Did patti labelle passed away yesterday

My now ex and I broke up literally all of an hour ago. We’d been dating for all of 3 years and built somewhat of a life together. Her (19F) mother passed away shortly in to our relationship and I (21M) quickly moved in with her to be there at her whim every hour of the day. She’d been through a fair bit in her life and I always tried to support her in every decision she made whether it put me in a position of feeling insignificant or not and I did this for the entirety of the relationship. Towards the end there was about 3-4 weeks of her going out without me and even to a party where she and my mates were invited but not me.
This feeling of isolation got to me. Feeling as if I was there when she needed me but not when she wanted me. It was f**king painful for a lack of a better word.
Two weeks of no intimacy despite my countless advances. I’m a strong advocate for “NO MEANS NO” so I was respectful of her decision but after two weeks the mind can only wonder of the skeletons in the closet. Regretfully I checked her phone and found conversations of her flirting with a co worker. The conversation was merely flirting but nothing suggestive so we discussed it and it was of a case of low self esteem. I get it. Sometimes your partner can say “your beautiful” so many times in so many different ways before the words start to sound hollow.
We’re out for my birthday and the moment we get through the doors she disappears to the toilet for 20 minutes while my mates and I await her return. To no avail we decide to go grab drink and put our name down for Karaoke (hey it’s a 21st and nothing beats an Islands in the Stream duet with you and your best mate). Anyway 40 minutes later I find her sitting with her friend (M). To clarify I really am not the jealous type and I know the relationship these 2 had so I wasn’t concerned. I was more upset by the fact that over the previous month or so and now on my birthday she’s decided to leave me behind for others.
We had the most gruelling conversation just before about putting a pin in it. I asked if we could just try it all over again but she brought up a good point, We’d had our ups and downs, our good times and our bad but it was just like flogging a dead horse. :(
I’ve got a long process ahead me and I’m trying to get through all the stages ASAP so I can start feeling myself again. If you have any tips, any advise or can empathise it would truly help ❤️

