Good night milk and mocha gif

Spoilers will follow for everything.
I cannot begin to put into words the hype and catharsis I felt last night. The long wait since Breath of the Wild culminated in this game and it hit every single mark imaginable. I will do almost nothing but gush, so please be aware of that lol.
The game itself is excellent. It starts off like no other Zelda game. No village, no meandering weird quest. Straight-up story with a very foreboding soundtrack. It set the stakes extremely well. It set the premise extremely well. With this introduction, I felt like Nintendo decided to try flexing a bit of story-based muscle.
And then, it begins. You dive off the area with the Room of Awakening and the game announces itself: The Legend of Zelda -Tears of the Kingdom-, and the game winks with its soundtrack, “it’s going to be absolutely epic.” And damn, they were right.
The game progresses pretty similarly to Breath of the Wild. We’ve talked about the mechanics to death but suffice it to say, they’re excellent and really support the core principle of freedom. They did a great job executing a familiar but also completely different Hyrule. Everything I did. And I mean everything. Was fun. And epic. And meaningful. And well-crafted. And well-considered. The Depths are such a fantastic addition and the Fuse mechanic’s real magic is that it always makes me want to dive into combat, something I avoided once I was OP in BOTW. Now I want to kill everything for that sweet sweet loot. I gotta have that dragon horn, man. Everything was so well-done.
All except the sages following me around. What in the world were they thinking. But honestly, I get the difficulty with implementing this feature. They wanted companions and they wanted you to feel like you really had a support system DURING his adventure. This Link is not supposed to be lonely. He has people around him. He follows Hylians into battle. There’s a world trying to grow around him; The world he saved and that he’s saving again. Link is Zelda’s right-hand and he’s dedicated to making her Kingdom right again. And Link also loves Zelda. Everyone else loves her too but he loves her completely. He’ll make the world right to see her again. It makes sense that he would have the sages with him, helping him, and lending him a greater sense of strength to the very end. The Champions in BOTW felt like they gave you “special abilities,” but here, you did feel like their essences were with you and that they were fighting with you. Considering what we learn in the memories, it was implemented well within the context of gameplay. There were the old sages with Rauru and now there are the new sages with Link. I’m sure Nintendo will learn from how they implemented this system.
The memories being out of order is a technicality depending on who you speak to and contextually it makes sense that they’d be tied to a specific memory since each geoglyph depicts a certain character or object that is important to that memory. I forgive this implementation and I think having a bit of randomness did not take away from the finale. Leaving the final memory out was a good choice. If you want to have a truly free game, a truly open game, a game where you can break so many sequences, this stuff is bound to happen.
The reveal that Mineru is the fifth sage and that her special ability is a mech that Link can pilot and get a LOT of Zonaite with was ridiculous. The game already included so much. To add a mech into the mix that works with the Fuse mechanic genuinely shocked me and absolutely delighted me.
The game also had the best Master Sword pull in series history. Zelda being a dragon and her incredible sacrifice was extremely emotional for me as a long-time series follower and made the anger at Ganondorf really come through. And I really did believe that she couldn’t come back this time. I just did. I figured this was how Zelda would be in this game and that we’d have to accept it as a harsh reality for Link.
The adventure you go on in finding out all of this, through Eldin, Lanayru, Hebra, Faron, and so on really makes this adventure feel epic. When I consider how I started and then how strong I became, it really was an absolute joy to see what I’d DONE in service of this goal. Mr. Aonouma was right to tell players to take their time. By taking your time, you add to the stakes and add to the difficulty of what Link had to go through to arrive at the stellar, stellar, stellar finale. The best finale that this series has ever seen. A triumph of a finale. A finale so good it makes every single thing worth it. I love how it started. You’re in the same ruins you were with with Zelda at the start. The same music creeps in. Things are about to get very very real.
You watch Ganondorf get juiced up after downing his army, you defeat him with the blade he fears most, you watch him unlock his full power, watch his health bar extend beyond what is normal, down him again, and then fight. him. in. the. sky. WITH ZELDA. AS A DRAGON.
M a g n i f i c i e n t
All things I should have seen coming and yet I didn’t. It was all so perfectly executed. I commend the developers on crafting such an impressive and beautiful and flawless set-piece that somehow ran on the Switch and somehow was a part of the 16 Gigabytes that make up this behemoth of a game.
And then. She comes back. When we weren’t in control, Link couldn’t catch Zelda. She fell. Lost to time. Literally. But when we’re in control, Link finally. Finally. Catches her. And she warmly tells Link, tell us, that she’s home. What an incredible, beautiful, simple, easy, and human way to end an epic about saving Link’s princess. And I love so much that we get to do it.
This game makes no sense, it defies logic at every level. Gameplay-wise, it shouldn’t be possible. Story-wise, it punches far above anything before it in the series. Music-wise, it delivers an outstanding score. Are their annoyances? Of course there are. But they cannot stand in the way of the full package. They simply can’t. This game is a masterpiece. It delivers a video game we have not seen in a very long time. It delivers an epic. An epic that you craft. It delivers emotion, a sense of adventure, heart, and wonder. I haven’t felt wonder in a very long time playing a video game.
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is my new greatest game of all time.

