” She said sadly as she backed off.
“Sorry for the trouble, but this stuff is crazy expensive. And oh, I’m Kurosawa Akio, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” He greeted with a polite smile.
“This is my son. He’ll be taking care of the business one day, so I’m bringing him along more now,” Tadao said.
Another round of handshakes was exchanged as the group introduced themselves to Akio. Ai expected the tone and body language of a fan holding himself back, the same kind she’s gotten used to seeing, but was rather surprised when he shook her hands normally with nothing but politeness in his eyes. Strange, now she’s curious. Akio on his part thought that she was a rather normal-looking girl, except for the bulging stomach, and didn’t find anything very special from just looking at her.
“Sorry for messing around. It’s just a really cool-looking thing!” Ai said.
“It sure is, ‘can’t argue with that. They don’t make weapons like these anymore these days. It’s all just big bombs now, which is boring,” Akio remarked.
“I don’t think death and destruction are supposed to be nice to see,” Miyako remarked.
“Exactly,” Tadao stated with a firm voice. “And that’s what we strive for in KSS. Every day must always be boring. Now come on, we’ve got business to attend to.” He said before turning and walking away.
“Is he always like this?” Miyako asked with a sweatdrop, noting the man’s sudden change of face.
“You’ll get used to it,” Both Ichigo and Akio replied in a flat tone.
They finished the walk toward their destination which was a conference room inside the house. The place was quite spacious and cozy looking, especially since it has a fireplace. They all immediately took their seats with KSS taking one side of the table and Ichigo Productions sitting opposite of them.
“Snacks will be brought in a little bit, so let’s get down to business to business shall we,” Tadao said as he placed a briefcase on the table and pulled out some papers. “By the way, everything we talk about will not leave this room, you can trust us. I think I also know the reason why you need an extra pair of hands. Your reason for getting a bodyguard is because you’re worried that you’ll be attacked like that idol that got stabbed recently, yes?”
They all nodded at that. It was already a month old, but the memory of it was still fresh on everyone’s minds, especially since it was covered on national news.
An idol named Hirose Keiko, who was pretty popular and only 16 like Ai, was recently murdered by a crazy fan in her own home. The autopsy report stated that the cause of death was cardiac arrest from severe bleeding after being stabbed three times and that she died in minutes.
The police captured the killer before he could jump off a bridge and took him in for questioning. He said that a Twitter post showing Keiko being all friendly with some guy somewhere made people think she had gotten a boyfriend. This enraged him because he felt betrayed by her actions, therefore he stalked her and plotted her murder for weeks. So, it was pretty awkward for him to find out that Keiko’s supposed boyfriend was actually her cousin and she was at a family get-together at that time.
The news shocked everyone in the country and many celebrities started taking their personal security more seriously. Ichigo was worried for Ai, and Ai was a bit scared herself. She knew Keiko, they did some collaborations together in the past, and she was upset she couldn’t attend her funeral. So, Ichigo Productions, though a bit cash-strapped, decided that it would be a good idea to have some form of security with them to help out in the long run. Especially now that Ai was pregnant… they couldn’t stomach the thought of some deranged lunatic stabbing her to death like what happened to Keiko.
“I don’t think I can forget that. I knew the girl and her agency, they were good people. I hope that bastard gets the chair,” Ichigo muttered.
“You and me both. And don’t worry, we’ll make sure nothing ever happens to you,” Tadao assured. “Alright, now, how do you want to be protected?”
“We just need someone with us to keep the creeps away, especially one that can lie low with us. Nothing flashy at all,” Ichigo answered.
“Hmm, I understand what you want. One or two agents on you at all times at least, covering your front and back. They’ll be in plain clothes too so as to not draw attention. Okay, I’ve got a lot of agents to spare for that kind of job,” Tadao said, as he wrote on a piece of paper.
“What else is there?” Ichigo asked.
“We’re gonna brief you on how we operate and how we intend to do this. None of them are hard to follow at all. The gist is that you need to tell us everything, your schedules, contacts, extra activities, etcetera.”
“So, I’ll basically be followed around everywhere?” Ai asked.
“Basically, yes. But the key difference is that it’ll be by people you can trust. However, that doesn’t mean we’ll be poking around your daily life and infringing on your space every day. We’ll create a system in which you’re safe but still comfortable. In fact, we even have methods to protect you without you or anyone seeing us, but that’s really expensive though,” Tadao explained. “We know our boundaries too, Hoshino-sama, you don’t have to worry.”
“Hmm,” Ai hummed as she considered his words before another thought occurred to her. “Will you kill people?”
“Only if they really force us to. Every agent has a loaded gun with him, but we’re also trained in ways to stop an attacker with non-lethal force. Besides, one of our tactics is that by simply being there, we can discourage anyone from trying anything funny. As I’ve said, the best days for us are the most boring ones.”
“I see.”
“What’s the price tag?” Miyako asked.
“Despite the low elements, you’re still looking at 500,000 yen per month. But…” He trailed off. “But… due to my debt to you, Ichigo, I’ve decided to give you half that price for six months. This is paid like a subscription service where you have to pay every month. Failure to pay means immediate termination of services.”
“Is there anything else?” Ichigo asked.
“There are a bunch more details that you need to know. Legality, protocols, company policy, and all that. But, there’s one detail that I threw in as a condition for this,” Tadao said then placed a hand on Akio’s shoulder who was sitting to his right. “My son will be the one to run point of your protection detail. This’ll also act as his first test, to prove his skill as a protection agent.”
“Although I’m inexperienced, I’m quick to learn and adapt, and I’m ready to take on whatever task is needed from me,” Akio said politely.
Ichigo and Miyako frowned at the prospect of being given someone who was inexperienced in the field. But if he was the son of the guy who runs the place, then he should be pretty good, right? Besides, this is possibly the best deal they’ll ever get, and they weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Alright, that’s fine,” Ichigo said.
“I’m okay with it,” Ai said.
“Although, Akio will be running point so you’ll see him the most often, another rookie agent will also be there to learn too. He’ll be number two. A senior agent will also be dropping by occasionally to check on them and evaluate their performance, although you don’t need to pay him. And in case things get really bad, emergency services and other agents won’t be too far to assist,” Tadao added.
“Ah, alright,” Ichigo said.
“Now, for the rest of everything.”
They would spend the next thirty minutes getting into the details of how everything would be under their care. Snacks and refreshments were brought in at that time with Ai receiving a pint of ice cream, making her very happy. They got into some legal conditions that were implemented to protect both sides. They also got into how the protection detail would work and what to do under certain situations. And of course, company policy.
One such policy is that the client can sue the company for up to 30 million yen for disclosing any secrets entrusted to them without permission. And although KSS can definitely pay that amount, their reputation would be tarnished and they’d lose even more money. That was a fact that allowed Ichigo Productions to rest easier. Ai’s pregnancy needed to remain under wraps.
After a few more minutes and a couple more things were clarified, they finally moved on to the last piece of the puzzle. Tadao opened up his briefcase and pulled out one last set of papers.
“This is the contract. What’s is just a summary of everything we talked about, but I suggest you read it carefully so you’re not missing anything,” Tadao said.
Ichigo Productions took the document and carefully read through it to make sure they were not missing anything. It took another five minutes, but they confirmed that everything was in place.
“A service that tells you everything and makes you read the contract first? Finally!” Ichigo joked.
“We’re the guys that protect the Emperor, not some shady organization! We’ve got a reputation to uphold!” Tadao stated. “Anyway, if nothing is amiss, sign your name and seal on the space provided and we are officially under your employ.”
“Everything’s here. Let’s seal the deal,” Ichigo said.
He grabbed a pen that was provided to him and signed his name on the line at the bottom then stamped his seal on the side. Miyako did the same thing after him. And finally, Ai filled out the last line with her name and seal and even drew a little heart on it. Tadao took the document and looked through it before putting it down and giving them a smile.
“You are now under the protection of Kurosawa Security Services! With Hachiman, the divine protector of Japan, guiding our hands, you will not have to worry about anything as long as we are around! Rest assured that we will take care of you. And anyone that tries to harm you will die a horrible death!” He proclaimed.
“That’s… oddly specific,” Ichigo remarked.
“If you get hurt, we’ll cover the expenses of your medical bill. If you die under our watch, which you won’t, we’ll offer a full refund to your relatives, and we’ll even avenge you. That’s our policy, to treat our clientele as if they are our family,” He added.
“That’s very nice,” Miyako said.
“Only the best we provide our clients,” Tadao said. “And aside from giving you a copy of the documents, this concludes our business. Thank you for choosing our services. We promised not to disappoint.”
“We’ll be watching closely then.”
Both groups then stood up and gave each other one last bout of handshakes to truly seal the contract that was just signed.
“I’ll make sure your men get tickets to one of my concerts in the future!” Ai said and looked at Akio. “Especially you, Akio-san.”
“Oh, that’s very kind of you, Hoshino-sama. But, I’m not into idol music,” He replied politely.
“Huh?”
“Please excuse my son. We know he’s a weirdo,” Tadao jokingly said.
“I ain’t weird, Dad. I don’t hate idol music but I don’t exactly like it either. I just like other things,” Akio stated.
“It’s not impossible, but it’s a first for us. Everyone your age we’ve met is into idols,” Saitou said. “Looks like you’re the 10% we didn’t see coming.”
“Please just take it as less worry for you, since I won’t be prying for your attention all the time. I’ll always keep a respectful distance. I promise.”
“That’s all we can ever ask really. Thank you.”
“Now that business is concluded, we can all turn in for the night. But would you like something before you leave? Some more snacks or drinks perhaps? We’ve got a lot here,” Tadao offered but Ichigo shook his head.
“No, we’ve already been here too long, we don’t want to overstay our welcome. Besides, it’s late and we’re all tired. We should be getting back now,” he said.
“Alright. In that case, allow us to walk you out while I get the valet to get your car.”
“Alright then.”
Ichigo Productions prepared to leave while Tadao got on his phone. Ichigo and Miyako started discussing something with each other while Ai simply looked around the room. Her eyes would eventually land on Akio who was looking at his phone. He’d pocket it a moment later and his eyes would land on his protectee’s. She’d flashed him a wide smile, the kind that can captivate any man, while he returned with a simple smile and a nod. Ai began opening her mouth to speak before stopping short when there was a disturbance from Tadao.
“... Really? Alright, I’ll tell them,” He sighed before turning to the group.
“What’s wrong?” Ichigo asked.
Tadao smiled awkwardly. “A small problem just developed on your end.”
They’d find themselves outside again a moment later, watching a scene unfold before them. Ichigo Production’s car, a white rental Toyota Corolla, remained where Ichigo last left it although the hood was open and multiple guys were peering into the engine compartment with flashlights. One agent tried turning the key and starting the ignition, yet the engine remained quiet. A moment later, a middle-aged man with his sleeves rolled up walked up to Tadao while wiping his hands on a rag.
“I think it’s a broken sparkplug, Tadao-san. It just won’t start,” He reported.
“I told you it was broken!” Miyako scolded Ichigo in a hushed voice.
“Do we have spare parts, Hiro-san?” Tadao asked.
“No, we just ran out when our own rides needed maintenance and we haven’t resupplied yet,” He said with a shake of his head. “We can’t run to the shop too because it’s already closed at this time. This thing’s staying here till morning.”
Ichigo and Miyako groaned at their misfortune while the rest of them simply stared indifferently. Tadao then sighed and spoke again.
“Alright. In that case, Hiro-san, please get the van off the driveway and onto the side. We’ll deal with it tomorrow morning. Then please take one of the Land Cruisers and take them back to their hotel. The rest of you are free to leave for home too,” He ordered.
“Hai, Kurosawa-sama!” Everyone replied.
“Tadao-san, are you sure? This is probably too much—” Ichigo began but stopped when Tadoa raised a hand.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind at all. Just think of this as me helping a friend in need. And no, you don’t have to pay,” He replied.
Ichigo was unsure but ultimately allowed it and bowed a bit. “Alright, thank you.”
“No problem,” Tadao replied with a shallow nod.
While the adults addressed the issue of their ride, the two kids remained on the side and simply watched. Akio and Ai were still in their teens, so they were kids in the eyes of the adults present.
“So,” Ai began. “What kind of music do you listen to, Kurokawa-san?”
“Uh, I like rock music of all types from pop to death metal. I’ve been listening to them since I was five. And it’s Kurosawa, Hoshino-sama,” He replied, her sudden question and error of his name catching him off guard.
“Ah, really? Ahahaha, I’m so sorry! I'm not very good at memorizing people’s faces!” She laughed jovially.
“Ahaha, I can imagine. Since you probably see so many faces every day, it’s hard to keep track of them all, huh?” He laughed.
“Ah, yeah! It’s a bit of a problem for me, hehe. Sometimes, I even forget the President’s name too, haha!”
He laughed along with her but internally, he was cringing a bit.
Does every idol have such an airheaded personality? He wondered.
“It must be kinda hard for you too, having to work like this when you’re so young,” She remarked.
“Well, this is my first job ever, so it doesn’t seem hard at all right now. That’s definitely gonna change though,” He replied. “But, I don’t think my job will get anywhere as difficult as yours with you having to put up an act all the time. I don’t think I can handle that.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. I really like my job, but sometimes it gets pretty tiring. Taking a break like this is gonna help out a lot!” She said happily before taking a deep breath and looking around. “I think I’ve already said this, but your place is really nice.”
“Mhmm, and this is just our place here in Tokyo. We’re only here now because we need to be closer to some of our clients at the moment. Our main house in Kyoto is even bigger and cooler!” Akio replied.
“You guys are really loaded, huh?”
“For the past few decades, Kurosawa has been branching to other things that make money. We need the cash to pay for our stuff after all. Although, we’re still inferior to zaibatsus like Shinomiya and Shijo (who we provide services to, by the way) but also still better than most.”
“Wow.”
“Mhmm, but money still isn’t everything. We try to take a humble approach to things too. Dad doesn’t like spending money on anything that isn’t important and I don’t buy a lot of things myself,” He added and kept his mouth open to continue when he was interrupted.
“Don’t believe him! He eats yakiniku at least once a week!” One of the younger agents stated as he walked by with a bag over his shoulder, likely on his way home.
“Look who’s talking, idiot! You spend the most out of all of us!” He retorted angrily but only got a laugh in response. He turned back to Ai who was holding a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, prompting him to sigh in annoyance. “Alright, I admit that part and also I spend a lot quite a lot on video games and band equipment, but only on special occasions. I’m not some pompous rich jerk that throws money around, I promise you.”
“Hmm, alright, I believe you,” She giggled and then thought of something. “You could’ve totally left that part out or outright lied. Why didn’t you?”
“Uh, it was already out, so there’s no point in trying to lie about it anymore. Besides, I don’t believe you deserve to be lied to, Hoshino-sama,” He answered.
Her smile wavered ever so slightly as she processed his answer. I don’t deserve to be… lied to?
“Um—”
“Ai, our ride’s here! Let’s head back to the hotel!” Ichigo called out as one of the company’s Land Cruisers had been brought out to take them.
“I guess we’ll just have to continue this conversation some other time, but it’s been a nice talk. I look forward to working with you, Hoshino-sama,” He said with a wide smile and an outstretched hand.
“Ai.”
“Sorry?”
Ai smiled widely too, her eyes seemingly shimmering brighter as she took his hand and shook it. “Since we’ll be sticking so closely together for a while, you can just call me Ai, Akio-san.”
He blinked. “U-Uh, sure thing, Ai-san.”
“Just Ai,” She clarified.
“Just Ai,” He nodded and smiled widely, happy that she remembered his first know, even if he didn’t know why.
“If that’s what you want, you’re the boss,” Akio remarked, earning another laugh from her. “You have a good night, Ai, and I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
“You too, Akio-san.”
She’d head back to her group a moment later and they were leaving the estate shortly. Akio waved at the car as it drove past him and he could just barely see a human figure waving back through the darkness. As he watched the SUV disappear, he put his hand down and looked up at the sky.
“Wow,” He breathed. “Her eyes are something else.”
He’d retire for the night shortly after without another thought. He’d sleep soundly not knowing that he had just stepped on the path that would define his life.
***
This is the link to the ff.net page. Thank you very much for taking the time to read it, and thank you even more if you decide to support it on ff.net! Please also tell me what you think and/or if you have any ideas you'd like to share here or there!
For now, have a great day, and peace out!
Veritas vos liberabit.
The Truth will set you Free.