Note: As I said I want to take my time with this story and write it in better quality ("book alike") with bigger chapters and more characters development and world building. Enjoy this chapter!
Prologue Chapter 1 Prev Next
*****
Karina stepped through the portal for the second time that day, emerging in a bustling square in the heart of Aharedun, the capital city of the Kingdom of Aranthia. Unlike the portal to Thalassar, this one was noticeably smaller and less blurry, allowing Karina to clearly see the guards standing on the other side of the shimmering energy field. They wore their imposing grayish armor, their eyes trained on the group of travelers that had just arrived.
Leading the way was Prince Kaelen, who beckoned Karina and their new Viluna companions to follow him into the city. As they made their way through the square, Karina couldn't help but marvel at the sights and sounds around her. The buildings were unlike anything she had ever seen on Earth, with towering spires and ornate decorations adorning every surface. The air was thick with the scent of exotic spices and the sound of alien music that made her toes tap in rhythm.
The crowd that had gathered to greet them was diverse, made up of Thalassarians they already met and several others, she wasn’t sure if they were other species or races.
Her attention was drawn to a particular figure in the crowd, a small creature with dark-green skin and carapaces on its body. It wore a bright yellow toga and had a face that was humanoid but with distinct differences. Its nose was small and almost imperceptible, and it had no hair on its head. Karina couldn't help but stare, fascinated by this strange being.
Before she could take in more of her surroundings, Prince Kaelen stepped forward and made a gesture opening both of his hands and waving his head from one side to other, prompting the crowd to follow suit. Karina wasn't sure if it was a greeting or a bow, but she joined in, copying the movement.
"Welcome, citizens of Aharedun and visitors from afar!" Prince Kaelen announced to the crowd. "We are honored to have these new guests among us, the Humans! We will be taking them to the Royal Palace to show them more of our city tonight and in the coming days. In the meantime, please enjoy the festivities and explore our wonderful city!"
The crowd erupted into applause, and Karina felt a sense of warmth and hospitality from the Thalassarians, she wasn’t sure what she expected once they came here, but this was a welcome sight. As they followed Prince Kaelen down the bustling street, she took in more of the sights and sounds around her, feeling a sense of adventure and excitement building within her. She couldn't wait to see what other wonders this world had in store for her.
They walked stone-cobbled streets towards the big Palace prompted on one of the hills that surrounded the city. The whole time Karina and the humans were escorted by the legion of guards and the hooded figures appeared every once in a while on the corners or on top of the buildings.
“How many people live here?” Karina asked her Viluna which was hovering near her shoulder.
“Around five hundred thousand,” Viluna answered with a squeaky voice.
“Is that a lot in Thalassar or?” Karina asked curiously.
“It’s on a bigger spectrum, but that are larger cities, Aranthia has three bigger cities, but this their capital due to its geopolitical position.” A little speck of flittering light answered. “Which city are you from back on Earth?” The little creature asked her.
“I was born in Moscow,” Karina answered.
“Ahh, we have heard of it in our brief time on Earth,” Viluna answered.
“What?” Karina was shocked. “You have been on Earth? When?” She asked.
“We have visited once the portal was open,” Viluna answered. “We are curious creatures, drawn to new things.”
“How come no one saw you?” Karina asked looking at the Viluna as it flown around her head.
“We can’t take physical or any form on that matter on Earth.” The creature said. “See on our moon we have a physical form, down here on Thalassar we are like this, but once we went through the portal we became nothing but a flicker in the air, barely visible if you knew what you were looking for.” The creature said changing its colors.
“So, why are you here and with us if you can just go to Earth and learn all about us from the shadows?” Karina asked.
“Well, it’s not that simple. Since we can not find any form on Earth, we can’t stay long there, no more than an hour at a time and once we get back it takes us long time to recover.” Viluna explained.
Karina furrowed her brows, trying to understand. “Why is that?”
“We start to lose ourselves if we stay longer. Our minds can’t work right without a form. If we were to stay longer, we would probably cease to exist, as our minds would get lost completely,” Viluna said, changing colors.
“Hmm,” Karina said thinking. “You are weird little creatures. We will talk more tonight, I want to take in all the sights now.” With that said the little creature buzzed above her head.
They had almost reached the big palace during their conversation, only a big flight of rounding stone stairs was between them and an enormous gate at the top of the hill.
“Up we go humans,” Prince Kaelen said and started climbing.
They made their way up the grand staircase, their footsteps echoing against the stone steps. Karina looked around in awe at the view of the city that was unfolding before her. She could see the different districts and neighborhoods of Aharedun, each with its own unique architecture and vibe. She noticed a few towering buildings that stood out from the rest, in her mind those belonged to the nobility or wealthy merchants.
As they reached the top of the stairs, they were met with the sight of the enormous gate, decorated with intricate carvings and symbols that Karina couldn't decipher. The gate was guarded by two large statues of armored soldiers riding unfamiliar beasts, their swords raised and ready to strike. The guards opened the gates, and they stepped into a wide courtyard, filled with lush greenery and fountains.
The palace itself was an impressive structure, with several wings and towers reaching up toward the sky. The walls were made of a white stone that shimmered in the sunlight, and the windows were adorned with colorful stained glass. Karina could see balconies and terraces on the upper floors buzzing with people looking down at their new guests.
Prince Kaelen stood and faced the crown. “Welcome to Royal Palace,” He said opening his arms to show the majestic structure spreading on three sides around them. “It’s been built by my family some four hundred years ago and had been our home ever since.”
As Kaelen talked Karina took her time to take in the marvelous Palace. She was struck by the sheer grandeur of the architecture. Towering pillars rose up from the ground, supporting massive arches and intricate carvings that adorned every inch of the Palace's façade. The gardens were a sight to behold as well, with an array of exotic flowers and plants that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Karina could hear the soft babbling of a nearby fountain, which was surrounded by a group of playful Thalassarian children who were splashing around in the water.
Karina took few steps away from the group and noticed the bustling activity of the Thalassarians as they tended to the upkeep of the Palace and its grounds. Some were meticulously cleaning the pavement, making sure that every stone was spotless. Others were hard at work, trimming and pruning the greenery so that it maintained its shape and beauty. Karina couldn't help but admire the dedication and attention to detail that the Thalassarians put into their work.
Despite their busy schedules, the Thalassarians still found time to take in the sights and sounds of the Palace. Karina observed that they often stopped to exchange greetings and friendly banter with one another, even as they went about their tasks. And yet, whenever opportunity arose, the Thalassarians couldn't help but steal glances in the direction of humans. It was clear that they were curious about the visitors.
“This will be your home for the next year, or until you wish to get reassigned to another part of the program.” Kaelen said finishing speech. “There will be a maid so to say or someone to be of your assistance for each of assigned on top of your Vilunas to make your lives in palace easier. Go ahead enter the east wing of the palace and you will find your rooms at the second and third floor.”
Karina's heart skipped a beat as she stepped into the Palace, her eyes wide open as she tried to take in the grandeur of the interior. The entryway was dominated by a massive chandelier, but she noticed that instead of light bulbs, it was adorned with floating spheres of light that illuminated the entire room in a soft, warm white glow. The walls were painted in a rich shade of yellow, resembling the color of the ocean, while the marble floors were decorated with intricate patterns that seemed the follow the motives from their uniforms.
As she followed the grand hallway, she passed by rooms that were equally lush and rich. She couldn't help but marvel at the fine artwork that adorned the walls, the intricate tapestries that hung from the ceiling, and the luxurious furniture that filled each room. It was like nothing she had ever seen before.
Climbing at the third floor she arrived at her room. It was just as grand as the rest of the Palace, with a large four-poster bed draped in luxurious silks, a writing desk made of rare woods, and a balcony that offered a stunning view of the gardens below.
Nah really bad... Use this that you already had written but expand on it
As Karina was lost in thought, the sound of the door opening startled her. She turned to see a young Thalassarian woman with strikingly unique eyes. They were a deep purple with a faint glow, an unmistakable characteristic of the Thalassarians. Karina guessed her to be in her early twenties, but it was hard to tell with them yet.
The woman's beauty was undeniable, but there was also an awkwardness about her that made her all the more endearing. She stood there nervously, clasping her hands together, as she spoke in a soft voice, "Mistress, my name is Nereia. I have been assigned to assist you during your stay here."
Karina couldn't help but smile at the young woman's formal address, "Please, call me Karina. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Nereia."
Nereia let out a small sigh of relief, "Thank you, Karina. If you'll allow me, I'll show you around and help you with anything you need during your stay here. How do you like your room?" Nereia asked.
“I love it, it’s beautiful,” Karina answered truthfully. “It’s all very overwhelming, but it’s grandiose, to say the least,” Karina said with a friendly smile.
Nereia returned the smile, her faintly glowing eyes sparkling in the light. "I'm glad you like it. Well, the Royal Family is known for its luxurious style.” She said. “Is there anything else you need before I leave you to settle in?"
Karina shook her head, "No, I think I'm good for now. Thank you again, Nereia."
“I will be back later with a gown for the welcome feast tonight, you make yourself comfortable and call me if you need anything,” Nereia left and closed the door behind her.
Moments later Karina stepped out onto the terrace, taking in the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the sound of trickling water from the nearby fountain. She noticed Viluna, her sparkling companion, floating nearby.
"Hey,” Karina said, smiling at her companion. “I was wondering if you could tell me about how magic works. That’s one of the things we humans are the most curious about."
Viluna beamed back at Karina. "It won’t be that simple I am afraid, Karina. Magic is a complex and powerful force that is present in all living things. It's the energy that flows through us and connects us to the world around us."
“Why it won’t be that simple?” Karina asked curiously.
“Well, that’s amongst few things we are not allowed to share with you humans yet,” It said.
“What? Why?” Karina asked. “Aren’t you here to share the knowledge with us?”
“Yes, we are. But it was in the deal we made with the Prince,” Viluna said floating near her head. “The King himself requested we don’t share that knowledge yet, at least not to the full extent. I will answer some of the basic questions and I am sure you will find a lot on your own talking to other Thalassarians, but for now, we are not allowed to explain in detail.”
“Why did he request that?” Karina continued her barrage of questions.
“Because he is afraid that if we give out all of our knowledge you will be able to use it against them if you ever decide to invade again,” Viluna said the explanation made sense to Karina. “But don’t worry if the program goes well I am sure all the knowledge between the two worlds will be shared eventually as the trust grows.”
“Hmm,” Karina frowned. “Makes sense I guess. What can you share now then?” She was persistent.
“Well, All I can tell you is that most of the Thalassarians can cast some of the magic, or at least have to ability to learn it. But to those that can only access simple spells like creating a light sphere, it means nothing. I don’t know if I can find a perfect comparison, but it’s like all of you know how to read and write, but it doesn’t make you special in your own world.”
“Hmm, I don’t know if it’s a great analogy, but I think I get it,” Karina said sitting back in the comfortable chair on the corner of the terrace. “ What else can you share? Where does the magic come from?”
“Hmm, not sure,” Viluna said in a soft voice. “The source of the magic comes to from the moons of Thalassar. There are thirteen of them orbiting the planet and each one of them provides a person with a specific power. Every being born on Thalassar has a connection with at least one and that’s how they are able to make basic spells like light spheres, a small burst of fire, heal minor wounds, and so on.” Viluna spoke and danced around Karina’s head as she listened carefully.
“More skilled mages, healers, enchanters, and so on, have a connection to several moons and use their powers to create and cast unique spells. Even to this day people are able to think of new ways to cast and create new spells. It’s way more complex than that, but it’s all I am able to share for now, that information you can gather by asking almost anyone on the street and it can’t hurt the kingdom.”
“Woah, that’s interesting,” Karina said her eyes full of wonder. “Can someone have a connection to all of the moons?” Karina asked curiously.
“No, that’s unheard of,” Viluna answered landing on her knee. “Powerful magic users most have around five to six connections, the highest anyone ever had was ten, but it is more a myth than a confirmed fact, we don’t have any evidence that Xandros the Second had that ability.”
“Hmm,” Karina said taking in everything her little companion shared with her. “I am sorry, I just realized I never asked you for your name.”
“We Viluna’s don’t have names, but you are free to name me and call me whatever you like,”
“Ok, how about Lumina,” Karina asked right away. “Don’t know why but that name suits you.”
“I like it,” Lumina said her form shifting slightly.
Karina continued to ask a question to Lumina as she overlooked the busy gardens of the Royal Palace. An hour had passed in a blink and a knock from a door cut their conversation.
“Excuse me, Mistress Karina,” a soft voice said with a polite tone. “It’s Nereia, I brought your gown.”
Karina opened the door and welcomed the girl with a warm smile. “Come on in,” She said opening the door wide.
“I am afraid I can’t, they need us down to get everything ready for the feast tonight.” She said. “Here is your gown, get ready and I will come to get you in less than an hour and lead you towards the banquet hall.” Nereia handed her the gown and left.
Karina looked at the gown in awe as she held it in her hands, without hesitation she put the gown on. It was a beautiful, flowing creation made of the finest silk, with intricate embroidery and beading in shades of turquoise and silver. The sleeves were sheer, with delicate lace trimming, and the bodice hugged her curves before cascading down into a billowing skirt that trailed behind her as she walked.
It wasn’t her style at all, she was more of street clothes kinda a girl, but looking at herself in the mirror, she was blown away. She made a few turns looking at the dress from all angles. This kind of dress would cost her fortune back on earth. She found a few silver clips on the desk and styled her hair as best she could to go along with the dress.
A few moments later, Nereia arrived at the door, dressed in a lovely gown of her own, visibly less luxurious than the one Karina got. "You look stunning, Mistress Karina," she said with a smile. "Are you ready to go?"
Karina nodded, feeling a bit nervous but excited as well. She followed Nereia down the hallway, her long gown trailing behind her as they made their way toward the banquet hall. As they walked, Karina couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the palace once again. Every inch of it was adorned with intricate carvings, sparkling jewels, and delicate tapestries.
Finally, they arrived at the banquet hall. The hall was massive, with soaring ceilings, glittering chandeliers, and walls adorned with shimmering gold decorations. The tables were covered in rich, embroidered cloths, and gleaming silverware sparkled in the light of the glowing spheres floating above the table.
The guests were already arriving, each one more elegantly dressed than the last. They were all talking and laughing, their voices echoing off the grand walls of the hall. Karina felt a bit intimidated, but Nereia squeezed her arm reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Mistress Karina," she whispered. "I know feasts like these can look intimidating, but you humans are the stars of the show."
With that, she led Karina toward their assigned table where most of the humans would sit this evening. Nereia took a seat next to her and on the other side, she recognized a girl from their program wearing a similar gown.
“Hey,” Karina said softly. “How are taking all of this?”
“Hey Karina, it’s overwhelming, but everything is beautiful so far, can’t complain,” Clarissa answered. “How about you?”
“Same,” Karina answered and they continued with small talk before the soft music that was playing stopped and people started standing up. Nereia slowly tugged at her arm pointing for the stand as well. Seconds later prince Kaelen walked into the hall with a beautiful woman under his arm. She was stunningly beautiful, with long golden hair that cascaded down her back in loose waves. Her dress was a shimmering ivory color, with delicate beading that sparkled in the candlelight.
Karina couldn't help but notice the intricate braids woven into the woman's hair, forming an elegant and intricate pattern that must have taken hours to create. Her makeup was subtle, but enhanced her natural beauty, with a soft pink lip and just a touch of blush on her cheeks.
“That’s Zaya, Kaelen’s bride-to-be,” Nereia said.
“She is beautiful,” Karina answered truthfully.
“Yes, she is amongst the most beautiful women in the kingdom. Kaelen chose her instead of marrying someone from his family provided in order to establish better relations with other kingdoms. It was a big deal at the time, but that’s prince Kaelen, he always does what he wants.” Nereia explained and Karina just nodded looking at the stunning couple.
“What’s the prince like?” Karina asked.
“He always stood out from the Royal Family. He is a bit eccentric, he likes to party, and travel, and isn’t really that much interested in Family matters.” Nereia said as the couple took a seat at the main table. “Bringing you guys here with this Citizens Exchange program is his way of proving his worth to the kingdom and his family.”
“How so?” Karina asked curiously.
“He doesn’t believe in his family policy of war and old-style politics. He believes both planets could benefit from each other if we set our differences aside and work together. The King was not for this program at all, but the prince managed to convince him otherwise with the help of his Mother.” Karina nodded in understanding and minutes later waiters started serving dinner.
Karina was serving a weird purple-looking fruit or vegetable, she wasn’t sure. “What’s this?” She asked Nereia.
“That’s Nemoryn fruit, it’s one of the best delicates in the Thalassar and only grown on one small island,” Nereia said. “It’s usually served only on big banquets and before the main course as this fruit is known to open the appetite and help dissolve the rest of the food easier.”
“And how do you eat it?” Karina asked poking at the fruit with her knife.
Neremia chuckled softly. “You cut off top and the bottom and then peel the leathery exterior.”
Karina did as told and the inside revealed a pink, jelly-like inside that was filled with small, edible seeds.
“You can eat it all, it’s ok to eat it with the spoon,” Nereia said.
Karina nodded and took her spoon taking a bite out of the fruit. It was soft and crunchy at the same time with a mild, sweet, and subtly bitter flavor. It began to melt into a liquid inside her mouth and the taste reminded of lime and coconut mixed together.
“Woah, this is delicious,” Karina said and took another bite. “Your food is truly amazing.”
Nereia smiled. “Yes it is, but you also are getting the best of the best, keep that in mind.” She said with a smile and Karina nodded her mouth full of delicious fruit.
The rest of the banquet went as expected, they ate amazing food, Karina made small talk with the rest of the humans, and spent most of the night chatting with Nereia, who proved to be rather curious about humans once she loosened up. Prince Kaelen provided them with a whole night of entertainment, dancers, actors, and entertainers took turns at the podium as the night went away.
Deep into the night when the feast was nearing its end, a loud explosion was heard from the outside and bright light emanated deep from the city which could be seen through the open terrace on one side of the banquet hall. Karina ran towards the terrace but the guards were already at the door prohibiting anyone to exit. Karina managed to peer through the cracks in their massive armor and saw a big flame at the part of the city where they walked earlier in the day.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am sure it’s nothing.” Prince Kaelen said with a stern voice. “Please leave for your rooms we have our people already investigating the source of the explosion. You will be informed of what happened as soon as we know.” He said and left the banquet hall in the hurry.
Nereia escorted Karina to her room and helped her unzip the dress before she left. Karina sank into a soft bed and her mind started racing with everything that happened today, but before the thought could consume her, tiredness took over and she sank into a deep sleep.
She was awakened by the commotion outside her terrace early in the morning. She ran and looked outside and saw Prince Kaelen talking with a man in a uniform she hasn’t seen so far, he had dozens of soldiers at his side. She quickly got dressed into the clothes she came in and went downstairs to look for Nereia.
“What’s going on?” Karina asked as she found the young girl sitting at the bench in the garden.
“Mistress Karina, you are awake,” Nereia said with a smile.
Karina could sense something was off, so she asked again. “What’s going on?”
“I am afraid nothing good,” Nereia said with a worried look on her face. “One of the ships transporting humans was attacked and destroyed last night at the open see.” She said bowing her head down.
“Which one?” Karina asked her heart racing.
“The one transporting your people to military camps,” Nereia said.
Karina’s heart sank in her chest with the realization that it was Liam’s ship. She almost fainted but Nereia took her by arm and helped her sit on the bench. First the explosion last night, then the ship, something was off and it made Karina have almost a full-blown panic attack, but her worry was focused on Liam now, she needed to find out what happened to him and if he was ok.
*****
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Tl;dr I'm doing my first extended fast! I targeted 72h which I will reach tonight at 7pm and am wondering if I should extend it to the following morning ~84h total. Are there any differences in health benefits with that duration of fast?
Long version: 40F 5'4 150lbs (20lb more than pre-pandemic) have done loads of intermittent fasting. Learned more about fasting recently and ideal timing for women based on where we are in our Menstrual cycles and some of the health benefits so thought to give it a go.
I'm at hour 60h and feel great. Drinking about 4-5L watetea a day. Wondering if I should keep going an extra 12h if there's significant health benefits to it.
Day 1: I was fine until I hit about 18h of fasting mostly because I've never gone that long. It's such a habit to go in the kitchen and eat something! Once that passed, I did feel a tiny bit weak which was resolved with electrolytes.
Day 2: woke up 5am (2 hrs before my usual wake up) went through the day mostly fine. Had about 5 mins of a bit of cold sweats and that went away. I felt like all my senses were sharper. Sight, smell, sound.. kinda feels like I'm on some secret drug that has me in a peak state and have good amounts of energy to think and get tons done, active lots of walking but nothing intense.
Day 3: woke up at 5am today again feeling alert. Mild stomach cramping which subsided, feeling constipated which I'm sure will go away after I break the fast. (I normally take psyllium husk daily which I stopped during the fast).
I've been learning about what are the best ways to break a fast. If anyone has recos on this too I'd love to know. My plan from my very novice research is - tsp mct oil - 30min later half avocado and sauerkraut - 1 hr later beef bone broth and maybe some steamed veg
Back to my main question, what are the benefits to extending beyond 72h?
Since I'm having such a positive experience I think I'll definitely try for 96h next month

And I can't wait to see people here on Reddit try to somehow justify my dad's behavior. Because that's cool and all.
For the record, it was too late to confront him about it, since I only found out what he had done about a year after he passed away. My credit was completely messed up, and I owed thousands of dollars because he made expensive purchases under my name.
With that said, I fortunately did get my credit fixed for the most part and I no longer owe that money after calling and explaining. But still...what an absolute scumbag. He may not be living anymore, but I've lost all respect for him.
And the fact that I didn't even find out until after he passed away, means I'll never know the reason why he did it. I get the suspicion he did it just because he thought he could get away with it. And he's the kind of person who never apologized or admitted he wronged someone. So he probably would have just denied it and twisted it on me instead.
I remember some years prior as a high schooler, I was at the local library, and there were some overdo books on my card for some reason...and I found out my dad had been using my library card behind my back. I never really asked my dad about it since it's "just" a library card. But still...why?
When you google "parent opened up credit cards under my name" it seems all too common.

