Mini mansion floor plans

Hi! I’m a transfer I just got my housing offer and I got a 2 bed shared plan E for plaza verde 2. I was wondering if anyone wanted the cheaper floor plan because I was hoping for 2 bedroom private w/ shared bath. I don’t know if this is even a possibility but I thought I would give it a shot.

Ever since the 5e influx, a lot of conversations have been…frustrating me, to put it lightly. There’s a feeling that while people are willing to engage with the game and generally like a lot of the concepts, there are people who get frustrated with Paizo's overarching design decisions to the point they demand change or call certain core philosophies objectively bad design.
As someone who very much likes most of the game's core philosophies, it's taken me a while to wrap my head around it, but I feel there was a crystallizing moment for me the other day when there was a thread discussing balance vs fun. Essentially, it purported that balance often came at the expense of fun, and that a lot of games end up becoming homogenized or having the soul sucked out of them for the sake of making every option viable.
Now of course, this is a false dichotomy. You can still have a game that is balanced between options that is also fun. A lot of imbalanced games are also not fun as well, even for the people they’re imbalanced in favor of. But it seems to be a major perception that when you play a game, you’re either here for a fun time or you’re here to play for keep and there’s no middle ground.
2e is no different. A lot of people treat the game's design as if it is trying to ruin their fun for the same if balance. Phrases like 'I know the game is balanced, it's just not fun' or 'they've overcorrected because they're too scared of breaking the game' get thrown around a lot.
Now I've seen this a lot over all of 2e's lifespan, but something became apparent as I was reading the thread; something that I’d sort of always realized, but for some reason I can’t figure out, it finally clicked to me how deep and intrinsic it is to the core discussions surrounding 2e.
The simple fact is: there are a lot of people who don’t seem to accept or even realise that PF2e is designed primarily as a strategy game before anything else.
(Just for reference, I made a Twitter thread about this, so I'm going to copy a lot of almost verbatim, but past that I’m going to elaborate in much more detail on thoughts and specific examples of what I’m talking about)
One of the big disconnects for me when I started playing DnD back in 3.5 (and eventually moved to PF1e) is that when I found out it was grid-based strategy, I was super excited. I loved games like FFT and Advance Wars back in the day, and had only just started playing FE:A, so I was down to clown.
The problem I eventually realized was the game isn't actually built for nuanced tactical play, despite being turn-based and having a grid and rules for interacting with it. It rewards expedient powergamed options and eclipses any concept of power cap.
5e was very similar. I went in seeing it was toned down and expected it to appeal more to that more nuanced gameplay. It certainly held the aesthetic of it, with mechanics like concentration to stop rampant buff stacking and streamline spellcasting, and to its credit it's skill floor was much more stable, making it easier to get on the ground floor with a playable character without needing an obtuse level of upfront system mastery.
But in the long term, I found it was just as bad an offender as 3.5/1e, between more extremely powerful expedient options, poorly tuned inter-class balance, monsters being quickly outscaled by player stats, and advantage being a very swingy buff state.
(sadly I missed 4e, which in hindsight I think would have absolutely been my bag)
So when 2e came out, I was cautious. I had been burnt before, and I was skeptical Paizo could actually stand on their own with a truly unique system apropos of DnD’s existing influence. But when I started my initial foray into the system, gingerly running small one shots and module length adventures with my players, I began to realize…this is it. This is the tactical d20 game I've been waiting over seven years for. Classes are much better balanced, the encounter building rules actually work, and my players are engaging in nuanced tactics beyond just trying to go for the biggest hits every turn. This is great!
I was super excited to have 2e finally meet that goal for being a d20 system that placed tactics at the heart of the gameplay.
...only to find people were bouncing off it while espousing the game's focus on strategy and the balance that came with it too stifling.
I've seen phrases akin to, ‘I get AOEs are effective, but I don't care if they're mathematically balanced compared to single target actions. I want the fantasy of blowing up all the enemies in the room with my fireball, not chipping them down half of their health and letting the martials mop up.’ Literally just the other day, I saw someone complain that they liked save or suck spells and that they were upset 2e did away with it. 'What if I WANT to turn the lich to stone with one spell and win the fight before it even starts?'
Obviously spellcasters are a low-hanging fruit that have been discussed ad-infinitum, but I see the same thing with martials more often than most people would realize. You have comments complaining that the base hit rates being closer to 50% than 70-80% is objectively bad design. People don’t want to engage in buff-based gameplay or teamwork that improves the odds in their favor; they want to have that high base chance as a standard and go to town with minimal windup or strategic investment.
Even from a mechanical standpoint, there's a common disdain towards a lot of the system's more nuanced mechanics that people feel are done more out of anti-fun pedantry than to create meaningful choices. I've seen people go on tirades about hand economy and how they hate needing to weigh up what you're holding at any given moment, all the way up to level 20 with no way around it. Plenty of people hate the shield mechanics for being finicky and seemingly existing for their own sake, while I love them because I get to see exactly when raising it stops my shield ally champion from getting hit and how much damage I chunk off when I block.
A lot of people talk about disconnect of expectations with the designers, but I'm starting to believe the source of this disconnect is rarely what they actually think it is, which is that strategy focus. 2e’s foundation is very clearly focused on trying to create strategy and meaningful gameplay loops via balance and tactical decision making, rather than the intense power curves of previous systems. So why are people engaging in a game like that when they want more freeform expression or have the fantasy be a pure power fantasy?
Well, the answer is, because they never wanted to engage in strategy in the first place, at least as far as the design tenets and expected player input of the strategy genre goes. They're coming in with a different expectation of what genre they want these games to be. I may come into it expecting XCOM and FFT, or even more tactics-focused board games (I mean in the end, what is an RPG with minis but a board game with more steps?). People like me want their character fantasies in a nuanced environment where I still get to have that feeling of being fantastical, but have to play smart to win. I don't have any expedient I-win buttons, and the victory is earnt, not given.
But others may come in expecting Diablo or Dynasty Warriors, where the power fantasy of being a one-man army is the appeal. They want to mow effortlessly through hordes of monsters and soldiers to feel unstoppable, where every attack is merely a scratch. Even bosses are just bigger roadblocks in the way to glory - they may stand a chance at putting you down, but ultimately you're a powerhouse. You're destined for greatness by virtue of the game glorifying you at every turn, narratively and mechanically.
Others still want that epic set piece experience - your Soulsborne/DMC/MGR style boss rushes, or Monster Hunter-esque scenarios against huge monsters, where smaller, less important adversaries are but window dressing to the main event. The game is more or less balanced around your capacity to stand toe to toe with Goliath beasts and master warriors. There is challenge and strategy, but it is focused around this particular format, where the game is about that pinpoint adrenaline, almost reaction-based combat against single major foes. This makes wide swathes of the available options and design decisions in a game like 2e redundant because everything gets consolidated into that focus on boss battles.
(I will say, there are elements of both the above that can exist in 2e, and with enough kerjiggering you can probably create an experience much closer to them than the intended game. But as far as official design goes, they are not the sole focus nor what the game is clearly designed around. There is a holistic experience at play here that incorporates a wider variety of combat scenarios)
And then there are the people who come in with…almost no gaming litmus to compare it to whatsoever. Combat in TTRPGs is the only true experience they've ever had of it being encapsulated in a mechanical experience. They may see it as a draw card. They may see it as an opportunity to just roleplay. Others still may see it as an impediment to their fun.
Obviously no one system is ever going to appeal to everyone, but I feel like a lot of people are coming into 2e either not understanding the fact the game is designed around this heavily tactical experience, or understanding it but not liking this and wanting it to shift design focus.
To be fair, this could be a good wake-up call for the rest of the community. One of the sentiments that often gets touted a lot is that people feel they’ve been misled by the advertising of 2e as a system; particularly coming from 5e, a lot of people feel a lot of the discussion has been about 2e ‘fixing’ its problems, creating a better holistic experience of the same game.
I’m beginning to believe the issue in hindsight is that the people saying that - myself included - have been coming at this from the assumption that the players who are complaining about 5e are doing so from the angle of a strategy game, when in fact, they haven’t.
But in our defense, I can absolutely see why we would have thought that. A lot of complaints relate to topics such as class imbalance, build disparity, poor encounter tuning, lack of coherent rules for character abilities, etc. Essentially, all stuff that reads ‘we care a lot about the mechanics of this game. We want it to be fairer and have more robust systems, more options in combat, etc.’
Essentially, stuff that is inherently linked to this strategy focus.
Clearly this hasn't been the case though, for whatever reason. Maybe it's about time that the people who like PF2e and are trying to sell it to others, and when discussing topics in places like this subreddit, acknowledge that 2e isn't actually an unmitigated power fantasy d20 system, but a version that is aimed at that sort of strategy aficionado who want a game that's about tactical engagement and builds mattering for the sake of how they engage with those strategy elements, rather than just being an expression of how they will inevitably win and treating the mechanics that keep those design goals in check as pedantic and anti-fun.
This will make PF2e a much less universally appealing switch. It might even lose players who'd otherwise not try it. But it's more honest and will probably do more good for bringing and guiding new players without breeding long-term resentment and feeling misled. At the very least, it will frame expectations better.
At the same time, I think a lot more people need to in turn understand that the people like me who really like this game do so specifically because of its focus on the strategy elements; that we understand things like the tight balance and nuanced mechanics are in place to enable that. I feel too much of the conversation can devolve into accusing these design decisions of being anti-fun, almost malicious, and that people who prefer it are being overly pedantic, often to the point of paranoia about imbalances.
Obviously there needs to be nuance. Some people do legitimately want that mechanical element but just disagree with certain points on the way Paizo does it. If people feel certain fiddly elements can be removed or underpowered mechanics can be buffed without breaking the balance or adding even more strategy, then sure, that's great. Let's have those discussions. But once there's a sort of 'I don't care about balance I care about fun' sentiment being thrown around, I feel that's when discussion begins to break down because it's fundamentally asking Paizo to change the direction of their design; one that a lot of people have come to this game specifically for, and pay the designers to make for our tastes.
As I said, no one game is going to make everyone happy, but some games are more focused on what they're aiming for than others. 2e is one of those games. I think the core conflict at the heart of 2e's direction is not that it's designed around a strategy focus, nor that others don't always like that. It's that there's a core assumption everyone playing d20 games is doing so because strategy is the main investment.
There's probably meaningful discussion to be had as to whether there is virtue in this as a core focus. Maybe people like myself are in fact just stickler pedants who are too focused on things being fair and balanced for our own good. Maybe no-one else cares about that nuanced strategy focus and it's too niche a market to bother with past indulging people like me through single player experiences. But either way, understanding that focus and where the differences of want from that will help discussion more than anything else