A warm and sometimes hard romantic comedy between the wife of a Kuudere magical girl (*30 years old) and her fan husband! ... Read My Wife Could Be A Magical Girl - Chapter 8 - MangaPuma. Read more at https://mangapuma.com/my-wife-could-be-a-magical-girl/chapter-8

hello my name is xayvion (xay for short) and i am a 16 year old trans male. i'm going to yet straight into it so be prepared if you're reading this. back in january of 2023 i got into a relationship with my now ex girlfriend, after the breakup i felt like i had to do whatever i could to get back with her because i felt lost without her. i loved her but she ended up losing feelings, and those feelings i still had for her would not go away. we broke up sometime during april, which isn't necessarily to long ago. a bit after the breakup i'm going to say the beginning of may i had met a boy, he and i started chatting and eventually it led to him having romantic feelings for me. at first i thought i was only interested in him because he reminded me of my ex, but then i realised how different they were and i realised i did like him for him. my ex is in a new relationship, so i figured maybe it's time i move on as well. me and this guy have a strong connection, we're both romantically interested as well. but there is an issue, he was previously straight prior to meeting me. and as a trans dude that's a major red flag because that means he sees me as a woman, he did misgender me at the beginning. and told me how my transition would effect him, but because of my feelings for him i brushed those clear red flags aside and he told me he'd work on his problematic thinking because he wanted to be with me. which i thought was genuine. but lately he's been really playing with my feelings. i struggle with mental illness, he doesn't have much relationship experience and doesn't know much about the lgbtq or mental health. he said it was stressing him out and told me how he isn't good for me ect, but then came back the next day saying the opposite and writing me paragraphs about how he thinks we'd be perfect. he keeps going back and forth as if he doesn't know what he wants, and i think we both know how it ends but are in denial. and it hurts. he and i just had an argument over this and he asked me to let him sleep on it, i think later we're going to end whatever we have going on. but it's so hard to accept because i really do like him. this probably sounds like some shitty teenage romance but i do not feel anything for people as easy as that, i thought i was using him as a rebound but figured out whatever i was feeling is genuine. but now he's unsure and it's so stressful, i feel nauseous thinking about it. he tells me i make him a better person but then comes back saying that i make him feel sick, its ridiculous. i just don't know what to do, it'll hurt me more to cut him off but it'll destroy me if i don't.
(i'm sorry for any typos its 6 in the morning as i'm typing this and i haven't slept.)