My father died of a heart attack (myocardial infarction) at age 49 with no prior heart issues.
My mum died after having a cardiac arrest at age 56, she had long term health issues -high blood pressure that was difficult to control through diet and pills, she had 3-4 stents inserted and previously had a stroke (ischemic stroke) around 7-8 years before she died. As far as I know both of her grandmothers died following a hypertension crisis aged 49 and 57.
My maternal grandmother recently passed away at 81. did no die directly as a result of heart disease but that certainly was a contributing factor, she also had hypertension with blood pressure over 160 and coronary heart disease.
Paternal grandmother also had hypertension, heart disease and died following a stroke
None of my relatives had high cholesterol, obesity or diabetes.
I am currently 26F and I’m worried that this could be hereditary at what age should I start seeing a cardiologist?

Hello! We’ve been in our home about 5 months and since the nicer weather I’ve become more familiar with my outside. We have a small fence around what looks like a baby tree. I hadn’t thought much about it. It’s by the street so further from my home. Yesterday I was picking up trash that blew around and I’m next to the tree and fence protecting it and I notice what seems to be a crucifix made from wood staked in front but it had been pushed over and the cross was a little diagnol etc etc.I got the cross and got it straightened out and put it down in front of the tree just instinctively, and then I’m like, well I guess I need to pray now. 😅 is this a memorial? Has someone passed or been killed in my front yard? The tree is little, very little. When I get on the Polk co Recorder page to search, it’s a pretty extensive search engine and I have no clue where to put the address. There doesn’t seem to be a blank to type that in. All in all, how do we find our home history? I Google searched to try to find any news articles and did not find anything. Also i will maintain this baby tree and make it grow maybe it’s not a memorial at all and maybe it turns out to be a memorial of my gullibility and it’s just a tree someone had tried planting and the cross was some rubble 🤷‍♀️

He guys! I don’t have a photo atm (will post in the replies) but yesterday I used the trade code before work to get myself a foreign ditto. I was excited at the possibilities but being new to shiny hunting and only taking on smaller outbreak hunts so far I was prepared for a slightly longer grind and I was wondering how to get through.
Just at that moment I saw a Sligoo outbreak and knew I was going to have to try and get a shiny one first since I love Goodra. I figured, why not get all my eggs ready then hatch them as I do the outbreak?!
30 mins later and it’s getting late and im thinking of changing the system clock back to keep the outbreak and trying again tomorrow. The next 5 minutes the gods were looking down at me.
I see it. Shiny sligoo and I get really excited. First try caught it in a heal ball. Life is good. I take a few steps away debating what I should do next alongside my hunt for a shiny charmander. That moment an egg hatches and guess what?
There he is, in the lighting you couldn’t even tell he was shiny but he sparkled and I nearly jumped out of my seat. 30 eggs in I got my target! Just wanted to share this story and it’s probably my best experience so far within SCVI and shiny hunting overall!
So for anyone trying to hatch shinies and had doubts like I did, just keep at it, who knows luck could be on your side next time!
TL;DR really fun experience where within 2 minutes I caught both shiny sligoo and shiny charmander

I feel like my brother is being toxic. He was living with a sibling of ours and messed that up twice doing dumb stuff (drinking and smoking in front of the kids) then moved in with one of our parents (after multiple occasions of messing up. The other parent passed away years ago that baby’ed him all the time and now not anymore so not sure if this actually could be used but he feels it can. I knew how he was but thought for a couple days to figure out what he can do with his life.. my husband left bad and had him move in. Now for a couple days he was doing good and we did the rules no this or that and I’m getting him on the right track of money and getting a place that he knows I also have kids but decided he just wants to smoke so much I give get notified that he steps out because my came. One day he had off he went out 40x in and out and (vaping) I get he works late but damn you wait till 12am to eat??? He gets to the house by 10-1030pm to stay outside until 1130 then go back outside. He knew the rules and since my husband had to work out of state he knew he could abuse the time. Bad part of it I’m the nice sister and now I am now feeling he thinks he makes the rules and does stuff I wish I knew what he thought he always blaming someone. My mom my dad my other siblings friends coworker and so on… I didn’t want him him and now I feel forced and I don’t like that this is my house. What do I do or more so I’m looking for someone to just give their thoughts

Hi all - I posted this originally in the beyond the bump but not here so I thought I’d repost here for this specific issue.
I just don’t know if I’m overreacting over my MIL so I’ll give you the scoop and would love all your thoughts.
To preface, we aren’t extremely close and have never been. I’ve been with my husband for over 10 years and when I met him, he warned me to not engage too much with his mother. He generally avoids her and only makes time for obligatory holiday functions and birthdays etc. His parents divorced when he was a teen and from the sounds of it, she was very toxic and his father couldn’t take it anymore and wanted a divorce. There was a point where he didn’t speak to her for a couple of years because of her behaviour.
So I had my baby a few months ago (ftm) and she came to visit 2 days pp. From the minute she walked in she started on me about everything and saying everything in a very appalled way “you don’t have warmers for your wet wipes?!!” “She’s not sleeping in a bassinet?? I could never do that!!” “Home birth made me upset when I heard that’s what was happening” “no pacifier yet?!!” Like just on and on. When I was breastfeeding she walked right up to me and looked down my chest and started going on about suffocating the baby’s nostrils with my boob. I was so irritated but I didn’t say anything - I was just delirious and exhausted from labour etc. Then she wanted photos so she started treating my 2 day old baby like a Barbie doll. Combing her hair, adjusting and readjusting her clothes, positioning this way and that - it just felt very invasive and odd. Then she started trying to burp the baby (my milk supply hadn’t even come in yet) and that’s when my husband said ok time to leave. So it was time for her to hand off the baby and she had just told me to go eat. But I said “I’ll take her” to which she replied “oh what if baby’s dad wants to hold her?”I said “it’s ok I got her, I’m good” Then she asked my sister if she wanted to hold her. Once again I said - “that’s ok I will take her thanks”. To which she replied “well you can’t have her”. The whole thing was icky and made me feel sick and I just bawled after she left. She called my husband the next day complaining about the fact we weren’t using a bassinet, this that etc. he told her she was over the top and intense so she needs to calm down. So she ended up staying away for 3 weeks or so, all the while bothering my husband to take photos of my baby with her eyes open and a bow on her head. She got upset when we told her we needed a couple of weeks without visitors. Anyway her next visit, she is like over the top nice - very fake. She is holding my daughter who starts crying , so I waited a minute for her to settle and when she didn’t, I took her back. When I did that, My MIL said “oh I was very controlling too when I had my kids”. I just had a bewildered look on my face to which she responded “oh I just meant that I’d always have to come take them back when they cried”. The next time she came over for Christmas, she was just acting once again very fake nice, asking me questions like when did I come to this country (I’ve known her for ten years and she has already asked me all this info). Upon leaving she told everyone in the living room that I hadn’t yet changed my daughter’s diaper. (I was in the bedroom and did not hear this - my SIL told me later). And I did change her diaper I just did it in another room and didn’t announce it to the world. The next visit once again my daughter cried in her arms and she would try to pass off my daughter to anybody but me. This time I didn’t ask, I just went in and scooped my baby back from her. Add this all to her constantly calling my husband and having an opinion about literally every single thing we are doing in terms of raising my daughter. There’s just a problem with everything. Demanding photos from certain angles, freaking out that we aren’t taking those monthly milestone pics etc.
I’m having a LOT of anxiety over her next visit - I just don’t want her not giving baby back, I’m not interested in the comments of why we are not feeding rice cereal and why her bedtime is so early, and I’m not prepared for any more backhanded insults.
I’ve stopped responding to her texts. So she just bothers my husband. He’s brought up to her that she’s too aggressive and she keeps saying she’s trying to help. He knows she’s manipulative and toxic and so the good thing is that we don’t see her often. Like he’s said that he would never let my daughter spend time with her alone when she gets older bc he remembers how ridiculous his mom was growing up and he wouldn’t want our daughter to deal with this.
So I’m just wondering if my feelings are valid in not wanting to be around her. I don’t want to feel like I’m keeping my child from anyone. But it’s just really stressful for me to deal with her.
Thoughts?