I passed on this series in first-run but was one of those things where on a Sunday night I decided to see what it was all about.
First of all, that moment where it's 2020 that the epidemic takes place and a viewer in 2023 goes, "Whoa." Other than that, I right off the bat enjoyed the "empty" America vibe that the show creates. It's very well-done. Will Forte does a good job portraying a dude who has lost his marbles after realizing he's all alone. Kristen Schaal is terrific as someone who is just as nuts but in a different way. The commentary about relationships is on-point even though presented in a surreal way.
I just got to the cliffhanger where January Jones shows up so I'm looking forward to binging the rest of the series. Not sure why I never gave this a shot when it was on but it's the kind of odd sort of sitcom that I've always enjoyed. Like I said, surreal like Gilligan's Island or Green Acres.

So there you go, this is a hangout post. I'm looking for someone who can host, watch horror movies with and be chill. We can talk about the deets on when possibly. Basically down for anything you wanna do sfw syempre just amponin nyo na ko. I'm a straight guy just for clarifications and most of my deets are there on my bio and wall I guess or just ask. I mostly prefer hanging out with girls or pwede din ibang groups na din, bakit ba. Kanya kanyang trip yan. Madaldal po ako pag nakainom, cute, funny, good listener and can give hugs of you need it. Pogi din kaya di ka na luge jusko. I can only communicate here and on discord so if someone asks of may tg po ako, eh wala. Yun lang salamat. Location preferable is within makati/taguig/alabang/or anywhere within that vicinity. Just for clarity, this is a repost from last night. Ciao!

Hey all. I write small snipits, usually game and theme setting material. In a group I'm with now, there is an individual who has chosen to be a genderless character. I'm trying to reveal their origin to the group and in this setting the characters share their origins as memories. This person wanted me to write something for them and I'm having a bit of difficulty.
Specifically I don't know how to write a genderless story. I think I have a decent starting point but I'm worried I'm overlooking something on that front.
Additionally, with the added constraints in how I need to write this. I want to make sure the introduction sounds good by itself as well. I don't want to get too bogged down in the genderless writing aspect and make a weaker piece.
Looking for any comments and critique related to what I've come up with. Hopefully about either the genderless language or the intro itself. But anything is welcome!
They came across a sound. A soft scrape, as though the wind had shifted. The world was still. Every instinct told them danger was near and they needed to move. As silently as they could muster, they slid back into the shadows. In the stillness, they heard the scrape again, closer, as though shifting its focus to their new position. The towering hulks of trees formed a looming wall of observers in the small clearing. Breathlessly, endlessly, they waited. Just when they resigned to move, believing the sound was indeed the wind in the still night, they saw it. A flicker of movement, a slight coloration, and light. Soft at first but growing as it revealed itself. Standing before them was a stag, majestic in its existence and unapologetic for the nobility it conveyed. Stark white with moss covered points towering with its size into the overhead. As though they were merely a curiosity, it strolled forward. Each step conveying a silence and majesty unknown to them. As it reached where they hid, frozen in the gaze of the being before them, they remembered. A memory, fuzzy with age, yet powerful in conviction. A tale long of the forest. A way to inherit its will. Having the conviction of understanding they moved. Slowly and deliberately, they emerged to face it. As they stood, vulnerable in the light of it, it spoke. Not of words and language, but emotion and will. They felt its will, its pain, and its anger. Terrible anger filled with rage, pain, and loss. Images of sacrifice and mercy filled their existence. Then, as if a dream, the silence returned. With the message given, it took its leave. Unbothered and unhurried, it continued its travel through the trees as was its right. They understood. They understood who they were and what they must do.
Thanks for giving this a read!

Hi HotWheels !
I was waxing my car last night and I was thinking, just by curiousity can you guys please tell me if it's a good idea to wax a HotWheels car ? 😃

