Weighted vest for cats

BEFORE YOU MAKE COMMENTS SUCH AS "GO SEE A DOCTOR", OR "GO TO THE GYM," read the thread or simply move on because I am here out of desperation and looking for things that I simply have not thought of (Isn't that the point of these things?).
Early Feb 2022 - I am a healthy man who works out daily, 180 pounds, 6,2, slim - no issues
March 2022 - July 2022
Symptoms I never experienced before:
Gradual weight gain with no changes in my diet or workout
Fatigue
Hands and feet tingling or becoming bright red and swollen for short periods of time (remands syndrome symptoms)
While doing workouts like a Farmer's Walk (where you hold heavy weights in each hand), I do them consistently for years with no problem. Now I notice I can't grip them without my hands feeling like they are on fire.
Insomnia, I can't sleep, and when I do, I can't wake up
In July, a buddy of mine who is ten years older and has a body fat percentage of less than 10%, and is a health nut got me on his workout regime, diet ...etc
From July - Jan 2023, I followed his plan, ate the right foods, took the right supplements, and did everything to FEEL BETTER (I know it takes longer than six months to lose weight, but the point of all this was not to lose weight but to overcome the symptoms listed above, to feel better, to feel like a man again and not a shadow of his former self)
While having a workout buddy was great, and I did begin to get a nice routine going nothing changed. In the past, whenever I was feeling low, I would hit the gym, and after a few weeks, I got a snowball effect going as I workout; I felt better, which led me to workout harder, and eventually, I got to a place where I look and feel at my best.
This time, It was different. It was an uphill battle, and my body wouldn't get momentum built up. I had to fight hard every day to get to the gym.
In Jan, I had enough and turned to doctors - I had my first physical, an EDG, colonoscopy, and CT scan. Besides my T taking a significant drop since I last took a test a couple of years ago, I am a healthy man with higher than normal blood pressure and cholesterol (no idea how, as my diet consists of protein shakes, lean chicken, cauliflower rice, and vegetables)
I can't tell you how irritating it is when doctors tell you there is nothing wrong with you, but you know there is because, in 1 year, you gained 20 lbs with no changes in diet. Your hands and feet tingle all the time; you can't concentrate, you can't get out of bed (yes, I've been on anti-depressants for six months, no changes), you can't sleep, you feel hungry and dizzy but have no appetite. I can go on, but I'll stop here.
I am hoping someone can offer some guidance, someone who has felt similar symptoms or tell me to go see a certain type of doctor or get a certain type of test.
I have tried posting on Reddit in other similar subs, and again I want to make it clear don't focus on the weight loss; it's not the issue, just a symptom I highlight because it's not my core issue. For some reason, everyone focuses on that part and ignores all the other issues.
I would like to return to my normal weight, but my main concern is something new that is happening where at night, my hands and feet feel like they are itching, but when I itch, the feeling doesn't go away because it is itching from the inside.
The only thing I can think of is that diabetes runs in my family, type 2, and after hours of doing my own research, insulin resistance best explains my symptoms.
I just want a better direction of what type of doctor to see before wasting anymore $$$ on guess tests which is costing my student budget too much.

Was wondering if there's a one-stop reading site where I can catch up on what's changed in the drone world in the last 5 years. I had a fleet of early quads (and a couple of indoor helicopters) including a Chroma (that was a big mistake). Loved that Chroma, but the camera gimbal died on me (while in storage!) and really dampened my enthusiasm -- super expensive to replace as the camera units quickly became rare... I kinda gave up at that point. Well, that failure and the avalanche of restrictions and licensing and so on for anything over the weight limit, 150g or whatever it is.
But I see that there is a new generation of small, light, not too expensive camera quads out there (the various Whoops, for a start) and am thinking of getting back into it.
I have an FPV headset from about 2018 and a couple of Spektrum transmitters.
I'm seeing an ad blitz lately for the "Black Raptor 8K" but the overheated ad copy and lack of legit reviews makes me shy of it -- looks like a scam, is it?
Where might I find a good survey of what's available today, reliable reviews etc? I don't think I feel like building from scratch any more (been there done that), more looking for a turnkey quad that has prop guards, is not too expensive (I plan to use it over deep salt water), and takes decent 4k or even 1080p video with stabilisation. And hopefully might work with my older Spektrum radios.
Waterproof quad would be even more interesting but from what I've been reading there is not much progress on that front!

