Uber eats reddit

[Captain Nathaniel Brand]
The tests all came back positive and the sentient was, according to the Meldren researchers, extremely capable when it came to fighting other sentients. For now I could place less worry on the apparent sentient infestation back at home and focus on the next thing in my massive list of shit to deal with. Worrying about the results of the situation back there was not my current job, at least now I have a plan for protecting the people here if the home team didn’t come out on top.
The next most pressing matter was what my Pioneer managed to do in the short time he was here. In the first 24 hours that kid managed to strike up friendly relations with high-tech aliens, somehow wrest us control of the whole system barring their home planet, piss off an entire race of war-hungry goat people and in the same stride become a hero for a bunch of other alien races. He was supposed to be holed up in a galactic prison right now, but Governor Sind let me know that he had probably already given them the slip and was heading here right now.
It was a mess, but it was one that I could work with. I’d have to make Dominique our poster boy for public relations whether he liked it or not since he already managed to score positive attention from numerous governments. If we could solidify those admirers of his as allies and start making a network of united powers, we could create a safety net to rely on in the event that help is needed back at home. The biggest problem with this plan was that those races may not be too eager to team up with us just yet considering we are at the brink of a war with the people they all historically lost to. They probably weren’t looking for a round 2 and getting them to move might be a slog depending on how stingy the Grahtonians wanted to be.
My ship is currently in low orbit and mostly non-operational since all non-essential functions were shut down while the sentient was being evaluated. Thanks to the circumstances that affected the Pioneer and our inconceivably early arrival to the destination, none of the colonies have been prepared outside of one city. The hundreds of thousands of people in cryosleep on the ship are liabilities until they can be transferred to finished habitations with online defense systems. The city that was already built could technically fit everyone on the ship, but I wasn’t keen on putting all of my eggs in one basket when we could go under fire at any moment.
I didn’t have the leeway to go out there and provide aid for my Pioneer. I wasn’t too worried for him, that man had a mostly good head on his shoulders when it came to staying out of sight and evading the consequences of his actions. I needed to worry about myself in case some less-than-agreeable company decided to show up. As long as I can get the weapons systems up and running-
“Captain, a warp signature has been detected”
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[Pioneer Dominique Reynolds]
The space station we decided to refuel at was a bit on the smaller side and had its age shown on display. The ship we left on didn’t have enough charge for a full trip to the Meldren system, nor did it have much of anything else. While I could technically make it there conventionally without having to eat, not only would it take too long but I also definitely wouldn’t be happy about it. Plus, there was also Dokchara to worry about.
Even if I wasn’t the only human in this entire sector of the galaxy, my face was recently plastered on every network and media platform. Fortunately, the emergency evacuation suits worked by covering the user and forming up based on their body shape. The head parts for these suits were domes of completely tinted glass to accommodate a multitude of races, but it also worked nicely as a way to hide my identity. I could pass off as some tall bipedal race without much suspicion.
“This might be a long shot, but refueling isn’t free and I’m not jumping at the opportunity to gouge out my savings…”
“I have a currency card that the Meldren Governor gave me, but I’m a bit worried about spending Meldren money out here, might put a target on our back.”
“That’s fine, I can wire the money from that card to mine and nobody would suspect anything, at least for a while.”
After Dokchara finished talking with the station crew about refueling and supplies, we left the docking bay to look for somewhere to eat. The bay exit led straight to the station’s commercial district and it wasn’t too long before we found a place with not many people so we could avoid attention, the “Stray Lounge.”
Considering the name of the establishment, I walked in expecting to find something like those old Bars on earth, and while there was indeed a bar and bartender, there was also a waiter, so this place could pass off as a restaurant. We sat down and had menus handed to us along with some water. I was thankful that they hadn’t gone with digital menus since it’d be a hassle to navigate to it with my head computer on top of attracting weird looks.
Seeing them offer pure ethanol as an option would have caused me to choke on my water if I didn’t have a synthetic throat. I get that biologies are varied beyond extremes and that to some people, that may as well just be water but how could something like that even taste good? It wasn’t even flavored.
I decided to get a drink from the inoffensive list since I’d rather not stumble across the one drink that was capable of melting metal or anything. I let Dok order the food since he was the hungry one here and he knew better about what this stuff meant than me. It seemed like a slow day for the place, as there were only a couple people at the bar and a group of three at one of the other tables, so the food and drinks were prepared almost immediately.
“...Is it weird if I prefer the food back at the prison?”
“I’m with you on that one. After all, that prison was meant for high-society criminals, so the food was pretty good all things considered. Comparing that to this veggie mash is a bit of an unfair fight.”
“It’s so strange to me how prisoners were treated in there, why are those criminals given extra benefits just for being politicians and executives at one point?”
“It’s not talked about much, but I’m guessing it's not a coincidence that extra funding goes into that place for a reason, ya know? ‘A buddy in crime got caught, guess I’ll throw them a bone’ or something like that.”
“...Yeah that mess is way above my pay grade. At least the drinks here are nice, no alcohol in prison even for the guards is such a drag, ya know?”
“Can you even get drunk? Actually, can you even properly taste anything if all your sensors are implants now? How do you even know you're tasting it right?”
“Same goes for you pal. Tell me, what’s the actual difference between a natural bodily function and a man-made one meant to mimic the same outputs?”
“...What?”
“I mean, our “natural” parts are the result of evolution sticking with whatever worked the first time and running with it, regardless of the actual efficiency when compared with every possibility. Replacing something like that with a synthetic piece that was formed by the intelligent mind instead of nature’s course, is there a technical downside? Do you really believe that the natural, organic wiring that circulates your blood is as efficient as can be?”
“Dom, what the fuck are you talking about?!”
“...Hey look, I know those guys!”
I decided to put my attempt at inducing a mid-life crisis down for later when I saw a breaking news appear on the screen that was playing an infinite ad roll. The topic happened to be none other than the disappearance of a new race’s ambassador as well as a Moqango guard followed by a statement from the Grahtonian Government claiming to take the investigation into their own hands.
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Think I'm gonna start aiming to release chapters every 2 days instead of daily. I need to pace myself better and this way I can work on the quality of the chapter a bit more before posting. Hope I don't fall off because of this...
Feedback appreciated!