I joined this friend group a few months ago and have been crushing on this one guy. I noticed at first that even though he's pretty friendly, he was quieteshyer around me. He'd stare at me from a distance and look away when I looked back. He also seemed to comfortably touch everyone but me. For example, one time all of us went clubbing and stood in a circle, putting our arms around the people next to us. We were next to each other and he threw his arm around the other person and not me. It wasn't because we didn't know each other well, since he'd do that with people he just met. I wondered if he disliked me, but he always seemed engaged when we talked, laughed at my jokes, and remembered a lot of things I said.
Then, one night, he messaged the group chat about a concert and I ended being the only person to go with him. It was a little awkward at first, but we ended up having a good time getting to know each other. We have a lot in common. At the end, he told me to let him know about any concerts I want to attend and seemed to linger. Since then, he's gotten more comfortable with eye contact, lightly touching me when appropriate etc. Occasionally, he initiates conversation/jokes, though still not to the same extent as others. Sometimes it feels like he waits for me to talk to him, since he might stand near me conversing with someone else, but as soon as I say something, he turns to me and keeps our convo going. Recently, we went clubbing again and he mentioned we need to go to another concert soon. Unfortunately, no one we know is touring now so we promised we'll keep an eye out. I also danced with him (not suggestively). He held his hand up in a way that seemed like he wanted me to take it, so I did, and we continued to dance in the same innocent way but while holding hands. Afterwards, he high-fived me.
Sometimes, I really feel he likes me. I feel I'm different from his other friends, since he tends to banter with them and not get personal while we always talk have actual convos with each other. If he ever does tease, he's more talking me up rather than roasting me. But other times, I'm not sure because he doesn't exactly flirt a lot and we don't text/interact on social media, other than him liking my posts and one of my stories. And like I said before, he's not always initiating real life convos. I got insecure recently too because another girl who's closer to him (they hang out and banter a lot) told me she was also crushing on him. We went salsa dancing that night and I couldn't help but notice that when they danced, they were laughing a lot. With me, he was more serious, maybe even uncomfortable, and avoided eye contact (when he did look at me, he'd look away when I looked back). He also high-fived me again when we were done, which I'm not sure what to make of since I never see him high-five others after a dance. It got me questioning everything again, which probably also affected how I was around him. Do I have a chance, or am I being delusional?

I’ve been working as a caregiver for about a year, and previously only cared for my grandmother the last year of her life. I find much about it comes naturally to me and I’m pretty patient, but I wonder where things are headed after this gig is over.
It was pretty easy to take care of my grandma because she was my grandma, and my current gig is with a couple that’s if known previously. The husband has dementia and is the kindest man, who accepts help very easily. We laugh and find joy in life, even when there are challenges.
I understand not every job will be like that, but I’d still like to be employed where I’m useful. I like bringing people a sense of comfort and ease, finding solutions to problems (preventing falls, making daily tasks easier, etc) - reflecting on it, I probably should have been an occupational therapist, but I’m 40 years old with college experience that isn’t relevant -
So I found a school nearby where I can go at night and become certified as a CNA, and I wonder if this would be a good move, if there are people who would turn the clock and do something else, or if it’s even necessary and perhaps if I should just remain a caregiver privately.
I’m sort of lost basically. I feel like I’ve been called to something but I’m not sure what. I have other pursuits, mostly related to art, music and a bit of online business, but having an actual full-time profession that I enjoy is appealing as well.
I know you guys can’t do this soul-searching for me, but any input would be appreciated.

This morning I am at 157:12 hours fasted and weigh 345.8 pounds. That's 7 days I started at 363 pounds I have lost a total of 17.2 pounds. I know alot of it is water but pretty damn proud of me.
I didn't sleep very good last night I am actually supposed to be going to the laundromat before work today. But I am going to lay in my bed for another 2 hours.
Have a great day

Hi! I want to start out by saying, my husband and I try to communicate as best we can and are working through our traumas together. That being said, something happened last night that I need to know who the asshole in the situation was because I am not sure.
Hubs and I recently moved in two of our friends, his past coworkers, to help with rent so we can save money to buy a house. Last night, my husband, myself, and one of the roommates (m21) sat down in the living room to play some board games.
Hubs and I have a very playful relationship, but recently since they have moved in..the playful comments and butt smacks have turned into hurtful comments and more like sibling smacks? If that makes sense.
Heres what happened last night to help make this make sense. The three of us were playing life and hubs was making his jokes as usual and i was biting back as usual, he smacked my thigh. No big deal. I backhanded his forehead when he leaned down to spin the wheel. (Mind you, lightly. Enough to make a sound but not enough to hurt. Reminder, we play like this all the time.) He smacks my left arm really hard to the point where it welts and im trying to not cry from the pain. All joy from the night left me as i was focusing on not crying to ruin the mood. He then draws a card and chooses me to be his opponent. The card states "give your best karate chop and spin the wheel" (sounds silly I know) so I give some limp ass chop because my arm is stilm stinging and im trying to pretend im fine to not make things weird with our roommate. Hubs tells me that it wasnt good enough, so I do it again. We do this cycle about 3 times before Im like, I did the best I could, can you please go so we can move forward with the game. He stares at me and wont let it go so I got upset and picked up my pieces and told them to put the game away when theyre done so the dog doesnt eat it and i laid on the couch. (Mind you, I was polite. Had no attitude. I was just embarrassed and felt awkward) I told them I felt awkward now and it was okay for them to continue.
Hubs stands up and says "Nice babe, thanks for ruining game night." Which felt like a punch to the throat. Then gets up and goes to hus computer with our roommate and he says "Well, this is what happens when someone makes everything awkward." And then they hoth laughed..which hurt.
I clean up the game and go to our room to finally let the tears fall. Once I have calmed down, I text my husband and ask him to come tell me goodnight. (Something we do every night no matter what) and he responds saying "I'm okay baby I'd like to be left alone for the rest of the night. Goodnight beautiful I love you ❤️" which seems like great communication but now i feel like im being manipulated after being embarrassed in the living room.
I go into panic mode and have a bunch of anxiety that I dealt with alone and I texted him aplogizing for ruining the night. I guess all I'm asking is for some outside perspective on this specific situation. I dont like involving people I know as things tend to be biased. Thanks for your help.

