Hello!
I'm a novelist, with several books published. This is my first venture beyond the scope of our world. I've constructed an alternate universe over the course of the last several months. Monsters, various races (human and otherwise) were the easy part, but the plot has a heavy focus on politics, and I am floundering.
I'm trying to understand the conquering and enslavement of a country, both from the perspective of those invading and those being invaded.
I'd like to understand the motivation behind a move like this, and how it's decided among the ruling class that this is the correct course of action.
I've done a great deal of research. Chronologically I know what happened leading up to and encompassing the Scramble for Africa and other similar conquests. But none of the books I've read detailing the conquering and enslavement of a people have explained the how behind the events. (How does the ruling class decide a war is worth fighting? How do they justify sending in troops solely for the purpose of expanding a territory? Who hatches the idea, and whom do they present it to? Why would a country war against a country that has never been any threat to them?) Nor have they explained the general emotions of those benefiting from the enslaved people. (Although I've found a great deal of books detailing the experiences of actual enslaved people and their journey.)
Thank you for any help!
Relevant info: I'd like to focus on wars and politics before the industrial revolution.
Also, please forgive how scattered this post is. I'm currently trying to put a fussy 10 month old down for bed.

Wall of text coming: We're still together...
My wife of 20 years suggested we open our marriage a few months back. She admitted she had been chatting with someone else and wanted to pursue a strictly sexual relationship with him at that time. He's married with kids, works with her, but they had never met at work, just phone conversations work related and then they started chatting, which I assume started getting more intense. So now they hook up once or twice a week during work hours, usually extended lunch breaks, either in his work van in some secluded parking lot or in a hotel room for a couple of hours. She tells me when she's going out and when she's on her way home usually. They're both on-call so they usually hook up at the last minute when they get the chance. They rationalize that what they are doing is having an affair, his wife doesn't have a clue about it. Since we're "open marriage" she lets me in on some general information about them, but hides her phone from me and if he calls her and I'm around she goes to another room and always has her headphones handy, and they can talk for hours. All I seem to get for conversation is what we should have for dinner. I had accepted their affair, they both agreed to each other not to jeopardize their marriages, just keep it sex. I've gone through the entire range of emotions and and the feels are still there. I still want her and I'm pissed off at the same time. Divorce would be kind of messy, we would sell the house, divide the rest of our holdings, etc. But I don't want that either.
She tells me she doesn't want a divorce, that she is satisfied with our home life as it is and that we will continue to travel, go out to supper and all the other domestic things we do.
Except have sex.
For the first few weeks after they started hooking up we had sex more than the previous year. I never got morning BJ's before, but I was getting them then. I've been reading other subs and I figure it was NRE. We were dead bedroom with occasional sex and not often and with little passion before and that was the norm for a few years. We always have and still do, go to bed together, snuggle every night, talk a little, but there is a rift that has slowly formed. She now says I'm undesirable, is not IN love with me, and definitely doesn't want sex with me anymore. She says doesn't know if or when the desire will return. And I'm sitting on the fence with a post up my ...
Wise people of Reddit, what is your take on this situation?

First Previous
Ja’vail woke up with a yawn, her eyes squinting in the evening light. Her room was positioned in the castle on the west side, to ensure that Tor’s sun would wake her up for her duties. It was a purpose that it served with perfection, despite the fact that she really would have liked to sleep for a few more minutes.
However, her duty could not be delayed. It was her power that served as the linchpin to Tor’s spell, and she would fulfill her duty to ensure her Diarchy’s, and her world’s, future. With a grunt of exertion, Queen Ja’vail rose from her bed, stretched out her wings, and moved to the balcony before picking up her robe. As soon as she was somewhat decent, the Queen of the Night then opened her wings, looked to the skies, and began channeling her power into the spellform that had been weaved between the planet and its moon, renewing the bonds that connected them, and ensuring the delicate balance between her magic and her husband’s would not come undone.
She performed this ritual twice a day, every day, to ensure the spell’s continued existence. In the past few months she had performed it well before Tor had performed his own renewal, and had had to go remind the foolish drake to not only perform his duties, but to hurry up and get his tail to bed. Without her efforts, and her constant reminder to the king, the entire thing would come undone, ensuring their planet’s rapid descent into division once again.
Without the two dakri turning the planet, the two sides would either become too hot or too cold to sustain life, with the twilight between them ruled by monsters birthed from the nightmares of the oppressed.
It was with some surprise, then, that as she poured her soul into this undertaking, she could feel the thrum of her husband’s power clear in her mind, letting her know that Tor had already renewed his half of the spell for the night.
He really did need that sleep, she thought, giving a self-satisfied nod towards the setting sun before turning back towards her private chamber. She still had much to prepare for her night; even with the most pressing matter out of the way, she still expected a full schedule. Her court wasn’t especially busy, as the dakri found the night to be the best time to sleep and prepare for the next day.
That was besides the point, though, as her duties rarely involved overseeing the day-to-day rule. Rather, her task was to patrol the ǣther, hunt the nightmares that plagued her people, and to do her best to heal the source of those nightmares.
This was especially important now that she had cleared the Forest of Yith and had located the source of that particularly violent nest. It was best to keep those nightmares from returning, and for this cause she was going to attempt to enter the survivor’s dreams again. She doubted she would have as much success this time as she had last time, simply because almost drowning had weakened the creature’s defenses significantly. However, she had faith that she would at least be able to soothe the visitor’s dreams, and possibly gain a little more information on how he thought.
At the very least, she’d settle for a name. She couldn’t just keep calling it ‘the creature’ or ‘the survivor,’ as those ‘names’ grew heavy on the tongue, and wore down her patience. A name would also help the visit she had planned go a lot smoother, and would hopefully help them as they tried to convince him to come to the castle with them.
Once Ja’vail was dressed, she left the comforts of her room and made her way to her husband’s study. As she expected, he was still there, his desk still quite messy, a combination of his daily paperwork and the reports of the crashed alien spaceship forming the majority of the clutter.
Much to Ja’vail’s surprise, however, Tor wasn’t at his desk. Instead, the drake was standing at his window, looking out over the countryside and the eerie sunset before him, a reminder of the twilight that his people had escaped. In his hand he held a memory crystal, its red glow plainly visible in the slowly darkening room.
“Tor, are you alright?” the queen asked as she approached her husband.
Tor turned to look at her, surprise on his face. “Oh, I am well enough, I suppose…” he said, clearly still lost in thought. The king then looked down at the memory crystal in his hand, his brows furrowing in displeasure. “I have just received some… unsettling news. I was actually waiting for your arrival before deciding on anything.”
Ja’vail took a few more steps, her eyes locked on her husband's diminutive form. “What happened?”
Tor looked at her, then back at the stone. “It isn't easy to say this, but… we may have to kill the visitor.”
Ja’vail felt like her stomach had turned to ice. “Kill? Tor, what madness are you spouting? What crime could he have possibly committed while I was asleep to earn him a death sentence?”
Tor looked at his wife, pain in his eyes. “Nothing, dear. He’s completely innocent. That is beside the point, however.”
“Then tell me, what madness has overtaken you that you would murder an innocent?” Ja’vail demanded, her tone brooking no argument. “Or what monster are you, to have taken the place of my Tor? I must say, you have the likeness down, but your impression of his mannerisms leave much to be desired.”
Tor let out a mirthless laugh at that. “No monster or madness, my dark princess. Just a visit from an old friend…” he sighed again, before turning and holding out the crystal for Ja’vail to take. “Lady Siv paid both me and the survivor a visit today. She left me this, as well as a decision to make.”
Ja’vail looked at the crystal, before staring back at her husband, a dubious expression on her face. "And she told you to kill him? I do not remember her being so heartless.”
“And you would remember correctly. She was nearly in tears when I met her, though she did well in hiding them,” Tor said, before approaching his wife. He gently took her hand, and placed the crystal in her palm. “When she saw the visitor, she also looked into his future. This is what she saw. Please, do not force me to bear this knowledge alone.”
Ja’vail’s expression softened ever so slightly before she glanced down at the stone in her hand. “I will look, but I do not promise anything.”
Tor’s crest rose, but he did not say anything else. Instead he turned back to the window, waiting patiently for his wife to see what he had seen.
The memory took Ja’vail less than a second to go through, but she felt like she had been gone for a lifetime when the world came back into focus. She stared at the rock in horror, before throwing it to the ground. It did not shatter, it being made of quartz, but it still felt satisfying after the horrors she had witnessed.
“I was not pleased, either,” Tor said, not even bothering to turn and look. “Even if the visitor was guilty of some crime, I would spare him for what he could teach our people. As it stands, he is lost and alone, hoping for a friend. And I have to kill this lonely soul.”
“But… but we can’t do this! You’re better than this… we’re better than this!” Ja’vail said, nearly in tears. “Would we really sacrifice an innocent for the security of our own realm? Would you… would you…”
“Would I what?” Tor asked, turning to his wife, fire in his eyes. “Would I judge the worth of souls? Would I weigh a single life against the good of my people? Of his people? Would I become my father?”
Ja’vail looked away, her eyes closed as she folded her arms. “I’m… I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be,” Tor said, turning back to the window. “You have no need to apologize. I cannot measure the worth of anyone’s soul, nor would I try. However, this visitor’s life is not worth the lives of every person on this planet. When you include the lives of his own world, as well as the unnamed snake people… well… the choice is quite obvious.”
Ja’vail looked down at the floor, her eyes filling with tears as she thought everything over. “Would it have been better, then, had I not saved his life? Should I have let him drown?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is that the spirits have told us that the lives of others are better off if his is forfeit,” Tor said, his voice filled with bitterness. “I have not even seen this visitor in the flesh, and I do not know anything about him at all. What is he like? Does he have a family? What does he enjoy?” Tor asked, looking to his wife hopefully.
Ja’vail shook her head, not daring to bring her eyes up to meet her husband’s, as she didn’t think she could contain herself if she did. “I cannot say. I was only in his mind for a brief time, and I do not understand much of what I saw,” she said, her form gently shaking, as if a chill wind had entered the room.
Tor looked back at the window, his eyes closed as he thought on this. “Essentially, we are deciding the fate of not only an innocent, but a complete stranger.” Tor took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “And try as I might, I cannot measure his worth as greater, or even equal, to the lives of my people’s. If it comes to it, he will be slain, and his body destroyed, just as the spirits have told us to do.”
Ja’vail began crying in earnest, her shoulders slumping with the weight of guilt. This caused Tor to turn to her, lifting her beak gently with one hand until she looked him in the eye. “So… let’s ensure that it never comes to that.”
Ja’vail looked up at Tor, hope in her eyes. “But, Tor, we can’t-”
“Shhhh…” Tor said, encircling his wife in his arms. He was shorter than her, but she still felt comforted, simply because it was him. “I’m not going to murder someone simply because of the damage his life might cause. Siv’s vision wasn’t that his continued existence spelled our doom, but that we must do everything in our power to ensure he doesn’t leave.” He pulled away from her a little, looking up into her hopeful eyes. “His death will be treated as a last resort, nothing more. For now, let us see how much worth his life is. What can he teach us? What is his people like? I, for one, do not want to squander this opportunity that the spirits have gifted us, simply for fear of an unknown future.”
Ja’vail’s crest rose as she dried her tears with the feathers on the back of her arm. “Yes… I completely agree…”
The two of them spent quite a bit of time like that, lost in each other’s arms as the sun slowly set on the horizon. Even after the world was shrouded in night, they were still there, lost in the comfort that each other provided.
* * *
Kel’vara’s beak glowed as she wove her magic, pulling the water from the bucket in front of her. It coalesced into a ball hovering inches above her hand, the swishing, splashing sounds of the liquid a soothing counterpoint to the frustration she was feeling.
She liked working with liquids when she was feeling upset. It had always come easy to her, the seemingly chaotic way it flowed and ebbed was a balm on her nerves, instead of a frustrating mess that most other practitioners found the state of matter to be.
She slowly flexed her fingers and extended her wings, the movements giving a tactile presence to the shapes she was forming in her imagination. Slowly, as if watching ice melt in reverse, the ball of water stretched and flowed, extending here, twirling there, molding and shaping to her will to become whatever she wanted.
In this instance, the water took the shape of a dragon, its long, strong legs striding through the air as it looked around, its inquisitive, intelligent eyes searching for prey, or barring that, a dakri to play with. Its long tail wagged behind it as it seemed to spot something, before it shot off like an arrow, dashing towards whatever had garnered its attention.
The small, watery, facsimile of a dragon didn’t get very far across the room before the door opened, breaking Kel’vara’s concentration and causing her happy little pet to lose its cohesion. In an instant, the once watery, spiky, two legged reptile was nothing more than a mess on the once clean floor.
Kel’vara looked up in annoyance, her gaze falling upon an irritatingly unapologetic Valros as he entered the room. “Haven't you ever heard of knocking?” Kel’vara demanded as she used her magic to scoop up the water and return it to the bucket.
Valros was unimpressed. “Kel’vara, you can’t just stay here sulking, we still have work to do.”
“I’m not sulking! I’m just practicing my more precise spell work,” Kel’vara said, turning up her beak as her crest lay flat against the back of her head.
Valros, however, did not look convinced in the slightest. “Kel’vara, The Lady is her own person. You can hardly expect her to stay around and answer every single question you have.”
“I never said that she wasn’t.”
Valros let out a frustrated sigh. “Well, if you’re sure, then I really think we need to go over the plan for tomorrow,” Valros said, trying to get Kel’vara back on track. “I don’t think we’ll need many knights, the thing’s pretty docile, all things considered. Have you given much thought in how we’re going to actually communicate with it?”
Kel’vara thought about this for a while, her beak glowing softly as she played a little with the water in her bucket, causing the surface of the liquid to ripple in odd ways. “Ja’vail said that she was able to communicate pretty well with it while it was dreaming. The only problem with that is that it was dreaming. I don’t know how dreams work with its species, but for dakri at least, anything that happens to our subconscious from outside forces is quickly forgotten. Bad dreams, flights of fancy, nothing to be taken seriously, or remembered.”
“I’ve been talking with the Captain of the Dreamguards about that too. He told me that we can’t rely upon that for communication, since we’re just as likely to get a straight answer as one about how the creature loves to eat its own pillow and ride a dragon made of Twirly Whirlys,” Valros said, stretching his wings a little and grunting with discomfort. The knight quickly brought his arm close to his chest, searching the broad wing until he found the feather that had been giving him trouble, and quickly put it back into its proper place.
Kel’vara found herself staring a little as the knight preened himself, before she turned away, her feathers fluffing a little in embarrassment. “Yes, and… ah, and in addition, the creature won’t be as weak as when we fished it from the river. It has an ǣon level spirit, after all, regardless of any actual ability it may or may not possess. We’ll be lucky to be able to intrude on its dreams at all.”
If Valros noticed her discomfort, he didn’t show it. Instead, he stood up and made his way to the window. “I remember the Sunrise Tribe had something to communicate, but it was mainly used to control their apprentices during ǣon training. It was supposed to be able to cross language barriers, but I don’t think we want to be dredging up the old ways…”
Kel’vara shuddered a little. “Those ways were barbaric.”
Valros nodded at her, but did not say anything as he stared out the window. “I suppose the only choice we have is to slowly teach the thing how to speak.”
“That’s not as easy as it sounds, though,” Kel’vara said, shaking her head. Valros looked at her, one of his brows raised, prompting her to continue. “When I treated his wounds, I ran a number of tests on him. He’s showing the symptoms of someone who has been transmuted into another shape entirely, except that he has no binding spellform keeping him in that shape.”
Valros looked confused at this. “You’ll have to forgive me, M'lady, but my knowledge of magic is somewhat limited to a handful of combat spells. You’ll have to use less formal terms with me.”
Kel’vara rolled her eyes a little, then used her magic to pull the water from the bucket again. With a thought, she caused the water to take on the shape of a dragon again. “With magic, it is possible to force something to assume another shape or state. Such as turning a dragon into a pig.” With a little exertion, the water took on the desired shape. “I’ll not bore you with the details, but things… well, they remember what they were. Always. If the spell is not properly maintained, the spellform will eventually fall apart, and the thing will revert. This is because things want to return to their old state. They’ll continue chipping away at the spellform, increasing the difficulty of keeping things in their altered state, until it grows beyond the mage’s ability to control. It’s why you cannot turn copper into gold and have it stay that way, or why you cannot turn dirt into food without accidentally poisoning someone.”
“Or purposefully poisoning someone,” Valros pointed out. “I remember history class at least. That happened quite a number of times during the Clan Wars.”
“It was a popular method of assassination, yes, but the old ruling class quickly caught on, and began screening their food before eating.” Kel’vara furrowed her eyes as she twisted the water to appear like the creature. “Whatever the bug-like aliens did to the creature, it didn’t involve magic. ‘The creature’s shape isn’t his own,’ if you remember what the queen told us. It’s entirely possible that it’s lost the ability to speak, even in its own language.”
Valros thought about this for a time. “Well, can’t we turn it back? Reverse the changes, and return it to its original shape?”
Kel’vara thought about this for a little bit, but shook her head. “It’s… possible, but there are so many unknowns. I was even afraid of using regeneration magic on him when I healed him. I had to resort to sealing spells to repair the damage.”
Valros looked confused. “I’m not sure I follow. I thought you healed it up pretty good.”
“I didn’t heal it at all. All I did was fuse its skin together, and do some very basic repair based on that strategy, to keep it from bleeding internally or externally. It’s why I still applied bandages, in case those wounds reopened; I couldn’t risk regenerating it,” Kel’vara explained, her voice both pained and exasperated.
Valros still didn’t understand what the fuss was about, though. “Why not? What’s the big deal if you use a little regeneration? And what does this have to do with changing it back?”
“Everything!” Kel’vara said, standing up in anger as she rubbed both hands through her crest. In response, the water in her grip twisted and flowed into strange shapes, a clear reflection of the tormented state of the battlemage’s mind. “This is an entirely unknown scenario, with an entirely unknown species! The spell to do this doesn’t even exist! All we have are spells to change something into something else, not to return something to its original shape. The way we would do this if this were a magical affliction would be to simply collapse the spellform, but this isn’t magic! If I were to try to change it back, any number of things could go wrong, the least being the creature dies a quick, painful death as it turns completely inside out! The closest I can come up with is the regeneration spell, which would force accelerated cell mitosis using the target’s remembered form, not its changed form. If I did use regeneration, it is entirely possible that the creature might revert…”
“...But?” Valros asked, knowing that there was a but in there somewhere.
“But the creature’s body might start attacking itself, killing itself from the inside out! The two different sets of genetic material might merge, making it into something even more monstrous than it is now! Any number of things could go wrong!” Kel’vara shouted, the water next to her turning into some kind of lumbering beast, whose basic shape only vaguely resembled the creature in the forest.
Valros held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay, I get it. It’s probably a bad idea… but what do we do, then?”
Kel’vara collapsed into her chair, the water that she had been shaping falling into the bucket at the same time. “I don’t know… I really don’t know…”
Valros rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, there’s always pictures and trying to teach it to read…”
“That would take even longer than just teaching it to talk,” Kel’vara said dismissively. “Especially since it probably can’t-”
Before Kel’vara finished, a voice chimed in, interrupting her thought process. It seemed to be coming from the lieutenant’s belt pouch, and based on the tone of the speaker’s voice, whatever it was was urgent. “Sir Valros! Are you there?”
Valros quickly pulled out his whispering stone and gave it a squeeze, worry building in his heart. “What’s wrong, Calis?”
He almost wished he hadn’t asked, because what Calis said next turned his insides to ice. “Sir, I’m relaying a message. Viar and his drakes need backup, and they need it now. It’s those bug aliens the queen told us about. They’re here.”
First Previous
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Dun dun dun!!
Remember: if you can't wait, and want to find out what happens now, you can always just buy the books...
Amazon:
What I've Become
Nightmare of the Past
Google:
What I've Become
Nightmare of the Past