I did a money diary this exact week last year about signing the offer letter for the company I work at now. I ended up getting a 5K COL adjustment (62k > 67k) once I moved to Philly. I expressed in the previous journal that I was worried about my taxes since I moved states and work for an NYC company from PA. As many suggested in the comments, it ended up being pretty simple (I used FreeTaxUSA).
SECTION ONE: ASSETS AND DEBT
Retirement Balance - $31,400. A mix of Roth IRA, 401(k), and traditional brokerage.
Equity - N/A
Savings account balance - $11,600 in Emergency Funds; $7,500 in a HYSA that I saved up during college and will use to pay off my student loans when payments resume this summer. Because of this, I consider myself debt free.
Checking account balance - $900; I had a $600 sinking fund for my food/shopping/entertainment in Paris, but I got $300 in cash birthday gifts.
Credit card debt (and how you accumulated it) - $0; I pay my cards off regularly.
Student loan debt - $7,500 for a Political Science and Social Policy Degree with a minor in English. I got a full-tuition scholarship, but had small gaps in aid during my first two years because my school required underclassmen to have on-campus housing and a meal plan.
—
SECTION TWO: INCOME
Income Progression: I’ve been at this job 9 months, make $67k, and it’s great. The people, the work, the benefits. It’s my first post-college, salaried position. I have pretty much no complaints about it and am hoping to get a merit raise during our summer evaluations.
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $3,400 (paid semi-monthly)
$1200/mo in total taxes (fed, state, local, SSI/med); $1000/mo to 401(k); Employer pays 100% of health premiums.
No other income currently, no parental contributions, etc.
—
SECTION THREE: EXPENSES (my portions, I live with a roommate)
Rent - $750/mo. Renewing in May; hoping it stays the same or doesn’t increase dramatically
Retirement/Investment contribution - $540/mo to Roth IRA (401(k) contributions detailed in the Income section).
Savings contribution - $460/mo to sinking funds, $200/mo to General Savings/Emergency Fund
Debt payments - None besides regular payments to my cards
Donations - $80/mo to whatever feels right
Food - ~$500/mo ($300 groceries + <$200 dining out)
Electric - $75/mo
Wifi - $65/mo
Cellphone - $300/yr (Mint Mobile)
Renter’s Insurance - $100/yr
Subscriptions - $8/mo; $7 for Apple Music and $1 for iCloud Storage
Annual Subscriptions - $380/yr; $190 for Credit Card Annual Fees; $165 for ScentBird Subscription; $25 for Google Storage
Gym Membership - $10/mo; $50/yr for Annual Membership Fee
I started on a health journey last June (lost 50+ lbs!). Back then, I was in search of any kind of fitness that I would enjoy and actually go to. I ended up getting a $190/mo membership (2 classes/wk) to a RUMBLE (HIIT Boxing) studio and went 2x a week from June - Nov. In December, I bought a flat-fee holiday package that made my classes cheaper ($19/cls vs $23/cls) and more flexible, so I froze my subscription and got a 30 class package.
In January, I started strength training 4x/wk at Planet Fitness and went down to 1x/week at RUMBLE. I love my current routine, but PF and RUMBLE are both a 35 min walk from my house, and I go to the gym early in the morning. So, I’m considering joining the closer (<10 min walk), but more expensive ($72/mo) gym soon.
I’m still slowly burning through the RUMBLE holiday package and plan to cancel my subscription. I’m hoping they do a summer sale so I can buy another class package. If not, I’ll just buy classes ad hoc after I run out.
No pet, car, or therapy expenses currently.
—
SECTION FOUR: MONEY/TRAVEL DIARY
ACCOMMODATIONS
The flight and accommodations for this flight were booked in September after getting an email from Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) about $500 tickets to Paris the exact weekend of my birthday. I stayed in a Sonder that I also booked back in September for about $480. I bought a $30, 5 GB international eSIM from Airalo. I was able to post on social media, send iMessages, and check my bank accounts with no problems and no extra data needed.
​
Day 1
Today is payday and the beginning of my week off. I clear my credit cards, invest my Roth deposit, and go to the gym.
After the gym, I pick up last minute toiletries ($45.35) and plane snacks ($21.48). I end up on a wild goose chase looking for a Universal Adapter ($34.39), so I get McDonald's (I wanted a Shamrock Shake) while I’m out ($9.15 - this feels expensive for McDonald's?)
My mom gives me a call around 8pm and asks if I’ve checked my bank account. Today was payday, so I had, but not since early that morning. She gifted me $200! After, I spend three hours retwisting my locs and go to bed around midnight.
Day 1 Spend - $108.37
​
Day 2
Today is Sims 4 Expansion Pack (and flight to Paris) day! I can’t install the game until 1PM ET. Lame.I do one last check to ensure I have everything I need, transfer my Paris Sinking Fund ($600) into my checking account, and then play the Sims to pass the time. At 4, I take the Regional Rail to the airport.
I breeze through TSA and read Another Country by James Baldwin until boarding begins. Upon boarding, I’m stopped and informed that my carry-on is “too big.” They were clearly picking people at random to move their bags because as the woman walked down the jet bridge with my bag, she rolled it past a man who had the exact same suitcase as me in another color. Annoying.
They don’t give me a chance to take out my laptop and snacks, this is my first time traveling internationally, I triple checked the sizing requirements, so this stressed me out. I was terrified of my bag getting lost. I vent to my best friend about the bag situation; she helps me calm down. Once we’re airborne, I spend the next 6 hours rotating between reading, watching Wakanda Forever, and listening to music.
Day 2 Spend - $0
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Day 3 (my birthday!)
We land in Dublin at 8am, and I activate my international eSIM. I see my older brother gifted me $100 via Cash App. Even though it was just a quick layover, being in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day made me happy. The Irish were teeming with happiness and excitement. I board my second flight and land in Paris at 1pm, finally am reunited with my bag, and get to the section of town I’m staying in via train ($12.18).
While I wait for a friend to arrive on the train from London, I try French McDonalds per the recommendation of my best friend ($14.95 - seriously, why the hell is McDonalds so expensive?)
Friend arrives and we explore Paris! We then stop at a bakery, I grab a pain au chocolat ($1.60) and slip into a bar nearby. My friend lets everyone know it’s my birthday, and they buy us lots of rounds of shots and drinks. My friend closes the tab for the couple of drinks we actually ordered, and we head to a club that’s having a St. Patrick’s Day party around the corner.
I later try to redeem my Starbucks birthday item, but the barista gently lets me know it’s not valid in France. However, he throws in a free refresher and my friend buys me a blueberry muffin. We head back to the hotel so I can freshen up and change into my birthday dress. We take a nap and head back out for the night on the train ($8.96 RT for 2). We have dinner at a delicious restaurant, which my friend pays for.
Our last stop of the night is an Afro-Caribbean spot that has great music and friendly staff. I tell the bartender it’s my birthday and ask for a drink recommendation. He makes some spicy concoction in a gold bowl with peppers. It’s quite delicious but is strong and makes my nose run! The staff gifts me at least two more shots, and I decide to call it quits on alcohol for the night after that. We dance and laugh the night away with the friendly staff, and I pick up the tab before we leave ($27.81).
Day 3 Spend - $65.50
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Day 4
My friend has been teasing a surprise and finally reveals it’s Disneyland! I laugh and realize I hadn’t disclosed the rest of my itinerary — I have a Disneyland reservation for Monday (after my friends went home)! However, I booked a non-park hopper ticket for Walt Disney Studios, so I’m excited to be able to experience them both thanks to my friend!
We had a late, drunk night last night so we started the day a bit late. Grabbed a quick brunch ($6.74) and head to Chessy via the train ($19.68). We got Premier Access (skip the line/lightning lane) for a handful of rides ($79.15), I bought some Stitch merch ($21.39), and we got ice cream ($5.35).
After a few hours at Disney, we head back to Paris to meet up with one of my friends from college who also lives in London. He’s a hyperextrovert and is ready to hit the town immediately. We wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower, but missed the last bus and grabbed dinner nearby ($89.96). My friend from high school started feeling a bit sick, so she went back to the hotel and my college buddy and I spend the night bar hopping, dancing, chatting, and eating until 3am ($37.44).
Day 4 Spend - $259.71
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Day 5
Both friends head back to London today but at different times. I start the day a bit late after saying goodbye to my high school friend.
My college friend and I grab breakfast at a nearby restaurant ($41.18). After that, we head out to explore an area of the city near the train station so it’s easy for him to board the 5pm train. We grab some pastries and a baguette ($11.66) and set out to explore. We saw the lock bridge, Arc de Triomphe, took goofy photos, visited the Notre Dame restoration exhibit, and danced alongside a drum parade.
On the walk back to my room, I check my email to see I missed the Eiffel Tower climbing tour I scheduled back in September. I go back to the room, let my phone charge, and pay a fee to reschedule the tour ($10.70). I head out to see the Eiffel and other tourists sites via a Sundown Seine river cruise ($8.99 for 4 bus tickets).
After a few hours, I’m beat and head back to the Sonder. I got a Poke Bowl from a French/Hawaiian/Sushi fusion place we passed by last night and some chicken wings ($22.89). I spend the rest of the night relaxing.
Day 5 Spend - $95.42
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Day 6
I really want to sleep in, but the Climbing tour doesn’t allow cancellations within 24 hours and charge no-shows. I head out around 9:30 am. Despite being tired and annoyed, the tour was great. I have a lunch Steakhouse reservation at 2:30pm at Disney, so I’m sort of in a rush and happy the tour ends right on time at 12:30. I hop on the train ($10.70 RT tickets) and make it to Disneyland at 1:30 pm.
With an hour before my reservation, I stop into a bunch of stores and buy merch ($70.60). I make my way to The Steakhouse for lunch ($37.44). I am stuffed, so I walk a couple laps around Walt Disney Studios to get a lay of the land, take photos, and walk off lunch before indulging in some shows and rides.
A couple hours go by and I grab some dessert ($4.28) and rent a portable charger ($4.28). I wanted to ride Crush’s Coaster before my dinner reservation, but it had a crazy wait time and premier access sold out for the day, so I buy premier access for and ride Avenger’s Flight Force instead ($12.84), return the portable charger, and head to dinner at Bistrot Chez Remy ($58.83).
I stay until 9:30 pm for the light show, have snacks ($9.63), then head back to the hotel to shower, pack, and sleep.
Day 6 Spend - $208.60
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Day 7
I have a protein bar for breakfast, check out at 10am, and grab a final ticket ($12.29) to the airport. I start to feel lightheaded and try to drink some water, but it doesn’t help much. So, I get McDonalds ($8.91) before boarding my flight and feel a lot better. I grab a Kinder ($1.72) from a nearby store because I’d never tried one. Amazing!
I am excited to get home and get back into my normal meal prep and exercise routine. I make it back to Philly at 7pm. I take a shower and go straight to bed.
Day 7 Spend - $22.71
—
Week Total - $760.52
Food + Drink - $406.74
Fun / Entertainment - $194.68 (shopping, tour reschedule, premier lanes)
Home + Health - $34.39 (universal adapter)
Clothes + Beauty - $45.35 (last minute toiletries)
Transport - $72.80
Other - $4.28 (portable charger rental)
—
Lastly, reflect on your diary!
While I’d never spend close to this in a normal week, celebrating my birthday in a way I enjoy is very important to me. I’m excited to travel more in the future.
I feel like I spent too much money on individual transport tickets; I should’ve brought the booklet of 10. But $73 for a bunch of days is still pretty cheap. I had a sinking fund of $600 originally, but the cash gifts from my mom and brother increased it to $900.
Overall, Paris was cheaper than I expected. I was worried $600 wouldn’t be enough. I picked up the tab a lot of places since there wasn’t an easy way for us to split the bill in multiple currencies (USD, pounds, euros), and I’m trying to hit the minimum spend on a new credit card. Had I been more willing to figure out bill splitting, I probably could've stayed under $600.
Relatedly - this trip inspired me to revisit my goal of becoming fully fluent in Spanish. French-speakers were visibly irritated when I spoke English (which I wasn’t upset about and expected). I did practice some French (beyond the basics like bonjour and merci) with my sister before the trip, but it always came out sounding like Spanish. So, after the first day, I resorted to starting conversations in Spanish.
If they spoke Spanish, great! However, many were caught off guard and didn’t speak Spanish, so I would then ask, in Spanish, if they spoke English, then converse in English — which made them noticeably nicer. Definitely gonna work on brushing up my Spanish and work towards fluency. I eventually want to learn French and ASL, too.

I write this whilst I cuddle with my sleeping toddler, the absolute light of my life. That being said, in the last fortnight the following has happened:

• Moved out of my own home and had to leave it to my sons father because he thought his comfort is more important than our sons. Unsurprising.
  
• Had a random MRI on my brain due to headaches and have been told by my Neurosurgeon (didn’t think I’d ever say that sentence), that he has no idea what it is and it could very well be a tumour. Great s/
  
• Being sent for another MRI due to sudden numbness then extreme pain in my left arm And leg.
  
• My Step Dad passed away after a year battle with cancer. He was such a good person and I miss him dearly. The hardest part is watching my Mother have to go through the pain of losing a husband again to a cruel death. My dad passed away suddenly in 2010 and she had finally found love again and they had just been married late 2022. They had so many plans and she is broken all over again.
  
• Friday is my Step Dads funeral and yet again my Younger brother is a pall barer before he even turns 18 and my mum must give another eulogy for a man she truly loves.
  
• I watched a teenager die yesterday on the road as I was stuck in a traffic jam next to him as a lay on the road in the middle of the crash scene. The paramedics tried so hard to save him but couldn’t. I so wish that it didn’t happen and his family didn’t have to go through their pain right now. It was incredibly confronting and I’m just so angry and hurt for them and to be honest in shock at witnessing it all.
  

I am the sole carer for my son and I am so blessed but I’m really overwhelmed and so sad. I know this won’t post because you have to have karma or something but it feels somewhat good to get off my chest anyway.
This to shall pass.