Imagine walking into a burning building, and everyone laughs and tells you the fire’s all in your head. When no one believes you, are you going to stay to burn up with them? Every passenger in that crowd waiting to embark on the luxury cruise was already dead—they just didn’t know it yet! I stared through the windows of the terminal at the magnificent Seastar, at the broken glass and spatters of blood that only I could see… and then I fled.
Without warning a single soul.
What would have been the point? My name is Cassandra—I see death six days before it happens, and can feel it if I shake a cold hand—but no matter what I do, I can never, ever prevent it.
My flight took me as far as the escalators before a flash of purple brought me screeching to a halt. Lily Tsuki? No—it wasn’t the purple-haired musician who’d given me with cruise gift card. But suddenly I remembered how I’d been looking forward to hearing her performance aboard this very vessel…
Oh God…
It was one thing to turn my back on doomed strangers. Terrible as it sounds, it’s a bit like reading about a catastrophe in the news. Quite another thing to abandon somebody I knew! Could I really leave her to become one of the bodies putrefying in the belly of the Seastar? Every time I ordered a drink at my favorite bar, I’d remember I hadn’t even tried to save her!
“Fuck!” I cried, fumbling for my phone. “Oh, fuck me sideways… how much time…?”
Ninety minutes.
Ninety minutes to get on board, find the musician, and… what? Convince her to disembark?
How?
And yet my feet were already turning toward the gangplank—because as it turns out, I would rather plunge headlong into a ship full of the rotting dead than face an empty piano bench and the guilt that no amount of alcohol would ever drown. But to have any chance at persuading Lily, I’d need to know how the passengers died. This meant that in addition to finding a purple-haired needle in a Titanic-sized haystack, a horrifying task loomed ahead of me. I was going to have to do something I had not done in a very long time—plunge directly into my vision. Walk into its very maw and face whatever gruesome horrors lurked at the source of that nauseating odor.
I was going to have to find the bodies…
… and whatever killed them.
Boarding
The stench was so overpowering after crossing the gangplank that I dropped to my knees and dry heaved. The flow of passengers moved around me past the concierge desk. I must have looked exceptionally sick, because a pretty girl in a suit skirt approached, asking if I needed assistance. She reached out a hand to help me up—cold!
I staggered away from her and inside. Then—because I felt I might throw up—quickly found my way out to the promenade deck and the blessed breeze.
Lifeboats hung overhead. Beyond the rail, the sea sparkled in the afternoon sun. Cushioned loungers lined the deck. None were in use, presumably because the pool, patio, spa, and other amenities on the upper decks had much more attractive areas for lounging. I leaned against the rail and gulped the air, listening to the waves splash against the side of the boat, noting blood spatters further down—but nothing signifying the cause of the blood. Just vague signs of violence.
After circling the entire promenade deck and spotting only the occasional bloody spatters, I gritted my teeth, pulled my shirt collar up over my nose, and plunged into the nearest door.
The Seastar’s interior had the atmosphere of a luxury hotel. People milled about the restaurant and shopping area, buzzing with excitement, talking about cabaret shows and fine dining, while perky crew members answered questions, all perfectly oblivious to the putrid sweet rotting stench. I’d most likely find Lily Tsuki at the piano lounge, but since I didn’t yet have any plausible explanation for what had happened to the passengers, I continued wandering, entering a bustling café overlooking the ship’s grand staircase. Stepping over an enormous blood stain on the carpet, I passed the counter, nauseated by the fancy pastries behind their glass cases, peering among the tables and chairs. Paused when I spotted an eyeball in a teacup. No trace of how it got there. No body with an empty socket. Just the eyeball, swirling in a congealed bloody jelly at the bottom of the cup…
I scurried away, snatching a cloth napkin to cover my nose.
The interior darkened as I ascended the central staircase. No electricity, I noted as I clutched the railing. Why would the power be cut? A storm?
But storms don’t scoop out eyeballs with a dessert spoon….
Coming onto deck 6, I peered down a long, dim corridor lined with passenger cabins. To passengers coming and going, the hall was illuminated by electric lighting—but since I was seeing the ship six days in the future, the narrow hallway vanished into blackness. With no way to enter the cabins, and nothing much to see here or in the other dimmed halls of the passenger decks, I ascended until I reached the pool.
Pool Deck
Deck 9 opened to wide panoramic windows, dining, a spa, and of course the pool. I emerged outdoors with relief, removing the napkin from my nose as the sea breeze gave some respite from the odor.
Around me, people partied in bikinis and beachwear and suits, sipping all manner of drinks around the sky-blue swimming pool. A young woman stretched on a blood-spattered lounger, oblivious to the gore beneath her tanned figure. A few bodies floated among the swimmers, bloated and discolored. My vision shimmered briefly as a teen boy swam right through one of the bodies, splashing as if it were not there. My heart lurched when I realized that it was his own, albeit dressed in different clothes—
“Oof!” I grunted as a small figure bashed into me, her arm grazing mine.
“Sorry!” cried a little girl in a pink swimsuit, bolting by as her mother yelled at her to watch out for people.
I tried not to think of how cold the little girl’s arm felt. Counted the bodies: eight in the pool. One by the towel bin, head caved in. I made a circuit of the pool, occasionally brushing against people—cold, cold, cold.
No survivors, it seemed.
But why?
That was when I spotted a shirtless old man sitting at a table under an umbrella. I froze, goosebumps prickling along my skin. Unlike the floaters, there was no obvious reason for his death. His back was to me, the bare skin of his shoulders gray and blotchy. In his hand he held a broken drinking glass. He was positioned in repose… so what killed him?
My heart quickened as I moved round to the front of him.
His mouth hung open, shards of glass and a mangled tongue lolling out, crimson trailing down his shirt front. The source of the chewed glass was obvious—the cup in his hand was broken, its jagged edges bloody.
He’d died choking on the glass.
“What the fuck is happening here?” I whispered.
Forward Stairwell
The jogging track and the sundeck—decks 10 and 11—offered a stunning bird’s eye of the pool and ocean, but I did not stop to take this in as I circled to the bow, opting to take the forward stairs down, rather than central.
The stench hit me like a cloud.
I had to stop as I descended into the dim stairwell, clinging to the railing, doubled over, gagging. It was so so bad. My eyes watered. My stomach bucked. And it was dark. Thank God for my phone’s flashlight. I fumbled it on and, napkin firmly over my nose, plunged down into the depths… The phone’s thin illumination flashed along the carpeted stairwell and the hall of the first of the passenger decks. I kept descending. Paused at an unidentifiable slick red mound. I was examining it under my light when a crewmember jogged up to me and asked, “Lose something, miss?” “Just my marbles,” I muttered, shooing the crew member away and inadvertently brushing his hand. Cold. I turned my attention back to the mound.
A slimy pile of intestines on the stairwell… trailing down to a disemboweled body.
Intestines… eyeballs… eating broken glass… nothing about this makes sense! I swiveled the beam to check further downward.
That was when I found the source of the odor.
My path down was obstructed by a mass of bodies. The ones underneath seemed to have been trampled, but the ones on top… I squeezed my watering eyes and retched against the wall. Some of the bodies bore horrible mutilations—fingers bent and twisted, joints out of alignment, faces smashed in and jaws torn open. Many more appeared to have been crushed in the press of bodies. Best guess, there was a wave of panicked people rushing upstairs from below, colliding with a wave of others fleeing down from above.
Why this staircase? What was near this part of the ship?
The cabaret lounge, I realized. No electricity. No elevators. This was the nearest stairwell to the auditorium.
Closer. I was inching closer to uncovering the fates of the passengers. And yet, I still had no idea what the passengers were fleeing from. Who were the attackers? Or… I thought of the eyeball. The glass chewed and swallowed.
An icy pinprick at the base of my skull whispered the question I didn’t want to ask…
Why? Why did some of the passengers go mad, and do it to themselves?
Piano Bar
I took the long way round to the cabaret theatre, going all the way back up the stairs and coming down on the central staircase, only to detour on hearing the notes of a piano. I found myself in a cozy lounge and spotted a purple-haired figure at the keys. And just in time—the ship was due to depart in less than half an hour!
“Lily!” I rushed over.
The musician’s face lit. “Oh it’s you, friend! You made it!”
“You’ve got to get off the ship!”
“Off the—”
“I know it seems crazy but you’ve got to! Everyone on board is going to die—I’ve seen it because I’m psycho!” I heard it a second later and smacked my forehead. “I mean—psychic! PSYCHIC!! I can see the future.” At her scrunched eyebrows, I burst, “Look I know how I sound, but I’ve been able to see things since I was a little girl, and I am telling you that this ship is going to go dark! The engines will cut out! People are going to flee and trample each other on that forward staircase…” Launching into a rapid-fire recounting, I was just getting to the eyeball in the teacup when she interrupted:
“You’re afraid of some sort of terrorist attack?”
“No, no! No! It’s almost like… a kind of madness, a contagion, that spreads through the ship—”
“A zombie apocalypse?”
“Not zombies…”
“Poltergeists? Possession?” She played a riff from a horror movie. “Should we call an exorcist?”
“We should leave!” I checked my phone. “Quickly!—"
“What an odd duck you are! I can’t imagine any sort of catastrophe as big as you’re saying. You know this ship has tons of safety protocols. And even if I did believe some disaster were drawing near—do you really think I could abandon crowds and crew?” She looked at me over her glasses, shimmering purple lips curving in a smile. “Listen friend, if this were the Titanic and I was the only one who could see the iceberg, I’d stay to steer us right, not run off leaving everyone to die!”
Icy fingers raked along my spine. Even if she wasn’t taking me seriously, she was right—I did have a moral obligation to save people. An obligation I’d been trying to fulfill ever since I was a little girl, until the attempt killed my brother, and even after, I kept trying for years and years…. until at last I realized that there is no way to change anything. That is why I call myself Cassandra. For the Greek prophet doomed to predict the future but never be believed. Try and prevent what I’ve foreseen? You might as well try and pluck the stars from the sky!
Every hand I’d touched was cold. Everyone on board would die.
My fists balled, fingernails digging so hard into my palms they bled. “You really have no idea what you’re asking of me…”
“Oh, I’m not telling you to stay. I’m just explaining why I have to. Besides, I’m under contract.” She winked and focused on her playing as guests entered and sat at nearby tables.
She had no idea! None whatsoever! If I thought there was even a sliver of a hope, I wouldn’t abandon people! Oh, if this happy-go-lucky musician understood the futility!!
But she will, came another, darker thought. She will know the full depth of the horror coming…
“No,” I whispered.
“Huh?” She shouted, “Wait—friend, where are you going?”
But I was not listening. The cabaret theatre—was the answer there? The reason for the crush of bodies in the forward stairwell? I rushed past the cafe with the eyeball in the teacup, through the grand doors into the cabaret hall—
—but the cabaret hall was surprisingly quiet, save for a light touch of classical music. A few passengers mingled here or there, unnoticing of the cadavers draped on chairs and tables. The stage itself was pristine, the wood smooth and polished in the fading orange light through the windows. Apparently, the origin of the panicked flight up the forward stairwell was not this grand entertainment venue—nothing here supported that theory.
Nonetheless, I gave the place a thorough search until my phone’s battery ran low, and then I returned to the grand staircase.
In one direction lay passenger cabins. In the other, the gangplank back to the port terminal and safety.
“It’s not too late to be a coward, Cass,” I said. “Run from the ship, run from the empty piano bench at the bar, find a different, cheaper hole in the wall to crawl into like—like the cockroach you are…”
Always the survivor, eh…?
Or… or, I could try just one more time. “‘Hope,’” my brother always said, “is the thing with feathers.”
And look what happened to him! flashed through my mind. My heart slammed against my ribcage. I’d just die too, unless I left in the next—how many minutes? I checked my phone, but it was dead. Like I would be if I stayed.
A horn sounded the Seastar’s departure. A distant cheer rose up from the upper decks and balconies. I felt a brief panicky impulse to run back out on deck and throw myself off the ship… but in truth, my fate had already been decided before the ship’s horn blew. I hadn’t been paying attention earlier, but I’d been rubbing and rubbing my hands, and finally realized they were cold. Probably had been since I’d boarded. I shuffled leaden feet toward the passenger cabins, guided by my phone’s light to the brass number plate for 4044—my cabin. Reached for the knob and stopped.
That smell—dread squeezed my intestines like a wet rag.
Smoke. Burnt meat.
I wrinkled my nose and opened the door.
Orange rays shone through the window, the sunset so vivid it almost gave the illusion that the room was on fire. The walls and ceiling were charred. The edges of the mattress and sheets a smoldered ruin. But the worst damage was the small sofa by the coffee table. Broken bottles scattered round. And there on the sofa—
My fingers went limp on the door handle as I stared into melted sockets of a body charred beyond recognition. A dark line encircled its wrist. The blackened remnants of a charm bracelet.
My bracelet.
While the man on the pool deck swallowed glass, I would succumb to the insanity here, dousing myself in alcohol and flame—
—immolating myself.
[Part 1]