Hi all, I'm writing a paper on gaming addiction and having played WoW for 10-15 years of my life it got me thinking, as a young man growing up - WoW has been a gaming staple in my life.
Curiously, I've been thinking inwards and tried to recall any time(s) that gaming has interfered with any of my relationships; Social, Romantic or Family. I think it affected one of my teenage relationships quite heavy during the original WOTLK days. I'm curious if anyone else has had any issues with this and are okay to share their experiences, it's not research per se more curiosity.
Thanks in advance for any comments and information shared!
EDIT: Happy to hear about both positive or negative experiences!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xBoPFpODtQgX0JObJ2jbAD2XZOMFfGt0TN6CFQAVO0Y
Here is yet another SMG4 x Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi crossover fanfic (and yes, it includes my Life as a Teenage Robot but oh well). This time Yumi, Meggy and Jenny want to hang out in a little thing known as a tomboys nigh out.
​
As usual, I will give you fun facts and references that I cannot add them in the fanfic itself and it will be spoilers, so make sure you read it before proceeding:
Some of the references aren't linked correctly because I couldn't find the originals of the source or the original reference is age restricted.
The fact Yumi is part ninja references the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi episode "Ninjacompoop", where Yumi tried to be a ninja after she takes a quiz with Ami.
When Ami says "Tawagoto!" it's a japanese direct Google translation of "Shit!", referencing the recurring gag in Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi where the characters sometimes speak in japanese, although it's in romaji for your readability and no, I don't know japanese very well.
When Ami hugs Yumi after she got her movie ticket I don't intend any shipping. It's just for Ami to express her passion with the movie she wants to watch.
Being an old character that doesn't show up too often nowadays, FM and Loaf's articles are linked.
Namewise, Betty’s Phony Smellerz is inspired by Betty from Atomic Betty.
The small space from the beginning of the fanfic is intentional because, otherwise, it will select Ami's name. Being linked to her article, it will show a preview of the fandom page, covering up part of the text.

Hello all 👋
37M here and I would say that I am a pretty ‘normal’ guy as far as things go. No kids and was generally never really that into them/ been fussed about having my own.
I have been with my current partner for 7 years, someone who I love dearly and could absolutely see spending the rest of my life with as we get on in so many ways. She has a daughter that has always lived with us and despite what I have just said we have always had a great relationship and she is genuinely a great kid and someone who I would be proud to say is my own.
However the past 7 years have flown by and she is now 21 years old with a little boy of her own who is now 1 years old.
Over the years I have had multiple family members who are close to me, have children of their own and I have held babies and been around the experience of it all a fair number of times but I have also been one of those people who just never ever ever felt/ saw that love and magic that is within children and what comes with it.
Fast forward to around one ago when little Felix arrives and the first two - three weeks I didn’t even hold him! Partly because Angela was a new mum and still young herself and so I just held back and let her do her thing.
Then by the third week something strange started happening, I couldn’t hold back any more, I just wanted to hold him so bad, never in my life had I experienced this before!! Usually when I have a baby I am looking forward to handling it back and that of course is nothing personal to any particular baby out there lol.
So this one night I ask to hold him and as soon as this little fella is placed into my lap he stares directly up to me with the most gorgeous deep blue eyes that I had ever seen before and this deep sense of warmness then began to take over and almost overwhelm me.
As the next few months carried on we of course began to grow a great bond and the love and intense feelings I began feeling for this little guy were something that I had never experienced before. Almost like when you are a teenager and first experience the deep romantic feelings for another for the first time .. I guess something like that but on the unconditional level. There have been multiple times when we have been sat on the living floor playing with his truck and putting blocks into it and he just stops and looks up into my eyes. No smile, no frown, just complete neutrality that exhumes this pureness and completely exposes just how innocent and darn right cute the little bugger is. It is during these moments of clarity that my heart strings are pulled so damn hard that I can’t even look at him for too long without tearing up. I’m talking 4/5 seconds max and that’s it I have to get out of there and get my mind away from the situation.
This is really starting to become a problem because I want to be able to just sit there and stare back into his eyes and talk to him and engage but I just can’t handle it a lot of the time and I have to get myself out of there for a few minutes to save embarrassment in front of the little dude and also other family members who may think I am weird.
I’m not even 100% sure what is going on through my mind when these moments occur. I think it’s just down to the fact that I think he really is super cute and is also becoming such a nice little person who is so kind. I also believe that it is because this whole experience and the love that I have been feeling has been quite a shock to me as the idea of fatherhood never came natural to me. However this is now beginning to lead into conflicting thoughts such as wondering if having my own children is something that I will one day regret not doing?
The truth is that it was little Felix who looked into my eyes that night and unlocked something truly magical.. It was like I absolutely f**king get it now and I can totally see the magic in what having children is all about and why people say that despite all of the hardships, that it is still the best thing in the world. I even feel like a bit of a dumbass for not seeing it until so late in life and truly feel like I have missed out on something. I see young couples in their twenties with two/three kids and I am envious that by the time they are my age they could have a bunch of teenagers for kids and potentially get to experience having grandchildren at a young age themselves.
This conflicts my emotions and my head about everything again because the last thing that I want to do here is come off as ungrateful with having the amazing things that I already do have in life and ofcourse never seeing my partner and little Felix again would be an extremely tragic thing to experience.
I also can’t shake the feelings how much I would love to see my own parents play with my children and have them experience seeing me with the next generation of our family. They are both getting older and neither are in the best of health and so I can not help but admit that it does sadden me to think that this may one day never happen… something else that I have never considered until now in life. I have been truly lucky to have been blessed with having the best of parents in life and for them to see my children would be a dream come true for them and that does sadden me also I have to admit.
I am not even sure what I am looking for here but if you have read this far and find any of this interesting at all and would like to give your two cents then please feel free to say what ever you like.
Thank you & kindest regards

Hi, so...
I'm gonna talk a lot. It took me an hour to type this on my phone, apparently... 😅 But, if you just want the meat of my rant, skip to the very bottom, the "where life has me now" part. Or, better yet:
TL;DR - I have no friends anymore, my ex was my best friend and now I have no one. I've had a rough few weeks what with everything that's gone wrong (one after the other, thanks 2023), and I just don't have anyone to process it with. I miss my best friend...

Backstory, I guess

I was in a poly relationship for 7 years with this girl. Primary partner. She sometimes had other boyfriends but none ever stuck. I saw a few other people too but never even got to the point of calling it another date. It worked out more like we were open/ENM rather than poly, but anyway, just setting up some color to the backstory. We were all but married, owned a house together, raising her step-kids together, got pets together... all that. "Married" but not married.
We were both friendly with this guy we knew from community theater. She got close to him almost a year ago, they started seeing each other. Grew feels. We were poly so I was excited for her. Yay!

The decline...

After a few months, she reveals that he is monogamous. Ugh, not the first time she's dated a mono guy, but he wanted to chat with me and I did too, so I was hopeful we could understand each other better.
She started pulling away from my touch, trying to avoid contact with me so as not to upset her new boyfriend. Uhh... anyway, he was constantly busy and never had time to chat with me, and then she at one point asked if I would even care if she broke up with me. Obviously, lol, why wouldn't I be upset about it? Of course I would care!
We kept fighting over little things more and more for the next month, until I snapped and suggested we break up since she seems so sure I'm awful now.
When we talked about it a few days later, she said she's ready to be done with me, doesn't think she'll ever feel romantic for me again, didn't want to even try couple's therapy (unless it was necessary to salvage our friendship), and that she had these issues with me for years so it's not even new. (My takeaway from this is that she was convincing herself that I was worse than she remembered in order to feel less shitty about breaking up with me for her new boy.)
She had said when/before we broke up that she would take a break from her new boy too. Naturally once we broke up, she changed it to "just a break" with me, but no break with him, because "that wouldn't be fair to him" and "the heart wants what it wants".
Whatever... I still held out hope.

The break

So, for the next four months, we still lived together. At first we were okay with sharing the bed and just made it a point to not touch. Sometimes we'd sleep on the couch but usually just split the bed.
She continued to see him, sometimes 2 days out of the week, sometimes 6 days of the week. I kept making dinner and hung out with her two kids (13 and 15). Oh, I forgot to mention that I work full time and am also in college classes nearly full-time, so I'm always busy with homework too. No matter. The point here is that she's not around much, which is fine but feels like a lot at times.
I did reach out to her a few times after two months, asking to get some time with her, check in, hang out, whatever. She kept having plans already, so I'd shoot for a week or two out. She'd halfway make plans, then the conversation would die. When it would come around, she would blow me off, "oh they needed me for a few extra hours at church, sorry!". (I believe her, but it's clear I ranked lower in priority than anything). Other times she "could be home after lunch, which happens at 11"... but then "after" was apparently 5pm. (She goes to bed around 7:30, and doesn't usually want to do anything this late in the day.) After a few tries like this, I gave up.
I finally asked her if we were done. I wanted to have the conversation in a park or restaurant or something... she refused and instead we had it with her sitting in bed with her PJs on, practically hiding under the covers. I told her I had about 40% desire left to see us fix things, that it has been dwindling since she keeps acting like I'm a stranger, but there's still hope. She just repeated that she doesn't see us ever being romantic again, so when I asked her to put it to a number, she said 0%.
So, that's it. Done.

Moving forward...

That was about a month ago? We still live together while we work out the house. I want to move, and I'd rather sell altogether. She can't refinance to buy me out, but she wants to stay. Ugh... so we might work something out to where we split equity on sale later down the road.... that's a whole 'nother headache that I won't even get into just yet, because I've got other problems right now.
We split the room up a little... I now have a cot in here, so we sleep separately. For the most part we do okay as roommates I suppose, but it's still awkward as fuck living with my ex. I still consider the kids mine too, but it feels weird when they're all hanging out together. I guess it should, though. Hrm.
Anyway.