Warning: Long post ahead!
Hi everyone! First a short background story about me. I was a stateless Chinese person for my whole life up until now due to my parents late marriage registration because of their illiteracy, as of right now I am 22 years old. Before covid, we discover that I am eligible for thai citizenship because my mother is Thai (those born out of wedlock in Malaysia usually follow their mother's nationality) and I also have the relevant documents like thai birth certificate and a legitimate parental marriage registration (before I was born). Why my parents not able to register their marriage on time in Malaysia? Because my father was married to his ex wife, whom he had a falling out with. Then she go to Thailand and fall in love with my mother. My parents wanted to married and raise a family in malaysia, but my father didn't divorce his ex wife yet. Why? Because his ex wife was hospitalized at the same time I was in my mother's womb, so that's why late registration. So I was born out of wedlock and not able to obtain Malaysian citizenship.
Then my dad passed away in 2016 so it seems like I had no chance to get Malaysian IC. Before covid, after we discovered I was eligible for Thai citizenship, we went to the Royal Thai Consulate in Penang to request a special pass to cross the border into Thailand to apply Thai citizenship. I also use a new Thai name for my Thai identity so my Malaysian name and Thai name are different. The passport expired in 5 years. Then covid hit, and we can't afford (we are a rather poor family) to cross the border into Thailand even after MCO because of the expensive procedures and quarantines and also my mum is busy with work.
So just last 2 months, we were able to find time to go Thailand Songkhla province and apply Thai IC and it was successfully done in less than 1 week, we also go apply for my Thai passport with 10 years validity. Then we travel to meet my maternal grandparents up north in Thailand at Mae Sai, Chiang Rai to stay there for 1 more month. After coming back literally just yesterday, I found a letter in my motorcycle basket while washing it. At first I thought it as TNB etc letter. Then after further inspection, it was a letter from KDN asking me to head down to Putrajaya to obtain my surat keputusan for Malaysian citizenship, usually those with this notice letter will be eligible to obtain IC after they get their sijil kewarganegaraan.
So right now I have 2 citizenship, Malaysia and Thai. Which begs the question in the title. I was hoping to keep the Thai citizenship but Malaysia does not allow dual citizenship. I asked a Penang City Council YB in charge of this statelessness/citizenship issue, if there is a way to lay low profile with my Thai citizenship and they said cannot. Because when I come back to Malaysia from the trip in Thailand, I used the Thai passport to enter Malaysia, they already have my facial profile and fingerprints. So the record is there in immigration. If I didn't denounce my Thai citizenship when I have Malaysian IC, the authorities will know I have a Thai passport when I go make a new Malaysian passport because of the similar profile and fingerprints. Even if I didn't have any records about my Thai identity in Malaysia and didn't use my Thai passport to enter. Malaysia still have a right to request the information from the Thai Embassy/Consulate despite the policy of embassies not sharing confidential information about their citizens. There is an exception to kids born in Malaysia who are Thai citizens though and the Thai embassy/consulate share their info out yearly/monthly (I forgot) with their Malaysian counterparts to check if their Thai citizens have obtain Malaysian citizenship or not. This is what the Penang City Council YB told me.
Basically I have to choose one or the other, and I am having a tough time choosing it because the 1+ month spent in Thailand, I felt a bit of affection for the country even though my Thai language is subpar. Maybe I should restrain my emotions and choose Malaysia citizenship for its obvious benefits and denounce Thai citizenship. I can't sleep right or eat right. I write here so maybe you guys can ease my mind a bit along with the opinions of my friends and family. Thanks!

My wife, Emily, had always been a sleepwalker. We'd been married for ten years, and I had grown used to finding her standing in the hallway or rummaging through the kitchen in the middle of the night. It was unnerving, but ultimately harmless. However, over the past month, her sleepwalking had taken a sinister turn.
​
It started with small things, like finding knives placed on the edge of our bed or dead birds on the kitchen counter. I initially brushed it off, thinking maybe she had found the birds outside and, in her sleepwalking state, had brought them in. But as the weeks passed, the incidents grew increasingly more disturbing.
​
One morning, I woke up to find Emily sitting on the floor next to the bed, her eyes glazed over, and her hands covered in blood. I felt my stomach twist as I frantically searched her body for injuries. But there were none. Instead, I found the mutilated corpse of a stray cat lying beside her.
​
"Emily, wake up!" I shouted, shaking her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped, staring at the gruesome sight.
​
"What... what happened?" she whispered, horror in her voice.
​
"I... I think you did this while sleepwalking," I said, my voice trembling. "We need to get you help."
​
That very day, we went to see a specialist. Dr. Martin, a renowned sleep disorder expert, ran a series of tests and prescribed medication to help Emily stay asleep throughout the night. It seemed to work for a while, but then one night, things took an even darker turn.
​
I awoke in the middle of the night to find Emily standing over me, holding a knife to my throat. Her eyes were blank, devoid of emotion.
​
"Emily, please, wake up!" I begged, trying to remain calm.
​
"I'm sorry, dear," she said, her voice devoid of any warmth. "But I have to do this."
​
My heart raced as I tried to think of something, anything, to say that might snap her out of it. "Emily, it's me, your husband! We've been together for ten years. You don't want to hurt me!"
​
For a moment, I saw a flicker of recognition in her eyes, and she lowered the knife. But it was quickly replaced by that same eerie, blank stare. "It's not my choice," she said. "They demand it."
​
"Who? Who demands it?" I asked desperately.
​
She tilted her head, as if listening to something I couldn't hear. "The voices," she replied. "They won't let me rest until I do their bidding."
​
I managed to subdue her that night, but I was terrified. I couldn't go on living in fear that my own wife would kill me in her sleep. The next day, we returned to Dr. Martin. I told him about the incident and the voices Emily had mentioned.
​
"Sleepwalking is often accompanied by hallucinations and vivid dreams," Dr. Martin explained. "It's possible that Emily is experiencing these voices as part of her sleepwalking episodes. I can adjust her medication and recommend therapy to help her manage the stress that might be triggering these episodes."
​
We followed Dr. Martin's advice, but nothing seemed to help. I even began sleeping in a separate room, locking the door for my own safety. But one night, I was woken by the sound of someone pounding on the door.
​
"Please, let me in!" Emily screamed. "They're coming for me!"
​
I hesitated, unsure if this was another sleepwalking episode or if she was genuinely awake and terrified. But something in her voice convinced me to unlock the door. As soon as I did, Emily burst into the room, her eyes wide with fear. She locked the door behind her and collapsed into my arms, sobbing.
​
"They... they were in the living room," she gasped. "Shadowy figures with red eyes. They told me that if I didn't do their bidding, they'd hurt you."
​
I tried to comfort her, but I could feel my own fear creeping in. This was no ordinary sleepwalking episode. Something was very, very wrong.
​
The next day, we went to see a psychic, hoping to find answers that science couldn't provide. The psychic, Madame Zara, listened intently as we recounted our experiences.
​
"You are being haunted by malevolent entities," she said gravely. "They are using Emily's sleepwalking as a means to control her and force her to do their bidding. We must perform a cleansing ritual to remove their influence."
​
We agreed, willing to try anything to rid ourselves of this nightmare. That evening, Madame Zara arrived at our home, armed with candles, incense, and other tools of her trade. She instructed us to sit in a circle on the living room floor while she performed the ritual.
​
As she chanted and burned the incense, the atmosphere in the room seemed to change. The air grew heavy, and I could feel a sinister presence pressing in on us. Suddenly, the candles flickered, and the room went cold. Emily gasped, her eyes darting around the room.
​
"They're here," she whispered.
​
"Stay strong," Madame Zara urged. "They will fight, but we can drive them away."
​
As the ritual went on for hours, the tension in the room grew palpable. Finally, as the first light of dawn broke through the curtains, the weight in the room seemed to intensify rather than lift. Madame Zara's chanting grew more desperate, beads of sweat forming on her brow.
​
Suddenly, she gasped and collapsed to the floor, her eyes wide with terror. "I... I can't do it," she stammered. "Their power is too great. They're... they're resisting my every effort to banish them."
​
Emily and I exchanged panicked glances, unsure of what to do next. The shadowy figures with red eyes seemed to be everywhere, their sinister laughter echoing through the room. It was clear that they were not going to let us go so easily.
​
In the weeks that followed, Emily's sleepwalking and violent incidents grew worse. The sinister presence in our home was stronger than ever, and no matter how many specialists we consulted or rituals we attempted, nothing seemed to make a difference. It was as if the entities had latched onto us, refusing to let go.
​
I began to fear for my own safety and for Emily's sanity. I moved out of our home and into a small apartment, hoping that the distance might weaken the entities' hold on her. But it was to no avail. Emily continued to spiral into darkness, the voices and their commands growing more insistent and malevolent with each passing day.
​
We tried everything, but it was clear that there was no way to win this battle. The entities had taken control, and they were determined to keep their grip on Emily, using her as a vessel for their evil intentions. It was as if our love and our lives had become a twisted game for them, one that we seemed destined to lose.
​
In the end, Emily was institutionalized. Her sleepwalking incidents became violent attacks on the staff and other patients. I visited her every day, desperate to see some glimmer of the woman I loved, but it was like staring into the eyes of a stranger. The woman I had married was gone, replaced by something dark and sinister.
​
As I sat by her side, holding her cold, unresponsive hand, I couldn't help but feel defeated. The entities had won, and we had lost everything. Our love, our home, our lives— all destroyed by a force we could neither understand nor defeat. I grieved for Emily, for myself, and for the life we had once shared, now a distant memory overshadowed by the darkness that had consumed us.

My sister is away on a business trip right now. She dropped him off at my place yesterday so that I could take care of him for a week. I gave him roasted chicken breast with some veggies but he said “Mom lets me have potato chips for dinner every day.” Called my sister right then to check and she confirmed it.
I didn’t give him the chips. I mean, there is both the fact that I don’t want to contribute to poor health and also that my own son would be upset his cousin can have chips as dinner but he can’t. So I told him no. Naturally my nephew called me a tyrant for it. Kind of stung but I did the right thing, right?