I have just replaced a dead SMSL DA-6 with an Aiyima A07 and I don’t understand how everyone uses this amp.
I have this amp fed by a WiiM Mini via aux out to RCA in on the A07 and with the A07 the volume needs to be around 9-8 to be out of the channel imbalance range, no sound from left channel if below 9-8.
But at this range it is simply too loud for my uses (ambient music of all types) and I have even tried lowering the output sensitivity of the WiiM to 1Vrms/800mVrms/500mVrms and it only barely increases the volume range. Also running on a 24v power supply so less watts from the amp as well.
Right now I have the WiiM at 1/4 or less digital volume and the A07 at almost 9 and it works but the audio is not full. I see people say they have it around 11-12 and I’m pretty sure that would cause hearing damage if I ran my system that high!
So I am wondering if anyone else has had this experience? I am also hoping someone might have a solution or viable replacement for the A07 as I loved the sound of the DA-6 but I’m pretty sure it died because I was trying to power floor speakers with a low wattage amp.
Thank you!

The CONE Art Collection will have 100% of all proceeds go directly to CONE Liquidity. This will consist of Cone Chart Art and Original Cone Art and possibly MEMEs over time as I learn. I plan to personally purchase new programs and tools to help create better CONE art in the near future so that these keep improving over time.
The current listing price is way higher then I want it to be it won’t let me lower it below the floor price “suggesttion” if your interested in my fist edition of Chart Art please message me with a respectable offer while also considering it cost me $32.99 to mint. I’ve since figured out how to mint for free. And Will keep learning better techniques as I go.
https://opensea.io/assets/matic/0x2690ee580d7ba1f5f39b791568e00ccc6c2cb60b/1514/
Tiny Animals Collection will donate 95% of all proceeds to both the World Wildlife Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Society. This will consist of Tiny Animal and Insects to all pictures I've collected myself over the years. A good amount of them were taken while fighting fires.
https://www.worldwildlife.org
https://opensea.io/assets/matic/0x2953399124f0cbb46d2cbacd8a89cf0599974963/47583132909523753231807697612890431474657966777437077964068252888720245522532/
Scenic Nature and Wildlife Collection will also be donating 95% of all proceeds to both the World Wildlife Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Society. These will also be personal pictures of nature and wildlife from my world travels over the years.
https://secure.wcs.org/donate/save-wildlife?
https://opensea.io/assets/matic/0x2953399124f0cbb46d2cbacd8a89cf0599974963/47583132909523753231807697612890431474657966777437077964068252889819757150308/
Wildfires Over the Years Collection 95% of all processed will be donated to Wildland Firefighters Foundation.
https://wffoundation.org
https://opensea.io/assets/MATIC/0x2953399124f0cbb46d2cbacd8a89cf0599974963/47583132909523753231807697612890431474657966777437077964068252887620733894756
These are my first NFT Drops so please have patience with me as I learn and get better at this over time. I just want to thank this CONEunity and all the Mods for giving me the opportunity and motivation to chase my dreams and help the world be a better place.
I have thousands of pictures waiting to be permanently digitized onto the blockchain and will keep adding more over time.
I will also give updates on total donations monthly or by monthly and be as transparent as possible with this process.

Hi all, I'm a 23 y/o female moving to LA in August looking for a 1BD (or perhaps a nice studio) in the East Hollywood/Silverlake area. I plan on taking the metro to work in DTLA to avoid paying for parking, so the only non-negotiable item is that the unit be within walking distance of a metro stop. I have a partner who will be visiting occasionally, and don't have any pets or other special requirements. I just graduated university so I don't have any rental history, but my credit score is 782 which should help a bit.
My budget is 2000k/month max, obviously with a preference for more affordable options. I would love to take over an existing lease/long term sublet that already has furniture (willing to purchase from existing tenant). Other bonuses include if the unit is on a second floor, and/or has a dishwasher since I like to cook. Thanks for the help!