Where life has me right now

I haven't been great about keeping in contact with friends. I was friends with her friends, though, but while we rarely see them anymore anyway, I feel like they're even more unavailable now. (She actually told them not to hate me on her behalf, that she still wants some friendliness between all of us... but, whatever. It's dead.) So, I'm alone.
The kids are teenagers. I still feel familial with them, but there's always been a little bit of step distance between us. One of them just came out as trans.
My bathroom skylight has a hole in it. First people I brought out tried hard-selling me a whole new roof. Yeah, that shit was a horrible experience. Anyway, next guy who came out just quoted me for a skylight. Pfft. It's always something though right?
My old car has been leaking everywhere for the last few months, and finally stopped starting (intermittently). I suspect it's a head gasket, but I'm not a mechanic so idk. I've been considering car shopping anyway, so maybe now is the time, especially since the mechanics looking at my car have pointed out two sensors to start troubleshooting with for $580, and aren't sure if that's the fix. That's a little expensive for troubleshooting what could be a head gasket... so, cue car shopping under duress.
We talked with a lawyer this week about the house and splitting the equity on sale when she moves out, because again, she doesn't want to move (because of the kids), and I do. That turned into an argument where she thinks I'm the bad guy trying to evict her kids because I won't accept so little, and me standing my ground saying I deserve more than just what the current equity is right now because at minimum I should get interest on it since I'm unable to touch this money for 4 years (per the current plan), much like a loan.
Anyway, we talk and eventually she cools down. She lets me borrow the car for the weekend at least while she's camping with her boyfriend. Cool.
I realize I picked too high of a monthly commitment for the car I want, so I spent the long weekend re-budgeting to see what I can afford, and where I need to cut back on my spending.
I've been looking at cars and shooting a few to a coworker friend and an old friend who is also going through a divorce that I chat with sometimes. Both respond here and there but aren't engaged with helping me. I don't blame them, they have lives too, but it leaves me feeling like I'm on my own here. Fine, I can't expect people to help me make financial decisions anyway.
Go to the dealership by myself this evening... The dude I work with... It feels like he's misread me, like he thinks I want some hot new car, rather than something functional and cheap. He seems to be annoyed that I'm taking my time to look at things, and didn't fall for his lease pitch. We bargain, I get some good numbers, so it was all around fine... but it's clear we both want to be done with each other for the day. He mentions they're closing up shop, I take my leave to think about it for a day.
Anyway. Now I'm home again. On my cot.
I just want to decompress and process my day with someone, but I just don't have anyone to talk to. I mean, there's people I can talk to but goddamn I don't feel like I have anyone I can just level with, at least not when I need them.
Goddamn I feel so alone.
I lost my best friend, and the shell of her is sleeping one bed away from mine.
I... and, maybe I should get out more, but first I need a car, and my house fixed, and free time separate from school, and not worry about coming to an agreement with the house, and maybe it would be nice to have moved out so I can finally mentally move on.... Maybe then I'll have free time for making new friends. Idfk. Is this just another excuse? Am I just not a social person, and now I'm suffering for it during my most challenging period of life?
I hate this.

TL;DR I crushed on a beautiful girl for about a year. I did everything I could to get close to her and it didn't work. She ended up telling me that she didn't feel any attraction to me, and also she's been hanging out with another guy. Trying to figure out what I did wrong.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get in a lot of details so I can get some answers on why I got rejected.
I (m19) met the most perfect girl this past year in one of my classes. She's sweet, kind, smart, and absolutely STUNNINGLY beautiful! She (20f) and I met when she sat next to me the first day off class. It was a big lecture hall class (about 200 people) and we did some get to know you games with the people around us. She was really smiley and friendly with me. Then on Fridays, we had our breakout classes, which were about 20-25 people. This girl, whom I'll call "Annie" was in my breakout class, and we got assigned to work together on a group project. I got to know her better and found out that she had just about everything I was looking for. Not only was she nice and gorgeous, but she was also not really a party girl, and I was pretty sure she was a virgin. That was important for me because I'm a virgin and I want to share my first time with a special girl who's also sharing her first time with me. I just can't imagine a girl I love giving herself to another guy; I'd be worried that I wouldn't be able to pleasure her as well as him being a virgin, and I would worry that she still has feelings for the guy who took her V-card, or if she had multiple guys before me that sex wouldn't be as special and intimate for her as it will be for me.
I started thinking about her all the time. The best time of my weeks were in that class because I got to talk to Annie. I tried to look her up on IG and Facebook and stuff, but none of the profiles with her name were her, and I was afraid to ask her at first because I didn't want to seem like a creep. But I also wanted to move things forward with her, so I didn't to limit my time to just talking to her in class, and I wanted to get to know her and hang out with her casually before I asked her on a date. I started becoming friends with one of her friends, and I started to hang out a bit more with them. I never really got the chance to talk to Annie one on one very much in the group, and sometimes we never really got to talk at all. When we did, sometimes she'd be really nice and laugh at my jokes and stuff and show interest in me, but then if I responded to her, she'd just give me short answers. To try and talk to her alone, sometimes I would make an excuse that I was going up to the bookstore on campus, which was near her dorm, so that I could walk with her. Sometimes she was really friendly with me, and other times she would just give me one word answers and if I asked if she was okay, she'd always say yeah, she was just thinking about work she had to do. I had her number since we needed it to communicate for our group project, and then we had another class together the next semester. I was always nervous about texting her, so usually I'd make up an excuse to ask something about class, and then go into a conversation. Sometimes she'd say a lot of stuff to me, and other times I would text her a lot and she'd just say "yeah," "no" "idk" and stuff like that. So overall, I was getting a bunch of mixed signals from her.
This went on for most of the year. Then I started getting bad news. First, I finally asked her if she had anything online and she said Facebook and Instagram, but she didn't use it. I asked anyway how to look her up and she told me and sure enough, both her FB and IG pages looked like they hadn't been updated in about five years. But then, on another friend's IG profile, I saw her tagged under another name, and it turned out she used that profile. So I requested to follow her, and she didn't respond, and then I asked her about it and she said she just rarely checks it. But then I saw her commenting on a lot of friends pictures, so I suppose I should have seen that as a bad sign, but I didn't.
Then, there's this other guy, "Mike" who started hanging around with us and spending a lot of time with Annie. I asked her about him, and she said he was just a friend, but they were a little flirty, but Annie could be like that, but she's not a hookup girl, so I wasn't too worried. Then right before the semester ended , I asked her what she was doing for the weekend and she said she and Mike were going to New York to see a comedy show and see the city for the weekend to celebrate the end of the year, which made me nervous. But it was a comedian I had gotten into lately as Annie liked them, so I said maybe I'd come. She said it was really just for them to hang out. I then went for it and said I really liked her and asked if she would like to meet me for dinner either the night before she left or when she came back, and she just said she knew I had a crush on her, but she was sorry, she didn't feel the same way. I said what was wrong with me, and she said it wasn't anything she hated about me, she just didn't like me romantically. I asked her if she would please just give me a chance and at least have a date with me, and she got annoyed and said I needed to accept that she didn't like her, and that frankly, I was getting a little "stalker-ish" with her lately, and that she needed me to give her some space. I don't know why she said that, because I was just hanging out with her like I had been from the beginning of the year, but I agreed even though it killed me.
I could barely eat all weekend, as I knew she was in the city with Mike. I don't know if they were hooking up, but I don't think they were because I don't think she's into FWBs and stuff. She seems like a relationship girl, but my mind went to worse case scenarios. They didn't act like a couple when I saw them again during finals week, so that's a good sign.
It's been a few weeks. I gave Annie some space, but I have texted her from time to time to see how she's doing. Usually she just leaves me on read. The thing is, I still can't stop thinking about her. She's so perfect for me, and I can't bare the thought of her being with somebody else. What went wrong here?? Also, is there anything I can do that might fix this? I'd like to try and have another chance with her.

I’m on the hunt for some new partners (not replacing anyone of course) that are interested in angsty, romantic and, of course, dramatic plots. In said plots I’d prefer to play the F in M/F pairings, it’s just what I’m most comfortable with : ). Aside from that though, I am 24 which means all of my partners NEED to be 18+, there is no wiggle room on this. Please don't lie and say you're of age if you're not, it's dangerous.
We can discuss rules, limits and triggers privately if we decide to move forward, however there is one rule I’ll let you know of now since it puts some people off. I don’t double. I will gladly play multiple side characters, however I will not do one pairing in exchange for another (you playing my love interest and us doing a separate plot where I play yours). I find it hard to focus and they never end up fair in my experience. I hope that makes sense lol.
Right now I’m specifically on the hunt for three fandoms/pairings: Criminal Minds, Stranger Things & Teen Wolf.
In CM I’d be looking for someone to play Spencer Reid opposite of my character, Olivia Chandler. Olivia is a Gale Weathers type if you know Scream at all, but FAR less of a bitch. I think there’s a lot of longevity for this pair as Olivia is afraid of commitment whereas I see Spencer just hesitant when it comes to romance at all, especially if we set this after Maeve. There’s a lot to her backstory that I think could make for an interesting twist a little further along, but we could do different cases and such and it would be fun! As all of my characters do, Olivia has her own backstory written up and available upon request.
While I haven’t watched S4 of ST yet (atp I’m just waiting for S5 to rewatch all of it lol), I know most of what happens, but this plot would take place more of s2-s3 and maybe in an AU space s4. I’d be playing an original character, Nancy and Mike’s troubled cousin from New York, and would want to pair her alongside Billy Hargrove. I think they’re ‘fuck this small town’ attitudes would work well along with other things.
As for Teen Wolf, I’d love for someone to play Derek Hale against my canon-divergent version of Paige Krasikeva. For those who don’t remember, Paige was teenage Derek’s girlfriend who was scratched by an alpha and Derek had to kill himself. In my version, Derek thinks he killed her but Peter brought her back to life and sent her off with her parents who moved. Now she’s back in season 3A as an adult music teacher at the high school with no memories of Derek or werewolves.
If any of this sounds interesting, let me know or add me on discord toxicdeliquency#7795