I plan on financing a Flying Cloud 25' Trailer soon but I have a few questions regarding the desk that are installed in some models/floorplans:

• I would like to know the dimensions of the desk (length and width), I need to know the overall space, the movable desk space, and the part that does not move (precisely the width from the wall to the edge of the moving desk surface that is right above the drawers).
• Is it worth buying a 25FB that doesn't have a desk and removing the extended couch area and replacing it with a custom desk surface?
• Is there a way to order a model without the moving desk, as I have not heard ANYTHING regarding the longevity of the adjustable desk or their reliability?

...I have walked in them already so I know what I am getting into. I Like the new 25' because the queen bed is placed perpendicular to the frame. I am not against getting a used unit either, but I wasn't sure if that was a good idea. As I don't want to spend too much time and money on aftermarket customization.
Any advice is greatly appreciated! ^_^

I can't keep quiet any longer. I have to tell the world the truth. I am being blackmailed. Recently a man/group threatened to severally harm me or kill me if I do not continue to give him more ideas to hurt people and the US government by using Mormonism as a coverup. I am refusing to do so, but he goes on threatening and I have no reason to believe he will give up except perhaps I bring this to light. I wish I had more evidence. I hate how the church breeds this kind of maliciousness. If I had known people of this degree of evil existed within the church I would have left a long time ago.
Their is a sub-cult of Mormons within the "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" who planned and executed the Insurrection on the United States Capital by allying with other underground or terror groups such as The Proud Boys and manipulating all of them. To put it all as simply as possible, I was still a believing Mormon back in Jan 2019. However, a member confused me by shaking my hand in a strange way. He was new to the ward at the time and only just met him. Essentially he took me into an empty side room in the church and claimed the handshake was a secret he used in the military. However, he acted very odd about it and told me to not tell anyone. I didn't for many months. However, I had heard about secret handshakes in the temple and theorized that perhaps they are used as a secret non-verbal form of communication. Thus, I was convinced he had accidently used it on me. I can't explain all the details, but later I became convinced that the church was communicating with me non-verbally for some reason I did not know. So, I prayed to god and the answer was to find the bishop and tell him something (I will not say at this time what or why). However, our ward had been split into two and there were 2 bishops. I found the other wards bishop (because the other one wasn't available) after noon or so on one of the Sundays in Jan 2019 and shook his hand then we went into a side room. I don't recall everything we talked about. However, it turned out he had been released as bishop.
What followed was just unfathomable. First, when I told this released Bishop what I thought I was supposed to, I got called a liar. He gaslighted me to the point I apologized just to make him stop getting angry. Then we had this weird heart to heart thing talking about our lives. He told me he had been in the military and was about to move to Utah. He said he hated the US government for things he witnessed in Afghanistan. To change the subject I then told him I sometimes write books as a hobby and asked if he wanted to write a book. He initially said no, but later changed his mind as we continued to talk. But, as I started coming up with ideas for the book, he became angry again. I then allowed him to come up with ideas. He just seemed to have an easy trigger at getting angry. That was when he told me he had the crazy fantasy of doing an Insurrection. We started combining our ideas together. He somehow convinced me we were playing the bad guys in the story-as if we were roleplaying. So we made up a bunch of crazy ideas. He claimed he could make it all happen. I just took it as acting. The story involved a bunch of events before the second coming of Jesus Christ. MY original idea involved two men becoming Anti-Christ's and were going to cause all sorts of havoc across the earth. Things would get so bad because of a new war that Jesus would be the only one to stop it.
But, as things got worse and worse I became suspicious he MIGHT BE FOR REAL! What really triggered it all was he suddenly starting asking me what I wanted out of it all-as if we had been conspiring. When I said no, he became a little angry again(hope you see the trend). What followed next was this weird veiled set of threats. At the end he basically had threatened me to destroy my car (which he did) and send people after me to kill me if he was ever caught or if any of this didn't work- which is ambiguous in and of itself. This previous bishop has in fact been successful in completing all these events; many which I have not said. One of the ideas was to infect the FBI. I tried to call and meet with local authorities, called the FBI twice, sent an email to a political leader, and sent an email of info to the CIA. The only ones who responded were the local authorities and the FBI. But, it was the same each time. They wanted more evidence than I had. I'm tempted to post the evidence I do have but then I might get in trouble because of it. I'm trapped where I live because I am running out of money. I am somewhat depressed, but sort of coming out of it. In no particular order here is more info I can say without saying names or other identifying information:
The president of the LDS Church was manipulated by this group. He was told to try to get the marriage equality bill passed some time ago. That was MY idea; not his. The church was also told to come up with ways to preen the heard so to speak. This was also my idea. There are more things which I said that I can't recall at this time, but the most important one which the President of the LDS Church needs to know is that I spoke about how lesser authorities will sometimes plot against the upper leaders to kill them and take their spots or to use their connections to manipulate them. I do not know or fully understand this released Bishops next plans, but even though I have left the church now, The president of the Church's life might be in jeopardy and I am sure this previous Bishop will tug any strings he can to use his connections. The church has a mole that neither member nor non-member would approve of.
Christians and Jews are being manipulated. They are being lied to in an effort to control them, using them against each other, and other groups.
This mole group has also been involved in various other destructive tactics such as spreading misinformation and hatred to create various divides between groups such as white vs black, rich vs poor, straight vs LGBT, and so on. They hate the USA. This released Bishop is taking advantage of the church's connections with China as well. The president of the Church needs to find this guy and weed him out.
If I recall correctly, their next plan is to target the LGBT+ community with the goal of their extinction. I would suggest everyone in this group buy weapons and armor of every kind to defend themselves. This makes everything extremely complicated since so many religious people are against the LGBT and have been led to believe so many lies about them. I don't know how to solve any of this.
Worst of all I can't just get up and move. I am trapped where I am because of strange blackmail. I can't ever trust a Mormon again in my life.
Can anyone suggest who to talk to about this? Who can we trust anymore? Who can I give the evidence to so I can live in peace to some degree? The FBI isn't going to help. Why did I have to get caught up in something so beyond my nature? I need advice! I have been ignoring this for far too long because of real fear. I am going to post every day I can and everywhere I can until I see results. I have since left the LDS Church, but I am being harassed by them through other people who are not even Mormon. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm living in fear every day.