CW: Violence
"The cows are very scared Father. Brunhild will not give milk and she tried to kick me when I came close. What has them so spooked? Where is little Polina?"
Timo came around the corner and the answer was clear. The back of the cowshed had been forced open, and on the ground lay the corpse of a calf. His father squatted by the dead creature, supporting himself on his long walking stick. Jürgen got up and turned to his son, now a young lad of 14. Almost a man, the boy worked hard but he had not yet been tested. He beckoned his son to get closer.
"I know this is a scary scene, but what do you see son? Look closely."
Throat ripped open and her body chewed and ripped apart, bloody pawprints. The blood had stiffened, so it was at least a day old.
"Bear? No, wolves, the prints are too small to be bear. I think there were 4? Why did they only get Polina?"
Jürgen sighed, and looked off into the treeline which led to the Bernese Alps.
"5 wolves, they got in yesterday by the looks. Polina was small and still a calf, an easy meal. But more than enough to fill the wolves. They probably have a den in the forest, Ill head to town later and see if any man will help me clear it out."
"We could do it father. You and I should be more than capable enough."
Jürgen smiled.
"All right, we head back home first. We will need some equipment."
It was still long before noon when they got back to their pasture. Fixing the hole in the shed the two set off into the forest. Jürgen had taken his old Reislaufer pike, shortened to a 2 meter spear, his sword and dagger. Timo had been given a shortbow, an Italian crossbow his father had taken home some years ago, as well as a sling and dagger. Apart from armaments they brought survival essentials for these mountains, rope, climbing spikes, fire making kit, and a snare to hunt small game as they made their way through the wilderness. Ahead of them lay one of the most imposing peaks of the Alpine Chain, the Wildhorn. It would be in its shadow that the father and son would find the hunters of their livestock.
The trek was easily navigable at first but soon the vegetation became thinner as it gave way to more harsh faces. Jürgen would not lose the track however, the wolves were much more agile than them, able to leap up the rocky faces with ease, they would need to ascend further to reach their den.
"Father, is there nothing easier for the wolves to hunt? Our cows are protected in the shed, could they not simply hunt deer?"
Jürgen turned to his son.
"The deer are all gone Timo, they have moved further north to the plateau, seeking warmer climates. These wolves have not moved, and while our cows are sheltered, they are easy to find and a rich feast. The mountains are harsh, but this is the territory of the wolves. We have placed a fat and lazy meal ripe for the picking."
"Fat and lazy like the Italians?"
Jürgen laughed.
"Yes son, and we are the wolves of these mountains."
He continued as he chuckled when he heard Timo stumble behind him. Quickly grabbing the boy he kept him from tumbling down a small rocky rise.
"Careful boy. This place will throw you down, break every bone in your body and leave you for the birds. This is not a Sunday stroll to church, this is a place not made for men to tread."
This scared Timo slightly, but there was something of a rush to being here. Challenging nature, fighting an insurmountable force. The mountains make you feel small, but to conquer something as unforgiving as the mountains was something that made his mind wander. He returned to the moment quickly however, the sun was beginning to set, the night would be upon them soon.
They set up camp under a rocky overhang, with a small campfire. Timo shot some Rock Partridges and plucked them to eat. Snow gently began to fall as the sky darkened, giving way to a clear starry sky. A half-moon made for a dark night.
"Son, you take the first watch. Wake me in a few hours."
"Watch? Why do we need to take watch?"
A howl rang through the night, coming from further up the mountain. Timo felt a chill go down his spine as he loaded the crossbow and his father began to drift to sleep. The light of the campfire reached a few meters out, illuminating some of the surrounding brush. He could hear movement in the darkness, eyes flashing in the dying light of the campfire. Adding more tinder to the fire keeping the light grew to a expose a few meters further into the night. A large grey shape suddenly ducked out of the light into the dark. He nudged his dad, rousing him from his sleep. Up in a start Jürgen grabbed his spear and stood in front of his son.
"How many?"
"At least 2, maybe more."
Grabbing a lit piece of wood from the fire Jürgen held it aloft. 2 wolves in front of him bared their teeth as they emerged from the darkness. One began to charge at him when a bolt drove into the beast's skull, killing it. Timo began to reload the crossbow. The other wolf now charged, and from behind them another, hidden in the dark. Before Jürgen could turn the wolf in front of him pounced and threw him to the ground. He put his forearm under the wolf's jaw to keep its jaws away as the other hand grabbed his dagger and began to furiously stab upwards. Another battle, another push, death inches closer. He heard his son scream as he felt the wolf go limp. Grabbing his spear he got to his feet to help his son. He saw the flash of steel as Timo grabbed his own dagger and drove it into the side of the wolf which stumbled off of him. The wolf was larger and a lighter shade of grey than the two wolves they had already killed. It barrelled into the darkness ahead. Timo's arm was covered in blood as his shoulder had been wounded by the wolf's attempt to get at his throat.
"Lay still, we need to stop the bleeding."
Applying pressure, Jürgen took out some cloth bandages and poured out some beer onto them. He had seen something like this on campaign, but never done it himself. He had seen men walk away from worse wounds than this though, as he felt the spot where his eye used to be itch. By daybreak the wound was bound and had stopped bleeding, but the pain was still fresh. During the night they had skinned the wolves. Jürgen got up.
"Time to go, the wolf den will not be far."
There was no resistance from Timo, he knew that there was no going back until the job was done. Loading the crossbow was immensly painful but it would be blissful compared to death by wolf. The two continued along the ridgeline, a 10 meter drop to their left, and a sheer rock face to their right. Looking down Timo saw drops of blood marking the path ahead, the wounded wolf. The blood getting fresher and fresher as they continued. Soon they reached a small cave on the mountainside.
"Be careful, there are at least 2 wolves in there, and one is injured. A cornered animal is unpredictable and will fight hard. You must be ready."
Steadying themselves they ducked into the den. It was not a deep den, and soon they saw one wolf wounded, bleeding from a gash in its ribs. By his side a she wolf who instantly got up and raised her hackles. Just like her partner she was larger and older. The male stumbled to his feet as his eyes went wild. As soon as the male moved, Timo took it out with the crossbow, a final whine as it died. The female charged forward as Jürgen dispatched it with his spear. They stood there in silence for a good while.
"You skin these two, I will wait outside. You did well son."
"It needed to be done. How would our cows ever had been safe with these monsters in the woods."
Jürgen stopped.
"What did you say? Monsters? These creatures had no ill intent. Do you not see? Mother and father, the two we killed last night were their pups. They have been in these mountains longer than us, this was their home long before any canton. Violence for survival is not an evil act, defending your home is not monstrous, and the dying in that fight is honourable."
Timo scoffed.
"And you are the wolf or the cow? The men you killed in war, was that done to defend our home? Are we evil?"
They began their trek home, Jürgen had no response. For hours they walked down the mountain, retracing their steps until they arrived back at the cow shed, reaching it by the end of the day. The cows mooed gently as the two removed their equipment. Grabbing two wooden cups Jürgen poured himself and Timo some beer.
"I understand that you would feel the way you feel. I went south too much and for too long. I missed years of your life. I was not there when your mother died, and I will never forgive myself for that. What I said is right, the defence of our homes is something that we will do till the death. This land is too precious to us to give up. But we took the land of others, I killed men for conquest and war. There is something monstrous about that. But I do not regret it, it was something I was very good at, and I had a duty to you as my family to provide for you as well as a duty to the canton when called upon. The laws that govern men and animals are different. The wolves kill to survive, I killed because I was paid to do so. Money that I spent on you and your sister. I know it does not excuse it, and I am sure that when I die, St. Peter will judge me for those actions. But I would spend eternity in damnation if I could ensure you and your sister do not live in squalor and poverty. I know this is not going to be the end of this discussion, but it is important to me that you understand why I left you for so long. I want to give you options, the way of the Reisläufer was all that was open to me, and one day you too might want to join their ranks. Or you learn a trade, make a good living, there is honour in that also. I pray you do not hate me, or resent me for what I did Timo. I love you with all my soul."
His father was never a tough man, treating him and his sister with love. He never doubted that his father loved him, but he could not imagine his father as a bloodstained warrior, not until today. A man is more than your perception of him. Jürgen was only a father to Timo, but today he saw that he was more than that. Father, soldier, herder, husband, Eidgenosse.

For background, my partner and I met our freshmen year of high school, we quickly became best friends and didn't start dating until we graduated, we broke it off a few weeks in as we were having issues transitioning from friendship to romantic relationship. It was only a few months before we realized we were both willing to put in the work for a health relationship and we were quickly engaged after that. We have been together for several years now and I have absolutely no complaints, he is an incredible man who is everything one could dream of in a partner.
My issue lies with a friend of his. She went to high school with us and is about two years younger, during our breakup, they became very close. I know it was because he needed someone to confide in during a difficult circumstance we were undergoing but at the time it was difficult seeing him exercise emotional intimacy with someone else. I quickly forgot about this after we got back together but once we did it seemed as though she would bring up some inside joke between the two of them every chance she'd get, she'd tease him (excessively), would take every chance to bring up the fact she was the only friend of his with his address (she'd joke and threaten to give it out), send selfies of him to the group chat, etc. This went on for several years and about a year ago I got fed up and let my partner know her behavior was making me uncomfortable. We argued when I first brought it up because being the kind man he is, he sees the very best in people. However, I had reason to believe her actions were malicious- she once start dating a guy her bestfriend was talking to, then later attempted to get with a guy who had a girlfriend. So I was a bit hesitant to see my partner's point of view. I reached a breaking point when all of our friends were in a call together sometime past midnight and my partner mentioned he was going for Mc Donalds, at this point she asked him ( in a playful but genuine tone) to get her something as well and bring it to her house. I was livid, maybe I overreacted but I can't imagine asking a married man to bring me food at night. Eventually, I was able to articulate exactly why I was feeling the way I was and he agreed she was overstepping her bounds. I was ready to have a conversation with her in hopes of establishing clear boundaries but he said he thought he might be able to better communicate how we felt (in other words, he was afraid I'd be too harsh, which is a valid concern given she was still his friend).
He reached out to her and told her we would appreciate her being more respectful of our relationship and that while he valued their friendship, she needed to respect our boundaries. Her response didn't seem genuine at all. She gave him a bunch of hoopla about how she understood I was more important to him and that he wouldn't have to worry about her every again, things of that nature. It felt like she was trying to guilt trip him by playing victim. I didn't think too much of it since I figured the ordeal was settled. Alas, almost immediately she began having snarky remarks to say to me nearly every time we interacted. At first I was taken aback and would return the favor by also making rude remarks--petty behavior, I know. It wasn't long before I realized I was not helping in any way so I stopped.
(I know this is long but bear with me)
So she ends up reaching out to my partner, messaging him that I am being rude to her and that the "three of us need to talk". I was taken aback because her issue was with my behavior so it seemed strange she'd approach him with this. In the message she badmouths me in a way that seems like she's trying to get my partner to defend her against me. He responded letting her know I am less than perfect and have forgiven and forgotten. I felt terrible because maybe I had overreacted, maybe it is normal for friends to behave how she had. I hoped to put an end to it all by speaking with her because no amount of anger warrants the way I acted with her. I apologized and the response I got was "well, I had lots of things to say to you but if you're apologizing, fine". At that point I was already emotionally exhausted and just asked that we remain cordial for the sake of our friends.
Since then all has been well, occasionally she'll take jabs at my partner but we don't pay it much mind. He has distanced himself from her while still being as active with our friends as before.
This is where I am in dire need of help. Several months have passed since it all happened and yet I still feel the anger as though it was yesterday. It's exhausting, if I don't quickly take my mind away from it, it begins to feel as though I'm eating away at myself. Distancing myself is not really an option as we belong to the same friend group. I feel ashamed because it seems as though perhaps I'm not equipped with the emotional maturity to handle this situation. I want to grow as an individual and live in peace. I've consider the logic of emulating someone I admire and thinking about how they'd approach the situation or just reminding myself that both of us made mistakes but we are human. However, remnants of anger always seem to resurface.
So my question is, what are some techniques/perspectives I can use so that I can work through these negative emotions?
Any and all help would be seriously appreciated.

My brother (25) 'N' lives with me (F 34) N works in fast food & doesn't earn much. He cannot look after himself (it was v.v.bad when he tried) & our parents we abusive.
He pays little as I told him to pay his debts first. We pay for his food, household products, Internet etc. Money's tight but I stand by this as he'll never clear his debts otherwise. Weed was posted to the house a few months back, I said absolutely not. He promised to never do it again.
He can smoke it in your own time (not on my property) that's his choice. But cannot get it delivered here. For context we have 3 children, 2 of which have special needs. They have needs to the point social services (SS) are involved (to help us control one of their anger, protect the other children & help him get through this). [Remember this.]
I suspect N's been getting it delivered since, but haven't seen it – only smelt it on him. I gave the benefit of the doubt, assuming he's got it delivered elsewhere & smells lingering on his clothes. We close his door and don't worry about it. I have no issue if he wants to smoke, I did a little myself as a teen, just not here. He hasn't got many friends, so I don't know where he'd get it delivered to, but that’s not my problem.
Yesterday a package come. It looked like the other one. So I opened it (I know I shouldn't but I was pretty sure it was weed – it was). I took it & threw it away but haven’t yet told him. Bare in mind, he's promised not to do this. And we had a SS coming...which he knew. When he woke up, not knowing I've had the package, he said to me, "You alright? I know we've got SS coming today."
I'm fuming, but my husband told me not to say anything until after SS left. I've had visits before, & though it's because the children have special needs, its still a welfare check & they can check the cupboards & rooms etc to make sure you've got food & everything through kids need.
In the end I had to throw it away. Hiding it wasn’t an option as SS might’ve found it & it's a big bag. SS did check most the rooms in the house, but not my brothers room (I didn't know would be the case & he checked every other room in the house). So technically, if he had it SS wouldn't have found it. But I'd have probably thrown it away anyway as I'm f-ing livid!
I bit my tongue as he went on about how the kids are well looked after & I've got nothing to worry about – again not yet knowing I've got his "delivery". So I'm just kind of smiling & nodding.
It had to go before the SW came, and I couldn't fush it because as soon as I open the pouch the house would stink (I know this from last time) so I ended up chucking it in the nearest dog poo bin.
When we speak to him later I plan to tell him if it happens again he's out.
So WIBTA because I plan on making it clear I will throw him out if it happens again, knowing he can't look after himself?