I (19f) have been with my boyfriend (19m) for almost two years. He’s incredibly sweet, kind, respectful, and very intelligent. He is hard working and super funny. Recently we’ve both gained some weight. I’ve been asking him to go to the gym with me because I don’t want to go alone, and he always says he will, but it never happens. His hygiene isn’t the best at all, he doesn’t shower regularly or brush his teeth often, and he lies about if he did or not. He has a habit of telling small lies during stories and whatnot that make it hard for me to trust him. With all of it combined, I feel like I’m losing my attraction to him. He’s truly a great guy and has never done me wrong, but I lose the urge to text him or interact in any way. He tries to initiate sex with me and I always turn him down since he has given me BV a couple of different times. We both struggle with depression, so I know that could be a leading factor, but his parents (we each live with our parents atm) won’t allow him to go to therapy because they don’t want him to tell anybody what goes on. Honestly, it’s a train wreck and I don’t know how to go about him. We’ve been together for such a long time and I think I see a future with him, but while he is hard working and motivated and attentive, something has given me the “ick.” I don’t really know why I’m typing this, but I don’t want to hurt him. Thanks

Hello I did not know what flair to put to address the following situation. Just need some info on what to do about the following situation:
I’ve been an Active Service Member for 1.5 years with a 4 yr contract. On October last year I got injured, specifically cervical vertebrae. After this injury they performed CT scans and MRI they found fused vertebrae and two herniated discs, one above and one below the fused vertebrae. After that injury I haven’t been able to do physical training and not able to carry protective gear (ach, iotv). I can’t run, jog and lift heavy weights. I’ve been on a profile for more than 180 days.
I’ve been in physical therapy for a month but It did not help.
I got a call saying that they will review my case and see if I am MEB elegible or being chapter 5-14.
I am lost in this process and scare about alternatives to “fix” this injury like steroid injections or surgery. I do not want to go on either. What do I need to do? If I get an injection it will mask pain, but will continue with normal duties, but once the effect past will feel worst. Since I won’t be able to feel I will abuse and will get worse. Surgery will fuse the herniated discs and will probably limit mobility.
I am confused and worried. I need guidance on this situation.
Thanks in advance for your help.

I truly need just one or two safety and target schools to make a good, well rounded list.
Major: Marine Biology (a must!)
School Preferences: Medium/Large school, near a coast??, anywhere geographically but I’d prefer east or west coast, not southern states really
Stats: 4.0 unweighted GPA, not sure on 4.0 scale for weighted, but 104 on 100 point scale
Ranked 5/250 in a pretty competitive class
PSAT (just took SAT, don’t have that yet)- 1270, probably won’t submit SAT score
Okay ECS-
3 Normal School Clubs
100+ hrs community service
300+ hrs research projects relating to marine biology and environmental science
Leadership positions in Varsity sports
In FFA program

• other stuff i’m too tired to type out now LMFAO

Financial Aid: Not really an issue, but would prefer schools that give good merit scholarships!
Ask me any more questions cuz I may be forgetting stuff if you want.
Thanks!

Today marks a year for me. I've lost 160 lbs, which is 20 pounds more than I originally planned on and what the program predicted. My weight has been the same for the past 4 months, which is genuinely shocking for me considering my typical diet.
I really feel like I don't eat that well. Today I had about 2800 calories, which is probably 500 more than typical. I used to eat closer to 4000 calories before the surgery. (I'm built like a lineman). I'm not having any alcohol today, but I do about 50% of the time, which is what I did before the surgery (much less than before, I get tipsy very quick and also sober up pretty quick). I like to eat slider foods (crackers, popcorn, chips) but I do get my protein, vitamins, and water.
I had a followup with a program doc and they asked diet questions and I vaguely described the good things I do eat and a little of the bad. I'm pretty sure if I kept up eating like the program dictated I'd lose another 50 lbs, but I feel no need to be that skinny. Makes me question the typical goals of the program. I'm betting quite a few people eat poorly like I do but it's like the elephant in the room for bariatric outcomes.
Overall I feel like the program catered to the lowest common denominator. Which isn't necessarily a problem, I guess, but it can be annoying. For instance, the prohibition on fizzy drinks seems to be rooted in an attempt to prevent people from drinking their calories. An honorable goal, but lying to people about stretching their stomach out is not cool in my book. Just put the facts on the table. Lacroix isn't a problem unless it's uncomfortable for you. But they don't say that. The vitamin requirements were the same for RNY and VSG but a VSG has better vitamin absorption than other types. No differentiation.
Overall, I am incredibly happy I went with the surgery. Maybe in another year I'll look back on this post and laugh at how stupid I was as I gain 50 lbs back... 😬 I doubt it, but I'm open to being wrong.