I don’t usually post on Reddit but I’m at a bit of a loss. At the end of March/beginning of April I developed a pretty nasty sinus infection that resulted in me becoming essentially bedridden for a week straight. I have diagnosed chronic sinusitis so flare ups aren’t new for me but this one was Really Bad. I had full body aches and shivers but never tested positive for covid and also never lost my taste. I wasn’t able to smell for a while but I chalked that up to my very collapsed nasal passageways (I’ve had two failed septoplasties on my deviated septum to thank for that) being inflamed and my sinuses being full. It’s now two full months later. When my smell returned a few weeks ago, at first I could only smell this one really specific scent. I wish I knew how to describe it but I literally don’t have the words! All I know is it isn’t bitter or metallic and is now the only thing I smell when I smell weed (which has kind of lost its smell), blue raspberry syrup (the smell + sweetness), and garlic salt (smells like straight up fish) (none of those things smell the same, I know, but they now all smell almost the exact same to me). That same smell became a taste that I have also been constantly tasting in the back of my mouth ever since my smell returned. The taste is the exact same as the smell and it has been constant for a month now. For a while that was the only thing I could taste and smell but I’ve noticed recently I’ve been able to taste things like normal and can smell some things like normal, but no matter what that specific taste and smell are always there in the background. As a heavy weed smoker I thought maybe the smoke irritated my sinuses, salivary glands, or lungs but after taking a break and not noticing a difference, I’m wondering if it’s something else. I’m also not great about brushing my teeth but scrubbing the back of my tongue for 10 minutes straight two days in a row also made no difference. I have an unrelated doctors appointment next week and I’m planning on asking about it then but I’m really looking for an answer soon as it’s really diminished my quality of life and has kept me from eating normally for two months now.

Okay so my boyfriend (male 23) is the only person I (female 21) have ever dated and I honestly don’t know if my feelings are justified or I’m just being crazy. We have been dating for almost 3 yeas in a few days and i just need some honest advice/opinions. Recently my family and my boyfriend kinda had a blow up, he is a bit of a germaphobe and after everything with covid it definitely made it worse. I have been able to adapt to his ways but my family hasn’t, he has made some remarks that they have overheard like “they are disgusting” or “this house is disgusting” and honestly I agree with him sometimes. My family unfortunately have gotten used to and accustom to living in their own filth no matter what i say or even if i try and clean up after them they just make a mess again. His family on the other hand can’t stand the smallest of things out of place so I can see that in that area they are complete opposite in many other ways as well. I was raised by a single mom of 4 hectic girls living paycheque to paycheque, getting food from food banks, staying in women shelters or 1-2 bedroom places with no food and constantly on to the next house. He on the other hand has lived a life full of comfort and ease with his one sister this is not to say he hasn’t had any struggles but he does and did live a privileged life born and raised in the same house his parents built, family trips once a year to places like Jamaica and england, a savings account set up for him before he was even born with more money than I’ve ever seen added to it, never worrying about if u have a place to live at the end of the month or food to eat. None of which he should feel bad for or that I resent him for its just a fact we had a different upbringing and have different point of views on life. That being said after the blow out with my family mainly my aunt basically telling him if he is uncomfortable here then he can clean it up himself. Which i think is completely bullshit he and or I shouldn’t have to clean up after them they should be able to do so for themselves. But now he refuses to come to my house (which is understandable just kinda sucks) and my car recently broke down 2 months ago and we live on different sides of the city. He keeps saying he is too busy to make plans with me or see me for more than a few hours once or twice a week but is out and about with his friends now more than ever before. I have expressed to him how this makes me feel and he says I am making him a villain for being busy and that this is normal then just brushes my feelings off. I understand my family and him having a bit of a fall out doesn’t help but I’m stuck in the middle and trying to please everyone. His family is extremely high maintenance and I’m constantly walking on egg shells because i could stand in a way they don’t or talk in a way they don’t spend MY money that i worked for at MY job in the way I want and they will get upset with me. To the point were just last week his mom called him and told him i needed to get all my stuff i have at their house out of there. Simply because i took an uber from their house to mine because i wasn’t feeling good and he and i got into and argument and he left the house. She explained to him that me ubering shows her i have bad money spending habits and he should think about this relationship and if this is what he wants to deal with for the rest of his life. They continue to say I am an investment for them and it just makes me uncomfortable because i feel like i constantly owe them something or need to prove to them im better than they think. Im just wondering if my feelings are justified or if i just need to grow up and get over it.

Hi reddit! Usually I am not the type of person to usually ask strangers online for advice but I feel like I have nowhere to go. I apologize for any mistakes, since English is not my native language and I'm literally stressed out of my mind. First a bit of background.
I (23F) have always struggled with weight issues, and with my current study (Medicine, no flex but it's relevant to the story) and the stress of the work I am doing for it, I've gained quite some weight. I asked my mom to make me an appointment with a nutritionist( not a specific one) in our hometown. She told me she went there last week and he gave her a custom made pill which contained multiple meds which I found weird and it made no sense.
Earlier today(yesterday?) I had the appointment with him. He's apparently a general doctor, but on the building with his office or inside there is no mention of any type of specialty. The first thing I noticed was that his office only had extremely old equipment and found it weird he had no like blood pressure meter or other things doctors would normally have. He weighed me and started telling me about his regime and how he's treated like 30.000 people (wtf even if he is an old doctor I doubt that number is real since he's not that known). Then he wrote some eating rules and I was thinking okay but like this is not something revolutionary and then he said oh you have a lot of stress. He then started prescribing me the "pills" saying oh it will suppress your appetite. Again this sounded alarm bells in my head. He didn't ask me about taking other meds or medical history.
I felt something wasn't right and I asked okay I get that I have to take these pills but what's in them. And he started saying it will suppress your appetite by acting on your head points to forehead. I politely asked yes but what are you putting in these pills, like what is the active substance and he said oh but it's a mix of things. This literally sent chills down my spine and I kept glancing at my mom who was also there. At the end of the consult, he asked one thing about my glucose levels and my blood pressure, which is something you either check before a writing a prescription or measure yourself. Then he said I just need to follow his regime and I will lose a lot of weight. By all accounts he was prescribing me shit without knowing anything about me; like no questions on allergies. If he was a student in my faculty he would have failed the year for this.
When we got out of the consult, I said to my mom that I refuse to take the pills. Later upon sesrching on PubMed for one of the herbal extracts in the pills I could only find things about liver failure. There is no article on weight loss of any of the drugs/pill components (except one which is an antidiabetic medication, but it's given in a what I can only descrive as a homeopathic dose). I also tried looking him up on Google (he had positive reviews on google reviews but on other websites mediocre). I've been trying to talk to my mom about this but she doesn't want to listen. I am so scared of something happening to her since she also was prescribed this pills.
I don't know what to say to her anymore, I've tried explaining logically and appealing to her common sense, I've tried crying nothing works. I just need some advice on what to do. I am so lost. I don't know if it helps but we're not from America, but from the EU.
Anyways I am sorry for the long post and I appreciate all the advice.
Tldr: The doctor my mom is seeing is prescribing possibly harmful and I don't know what to do.