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Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
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Chapter 91: Matters Of Etiquette
The Duchy of Aquina's treasury was as scandalous as I imagined.
It was less a treasury room and more a dragon's cavern.
Ornate chests vomited gold and silver crowns, unlocked strongboxes proudly revealed glittering gemstones and breathtaking jewellery, and open armoires boasted suits of armour decorated with gilded crystals and weapons which shimmered with the opulence of the finest pearls.
Everywhere I looked, illegally undeclared taxable income spilled from every orifice as the accumulated wealth of Aquina filled my vision.
Piles of coins lay scattered with little attention to detail or proper bookkeeping, ensuring that no tax inspector would be seeing the light of day for many weeks once this veritable hoard was presented to the Royal Treasury for counting.
And yet it all paled in comparison to the wealth exhibited by the second most beautiful being in this room.
Sitting on her makeshift throne of snow and coins, a woman whose likeness was that of a young elven maiden wore a dress of purest snow as she basked in moonlight streaming from corners where no window to the sky existed. Her dress was unembellished and unadorned, and yet the overwhelming delicateness of its material put the richest velvet to shame.
She was the Winter Queen. And when she moved, her garment didn't simply move with her. It fluttered like a silken curtain. As did her wings.
Hers possessed no colour. It was a shimmering mirror, a waterfall of images and lights reflecting all the treasures around her. Within those butterfly-like wings, I saw all the crowns and treasures of Aquina glimmering back at me, waiting to be retrieved.
And I would.
But like all things, there was an order to things. And I was no Snow Dancer. Etiquette had to be entertained.
Thus, I walked up to the Winter Queen–and then began to sweep snow and coins onto the spot just opposite her.
“Coppelia, help me make a chair.”
“Got it!~”
Before the raised eyebrow of the Winter Queen, my future handmaiden and I wasted no time. Rolling up our sleeves, we piled snow and coins onto the point I designated with professional workmanship.
A few moments later, an extremely unfashionable chair was now raised before the Winter Queen.
It was something which couldn't even be exhibited in a contemporary art museum, the graveyard where all talentless hacks sent their works to die these days. But appearance was secondary.
Height was all that mattered.
I hopped before clutching the edge of the seat. My foot failed to find purchase in the chair's uneven slope as coins rained down. Coppelia skipped up and offered her hand. I accepted, allowing her to pull me atop the freshly made chair.
I carefully turned and sat, crossing one leg over the other as I officially bested my opponent in inches from the ground.
Then, I offered a frown to the fae whose appearance belied the years swirling in her arctic eyes.
“Winter Queen,” I said, now able to converse appropriately. “It's unseemly for me to present myself to a monarch sat on a throne within the lands of my own kingdom.”
She sipped at her teacup. A liquid so clear shimmied that for a moment, I'd believed it to be empty.
“Princess of Tirea. It's also unseemly to kidnap the monarchs of other kingdoms.”
I considered her argument. Then nodded. As did she.
“How is the chair?” she asked, placing her teacup atop her head.
“Extremely comfortable,” I replied, as my derrière burned from the cold. “My future handmaiden's skill in carpentry is as famed as her tact and discretion.”
Coppelia was stood right beside the Winter Queen, leaning in while taking in everything from the fae's tall figure to the mirror wings and the teapot atop her head.
She waved at her reflection in the Winter Queen's wings as her eyes brimmed with curiosity. Then, she breathed a puff of warm air at the mirror sheen, watching as the condensation slowly evaporated.
But not before drawing a smiley face first.
“That's … That's so cool!” she said, her own expression matching the one she'd just drawn. “You have mirrors on your back! That's … well, it's totally useless! Unless you want to accidentally blind someone when the sun catches you! You're literally a walking health hazard! Amazing!”
The Winter Queen glanced at Coppelia.
“My wings do not simply reflect light, clockwork doll. They amplify it. When I soar beneath the mortal sun, every eye to bear witness to my splendour winces in uncontrollable discomfort as colour spots plague their vision for months.”
Already, Coppelia's eyes were lit up with sparkles. She was already affected. The poor thing.
“That's soooooo pointless! I wish I had wings like that!”
“That wish cannot be made reality, even were you created in the land of the duskless dawn. I regret to say that the wings you see are mine alone. They are unique amongst the fae. Even my sisters who–”
“Also, why do you have a teacup on your head?”
The Winter Queen pursed her lips.
Clearly, she wasn't used to being interrupted while speaking. A terrible bout of impoliteness by Coppelia. And wonderfully, immaculately timed.
That's right! Do not allow this queen who wishes to appear stately any opportunity to control the flow of this conversation!
“I wear a teacup because I wish to,” she explained simply. “As Winter Queen, whether I choose to wear a teacup or a cat atop my head is my royal prerogative.”
Coppelia hummed as she peered this way and that as she took in the new headpiece.
“Want me to make you a hat? Because I can make you a hat.”
The Winter Queen paused.
“What kind of hat?”
“How about a beret?” Coppelia clapped her hands together, the force causing several coins to shimmy in movement. “They're always fashionable!”
“... Then that will do, thank you.”
“Decorations?”
“A tapestry of the 1172 Battle of Remansille, featuring the fall of King Reorick the Wolfenheart as he is betrayed by the lance of Sir Jorund the Gladiator, and his subsequent avengement by the first Reisenritter of Sophista.”
I nodded.
A fine choice. The Royal Villa had a copy of the very same 104 metre long tapestry. It'd spawned more narrative poems and epic ballads than any other cultural work of the 12th century. And uniquely, also didn't include any tasteless nudity.
Coppelia blinked.
In that moment, I could hear a thousand cogs and gears whirring away as she put every morsel of thinking power into dreaming the Winter Queen's request into reality.
Eventually, she nodded, raising her fists in a vow of commitment before she went to work. The sound of snow being padded together soon filled the air.
“An excellent handmaiden,” said the Winter Queen, balancing the teacup atop her head with practised precision. “Alas, my own handmaidens are more keen to frolic in the snow than rush to my aid.”
I smiled as the first compliment concerning my hiring processes reached me. Many more would come.
“Coppelia has much to learn, particularly concerning the ability to throw herself in harm's way for me. However, nothing concerning her spirit or loyalty can be faulted.”
“Then I'm free to offer my envy. It's been some days now since I was cruelly snatched away from my abode, and yet the only ones steadfast enough to reach me are my own snow ducks.”
She pointed at the fluffy white duck by the foot of her chair, its crystalline beak pecking at the only copper crown in the treasury.
A worthy pet. Should a copper crown fall before me, I'd also expect Coppelia to do away with it. Preferably by paying it towards the cost of an apple.
Even so, a protest needed to be lodged.
“Do your minions have the authority to trespass upon the Kingdom of Tirea, Winter Queen?”
She shrugged.
“No more than yours have the authority to kidnap the ruler of the Winter Court, befouling the Frozen Palace and slaying dozens of my subjects in the process.”
I considered her point. Again, I nodded. As did she.
“It's been, my, at least two centuries?” she mused, taking down her teacup to enjoy a sip of the clear liquid. “How nostalgic. I've almost missed being stolen for use in some predictably unimaginative scheme. I suppose I was long overdue.”
The Winter Queen looked around at the sight of a cavern filled with wealth. Not a single item impressed her by the size of her yawn. She sat back in her chair, her wings fluttering as her arctic eyes took in my poise. Just as I did hers.
“So you say. But perhaps you'd be harder to steal if you didn't take the guise of a crown. Quite the ruse. I take it that being placed on the head of fair maidens is related to your lack of blemishes?”
The Winter Queen made no denial. She lifted her hand to her lips, mouthing a silent giggle.
“A worthwhile exchange. I bequeath unimaginable power onto those of great will and a highly unattainable standard of youth and beauty, then allow them to build wrinkles in my place. Wonderful, no?”
I nodded my head.
If I were in her place, I'd do the same. Especially after seeing how her skin remained smoother than the snow despite the untold years she had lived.
“And how often do you permit yourself to be stolen, say, by an elven sword saint whose appearance is wasted on her rather bizarre personality?”
The Winter Queen smiled.
“Less than I'd like. It's been far too long since my last host found itself wanting against the Summer Queen's flames. And there's only so long one can remain a crown without the need to stretch their wings.”
I glanced tellingly at the dark ceiling.
“And yet I see that the sky remains closed to you.”
“Not all things go to plan.” The Winter Queen took another sip from her teacup before raising it atop her head. “The Snow Dancer's lack of ambition being one of them. The way she tossed me between her hands was particularly inglorious. But even that paled in comparison to the way she punted me away without a second thought. The humiliation will take another century to recover from.”
“I imagine it could be worse. What if someone puts you on whose wrinkled appearance you have no wish to take? An old hag in a hut? A peasant in a field? Or any man, for that matter?”
“Oh, then I just consume their soul.”
“Ah.”
The Winter Queen adjusted her teacup, then crossed one leg over the other.
“Now, to the drudgery of business?”
I offered her my most stately frown. Her response would determine whether it became a scowl.
“To recompense, actually. You permitted yourself to be stolen. And now your Winter Court sits in the Wovencoille, sealing off our rightful ability to cut down the ancient trees you planted for use in our bed frames. This is unacceptable.”
“Whether I permitted it is irrelevant. Crime is a crime and to steal a sovereign is quite the mark of disrespect. But you needn't fear. It is simple theatrics. Or was. I expect that your kingdom will be razed in ice should I not return in good time. And yet here I am, neither used nor worn. And so I ask you, what is the shallow boon that is pleaded of me? The witless wish for which I was stolen? The bargain for which I will never acquiesce? Is it the gleam of treasures greater than a dragon's heart that is desired? A weapon to break all shields? A vial to twist love and hatred?”
I opted to maintain my frown. For now.
“I cannot answer that, Winter Queen. I was not the one who stole you.”
“I know. Which is why I'm asking him.”
The Winter Queen indicated with her chin behind me.
I leaned out from my chair, peering back towards the treasury entrance.
There, standing alone in the arched doorway, was the treasonous ruler of the Duchy of Aquina.
Greying, and yet boasting more colour on his clothing than all the banners in his castle combined, Duke Valence wore a flowing cloak upon a wide suit of armour fit to carry both the size of his waistline and his ambitions.
My, such regal attire.
Were anyone to witness him in such fine uniform, they would be mistaken in their belief that he was someone of importance. Someone of royalty.
A wish, I knew, which would never be realised. Not least by the hands of the fae.
No matter how he begged or threatened, the Winter Queen would not grant whatever request this bumbling oaf wished to see fulfilled. Just as this man held no power over the Kingdom of Tirea, he held no power over the Winter Court.
Because the Winter Queen, now here in her true form, saw no interest in him.
She did not even bother to assume the guise she used to invite those foolish enough to test her unbreakable willpower. And so she merely looked on as I did, bored and unconcerned as the errant Duke of Aquina strode forwards.
He stopped before the Winter Queen's throne, without once pausing to look at the princess he served. Of all his crimes, that was the greatest.
At the end of his tenure, pettiness was all this man could achieve … even as he drew a glimmering sword from the sheath by his side.
It was no practised manoeuvre. No unfurling of a weapon by a knight.
Even so, both I and the Winter Queen eyed it, waiting to see how this man would choose to meet his end.
Lifting it–he slammed the tip down into the treasury floor, bending a knee as a crack appeared in the ground.
“Winter Queen,” said the Duke, not yet daring to look up at the face of the bemused fae. “The shallow boon I ask is your rule. The witless wish your protection. And the bargain I offer is Aquina. I swear to the Winter Court the fealty, devotion and vassalage of all my subjects and myself, and ask for nothing but your grace in return.”
The Duke lifted his head.
And to this–
The Winter Queen smiled.
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When I was 20(currently 25f), I was invited to hangout with my ex(18m at the time). We had been dating for 5 months at this point. No sex what’s so ever. However, he also brought along his friend ( I think 16 or 17m). At first, I thought it was just a fun coincidence. However, they had other plans….
I still remember what happened that night. I remember was just having fun with them, but after a few drinks, I felt tipsy. The next thing I know, I remember him and his friend taking me to a room and taking my pants off while I was lying on the ground. Then, he starts penetrating me, even though I tell him to stop. He didn’t listen and when I tried telling to stop again, he covered my mouth so I wouldn’t yell or speak. After he was done, it was his friend’s turn. They did other horrible shit to me, but when it was over, I was now on the floor completely naked with my clothes lying around me.
I left almost immediately and never looked back. I didn’t go to the cops cause it wasn’t worth it. I didn’t out of fear they wouldn’t believe me. I moved away after university a few years out of paranoia he’d come back. I moved back to my hometown, where it’s completely safe.
However, I still have trouble trusting people and wanting to be in a new relationship. Has anyone ever faced a simila or even exact assault like me? I need some advice cause although it’s been 5 years, I can’t seem to move on from that moment. That was the moment I also lost my virginity, but to someone who hurt me.