Hello, I've been on here before and done readings. There were some people I never got to, and I apologize. If you'd still like a reading, send me a message. This also goes for new people. My readings are only free if this is your first time getting one from me.
If you're interested, send me your name, age, gender, and where you're from. I also need you to choose from the following topics for your reading: True love, love life, relationship analysis, finances, career, past life, health, general, or we can address a specific question you have. I also need you to choose a deck. I have a white themed deck, black themed deck, and a cat themed deck.
In your first message, include the information I asked for, or else I won't respond. We will also need you to agree to my terms and conditions which I'll send you. Plus, you'll need to set up an appointment time. Thank you!

Some Background: My mother abandoned me when I was 3 years old after my father had an affair with her best friend. My father married her best friend and moved away leaving me and my mother behind. He took his cat though. my mother didn't really want to be a mother, and she sent me to go live with my father. My father and stepmother were horribly physically, emotionally, and psychologically abusive.
During my childhood, my mother almost never contacted me in any way. I saw her five times from Age 3 until 18. Once, I stayed with her for 6 months when I was 11. she told me she was going to file for custody of me because from the stories I had told her about my life, she knew that I was being abused by my father and stepmother.
That was a lie however. She sent me back to live with my father and stepmother who continued to abuse me until my 18th birthday.
When I turned 18, my mother wanted to have a really close friendly relationship with me. I was really angry about her abandoning me twice. I didn't trust her and I didn't really feel that we had the foundation for a relationship, but I desperately wanted her love and approval.
Even though she hadn't raised me and she sent me to live with people who she knew were actively abusing me, she wanted me to treat her like she was the best mother ever. she would constantly tell stories about when I was under 3 years old. It made me really uncomfortable. I would ask her to stop telling the stories but she wouldn't.
When I got engaged, I invited her to my wedding which was a Orthodox wedding. for those of you who don't know, there is a very strict dress code for women that involves necklines that cover the collarbones, shirts that have sleeves which cover the elbows and skirts that go below the knee. I asked my mother to follow this dress code and she agreed to, but she showed up at the wedding with a blouse that was a deep v-neck. she wasn't showing cleavage or anything, but it was horribly inappropriate. she was also wearing open toed shoes which I had asked her specifically not to wear. When I confronted her on this, she basically dismissed my boundary and said that because she wasn't showing cleavage and because her shoes were very cute sandals that it was fine for her not to respect the dress code.
when I was pregnant, I told her, and she announced my pregnancy publicly before I had the opportunity to do so. It really hurt me that she told my grandmother and other family members before I had the opportunity to. when I tried to talk to her about this gently, telling her how much it had hurt me and how I would appreciate her not sharing my news with people especially after I had specifically asked her not to, she got very angry with me and told me I had no right to tell her what she can talk with her family members about.
These are some of the big events, however there have been a million other boundary violations and disrespectful actions towards me. over the years I went from wanting to have frequent contact with her to very low contact. especially When I became a mother, I realized I would never understand her or the choices that she made regarding me.
I have been living abroad, in Mexico, for the last 11 years. I live in a good area and I have a great job here. I invited my mother to come to visit us several years ago, before the pandemic and she gave me a lot of excuses why she couldn't come. She said that the flight would be too expensive. She said that she didn't have a way to get from the airport to our home. When my husband and I offered to pick her up from the airport and even to pay for her flight, she finally told us that it's because we live in Mexico. She doesn't feel it's a very nice place and she has never had a desire to come to this country.
This hurt very much because she lives several hours from the border in a city in America that is way more violent than where I live. The statistics for violent crime show that there is a higher rate of crime in her city than mine. I tried to tell her that she would be safe and that I really wanted to visit her to visit us in our home because I'm very proud of the life that my husband and I have built for ourselves. I told her she could stay in our guest room and that we would take her to the park we go to and the children science museum we frequent and our favorite restaurants, etc. she insulted Mexico and refused.
it left such a bad taste in my mouth that I didn't speak to her for the greater part of a year.
Then, she emailed me out of the blue about 9 months later and it was a one-line email. she said, I like where you live.
I obviously thought that she could be in my city so I emailed her back asking her directly if she were. no answer. I called her cell phone. no answer. I texted her and received no answer.
about a week later, she emailed me again telling me that she was no longer in my city but had spent two weeks there and she really thought it was a very fine place. she never tried to call me or see me at all but she traveled internationally to the city that I live in and she contacted me just so that I would know that she had been there and had Made no effort to contact me at all. It really hurt my feelings.