Hello Polandballartists!
After a trip down in memory lane after seeing so many artworks of revolutions past, we've gotten a little nostalgic and sentimental about the struggles of our forefathers who fought for a better future. Regardless, many a-piece impressed us, and we've noted down some of those that truly displayed revolutionary fervour.
The winners of this month's contest, The Spirits of Revolution are:

• The first place with 8.60 points goes to Objective-Dig51 and their piece Revolutions of 89'. They are therefore awarded with a Golden Beret and permanent golden medal! Their piece will decorate the sidebar of the subreddit until next contest.
  
• With 8.40 points, second place goes to BigguzDigguz and their piece Communism? NOT IN MY ROMANIA. They are therefore awarded with a Silver Beret and permanent silver medal!
  
• Finally, with 7.20 points, the third place goes to _Newan_ and their piece The 3rd of May 1808. They are therefore awarded with a White Beret and permanent bronze medal!
  

All the winners can crosspost their winning artwork to polandball!
Here are the full results:

Score	Author	Entry	σ
8.60	Objective-Dig51	Revolutions of 89'	0.49
8.40	BigguzDigguz	Communism? NOT IN MY ROMANIA	0.49
7.20	_Newan_	The 3rd of May 1808	0.75
6.00	TheAverageSpaniard	Bloody Sunday, 1905	0.00
6.00	FlamingDragon002	Eureka Stockade	0.63
6.00	Markgaming01	Join the Scottish revolution! Freedom is won by blood!	0.63
5.80	Markgaming01	Tres de Mayo	0.40
5.80	MilkCultLeader	French Revolution	0.40
5.80	I_EatYourBeets	Spring Revolution	0.98
5.20	Sunshine_meep	Tokugawa's last days	0.40
4.40	Sunshine_meep	The cotton in the south, the eagle in the north	0.49
3.80	under_score_-	A Weimar State of Mind	1.17
3.40	RayDeeUx	1989 天安门广场抗议	0.49

Our invited judge for this contest was u/mel_bell123, last month's Golden Beret (or highest-scoring non-mod). Thanks to them for their participation! (leave blank if no additional judges voted)
The updated annual rankings can be found here.
Thanks to all the revolutionaries and martyrs who helped forward our glorious cause! We hope to see you around in our next contest! And don't forget to congratulate the winners in the comments!
Cheers,
The polandballart modteam

I found out last night. I really need support.
My (20) boyfriend (20) of 4 years told me last night that about month ago, he developed feelings for a girl on his dance team. They see each other weekly and have been hanging out outside of dance as well. They have known each other for about a year but he is adamant that he didn't develop feelings for her until recently. He found out through a friend that she has had feelings for him for the entirety of their friendship, which he says is what caused him to become attracted to her. For the last month, they talked on the phone and FaceTimed most nights when I wasn't around, getting to know each other, essentially like being in the talking stage of a romantic relationship. They still saw each other regularly. He would come home to me after seeing her, and lie to my face about it. I saw a text exchange between them last week, her saying "im glad we can still be friends, not be awkward around each other", etc. and when I questioned what it was about, he lied to me again. finally, last night it came to a head, when he was dropping her off at her house, they hugged, she leaned in to kiss him. He backed away, came straight to my house, and told me everything. At least, that's the story he's telling me.
I never would have expected this from him in a million years. He is the kind of guy who is respectful and kind, who puts my needs and wants first always, who i've cried to about my shitty family, and who I have supported and defended through every endeavor. He tells me he wants to marry me someday. We've been planning and saving to move in together this year. I am fucking heartbroken and I dont know what to do with myself, or who to trust. And the worst part? He brought me to all kinds of events and dinner parties and things with his dance team. She knew me. We all hung out together not even a week ago. I dont understand how two people could deliberately hurt me this way. I want to scream and rip out my hair. Imaging her knowing him the way I do. Touching him the way I have. It makes my skin crawl.
Now, he wants to fix it. He says that this is the worst mistake he's ever made. He is quitting his dance team, has blocked her phone number and social medias, and anyone who she is connected to. He says he loves me and never stopped loving me, and will do whatever it takes to build back my trust. He doesn't want to lose what we have. He suggested couples therapy.I'm unsure whether I can look past this. I have been sobbing for 24 hours. Not sleeping, not eating. The image keeps playing back in my head and I can't get it out. He broke my soul with this. I would absolutely never do this to another human being, especially him. He is my world, and he says that im his, but he still went through with leading this girl on when he had every opportunity to end it. I feel like the world is falling from under my feet. I love him so much but im shattered. I'm too embarrassed and scared to talk to a friend or family member because I don't want to look like an idiot for being with a guy who would do this to me.
Here's where I don't know what to do. I have invested so much of myself into our relationship, and so has he. He is also willing to drop every important thing in his life to save us, and rebuild what we had. While I'm hopeful we can work it out, i'm also scared that I might not be able to let this go.
So, reddit - should we break up?
​
update// I reached out to the other woman to see if she's willing to tell me her side of the story. I dont place blame on her whatsoever, and I want to know girl to girl what happened. I guess I'll update soon if she replies to me.

Today I ordered some items on UberEats from CVS. When the driver arrived at the complex, he called me, was lost, and I couldn’t find him anywhere. We were on the phone the whole time as I tried to guide him to where I was. Eventually he got frustrated and hung up on me, dropped the order in a random location, took a picture of it and marked it as delivered.
I haven’t been able to find it and I’ve been through three service representatives telling me this is what I agreed to and can not be helped or refunded. I’m out my money, don’t have my items, and all I received was a support person telling me to hunt through the complex and ask neighbors.
What do I do??

So my daughter signed up for ubereats. They had a coupon code for first time purchase. She made the order and entered the code. The software did not apply the code so she cancelled the order to try again. They are now refusing to refund the money. The restaurant had accepted the order but when she cancelled it right away Uber kept the money so the restaurant never prepared the order. The restaurant (we eat there often) confirmed they didn’t get paid (as has Uber). Uber is saying “too bad so sad” and keeping the $53. I spoke to a supervisor over a month ago and they agreed to refund (finally) but I called again today since we haven’t received it and not they’re saying “too bad so sad” again.
Their reason is we cancelled the order after the restaurant accepted it. They aren’t paying the restaurant though. They’re simply holding it for themselves. But the fact that they agreed to refund it and over a month later I have to run it up to a supervisor again (waiting for a callback) is ridiculous.

Hi, this is my first poster Reddit so sorry if it's trash but I need some advice
I am 16 female and I have a boyfriend 17 male we've been together on and off for the past year and a half we got back together after both our past failed relationships. We got back in contact and became friends for a while and we got back together. We both have mental health problems so we both can get very mentally drained so we used to go to each other for advice or just to calm down or vent. As in recently he's been cutting me out and pushing me away. I've tried to be there for him. Told him I was there for him over and over again and he just keeps saying okay. Something very traumatic happened to me very recently where I was a witness to a shooting And watched a girl gets shot in her back I went to him freaking out in the only thing he said was. As long as you're okay but I didn't push it too much because everything was so fresh and I was kind of scared myself but we push past it and had a great conversation that night until the end of the night where one of his friends got mad at him and he got really upset with me and ice me out. After that I just went to bed this morning. I asked what happen and asked him if he wanted to talk about anything and he pushed me away but after he apologized about it and I said it was okay and we push past it and we had a great conversation for most of the day and then he started to leave me on delivered and leave me on seen and I asked him what happened and he said he was crying and I asked him to tell me about it. He said no to leave him alone so I left him alone but then I seen he posted his story about the friend he got upset about last night and how happy he makes him and how sweet he is mind you. Both me and my boyfriend are both pansexual and then I went to his account and I seen that he had him in his bio saying him over anybody else and then I seen a highlight of him saying this is his new addiction he's been posting on the story. His notes and his bio and highlights about him. He is not once did that about me during this relationship. I'm very hurt and If I say anything to him about it, he gets very defensive make it to look like I'm the bad guy and make it look like I'm not allowed him to have friends but this friendship is making me very uncomfortable and he had cheated and past relationships and on me at one point. But he blocked the girl and stop talking to her. I love him a lot and I don't want to lose him but he's hurting me so much. It's a point where I'm crying every night and not eating because I feel sick to my stomach. I don't want to lose him but the same time I can't keep doing this at this point I don't think he cared about me. He was posting about me. He had me in his bio I was in his highlight and then it all stop and he started to put him in his highlights bio stories and notes and started to treating him more like his boyfriend than me as she's actual girlfriend. He rarely says he loves me anymore but he says he doesn't believe in love. it's weird but whatever i trying to judge people in there way of thinking. I just need advice. I don't know what to do. I can't go to my friends because they already hate him and I can't go to my family because it just judgmental so I came to foe some advice