(This idea has worked to find one amazing partner, but I still have room in my writing life for one or two more! No replacements here.)
If your usual reply to a roleplaying prompt is a comment reading, "hey, let's RP," this post isn't for you.
If your wheelhouse of responses is a one-line remark that expresses interest, but not why, or, better yet, some plot threads of your own that you'd like to chase, this post isn't for you.
If you're all about stories told from a first-person perspective, written in single-sentence bursts, this post isn't for you.
If you prioritize "getting to the next good part" instead of trying to make every part the next good part, this post isn't for you.
I hope each of you do find the exact-right storytelling partner to build the narratives you most enjoy! And I'm sorry for coming across (most likely, against my better phrasings) as an elitist roleplaying snob worthy of a post on the Bad RPer Stories subreddit. I'm sure you're all fantastic folks! It's just that, y'know, this one isn't for you.
If you're still left reading this and haven't rolled your eyes too much at my incidental airs of pretension, welcome! I'm a mid-twenties writer looking for partners in storytelling who revel in and relish the joys of advanced-literate-to-novella back-and-forths. The crackle and shimmer of lead characters with chemistry and charm. The well-rounded shine of a collaborative setting populated by enchanting side characters. The poetry of clever dialogue, the deft touch for detail and description, the breeziness of a lighthearted story, well-told, burnished by emotional stakes.
The always-exhilarating sense of anticipation for the next installment of the story, and the enthusiasm for responding in kind.
I'm not coming into this post with any pre-conceived prompt ideas or plots, which is the fun of this exercise. What I will do, though, is craft you a one-of-a-kind starter if you ask for one! And you can pick up the story from there. If there are any tropes, pairings, or dynamics you most enjoy, feel free to let me know, but otherwise, expect something mostly romantic comedy-ish.
Or, if you'd prefer to take the lead in this dance of words, I'd love if you'd just send me a starter! The best, most entertaining one you can dream up.
And I promise, guaranteed, I'll knock your socks off with a response.
All I ask is for third-person perspective, a generally lighthearted vibe (with plenty of space for conflict and drama), a willingness to write in a modern-day universe not too dissimilar from our own (sorry, too, to the high fantasy and hard sci-fi fans still reading!), and be up for a story with a playful romance between our protagonists.
Oh! And also be at least 20 years old, please.
If this catches your eye, please feel free to send a message my way! I've had the thrill of writing with pitch-perfect partners back in the day, and I'd love to rekindle that passion for collaborative writing with some of you.

(This idea has worked to find one amazing partner, but I still have room in my writing life for one or two more! No replacements here.)
If your usual reply to a roleplaying prompt is a comment reading, "hey, let's RP," this post isn't for you.
If your wheelhouse of responses is a one-line remark that expresses interest, but not why, or, better yet, some plot threads of your own that you'd like to chase, this post isn't for you.
If you're all about stories told from a first-person perspective, written in single-sentence bursts, this post isn't for you.
If you prioritize "getting to the next good part" instead of trying to make every part the next good part, this post isn't for you.
I hope each of you do find the exact-right storytelling partner to build the narratives you most enjoy! And I'm sorry for coming across (most likely, against my better phrasings) as an elitist roleplaying snob worthy of a post on the Bad RPer Stories subreddit. I'm sure you're all fantastic folks! It's just that, y'know, this one isn't for you.
If you're still left reading this and haven't rolled your eyes too much at my incidental airs of pretension, welcome! I'm a mid-twenties writer looking for partners in storytelling who revel in and relish the joys of advanced-literate-to-novella back-and-forths. The crackle and shimmer of lead characters with chemistry and charm. The well-rounded shine of a collaborative setting populated by enchanting side characters. The poetry of clever dialogue, the deft touch for detail and description, the breeziness of a lighthearted story, well-told, burnished by emotional stakes.
The always-exhilarating sense of anticipation for the next installment of the story, and the enthusiasm for responding in kind.
I'm not coming into this post with any pre-conceived prompt ideas or plots, which is the fun of this exercise. What I will do, though, is craft you a one-of-a-kind starter if you ask for one! And you can pick up the story from there. If there are any tropes, pairings, or dynamics you most enjoy, feel free to let me know, but otherwise, expect something mostly romantic comedy-ish.
Or, if you'd prefer to take the lead in this dance of words, I'd love if you'd just send me a starter! The best, most entertaining one you can dream up.
And I promise, guaranteed, I'll knock your socks off with a response.
All I ask is for third-person perspective, a generally lighthearted vibe (with plenty of space for conflict and drama), a willingness to write in a modern-day universe not too dissimilar from our own (sorry, too, to the high fantasy and hard sci-fi fans still reading!), and be up for a story with a playful romance between our protagonists.
Oh! And also be at least 20 years old, please.
If this catches your eye, please feel free to send a message my way! I've had the thrill of writing with pitch-perfect partners back in the day, and I'd love to rekindle that passion for collaborative writing with some of you.

(This idea has worked to find one amazing partner, but I still have room in my writing life for one or two more! No replacements here.)
If your usual reply to a roleplaying prompt is a comment reading, "hey, let's RP," this post isn't for you.
If your wheelhouse of responses is a one-line remark that expresses interest, but not why, or, better yet, some plot threads of your own that you'd like to chase, this post isn't for you.
If you're all about stories told from a first-person perspective, written in single-sentence bursts, this post isn't for you.
If you prioritize "getting to the next good part" instead of trying to make every part the next good part, this post isn't for you.
I hope each of you do find the exact-right storytelling partner to build the narratives you most enjoy! And I'm sorry for coming across (most likely, against my better phrasings) as an elitist roleplaying snob worthy of a post on the Bad RPer Stories subreddit. I'm sure you're all fantastic folks! It's just that, y'know, this one isn't for you.
If you're still left reading this and haven't rolled your eyes too much at my incidental airs of pretension, welcome! I'm a mid-twenties writer looking for partners in storytelling who revel in and relish the joys of advanced-literate-to-novella back-and-forths. The crackle and shimmer of lead characters with chemistry and charm. The well-rounded shine of a collaborative setting populated by enchanting side characters. The poetry of clever dialogue, the deft touch for detail and description, the breeziness of a lighthearted story, well-told, burnished by emotional stakes.
The always-exhilarating sense of anticipation for the next installment of the story, and the enthusiasm for responding in kind.
I'm not coming into this post with any pre-conceived prompt ideas or plots, which is the fun of this exercise. What I will do, though, is craft you a one-of-a-kind starter if you ask for one! And you can pick up the story from there. If there are any tropes, pairings, or dynamics you most enjoy, feel free to let me know, but otherwise, expect something mostly romantic comedy-ish.
Or, if you'd prefer to take the lead in this dance of words, I'd love if you'd just send me a starter! The best, most entertaining one you can dream up.
And I promise, guaranteed, I'll knock your socks off with a response.
All I ask is for third-person perspective, a generally lighthearted vibe (with plenty of space for conflict and drama), a willingness to write in a modern-day universe not too dissimilar from our own (sorry, too, to the high fantasy and hard sci-fi fans still reading!), and be up for a story with a playful romance between our protagonists.
Oh! And also be at least 20 years old, please.
If this catches your eye, please feel free to send a message my way! I've had the thrill of writing with pitch-perfect partners back in the day, and I'd love to rekindle that passion for collaborative writing with some of you.

This afternoon, my now ex had confessed to cheating on me. I wish I could say that I was suprised, but I was not. I expected him to do it. Since every relationship ended with them cheating, this wasn't out of the ordinary for me. No, I wasn't mad or heartbroken in any way. I was and still am upset because I was hoping to be wrong this time...silly me.
During his confession, he expressed that he didn't think love was real. Now that I think about it, he is right. Love isn't real. It's nothing but a silly chemical reaction in the brain. Love is something worthless, mediocre, and hilariously stupid. My whole life I've been chasing something that I desperately wanted. I wanted love from my mom, but I never got it. I wanted love from peers, but I never got it. I wanted love from romantic partners, but I never got it.
I am a fool. I am pathetic. I was ignorant to think that someone would love me...that someone could love me. I am not someone who will ever experience such a made up emotion. Parts of me wonder why I'm not angry. Why do I not lift my head to the sky to curse the universe? Why do I not beat myself up? Why am I so nonchalant? I suppose that I am tired. Actually, I'm exhausted. My heart is empty, I suppose. Tis better to be a husk, I suppose.
It wouldn't be a tragedy without a laughable, ridiculous ending: I am pregnant with his unborn. The one I thought that was made from love was made from a lie. I will have to carry this weight for months. He got his cake and he gets to eat it, too. It's humorous if you look at it from a fucked up point of view. Truly a tragedy and a comedy.