I want to be able to go out and do things and not feel fatigued, panicked, etc all the time. I want to be able to go to the grocery store and do the dishes in the same day. I want to be able to go out to lunch and work in the same day. I regularly just start crying while running errands, mask and sunglasses help people not see.
I might have a pituitary tumor and I got my second round of blood work done today to check if it was an anomaly or if the next step is a cat scan and probably surgery.
Then I went to the grocery store to get stuff for healthy smoothies because I’ve been having a lot of trouble with solid food lately and while I am trying to lose weight, I’m not eating to the point where it’s less than 1k calories/day. There were a lot of people in the store and I live in a tourist town where there are a lot of obnoxious people visiting. I got really overwhelmed and at one point pulled my cart into a corner of the store where I wasn’t in anyone’s way. I started crying kind of audibly and gripping onto the cart really hard. Some guy in his 40s who was so sunburned he was peeling literally walked up to me (within two feet of my body, cornering me) and said “what’s your problem? Stop crying! You’re in paradise!” I just yelled in his face “I HAVE A FUCKING BRAIN TUMOR AND I’M IN SENSORY OVERLOAD. GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME.” After this I ended up sitting on the floor and putting my hands and arms over my head and face and continued crying.
Then this guy who never had to interact with me at all in the first place, could’ve left me standing in the corner in peace, went to the manager (who has known me since I was a fetus) and told her I had threatened him and I’m a danger to everyone and they should call the police. She came up to me and asked if I was okay and I told her what happened (sensory overload, the man approaching me, etc), and asked if I needed anything, and I just asked if I could stay there for a few more minutes to get myself together. She said yes and actually told the man off (don’t be an asshole to Caribbean hospitality workers, we WILL tell you to fuck off). I eventually got up, checked out, and left. While this was a somewhat validating experience I was also mortified because I bet the whole store heard me screech at this man
I had parked on the upper level of the complex because the lower level was full and I had to go to the pharmacy on the upper level anyway. With my heavy grocery bags and how exhausting my meltdown was I decided to take the elevator instead of walk upstairs. Then an old lady with a cane called me lazy and said I should take the stairs as we were both waiting. I didn’t even say anything to her, I just started audibly crying again. As we stepped on the elevator.
I got home, I made my smoothie, and now I’m in bed crying. I was planning on folding clothes, taking a walk, and doing some other cleaning tonight but now I’m here lying in bed fucking sobbing and feeling completely exhausted.
I just feel so broken. I didn’t used to be this dysfunctional, this sensitive. I could just deal so much better. When I was 18 I’d go and go and go all day long but now, at 22, I feel like talking on the phone is one of 3 possible tasks for a day.