The Good date night movie is To All the Boys I've Loved Before" (2018), "The Princess Bride" (1987, "Crazy, Stupid, Love" (2011), Silver Linings Playbook" (2012), etc. It can be a fun date idea for those who appreciate movies, storytelling, and shared experiences.

My partner (25M) and I (24F) are in a LDR for 3 years+. It was incredibly difficult at the beginning as we gone through multiple rough patches. We have taken a break and patched back once. Ever since we patched back, LDR has been a somewhat smooth experience for the both of us. We stopped holding each other to high standards, and strove to communicate better. We've had nice and funny conversations online for the past year or so, and we rarely have arguments. This makes me feel closer to him, and reassured that things are going well.
He just came home a week ago. I was excited to see him again. He planned a 4D3N trip to a neighbouring country for my birthday, and I was ecstatic! However, on the night of the first day, I saw that he had a locked secret chat with a female friend that I know of. They have been friends since elementary school, and I am aware of how close they are. She has never been someone that I was wary of because she is attached to another guy as well, and they both have a trusting friendship. Yet, I was wrong. He opened the secret chat with her when he was seated next to me. The secret chat has a self-destructive timer and it automatically deletes messages after the stipulated timeframe (could be a few seconds to a day and a week). I saw one picture of herself in a bra with hickeys on her neck, with the caption"look what you've done to me". I kid you not, my heart literally skipped a full beat. I couldn't believe it. Did I see things wrongly? I wish I had the heart and guts to confront him right there and then, but I couldn't. I stuck myself out for the next 4 days and it has got to be the most painful experience when I do not have the answers. On the last night, I gave in and checked his phone while he slept. In the chat were more naked pictures of herself, sexts, and how much they missed each other. I've never had a panic attack in my entire life but I suffered from one that night. I was so hurt and blindsided. How messed up is it for two people to cheat on their own relationships? He is upfront whenever I ask him who he's texting. Perhaps his supposed "honesty" was just a mask to hide what was really happening beneath.
For the past few days, my heart has broken and my self-worth has taken a hit. Tomorrow, we are going on another pre-planned trip for a week. I would have confronted him about his lady friend, and cancel the entire trip if it wasn't non-refundable, with all expenses being paid. What started off as a trip that I was so excited about, quickly became one that I'm dreading so much. I am holding out to the end of the trip where I will break things off with him. I am usually logical and highly rational; my friends have joked that I'm so upright that I need to be injected with more emotions. However, in times like these where I am in the eye of the storm, my rationality goes out of the window, and I allow my heart to brave through one greatest hit to another. I hate this part of myself. I hate thinking that I am not good enough when I know that I am a catch and a wonderful partner. I hate to lose my best friend and my partner at once. But this is reality.
Reddit, how should I bring this up to my partner at the end of my trip? How can I recover from these? All advice is very much appreciated. Thank you for reading.

Hello everyone. I haven’t had a laparoscopy but my gyno has unofficially diagnosed me with endo 4 months ago based on my symptoms and the discovery of what she believes to be endometriomas on both ovaries. I am in a “watch and wait” period currently. The cysts on my ovaries did reduce in size when I had the follow up ultrasound. I originally had the ultrasound because I had such a painful period I couldn’t get out of bed for several days.
The last 3 periods I had though were not very painful at all and I was able to go about my days normally. However, my period started yesterday and I have been in absolute agony. My entire abdomen aches and last night I couldn’t sleep because my legs hurt all the way down to my feet, like when you have the flu. Just now I felt the urge to have a bowel movement and I literally though I was going to pass out while I was on the toilet. The pain in my abdomen was like I was being stabbed but once I finished going to the bathroom the pain went down significantly. I read online that this can happen if you have bowel endo and the spasms are part of your colon reacting to stool passing through.
Does anyone else have this??? My boyfriend wants me to call my gyno but I don’t know if that is necessary. She told me that if my symptoms got worse to let her know but like I said I have been good for the last several months until yesterday. I have a follow up appointment in November. I don’t see what she’s going to do for me right now, I have taken some pain medicine and am using a heating pad while I rest. Everything I read about endometriosis basically says the pain is debilitating and yeah I agree. I can’t even believe that this disease doesn’t qualify as a disability, I cannot even imagine trying to go to work today.