I was furloughed in November from a job I loved, because the company was downsizing and removing the entire department. I thought I’d be back on my feet relatively quickly, but 6 months in and panic is setting in. I had the recruiter that originally hired me for my last job help me put this resume together but I can’t tell if it’s too busy, any help is tremendously appreciated

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There are some deeds, some crimes and horrors even our Mother, the Universe itself, loathes beyond all. And when this is the case, neither time, nor space, nor reality itself can deny her vengeance.
Because time is a flat circle... and we all dance on its twisting disk. - kwong879, Pukan philosopher, Post Second Precursor War Reconstruction Era
For three days and three nights did the Lady Lord of Hell, the Detainee herself, in all of her fearsome matronly glory, tempt the First Biological Disciple, Daxin Freeborn, Enraged Phillip.
And for three days and three nights did he deny her.
And thus did he pass into memory and legend. - The Book of Telkan
And before I took the lives of the damned, He did appear before us and commanded my hand still.
His glowing blue form a radiant mercy. For us.
For them. - Glory, Failure, Temptation, & Redemption, Magnus Oathsworn
There is no doubt of the fact of malevolence. The very universe itself reaches out to crush what she has birthed in an eternal struggle of hatred. There are, however, some sins which even in the face of annihilation cannot be countenanced. Some acts which even this malevolent universe will not tolerate. Protect the infants at all cost, for they are survival, and to sacrifice survival for the sake of survival shall bring only suffering and doom. - Wisdom of the Traveler, Tribulations, Chapter 5 Verse 1.
In the Age of Paranoia, Humanity's leadership ordered terrible things done. Not because they knew they were necessary, but because they might become necessary. Never realizing that the existence of those terrible things would drive them to find a reason to use them. — Prof. Kuruka N'anga, University of the Sacred Bough, Terra Nuevo
While many things enrage the Lady of Hell, in fact most things seem to, certain crimes and sins earn her personal wrath. The many men who took everything from her. The idiotic creatures who thought themselves masters of everything. And those who commit cruelties upon the innocent. For she sees all of mankind's many many sins and knows very few are clean of them. Wise beings fear when cold gray eyes turn upon them.
We were desperate, and in our desperation we reached for things that will haunt me for all eternity. We could have stopped at anytime, we should have stopped before it was too late. We ignored the warnings, in our hubris we were assured that what we were doing was necessary. We were right, but it was still wrong and there is not enough time in the universe to pay for what we did. We ignored all the warnings and applauded ourselves on our success...only moments later the shouts of joy and celebration became screams of terror as the gray-eyed one illustrated why the warnings of these dark sciences should be heeded. --Words found in a blood-soaked journal at dark site research station, this was the only document recovered. Site glassed and all traces of the research were redacted.
It was misty, with a little bit of rain. The anomaly was hidden behind artificially generated cloud cover so that it looked more like an overcast sun than the strange globe of psuedo-reality it was. The starwalk station was empty, no bones, no shades, no scars from the furious fighting that had taken place after the Glassing had driven the SUDS personnel insane.
Holos flickered, some advertising restaurants or stores, others with directions, some with safety warnings, and still others with just public service holograms. The mist made the holograms flicker and fade in and out as the focused laser systems were scattered by the tiny water droplets suspended in the air.
There was a beep and the gate opened, allowing Surscee to step from the starwalk to the platform. She was wearing revealing leathers, a bustier, a short skirt with copper strips for reinforcement, tight weave fishnet stockings, and polished black leather boots with silver buckles. Around her shoulders was a gauzy sheer cape that shed the moisture even as it gleamed and sparkled.
She stopped to examine a few of the public service announcements. Some making her smile, others making her shake her head.
"You are a window to the world of my ancestors, nine thousand years gone," she said softly, touching the base of the holo. She moved to another and watched it. "We are not so different, you and I," she said, her voice full of wonder. She watched a PSA to remind everyone not to bring plants from Earth in case of seed contamination. "Your lives were full of danger that eventually became mundane," she said softly.
"That's humanity in a nut shell," the voice from behind her was low, rough, a woman's whiskey and cigarettes voice.
"Although ever changing, thus, we are," Surscee said, straightening up. She turned around and looked over the short matron in her dark charcoal gray skirt and blouse. "Greetings, fearsome one."
"Greetings to you, sorceress," the Lady Lord of Hell said. She looked Surscee up and down slowly. "Huh."
Surscee raised an eyebrow.
"Nice to see the Great Value Red Sonja look isn't just an act," the Lady Lord of Hell said, turning and walking into the mist. "Magic, science, mysticism, technology, all the same to the ignorant." Her voice faded as she walked away.
Surscee watched the short woman walk away, then turned and went back to following the path.
She was startled to discover that the vending machines were not VI driven, but just mechanical with a few holograms.
One of the vending machines that normally dispensed energy drinks and fizzybrews was ripped open, like someone had hacked on it with a blade. Surscee noted that most of the Liquid Hate was gone.
She got a lemon-lime fizzypop and followed the softly glowing holographic line of the ground until she finally came to a small park.
She stopped at the playground, leaning against a cement post, and stared at it.
The swings moved slightly back and forth at the almost unfelt breeze that stirred the mist. Droplets of water ran down the slide. The swinging rings just rocked slightly in the air current. The seesaw and the spring horses, the jungle gym and the wooden playhouse all sat quietly, damp from the mist.
Surscee closed her eyes, cocking her head slightly, listening for any echoes of happiness gone by.
"I would bring them here to play, once I had soothed their trauma to where they could interact with one another, to the point they could do more than run and scream and claw at themselves," the voice of the gray eyed matron sounded behind Surscee.
The sorceress turned, seeing the darkly clothed matron standing under a tree, barely visible in the fog, lighting a cigarette.
"I recreated it in Hell, just for them. To let them be children again, to remember," her voice said. She took a drag off her cigarette and Surscee saw the stern planes of the smaller woman's face illuminated for a moment. When she exhaled smoke, Surscee could still see her gun-metal gray eyes.
"I set fallen angels to watch over the park with sword of burning sin and tridents of icy treachery," she said, then turned and walked into the mist.
Surscee frowned as the matron vanished into the mist.
She waited a moment, but the other woman was gone.
Surscee moved on, making no sign of effort as she brought up her defenses. Her fingernails twinkled slightly as the microscopic piezoelectric systems came online. The targeting reticles and the HUD elements appeared in her vision. She brought up the passive acoustic mapping and changed the hardness of the heels of her boots so that her boots clicked with each step.
The fog muffled the acoustic map slightly, the water droplets absorbing and redirecting sound, making the map fuzzy here and there.
She passed by a vending machine and smelled cigarette smoke. The onboard systems broke it down for her, putting it up in the tiny window beyond her left hand peripheral vision. No manufacturer signature, no trace elements from other worlds. Her onboards told her that it was Old Earth brand, the tobacco lacking any genetic engineering and the cigarette containing nothing but an asbestos filter, paper, and tobacco. No flavors, no genetic smoothing, no flavor enhancements. No record in the database she always carried loaded.
She frowned slightly.
"You are unmoved by human suffering, making you suitable for this task," a tired sounding man said from just past a set of benches. He was leaning against a fountain. He had shaggy cut dark hair, a simple pair of pants and shirt without decoration, and dark circles under his eyes.
Two steps and the figure vanished.
The echolocation acoustic mapping told her that there was a solid bipedal humaniod form there for a split second but it vanished just when she got in range of it.
Surscee followed the arc of the path, curiosity filling her.
She knew if the being that had manifested as a five meter tall demon with bat wings and a whip of burning warsteel links woven with barbed wire, or the short matron with the nasty steel knife, wanted to kill her, the being simply would.
Surscee was curious what the purpose of this was.
"Enemies never rest. That's why they're called the Enemy, you blithering morons. I swear, dealing with the two of you is like dealing with particularly naive and ignorant children who are shocked, shocked I tell you, that they can't ziptie a plastic bag around their head and dance in the middle of the Interstate during rush hour," the matron's voice was cruel and full of disdain. "Of course millions are dying, that's what happens when you act like atomic weapons are no more dangerous than sparklers."
Surscee didn't bother to look around, her onboard bioware systems letting her know that the point of origin for the voice kept moving and shifting.
A trivial trick with nanites and one she had used often to confuse and harry foes.
"Your weakness disgusts me," the woman's voice hissed from between two food vending machines. "If you spent less time crying and more time fixing the system you'd be done by now, you pathetic puling weakling."
Surscee smiled slightly.
The voice reminded Surscee of her mother mocking her lessers.
There was a small basket with berries and small fruits sitting on a bench and Surscee's smile got wider. She moved over and sat down, picking up the basket and setting it on her lap.
If the being wanted her dead, she would be dead, simple as that.
The berries were blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Clean, sweet and tart.
After a moment the matron came walking out of the fog, opening a breast pocket to remove a pack of cigarettes and a flint-steel lighter. The woman sat down, crossing her legs at the knee and smoothing her skirt. She then lit the cigarette, the flare of the lighter lighting her face with the warmth of the flame without making the face seem any warmer.
Surscee slowly chewed a blackberry as the cigarette was lit, puffed on, and the lighter clinked shut. The pack and the lighter went back into the top pocket, the matron's fingers nimbly buttoning up the pocket.
They sat there for a long moment.
"All of that power, all your knowledge and mastery of exotic and esoteric disciplines, and here you sit eating freshly picked berries and fruit," the matron said.
"I am a simple woman who enjoys simple pleasures," Surscee said, smiling.
"I could use someone like you on my team," the matron said, exhaling smoke. "Power, the will to dominate, the means to achieve the goals I set out for you."
"An enticing offer," Surscee said carefully. She picked up strawberry and bit off the tip, chewing slowly.
"With your brother as one of my Hell Knights, you would make an excellent Hell Storm," the matron said.
This time when she exhaled the smoke was tinged with a slight tang hot freshly spilled blood and a taint of brimstone.
"Acting as the agent of the Lady Lord of Hell herself," Surscee said. She picked up a black cherry and looked over it. "Empowered, strengthened, by the Lady Lord of Hell, to punish the wicked for their sins."
The matron nodded slowly.
"With you as the judge, myself as the jury, and my brother as the executioner," Surscee said, still smiling.
"At times," the matron said. She exhaled smoke and glared at the mist that surrounded them. "Do you know what sin mankind has fallen into?"
Surscee shook her head. "Pride, perhaps? My mother often spoke of sloth and gluttony, perhaps that?"
The matron shook her head. "No. Far far worse."
"I would hear your words, fearsome one," Surscee said, making sure her voice was respectful.
"An anecdote," the matron said. She sighed. "Later, in my life, as more and more people became enamored with being ethical, more for status than to be truly ethical, philosophers and those who called themselves ethecists began posing questions, providing answers, each of the seeking to be recognized as the pinnacle of ethics and morals that would guide humanity into a Golden Age."
"That smack of wickedness," Surscee said. "Of pride and arrogance."
The matron nodded. "One question, posed by academics to students, always enraged me. Asked by academics who had never traveled beyond their ivory towers or guarded enclaves, asked to pampered students who had spent their lives dwelling in luxuries beyond imagination to the people of my youth."
The matron reached down into the mist that covered her feet, lifting up a bottle of beer and popping the cap with a talon that immediately returned to a manicured nail.
"The question, put forth, involves a situation. I will explain it thusly: You are at a village in a war torn nation. A warlord arrives with his men, intending on killing the village. The reasons do not matter. However, the warlord makes you an offer, handing you a gun with a single bullet. Shoot one person, of your choice, and he will spare you and the survivors. Kill him, and his men will kill you, and allow the village to survive. Kill none, and he will order his men to kill all the villagers, man, woman, and child, but leave you to live," the matron said.
Surscee frowned. "A terrible choice."
The matron snorted. "The academics and ethical philosophers then asked their students: What is the most moral choice?" the matron looked at Surscee. "Care to make a guess?"
Surscee thought for a long moment. "Shoot one of his men. He did not say you had to kill a villager."
The matron laughed. "A choice fitting for a Great Value Red Sonja," she laughed. She shook her head. "But, you would be wrong. You see, you make the unethical choice to take a human life."
"Then what?" Surscee asked.
"To stand aside. That you do not make a choice. The philosophical correct answer was to stand aside, that the warlord and his men make their own decisions and it is not your responsibility nor your moral failing whatever they choose to do," the matron looked out at the mist, taking a swig of her beer. "Do nothing, let the trolley kill five, because for you to decide who lives and dies is unethical."
Surscee snorted. "Choosing to make no choice is a choice in and of itself. You should always seek to do the least harm and the greatest good."
The matron nodded.
"The cowardice disgusts me," the matron said. She took another swig of her beer and then a drag from her cigarette. She exhaled smoke tinged with blood and brimstone. "I need those who will not back down, who are willing to get in the mud and the blood and the beer to get the job done."
The matron held up a red apple. "Take the apple, accept my offer. Be my Hell Storm to your brother's Hell Knight."
"Your offer humbles me," Surscee said. "It does not matter if my brother took your offer, I am Oathsworn to Lady Nakteti the Traveler. My duty is clear, it lies with my sworn liege."
"But what of your duty to your people?" the matron asked. "What of your duty to humanity?"
"I represent humanity wherever I go. Shall my actions, my decisions, lead the people's of the galaxy to believe that humanity are oath breakers? That our word, our bond, our oath, carries no meaning other than to further our own aims and goals? That we will abandon them, no matter what oaths we swear?"
The matron was silent.
"I am tempted by your offer, but I must, respectfully, refuse," Surscee said.
"Very well," the matron said. She blew on her fingertips and the apple dissolved. She stood up, taking a moment to smooth her skirt and tug the cuffs of her sleeves.
"You would have made an excellent Hell Storm," the matron said, exhaling smoke.
When it cleared, she was gone.
Surscee closed her eyes and heaved a great breath.
"I have passed the test, I hope," she said softly.
Only the dripping of water in the mist answered her.
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This will probably get taken down but I might as well try and hopefully get pinned
If you are around on Reddit (not just FlashTV) you might have heard that Reddit is changing their API policy. This threatens to kill off many widely used third-party mobile apps (Apollo, Reddit is Fun, Narwhal, BaconReader), apps which have many quality-of-life features not seen in the official app, effectively rendering them permanently inaccessible to users. The developer of Apollo has been charged 1.7 million dollars per month for API requests. This change will affect all users and moderators alike.
What's happening
On the 12th of June, many subreddits will be going dark to protest this change in policy, some subreddits will return after 48 hours: others will go away permanently unless the issue is adequately addressed.
The broader moderator community has been discussing this and has released an open letter here.
What can you do?