I'm attempting to convert an array of 3-byte RGB pixel values to CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB24, which states:

CAIRO_FORMAT_RGB24
each pixel is a 32-bit quantity, with the upper 8 bits unused. Red, Green, and Blue are stored in the remaining 24 bits in that order. (Since 1.0)

So essentially I am trying to copy the array into a new one, adding 8 bits of 0 padding to each pixel as it fills in the new array. I figured I could do this by copying the 3 bytes into a 4 byte integer, and then bit-shifting them to the right by 8 bits. So for example if I had a 3-byte pixel where all R, G, and B values were 255 respectively the binary would be...

11111111 1111111 11111111 

And after I copied it into a 4-byte integer would be

11111111 11111111 11111111 ******** (last 8-bits don't matter) 

Then my plan was to bit-shift it to the right to get...

00000000 11111111 11111111 11111111 

That way I'd have my 32-bit integer with 8 unused bits in the upper-end and the RGB values using the remaining 24 bits as the format specifies.
So I created this loop to do so:

 unsigned int pixel = 0; unsigned char rgb[XMAX * YMAX * 3]; unsigned int new_rgb[XMAX * YMAX]; //RGBSIZE = XMAX * YMAX * 3 memcpy(old_rgb,bm.rgb,sizeof(unsigned char) * RGBSIZE); for(int i = 0; i < (XMAX * YMAX); i++){ memcpy(&pixel,old_rgb + i,sizeof(unsigned char) * 3); pixel = pixel >> 8; new_rgb[i] = pixel; } 

XMAX * YMAX is of course the pixel dimensions, so my thinking was this would copy 3 bytes from the old_rgb buffer, shove them into pixel and then bit-shifting it 8 bits to the right would create the padding I need, and then I could just put pixel into the new_rgb array one indices at a time.
It's creating some weird facsimile of the original pixel data, so I'm guessing my approach is fundamentally flawed or the technical execution of it is, but I'm not sure which is the case and how.
The original program I am modifying uses GTK/GDK 2 to draw a little flame that corresponds to CPU usage, and I'm trying to update it to use GTK/GDK 3 and Cairo. It uses the following function to generate the RGB pixel data for the flame:

 draw_fire(unsigned int load) { int x, y, i, j; double psi; /* Setup hot spots */ for (i = 0; i < ((load >> 3) + 2); i++) bm.cmap[(random() % XMAX) + ((YMAX - 1) * XMAX)] = random() % NCOLOURS; for (i = 0; i < ((100 - load) >> 4); i++) bm.cmap[(random() % XMAX) + ((YMAX - 1) * XMAX)] = bm.cmap[i + ((YMAX - 1) * XMAX)] >> 1; /* Mouse in window */ if (proximity) { gdk_window_get_pointer(bm.win, &x, &y, NULL); /* Burn spot at mouse position */ if ((y > 1 && y < 53) && (x > 1 && x < 53)) burn_spot(x,y,3); /* Show after two seconds */ if (proximity++ > 100) { if (monitor == FIRE_CPU) { if (cpu_av) { /* Horizontal bar for average cpu */ memset(&bm.cmap[27 * XMAX + 20], 255, 16); memset(&bm.cmap[28 * XMAX + 20], 255, 16); memset(&bm.cmap[29 * XMAX + 20], 255, 16); } else { /* Horizontal line of spots per cpu */ for (i = 0; i <= cpu_id; i++) { j = 5 + 44 * (i + 1) / (cpu_id + 2); burn_spot(j, 27, 3); } } } else if (monitor == FIRE_MEM) { /* Grid effect for memory arrays */ for (i = 0; i < 4; i++) { for (j = 0; j < 4; j++) burn_spot(13+i*10, 13+j*10, 3); } } else if (monitor == FIRE_NET) { /* Marching ants for network traffic */ for (i = 7; i < XMAX-10; i+=6) { j = i + (proximity/12) % 6; burn_spot(j, 27, 3); } } else if (monitor == FIRE_FILE) { /* Rotating disk platter */ burn_spot(26, 26, 3); for (i = (proximity/4) % 4; i < 40; i+=4) { psi = i * 3.14 / 20.0; x = floor(sin(psi) * 18) + 26; y = floor(-cos(psi) * 8) + 26; burn_spot(x, y, 3); } } } } /* Flame algorithm */ for (y = (YMAX - 2); y >= 0; y--) { i = y * XMAX; for (x = 1; x < (XMAX - 1); x++) { j = i + x; bm.cmap[j] = (bm.cmap[j + XMAX - 1] + bm.cmap[j + XMAX] + bm.cmap[j + XMAX + 1] + bm.cmap[j]) >> 2; } } /* Convert colourmap to rgb */ for (i = 0; i < (CMAPSIZE - XMAX); i++) memcpy(&bm.rgb[i * 3], &bm.flame[bm.cmap[i] * 3], 3); } 

One thing I had thought of was just changing the line memcpy(&bm.rgb[i * 3], &bm.flame[bm.cmap[i] * 3], 3); to instead be memcpy(&bm.rgb[i * 4], &bm.flame[bm.cmap[i] * 3], 3); and that worked better than the first approach I mentioned, except that it messed up the flame colors. The flame that used to be red was now blue, and the flame that should be blue was now orange. I'm guessing that maybe the change in color has to do with Endianness?
Anyway, I'm really curious why my first approach didn't work at all, and my 2nd attempt at modifying the code did but changed the colors of the flame.
Here is a repo containing the full program source (without my modifications): https://github.com/kennbr34/wmfire/tree/main/src

Here is what I have planned out... in USA/California - not near a Micro Center
PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor	$129.00 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Deepcool AG400 BK ARGB 75.89 CFM CPU Cooler	$29.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock B550M Phantom Gaming 4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	$84.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Silicon Power XPOWER Turbine 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory	$49.97 @ Amazon
Storage	Silicon Power UD90 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$82.99 @ Newegg Sellers
Video Card	ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card	$179.99 @ Newegg
Case	Thermaltake Core V21 MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$59.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$616.92
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-06 18:42 EDT-0400

I have a EVGA 500 GD power supply and Win 10 license I'll move over to this rig.
Monitors are dual 2K WQHD Samsung monitors (S24H85x).
Would love feedback on the components.

How does LPs work in NEU (wifi, utilities, furniture, laundry)? Does anyone have a floor plan for 1065 tremont st or any pictures/ videos that they could share? How is the property in general?

Sorry for the weird or unusual question, but I’m planning on buying a used f55 mini made in 2016, and since a manual is cheaper, I want to buy that with the intention of swapping an automatic gearbox out of comfort. How hard would that be in terms of mechanics, electronics, time and money?