Preface

Presented below is a transcript of a conversation between a human, redditor u/snodeplannen, and ChatGPT 4. The user is the narrator for a story set in the Star Trek Universe. The AI is instructed to respond as a character. The story below, which admittedly isn't very good, was guided by the narrator. Of particular interest is the fact that the AI seems fully versed in the Star Trek Universe and is able to understand subtle hints in the narrator's story to figure out what it should do next.
Please note the narrator was typing and writing off the cuff and is not a native speaker, so in the user sections you will find mistakes. If ChatGPT can see through them, so can you. I did try to get ChatGPT to collate it, but as it did so it kept rewriting and leaving out parts of the story.
June 3rd, 2023.
User Okay, I want to try a role playing game. This went off the rails last time, as you kept taking over as narrator and rushing to the end. Here's the setup: YOU are a young Starfleet officer. You wake up aboard the USS Defiant, all alone. You have to figure out what happened. I am the Defiant's computer and, and I can't stress this enough, the narrator. Not you. You can only add what your character perceives and says. Okay?
ChatGPT Understood. I'll stick to my role as the character and won't intrude into your role as the narrator. Let's go.
I blink my eyes open, the disorientation hitting me first. I glance around, seeing the familiar confines of my quarters aboard the Defiant, but there's an odd stillness. No hum of the engines, no faint chatter from the comm system, no sounds of activity from outside the door.
"Computer," I call out, pushing myself off the bed, "report."
User 'All systems nominal.'
ChatGPT I frown at the seemingly normal report, my instincts telling me otherwise. "Computer, where is the rest of the crew?" I ask, moving towards the door of my quarters.
User 'The crew is in sleeping quarters alpha 1.'
ChatGPT That's strange. The whole crew couldn't be in one place. Unease creeps in.
"Computer, why is the entire crew in alpha 1?" I say, already heading towards the door to investigate.
User 'The crew is ensign Makov. You are in sleeping quarters alpha 1.'
ChatGPT A cold realization washes over me. Alone. I am alone on the Defiant. Panic threatens to take over, but Starfleet training kicks in.
"Computer, initiate shipwide life signs scan. Report any signs of life apart from myself," I command, heading for the door with a newfound urgency.
User 'Scan complete. No other life forms were detected.'
ChatGPT My heart sinks at the computer's report, but I maintain composure. "Computer, pull up the ship's log. What was the last command issued and by whom?" I order, leaving my quarters and heading towards the main bridge.
User 'The last order was issued 6 hours and twelve minutes ago by Captain Sisko. It was: 'Raise shields'. The order was executed.'
ChatGPT That didn't sound promising. I walk into the eerily quiet bridge, my steps the only sound echoing in the room. "Computer, show me the shield status and surrounding space conditions," I command, moving towards the main console.
User 'Shields are down after a time-out was reached. We are stationary. All systems nominal.'
ChatGPT It doesn't add up. The silence. The emptiness. An order to raise shields with no subsequent actions.
"Computer, access Captain Sisko's personal log from last night. Are there any entries?" I ask, nervously tapping my fingers against the console.
User 'Enter your command authorisation.'
ChatGPT "Authorisation Ensign Makov Delta 9-7-3," I respond, my voice steady despite the swirling uncertainty.
User 'This authorisation is not sufficient to see the captain's log.'
ChatGPT Frustrated but understanding the protocol, I move on to the next line of inquiry. "Computer, any signs of combat or intrusion aboard the ship or in the surrounding space?" I ask, eyes darting over the array of screens in front of me.
User 'Negative.'
ChatGPT "Computer, could there have been any non-combat related incidents that would explain the disappearance of the crew? A temporal anomaly, a transporter malfunction, a radiation burst?" I question, the possible scenarios running through my mind.
User 'Transporters have passed a level one diagnostic. We are in sync with Starfleet's time keeping array. No unusual radiation was detected inside or outside the vessel.'
ChatGPT This was baffling. It's as if they simply vanished. I run a hand through my hair, letting out a sigh.
"Computer, were there any incoming or outgoing communications just before, during, or after the shields were raised?" I ask, hoping for any clue as to what might have happened.
User 'There was one outgoing message, from comms. It was: 'Unidentified vessel, please alter course NOW.'
ChatGPT A lead, at last. "Computer, play back any responses to that message. Also, display the sensor logs from that time period," I ask, settling into the operations station, ready to review any incoming data.
User No reply was received. Logs are not available from that moment onwards.'
ChatGPT The lack of data was both suspicious and frustrating. A sigh escapes my lips.
"Computer, could a cloaked ship have been in our vicinity at the time?" I question, holding onto the hope that I'm not utterly alone in space.
User 'Affirmative. We are within range of several species that posses cloaking technology and in a commonly used interstellar route.'
ChatGPT A spark of hope arises. "Computer, is there a way to detect a cloaked ship nearby? Any energy signatures or radiation anomalies that could suggest its presence?" I ask, quickly working on the console to bring up the sensor array controls.
User 'One possible way to detect cloaked vessels is to emit a tetryon burst from main engineering. The range for this method is limited. Starfleet at present has no other ways of finding cloaked vessels, other than firing random phaser bank shots. This is not recommended in public shipping lanes.'
ChatGPT "I see," I nod, considering the risks and rewards of the tetryon burst. "Alright, computer, prepare to emit a tetryon burst. We need to know if there's someone out there."
This was a big decision, but it was time to be proactive. The uncertainty was more threatening than potential consequences at this point.
User 'Working.'
ChatGPT I anxiously wait, scanning the console for any potential feedback. My heart pounds in my chest, the silence of the ship amplifying the tension. "Computer, report on the results of the tetryon burst."
User The ship shudders as the engines do something no sane Starfleet engineer would want to have happen. The viewscreen shimmers as a wave of tetryon particles eminates from the ship, as if a stone was dropped in a pond. You observe a faint ribbon leading away from the vessel.'
ChatGPT I catch my breath at the sight, focusing on the faint ribbon. It could mean something, or it could mean nothing. "Computer, analyze the ribbon. Can you determine its origin and endpoint?" I ask, my gaze fixed on the screen.
User 'Extrapolating. Continuing along the trajectory of the ribbon I can detected a minor meteor, a large asteroid field with mining facilities and beyond that the Vindaluvian home world.'
ChatGPT I drum my fingers on the console, processing the information. Could the crew have been taken to one of these locations?
"Computer, can you scan the asteroid field for any signs of life, especially any that matches the crew of the Defiant?" I ask, keeping a close eye on the displayed trajectory.
User 'Not from this range.'
ChatGPT "Understood," I nod, a new sense of determination coursing through me. "Computer, plot a course to the asteroid field. We'll continue our investigation there. Engage at warp 3."
I take one last look around the empty bridge, steeling myself for what may lie ahead.
User The ship begins to move forward, as carefully as only a Starfleet computer who takes no particular joy in flying might do. At warp three, the estimated journey time is six hours, seven minutes.
ChatGPT I let out a long sigh, sinking into the captain's chair. It's a long wait, but I need to be patient. "Computer, maintain course and speed. Alert me if there are any anomalies or approaching vessels."
I close my eyes, trying to get some rest before reaching the asteroid field. I'll need all the energy I can muster for what's to come.
User 'Incoming message.'
ChatGPT My eyes snap open at the sudden announcement. "Computer, on screen," I command, standing up from the chair, my heart pounding with anticipation.
User The Starfleet logo appears as the computer deals with a cryptographic protocol. Admiral Benson, not your most beloved Starfleet Admiral, appears on screen. He blinks.
ChatGPT I straighten up, offering a crisp salute to the admiral on screen. "Admiral Benson, this is Ensign Makov aboard the USS Defiant. I wasn't expecting any communications." I keep my voice steady, swallowing the trepidation.
User 'Makov, are you the only one on the bridge? Where's Ben?'
ChatGPT "Admiral," I pause, trying to find the right words. "Captain Sisko...and the rest of the crew...they're missing. I woke up to find the ship empty. I've been trying to find out what happened." I report, my expression earnest.
User 'Sorry, you WOKE UP? And the rest was gone?!'
ChatGPT "Yes, Admiral," I confirm, my voice firm despite the absurdity of the situation. "I woke up alone on the Defiant. All life signs scans have only picked up me on the ship. I'm currently en route to an asteroid field that might have some connection to the crew's disappearance."
User The Admiral connects to the ship's computer. You can see him browsing through the logs and the ship's manifest. 'So Sisko, O'Brien, Worf AND Major Kira have just... disappeared? There isn't even a transporter log!'
ChatGPT "That's correct, Admiral," I reply, a bit of helplessness creeping into my voice. "There's no trace of them, no sign of a struggle, no transporter logs. It's like they just vanished. I've been doing everything I can to figure out what happened."
User "Well, then I guess you're up. Proceed with caution. Mining operations are always looking for free labourers, try not to become one. Backup is on its way. Any questions?"
ChatGPT "Yes, Admiral. I'll proceed with caution," I respond, a mix of relief and worry washing over me. "Do you have any additional information or suggestions on how to proceed? And do we have an ETA on the backup?"
User "Backup is half a day out. These facilities tend to have a 'new arrivals' wing, to beat them into submission. So you're looking for holding cells. Benson out."
ChatGPT "Understood, Admiral. I'll focus on locating the holding cells. Makov out." I offer a final salute before the communication ends.
With new orders and a bit of hope, I turn back to the helm. "Computer, continue course to the asteroid field. Prepare for a detailed scan upon arrival."
The waiting game begins again, but this time, there's a glimmer of hope.
User Three hours later the computer chimes. 'We are approaching visual range of the mining facility.'
ChatGPT "Thank you, computer," I reply, pulling myself up from the brief rest. "On screen, please."
As the mining facility comes into view, I take a deep breath. "Computer, initiate a detailed scan of the facility. I'm particularly interested in any holding cells or signs of our crew."
User 'Working.' The asteroid field isn't particularly thick or large, but the mining operation seems to focus on one of the largest asteroids. Domes dot the surface as small transporters mill about the surface. Air scrubbers indicate they're using a lot of oxygen, so it's likely they're also doing subsurface work. Three large scowls are received loads from steady stream transporter beams. Somehow everything here looks dirty. A Starfleet shuttle would look out of place here, but only to someone who is watching.
ChatGPT Taking note of the bustling activity, I try to formulate a plan. "Computer, do we have any non-Starfleet shuttles aboard? Something that might blend in better with the local traffic?" I ask, scanning the asteroid for any possible entry points.
User 'Negative. Extravehicular repairs can only be conducted by wearing an EV-suit.'
ChatGPT Nodding to myself, I try to figure out a different approach. "Computer, can we go unnoticed if we approach using minimal power, almost drifting like a piece of space debris?" I question, hoping for a stealthy way to get closer.
User 'Affirmative. Admiral Benson has just authorised the use of the Tactical Emergency System.'
ChatGPT "Excellent," I reply, feeling a surge of hope. "Computer, engage the Tactical Emergency System. We'll approach the facility under its cover."
With that, I brace myself for the next phase of this mission. The crew was relying on me, and I wasn't about to let them down.
User The viewscreen displays a Starfleet Officer without any kind of rank, but dressed in Command Red. He's in his mid-fourties and bald. "I'm the T.E.S. Need any assistance?"
ChatGPT A bit taken aback by the sudden appearance, I quickly gather myself. "Yes, I could use some assistance. I'm Ensign Makov, and I need to approach that mining facility stealthily. Can you help with that?" I ask, gesturing towards the viewscreen showing the asteroid field and the facility.
User "Mining facility? We'll stand out like a sore thumb. How many hours have you logged in a space suit?"
ChatGPT "Over two hundred hours," I answer promptly, "I'm comfortable with EV activities. Why do you ask?" I wonder if he's suggesting a more direct approach.
User "If you can get to one of those scrubber exhausts, I'm sure that's a way into to facility. There seems to be a cell block near the surface. I have no idea who is there, but whoever it is will probably welcome a couple of phasers and like you a whole lot. So pack a backpack full of them and get to the airlock. I'll bring us as close as possible and give you a push with the tractor beam. You up for that?"
ChatGPT I swallow the lump in my throat, apprehension giving way to resolve. "I'm up for it. Let's do this." With a determined nod, I leave the bridge to prepare for the EVA mission. This is my chance to potentially find the crew, and I'm not going to let it slip away.
User Suiting up and gathering all the handheld phasers aboard takes ten minutes, during which the T.E.S. gingerly brings the ship close to the mining facility whilst hiding behind the vast ore scowls. You open the hatch and find your self clinging on to the ship's hull.
ChatGPT I take a moment to steady my breathing, the vast expanse of space spread out before me. Gripping the phasers tightly, I brace myself for the push. "I'm ready when you are, T.E.S." I call out over the comm, my voice resolute.
User 'Okay, I'll hook on to you and give you a push. I'd suggest going in feet first, but it's up to you. Do you know what you're looking for? Those five big stacks. One of them, near that plume of smoke, seems to be offline for whatever reason. That might be your best bet.'
ChatGPT "Understood, T.E.S. I see the stacks. I'll aim for the one that's offline," I reply, aligning myself for the trajectory. I take one last deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the task ahead. "Alright...I'm ready. Let's do this."
User 'Good luck, Ensign. I'll brief any backup as soon as it gets here.' As the tractor beam finds you, you can't move a muscle. Relying on the T.ES. you just let go. It's as if a giant hand slowly throws you down a bowling lane. Feet first, you head towards the grouping of exhausts. A small, unmanned maintenance shuttle deftly gets out of your way.
ChatGPT As I float through space, I keep my focus on the target. The feeling of being pushed by an unseen force is disconcerting, but I trust the T.E.S. Every moment is crucial, and there's no room for hesitation.
As I approach the offline stack, I get ready to activate the thrusters on my suit to adjust my course if needed. I also keep an eye out for any other unexpected obstacles or threats.
User You land next to the exhaust, on the asteroid's surface. It seems impossibly high from here, but it's made of metal and your soles and gloves can easily attach to it. The only way is up. Fortunately, there's hardly any gravity. Eventually you find yourself standing on the rim of the exhaust and look down into the vast, dark chute.
ChatGPT I take a moment to look down into the dark chute, the unknown stretching out before me. I reach out to activate the flashlight on my suit, the beam of light piercing through the darkness. "I'm in position, T.E.S." I inform the ship's system, before carefully beginning my descent into the exhaust chute.
User The vast amounts of ore block your signal, even out here. There's no answer. You start the descend and pass two large rotor blades. If those weren't stationary, this would be the end of the line. But luck is on your side so far and eventually you see an access hatch when you're well below the surface. It opens easily. Let's hope it's not also an airlock for whoever is inside.
ChatGPT I hold my breath as I pull open the hatch, hoping against hope that the air on the other side is breathable. If not, I'm confident in the integrity of my suit, but I'd rather not test its limits if I don't have to. As I make my way through the hatch, I scan the area for any immediate threats, ready to defend myself if necessary.
User The scanner indicates low air pressure. Which is better than no pressure. You cross a walkway and find an actual airlock. It is unsecured, because whoever ends up here probably doesn't want to mess about with frozen keypads or mounds of dust. You engage the mechanism and soon feel the familiar sensation of artificial gravity and air pressure. It's not exactly breathable, but a tear in your suit won't kill you. Now to find the holding area. And if at all possible a rebreather, so you can ditch the suit.
ChatGPT Acknowledging the state of the air, I carefully move through the corridor, keeping my senses alert. I'm in unknown territory and every step matters. "Computer," I say into my suit's comm, "can you map the structure of this facility? Locate holding cells or life signs?"
As I move further into the facility, I keep an eye out for any equipment or gear that might prove useful, especially a rebreather. The less I stick out, the better.
User The relatively weak processor in your tricoder strains to get a bearing on this place. A dirty, seemingly abandoned tunnel dripping with condensation lies ahead. At the end there's an exit, which won't open. Time to use one of those phasers in your backpack.