1. Complain. Message the mods of reddit.com, who are the admins of the site; message reddit; comment in relevant threads on reddit, such as this one and sign your name in support, and leave a negative review on their official iOS or Android app.
2. Spread the word. Rabble-rouse on related subreddits. (Don't spam on unrelated subreddits/threads)
3. Boycott and spread the word to Reddit's competition! Stay off Reddit entirely between the 12th-13th of June. Instead, maybe touch some grass, call your grandma, or go out and eat something good instead of that microwave crap all the time.
4. Don't be a jerk. As upsetting this may be, threats, profanity and vandalism will be worse than useless in getting people on our side. Please make every effort to be as restrained, polite, reasonable, and law-abiding as possible.

any driver - uber, uber eats, skipthedishes, door dash or amey's (especially)

My brother is 23 years old. Unemployed, College Drop Out, and Living at Home. He recently got a DUI. He also recently quit his cooking job due to his breakup with his GF who also worked there. His only job has ever been cooking at that place.
I’m concerned because my brother sleeps all day and doesn’t have much motivation to get out of the house and or eat regular scheduled meals. He used to take medicine for depression/anxiety and saw a therapist. He stopped taking medicine because he would “forget.” My mom would constantly remind him daily to take his meds but we want him to be self sufficient. He stopped therapy because he didn’t have a good experience with his therapist because they’d end his sessions short or the therapist would try to bring up god even though my brother is atheist.
On top of that, when I moved out of the house I noticed in the bathroom under the sink there was a knife. I confronted him about it and asked why it was there. His response was, “ I don’t know “ but I know he was likely using it for self harm.
I followed up with him today two weeks later about it to check in on him over the phone. I ask how he’s doing and he only gives me one worded sentences. Like “good” or “fine” or “ok” when I’m asking how he’s doing. I mentioned my concern about the knife again to him and offered to be someone he can talk to if he ever wants and told him I’ve been around people who have done self harm before too. He just gave me silence.
My mom, dad, and three other brothers are really trying to help encourage him and motivate him to get out of bed or go apply for jobs. I think it’s hard for him since he doesn’t have a ride, but my mom and dad have offered to get him around. He knows he has a good support system around him but he doesn’t seem to be using it.
Reddit what can I do to help my brother in this situation? I’m concerned for his well being. To add to this: he smokes nicotine vapes ( he is addicted ) and smokes weed carts. I think the combination of those two are killing his internal sense of motivation. He is also growing out his hair. He normally keeps it very short and well kept.
How do I help my brother regain motivation? I’m concerned he’s also doing self harm but he won’t open up to me, my mom, dad and presumably a therapist too.