I wrote to her telling her that it hurt my feelings and letting her know that I felt she owed me an apology and an explanation for doing that. She has done a lot of hurtful things to me over the years, but that was so over the top and ridiculous - - even for her - - so I felt that it was a fair request.
Instead, she told me that she had already apologized to me. she insisted that she had apologized and I was refusing to accept her apology. she had never apologized to me. I'm certain of it. However, this made me doubt myself and I installed an automatic call recorder in an attempt to Discover if I was remembering things incorrectly or if she does lie constantly and then try to rewrite the truth.
she never apologized for the Mexico fiasco. However, I felt guilty after not speaking to her for a while and I initiated contact and we had low contact for a while that seemed to be going well. what I mean is she wasn't outright rude or disrespectful or passive aggressive. I was calling her every week and she would answer most times and we would make small talk for a few minutes.
Then, on one of our weekly calls in October of last year (2022), she told me in October of last year (2022) that she would be moving to another part of the country, very far away from the international border. Since we had had a few months of decent text exchanges, I decided to call her. During that call, in November 2022, I invited her again to come to visit us before she moves because I don't know when I will ever see her again because of how far away she's moving and how bad our relationship has always been.
I was hoping that she would see this as an opportunity to bury the hatchet and reconnect. instead she told me no. She flat out refused. she answered so quickly it was obvious that she didn't even consider it at all. It was like a reflex refusal. I know people can't always travel when they want to, I'm not so unreasonable, but she has over a year before she moves so it would have felt better if she at least pretended to consider it.
We spoke a week later and she asked me if after she moved my family and I would be willing to travel to see her at her new house. I told her no. I reminded her that we had invited her to visit us twice and she refused both times. I went on to say that I am not willing to travel so far to visit someone who has refused to visit me.
She told me that she never refused to visit me. I told her that she had. I'm certain that she did refuse, because I recorded that phone call and I had listened to it several times. there is a clear refusal. She told me that I had not recorded it. That I was lying. I emailed her the audio from the call. I tried to call her the next week but she didn’t answer. Same thing the week after that. Same thing every week since I gave up trying to speak to her over the phone in early February 2023. The last time I called her, I left her a pretty curt voicemail. I told her that if she wanted to speak to me that she should answer the phone or return my calls. A few weeks later she sent me a message at just after 7am, as I was getting ready to go to an important work meeting. In her message, she complained to me about the voicemail. She told me that it is not appropriate to contact someone and not ask them how they are doing and give them a polite greeting. She told me that she did not like my voicemail and asked me not to leave her voicemails like that. I messaged her back and told her that I will not be leaving any more voicemails, as she has not answered or returned my calls in over 4 months and I have given up. I also told her that she was messaging me at 7am to complain about a voicemail I left weeks ago and to please not message me just to complain, until after 6pm, when I get off of work.
She messaged me back and said, ‘' No worries, won't be bothering anymore. Enough take care don't text or call you won't get a response. You have made yourself clean when it comes to me.' So I blocked her. On my phone. On social media. On everything I could think of. However, I didn’t think of blocking her on my old email address. A few weeks later I was looking for an old document in that old email account and I saw that she had emailed me. Here is the exchange:
MOM: Sat, Mar 4, 8:25 PM
Dear daughter, if someone isn't able to do something but could and wants to do that thing at another time it is not refusing that thing. I truly hope we can get past all this time disagreeing with each other and go forward . When I told you not to text me it isn't that I don't want a relationship with you. A relationship can't be based on the actions that have been going on between us. Love you always mom
ME: Thu, Mar 9 12:17PM
Mom, You said to me in a text message from Feb 22nd, 2023 at 7:28 AM, and I am quoting you directly: ' No worries, won't be bothering anymore. Enough take care don't text or call you won't get a response. You have made yourself clean when it comes to me.'
By refusing to answer or return my calls for months while I consistently reached out to you and by sending me that text message above, you have made yourself very clear that you do not want a relationship with me.
Even in this email that you sent, the one I am responding to, You began it immediately by arguing with me. Hardly a way to mend a relationship. Just stop.
MOM Thu, Mar 9 12:19PM
Daughter I am sorry you feel the way you do. I only wish we both could, never mind i will be sending things i was going to send for a while to you soon love you mom.
ME: 1:04 PM
Mom, Saying "I'm sorry you feel the way you do" is not an authentic apology because it doesn't take responsibility for your actions or behavior. It is a common example of a non-apology apology, which is a statement that appears to express regret or remorse but does not truly acknowledge wrongdoing.