Hello all 👋
37M here and I would say that I am a pretty ‘normal’ guy as far as things go. No kids and was generally never really that into them/ been fussed about having my own.
I have been with my current partner for 7 years, someone who I love dearly and could absolutely see spending the rest of my life with as we get on in so many ways. She has a daughter that has always lived with us and despite what I have just said we have always had a great relationship and she is genuinely a great kid and someone who I would be proud to say is my own.
However the past 7 years have flown by and she is now 21 years old with a little boy of her own who is now 1 years old.
Over the years I have had multiple family members who are close to me, have children of their own and I have held babies and been around the experience of it all a fair number of times but I have also been one of those people who just never ever ever felt/ saw that love and magic that is within children and what comes with it.
Fast forward to around one ago when little Felix arrives and the first two - three weeks I didn’t even hold him! Partly because Angela was a new mum and still young herself and so I just held back and let her do her thing.
Then by the third week something strange started happening, I couldn’t hold back any more, I just wanted to hold him so bad, never in my life had I experienced this before!! Usually when I have a baby I am looking forward to handling it back and that of course is nothing personal to any particular baby out there lol.
So this one night I ask to hold him and as soon as this little fella is placed into my lap he stares directly up to me with the most gorgeous deep blue eyes that I had ever seen before and this deep sense of warmness then begins to take over and almost overwhelm me.
As the next few months carried on we of course began to grow a great bond and the love and intense feelings I began feeling for this little guy were something that I had never experienced before. Almost like when you are a teenager and first experience the deep romantic feelings for another for the first time .. I guess something like that but on the unconditional level. There have been multiple times when we have been sat on the living floor playing with his truck and putting blocks into it and he just stops and looks up into my eyes. No smile, no frown, just complete neutrality that exhumes this pureness and completely exposes just how innocent and darn right cute the little bugger is. It is these moments that pull on my heart strings so damn hard that I can’t even look at him for too long without tearing up. I’m talking 4/5 seconds max and that’s it I have to get out of there and get my mind away from the situation.
This is really starting to become a problem because I want to be able to just sit there and stare back into his eyes and talk to him and engage but I just can’t handle it a lot of the time and I have to get myself out of there for a few minutes to save embarrassment in front of the little dude and also other family members who may think I am weird.
I’m not even 100% sure what is going on through my mind when these moments occur. I think it’s just down to the fact that I think he really is super cute and is also becoming such a nice little person who is so kind. I also believe that it is because this whole experience and the love that I have been feeling has been quite a shock to me as the idea of fatherhood never came natural to me. However this is now beginning to lead into conflicting thoughts such as wondering if having my own children is something that I will one day regret not doing?
The truth is that it was little Felix who looked into my eyes that night and unlocked something truly magical.. It was like I absolutely f**king get it now and I can totally see the magic in what having children is all about and why people say that despite all of the hardships, that it is still the best thing in the world. I even feel like a bit of a dumbass for not seeing it until so late in life and truly feel like I have missed out on something. I see young couples in their twenties with two/three kids and I am envious that by the time they are my age they could have a bunch of teenagers for kids and potentially get to experience having grandchildren at a young age themselves.
This conflicts my emotions and my head about everything again because the last thing that I want to do here is come off as ungrateful with having the amazing things that I already do have in life and ofcourse never seeing my partner and little Felix again would be an extremely tragic thing to experience.
I also can’t shake the feelings how much I would love to see my own parents play with my children and have them experience seeing me with the next generation of our family. They are both getting older and neither are in the best of health and so I can not help but admit that it does sadden me to think that this may one day never happen… something else that I have never considered until now in life. I have been truly lucky to have been blessed with having the best of parents in life and for them to see my children would be a dream come true for them and that does sadden me also I have to admit.
I am not even sure what I am looking for here but if you have read this far and find any of this interesting at all and would like to give your two cents then please feel free to say what ever you like.
Thank you & kindest regards

My ocd realllyyyyy makes me love to see shit in black and white morality.
CW: if you ocd is extreme please don't read ahead. I dont want to give anyone else a new obsession.
For example, I haven't read homestuck myself, but I once watched a video essay on it and the youtuber mentioned how a teenage girl character is sexualized. Now, in my mind, homestuck is contributing to the sexualization of teenagers. If someone reads it, they're supporting it, therefore they are also contributing to it. If they know about it and continue to support it, they're essentially irredeemable.
This also crosses over in ways not related to directly supporting it as well. For example, if they read a fanfic/fanart of it, they're disrespecting the teenagers that were harmed because of it.
Same thought process for anything similar.
Please, SOMEONE, explain how this is wrong. I know it has to be, because no one else thinks like this. But my insight is so low I can't come up with a reason. Especially on the disrespecting bit.

Hey ATX women!
I’m a cute, sane, bisexual, body positive, plus sized fem-bro (feminine masc combo), into comedy shows, wrestling, working out, petting cute animals, hiking, board games, kink community events, coffee dates, playing pool, swimming etc. I am also ENM poly, partnered, but seeking connections solo. I enjoy bodywork and hosting events and workshops of different kinds, can tell you more in person. I’m an introvert who loves social time, I just need my breaks too!
Biggest values: open-mindedness, liberal counter-culture ideology, bodily autonomy, ability to be emotionally vulnerable (closed off folks just don’t go far with me), consent, boundaries, indulging child-like fun/remembering to have lightness in life
I’m open to friendly, kinky, or romantic connections, depending on how we click! Also, don’t let my post history deter you since I’ve mostly sought out men, I’m mostly into women. It just can be difficult to connect with women online. Admittedly, I have mostly used Redditt for kink gratification. But, there’s plenty more aspects to be explored. I’m a pretty multi faceted person, I enjoy being appreciated for that.
As far as if there is kink interest…. I do tend to enjoy being on the sensual dominant side, and like a variety of kinky things, but Dom/sub dynamics aren’t required. Neither is sexuality. Would be fun to meet and have a couple drinks, play some pool or some other game, if we’re feeling it we can decide if we wanna come back to my place… otherwise we can just have a nice time out and meet up again another time. I live central and can host. Please send a message describing yourself and a photo, your pics get mine! Hoping to meet up by 9 latest tonight cuz grandma gets tired. :)