The latest Chapter for the on going story, New World Order is now available for everyone's viewing. It can also be found at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13535599/21/New-World-Order
​
‘Did you really have to threaten to open fire on one of your fellow countrymen?’ I hear Jensen ask via an overhead speaker.
“Jensen,” I start, wincing slightly as I readjust my position in the makeshift bed, I had been forced into despite my many protests, “I don’t make threats. If I say I’m going to do something, I’ll make it happen.”
‘That doesn’t help,’ Jensen replies, ‘It also doesn’t help that you delivered that statement to an Enlisted Officer.’
“He’s lucky that’s all I did,” I reply, “Mark was a self-entitled bully back when we were at school. And his attitude certainly hasn’t improved based on our brief encounter the other day.”
‘They’ve lodged an official complaint,’ Jensen states, ‘Apparently they want know why a Nazi flagged ship entered the harbour, threatened the Coast Guard and then simply sailed off.’
“They don’t want to know anything about the attempted air raid, or the battle just off the coast that repelled that air raid?” I ask.
‘There is no mention anywhere in their complaint of seeing any aircraft above the harbour,’ Jensen replies, ‘Although they are also wanting to know about the mystery figure they spotted skating around one of the islands in the harbour.’
“Out of interest,” I ask, “Has anyone from the Chinese Government made a statement about this?”
‘Not officially,’ Jensen answers, ‘Although there have been some back-channel discussions. From what they have disclosed to us, they did witness the air raid and the defensive actions your fleet took. As to their inaction. They were unable to verify our warning to them in time to be able to raise the warning with their boats.’
“That entire engagement lasted almost two hours,” I say shaking my head in disbelief, “If they want answers, I’ll answer them if they can tell me why their only response was to send a single Coast Guard cutter out to investigate.”
‘As I said,’ Jensen begins, ‘They make no mention of seeing any of this in their complaint.’
“Then they are either covering it up, are incompetent or both,” I state, “The lack of action from the Chinese ships that were in the harbour can probably be explained as not wanting to start an International Incident. But I’m not buying the story that no one else saw what was going on that morning.”
‘It certainly does seem that someone is trying to cover this up,’ Jensen agrees, ‘However, without a full investigation into what happened, it’s your word against theirs. And being as you withdrew from the area almost as soon as the battle was over you can see why it doesn’t look good.’
“They’ll have a hard time explaining away all the evidence from the battlefield,” I say, “The boys at the lab are going to be busy for a while documenting everything.”
‘What evidence?’ Jensen asks.
“Well aside from numerous parts from the aircraft that attacked Darwin,” I begin, “The reason I withdrew as fast as I could was, we were able to recover one of the enemy boats.”
‘Have you learned anything about how they work?’ Jensen asks.
“I haven’t been aboard,” I admit, “I’ve been confined to bedrest for the last week.”
‘Its not like you to follow doctors’ orders,’ Jensen comments, ‘You normally ignore most medical advice.’
“What doctor?” I ask, “I still have to be given the all clear from the medical team once we get back to Midway.”
‘Sounds serious,’ Jensen replies, ‘What happened?’
“A concussion of some sort and what I believe to be at least two broken ribs,” I answer, “The ship came under direct attack and Eugen was forced to make some rapid course changes, which sent me bouncing through a hatchway on my way to the deck.”
‘So how long until you reach Midway?’ Jensen inquires.
“Probably two weeks at best guess,” I reply, “Between the slow speed we need to maintain due to having a heavily damaged ship under tow and the rough weather down here it’s making for a slow return voyage.”
‘Well keep in briefed,’ Jensen comments before I hear the audible click as the phone connection ends.
**
As the skies slowly began to illuminate marking the start of another day, I found myself out on deck during one of the rare moments I had been allowed to leave my quarters.
In the distance the outline of the main laboratory building came into view as Eugen skilfully navigating her ship around the atoll towards the area reserved for offshore mooring of large ships that visited Midway.
As the ship rounded the western most edge of the atoll, the details of the upgrades the team had been working on became apparent. The barge which had been used to transport the huge generator from Darwin had been beached not far from the main power station.
Another larger building had also started to take shape not far from the main laboratories although its purpose was lost on me given the last reports, I had read indicated that we were only using around sixty percent of the facilities storage and research spaces and under forty percent of the living areas.
“It would seem that the team has been busy in our absence,” I comment aloud.
As I say this the rising sun clears the top of the main building, bathing the waters around the atoll in light. Taking in the sight I spy Bogue’s ship moored in the distance. My gaze is soon captured however as in the growing light across the waves a pair of large, heavily armed gun boats lay at anchor.
As Eugen slows her ship and in the near distance I hear the rattle of numerous anchor chains, I take in the details of the closest ship. From the stern flag post a white flag with a red pattern hangs limp in the still morning.
As I scan across the length of the ship, I take note of the numerous sets of gun turrets spread along the length of the main deck from just below the bridge structure running back to just ahead of the number four main battery.
My attention however is soon drawn away to the second of the gun boats, this ship despite from the distance appearing to be slightly smaller in size projected more fear despite fact that like the other ships anchored around the atoll was simply floating at anchor in the low morning swells.
I put the additional sense of projected fear down to the fact that the entire ship appeared to be painted in a flat black paint from the waterline all the way to the very top of the super structure. The only hint of another colour was the flag hanging from the stern post.
**
“Do you have any lingering effects from the hit to your head?” the doctor asks.
“No,” I reply with a shake of my head, “The headaches cleared up about three days after. The burly vision and ringing in my ears cleared up around the same time.”
“Well,” the doctor says turning off the torch he had been using a moment before, “I’d say you have a minor concussion. But if you aren’t suffering any of the after effects now, you should be fine to return to your regular duties. As for your ribs.” He continues turning to a scan pinned to a light board on the wall. “They are healing well. But you definitely broke two. There’s not much else we can do to speed up your recovery there. Just take it easy.”
“That’s easier said than done,” I retort sarcastically.
“Yes,” the doctor agrees, “You do have a habit of being right where the action is.”
“Speaking of action,” I say changing the subject, “What have I missed here?”
“A lot,” the doctor admits, “However the Professor said he’ll brief you once we were finished here.”
**
Five minutes later, after the doctor signed off on my medical reports, I enter the main research room to find the Professor sitting in front of his usual multi monitor setup rapidly scrolling through an endless stream of what appeared to be computer code from a distance. “Pull up a chair Nathan,” he says, “We’ve got a lot to discuss.”
“It would seem so,” I answer remaining standing a short distance away next to a table littered with pages of reports. “Can we begin with an update from the Global Explorer. Surely Jim has reported in by now?”
“He sent a pair of video data folders yesterday,” Professor Strickland answers, “Two separate files he says are from two different locations. He labelled them with the co-ordinates.”
“Anything interesting in the videos?” I ask.
“Plenty if you’re interest lies in the contour of the ocean floor,” Strickland answers with a slight chuckle, “But aside from that. Nothing of importance. I still don’t know why you sent him to either of those locations.”
“Because I needed to confirm a theory,” I reply, “Both of those sites he checked out are where the wrecks of the Akagi and Kaga were found.”
“And that proves a theory?” Strickland asks.
“It certainly lends a lot of support to my theory,” I reply, “Whoever is behind the attacks out at sea has been testing us. Well testing our military at the very least. So far, they’ve employed tactics from our history against us, and are using weapons from our past against us as well.”
“To what end though?” Strickland asks, “None of that makes any sense.”
“I agree,” I say, “But look carefully at what we know. Pearl Harbour was attacked in very similar fashion to how the Japanese did at the start of the Pacific War. And what do we find floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean but a ship that matches perfectly to one of the very ships that was involved in the original battle. A ship that by rights should be on the bottom of the Pacific a couple of hundred nautical miles away from this atoll.”
“But we still don’t know the who or the what,” Strickland insists, “We also don’t know how far this goes?”
“I think we can safely say it goes as far as every ocean on the planet,” I reply, “I’m certainly no expert when it comes to warfare. But whoever is behind this is playing for keeps. They’ve already openly attacked at American Naval Base, a British Fleet out at sea and conducted two Air Raids on major ports in Australia. Plus, there’s enough evidence to believe they ambushed an American Fleet as well.”
“So, your theory is that we are at war with an unknown enemy?” Strickland presses.
“Yes,” I answer, “So far though. I believe they have only been testing our abilities. Otherwise, this would be on every news network around the globe. Right now, the only reason we know anything is through sheer luck.”
“It would seem that you are not alone in thinking that,” Strickland admits, “One of our newest arrivals is of the same opinion.”
“Yes,” I begin, “I meant to ask earlier about the two ships anchored off the atoll. Care to fill me in on that?”
“Do you remember the briefing before you left,” Strickland says, “Where we covered our theory on what those cubes we keep finding are.”
“I remember,” I reply, “The theory is that they contain data of some sort. Only the scanners could not complete the scans due to overheating.”
“The new generator solved that problem,” Strickland announces proudly, “With the extra power, we were able to stabilize the power supply and run additional cooling. We’ve also been able to read quite a few of those cubes now. We found a few of them to be blank however.”
“Blank?” I ask.
“Yes,” Strickland confirms, “Blank. Nothing on them at all. So, one of the junior programmers wondered what would happen if we tried to load data into a cube.”
“What sort of data?” I ask in a worried tone.
“It started off simple,” Strickland admits, “The team transferred about a dozen different ship designs into a couple of cubes. Then transferred data about various types of weapon systems, radars, tactical data from reports that we obtained from Jensen.”
“Does Jensen know about that?” I ask.
“He said it was okay,” Strickland answers, “He said most of the reports were public knowledge already and those that weren’t, were not subject to any privacy laws.”
“Okay, so now we have a bunch of cubes that contain technical and tactical data,” I say, “How does any of that equal two ships anchored off shore?”
“We subjected some of them to a large electrical charge,” Strickland answers simply.
“You didn’t,” I say feeling the colour drain from my face at the prospect.
“We sure did,” Strickland admits, “In fact your timing is perfect. Our first arrival from those experiments has just arrived.”
Turning towards the door, I notice a tall woman with long brown hair step through the open door to the lab. As she makes her way towards us a feeling of familiarity hits me. Everything about her appearance feels oddly like someone I had met before. From the prominent fox-like ears, numerous tails lazily waving behind her, even the style in how she wore her hair.
Then it hit me. Aside from the lighter shade of colour in her hair and the more modest choice of clothing, she nearly was identical in appearance to Akagi. Someone who for the last several weeks had barely been out of my presence as she had insisted on making certain I had remained in the makeshift medical bay to recover from the injuries I had sustained during the battle.
“Please forgive my lateness, Professor,” she says in a voice that despite its calm nature, hints that should the occasion require, could dominate the room. “I lost track of the time studying the history papers you gave me.”
“No need for apologies,” Strickland replies, “I was just briefing the Captain on the latest progress the research team had been making.”
Turning to me, “Allow me to introduce our senior Captain, Nathan Harrison. He oversees our research ships and is one of the teams leading theoretical researchers.” Strickland announces, “Nathan, this is Amagi. Her presence here is the result of one of the experiments I mentioned a moment ago.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” I say with a smile.
“The Professor has spoken of you often,” Amagi says, “He mentioned that you lead from the front and take a very hands-on approach to the projects you oversee.”
“I certainly try to keep myself busy,” I reply, “Being able to have full control of the ship certainly makes the research side of my job easier given I have a greater control over the variables.”
Amagi nods silently in agreement.
“Would I be correct in assuming that the larger of the two cruisers anchored off shore is yours?” I enquire.
“You assume correctly,” Amagi replies, “Are you familiar with Japanese Naval History, Captain?”
“I have a very limited knowledge when it comes to naval history or even tactics for that matter,” I admit, “However I’m certainly learning a lot recently given the events of the past several months.”
“From how the Professor explained my arrival here and the arrival of the other members of the fleet,” Amagi explains, “It would seem that the cubes used in my creation have taken the form from my original design.”
“Your original design?” I ask.
“My ship was original designed to be a battle cruiser, before an attempted conversion to an aircraft carrier was halted due to my hull being badly damaged,” Amagi replies.
Before I can reply, the phone on the table beside the Professor buzzes. Picking it up, the Professor listens in silence before speaking, “We’ll be over in the minute.”
“Problem?” I ask seeing the worried look on the Professors face.
“Maybe,’ he replies, “The radio guys are picking up a radio call from the Global Explorer. They say it sounds like a distress call.”
**
Crossing the room to where one of the team’s radio operators was listening closely through a headset. As we approached, he held up a hand to prevent any of us from speaking. After a brief pause, he removed the headset and turned to face us. “I have cleaned up the recording as much as possible. But there is a lot of static.”
“Play it,” Strickland says.
‘Glo..l Explorer .. Midway. Encount.. hostile ….. Attack.. Sink… Host… head… fo. Mi..ay. Se..nt..n hour. No..h w.st. R.n’
Sharing a look with the Professor as I mentally replayed the message in my head filling it the blanks with the most logical word. As I realized the full message my eyes widened in shock. Going to the nearest computer and sliding the operator out of the way, I rapidly log into the facility’s secure server.
As the opening page loads on the monitor, I take note of the spinning icon in the lower left corner of the screen. Double clicking on the icon, my worst fears are confirmed. “The Global Explorer is dumping its logs onto the server,” I report.
“What does that mean?” I hear Amagi ask in confusion.
“It’s the last action taken before abandoning ship,” I reply, “It’s either manually activated by one of the senior crew before they leave the bridge, or automatically triggered if the ships internal sensors detect multiple compartments flooding.”
“Any chance that it’s a false alarm?” the Professor asks.
“None,” I reply, scrolling through the data logs, barely giving them time to finish loading before moving to the next. “I don’t know what happened out there. But the engine room temperature spiked to over a thousand degrees before dropping down to eleven. Both the forward cargo compartment and rear loading deck compartment sensors are indicating flooding. And the trim sensors are showing a forty-degree list to starboard.”
Looking away from the computer and taking a deep breath to compose my thoughts, “That and the radio message,” I say, “It was definitely Jim. He clearly said hostile and attack and that whoever they were, are headed this way.”
**
Standing in the conference room fifteen minutes later, the realization that with the apparent loss of the Global Explorer and the loss of the Intrepid and the very real possibility of a hostile enemy closing in on Midway, the team stationed here had lost both main pre-planned escape options we had prepared for in situations that required the rapid evacuation of the atoll.
Behind me I hear various people entering the conference room and taking a seat. As the scrapping of chairs being moved dies down, I turn to face those gathered. Before I can speak, a couple of late arrivals step in through the open door.
The final member of this group is a young woman with short, light peach coloured hair. Who on seeing me, turned away from the group and ran straight for me. On reaching me she wrapped both arms around me drawing me into a tight embrace.
“I see you’ve met Roon,” I hear the Professor call from the doorway as he enters the room.
“So it would seem,” I struggle to reply, “I take it she is the second result of your experiments,” I add.
“Yes,” Strickland replies joining me at the front of the room, “It would seem that she’s a hugger.”
“Would it be possible to have my body back please?” I ask.
Slowly releasing me, Roon steps back, before silently re-joining the others seated in the room.
“I think she likes you,” The Professor comments.
“What makes you say that?” I ask gently feeling my ribs which feel like they are on fire.
“The fact she followed your request,” Strickland answers, “You’re the first who’s been able to get through to her.”
“That’s great,” I mutter sarcastically, “We just need to work on her introductions then. I swear she just re-broke my ribs.”
“If its any consolation,” Strickland begins, “Her combat prowess is second to none based on what little we’ve learned to date.”
Shaking me head in quiet disbelief at the Professor’s continued unyielding push for results rather than showing any concern for how those results were obtained. I scanned the room to find that everyone was looking in my direction.
Everyone save for Akagi. Who was staring through narrowed eyes towards Roon sitting a few rows away.
Clearing my throat, “As some of you may already know. We have received a warning of a possible hostile enemy that is heading straight for us,” I explain, “To those of you who are in senior positions. I need you to wind up any work your departments are working on. And execute our evacuation protocols.”
“Where are we going?” someone from the back of the room calls out.
“The team will evacuate towards Hawaii,” I reply, “There they will either report in to the Navy Yard. Or if advised carry on to the main land.”
As I finish this brief explanation. Over half of those gathered, stand up and walk out to begin the evacuation. As the door closes behind the last of them Professor Strickland speaks up, “Do you really intend to run?”
Looking across at the Professor I reply, “I intend for you and the others to run. In case the rest of us fail to stop the enemy from reaching Midway.”