An authentic apology should include an admission of responsibility for your actions, an expression of regret or remorse, and a commitment to making amends or taking steps to prevent the same behavior from happening again in the future. It should focus on the impact of your actions on the other person, rather than their reaction or feelings about the situation.
Just STOP. Please do not force me to block you here as well
MOM: I have apologized so many times. you don't need to block me .
ME: When did you apologize for sending me that message?
MOM:You told me to stop so I am going to. I don't want you to block me or anything of that nature.
ME: Please answer my question.
When did you apologize to me for sending me the following message?
Feb 22nd, 2023 at 7:28 AM ' No worries, won't be bothering anymore. Enough take care don't text or call you won't get a response. You have made yourself clean when it comes to me.'
MOM:Am going to stop as you ask me to. I hope we can find our way to one another. Love you mom
ME: On Thu, Mar 9, 2023
When I asked you to stop, you refused to by continuing to message me.
Now, I am asking you to answer the question. You are refusing to answer it because we both know that you never apologized for sending me that message. Your emails to me today are the only contact we have had since you sent it.
Do not contact me again until you are ready to properly apologize for that message. If you contact me for any other reason, I will block you immediately without responding.
I deserve to be treated with respect.
Thanks a bunch,
Daughter
Thu, Mar 9, 2023 at 6:37 PM
MOM:If your answer to everything with me is blocking me, do what you have to do. I am standing up for myself and your stand to block me? Then just do what you feel is right and if blocking me is then do it. I am here when we can talk without the, ‘I am going to block you’ attitude. Love mom
BLOCKED
ME: Fri, Mar 10, 2023, 8:36 AM
Dear Mom,
It breaks my heart to have to write this letter to you, but I feel that you have given me no other choice. For as long as I can remember, our relationship has been strained and difficult, but it has been particularly bad in the past few months.
It hurts me deeply that we haven't had a single pleasant interaction since November 2022. It hurts me that you refused to speak to me over Christmas and New Year's, and that you have ignored and not returned my calls for months on end. It hurts me that every time we do interact, it is filled with hostility, anger, and resentment.
I know that I am not blameless in our relationship, but I have tried so hard to make things work between us. I have tried to clearly communicate my needs and boundaries to you, but you have not respected them. I have tried to reach out to you and make amends, but you have not taken those opportunities. Even yesterday, I clearly asked you not to contact me unless it was to apologize for the message you sent me on 'Feb 22nd, 2023 at 7:28 AM, when you said, and I am quoting you directly: ' No worries, won't be bothering anymore. Enough take care don't text or call you won't get a response. You have made yourself clean when it comes to me.' Instead of apologizing to me as I clearly asked you to, you continued to email me only to argue with me and blame me for the state of things between us.
Your consistent behavior towards me over time has been hurtful and disrespectful, and it has taken a toll on my mental health and well-being. I had been recording our phone conversations because I needed to protect myself and my mental health because of your dishonesty and gaslighting. I never intended to hurt you or betray your trust, but I needed to do what was best for me.
I am devastated that our relationship has come to this. I am devastated that we cannot find a way to have a healthy and positive relationship. I am devastated that I have to write this letter to tell you that I cannot have you in my life anymore.
I want you to know that I love you and that I will always cherish the good memories we have shared. I will try to remember you at your best. But I cannot continue to subject myself to the pain and hurt that our interactions bring me. I need to put myself first and surround myself with people who love and support me. Unfortunately you have not treated me lovingly nor supportively for years.
I don't believe at this point that you will change but I still hope that this estrangement will give you the chance to reflect on your behavior and take steps towards becoming a better version of yourself. If you do that work on yourself, maybe someday we can reconcile and heal the wounds that have been inflicted on our relationship. But for now, I need to say goodbye. I wish you all the best, and I hope that you can find happiness and peace.
With a heavy heart, Daughter Messages received in spam folder after blocking:
Fri, Mar 10, 7:35 AM
Good morning Daughter I am sorry for my message sent on 2/28. I was reacting basically on someone else's action to me which was wrong of me. Am sorry for that. I love you mom
Fri, Mar 10, 8:59 AM
Am at work and received your email. You can blame all that has gone wrong with our relationship on me . It hurts more than I can say to know my daughter doesn't want me in her life. Am praying for my mom being very ill at this time and now I lose you. Take care and I love you so much . Mom
—---
Fri, Mar 10, 6:09 PM
Am giving your words back to you. I did apologize and you still made the choice to let me not be in your life, I am hurt but will honor your choice. I will love you always. I did the right thing and apologized to you. In time I will make peace with what is to be in time. Mom
So, if anyone has read this whole thing, what do you think? Should I stay no contact? Do you think this could be salvaged? I feel really guilty, like I should reach out to her again. What do you think I should do?