Today, my friend (20F) told me (28F) that she had been in a long distance relationship with her ex(18M at that time) ,which had made she feel anxious and emptiness, she kept blaming her ex for all these.
One day, she spent a night with a guy met on dating app, kept the used condom and showed it to her ex during a video chat, she humiliated him and said it was his fault, so he should do what she asked in return.The heartbroken ex accepted it and did every word she said for a month, then they broke up.
I was shocked and asked her if her bf(19M) known that. She said she didn't tell him the truth, instead she told him her ex was a cold and irresponsible man , it was the ex who had cheated on her with her friend.
I suggested that she should tell the truth to her bf, lying about this was unfair to both her bf and her ex.She was mad at my words and said she would block me, I replied her 'OK' and blocked her on all platforms.
That’s how I got rid of a narcissistic ‘friend’, what a good day!

The Good date night movie is To All the Boys I've Loved Before" (2018), "The Princess Bride" (1987, "Crazy, Stupid, Love" (2011), Silver Linings Playbook" (2012), etc. It can be a fun date idea for those who appreciate movies, storytelling, and shared experiences.

a good 80% of people infer that because they say something, it necessarily becomes true
africa is a multilingual world
to get a whole that works, you have to put together the pieces without flaws
one never gets used to talking to the mad
by definition they can’t help themselves and its disturbing
the light of dawn
and the light of dusk
realms with their own
and different
magic
quite a clever use of "prexisting sets" by an amateur to make an effective short film
there’s not behind or after
nor before or in front
the backwards goes forwards
a round world turns asquare
and the square around
free of ontological scars
emergence abounds
i’m not a man who hates, but "getty images" incites bad feelings in me
all that wasted bandwidth polluted to its core with inanity a testimony to the mental laziness of journalists i guess
i had always thought of cocaine as one of the milder ones in terms of harm, but its not
i’ll never forget a neighbour who was having a party and being invited inside and seeing the white powder in lines across the table
catholics obviously have a big problem with belief (or disbelief) because they are constantly looking for evidence, corpses that don’t decay, bleeding stgimata, lights from the eucharist, visions of mary, this list is endless because the process is endless
never finding confirmation, looking for confirmation is the panacea
the busy-ness of dreams
for a night
to be forgotten
everynight
for a lifetime
that’s it
a frosty night
the native hens
shriller than usual
ideas have no substance in recursive space
but patterns of ideas do
hence a fluidity of meaning flows from this
you are avoiding the recursive space
people do of course
its dangerous
the sands of time
unending
go forwards and backwards
to find where we are
is impossible
andrew llyod weber’s pie jesu , sung by phoebe and molly gault
when the reply denigrates
you have to ask
what in the question
elicits this ?
what i write
compression
enabled by
an involuted topography
combined with
locality and non-locality
not
the usual
by
any
means
if all you have is a bad fit
rather than use it
try something else
.
if all you have is a bad fit
rather than use it
try something different
"free will"
game plan
on a playing field
designed by evolution
slavoj žižek is much better keeping off politics
"chastity, poverty and obedience"
like a monty python skit with the big ring on the finger, more gild than you can throw a stick at, the "choir boy" in the background and a rig flamboyant enough for the most extreme "queen"
caught in a crossword puzzle of non-existence
they think they are saying something
but they aren’t
sotheby’s is on a tear

(Link to previous post)
So I've caught up with books 1 - 4, and now also read VoE for the first time. Below are my thoughts about it...
Perscitia the snarky maths genius! I like her already, especially how she gives Temeraire something new to think about and makes his days in the breeding grounds a little less depressing.
Laurence is hurt ☹ But not dead, thankfully.
Laurence is still not dead, but Temeraire thinks he is (uh oh)...
Tharkay is back! 🙂
Oh no ☹ Laurence made it to the Welsh breeding grounds but Tem isn't there!
A dragon militia? Well, I hope they'll manage to feed themselves, and that these dragons are a bit more disciplined than others (*cough* Iskierka) and will do what Temeraire says...
Laurence & Tem reunion!!! ❤
Dragon logic/Iskierka logic: I'm richer than you *and* a fire breather, so you should be honoured that I'm offering to have an egg with you ☝
And speaking of "eggs", Catherine Harcourt had hers! Too bad it's a boy and therefore not a possible future captain for Lily.
19th century manners dilemma: When your parents wrongly assume that young Emily Roland is your illegitimate daughter, but won't ask about it directly because that would be rude, and you can't even correct their assumption because that would also be rude...
Mr. Woolvey: says some racist and generally insulting things Tharkay, in his poshest accent: Excuse me, I don't believe we've been introduced yet Woolvey: surprised pikachu face 😀
The elderly king who walked around in the rain wearing just a nightshirt and slippers was George III, right? (I'm not British and only know a few things about the guy thanks to Horrible Histories)
Yay for Gentius' captain! (The one who had to have a male co-captain/chaperone on board with her, but one time the man got drunk the night before a battle and wasn't fit to fight the next morning, so Gentius' captain flew her dragon into battle on her own and did really well.)
Oh, Laurence... ☹
Lien's divine wind tsunami - pretty badass, but poor British sailors who drowned along with their ships 😶
Good: Laurence isn't getting hanged!
Not good: They're sending him to Australia instead, which must have been a dangerous sea journey of several months back in the 1800s... at least he's got Temeraire and some of their crew plus Tharkay with him (and Iskierka, who's a bit annoying but still a firebreather and fierce fighter who might come in handy).