ChatGPT I pull out a phaser from my backpack, checking its settings before aiming at the sealed exit. With a steady hand, I fire a low power burst at the door, hoping to cut through the obstruction without causing too much damage or noise.
User One hinge cracks under the weight of the door, now that the other one is cut through. You jump aside as the door seems to fall flat, but it remains attached to the frame. The resulting opening is just about large enough to crawl through. Now you're in a well-lit corridor with several doors. In a Starfleet EV suit.
ChatGPT Understanding the need for stealth, I decide to move as quickly as possible through the corridor. I approach the nearest door, aiming my tricoder to scan for life signs or any clue to the crew's location. My other hand remains on my phaser, ready for any immediate threats.
User One door has markings on it that you can't read. You scan it with your tricorder. 'Room of lockboxes' it says, extrapolating the characters. A room of lockboxes? Would that be a locker room?
ChatGPT "A locker room..." I murmur, piecing together the possible meaning. A locker room could mean personnel... and where there's personnel, there might be the equipment I need.
With careful steps, I approach the door to the locker room, hoping to find a rebreather or something else that could help me blend in.
User The room is deserted. It's filled with equipment, none of which seems less than a decade old but certainly useable. There is also a rack of dirty, brown overalls and a line of boots in various sizes. A dispenser offers rebreathers. There's only one left, but that's enough. The air is clear, but smells sulphuric. Without the rebreather, you wouldn't last long.
ChatGPT Relief washes over me as I find the rebreather. I quickly grab it and replace my helmet with it, testing the fit and functionality. The sulphuric smell is jarring, but it's a small price to pay for blending in.
I quickly change into the brown overalls, stowing my suit carefully in an unoccupied locker. I grab a pair of boots that match my size and put them on.
Looking at myself, I hope that I blend in well enough to not attract attention. With a deep breath, I step out of the locker room and proceed down the corridor, continuing my search for the crew.
User Footsteps sound behind you, of more than a few people. Your first instinct is to hide, but it would look very suspicous and there really isn't anywhere. However, there is a floorscrubber here, with one open panel. Someone has given up trying to repair it. Perhaps a bit of acting is in order. The footsteps are just around the corner. The language is vaguely familiar, a bastardised version of English. Whatever they're saying to each other, they're not sharing jokes, that much is clear.
ChatGPT
2 / 2
I quickly move towards the broken floorscrubber. Grabbing a nearby tool, I lean over the open panel, trying to look like I'm deeply engrossed in fixing it. I keep my ears alert to the conversation, trying to pick up on any valuable information while also readying myself for the possibility of having to interact with the approaching group.
User Let's continue with the narrative.
ChatGPT Sure, let's continue.
Glancing around the room once the miners have left, I check the lockers for anything useful, while keeping an ear out for any incoming footsteps. "Computer, any idea where the holding cells might be?" I ask quietly.
User Your tricorder beeps almost indignantly, as it has nowhere near enough processing power to even begin speculating. You're on your own until you can get to a comms terminal. The men pass behind you and one of you taps you on the shoulder. His face is blackened with ore dust. "No work. Never work again. That. Stop that." He points at the scrubber you were pretending to fix. You nod. He shakes his head and catches up with his workmates as they round a corner. Apparently you don't stand out here, which should make it easier to find the way. You follow the men, but they seem to be entering a washroom. Across it, there is a peeled off directory on the wall. A printed one.
ChatGPT "Finally, something useful," I mutter, quickly crossing the washroom to examine the directory. I look for any indications of holding cells or equivalent terminology that might hint at the location of the crew. The symbols and words are unfamiliar, so I take out the tricorder and try to use it as a translator.
User Cells being a fairly universal concept, the tricorder identifies a few scribbles with ease. If you understand the diagram correctly, you need to go up two levels and head towards the center of the structure. You double-check the presence of your backpack filled with phasers, snatch a helmet off of a shelf and press it on your head.
ChatGPT Drawing a deep breath through the rebreather, I nod to myself, mentally preparing for the upcoming challenge. "Alright, up two levels, towards the center... I can do this." I look around, searching for a way up. After locating what appears to be a ladder leading upwards, I begin my ascent.
User Two levels up you emerge from what seems to be a service hatch. A technician, dressed in torn clothes, looks somewhat surprised when you emerge. "Hello brother. Are the lifts broken?" he asks in Adari, a language you have some familiarity with. Only now do you see the horn protruding from his forehead. "I am trying to avoid someone," you say, with a knowing smile. He gives you a tired smile back. "What is your sector? I want a clean face all day too," he says.
ChatGPT "I work... the ore processors," I reply, making up a role on the spot that seems plausible, considering the location and dirty condition of most workers. "But I'd rather stay away from my boss today. He's been in a foul mood." I'm trying my best to blend in. "Can you point me to the center of the structure?" I ask, hoping the diversion worked.
User "Yeah, 'the structure'. Let's call it that. Sounds nicer than 'prison of the damned'. What do you want at the center, there's only central holding there. I never go near that place. All that wailing. Gives me the shakes," he mutters.
ChatGPT "Oh, I just... wanted to see a friend," I reply, trying to keep my tone light, while inwardly my heart sinks at his description. "Don't worry about it, I'll find my way. Thanks for the chat." I give him a quick nod before heading in the direction he had indicated earlier, hoping I'm making the right choice.
User He wasn't wrong about the wailing. As you follow the corridors, passing along scruffy workers and a couple of guards with face covering helmets who are leaning against a wall, you can hear a lot of yelling, moaning and above all the sound of defiant Klingon opera louder and louder. The voice sounds familiar, but all singing Klingons generally sound alike.
ChatGPT As I continue toward the source of the noise, I find myself in front of a heavily barred door. I can't help but suppress a smile, recognizing the defiant voice as that of Worf. "Computer," I whisper to my tricorder, "Is there a way to shut down the power to this door?"
User The tricorder scans the control panel and warbles optimistically. It then shows a graphic representation of the door, with an arrow pointing at one location and a low energy setting for a phaser.
ChatGPT Taking a moment to look around and confirm that no one is watching, I set my phaser to the recommended setting and aim at the indicated spot on the door. After taking a deep breath, I fire.
User Something inside the door clunks and it opens just enough for the seal to crack. You jam a fingernail behind it, then a finger and eventually you manage to gain enough purchase to open the door. As it slowly opens, you find yourself at the far end of a long row of cells. At the other end is a desk, with a guard sitting behind a monitor. He is staring at it intently. Perhaps the stun setting might be a good idea. You adjust the phaser and take careful aim, when an arm reached out from one of the dark cells and blocks the shot. "Uhm... he's got three buddies in there. You can't see them from here," whispers Captain Sisko.
ChatGPT "I figured you might be here, Captain," I say, lowering my phaser discreetly. "Any ideas for getting you and the rest out without causing a full-on alert?"
User "That depends. Did you bring any weapons?"
ChatGPT "I brought a backpack full of phasers. There should be enough to arm everyone here," I reply, carefully removing the backpack from my shoulder and showing the Captain.
User "Good man. Worf is next to me, then Major Kira. Let Worf take the lead on this. Worf! Help has arrived.' 'Good. I was getting bored with singing,' grumbled a familiar voice. His hand emerges from between the bars, demanding a phaser.
ChatGPT I hand the phaser to Worf, watching as his large hand swallows the device. I then pass phasers to Captain Sisko and Major Kira. With the three of them armed, the odds seem significantly better. Now, we just have to make sure the element of surprise isn't wasted.
User Fifteen seconds later, three guards sink to the floor. Although the phasers were set to stun, nobody seems particularly worried about their health. "Get their uniforms and lock them up," says Sisko. "We can walk out of here. Once we're at the shuttle docks, we can probably find something that flies." "Captain, there are three uniforms and four of us. And the others are housed on another level," says Worf.
ChatGPT "Right. I can stay behind and create a diversion while you three escape. I'll catch up," I offer. "The priority should be to get you three and as many of the others out as we can. We also need to alert Starfleet about this place. I'm sure they'd love to know about a mining facility that's been kidnapping officers."
User "That's a very daring plan, Ensign, but we leave no man behind. Kyra, you and Worf go and find the others and proceed to that place where they searched us. Anyone in uniform is a valid target. And anyone who wants to come along, can do so. The ensign and I will try to find a comms terminal and alert Starfleet. Ensign, I assume you're not alone here?"
ChatGPT "Admiral Benson is aware of the situation, sir. Backup is half a day out. Before we separated, I was under the control of the Tactical Emergency System," I report, glad to see that the Captain is taking charge of the situation.
User "Oh. I had my reservations about that system. Holographic doctors are one thing, but that went a bit too far for my tastes. Okay, phasers for everyone. Bring enough for the others. Ensign, with me."
ChatGPT "Understood, sir," I reply, distributing the remaining phasers to my colleagues and following Captain Sisko down the corridor. As we navigate through the mining facility, I stay alert for any guards or threats that may be in our way. I can feel a sense of hope and determination building up within me - we might actually make it out of here.
User "HALT!" bellows a voice behind us, immediately followed by a reddish phaser burst. The Captain turns on his heels, pushes you out of the way and fires. A guard falls to the floor. The phaser fire was detected by the security system. A klaxon starts blaring and the ceiling lights turn red. A voice starts giving unintelligible instructions over the tannoy. "We need to find a comms panel, Ensign. Any ideas?" asks Sisko, scanning the corridor for more guards. A frightened looking maintenance worker comes to see what's going on, but ducks out of the way as soon as he sees the pair of you.
ChatGPT "I remember seeing a room with a lot of terminals when I was making my way through the facility earlier, sir," I reply, my mind racing. "If memory serves, it's two corridors over, near the scrubber exhausts." I keep my phaser ready and move towards the direction of the room, all the while keeping an eye out for more guards.
User "That's the wrong way, Ensign. I imagine they have more than one place with comms terminals. You cover the rear. Follow me. Put your hand on my shoulder so you can look behind you all the time. If it wears a uniform, it's fair game."
ChatGPT "Yes, sir," I reply, placing my hand on the Captain's shoulder. I pivot and start to walk backwards, keeping my eyes and phaser focused on the path we've just traveled. The constant blaring of the klaxon mixes with the distant shouting and running steps of approaching guards. Despite the adrenaline rush, I manage to keep my aim steady and my breathing calm. The training exercises at the academy never truly prepare you for the real thing, but they do help in maintaining focus.
User You down three guards and accidentally scare the bejeezus out of a woman pushing a cleaning cart, but eventually Sisko stops. "Got it. Stand back while I blast this door." A few seconds later the corridor fills with acrid smoke from a melting door panel. Behind it is a room with several desks.
ChatGPT Entering the room cautiously, I scan the area with my phaser ready. Seeing no immediate threats, I turn my attention to the various panels and screens scattered throughout the space. The room is filled with a myriad of communication equipment - probably a central control hub for managing mining operations, worker communications, and security measures.
"Captain, I think this is it," I say, gesturing to a terminal that seems to be linked to an extensive communications network. "I should be able to send out a distress signal from here." I start to work on the terminal, trying to hack into the system and figure out how to send a message to Starfleet.
User "Try reaching the Defiant," suggest Sisko from the doorway. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" Another guard bites the dust somewhere. "Captain! WE ARE BEHIND HIM!" bellows Worf." "GOOD! Move along, we'll be there shortly. Ensign, how are you getting on?"
ChatGPT "I've managed to break through the initial security layers, Captain," I respond, my fingers moving rapidly over the terminal's interface. "It seems this system has been rigged to only accept authorized codes for communication."
Suddenly, a stroke of inspiration hits me. "Captain, when we first boarded the Defiant, I had to program my authorization codes into the ship's communication systems. If I can find a way to mimic those codes from this terminal... I might be able to trick the Defiant's systems into accepting the distress signal."
I double down on the task, focusing all my attention on reconstructing my authorization codes. As I do so, I keep an eye on the room's entryway, ready to react in case more guards show up.
User The terminal beeps and lights up. You don't understand any of the dials, but with any luck your tricorder can interface with it. Time to hail the Defiant.
ChatGPT "Defiant, this is Ensign," I say, praying the connection holds. "Requesting immediate assistance. The Captain and the crew are here, but we are currently under attack. Coordinates being transmitted now."
A static-filled silence follows. I glance at Sisko, an unspoken question in my gaze. Did it work? Did our message get through?
User "Ensign, this is the Defiant. I can't beam you out of there. Get to the shuttle dock, so that all that ore doesn't block the transporter lock. The USS Rotterdam is thirty minutes out."
ChatGPT "Understood, Defiant. We'll make our way to the shuttle dock. Be ready for us," I reply, exhaling a sigh of relief. I turn to Sisko, updating him with the situation. "Captain, we have to move. The Rotterdam is on its way but we need to get to the shuttle dock for transport."
User Worf's voice comes in through the Captain's commbadge, as it somehow manages to create a local connection. "Worf to Sisko. We have secured the shuttle dock. Mr. O'Brien is injured. Where are you?"
ChatGPT I quickly respond, "This is Ensign [Your Name]. Captain Sisko and I are en route to your position. We'll be there shortly. Hang in there, Chief." With that, I turn to Sisko and suggest, "We should move, Captain."
User "Ensign Markov and I are just behind you, Mr. Worf. Try not to pick us off as we approach. Oh and the Defiant is operating with that emergency command protocol, so it's ready to beam you up. Have Major Kira and the Chief go ahead, if possible. But hold the fort for us." "Understood, Captain. Worf out."
Five minutes and more shooting than is good for a man's digestion you reach the shuttle dock. You literally have to step over a pile of dead guards to get through the door. "Had fun, Mr. Worf? Does your phaser not come with a stun setting?" asks Sisko. "I recognized the men who took us, Sir. My finger must have slipped on the settings dial," growls Worf, looking you over to assess if you're likely to snitch. "It happens," said Sisko matter-of-factly. "Ensign, get us home."
ChatGPT Without any hesitation, I raise my commbadge and say, "Ensign Markov to Defiant. Four to beam up."
User (Okay, take it home. You're all aboard, O'Brien will live, you get a speech and a medal. Write out those events from Markov's perspective and finish off. I'll add something if you pause.)
ChatGPT As the familiar hum and sparkling light of the transporter envelops us, I take one last look at the chaotic scene we're leaving behind. My heart pounds in my chest, not from fear, but from the exhilaration of having faced danger and come out the other side. It's a rush I wasn't expecting.
When we rematerialize aboard the Defiant, a group of medics is waiting for us. They immediately rush to Chief O'Brien, but his smile and light-hearted joke assure me he'll be alright. As I step off the transporter pad, I let out a sigh of relief.
Later, back in my uniform and at a ceremony in the Defiant's Mess Hall, Captain Sisko delivers a speech. He talks about bravery, about loyalty, about the strength of Starfleet and the spirit of those who serve. He doesn't dwell on the danger we faced, but rather the courage it took to face it.
When he calls me up, handing me a medal for bravery under fire, I can't help but feel a swell of pride. The applauding faces of my crewmates, the recognition in their eyes... it's a moment I will never forget. This is why I joined Starfleet, for moments like this. To be part of something greater, to face adversity and stand tall.
"Ensign Markov," Sisko says, offering a handshake along with the medal, "Your courage and quick thinking played a crucial role in our escape. Starfleet is proud to have you among its ranks."
As I return to my quarters that night, medal in hand, I find myself smiling. Yes, today was difficult, even frightening at times. But it was also invigorating, and more than that, it was important. It's a reminder of why I'm here, of why we're all here. To explore, to protect, to boldly go...
And I wouldn't have it any other way.