Species: dog Age: 11 months Sex/Neuter status: male/neutered Breed: mini Goldendoodle Body weight: 18 lbs.
Your general location: DC metro area History:
In early April, our puppy stayed over at his breeder's house for a few nights while we were away. We provided the same food he's always eaten (Pawtree chicken and brown rice formula), and he had never had any significant GI issues before this. When we picked him up, she mentioned his stool was a little loose but we didn't think much of it.
A few days after coming home, he just didn't seem like himself. His stool was consistently loose and he had vomited a few times. We had our vet take a look at him but she didn't find any cause of the issues and he wasn't dehydrated so she recommended a bland diet for a week or so and then see how he was after that. We did the bland diet (boiled chicken and rice), but his stool never really firmed up. We would try to gradually add back in some of his dry food but that seemed to make it worse.
In late April I found blood along with mucus in his stool and he had vomited a few times recently so I took him into the pet urgent care. They also didn't find anything significant, and they thought it could be an ulcer. They gave him a shot of Cerenia, then gave us Metronidazole, Sucralfate, and Omeprazole to give to him over the next 2 weeks. We did that, along with continuing the bland diet, and saw improvement in the texture for a few days but then it went back to being loose. He wasn't vomiting and I wasn't noticing any more blood.
Since the stool was still loose, I started wondering if he could have a chicken allergy, so we made him lean ground beef and rice instead of boiled chicken and rice, but we didn't see much progress with that either. Our vet recommended we try a salmon based dry food, so we got Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach formula. Still didn't see any improvement in the texture. A few weeks ago, he started to have diarrhea. It wasn't urgent, but when he went it was pretty much all liquid. I called the vet and told them I wanted them to run a stool test and they did, but the findings were normal. We started to add a probiotic to his food once a day.
Recently he's been pooping once a day in the mornings. We can't keep him on the bland diet forever because he won't get enough nutrients, so last night we added a little of his original dry food (Pawtree chicken/rice formula) to his ground beef/rice, and then did so again this morning for breakfast. He didn't poop last night or this morning, but I just took him on a walk and the poop was formed but mushy. I noticed that there was dark blood in it again. The color of the poop itself was darker than usual as well.
It could be coincidence that he had blood in his stool right after we reintroduced his dry food, or that could be the cause, but he hadn't had chicken in a few weeks before that and the stool was still loose.
What else could it possibly be and what should I be asking the vet? Should I continue to reintroduce the dry food or stick to the ground beef/rice? I'm concerned that he has been having these GI issues consistently for an extended period of time, and the vets haven't found the reason for it yet. Are there other tests that should be done?

My friend and I (34M) had been planning on a pool day, and today wound up happening to be that day. It's worth noting that both my friend (~30s F) and her daughter (5F) have Type 1 Diabetes. They manage their condition with a device called a PDA, (Personal Diabetic Assistant) and some patches that get applied to their skin that are evidently waterproof. This device happens to look exactly like a phone, but doesn't do much other than monitor blood sugar levels and alert the user if they need something more than the insulin in the patch. This takes the form of either something that looks like a candy, or a juice box.
Other thing to notice is, my friend works in the adult entertainment industry and is both very, very comfortable in her own skin and has been fresh out of fluffs to give since she was about 18 years old. Not to say she acts or dresses immodestly (especially around her daughter), just that she appreciates being appreciated and looks amazing in a bathing suit. As for the fresh out of fluffs? Well, you'll see.
My gym, for obvious reasons, has a rule about no recording devices of any kind being used in the locker rooms or pool areas. That's not to say there's a no cell phone rule, because there isn't. It'd be both unenforceable and impractical. You can have your phone, but you'll be escorted off the premises if you're caught taking pictures of people or recording video. There's also a rule about no outside food being brought in, as they've got a restaurant/cafe inside and frown upon people bringing their own lunches in. Happily enough, there's an exception for diabetics and other such medical conditions, because that's kind of federal law that such things must be allowed.
So, my friend and I arrive, and we post up on a pair of deck chairs. One of us keeps an eye on the tot, and today it's mostly me since she enjoys the sensation of being cooked by the sun slowly and I have trouble sitting still. After a little while, my friend flags us down, as the little one needs a juice box.
Me, being a mature and responsible adult, naturally stole said juice box and tried to do a runner. The little girl squeals and says something like, "HEY! That's MY juice box! You give it back!" and me doing my best greased up deaf guy voice from Family Guy reply, "You're never gonna catch me!" and there's a little bit of a spectacle as she chases me down.
Finally I let her catch me and return the juice box, and we both walk back over to where my friend has been keeping an eye on us. She moves her enormous sunglasses down to the tip of her nose and gives me an eye roll, and asks, "Did I bring one child in here? Or two?"
I plead the fifth, and have a sit and chat while the little one slurps down her juice box. My friend then whips out her daughter's PDA, which has a hot pink case on it with a label on it that says, "Little B." This is to differentiate it from my friends, which also has a hot pink case on it that says "Bad Bitch" on it. (It used to say Little Bitch, but that was frowned upon when she had to give it to the teacher for Kindergarten, so Little B. it was.)
We chill until the device has been appeased, and then I take the little one off for some more trips down the water slide while my friend flips over and undoes the back of her bathing suit so she's cooked evenly. Before we can make it very far, a middle aged woman complete with the Karen haircut comes over and starts to squawk, "You need to cover up! There are children here!"
My friend rolls over and keeps her bathing suit in place with an arm, and points at me with her free hand "I know. There's two right there. Don't let the size fool you, the big one's the less mature of the pair. What's your problem exactly?"
Karen puffs up a bit, "My son won't stop staring at you! You're... you're tempting him!"
Without missing a beat, my friend replies "Oh, really? Why don't you try telling someone who gives a fuck. You're in my light, this is a pool, I'm wearing a bathing suit. Have a fantastic day." and then rolls back over onto her front.
The Karen makes a gobbling sound, apparently at a loss for words, and stomps off with her fists clenched, presumably in search of a manager.
Me and the little one go off for the water slides, which I was secretly looking forward to. A man in his 30s going down a water slide by himself? Rather odd. Going down a slide with a four year old in front? Totally normal.
After about an hour of impersonating a fish, I look for my friend and see her standing up, looking around with a very concerned expression on her face. I pop the little one onto my shoulders and we go check in.
Apparently at some point my friend had managed to doze off despite the noise, and the big bag of stuff she brought in was missing, and she kind of needs it right now, her sugars feel off and she's dizzy.
I leave the little one with her mom and think for a moment, then I have a thought, and figure going over to the check in desk might be step one. An attendant looks up at me with a smile and asks how he can help. I explain the situation, that there's a big bag missing. Pretty standard beach fare bag, so he asks if I can identify anything inside.
"There should be two hot pink things that look like phones inside. One says Bad Bitch on it." The attendant covers his guffaw just barely, and then brings up my friend's bag. He explains that a woman brought the bag over, claiming the person whose bag it was kept on using the devices inside to take pictures of her and her offspring. The guy knows that we probably didn't do anything wrong, but he had no idea to whom the bag belonged and also didn't want to get into it with that woman. I couldn't blame him.
I take the bag back to my friend, and she starts digging through it. And then the digging becomes rifling, as things are rapidly ejected haphazardly from the bag. And then she looks up at me, "That BITCH." She says in a rather alarmingly cold tone.
I said something clever, sounded a lot like, "Huh?"
"ALL of the juice boxes and candy are gone and my sugars are hitting the floor. I'm going to kill her."
Today I Learned that irritability is an understatement as far as a low blood sugar symptom goes.
My friend stands up, scans the area, and sees something. She stalks over, and happens upon a rather smug and familiar looking woman laid up on a lounge chair, with a rather timid looking boy of about 12 in the next chair over. The Karen opens her mouth to say something, and manages to let out another squawking sound as my friend without any preamble or warning, grabs the woman's bag and dumps the whole thing on the ground.
The woman inelegantly falls off of her chair, frantically scrambling to collect all of her stuff while my friend bends over and picks up some candy wrappers and a single empty juice box. And then my friend says something in a tone that sends shivers down my spine when I think about it. "You stole my baby's medicine? And then ate it?"
There's always something alarming about something said in a tone that SOUNDS calm, but is not at all calm. Sensing imminent violence, I placed myself between myself and my friend and started shouting for help. A couple lifeguards ran over, one speaking into a walkie talkie urgently.
While all this is going on the Karen is frantically cramming her things back into her bag, oblivious to her surroundings. Finally she finishes, realizes what's going on, and immediately stands up and starts shooting her mouth off about indecency and rule breaking and if my friend didn't bring enough to share she shouldn't have brought any at all.
At this point, my friend shakes me off and thrusts the candy wrapper in her face. "Do you understand what this is FOR?! My child is DIABETIC. *I* am diabetic. Do you go around and steal shit from every girl here whose skinnier and prettier than you? Or just the ones who don't put up with your bullshit?"
At this point several other staff members have arrived and separated the parties. My friend is taken promptly over to the cafe for the first and to my knowledge only instance of free food being given out by the place. Once her sugars had leveled out she had to tell her side of the story to those who needed to know. I don't really know what happened to the Karen. I did ask, but the staff member I asked said they couldn't say.
We had to leave after that, as it's fairly important for diabetics to have sugar on hand, and neither of us really felt like paying 3.50$ for a glass of orange juice. Plus the mood was kind of ruined.
People these days. Ugh.