Hello Everyone, thanks for Reading, and thanks again for u/MelasD for creating Amelia the level zero [Hero], a universe where people operate under a system where magic is controlled akin to a videogame.
First Chapter * Next Chapter!
​
A Scale of Vengance, Part Two.
I awoke in a place I did not recognize, remembering the spell circle, and the Egg, but this space was alien, beyond anything I had seen.{Welcome! You have been chosen/volunteered for introduction to the [Guardian Spirit] program! I am your guide for this process, do you consent to continue? Saying no will have no consequence for rejection, saying yes will begin the process of integration into the program. Y/N?}
I blinked, listening to a voice made of several voices, some male, some female, blended into each other, like a choir.
I said “Yes”, not wanting to be rejected, and the Guardian not be resurrected.
{Input received! Welcome Spirit Host! You will now pick your Avatar for the Dragon Spirit, this avatar will affect how the spirit interfaces with the world around it, its potential powers, and instincts toward you, and the world around it.}
A path lit up before me, and darkened behind me, guiding me as I walked forwards into a field full of Dragons! I looked at them, all beautiful and majestic, yet each one slightly different from the next. One of the Dragons was playing with a large ball, bouncing it around on it’s nose as a game.
It addressed me in a high pitched voice.“Hello! I was the [Guardian Spirit] who watched over your city, and together with my Host, we were Carana! We had so much fun playing together, but I was tired and hungry when I was killed fighting.”
The Dragon was no bigger than I, and on all fours, so I petted her, reassuringly. “You tried, that [Hero King] is beyond what we expected, though you being hungry affected the fight? Why didn’t you eat before you fought?” I asked as she leaned into me.
The Dragon formerly known as Carana looked at me sadly “There was nothing left to eat, my host was all gone, and I had been hungry for some time.”
I squatted on my haunches “Why didn’t your host just give you more to eat before a battle?” I asked, bewildered at why she had been neglected so.
The little dragon sighed, wilting visibly “You don’t understand, we Guardian Spirits are fed by consuming our hosts. You give up part of yourself for power, and we live off of your energies.”
All of a sudden, I looked at the room full of interested Dragons in a new light. Not as someone choosing to be granted great power, but volunteering to become a meal. I backed away from the small dragon, who just looked sad before bouncing the ball back into the air, and seemingly forgetting about me.
Another dragon walked up to me “I overheard your last conversation, I can tell that you don’t want a silly, fun loving spirit as your companion. I am the oldest and dare I say wisest of us here. I specialize in Magic and Agriculture.”
I looked at the green dragon, whose eyes were old, old beyond reckoning. Yet there was a softness to it, one that made me feel full of life and power through connecting with nature.“I don’t feel like we are compatible for what needs to be done, but would you help guide me, Green Dragon in helping find who I should journey with?” I asked it, and it smiled, it’s bark like skin cracked into a smile.
“I’d be delighted! So few ask that! You are a intelligent being, young master, the one of us you choose will be fed well, I think!”
I greatly daring ruffled the leaves of its mane playfully just as another being walked into the room, one with an absolutely alien appearance, a Black skinned Insect dressed up in Yellow silks.
The Green dragon Purred under my touch exclaiming “Ah! The gods smile on us, the feast continues!”
The being walked over to us, chittering and clicking, and oddly the Green Dragon returned the noises for a minute before looking back to me.“This H’hanata [Warrior] is on the same journey as yourself, a Host candidate. The polite thing to do is to nodd like this, and let them touch your head with theirs.” The Green Dragon Bowed to the 8 foot tall insect, which bowed in return touching its feelers to the Dragon’s head. I followed, feeling the odd feathery touch of feelers upon my scalp for a second, before it lifted its head, and I followed.
More clicking followed, and while the Green dragon was occupied, another orange and blue Dragon approached me. “Hello, I am the Dragon of Temperature. I make things colder or warmer, as well as changing the states of matter. I’d be pleased to help you, and my powers are based in science, we could lead your people into a new Golden Age!”
The Dragon trotted in place, excitedly so, enough to knock off the glasses it had pinched to it’s nose. I couldn’t help but be impressed by it having hopes as well. If the Green dragon was magical and wise, this one felt full of potential and energy. I felt drawn to it, if this had happened before the war, we would have bonded for sure. But..
“Thank you, but..” I almost finished before the [Warrior] approached, and with a rapid exchange of clicks exchanged both looked at me with the Temperature Dragon shuffling its claws “I think I have a host, now, but she wishes to know if we need it, can we call on you and what dragon you bond with in return?”
A popup appeared in front of me {Friend Request, Temperature Dragon and Lumm’ta wish to ally themselves with Spirit Candidate Talio. This may result in being summoned, or allow you to summon in return for a period based on your contribution’s limit. Y/N}
I said “Yes” knowing I may need help faster than I’d wish it.{Input Received! Friend request accepted!}
The Mantid and Dragon Bowed before glowing and fusing, disappearing in a bright light together. I looked around as the Green Dragon approached me once again.“Lucky bastard, every time he sells that “Golden Age” crap, people fall all over him.” The Green dragon muttered disgustedly.
I looked at him “You sound like you don’t think he can deliver on it?” I asked it, curiously.The green dragon harrumphed “The Temperature Dragon can, but it also leads to the destruction of more worlds than any of us are responsible for. Progress for its own sake is dangerous if not managed closely.” He said, beckoning me to follow with a raised foreclaw before leading me on, toward a Black dragon.
“Go away.” The small black cinder spoke.The Green dragon booted it in it’s tail, leading to a angry Black drake lashing out, less cinder like now as I seen it’s elegant form uncurled. It looked me up and down before curling back into a ball again.“Are you deaf? Go away.” It spoke. “I don’t want to eat you.”
The green dragon spoke up. “You don’t get that choice, Cinder. It’s our Karma do so if asked. So, let’s hear it. Unless you want me to oversell your abilities?”
It huffed before looking all kinds of fake enthused “Hello! I’m the Dragon of Time! Using my power, you can revert time back to the point of us joining, literally resetting every choice in the universe regardless of how big or small allowing you to alter any action and its consequences!”
It said this, smiling all the time like it’s face was breaking, before collapsing back into a puddle of melancholy.I listened, before giving the dragon a hug, something that caused it to hiss and shake, before I let go.
“*Hissss* What the hell was that for?” It asked.
“You look like someone who has seen something bad, so yeah. That and I kind of need one myself, seeing I’m not going to leave here without being one of you dragon’s dinners.” I said, in all seriousness, kneeling in front of it’s hurt expression. Do you mind answering a question for me?
It nodded, so I asked “What’s the drawback to your power?”
The Dragon looked thoughtful, then answered “The less bonded we are, the less the efficiency between the amount of energy used to alter time.”
I asked “Does that mean your power is limited then?”
It rested its head in my lap “It means that if we don’t first bond, you lose ⅓ of yourself for each major change, and in doing so reduces our future ability to bond. This is true of most of us, that bonding affects how we digest our meals. But for me, people wish for big changes often before we bond, and it’s not long before I’m back here, or stuck without a host, and too weak to help what cause my host wanted to alter.”It looked up into my eyes “I don’t want a meal, not like that. Go with the old timer, and enjoy centuries of time.” It said waving a ebony set of claws at the green dragon. “I can only wish for that level of efficiency.”
The green dragon harrumphed “The candidate’s world is in the midst of a class 3 Void incursion, The Angel Guardian has been activated, and is seeking aid. This means the system grants a 90% reduction in the cost of our abilities for the duration of the crisis. The previous guardian had no host energy left to spend, so was defeated!” It said, swatting the former guardian Carana’s ball across the cavern, causing her to roar indignantly.The Green dragon and Black Dragon chuckled at the immature antics as Carana pouted.
I asked “So, what’s your deal, besides being mischievous?The Blue Dragon stuck it’s forked tongue out at the Green dragon before addressing the Question. “I am the Fate Dragon. My abilities can see into the future and nudge things, making outcomes both practical and impractical happen.”
“That’s different from the Time Dragon?” I asked.
“Yes!” the Blue Dragon chirped happily “Where Cinder can change what has already happened, but not see how that action can change things, I can alter what may be, but once things happen I am powerless to alter it.”
The Black Dragon Grumbled “That’s true, and seeing the outcome of things, she can also most efficiently gauge how much of a host she needs to achieve what you need. It’s why Carana never stays here long, though she already knows you won’t choose them.”
The Blue dragon nodded “My next host will arrive in 15 minutes, 12 seconds from when Yellow punts my ball back to me.”And sure enough the ball came sailing back towards them, intercepted by Blue, who chortled bouncing it along as they left.
I started to take my hand off the Time Dragon’s scaled forepaw, but found my hand growing heavier, like it didn’t wish to separate, and suddenly I knew neither did I. At the same time the Dragon’s eyes widened.
“Why Me?” It asked in a voice wavering between grief and hunger, it looking both excited and worried, as we glowed brighter together.
“We are a match, because I already have the [Judge] skill, so we won’t burn out without knowing the costs. That and even the Green dragon looked at me as a meal. You see me as more than sustenance.” I said, as the Brightness fully engulfed us as we merged.
***===***
The Green Dragon watched the pair disappear, starting their shared life. “Be well, my child. Feed gently, hurt your host as little as you can. For they will soon be part of you.” He intoned, knowing his child’s power was hard to manage, but her heart was pure despite her color and appearance.