Inspiration can be a fickle thing. The muses may guide our hearts towards a particular passion, but they don’t always stick around to see us through it. As a child, Kousei Arima felt a natural attraction to the piano. He could play music by ear, was a gifted mimic, and had boat loads of potential to one day dominate the instrument. With the help and encouragement of a family friend, Kousei’s mom set him on his desired path, but life as a pianist was harder than he thought. Rather than playing for fun and expressing himself through music, she wanted him to be able to make a living through his music, so she went as hard on her little pianist as possible, going as far as to beat and abuse him if he underperformed or tried to play a piece in his own way. By the time the terminal illness she’d hid from him took it’s toll on her, his passion was gone, replaced with the cold, robotic delivery of one who could deliver a piece perfectly, but found no more joy in doing so. He lost his mother, along with his ability to hear the notes he was playing.
Two years later and about three feet taller(I’ll GET to that), Kousei still tinkers around with the piano, but hasn’t played it seriously, to the chagrin of all who enjoyed his work, or just hate to see him so incomplete. It’s at this point, like all down-trodden men who’ve lost their luster for life, that along comes that one girl to bring color back into his world. Her name is Kaori Miyazono, and she’s a violinist who cares nothing for rules or convention, finding childish but somehow wise joy in every aspect of life, and with this one chance meeting, Kousei finds a new muse… A capricious, cheerful beauty whose revisionist musical performances instantly connect with the crowds she plays for, and whom seems singularly obsessed with performing alongside Kousei, and helping him to relaunch the career that he’d so recently abandoned. But her dedication to helping him to overcome his tragedy hides a secret tragedy of her own, and one simple lie she told back in April will live on to define their relationship as they change each others lives through mutual inspiration.
I haven’t seen everything that’s been produced by A-1 pictures, but I honestly can’t remember seeing anything they’ve done that looked outright bad. Sure, Sword Art Online and From the New world looked a little sloppy at times, resorting to broken character models to show fluid motion at reduced costs, but if that’s the worst they can do, then they could do a lot worse. They seem to take a lot of care with their work, putting an admirable amount of effort into quality control, like letting a low budget get the better of them would be an insult to their pride or something, and if that observation is correct, then I like the way they think. I’ve noticed that they generally have a penchant for putting a lot of energy into special effects, and then using just enough budget saving tricks to compensate without going overboard or letting it become noticeable. Key frames are well drawn and pleasing to the eye, and they feature a little more than just flapping mouths, with occasional shifts in posture to keep the characters expressive.
Of course, there don’t need to be special effects in a show about musicians, right? Wrong. Not only are special textures like water given special treatment, but we often get visual representations of the emotions brought out by a piece of music, which use environmental and 3D effects to keep our attention during the sequence, especially towards the end when Kousei and Kaori are playing together in a fantasy sequence, and the camera liberally revolves around a beautifully 3D animated piano. The characters also have a lot of inner monologuing that’s shown to us in artistic fashion, reminiscent of His and Hers Circumstances, but what I found the most impressive was the actual animation of the characters playing their instruments on stage. I can’t confirm this, but I have heard from a few people that A-1 pictures used a technique similar to rotoscoping, and I feel no justification for doubting this rumor, as every movement of the performing musicians, from fingers on the keys to the way the bow’s movements perfectly matches the music of the violin.
It would be so easy to get away with having a still image on screen while only the performers arms moved, and more intense note being played offscreen while only the audience’s frozen faces of adoration are showcased, but as I said, that would be an insult to A-1. Kousei, Kaori and several others put their entire bodies into their performances, losing themselves in it, and you feel every drop of their adrenaline. Character designs are beautifully polished and easy on the eyes, with it’s only major departure from reality being that the musician characters look a little more distinctive and exuberant than non-musicians, like Kousei’s friends. Well, okay, there is one other unrealistic detail that bothered me a bit… The difference in height between 14 year old characters and themselves at 12 is fucking insane. My jaw dropped when they said that Kousei quit the piano at 12, because he was so short that when he sat on the bench his feet didn’t even touch the ground. I could have sworn he was, like, 6 or something. It’s my only real issue with the visuals, but it’s still a pretty jarring one.
The music of the series… Do I even have to say it? It’s a series about musicians, and you can’t do something like that if you don’t have the knowledge or resources to pull it off, and they seriously pulled it off. Not only is it full of classical music, you can tell the difference in the way these pieces are being played, and the music that is meant to inspire and astound people does exactly that to the audience as well as the characters. From what I gather, Yuna Shinohara, a decorated Japanese violinist who was only 21 at the time, played the music for Kaori, and her wealth of training and experience did not go to waste. I can’t find as much information on Eriko Kawachi, who played all of the piano pieces, which is unfortunate. The show’s actual soundtrack was composed by Masaru Yokoyama, and while it isn’t as memorable or powerful as the character-based performances, it’s still solid and well-orchestrated, so it’s a shame it gets overlooked in favor of the insert tunes.
The English dub was produced by Aniplex, and features a lot of newer actors from this decade, alongside a few industry veterans. I’d like to say these newcomers step up and use this show as a platform to make a name for themselves, but I’d be stretching the truth a bit, mostly on account of the many loops that Your Lie’s text throws them for. Their performances were not consistent, which is a direct result of their material not being consistent, and I don’t really think it was fair for them to be thrown into something this eclectic. For the most part, they do a fine job voicing the characters while nothing’s really happening. It’s just characters talking to each other, sounding like natural teenagers going about their lives. Where they really shine is during dramatic scenes, and ho boy are there a lot of dramatic scenes in this anime. There’s a lot of pain, insecurities, confusion, all of that fun adolescent stuff, but with a much harsher but still believable edge to it once you realize the kind of real life circumstances that they’re dealing with.
While some of these issues may be worthy of an eyeroll from the viewer… Most of the characters who are in love with Kousei fall into this category… They’re going through issues that you probably had to deal with as well, and you can scoff at it from your seat as a grown up, or laugh at how silly it is for this obvious harem to try and be something more, they’re feeling something you’ve felt at some point, whether you remember it or not, and they damn well make you feel it. The exception, where several otherwise amazing actors begin to falter… Is with the gag humor, when the characters go SD Chibi for exaggerated reactions, and I don’t think they were ready to transition the specific roles they were playing into it. Max Mittelman, for example, is one of the best voice actors to come out of the 2010’s, and even though he hasn’t been acting long, his voice control and dramatic chops have landed him plenty of leading roles. He can do comedy under the right circumstances… You’d know what these circumstances are if you’ve seen One Punch Man… But he sounds horrible during the gag jokes.
It’s even worse for Erica Lindbeck, who had a tough job playing such a nuanced character as Kaori, whose happy-go-lucky persona hides a darker interior, and she does a great job of it, but the gag scenes just make her sound like a despicable asshole. Smaller characters face the same issue, albeit on a smaller scale, but the few veterans are able to navigate the minefield a lot more skillfully, like Wendee Lee(Who, in all fairness, never has to do a gag scene), Stephanie Sheh and Carrie Keranen. They have the experience to stretch their roles beyond the appropriate tones, which comes in handy here. The adaptive script is loose, but still accurate enough, and changes the vernacular so everyone sounds more like contemporary English, without ever sacrificing the intent of the text. They make a handful of charming and character-appropriate references, like occasional nods to Charlie Brown and The Phantom of the Opera, although they also use the phrase ‘as you know’ a few too many times. They probably should have changes some of the text, as a lot of it, when translated, sounds weird coming from 14 year olds.
Okay, so, here we are again. It wasn’t too long ago that I was calling out modern anime fans for letting their emotions cloud their judgement, saying that they often give perfect scores to any anime that makes them cry. Seriously, you could give a critic a massage, a home cooked meal and the best sex of their life and you’d still be working harder for a 10/10 than most anime do. Back in 2016, I’d just uploaded my reviews of Clannad and Clannad Afterstory, and I asked social media to recommend an anime that had genuine feels… nothing manipulative, nothing manufactured, nothing too formulaic, just an anime that would touch me emotionally and make me cry with sincerity. The overwhelming answer was Your Lie in April, a show I’d been avoiding due to all of the hype. I finally gave it a watch, and did it stand up as a heartfelt masterpiece, or did it offer the same old same old? Well, to be honest,it’s a little of both. My feelings on this show were mixed the first time around, and the second viewing hasn’t changed that.
Unfortunately, Your Lie doesn’t get off to a great start. The first thing we see is a foul ball hitting our man character in the head, lying on the floor and bleeding with what has to be a serious concussion, but not only does he heal immediately, but he shares the blame for the broken window the ball flew through. That’s not just bad, that’s disturbingly bad. It sets an early precedent for him being a sad sack with no will of his own, which I guess is kind of accurate, but it also makes his closest friend look like a monster for taking advantage of it(Trust me, this feeling is only gonna get worse.) I try to move past this, but almost immediately, it becomes apparent that all three of Kousei’s friends are some of my least favorite cliches in anime history. His two primary friends are Tsubaki and Watari, and they are… Respectively… A childhood friend who’s hopelessly in love with the main character, and a girl crazy guy who exists to make the main character feel desirable in comparison. I am so sick and tired of these two archetypes being stuck in orbit around at least half of the main characters in the medium.
And Kaori’s worse, because she’s a trope that I usually don’t see in anime, and I’m not complaining about that. She’s happy-go-lucky, she’s childish, she’s an enlightened soul who’s able to see all of the simple joy in life, and she comes out of nowhere to dedicate her life to dragging the main male character out of the slumps. She is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, which is to sexism what the Magical Negro trope is to racism. Granted, she deconstructs the trope a little bit, as she actually has a backstory and a reason to help Kousei, but she makes up for that small silver lining by taking the “Life begins at man” trope to a new extreme, as “Life begins AND ENDS at man.” I’ll give her this, she IS the reason I kept watching the series, as I was entranced by her violin performance in episode 2, and she made me want to keep watching so I could hear more of her work, which sounded even better when she played with Kousei. On top of that, she plays an important… Dare I say instrumental… Role in Your Lie’s deeper themes.
Your Lie in April is a story about inspiration, and it attacks this concept from every possible angle. As annoying and cliched as his friends may be, Kousei is a good character who has a great arc that deals with this theme. He begins as a child, having fun doing something that he’s gifted at, until he stops doing it for fun and starts doing it as a future career, being forced to perfect it and take it seriously by his mother, who pushes him to the point of abuse. She controls his life, making everything he does revolve around the piano, even taking away his cat and abandoning it somewhere so it can’t scratch his hands. He loses the ability to hear the notes he’s playing, and quits altogether to avoid his mother’s tyranny along with the intense pressure she put on him for not being good enough. On the surface, this is a very mature look at child abuse and the way it can have long term psychological effects on the developing mind, such as Kousei’s performance anxiety, and especially the fact that cats pose a trigger for him(And I mean the actual definition of trigger, not the bullshit internet definition), and the abuse in question is realistic, rather than cartoony or melodramatic.
Below the surface, this is a story for anyone who’s ever lost their passion for something they once loved. The idea that expressive and interpretive music is frowned upon, and only literal performances are acceptable in competition, which is enforced by both the competition committee and Kousei’s mother, gives an understandable reason for his loss of inspiration. His music was becoming routine, and pointless. I don’t think his inability to hear the notes he’s playing is realistic at all, but it’s symbolic for that loss of passion. When your work becomes routine, it becomes repetitive, and it finally becomes robotic. When your hobby becomes work, you fall out of love with it, which is why Kaori coming into his life was such a major turning point for him. She showed him that there was another way to play. She inspires him, breathing new life into his abilities, and helps him to separate his passion from the pain and sadness that he’d come to associate it with, and it changes his life in so many ways… He starts playing again, he comes out of his shell, and he even begins teaching a younger pianist… That he winds up inspiring her in return.
They also make an argument that you play even better when you’re playing for other people, and while I’ve never personally agreed with that, they make a compelling case. Your own music, your own performances, are not your only legacy. The music you inspire others with is just as important, as your work also lives on through their work. They make a great point when they say that it’s hard to play the piano when you compare yourself to Beethoven, but it’s not nearly as hard when you remember that Beethoven was once just like you, a rookie trying his best to measure up to the greats who inspired HIM. It’s a shame they had to resort to a manic pixie dream girl in order to pull this off, but it’s largely forgivable, especially considering certain reveals that happen in the final episode. So yeah, this is not a shallow series. There is meat to the story, and something meaningful that you can get out of watching it. I’d be happy to say that the series was also executed well, but sadly, this is where things start to break down.
The text of the series, for example, is severely lacking. The idea of inspiration and Kousei’s character arc are well written and exactly as subtle as it needs to be, but the other subplots… The romantic ones in particular… Are annoyingly obvious, and frankly, kind of arbitrary. I mentioned Tsubaki as a ‘childhood friend’ earlier, and while this should instantly telegraph that she’ll never get her guy… They never fucking do… She does absolutely nothing else to justify her presence. Everything about her revolves around her love for Kousei and why he won’t respond to it. Every aspect of her life ties in somehow to her love for him, and since it amounts to nothing, she could have been written out in the first half of the series. I won’t go into too much detail about the other romantic subplot, or how it offers Watari his only relevance to the plot(although he does have a few moments relating to the theme), but they commit one other huge mistake… They use constant, and I mean constant, voice over narration from the characters as they explain their feelings to the audience. It’s lame, it’s tedious, and it seems to be trying it’s best to keep YOU from thinking too hard about what you’re watching, because it doesn’t want the pointless teenage melodrama to lose it’s effect.
Another huge problem is the gag humor, which feels viscerally inappropriate and out of place. It makes the heavier themes of the show harder to swallow, and not just on an aesthetic level. For example: We see Kousei sustain head injuries during two of these gags, that result in him lying on the floor and bleeding out. We also see Kaori hit him right in the crown of the head with an axe kick, driving her heel down into his skull. Now, if these instances didn’t cause any lasting damage, and the people doing it are supposed to be seen as likable, how am I supposed to feel when his mother beats him in the head with her cane? I’ve seen him shrug off shit like that before, so I don’t care. Am I supposed to feel different because of the tone of the scenes? This isn’t the fucking Looney Toons. Hell, even the Looney Toons had consistency. I can’t be expected to believe that a portion of the material shown to me doesn’t count just because the writer was making a joke. That’s disgusting. I’ve complained about Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood making this mistake, but Your Lie is just as bad.
And then you have the plot, which did not work for me at all. Like, I said the themes were strong in this series, but they suffered one major setback. Kousei’s mother physically abused him and forced him to play music the way she wanted him to, all because she thought it was in his best interest. His friends, however, do exactly the same thing. Sure, they might not take away his beloved pet, but they still harass him, assault him, chase him, break into his room and generally act like complete assholes in order to get their way. He warns that his performance might not be good, he falters due to a psychological breakdown, Kaori has Tsubaki and Watari start roundhouse kicking him, and HE apologizes. How are they any different than his mother? Because it’s supposed to be comedic? I’m not exaggerating when I say that most of the interactions he has with his friends make me cringe, with their only justifications being ‘comedy,’ and the fact that they just happened to wind up being right. So the ends justify the means.
And then you have Kaori’s entire plot, which… Okay, I’m going to try not to go into spoilers, but if you’ve seen the show, you know damn well what I’m talking about. And this is the big one, the one that makes everybody praise the show out the wazoo, so I’ll try to be gentle. At the end of episode 4, Kaori faints on stage. At that moment, even though I was trying to enjoy the series despite it’s flaws, I couldn’t help it. I knew where this was going. I said, “Oh fuck, she’s gonna (censored), isn’t she?” I am dead serious about that. The beginning of the fifth episode featured her in the hospital, and folks, I predicted everything. I knew what was going to happen to her, i knew she was keeping it secret, I knew that it was going to be kept deliberately vague all the way to the end, I knew I’d never hear her play again(outside of maybe a dream or fantasy sequence), I knew what her backstory and connection to Kousei was going to be.
Knowing this stuff in advance took a huge damper off of the emotional impact of literally any point of the show. Granted, I did make one prediction that wasn’t true. I predicted we’d never meet her parents, which I wish had turned out true, because her parents are… Brace yourself for this… They’re Nagisa’s parents from Clannad. They are literally that. They own a pastry shop, they’re wacky and over-the-top, they live in said shop, and… Well, there’s one other spoiler connection, but that, along with a painful firefly sequence, made your Lie feel TERRIBLE at foreshadowing. I found myself, in both moments, shouting at my TV screen, “Okay, I get it, she’s gonna (censored), shut the fuck up about it!” So did the big bad tragedy work on me? No, of course it didn’t. The only part I got choked up at was a late scene when a cat died at a vet’s office, because it brought up painful memories for me. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something here, and it does make the experience a rewarding one, but it just couldn’t stick the landing.
Your Lie in April is available as a Rightstuf Exclusive, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the price is offensively high. Even on sale as part of the site’s holiday deals, it’ll still costed 130 dollars for each HALF of the series, down from 160 dollars regular price. Used copies on ebay go for as low as 60 dollars for each HALF, and I can not recommend you pay that much for an overrated series. You can watch it for free on Netflix, but if you absolutely need a physical copy, I’d actually go against my better judgement and recommend the Malaysian bootlegs on Ebay, which do come with a dub for a fraction of the official price. The manga is available from Kodansha comics, and volume 1 even comes with a sweet exclusive cover if you get it from Loot Crate. The live action movie is probably available stateside, but from what I’ve heard about it, I don’t care enough to check.
Your Lie in April isn’t a great anime, but it’s also not a terrible one. So, overall, is it good or bad? Well, to be honest, I didn’t enjoy the vast majority of it. I found the gag humor annoying and in bad taste, I found the comedic violence way too similar to some of the tragic material, there are too many cliches, and I caught on to some of the more important plot points way too early to fall for them. Having said that, I can’t say the experience was a bad one. The themes of Kousei’s character arc resonated very strongly with me, as someone who’s currently falling out of love with a long time hobby, and while I found his friends to be wholly unlikeable, his piano rivals were much more interesting, and I actually want to see more of him interacting with them. The final tragedy would have been a lot stronger if it hadn’t been so obvious, or if it at least had a proper explanation, and you can’t possibly deny that the audio and visual production went beyond top notch. It had a lot of problems, but honestly, it’s an okay show. It doesn’t live up to the hype, but it’s worth checking out. I’m being generous here, but I’ll give Your Lie in April a 6/10.