32F Matched with a guy [33M] on Friday. He messaged me, I didn't reply because I didn't care and was busy all day w/ work travel. So he sent a follow up message that night (that's fine). I replied. We chatted til I fell asleep.
Saturday, I messaged him, we proceed to have a back and forth completely normal, super fun and good conversation--you know, how dating interactions use to start in the real world when I was young. That night he's like "I don't do voice notes. But I do phone calls.". I'm hesitant to have a phone call with a stranger, but I'm like what the hell, and we proceed to have an hour long phone convo that's super fun, but also real and honest. I tell him I have to go to bed.
Since then...radio silence. Obviously it's possible I said something that turned him off, though I can't think of what it was..But he seemed completely into it, all of it. So for him to drop off the map and not even send a text now that he has my phone number, seems weird. He hasn't unmatched me yet, so I'll probably just do that later this week. But what gives--is this common?
My friend says this happens to her all the time, and calls it the "dopamine kick"--where a guy isn't interested, and just incessantly messages you to stroke their own ego for a day or two. I don't know that I've experienced it--I either have lack luster, barely existent conversations that are like pulling teeth and never amount to anything, OR I have good convos that usually turn into good dates.
Is this way more common than I knew it to be?

My ex boyfriend and I broke up of March this year. It was one sided, it was not mutual.. he wanted to break up. But during our break up we still talked etc. a couple days ago I was so stupid and I went to go see him and we ended becoming intimate with each other, he initiated it, i said it wasn’t a good idea but he said he missed me so my stipid ass, thought maybe we could get back together… next night I saw an Instagram story of his arm around another girl.. all of a sudden he comes to me and says I owe him money from everything he spent on me during the relationship? I told him that’s a joke, right? Who asks for money back that you spent on someone you love? And I spent just as much, if not even more money on him. Regardless, I kept saying no I don’t.. eventually, he started calling me names, etc so I blocked him. He called me off a NO CALLER ID yesterday and told me to drink bleach and die, and that he was going to come shove his fist through my face.

Sorry in advance if this post isn't welcome mods, apparently the RPG Glory Stories sub doesn't let casuals like me post there. The events of this story took place just last night, in my party's D&D 5e game. Our players are Sorcerer, Barbarian and Cleric.
In the previous session, we ended with our three heroes squaring up to a necromancer in a graveyard, surrounded by a shambling army of undead minions. I gave them all of the appropriate warnings then - this is probably a winnable fight, but it's going to be hard, somebody could die when we run this, blah blah blah - and reiterated them as we were gearing up to reconvene last night.
Now, something else I should mention here is that I've recently begun experimenting with homebrew. (Between OneD&D coming soon and WotC being pricks lately, our group decided this was the best way for us to get new content for our games going forward) And between the previous session and this one, I'd completed my first large-scale homebrew project - a new class, the Ninja. And while we were setting up the game I overheard 2 of the players - Barbarian and Cleric - talk about how if the necromancer fight goes sideways, they should all scrap their current characters and roll up ninjas instead. At the time, I thought it was a joke.
So, session starts, initiative is rolled, and the battle begins. It's a tough encounter, but the party's holding their own. All except one, that is - Sorcerer found themselves surrounded by zombies and started taking some heavy damage, with their allies too far away and too occupied besides that with their own sections of the horde. Down they go, and while the one death save they were allowed to roll was a pass, the character found themself simultaneously being set on fire (there was a fire slowly incompassing the graveyard that had been set by Cleric in the last session, and Sorceror had been nearby when they were dropped) and munched on by the zeds, leading to a slow and agonizing death. The other two, horrified by the loss, went into overdrive to cut through the rest of the walkers and take out their master. Low on health but high on rolls, they get the job done and book it to try and get Sorcerer back to camp, where a PC might be able to Revivify them. But alas, they're just too far away, and the spell fails. Sorcerer is gone.
Now, this is where I intended to end the session - the surviving PCs and their NPC traveling companions mourning and coming to grips with the loss of one of their own, wake up the next morning, have a little service for Sorcerer, and then they move on because the harsh reality is that they do have someplace they need to be. But then, Barbarian cuts in during the wind-down dialogue:
"NO! Wait a minute! What about our characters? We need to get killed off too, remember!? We're all gonna be Ninja!"
It takes me a second to realize what she's saying. "Wait, you were serious about that!?"
"Yeah, c'mon! We're doing this!"
I kinda look over at Cleric. "Um, are we all on board with this? Cuz if you like your characters, I don't want you to feel obligated."
"Eh, I could go either way. My guy's kinda already had his big character development stuff, I can be happy with him as he is."
And so, with the party being unexpectedly on board with it all, I arranged for a slightly darker ending - one where they visited Sorcerer's corpse to say goodbye face-to-face before the ceremony, the body was revealed to be a newly reanimated zombie who attacked and killed the weakened Barbarian, and the Cleric in his determination to prevent further death to the caravan they were with used his last spell slot to blow both himself and the zombie back into the glorious light of Lathander. They are all building Ninja characters now; only time will tell how that goes.
Thus ends the tale of the party that quite literally asked for a TPK, so they could try out a new homebrew class I made. On one hand, I'm happy I made something that they were so eager to see in action; but at the same time I'm terrified, because I expected something slightly smaller in scale when the time came to test that bad boy out. There's also the matter of tying in what happened to the new characters. (I asked if they'd want me to just start a new adventure for them, they insisted they still want to continue with the main story if at all possible) But these are good problems to have. The players had fun, I had fun, and hopefully you guys got a chuckle out of our shenanigans too.