currently just tired of life right now. everything feels like its falling apart, i feel like in constantly losing my mind, my partner and i always seem to have some kind of friction, i have no car, horrible credit, im working a shitty fast food job where im paid terribly and deal with rude hangry customers and crabby coworkers, im losing so much weight my clothes are falling off of me, i never have time to clean, nor the motivation to, and im just so tired of all of it. im so tired of surviving. when do i get to start living? when can i breathe? when will i not be drowning in debt? always catching up? living paycheck to paycheck, and barely paying rent just before that 10 day eviction notice deadline. im tired of working for unlivable wages. im tired of it. im tired of life. i dont wanna die but i dont wanna live like this anymore and i just feel absolutely hopeless.

I had a revelation today as I held my first clean, sturdy, and comfortable full expression of Bakasana (knees to tricep).
It was essentially half the typical load on my wrists and I felt an even distribution of weight through all of my fingertips. I think in the knees hanging, thigh on tricep variation it can be fairly dangerous, as your hips sit so much lower and thus force more weight behind you (no matter how hard you pull up your core and engage the thighs - I weigh ≈200lbs). I wish I had learnt how beneficial creating a continuous line between the thighs, knees, arms, and wrist was in terms of engaging the hands properly. I couldn't believe the strength I unlocked in them!
Just throwing this up for anyone who might need to hear it. If you're heavier, and feeling discomfort in the wrists during the thigh supported crow, keep picking away at lolasana lifts, planks and other core builders, and aim to elect for the knees-on method. I feel like the strength that comes from the proper hand positioning (that at least my dumpy frame can't achieve in thigh-supported) will open up a host of playful options in time!
Happy Friday ☀️