I started dating a guy(M17) when I was (F14). I learned to grow up and be a huge part of his life as he helped me to mature and deal with problems. No, he was not the average rowdy teenage boy. He worked daily and had goals to accomplish by the time he was 21. Him and I did everything together every day and slowly I fell in love with him. I tend to think of myself as a hard person to be around and deal with, but he made it seem easy. I appreciate the small things and others noticing everything I do. He was fantastic at it. The last 6 months of our relationship, I began to feel detached. We never fought, never had any problems. I just thought I was falling out of love. I broke up with him thinking it would help (looking back at it I think I was scared for the major commitment coming and we lost the honey moon phase). I moved on to one of my friends (an ex I had “dated” way before). I am very motivated and independent, but I would love to have someone who helps me flourish by my side. It’s so hard to get over my ex when he supported me and would help me accomplish every big dream I had such as my pilots license. He might not have been the most romantic or touchy person but it worked for me because I’m closed off at times.
I think I was trying to feel less lonely as my boyfriend was my whole world. Lit up each and every day. I’ve been dating this man for 7 months now. But everyday when I drive around I look for my ex. I think about him all of the time. I miss him and know I still love him. Part of me feels like something’s missing. I know my ex is still kind to me and would love to just talk. But it will never be what it was. My current boyfriend I love as well but I feel as if I’m his mother. It’s a huge change from my ex. He’s immature, selfish, and never appreciates what I put into our relationship. I find it hard to talk to him about subject and emotionally drained in our fights because of the word “sorry” now meaning nothing. He acts childish and when I have fun with my friends I feel like I need to babysit him. I drive and pay for everything without so much as a thank you. I have began feeling detached from my current boyfriend now as well. I’ve even thought about breaking up but don’t want to put him through what I did my ex. I’m lonely, confused, and my head is clouded from what I should change. My ex always put my thoughts and me first. He understood everything I felt and was able to handle me in the most caring and gentle way. My new bf just gets upset and cries and says it’s his fault without resolving anything. Even the other day I came into contact with my ex and he told me to calm down and take a few breaths before I go sonic…he’s right I totally do. I just don’t want to be an douchebag again. What should I do?

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Welcome to the Magia Record rewatch, season 3 episode 2!

Relevant links

Season 3 did not have any TV end cards, so for a bit of levity here's a featured page from Magia Report instead! This is chapter 5 of season 2. Magia Report is a comedy manga by PAPA that started out as a sort of manual/advertisement for the Magia Record game, but then just kept going with jokes. I'd recommend not reading other pages yet if you're a first time watcher, since it gets spoilery.
Original episode discussion thread
MyAnimeList AniList
Depending on where you are in the world, Magia Record's streaming availability tends to be pretty good. You can watch it on Crunchyroll, HiDive (S1, S2, S3), Wakanim (DE, FR) or Amazon Prime Video (Amazon US seems to be missing the last 5 episodes from what I can see, Amazon DE has all of S1, S2 and S3). The show is also listed on Funimation if you still have an account there. See LiveChart.me for their list of streaming options. Lastly, there have been Blu-ray and DVD releases in Japan, North America, Germany, Australia, and probably other places.
Added note: People have pointed out to me that from around the middle of season 1 onwards, you are going to see increasing quality differences between the TV broadcast version and the Blu-Ray version of the show. These differences will increase in number and severity through later seasons, sometimes with entire shots missing. Many streaming sources, notably Crunchyroll, only offer the TV version. If you've enjoyed the show so far and you would like to experience the rest in the most complete version available, it may be worth double-checking if you can get your hands on the Blu-Rays.

Questions of the day

1. What do you think about Momoko's and Mifuyu's sacrifice (a) from a PMMM lore perspective, and (b) from a storytelling perspective?
2. Do you have any tips for waking up refreshed in the morning?
3. Fanfic/headcanon time: If Momoko and Mifuyu hadn't died here, where would they have ended up after this story?

Please note: As with almost everything else in a rewatch (except the spoiler policy), these questions are an entirely optional thing and you are encouraged to comment whether or not you feel like answering them. Their main purpose is to act as a discussion prompt and a starting point for people who are unsure what to say about the episode.

Characters

Character chart
Newly introduced this episode:

• Nobody

Visuals of the day

Here are your VOTD entries for yesterday's episode! Please let me know if I've missed anyone's.

Spoiler policy

As usual, any spoilers for future episodes must be tagged in accordance with the subreddit rules. For the spoiler prefix tag, I recommend using the full [Magia Record] or a shorthand like [MR]. You can include specific episode numbers if you think it's helpful.
Like the show itself, the spoiler policy will assume that you're familiar with the Madoka Magica main series, which means that comparisons with themes and plot points from over there as well as speculation based on knowledge from PMMM are fair game and do not need separate spoiler tags. If you have not seen Madoka Magica, please be aware that the Magia Record rewatch threads will contain untagged PMMM spoilers.
When you're tagging a spoiler, please think about whether its presence is too strong of a hint for first time watchers and consider moving it to the end of your comment or skipping it entirely. Seeing something like "Aw, they're getting along so well! [MR season 2 episode 8] I hope you didn't expect an actual spoiler behind this." is no fun.
If you're posting spoilers for the game or other media (e.g. the manga), make sure your tag makes it obvious.
I intend to report any untagged or wrongly tagged spoilers I see.

Tomorrow's questions of the day

For those who want to prepare their comment in advance:

1. [MR] While Ui appears resigned to her fate, Iroha still maintains that Ui, Touka, Nemu, Kuroe (before the end of this episode) and the other magical girls can all still be saved. What do you think of her conviction at this point? Is she a badly needed beacon of hope or a naive child who needs a reality check?
2. [MR] I got nothing. You're invited to tell a joke if you have a good one on hand.
3. [MR] Fanfic/headcanon time: Would Kuroe have had a chance if she'd managed to walk up to the gang in S2E8 or was she lost from the start like she claims?