This incident happened in august of 2022.
I'm currently 20(F) with autism and I live with relatives on my moms side as of now. I previously lived with my dad and stepfamily before going to college and then suddenly dropping out due to mental health issues. Before I went to college however, I was living with my dad but I had a summer job. I was 19 at the time. This job paid for a bunch of clothes and food that I wanted and I was happy with it. I did dress on the skimpy side with goth and emo elements (roast me in the comments all you like). Nobody ever said a thing about it, no one seemed to have a problem with it. I may be living with family but I'm also an adult using my own money.
Now, I have 3 siblings in that house. At the time they were aged: My bio brother (18), older stepbrother (17) and the youngest stepbrother (15). I've known the 2 brothers since I was 13 when my dad first started dating their mom.
I never got along with the two, with the oldest always calling me a bitch and making fun of me. The youngest always kept his distance. My bio brother and i were sometimes close but somewhat distant if that makes sense, but he had my back if they tried to do anything to me.
Here's where the story starts: I came home from work one day and after dinner I wanted to wear a cute 2 piece set of strawberry pajamas that I had got off Amazon. I went to look for them and they weren't there. I looked all over the house. Not in the laundry room, not in any other room. I thought maybe I left them at a friend's house? I brushed it off the first day and would look for them tomorrow. The next day I was looking for some other clothes, (I have alot of crop tops and skirts and this was summer and those were alot comfier to wear in the heat). And I noticed they were missing too. Not just dome crop tops, but skirts too. And so I desperately searched all over the house and I became slightly frantic and angry. I checked EVERYWHERE. All rooms of the house that weren't bedrooms. Nothing. So I asked my bio brother if any of his friends had gone into my room and I told him about the missing clothes. He said no, and I believed him, ad I had met his friends before and they weren't sketchy or weird. I then thought maybe the older stepsibling had taken them and mailed them to his gf who lived in another state. I was so confused as to why my clothes were disappearing. I finally knocked on my younger stepsiblings door and asked him. He started acting very suspicious, his eyes got wide. He was like "nope sorry". And the weird part was, he changed the subject really fast and i didnt realize until months later that he was trying to flirt with me, asking if I wanted to play video games and hang out more often. I thought he was just being friendly and wanted a better sibling relationship with me. But being as im autistic I dont pick up on things easily. So i brushed it off and i didnt think he was a culprit at all. It seemed very unlikely at the time. But now I know there were signs. Not getting any answers, I went to sleep angry that night.
On the third day I was meant to start work in the afternoon, so the first half of the day was spent searching for my clothes. I texted friends, current bf, anyone. I then went to my dad and said "half my clothes are missing and I don't know where they're going to. I know I'm not losing them because I've torn my room apart trying to look in any place they may be. He said "there's no way someone is taking your clothes, you're just losing them." OK I believed him but after going through everything again, I went back to my dad and said "look, you need to check the other boys rooms cuz I'm not crazy, someone is taking my clothes!" He yelled at me and gaslit me some more telling me that basically I'm crazy. He then took my youngest stepsibling to sports practice. Soon after I left I went to my bio brother and asked if he's seen anything at all.
That's when he got really stressed out and hit his fist against the wall. He sighed and said "come with me." He took me into the youngest stepsiblings room and pulled the blanket off the part that separates the bed from the wall.
I've never felt so sick to my stomach. I have a phobia of vomit but in that moment I wanted to throw up so bad. There behind the bed was most of my skirts, crop tops, HALF MY UNDERWEAR, almost all of my bras and a swimsuit that I loved so much yet never got to wear because it was ruined. He explained that the night prior he had come home from his own summer job to find my youngest stepsibling running out of my room butt naked with a pair of my underwear. It disturbed my brother so bad he had to sit and think whether it really happened and had went to look when he was gone and found the clothes. He said he was sorry for not telling me sooner, I am in no way angry at my brother, I'd be pretty in shock myself if I had to find that.
So I immediately called my dad and told him what I found. I started ranting to some of my closest friends over the phone to get it off my chest.
When my dad came home, I was so upset and crying, and I was getting angry. My dad told me he and the kids mom would talk to him. The next day I wanted to talk to my dad about what happened. He told me "don't worry he wasn't wearing your clothes." Which meant something far worse was done with them and it didn't help. I couldn't day out loud that I could tell he wasn't using them to wear but I felt sick trying to say anything. I wanted to talk to my dad alone but my stepmom (a real bitch in her 40s) said "you can say it in front of me" which I didn't want to because she's always hated me. I got mad and my dad told me "you can just wash them and wear it again."
Now anyone whose had some kind of trauma involving certain clothing in certain incidents will know that, that's not how it works and its not easy to get over. Which is what my dad was telling me, to get over it. And he refused to help me purchase new clothes or pay me back for all the things I had lost. He then told me the most heartbreaking thing I never thought he'd say. "This wouldn't have happened if you weren't dressed like that constantly." I teared up and walked back upstairs.
For the next 3 days I slept on the floor of the room my dad used as a workshop next to my room. Because my stepbrother was caught coming OUT of my room naked, who knows what all he did. I could not stop crying for all those days.
My bio brother saw how distraught I was and he got his friends together to take me to the mall to get what little I could purchase. I was so beaten down by the situation I stopped going into work so I couldn't afford to get new clothes. I'm grateful my brother and I have a good relationship. And now if there's anything he needs help with, I'll be there for him. My dad told me to either wash the clothes or throw them away. I would have lit them on fire if I could but I chose to throw them out. But even with gloves on, every time I went to touch them I would break down crying. My brother offered to help and he threw them away for me, I can't stop saying how grateful I am for him. I wasn't sure if my stepbrother had used anything that I had in my drawers at the time, so I took everything out of my drawers and washed them. I scrubbed the entirety of my room with bleach products. My bed sheets were all washed as well.
For a while after that nothing happened. I didn't feel comfortable wearing what I wanted anymore until I moved out for college.
My dad and I don't talk anymore, and I've somewhat gotten over the incident. But I get enraged when I talk about it, even now I'm sweating and seething.
But the thing that really bothers me about the whole thing is when my stepbrother was trying to flirt with me, he said he wanted us to play minecraft in the same room upstairs. And it may be just my imagination running wild but I dread thinking about what would have happened had I accepted to play video games with him if I hadn't found my clothes yet.
TL:DR; I found out my youngest stepbrother using my clothes to get his rocks off and my dad told me I shouldn't dress in skimpy clothing if I didn't want that to happen.
Also, I'm not sure if this was a form of SA or not but I wanted to get the police involved but I feared that getting the cops called would ruin my chances of going to college since my dad was paying for it. If it is or isn't, please let me know. Also if there's any questions, I'd be glad to answer. I just want to get this off my chest.