this is a part 2 to an early post I made any critisicm or feedback would be appreciated
crabbe: Unlike his son crabbe sr presents himself in a dignified way and is quite intelligent. He is deeply interested in the ways magic could be manipulated and had many ambitious projects he believed could deliver promising results. Sadly for him the ministry only gave him jobs that he considered ‘small,insignificant’. He thought the ministry looked down upon him and he despised his superiors very very much. Voldemort saw potential in the man and recruited him by promising to fund his projects. Besides that Crabbe sr was delighted by the prospect of betraying his ministry superiors he so very much hated and found that he very much enjoyed working for the dark lord. He rewarded him greatly for his successes both with coin and intriguing dark artifacts crabbe very much liked studying. Voldemort also gave Crabbe a lot of freedom in doing his job which he appreciated. Ultimately however he saw the death eaters simply as a job, a very fun job admittedly, but a job nonetheless. So when voldemort went missing Crabbe did not search for him since he did not want to risk his new gained power and the ministry was already accusing him to be a death eater which he barely managed to escape out of by using the imperius excuse. He used the wealth he had left from his death eater activities to continue his research as best he could. He was bitter that the ministry he resented was still intact. When voldemort returned he was relieved he was forgiven.
extra headcanon: vincent crabbe is his youngest son and in crabbe sr’s eyes a disappointment. He despises Vincent's low intellect and how he acts as nothing more than ‘the Malfoy boy’s dumb muscle’. He is very verbally abusive to his son especially when he sees his son’s low scores. He was however disheartened when he heard of his son’s death and now seeks revenge against the main trio and draco malfoy who he sees as responsible for his son’s death. Another trivia he is also the death eater whose head turned into a baby during the battle for the prophecy. Crabbe sr found this event extremely weird, but also desired to study it later after he escaped azkaban.
evan rosier: Rosier has a very elegant personality he was also very handsome looking to many. Evan Rosier came from a very powerful pure blood family with huge wealth so he was very focused on his appearance. He was also a perfectionist, being very focused on being excellent in every major aspect: intelligence, appearance, charms, and transfiguration. However, what interested Rosier the most was dueling. Most of his free time was dedicated to practicing his dueling skills. He requested his parents to provide him with the best dueling instructors they could find which they obliged. He participated in many dueling championships winning a lot of competitions. The rosiers were very devoted to pure blood supremacy so it was only natural that he joined the death eaters. After he joined he became very loyal to voldemort suicidally even. Where he even preferred death over betraying his lord when Alastor moody confronted him.
Extra headcanon: despite his loyalty to the death eaters he had a series of rules and conducts which he always followed. He always fought with honor and refused to win fights using dirty tricks. Looking down on death eaters who did use such tactics. He and alastar moody had quite a bit of respect for each other and he harbored no grudge when moody killed him.
gibbon: He had a very secretive personality most death eaters know nothing about him. There are very few ministry files off him. What is known is that he was a successful thief who had a dangerous reputation in the underworld. Voldemort somehow managed to successfully recruit him to join the death eaters. He held no loyalty to the organization and only joined out of self interest. He was a decent duelist, but not an exceptional duellist. His true skill lies in hiding in the shadows. Therefore Voldemort sent him on a lot of assassination missions and at other times he was sent to steal a few items Voldemort desired. He performed these missions very well which earned him a menacing reputation among the death eaters.
extra headcanon: He did not fight in the first wizarding war as he was too young back then. He only became a death eater during the second wizarding war.
goyle snr: many people thought goyle sr was nothing more than dumb muscle. While in reality being very cunning and calculating. He loves battling and dueling people very much. Before the first wizarding war he successfully managed to become an auror surprising many who didn’t really know him. Many wizards accused him of using his connections to somehow become an auror. He dared anyone who held those suspicions to challenge him to a duel to find out. A few did and they were all defeated showcasing his superiority. Eventually he joined the death eaters pretending that he agreed with their cause while in reality only wanting to join them for the opportunity to join in several dangerous battles. The death eaters sent him as their ‘big guns’ when they didn’t care about collateral damage. He wore ancient armor passed down from his ancestors.
Extra headcanon: like crabbe sr he also has a very poor relationship with his 2nd oldest son gregory goyle. Since he was what many accused him of being a simple dumb brute. He also disliked how unrefined he was which is why he spent most of his time with his other children.
mulciber: Lily evans and snape’s relationship deteriorated because of snape’s relationship with avery and mulciber. While Lily hated Avery and his sick sense of humor, Mulciber actually terrified her especially after the sick ‘prank’ he played on another student. This ‘prank’ was actually the first time he successfully used the imperius curse. He forced the student to keep punching themselves until their arms could no longer move. Fortunately the teachers intervened before it went really bad. Mulciber was given detention the whole year as a result. Though he did not mind as his ‘experiment’ went really well in his eyes and gained him a fearful reputation around the school. So in his eyes it was well worth it. He would continue to practice the imperius during school although making now sure that they couldn’t be linked to him. He later joined the death eaters like his father where he specialized in the imperius curse. Because of this he was highly valued by voldemort. Mulciber was a very calm, intelligent and cunning individual he was also however very arrogant believing because of his skill with the imperius curse that he was a special wizard who could one day reach the level of voldemort and grindelwald. This arrogance was also the reason he was so interested in the imperius curse as he liked controlling people and manipulating them like puppets. If he was not imprisoned he would have looked for voldemort with the lestranges however unlike them this would not be out of loyalty. He doubted the dark lord was actually dead and successfully locating him would earn him Voldemort's favour and gain him a lot of power. In truth he did not care about the death eaters goals at all and believed one day he would be able to perfect the imperius curse to such an extent that he would be able to use it on voldemort and become the new leader of the death eaters.
extra headcanon: snape genuinely thought of avery and mulciber as his friends during school even defending them from lily. During the second wizarding war however he grew to see Avery as merely ‘annoying’. Mulciber on the other hand he grew to despise since he was a large part of why his relationship with lily grew so sour. Snape never acted on this however as he knew mulciber was a very dangerous wizard who he should not challenge without a plan. Mulciber was aware of Snape's newly acquired hatred of him though he never quite figured out the reason for this hatred. Nonetheless he did not try to get rid of Snape as he was one of Voldemort's favorites and was quite a skilled wizard himself. He did have plans in place if Snape ever tried to attack him.
nott: nott sr was a very elderly and wealthy wizard. His wealth rivaled lucius malfoy’s which is one of the reasons he is among the few wizards lucius genuinely respected. He was one of the most experienced death eaters and as a result knew a ton of spells almost as much as voldemort. As a death eater he was somewhat loyal to voldemort he didn’t try to find him because he genuinely thought he was dead. As one of the few original death eaters left he thought of himself as a very high ranking servant of voldemort. Nott appears as a friendly and energetic man, who often makes light of the situations and predicaments he finds himself in. He usually likes to stay away from the center of attention, until his presence is needed, either for de-escalation or to put the situation under control by force. Whatever the case may be, Nott never fails to seize the opportunity to crack jokes and lighten up the mood with his mostly light-hearted view on situations, though it should also be worth mentioning that some of his remarks can be strangely morbid, sending chills down his enemies or allies spines, for example he once threatened avery that he’ll chop his head off on the spot because avery made a few remarks nott found a bit overly egotistical. In reality however he is quite selfish, being willing to refuse orders if he sees a better alternative which would also ensure he received no repercussions. He is also quite ruthless and a glory hound wanting to kill famous figures like harry potter, albus dumbledore and alastar moody to ensure he gains a ton of fame.
extra headcanon: after the death of his wife his relationship with his son Theodore could neither be called good or bad. They were very neutral to each other they also rarely spoke. When nott was send to azkaban following the battle of the department of mysteries. Theodore was a little bit saddened, but he did not desire revenge against Harry Potter and his friends. When nott eventually escaped Azkaban there was no warm reunion between the two. Partly because nott sr was too busy with death eater activities.