Hi everyone - looking for a bit of advice and also sharing experiences about now versus then. Plus issues related to the lack of agency/control I feel we have even as grown ass adults against physicians who believe their jobs to catch us lying and make assumptions about our lives, while paternally patting us on the head like small children. Between pop culture currently having big nostalgia moments right now (Thank You for your service, Judy Blume), plus the fact I've got a tween daughter, I can help but remember the special hellscape that existed for me from when I was a few years younger than my daughter all the way through 8th grade. During that time I really did try to fit in, something that in hindsight only made things worse. I just remember clothing being tough to find. And while I didn't get boobs until I was practically in college, I somehow grew the bottom half of a full grown woman by the time I'd finished 5th grade except for the length of my inseam was stuck in third grade, as was the space where a waist should be. My mom was so supportive and thankfully, because she could sew, did what she couple to alter the jeans of the day (jordache & Calvin's from the JRS section initially, but the misses by 6th grade) and sometimes made things for me that I liked but weren't available. So I looked nice enough, but the kids were merciless when teasing and I was bullied to the extreme at my school, living in fear of changing for gym and wondering how many times that day I'd get hit in the back of my head with a basketball. (Not surprising that 30+ years later I found it tough to take my son to BB practice because of the intense sounds and smells nearly knocked me into a full on panic, but I managed). Anyway, by early high school I found myself and my people through the music I fell in love with, so despite this meaning I was a goth living in the American south during the satanic panic, people being a little scared of me before they got to know me was WAAAAAAY better than the fat shaming & torture 24/7. Fast forward to now, and my daughter will be starting 5th grade in the new school year. So far so good with the teasing through 4th. She hasn't made close friends but has Cubs friends. she likes what she likes. It really is the following year I fear, middle school, when all hell breaks loose. But I am also worried about 5th grade too as each of my older kids had tough times then as all the hormones ramp up and it can all go a lot Hunger games with mean girls. So advice/perspective needed: If you've helped a daughter get through the middle years of clothes sizing awkwardness, how did you do it? -Are there stores or brands you recommend, either online or brick and mortar? -My middle school experience was particularly bad because it was a small private school where I now get would take the kids public schools would reject. My mother thought she was protecting us ha! But what was regular public school girls gym like? She we just plan to find an off campus PE option? - can you recommend any resources to help with her long list of food rejections and very short list of foods she will eat? We don't label food good or bad or make anyone eat anything or restrict (unless it means there won't be any dinner left for someone who hasn't eaten yet and one of my teenagers is going in for round two). I am concerned about her lack of calcium intake as she only has what she gets in milk with cereal. She won't eat or drink any other dairy products except vanilla ice cream, but that can upset her tummy. She doesn't eat bread either, which means with the exception of cake, we don't have to put much effort in keeping her away from gluten. I know - one more quirk inherited, ha at least that one isn't from my side as well. My husband & I had no idea just how much neurodiversity we had going on in ourselves (and some of us cough not me still refuse to believe they have ADHD like the rest of us) and the rest of our families. It is beyond frustrating the assumptions made by society about fat kids and what foods/how much they eat. I honestly think my daughter isn't eating enough based on myplate meal plans. And one of her cousins has ARFID. Of course treatment was delayed by the assumption it was anorexia and the refusal to eat was by choice and throwing up afterwards assumed to be self-induced. I had a similar issue at one point. All but one of the people I saw in the medical field wanted to high-five me for finally being in a 'normal' BMI and/or refusing to believe it was a plumbing issue and I was simply in denial about being bulimic. At the exact same time a new pain mismanagement specialist refused to believe the same plumbing problems meant I could not safely take naproxen. I had records & imaging reports available but he told me he needed his own done and until then I wasn't to be trusted that I wasn't just a drug seeker. He tossed me sample bottles of Naproxen coated with nexium. Pain got too terrible so I tried them for a week or so. Two weeks after I had that appointment (and also an upperGI to confirm it was a plumbing issue), I coughed up a few speckles of blood. GI doc, the only goody In this story told me to come in the next day. But early the next morning I woke up with terrible cramps and the need to go. As I stood up I realised I was in shock as I collapsed straight down onto my butt and heard a crack followed by bolts of lightning shocks of pain. As I tried to make it I realised our bathroom floor was covered in bloody grossness and that I was clearly bleeding internally. Fast forward to getting to the ER woozy with shock my husband couldn't get anyone to bring a stretcher and it's a blur but they put in a central line while I was awake - SCARY. My Gi doc was notified and when they went in with the scope my oesophagus had a new feature - a very deep hole on a vein that wasn't in the series he'd taken just two week before! After they finished my blood and plasma transfusions next stop was X-rays. So on top of the ulcer I had two compression fractures, L1 & L2. I wore a brace a month before having surgery to secure them. At 42 years old I had lost an inch of height & was diagnosed with osteoporosis. I have to wonder will it still be like this when our kids become the grownups. Or will it be worse?! I can't help but think dieting since I was 8 and losing and regaining the same 100lbs surely wasn't good for my bones! I so much want my daughter to not go through the same shit!