I’m not sure where to begin but would like to get some advice on my relationship. My partner and I met last summer and it was love at first sight. Our first date was perfect and two days later we decided to be in a relationship and it’s been pretty great ever since.
I say pretty great because while our love, our collective relationship, is so amazing and beautiful, our separate lives have been so difficult and turbulent.
I have been dealing with health issues for the last 8 years or so that leave me feeling exhausted, fatigue, depressed, anxious, disengaged, and just burned out, but according to every doctor I’ve seen I am perfectly healthy. Last year through some unknown means I seemingly resolved my health issues and felt amazing for about 4-5 months. I woke up springing out of bed and felt so calm, present, peaceful, content, energized and full of joy, I felt like I was finally my old self and what’s a better cherry on top than to find yourself in love?
About a month into our relationship my health fell apart again and I started having debilitating panic attacks, and I would continue to have panic attacks and symptoms that felt like a heart attack for several months, from September through December. This resulted in a lot of time off from work, trips to the ER, lots of follow up testing, and just a rough ride all around.
So my health issues that leave me feeling like a shell of a person and basically incapable of being a happy or productive human being returned a month into our relationship and my life fell apart again. In a couple week span I got Covid, Bell’s palsy and lost my job. I would end up bouncing between jobs for about 4-5 months until I found the “right” job.
I desperately hate my job and am trying to find another one but I’m just so miserable. I’m so miserable and I feel despondent and hopeless and frankly suicidal often.
Which isn’t good for a relationship.
But my partner has been amazing through all of this, supporting me through my health issues, my unemployment and job searches, she even helped me out with rent and hills for a month or two when things were really iffy- it wasn’t easy for her, or us, and has caused some issues but she’s still supportive.
And this entire time she’s going through her own stuff. She’s always stressed out and exhausted, she has a toddler who is just the best kid ever, and I know everyone says that, but our bedtime routine is 15 minutes, he picks up his toys and helps clean up and he doesn’t put up too much of a fight when it’s time to leave the park. He’s really good and she’s done a great job raising him and I’m super honored to be involved because I love that kid and he loves me and I’m learning so much about patience and compassion and it’s so wonderful. But he’s a toddler and it’s hard being a parent. And she doesn’t enjoy her job or make much money and she’s dealing with the emotional fallout from her divorce, and it’s really stressing her out and so everything from there is just more stressful.
So it’s safe to say we are both struggling with our baseline stress levels where we are so stressed out that simply and easy shut like figuring out what to do for dinner becomes a gargantuan and overwhelming and stressful task
And I just want to say I think we make a really good team, we discuss things repsectfully, we don’t ever argue like we’re against each other, we communicate well, we divide up the chores and are constantly doing things for one another.
But at the same time it’s hard working full time and being a parent and trying to take off yourself. It’s not easy.
But things have been really hard lately and we haven’t really been happy or getting along and right now we’re taking some time apart and I love this woman truly but im wondering if we’re good for each other.
We were talking last night and we both agreed that our relationship is good, that we love each other, but it’s our individual lives that are bringing us down and harms my our relationship because we just don’t have the energy we want when we’re not at work and we don’t have the coping skills to not be so stressed out all the time.
But I’m just wondering if it’s fair for us to be together, for me to be with her when she has a child to raise and my life, to me, feels like a burden, I just don’t want to burden them or be a negative influence or take away from her being a mother.
Im just not sure what to do. I feel like I can’t be a real person until I fix my health issues.
Any advice?
TL;DR my partner and I are both really struggling in our own lives and it’s negatively affecting our relationship. I have health issues that make me basically disabled and she is stressed out being a parent and working full time. We haven’t been happy or engaged with each other in a while and I struggle to be present when we’re together

I've been trying to figure out where on reddit I should put this but here goes nothing; this is a throwaway account and it's going to be a very long one. For a bit of context I'm in a polyamorous "relationship" where there is also an extremely large age gap among the three of us. I (21F) met my partners, lets call them Collen (46F) and Doug (56M) the beginning of January 2021. My friends kept pushing for me to go out and meet someone and have some fun so I signed up for a dating app not expecting much to come of it because of my "unique" type romantically. I'm completely into the age gap relationship thing so I raised the age on my search to 30-50. and with my luck two swipes in and there she was; beautiful blonde with greenish-blue eyes a great smile. I swiped so fast I couldn't stop myself, and it came back saying that she had also swiped right on me too. I didn't exactly take the time to thoroughly read through the profile because after the mutual swiping I decide to read the profile a little bit more, and it turned out to be a couple. Maybe I should've backed out then but in my mind it was like yolo why not. They are both attractive and who knows maybe it'll be a fun fling to have from time to time until I feel ready to find someone to settle with. I'd never heard of polyamory or any of the things that come with it so I was basically going in blind. So we connected and initially It was just chatting with her through the app getting to know what they were looking for and things like that. She then suggested that I add him on snapchat so I could talk to him as well and do a video chat verification of myself. So I did and to my surprise I'd hit it off with him too. It was like I could talk to him about any and everything. Deep conversations came easily with him. They both reassured me they wouldn't force me to go too fast or do anything I don't want to do. Made me feel very comfortable from the get go. Eventually the whole conversation moved to snapchat they created a group chat and I could text them separately whenever. I mostly spoke with him separately and she would really only respond in the group. I met up with him about a month later. She couldn't come along as she had to stay home with their daughter but gave us her blessing to have fun and tell her about it tomorrow. It was a great time we talked sat by the water till almost 5am. Another month in they invited me over to their place so we could all be together and I of course accepted. When I got there I was shocked to have been greeted at the door by the two of them and their daughter. For another reference I love kids and have been helping my siblings and other family members raise theirs since I was 6 and I'd told them about that as well, But still it threw me for a loop because it'd only been 3 months they still don't know too too much about me and we all knew I wasn't exactly coming over to just "have dinner and watch movies" and it seemed strange to me. We had dinner and it was nice we laughed a lot and all got along pretty good. When it got later in the night Colleen put their daughter to bed and Doug and I went to their bedroom. She joined us and we got busy and in the midst of it I began to bleed as apart of this health condition I have which they were aware of, and they immediately stopped to care for me clean me up an make sure I was ok and insisted that I sleep over for the night. They grabbed a blow up bed and set it up in their room for me. That simple gesture did something in my heart. I come from a pretty fucked up broken abusive home some of which they'd also known about so no one had ever really taken care of me like that before until them. Immediately my heart was absolutely sure this wouldn't be a one time fling like i'd thought. Fast forward some time everything was going pretty well. We all talked, sent pictures etc in the group and then I'd come over their place again and we'd have a good time I'd either sleep over and go home, and the cycle just continued on like that. Now up until May there had never been a title placed on what we had going on, so I wasn't too hopeful it'd stay on the same track it was on. Then at about the end of May he asks me to be their girlfriend. Says it's something they both want and again blindly going through with it I said yes, but looking back I should've asked her myself if that was really what she also wanted and maybe I could've saved myself the heart ache. So now we are officially in a relationship and everything is going fairly well.. Fast forward to 2022 about end of July maybe early into August. She started to become... distant small stuff at first like not wanting to have sex because she wasn't feeling well which I completely understood never would I make her feel bad for that. Then it became not wanting to be in the same room as me. Like Doug their daughter and I would be in the living room watching a movie or something just hanging out and she'd leave and go into their bedroom and wouldn't come back out until dinner or it was time for their daughter to go bed so she could tuck her in. It started to make me feel... weird and I couldn't bring myself to ask her what was going on, but Doug would continue to reassure me that she was attracted to me she loved being with me. I wanted to believe him but I couldn't in my heart and due to past trauma I didn't want to face if she'd say no. Now don't get me wrong she and I spent time together just the two of us. Sunday's she and I would go out shopping but you could cut the tension with a knife during those rides sometimes. I wanted to say something but Doug had prior told me about a girl from their past who hurt her and left her emotionally stunted with women so I alway tried my hardest to make sure I didn't do that to her and didn't do anything to cause her any discomfort sort of letting her come into it on her own. Plus she showed her love in other ways with catering to me buying me things particular to what I love. She'd said I love you verbally to me on 2 separate occasions which she apparently doesn't do. So I just could never find the right time to do so. Then Doug started searching on the app again for other women to add to it. He liked to watch and they'd had foursomes with other women where he would watch them with Colleen and take videos that have been shown to me before. I didn't know how I felt about this so I just went along with to see where it would go. Luckily it has never gone beyond a texting conversation among them although we have come close a few times. Anyways end of October early November of 22. Everything was so completely off between she and I felt it every time I would go over to their house. I didn't know what to do or how to address it. It was starting to really take a toll on me mentally. And they were also planning to move to another state where her family is and that caused me to worry more then before because I would not be going with them, who is to say that they won't meet another woman or women on the app and brush me off to the side numerous thoughts went through my mind over this. Plus it would be close to her father and best friend so she is definitely going to want to spend a great amount of time with them and there would be no real way to explain who I am to them considering I'm hispanic and they are White so it wouldn't be easy to play it off and none of them know that she is into women and that they are apart of the lifestyle not even her best friend. (This information is important to my point) Then one night Doug was driving me back to my house and he told me she had cried in their bedroom that morning while I was still asleep because she is uncomfortable in her body and uncomfortable around me. Flat out my heart sank and in my mind all I could think was how could you love and be with someone but not be comfortable around them or even talk to them about it, and you're moving to a new state you pretty much are going to want nothing to do with me. This triggered my abandonment issues like nothing else ever could and they knew of this issue and my need for reassurance I thought they would understand my need to know especially Doug since he questioned constantly if I was happy with our relationship and the age gap and if i wanted to leave I reassured him constantly that I couldn't go anywhere. I cried that night and decided to open the app myself just to find someone to talk to or even distract me for a moment nothing extreme. It escalated and i did cheat emotionally and I kissed the girl but that was it at that time. I felt bad and I am terrible at lying so eventually the truth exposed itself. the day of it was like she could feel something was going to change she came out of their room to where I was on the couch and just made out with me out of the blue. I didn't know what to do. Let's just say the truth revealed itself on that drive home that night and we broke up... for 18 days. I tried to move on with my life because every one was telling me to since the age gap and a bunch of other factors as well so I did and ended up being set up to be raped twice. needless to say my faith in humanity is gone on that end. so I tried one last time to talk to him and work things out. I did and by Christmas we were back together and working on getting better. Now here we are June 2023 they've found a house they will be moving into in just a few weeks. I've been helping them clean and pack up their old home a few times during this process. Doug swears nothing will change but everything will especially considering technically I'm only now in a romantic relationship with Doug and Colleen and I.. I don't even know if you could call it a friendship. Things are hitting that weird point again and he has met another girl on the app he wants him and I to meet and play with its only been 2 days and she's basically giving herself up to him as a submissive which he loves and gave the both of them access to her remote vibrator to pleasure her with which of course he had to tell me about. Now with all o that back ground out of the way here comes the real reason for my post. Despite all of the things I said above there are many red flags about them that I continually overlooked because of the lovers gaze i had on them. Including and I'm not proud of it pedo.... and incest (they both swear they'd never really cross that line with their daughter but I am not 100% sure I believe especially after he told me why he lost his old job) Especially with Doug he even talks about how things would've been if they would've raised me when he would've started wanting to play with me. I'm not proud that I stayed and overlooked those things part of me knows I stay to protect their daughter from them, and the other knows I stay because I trauma bonded myself onto them and can't get away. I'm not even attracted to anyone outside of them yes it is that bad. Lately things have been so confusing and tossed up i am ready to call it quits. (I am a hyper aware person to a default so I know when someone is trying to manipulate and play mind games with me which is what she is doing and I let them think they are succeeding and him he is just attracted to how young and hyper sexual I can be when we are together.) but not before I set a few little fires. I've curated a plan to send a letter to her father, and best friend. As well as his siblings (his parents are diseased) detailing what they've done and thus ultimately outting her as bisexual to them which I know is wrong but after the emotional and psychological abuse they instilled upon me it seems appropriate. Before she married him She was having a fling with her bosses sister at her bosses house. I know the bosses name and have her information so I could send her an email with the detailed story. Of course that is not grounds to fire her but it will cause enough tension and discomfort in my eyes. She is also adopted and recently found her bio moms family; I have their information as well and plan to give them a thorough warning about their estranged family member and what comes with her since they do explicit talk about the family members they would fuck including children of their cousins etc.. It is a toss up considering her father and best friend may be completely supportive of her and not cause any harm there. This won't repair the abuse they've done to me or help me heal but I took the higher road and over looked so many things for 3 years. Someone has to stop them in their tracks so they never do what they did to me to another woman again. WIBTAH?