Wow okay so let me start with some context, I live in a pretty small town where if you are out and about and socialable even just a little bit you get to know a lot of people. Ive also lived here my entire life so id consider myself somewhat rooted in this community. Im going to call him Josh, Josh has lived here off and on since he was a 18 so hes also pretty deeply rooted in the community. His mom is from the states and his dad is from here.
For example, while I was growing up (elementary school-middle school) there was a ice cream shop up from my house which one of his friends ran, he would be in there sometimes. I dont particuarly remember if he was ever in when me and my family would come in and get ice cream but im just going to say hes known me for a while, and definitly since I was a minor.
We never really had conversations until i was in highschool around 15-16yo and he worked in a jewlery and thing shop that me and my friends liked going in. From there we actually began knowing of eachothers existence but it was never in any way. Just having friendly conversation with a familiar face.
Then last summer i went away on a trip for a month and my job had to hire new people and he was hired as he was also a friend of my boss and her family so it was an easy quick fix to me being gone for a month. Once i got back from my trip i wasnt working any of the same shifts with him unless I was covering, so i didnt see him all too much and didnt really put too much effort into having conversation when we were working together.
Up until Jan 2023 we began working together more and so i began talking to him more and over the course of that month (im 18 and1/4 at the time) and we began hanging out outside of work but always just after work, never going out of our way to hang out on off days. We'd go to the beach after work and have a couple beers and just talk, for hours. I love the types of conversations we have, they range in topic and level of depth but we consistintly get the whole spectrum. Ive always felt a little bit awkward speaking, in the sense of not feeling like things come out right and always being misunderstood. But for some reason with him ive never felt more present and actually capable of talking, processing, and understanding all at once. He's healed things in me from previous relationships and ive done the same for him. I wasnt planning/plotting to sleep with him we never really talked about it and it was kinda a 'if it happens it happens' type of thing for me. Working with him I had a little crush on him but im not the type of person to do stuff with coworkers but after actually getting to know him, my little coworker crush developed into an actual crush.
One day me, him and our other coworker (26F) did our usual sunset beach beer hangout and we all felt hungry and josh offered to make us some food up at his place, and we agreed. I had a bottle of nice whiskey at my house so i dropped by and picked it up before heading up. we all ate and got a bit drunk, him and our other coworker more than myself since i had to drive 15-20 min to get home and she lived just down the street. She ended up deciding to leave around 11pm and i chose to stay and hang out longer, soon enough it was 3am and we both felt like it would be best if i dont drive home (i had drank more and was getting tired). He has a small one bedroom place and doesnt have room for a couch so he was going to sleep on the floor while i took his bed but i told him that i feel comfortable with him sleeping next to me. We ended up sleeping together and have been seeing eachother since then.
We've been keeping "us" pretty down low because I know that both of my parents (mom 50F and dad 57M) would have a pretty big issue with it. My mom was aware that i'd hang out with him after work/outside of work and that we were friends, I was just hiding that ive been sleeping with him. I'd hang out with him and his friends, be invited to BBQ's and camping out, they didnt know at first but as of more recent times they have been made aware of our dynamic and are completely supportive. Now majority of his friends that he sees on the weekly basis knows and the word has spread.
Im on a trip visiting family on the mainland and before i left i mentioned to him that ive been thinking of having our relationship be just platonic again. We've taken a break before (he expressed a need for it the first time) and now i felt like it would be best if we'd stop sleeping together as i felt like things were progrssing too fast and too many people were getting involved (aka i was getting overwhelmed and anxious on how this was all going to go/end). Ive been gone for a week and we havent been texting as much, he knows im with family and want space. And then I get a text from my mom saying she heard that josh has a 18 year old girlfriend and that she'd like some explaining. ive texted him and updated him, i want us to stay on the same page. I really dont want to tell my mom the full truth but I also dont want to lie, and i know he wont support me lying as well. Hes currently at work and will be there for the next 4-5 hours so im just playing the waiting game to see how he feels about the whole situation.
Should I tell the whole truth since shes already been told by someone in the community and just come clean even though my body is screaming run? I know that I should i just know that it would cause so much tension in the house and im already planning on moving to a different stare in november of this year and i dont want our last months to be full of fighting. not to mention the rest of my life this being held over my head. i just wish that i could do things and not have it be everyones business, especially since its not a serious relationship and we both knew it was never was going to be one.
​
sorry if this is all over the place im currently an nervous mess. i have therapy before i head home and have to deal with this in the flesh. wish me luck xoxo

Hello! I recently moved to a new place after living in the old (quiet) one for 8 years. My current building has entrances on two streets: one for the mansion, and one side is commercial. The first floor commercial side has a small nail salon and a recently-opened bar (as in like 3 days ago). I live on the third floor of the building, which spreads across the top of the whole building (commercial and residential sides both).
The problem is that the bar is extremely noisy. Like the music is coming up inside the walls or something. If you go into my toilet room at night, it sounds almost as if you’re in the bar itself.
Who can I complain to? Before the bar opened there was regular street noise of course, but now it’s like a party I didn’t ask for in my room all night. Does my landlord own the whole building and I should complain to him? Or is it possible ownership is split and it’s someone else? Will the police care if it’s technically a commercial building on that side?
Gimme some advice please! Signed, Sleepless in Osaka