Background: I've been traveling for almost three years, working remotely for 2 1/2 of them and ended up in Kyrgyzstan because a Portuguese guy in Skardu, Pakistan recommended I visit Song-Kul. I was also interested in Bishkek as a place to work from in the future since I've heard rumblings that it's a good place to do so - umm what?? lol. I speak Russian fluently so this part of the world fascinates me and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Uzbekistan in September so I figured I'd check it out again.
First things first, most importantly - WiFi: Is good, one of the very few good things about Bishkek. Much better than wifi in Uzbekistan. Think 50-70mbps.
Accommodation: I am staying in a decent hotel in the center for less than $20 a night. Just checked Airbnb prices and they are... waaay overpriced. Probably due to an influx of Russians and also believe it or not there are quite a few tourists in Kyrgyzstan, a lot more than I anticipated that likely are the cause of the ridiculous prices.
Food: Groceries and street food are on the cheap side, you can buy water and bread for a fraction of a dollar, samsa for like 75 cents and shawarma for less than $2. Eating out in restaurants can cost about $6 consistently. The restaurants aren't that good though in my opinion.
Getting around: There are buses that are probably a fraction of a dollar but I've been using Yandex (local Uber, there is also another app for taxis that I haven't used) and that runs about $2 a trip. Not really a walkable city.
Things to do: Work. Yeah... almost nothing to be honest, ranks up there for most boring cities I've been to. There is a main square that isn't anything special, a few museums, a market and that's about it. Most of the stuff worth visiting Kyrgyzstan for is outside the cities, Song-Kul was very beautiful and same with Fairy Tale Canyon. Burana is a short ride away. Everything else is better accessed by renting a car in my opinion and is difficult to get to so I'd say this country is much better to visit for a short time as a tourist rather than doing weekend trips from cities (the cities are pretty depressing).
Language: Russian will get you far, some people in the center speak English but I wouldn't expect to have an easy time with it. People in hospitality will be able to speak it. Outside of Bishkek and in the more rural parts, there is more Kyrgyz with supplementary Russian (maybe less the more remote you are).
Currency: No issues using my Betterment debit card withdrawing money but basically everywhere accepts cards.
Nightlife: There are bars and clubs, I haven't gone to any because I am not interested in that at the moment.
Dating: Yeah, nothing to write home about. If you've been to Latin America or Southeast Asia you will have to lower your expectations.
Climate: It's pretty hot at the moment and will likely get a lot worse during the summer months, but it'll be good in the mountains.
Getting out: For shorter distances, you can use Yandex for the easiemore expensive route. Otherwise, marshrutkas/shared taxis will run about $1 an hour and there are bigger buses as well although they are a less popular option. Hitchhiking is also pretty easy but there sometimes is the expectation that you will pay about the same as the marshrutka price. Issyk-Kul is a huge lake that is nice to swim in with some natural sites around it (Fairy Tale Canyon, Ala Kul, and so on). Song-Kul is about six hours away and can be done with a tour (8150 som or ~$93 for two days one night with everything included from Kochkor) or you can drive up there with a regular car during the summer months.
Expats/Digital Nomad scene: Many remote workers from Russia working out of Bishkek as well as a few other international nomads. Sierra Coffee Manas Ave is a good spot.
Final Thoughts: Like I said, Bishkek is not a place I would work from and I'm not sure why anyone would recommend it as it is extremely boring. However, Kyrgyzstan is great if you're a nature lover with beautiful lakes and tons of mountains and parks and opportunities for hiking. People are on the friendlier side.
If you still have questions after reading all of this, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer. Cheers.