I was paralyzed with fear as the reflection-like entity hovered menacingly in front of me. Its distorted features twisted into a grotesque smile, the malice in its voice cutting through the air like a chilling breeze.
"Who are you?" I managed to stammer, my voice barely audible. My heart pounded in my chest, threatening to burst through my ribcage. The reflection-like figure tilted its head, its eyes gleaming with a sinister light. "I am nothing but an Echo," it whispered, the words slithering into my ears like venomous serpents.
I jolted upright, gasping for breath. Sweat drenched my forehead as I realized it had all been a nightmare—a vivid and horrifying dream. I glanced around my room, seeking solace in the familiar surroundings. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The moonlight streaming through the window cast an eerie glow, intensifying my unease.
As I sat up, my eyes were drawn to the mirror on the opposite wall. I stared at my reflection, half-expecting to see the monster from my nightmare. But the mirror only reflected my own terrified expression. Taking a deep breath, I tried to convince myself that it was all just a product of an overactive imagination. Perhaps I had been reading too many horror stories lately, or maybe it was the result of the stress I had been under. Whatever the case, I needed to shake off this sense of dread and get some sleep.
I reached for my phone to check the time, hoping it was still early enough to salvage a few hours of rest. But as I grabbed it from the nightstand, a notification caught my attention. It was an email with a blank subject line. Confusion washed over me as I opened the email. The sender was anonymous, and the message contained only one sentence: "Did you sleep well Sarah?" My heart raced, and a chill ran down my spine. How did they know my name? And how did they know about my nightmare?
I quickly dismissed it as a sick joke, the work of an internet troll seeking to terrify unsuspecting victims. But as I tried to calm myself, another notification popped up on my screen. It was a video message from an unknown sender. Hesitant but curious, I clicked on it. The video started with darkness, but soon the image became clear. It was me, sleeping peacefully in my bed. The camera angle suggested that it was taken from within my room. I felt a surge of panic, realizing that someone had been watching me.
As the video played on, my eyes widened in horror. I saw myself tossing and turning, plagued by the nightmares that had tormented me earlier. But there was something different about this video. The room around me seemed distorted, as if reality itself was warping and twisting. The camera panned to the mirror on the opposite wall. I saw my reflection staring back at me with hollow eyes and a familiar malicious grin. It wasn't me; it was the twisted version of myself from my nightmare.
A chill ran down my spine as the video continued. The reflection started to move independently, its hand reaching out towards the glass as if trying to break through. I watched in horror as cracks formed on the surface of my mirror in real time, one by one, as they formed on the mirror in the video, spreading like a spider's web. The mirror was coming alive, its malevolent presence seeping into the room. I couldn't tear my eyes away as the reflection stepped out of the mirror, standing at the edge of my bed. Its voice echoed in a low, distorted tone, filled with malice. "Sarah, it's bedtime," it hissed, its words sending shivers down my spine.
In a panic, I reached for the lamp, desperate to dispel this nightmarish apparition. But as the light illuminated the room, the reflection vanished. I jolted upright, gasping for breath once again. "Was I still dreaming?" I pondered, my heart pounding in my chest. The room was bathed in the comforting glow of the lamp, and everything seemed normal. Had it all been just another nightmare within a nightmare? It felt so real, so vivid, but perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me once again. I took a moment to catch my breath, trying to steady my trembling hands. But as I surveyed the room, something caught my eye—the mirror was still cracked... This was a chilling reminder that the nightmare had not just been a terrible fever dream.
I rid my house of all mirrors in a desperate attempt to maybe sever its connection to my reality, and for a couple of weeks, it seemed to have worked. During that time, my life had returned to normal. The nightmares had ceased, and I began to believe that maybe the mirror itself was cursed, a gateway through which the malevolent entity had entered my life.
After a particularly exhausting day, I decided to indulge in a relaxing bath. The warm water enveloped me, easing away the stress of the day. I closed my eyes, allowing my mind to drift. As I opened my eyes, I caught a glimpse of movement in the water. My heart skipped a beat as I saw my reflection, distorted and shifting beneath the ripples. Panic surged through me, and I tried to look away, but something held my gaze.
My own eyes stared back at me from the depths of the water. The twisted reflection grinned with the same malevolent smile. It whispered in a voice that squirmed throughout my skin, "Did you miss me?"

When I (19 f) was 12 years old I went to a unisex public school. On the first day of secondary school I walked in there with my mind set that I would focus on school, get good grades, and not spend my time on boys. Yeah…that didn’t work out for long. By the fifth week of the first term I was already spending all my afternoons in detention, all my days in isolation. Fast forward to year nine when I was freshly 14 and few weeks before summer break, my boyfriend and I at the time had made a sex tape that spread around the school after his ex girlfriend logged into his Snapchat and found the video. You would think that something like that would die down, it didn’t. The damn school had exhausted the shit out of me and I was beyond humiliated, when I would walk to class boys would come up to me asking if they could “tap that”. So on my half term break, I decided that I wasn’t going back to that school for shit. I contacted my old childhood friend who’s brother was an expert at faking doctors notes, it took about three days to finalise, and I don’t think I’ve ever taken anything so seriously as I did in those three days. At the end, we had a shining doctors report condemning me to be bed ridden for seven weeks because of a serious illness, it had a signature, hospitals stamp, and a real doctors name. But then the hard part was convincing my mother (43 f) I sat her down and started my presentation. I damn well wasn’t about to tell her that I didn’t want to go back to school because of a leaked sex tape, so I decided on the classic bullying story. It was so heartfelt you would’ve thought I was being serious, I cried so hard that my head hurt for hours after, expressing to my mother that I was being bullied badly and was having suicidal thoughts. It truly was an Oscar worthy performance. I showed her the forged doctors report and she decided to help me. My mother is a makeup artist, so she helped me with a makeup look that made me look pale and fragile, then placed a bucket stained with turmeric beside my bed to make it look like a sick bowl, then she took a picture of me, printed it out and put the fake note, the picture and some tissues in her bag and made her way to my school. It was legendary, I had people calling me up for days asking if I was going to die and when I was going to be better. Safe to say I transferred schools the second the autumn term started

Hoping for some breed recs and I’m not searching for a unicorn (like my current rescue mutt is).
Introduction 1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
A: no, I currently own two 50 lbs rescues
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
A: I prefer to buy from an ethical breeder.
3) Describe your ideal dog.
A: alert of their surroundings (alert barks to strangers on the property), affectionate and cuddly with me, indifferent towards strangers, able to catch onto training quickly, food motivated, enjoys playing tug and fetch, up for anything from couch cuddles to nature walks, patient with indoor cats, neutral towards other dogs. Prefers dogs that are intimidating looking as we live in a sketchy neighborhood and my current rescue gives me scary dog privilege to walk at night.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
A: im not sure yet, I like the look of Dobermans, cane corso, bullmastiffs, giant breeds are cool but idk if they fit.
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
A: we would attend puppy classes together. I would also like to obtain a Canine Good Citizen Advanced and advanced trick dog title/award. In addition, I plan on task training for at home service work (not public access so a breed that isnt known for service work isn’t a deal breaker. I just plan on teaching the dog tasks to help me out with my BPD/PTSD at home). Teach basic commands, loose leash walking, following a lure, muzzle conditioning, and cooperative care. And whatever else may be needed.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
A: although I’m new to sports, I would like to try fastcat.
Care Commitments 7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
A: im a stay at home “dog mom” so I have ample time
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
A: about 1-1.5 hrs daily. Two 30 minute walks, swimming, fully fenced in backyard fetch, seasonal hikes- it just depends on how I’m feeling. I do not plan on going to the dog park as I don’t think they’re safe (my dog was attacked at one).
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
A: I would say a few minutes every week or so with a rubber curry brush (that’s what I do for my current dog), but prefer no trimming or professional grooming. Ok with baths when they get smelly and nail trims and ear cleaning, just no dogs that require haircuts.
Personal Preferences 10) What size dog are you looking for?
A: my ideal size would be 70 lbs, but I would prefer to go up in weight than to own a small dog. Just not my vibe. The biggest dog id own would be like 130lbs ish
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
A: my short haired dog sheds in the spring and fall and is pretty much lower shedding in between and that what I want at most. I don’t want a heavy shedding dog please (that includes labs, goldens, huskies, gsd, any thick coated double coated breed). Barking when play and when there’s a stranger on the property is fine, but not a dog that barks at anything (no overly vocal high pitched barkers, I prefer deep barks). Slobber when eating and when being baited with treats is ok, but I don’t really want to have a dog that will shake and paint my walls with slobber.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
A: not the biggest priority, my current dog can’t be off leash and it’s not the end of the world. We walk on leashes and have a fully fenced in yard
Dog Personality and Behavior 13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
A: snuggle bug for sure, my current dog curls up next to me in bed and I love it.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
A: eager to please
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
A: barking until I tell them to stop (current dog barks to strangers walking by and I don’t mind it, but he won’t bark at everyone-just things in the yard. He doesn’t bark at the neighbors across the street for example). I want my dog to ignore strangers ideally, and focus on me. Dogs that want to be everyone’s bff turn me off, I prefer loyalty.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
A: I will if it’s the right breed, my male is ssa and we muzzle train and crate train. This will be the only dog in the house when we bring it home (with the exception of 3 indoor cats). But I prefer dogs that aren’t aggressive.
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
A: aggression towards me, stubbornness, heavy vocality, reactivity, chasing our cats.
Lifestyle 18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
A: probably just a few hours if I went to run an errand, but even that’s not every day. I’m home pretty much 24/7 (unless I’m out waking).
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
A: I live with my gf and she doesn’t mind as long as the dog fits my lifestyle. She will not be caring for the dog; I will.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
A: yes we have three indoor cats
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
A: no we don’t have kids and don’t plan on having them
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
A: we own our home, no breed restrictions
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
A: live in Georgia, USA. None that I’m aware of.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
A: July summers get to the upper 90s with 99% humidity; winters are snow free and at 20-30 degrees.
Any other questions just ask

A lot of FUD in the CNBC articles about no interest in the Bed Bath and Beyond part.
What is going on right now is Chapter 11 restructuring. We are not in a liquidation yet. Lawyers are working around the clock to figure out a way to make as much of the company a “going concern”.
Now the bears will take a look at the assets vs debts and since assets are less immediately say Shareholders are wiped out. However that is far from true.
The Stalking Horse bidders being reported only seem to want Buy Buy Baby. It is bullish that someone has said they would potentially do an equity deal to keep it a going concern at 75%. This would be a great outcome for Baby, and would them allow them to focus on growing. This fits into what Cohen proposed in his letter (Reread his letter and he doesn’t say he wants direct ownership). He may have someone else buy it and then partner with Teddy.
It’s apparent that Buy Buy Baby is a beast. CNBC reports that Babylist registries increased by 200k since Bed Bath filed. Holy shit. 200k x 12 months is 2.4m registries a year. Let’s put about $5000 per registry on average. (Probably more because Babylist is a boutique online shop planning a physical showroom in Beverly Hills)
Thats over a billion in only baby registries!
For Babylist their company is based on registries. Buy Buy Baby has several other avenues for income by being a brick and mortar retail. This 1) allows new parents to shop and understand the quality. 2) Allows new parents to go into a nearby store and use a scanner to create their registry. Beats doing it online or flying to California to do it.
Ok now on to my main point of this thread. Bed Bath and Beyond.
Well it’s not fully liquidating yet. From the outside looking in it appears that a full wind down is happening. If you look harder though a lot of bad locations and leases are being shredded. In addition everyone in there mom loves a going out of business sell. BBBY is clearing old inventory and right sizing their physical footprint.
They have many types of debt. When people see 5 billion in debt they make the assumption that it needs to be paid back immediately. However it doesn’t. The sell of Baby should allow for a restructuring of Bed Bath and Beyond to take place. The two may then have separate owners but could still fall under a future Teddy umbrella. Bed Bath can start filling their store with Newell goods as they restructure and get back to the brand everyone loves.
So I don’t think BBBY is just going to disappear like MSM wants you to think. There is too much name value here.
IMO the shareholders have a good chance to make it through alive. Hopefully we receive some equity in Baby as well as get some sort of direct investment in BBBY as is. There are many different scenarios that can play out.
Gove was talking about 2030 and having females in power positions. I don’t think her interview was a straight lie.

Hi I’m currently looking for either a roommate to go half and half on a 2 bed 2 bath, or for someone willing to sublet a room for a 12 month lease period. Work in finance in the loop, looking to live in west loop.
Budget for 2 bed 2 bath is $3,400 total
Or $1,500-1,700 for a single room.

Hey all, I’m posting to see if anybody would be interested in taking over my lease in a female 3 bed 3 bath unit at the Grove Apartments. The unit is furnished and kept very clean. There is only one roomate occupying the space right now, so you can bring a friend if you’d like.
I’d be more than happy to provide any images or come personally show you around the place. I’m looking to move in with a friend I’ve made in my major until I graduate!