I am lucky to live 15 minutes away from an outlet location. I've always known it was there but have only visited once when I was looking for an ugly sweater for a party about 10 years ago. My location is dubbed a "competitive" spot, which I did not know until this past weekend. I made this post asking about the bins in general.
So my brother and I arrived shortly after opening and we were both shell shocked upon entering lol. It was very full. People were concentrated in one corner going crazy so I assumed they just rolled those bins out. We started on the other side where people weren't looking and just kind of awkwardly went in for it. About five minutes in my brother was like, "they're coming" 😳 and we saw the workers bringing new bins to the middle of the outlet. A few seconds later people ran and FLOCKED. We watched this happen again, literally just taking it in. Was truly crazy.
The third rotation, WE WENT FOR IT! It was much more civil than I had expected. Nobody pushed, it seemed like many regulars were chatting while digging (mostly guys in their 30's and 40's, but one guy my age who resells vintage shirts. I am friends with him on FB) and everyone kind of just moved down the line quickly. Which sucked because I wasn't able to dig that much before moving down. A lot of times I felt like I was in the way because of the huge ass cart I grabbed but nobody was mean or confrontational about it. One man accidentally hit my cart and he apologized and was nice about it. The cart overall was just awkward though, I ended up parking it somewhere against the wall and not getting it until we were finished. Next time I go, I might bring a reusable tote or pick one up from the bins (I saw many) so I can just hold it on my shoulder or something? Idk
Overall, it went much better than I had thought. Found lots of underwear and dirty socks, which I was warned about, many on the floor too... doesn't really bother me though but I didn't realize how many I'd find lol. The workers were all very friendly and they cleaned that stuff up entirely between the rotations. Instead of getting yelled at like I read online, a worker politely asked us to move because they were changing the bins. They were also chatting with the regulars as they moved stuff in. The music was good, too, and I got in the zone after about 45 minutes.
Unfortunately, my brother didn't have breakfast and I was also getting hungry so we left after about 2 hours. I TOTALLY could have stayed longer, this would have been a good time for a lunch break. I noticed they stopped the rotations for a while at this point and we didn't know if that was it for the day or what was going on. I'll have to visit in the afternoon just to see what that is like.
The haul? Well, there wasn't one... lol. Here is what I found and put back, in order: * Aerie white cropped sweater - SO much pilling but adorable * Aerie offline cropped tank top - XS, in hindsight should have grabbed it for what I was paying but this was only the second thing I found so I was kind of nervous lol plus they were beginning to roll these bins away and we just kind of had to dip * Levi's straight jeans - jeans literally do not sell at all for me so I put them back. Also these were maybe kids? Size said 12 which is my size and these were definitely not my size. * Random vintage old lady birdhouse sweater - loved it but I am not sure how these vintage sweaters would do as I have a few listed now that don't have any attention * Anthropologie sweater - Looked like an older style or possibly shrunken * Zara trafaluc crop blouse - Also looked like an older style and Zara doesn't seem to sell well for me either unless it's something super in demand * Kut from the kloth skinny jeans - Debated, but yeah... jeans do terrible for me. Wish I picked them up though just to try this brand * Random NWT mom jeans - I was interested bc never heard of the brand before, but tag said $30 so I put them back. They were my size but mom jeans tend to run small on me so ultimately just put them back.
What we did get were some 2000's-ish silly shirts to repurpose (my brother's thing, not mine lol) or use for the gym, an old navy dress (Regular GW was asking $10.99... LOL), a pullover for myself, and a thermal for my mom. Total was a few cents over $6!
I am ready to go back ASAP! Tomorrow I have plans but I am hoping to be back Thursday and give it a shot by myself.
Edit: Also, the bins themselves were not as dirty as I expected. My hands were not as grimy as I was preparing for! Still wiped them down really well afterwards. I packed up all the stuff needed to use the laundromat in case it was extra gross, but I just used my own washer at home. Yeah, the items smelled musty and my pullover kinda smelled like puke but it all came out after washing.

Wow okay so let me start with some context, I live in a pretty small town where if you are out and about and socialable even just a little bit you get to know a lot of people. Ive also lived here my entire life so id consider myself somewhat rooted in this community. Im going to call him Josh, Josh has lived here off and on since he was a 18 so hes also pretty deeply rooted in the community. His mom is from the states and his dad is from here.
For example, while I was growing up (elementary school-middle school) there was a ice cream shop up from my house which one of his friends ran, he would be in there sometimes. I dont particuarly remember if he was ever in when me and my family would come in and get ice cream but im just going to say hes known me for a while, and definitly since I was a minor.
We never really had conversations until i was in highschool around 15-16yo and he worked in a jewlery and thing shop that me and my friends liked going in. From there we actually began knowing of eachothers existence but it was never in any way. Just having friendly conversation with a familiar face.
Then last summer i went away on a trip for a month and my job had to hire new people and he was hired as he was also a friend of my boss and her family so it was an easy quick fix to me being gone for a month. Once i got back from my trip i wasnt working any of the same shifts with him unless I was covering, so i didnt see him all too much and didnt really put too much effort into having conversation when we were working together.
Up until Jan 2023 we began working together more and so i began talking to him more and over the course of that month (im 18 and1/4 at the time) and we began hanging out outside of work but always just after work, never going out of our way to hang out on off days. We'd go to the beach after work and have a couple beers and just talk, for hours. I love the types of conversations we have, they range in topic and level of depth but we consistintly get the whole spectrum. Ive always felt a little bit awkward speaking, in the sense of not feeling like things come out right and always being misunderstood. But for some reason with him ive never felt more present and actually capable of talking, processing, and understanding all at once. He's healed things in me from previous relationships and ive done the same for him. I wasnt planning/plotting to sleep with him we never really talked about it and it was kinda a 'if it happens it happens' type of thing for me. Working with him I had a little crush on him but im not the type of person to do stuff with coworkers but after actually getting to know him, my little coworker crush developed into an actual crush.
One day me, him and our other coworker (26F) did our usual sunset beach beer hangout and we all felt hungry and josh offered to make us some food up at his place, and we agreed. I had a bottle of nice whiskey at my house so i dropped by and picked it up before heading up. we all ate and got a bit drunk, him and our other coworker more than myself since i had to drive 15-20 min to get home and she lived just down the street. She ended up deciding to leave around 11pm and i chose to stay and hang out longer, soon enough it was 3am and we both felt like it would be best if i dont drive home (i had drank more and was getting tired). He has a small one bedroom place and doesnt have room for a couch so he was going to sleep on the floor while i took his bed but i told him that i feel comfortable with him sleeping next to me. We ended up sleeping together and have been seeing eachother since then.
We've been keeping "us" pretty down low because I know that both of my parents (mom 50F and dad 57M) would have a pretty big issue with it. My mom was aware that i'd hang out with him after work/outside of work and that we were friends, I was just hiding that ive been sleeping with him. I'd hang out with him and his friends, be invited to BBQ's and camping out, they didnt know at first but as of more recent times they have been made aware of our dynamic and are completely supportive. Now majority of his friends that he sees on the weekly basis knows and the word has spread.
Im on a trip visiting family on the mainland and before i left i mentioned to him that ive been thinking of having our relationship be just platonic again. We've taken a break before (he expressed a need for it the first time) and now i felt like it would be best if we'd stop sleeping together as i felt like things were progrssing too fast and too many people were getting involved (aka i was getting overwhelmed and anxious on how this was all going to go/end). Ive been gone for a week and we havent been texting as much, he knows im with family and want space. And then I get a text from my mom saying she heard that josh has a 18 year old girlfriend and that she'd like some explaining. ive texted him and updated him, i want us to stay on the same page. I really dont want to tell my mom the full truth but I also dont want to lie, and i know he wont support me lying as well. Hes currently at work and will be there for the next 4-5 hours so im just playing the waiting game to see how he feels about the whole situation.
Should I tell the whole truth since shes already been told by someone in the community and just come clean even though my body is screaming run? I know that I should i just know that it would cause so much tension in the house and im already planning on moving to a different state in november of this year and i dont want our last months to be full of fighting. not to mention the rest of my life this being held over my head. im not ashamed of him, i just wish that i could do things and not have it be everyones business, especially since its not a serious relationship and never was going to be one.
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sorry if this is all over the place im currently an nervous mess. i have therapy before i head home and have to deal with this in the flesh. wish me luck xoxo
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edit: i already know that im cutting him off, i care about him as a person to where im going to do it better than just ghost. i just need advice on how to handle my situation at home. I live at home with my mom...