Love, something I sit & think about often. I love the idea of love, obviously the love you have for your family, your friends, particular passions in your life, however the one love I’m yet to truly experience is the intimate love of “your person”.
I truly believe my person is out there, where though? I’m not entirely sure. Probably on the opposite side of the world, sitting on their phone, hopefully reading this very reddit post also wondering, could she be “my person”.
The thing with finding “your person” is that it all takes time. In a world of instant gratification, time isn’t really valued in that capacity. People can barely pay attention to a 10 second tik tok video let alone a life long get to know you session. I value time, I value time with people, I value time with my people, I only hope to find someone the same.
This last year & a half has been rather self reflective, I’ve moved on from being this pessimistic, ungrateful, depressed, hating on life & the world, to a much happier, much healthier & far more optimistic human than I’ve ever been. Until you look from the outside in, you don’t realise how draining being miserable can be on you & the people around you.
If you’re still reading this, then I applaud you for sticking around, so let’s get to why I’m here. As I said, my desire for love, to no longer get through life alone & to find my person is at an all time high. Some days I’m genuinely lonely & all though I’m finally happy in my own company, I’d love to find a person to do life with, go on spontaneous adventures, enjoy simple dates together & just explore our minds & soul.
If this sap-fest sounds right up your alley, then here is a little more about me. I’m a 32 year old female, living in Australia however was born in New Zealand. I work full time. Exactly around this time last year I decided I needed to make a lifestyle change, so I started walking every single day. Today actually marks a year. I also started going to the gym late last year & absolutely loving it, although I’ve lost a decent amount of weight, I’m still thiccccc all over. I’m an introverted extrovert, however still need time to recharge my social batteries, I love hanging out with my friends or family, finding new places to eat & I absolutely love to travel. From time to time, I get enraptured in a game or just the company when gaming.
So, if you’re interested in taking a leap into the unknown, texting a stranger which could lead to calls with a friend, dates with a potential & life time adventures with a soul mate, then message me :)
https://imgur.com/a/Z7wZYUB

Long time no see!
I'm gonna get back into regularly posting, starting with a short series called THE RUNAWAY. It's a 4 part sci-fi that leans heavy into cosmic horror, and I hope you'll like it. If you want to check out the first part, you can do so here.
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Anyway, for those interested in some extra commentary, read on below!
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Men in Black was easily one of my favorite movies growing up. I must have watched it a dozen times, maybe more and I’ve always wanted to do a BIG alien story, but I’ve had trouble finding the right angle.
Why?
Well, I find much of the allure in alien sci-fi comes down to world-building. It’s fantastic to be able to inhabit a new world, a new species, but it’s also tricky to deliver those details without dragging the narrative pacing to a crawl. Exposition dumps are my kryptonite, and this sort of story? I was asking for trouble.
Thanks to that, I bounced off a lot of my original drafts. Mostly because I kept borderline falling asleep reading them– no joke. Yikes!
I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to tell it properly, but a couple weeks ago I had a eureka moment. I sat down and suddenly the story vehicle just came to me, and I realized how I could structure this badboy to have my cake and eat it too. I’d get to include the world-building pizzazz as well as keep the story moving... Or at least, I hope that’s the case.
Ultimately, you’ll have to make that decision!
I’ve got the whole thing written so I’ll be sharing it in fairly quick succession, but I’d love to get your feedback on it. Feel free to tell me what worked, what didn’t, or maybe how things could have been done differently. It’s all appreciated.
Either way, I had a blast writing this, and if you enjoyed Part One, then it’s a good taste of what’s to come. I've got more shifting perspectives, more unfolding mysteries, and more alien lore regarding just what’s waiting for us in the dark of the cosmos…

My ex and I have had a long crazy toxic 2 years around each other.
It was an abusive relationship. She started out abusing me and I would do nothing but be passive-aggressive. I was always raised to never hit a woman, but after a while, we ended up just abusing each other. I got tired of being hit and punched in the face and not doing anything.
The relationship made me so much more aggressive. Even with me knowing Martial Arts I was scared of actual physical confrontation. After this relationship, I don’t care and would fight If I need to.
My EX, she had a rough life. Was a former escort, and grew up in the foster system with abusive parents, she had it really rough.
I wanted a family with her and we tried multiple times and she had multiple miscarriages. A lot of it was due to me not trusting her anymore, due to whenever we break up she runs off with a Pimp or goes to escorting. I almost got killed trying to save her from one of these situations.
I lost a lot of friends and family because of our toxic relationship. My family stopped talking to me because of it.
So we break up and it’s finally for good. We take a few months apart from each other. I leave the state for a fresh start.
She comes to my state to see me again. A part of me still did want a family with her, we were just bad for each other and I deep down hated her, because of the abuse, the family I lost, her cheating, and when she came to visit me I was paying for her ticket fines from our past issues and when she left with another man. It just caused me to snap. Then she left.
So fast forward a few more months she tells me she is pregnant. I honestly went off on her. I just did not trust her. I was acting completely crazy so she would not have it. I tried with reason at first, then she wasn’t hearing me and then I just started acting like a crazy drug addict who wanted to kill her, to scare her from having it. She started out by saying it was my child and then started saying it’s not my child and she will likely not keep it.
So a few more months pass. I’m thinking she has gotten an abortion and I see her in court for a DV charge from when she punched me in my face back when we were together. To my surprise, she was still pregnant. I made a post about that here but deleted it: https://www.reddit.com/Advice/comments/132d5cl/should_i_testify_against_my_abusive_exgirlfriend/
A few more months pass and this was bothering me. Even if I was acting crazy at the moment she is still having my child and I want to support it. If I don’t it will eat at me for the rest of my life. I get in contact with her again and she tells me that it may or may not be mines but she won’t tell me either way. She said that she is giving it up for adoption. I understood and said I’ll raise it if she does not want it. I can afford a child and have a good career. She said no, and she doesn’t want to think about me raising it with another woman or with my family around who doesn’t like her.
After me contacting a lawyer and me telling her that I have parental rights as a father and that you can’t just give a child up for adoption without my consent as the father. I even went as far as quoting legal standards that support this in her state.
She then FINALLY admits that it was not my child and that she knows who the father is and has already served the father legal papers. Turns out that she got pregnant a week before seeing me by someone else. Well, that’s my guess based on her due date. I don’t understand why someone would even do this to a person. How evil can you a person be. Maybe I’m in the wrong here, but why do this to a person.
This is just hard for me to process still. I feel relieved the child is not my child, and I can start anew but I don’t know where to go. I’ve always been overly nice to women. Maybe it’s due to my rocky relationship with my own mother. People told me that my Ex was using me this entire time but I could never believe it. Even with her past cheating, I could never believe that she would get pregnant by someone else a week before seeing me. People tell me I’m an easy target because I’m too nice. I’m not a pushover, but if a person needs help I’ll help, if a child is mines I’m going to be there for support. I’ve been like this my entire life, I would nurse a roach back to health as a kid.
Anyways it’s still shocking to me that people are really this evil or maybe I’m just really naive. I did put myself in this situation and was desperate for a relationship after not being in one for years before this. I don’t know where to go next from here. I tried therapy but the therapist I’ve had have been terrible. I want to try Self Therapy maybe a book like this https://www.amazon.com/Self-Therapy-Step-Step-Cutting-Edge-Psychotherapy/dp/0984392777
I’m a bit more aggressive now. A therapist told me I have trauma responses, and that’s why I snap on people mainly my family who stopped talking to me when I was going through this. I still don’t understand that portion, my mother tells me that you can’t expect family to stick around if you’re in a toxic relationship, but I would for them. I have done this for my brother.
I want a family but don’t want to bring that toxicness from my last relationship into this one.Some advice and input would be great, I want change in my life.