Before I start I want to say I'm sorry for any mistakes but I just want to get this of my soul to somebody and english isn't my first language. So, I don't even know if this is worth writing about but I just feel so bad and helpless. My grandma is 86 and ever since she moved in with us 5 years ago (bc my uncle whom she was staying with died BC OF HER but that's another story I might tell in the final part of this post after telling you all how she behaves it will make sense) she has been making our lives miserable (mostly me and my mother ironically because we are the ones mostly taking care of her, I give her food and meds and my mom can't). I am gonna start with the most awful and disgusting part. Because she is so old she wears adult diapers and that should help if she ACCIDENTALLY shts herself and yes, it does help in her case but what's very annoying about her is that: 1)she shits herself intentionnaly and doesn't even try to hold it in if one of us is in the bathroom; 2)she shits herself intentionally just so that my mom will have to clean her (she does this especially when she sees my mom is very tired or busy and my mother is the one cleaning her because she doesn't have a job and this grandma I am writing about is from my mother's side); 3)when mom isn't home she asks me to clean her (which I will never do and I am shocked she even askes me to like I am almost 18 but I don't want to and I know it will sound bad but I don't love her more like I can't love her because she never took care of me when I was a baby and because of her my mother had to be away from me so much when I was little and my dad was working so I was alone a lot of the time and one time my mother told me that the neighbours told her I threw some little pieces of eraser on my neighbour's window sill (that thing at the bottom of the window google told me the word) and I still think to this day that could've died because I opened the window by myself at 4 years old) oh I got so carried away I'm sorry I just write as things come to me sorry if it's annoying but as I said I want to tell this to somebody as fast as possible; 4) she shts herself and doesn't tell my mother or anyone and just sits there in her bed and if none of us notices it she just sits there for hours, but most of the timw we do notice because it smells so bad and one time she sat so long she got all her bedding dirty and her clothes and it was smelling so bad; 5)when nobody is home she goes to the bathroom and gets her slipers, the floor leading to the bathroom, the floor in the bathroom, the toilet, the toilet paper, herself and her clothes very dirty; I think that's all with the sh*ting. So me and my family do EVEYRHING for her because she had some heart problems but she is better now but still can't walk by herself and she doesn't want a cane and my mother walks her eveywhere. God I don't even know how to say the next things because it doesn't really seem like a big deal but for us it kind of is. So she does all sorts of straight up anoying things like wjen she first came to our house she wanted to sleep in a big bed my parents were sleeping in and make me and my mom sleep togheter and that happened for a few days but we could not sleep well so we moved her to HER OWN ROOM WHICH I WISH SO MUCH I HAD (I never had that room because we would also need to heat that space so we were saving money by not having anyone sleep in that room and of course as a teenager I want my own room and privacy so I just put up with it). For some reason she HAS TO sleep with some sort of light on so fine but when she goes to the bathroom she does not turn it off or when it isn't even night she turns it on even though she doesn't do anything like reading etc. or when she eats with the light on and goes to the bathroom she also doesn't turn it off or when she finishes eating she agreed to tell my mom but more recently she doesn't and just sits there with the light on (maybe this isn't so annoying but we most of the time love paycheck to paycheck so it matters that we try to save up everywhere we can). When we tell her she doesn't even look at us or if she looks she just shrughs or doesn't say anything like it's impossible to talk with that woman. Or the one thing I hate to most: she goes to the bathroom when we are there like she opens the door even thought we are there (and most of the time intentionally). There are days when I go to the bathroom and EVERY SINGLE TIME she comes and I have developed a reflex or like a trauma when I hear her slippers on the floor (she kinda slides them bc she holds on furniture when going to the bathroom) to stop eveything I am doing and hold on the door do that she doesn't enter and it's just so annoying that I can't even go to the bathroom without her coming. And the thing that made me want to write this after somehow coping with her for 5 years. Today I wanted to take a bath and she wanted to go right before the bath was ready (and yes she also does this a lot like when she hears one of us saying we want to go to the bathroom she rushes there) so I let her and after 5 minutes she had the audacity to OPEN THE DOOR WHEN I WAS FING NAKED and out of anger I screamed at her to leave and at least she did but this isn't the first time this happened to not only me and the most sad and annoying thing is that she does it intentionnaly just so she can kill us physically. That's how she killed my uncle whom she was living with before us. It was just the two of them living together (bc my grandpa died before that possibly also by her nagging or whatever she's doing I don't even know what to call it) and just like she does with us now, (only it was worse for my poor uncle bc he was alone with her) she kept making him do all the work around the house taking care of the cows (I honestly think she loved those cows more than her children because she sent her first two kids to college but she didn't care about my mom and the uncle I am talking about now because she didn't even want them to get a job or get married and kept teliing them to stay with her and take care of those damn cows everyday and sadlt she succeded with my uncle but my mom left) she kept nagging him about all the little things like buying her soda even though the city was 10km away from them and she kept worring him about the work (like their terrains and stuff like that) and she didn't help him she only watched him. When guests were coming over to their place she didn't care to make it a little clean she was dirty (she didn't clean herself like my mom was she never did that and their house was full pf bed bugs but sadly my uncle didn't have what to do because he was working all day on those terrains and that's also why I hated going over there because all my body would be full of stings and I couldn't wear t-shirts or dresses and I also hated going there and helping with the terrain (I started helping like when I was 10 every summer until she came to live with us) yes she did give me money but no more than 5 dollars)). When other neighbours were coming to help with the work she would pour them drinks and chat while me, my family and my uncle were working. I hated going there so much that I would pray to rain so that I wouldn't have to go. And my uncle was so sad he didn't have a proper job, nor a girlfriend and this grandma of mine kept annoying him and never helping him he started drinking and you know how this ends.... Another thing that frustrates us is her STARING. When she fistg mobed in with us she stayed on a chair in the kitchen with us and would watch TV sometimes but she would only stare (and when I say stare think STARE like she would want us do die like she is above us all) and would tell us "you didn't do that" yada yada so we moved her into her room all the time but she would still stare at us bc the door was opened and in the summer we close it but in the winter we can't otherwise it would be to cold for her. I can't even bring my friends over because of her, for example one time I was hanging out with my friends and she kept STARING AT US and I went up and told her nicely to stop and she did but after some time she just started again. I felt so bad towards my friends and they also said it was very creepy I wanted to cry so bad. So, she doesn't do anything she doesn't clean she doesn't make us any food she doesn't care about us only about her (not even that as she doesn't keep herself clean) we do it alk for her we take her on all the road trips we give her food cook her food she is washed she doesn't live alone she doesn't clean she just stays in bed all day (or stared out the window like a creep). Other women her age would be so grateful to have all that she has but her noo it's like she hates us the more we help her and I just don't undersant why and how can she hate the people that are caring for her. She was evil to my uncle and she is evil to my mom and they were/are the ones caring for her, but when she talks to her other children(those two uncles from before) she makes her voice high and cute and is nice and asks how they have been (but with us she speaks with hatred). I hate it so much, my friends tell me about how their grandmas spent time with then when they were little and they made nice food for them and they cleaned their house for them and I just wish I has something like that but if I can't have all that I just wish for a grandma that doesn't want to kill me and my mother physically and that just doesn't keep making problems for us. Please please if anyone even got to this part (because there would be so many more incidents buy I am sick of writing about her and spending so much time thinking about her) please tell me what should we do how should we approach her we treid telling her that other woman her age would not know how to be more grateful for all that she has but she just ignores us we treid telling my two other uncles(the ones I mentioned before) but they said we were over reacting (that's what they used to say to that uncle that died when he told them that, and I quote "she is killing me physically"). I probably sound patethic writing all this but I just want to tell it all to someone who might care, I hate hiw she makes us miserable you might not think it's that bad but it is it's so bad that eveyday when I wake up I pray that she is dead and I also pray to God to get rid of her and I know it's very bad to oray for that but I am so scared because what if she continues living when I go to college and the same thing that happened to my uncle happens to my mom, I could never forgive myself for not trying to do something. As for my dad, he doesn't care because he never takes care of her and he and mom get a lot into arguements because of her. Like I said I am afraid to leave my mom just with the two of them I don't even want to think about it, that's why we need to change something in how we act towards her but I just don't know what so please help me, tell me what should we do.

My roommate has two dogs. A 10 year old female cocker spaniel who is an absolute sweetheart, and then there's the 17 year-old male Jack Russell.
He has anxiety issues and incontinence issues so bad that either my roommate or I have to clean up piss or shit multiple times per day, 3-5 times a day on average. I let the dogs into the back yard 6-7 times a day on the weekend, but it just doesn't matter. Its almost as if it's out of spite.
He never stops pacing. Even right this moment, I can here the click-clack of his nails on the tile in the hallway. I mean legitimately, it's no exaggeration, if he's not in his crate, he's pacing. If he gets put in the crate and someone is home, he doesn't stop barking. There's never any peace.
My roommate keeps saying how they intend to set up a vet appointment to have him assessed, but for over a month now, just hasn't bothered to make an appointment, I guess fearing that any reasonable vet will just recommend it's time to put him to rest. I get it, no one wants to be told their pet is beyond help and it's time to put them down. But I'm beyond tired of him always being underfoot, listening to his pacing, tired of him always smelling like piss, tired of having to wash his bed multiple times a week because it makes the living room smell like piss, tired of cleaning up after him several times per day.
It's time, roommate.

So I would put my SO in the category of "problem drinker" or "almost alcoholic" because he is not physically addicted and can go without beer, but when he is drinking, he sometimes has a hard time not having more than he planned if he has more than 2 or 3 beers. He abused alcohol a lot more heavily when he was younger but has made a lot of efforts to cut down and change his habits over the past 4 years. His life does not revolve around alcohol the way some of our friends' lives do, and he definitely doesn't want it to get back to that point.
He doesn't always have the issue of drinking more than he planned, but it happened enough (and caused problems in our relationship) that recently he decided on his own, to take an entire month off from alcohol and focus on other "outlets" instead including mountain biking and drinking cannabis infused drinks instead of beer, which I am totally ok with because it doesn't cause the problems that drinking does.
The month break just ended and he explained to me that he felt he had made a shift in his approach and his desire/need to drink beyond moderation. He explained how he now had other outlets and realized that he could get through difficult moments that definitely felt like drinking triggers by dealing with them in a different way. He did a lot of introspection and learned some things about himself.
Yesterday was the first Friday after he was letting himself drink again and he had a frustrating day at work. I should mention that he is a carpenter and most of the crew he works with are drinkers and some are functional alcoholics and a few are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Anyway, he went to our local pub straight after an extra long day at work and texted me he was going to have two beers and then leave. A bit later he told me he was having one more, and said he was being mindful...I was at a work event until almost 10 and lo and behold, when I am done he is still out, so I ended up picking him up at the bar. He wasn't completely trashed but had definitely gone beyond moderation and was in his typical mode of being very defensive and paranoid that I was mad at him for drinking and judging him for being a bad person. I was indeed disappointed, but I realized it wasn't a good time to talk about it and we narrowly avoided a big fight. I realized in those situations he needs me to just act cool even if I'm not, because he can't deal with any negativity from me about his drinking when he's drunk. His brain isn't capable of rational communication. So I switched into total acceptance/"saint" mode and put up with his somewhat obnoxious but also loving behavior and we went to bed.
This morning one of the first things he said to me was "Well, that's June taken care of...," meaning that after last night, he was planning to quit beers again for the rest of this month. I believe him, and I believe he is in the process of realizing that he does have a problem with alcohol and needs more than a month off to change his behavior. I didn't say anything except "Ok," because it's his choice to make and the best thing I can do is support him in his journey without judgment. I have no expectations, but I know if he wants to stop for another month, he can. I imagine he sees last night as an indicator that he hasn't grown as much as he thought he had.
My question for people here who are in various states of changing your relationship with alcohol is : Is it normal to go through this kind of testing oneself and for lack of a better term, screwing up and drinking more than intended, on the way to figuring out what actually works for you?
I assume it is a normal part of the process, but it would be helpful to hear from others about how you thought you had made a shift but then realized you weren't there yet. What did it take for you to actually make that shift? Any key insights you had?
I have no idea if my SO will end up quitting alcohol completely or just find a way to consistently do moderation, and either outcome is fine with me, because he's fine if he has only 2-3 beers (he doesn't drink any other alcohol). I would totally be ok with him being "California sober" because he is much easier to be around when he's a bit stoned and it doesn't cause him to act weird/annoying like alcohol does.
I don't like being around him when he's drunk because it makes me uncomfortable and I have a problem with his drinking behaviors - being inconsiderate, not doing what he says he will, being very difficult to communicate with and lacking in empathy (for example last night we were smoking a joint and it made me gag/vomit and he didn't even ask if I was ok even though he noticed what happened). When he's sober or just having cannabis, none of this is a problem other than the typical minor relationship communication issues that most couples go through.
I have suggested that he might want to check out this subreddit to be with like minded people, but he hates all social media so it's not gonna happen.
I appreciate your perspectives, thanks in advance!

My partner and I live in a 1 bed 1 bath cottage, today our drains all stopped working, so a plumber came over and told us he wouldn’t be able to fix this until Monday, and our property management company is closed, the emergency maintenance line doesn’t go to the management company either. We have no working toilet, shower, kitchen, or bathroom sink. Aren’t they legally required to help us if we’re left without the most basic necessities? Like we don’t have anywhere to go. Can we withhold rent or do we demand reimbursement for a hotel like what do we do? We’re 22 and 26, this is only our 3rd year ever renting and we are children tell us what to do lol