The summer I turned 10 was the best time of my life. For years I’d had trouble making friends with other girls, and out of nowhere I was accepted into a group of boys. We would ride our bikes everywhere, play games, and sit up all night just talking about superheroes. I loved it, and I started enjoying coming to school.
That summer was the first summer we went to Everett’s cabin. We biked up there with his dad and spent three days hiking, fishing, telling stories, building a treehouse, and chowing down on hot dogs. It was amazing, and probably the first time in my life where I truly felt like part of a group.
For the next few years, we went back up there every summer. Sometimes we’d get another member, sometimes we’d lose one. People came and went, but we biked up there every summer nonetheless.
​
They became my best friends. I was one of the “original members” alongside Everett and Sam, but one year we had Lewis, another year there was Owen, and so on. But me, Everett, and Sam? We were always there. The originals.
By the time we all turned 14, there was another girl joining the group; Sam’s girlfriend Josslyn. I’d had some trouble getting along with other girls, so I was a bit hesitant about having Josslyn come along. But I was hilariously wrong. Within a couple of weeks, Josslyn became my best friend. She was like the sister I never had.
The year we turned 16 was the last time we would go there as a group. By then, everyone was growing up. Some were going to college; others were getting a job. Hell, Sam and Josslyn had just broken up and could barely be in the same room. Spending the summer in Everett’s cabin became one of those things that you just stop doing. We promised we’d go back there someday and celebrate summer the right way, knowing full well that would probably never happen.
And then, nothing. And as with all names and faces, they started growing distant. We kept in touch every now and then, but Sam, Everett and Josslyn all went on with their lives. I did too.
​
That was until a few years ago, when we all turned 30.
By then, Sam was about to move out of state. His startup company had gained some traction, and they were moving their main office. He was hitting the big leagues.
Josslyn was planning a move to Scotland. She’d met this guy at the university that she fell head over heels in love with, and the two of them’d had a long-distance relationship for close to a decade.
Everett, well, he’d tried to play the family man. He had a four-year old son and a two-year old girl with a woman who was divorcing him. Oof.
And me? Well, I wasn’t dealing with my aging very well. I’ve had anxiety all my life and haven’t celebrated a birthday since I was 14. I can barely look myself in the mirror, horrified of the possibility of seeing a grey hair. I’m a bit of a hypochondriac, truth be told, and I imagine feeling all kinds of cramps and pains because of my age. And yes, I know 30 isn’t that old. Doesn’t matter.
​
But that summer, Everett sent us a message out of nowhere. His family was selling the cabin, and he figured one more trip down memory lane would do us all some good. The whole area was being sold off to a logging company at the end of summer. Personally, I just think the divorce was getting to him.
At first, I wasn’t going to accept. But after seeing both Sam and Josslyn agreeing to come, I couldn’t say no. Maybe it would distract me from turning 30.
​
So one sunny day in late June I drove down from Morgantown back home to Juniper (WV), not knowing what to expect. I figured I might get a nice weekend out of it.
And as I met up with Sam and Everett, it was as if nothing had changed. They hugged me. We laughed, we joked around, and we laughed some more. Everett had rented us mountain bikes. I got the blue one.
Sure, they looked a bit different. Sam had put on a few pounds and had a thick pair of glasses. He was already sweating. Everett, who used to have dreadlocks, had this short and neat office-type haircut, and his eyes looked darker. But that was all just appearance; they were the same guys. Same humor, same smiles, same favorite superheroes. Wonderful.
​
We stopped at the supermarket. I was comparing beef jerky prices when Sam walked up to me.
“Josslyn went on ahead,” he explained. “The roads are all dug up, so we’re taking the tunnel.”
“The Rosewater tunnel? By the railroad?” I asked.
“Yeah,” nodded Sam. “Shouldn’t take long. Josslyn is already up there.”
Made sense to me. Josslyn was the outdoorsy type. She was probably up there making a fire by rubbing sticks together or something. But just in case, I bought myself a Firestarter. You never know.
​
And then we were off. Riding bikes with the same people, down the same roads. Sure, it all looked different, but it really wasn’t. After all these years, I was still just me and the guys. For a moment, I felt this surge of optimism; like everything, somehow, might turn out all right.
Everett took point. We followed a trail deep into the pine forest, sweating under the summer sun. The canopy was a blessing, hiding us from the afternoon heat. It took us a bit over an hour to find the railroad tracks. We followed them north. Sam was sweating like he’d never even seen a bike before.
​
Then we got to the tunnel. The old Rosewater tunnel wasn’t long, but it was old. Everyone knew about it, but it was the kind of place that parents refused to let their kids go near. The place was probably covered in mold. Still, biking through it wouldn’t be a problem. You could feel the draft coming through.
The tunnel had a slight curve to it, so we couldn’t see the other side. Still, Everett took point and howled with joy as he entered. The echo bounced off the walls, reaching into the mountain. Sam followed suit, shrieking just as loud. We dove deep into the dark with the rhythmic thumping of the railroad tracks beneath us.
Our bike lights shone as bright as they could, but the tunnel swallowed them. It was getting colder and colder, almost to the point of my breath showing. Little dust particles danced in the weak light. The sound of spinning bike chains and thumping wheels echoed, and the air tasted like old moisture.
​
Suddenly, Everett stopped. Then Sam. And soon, I could see why.
We were in the middle of the tunnel, and there was something covering the ground.
Snow.
​
We were all standing there dumbfounded. Snow? In late June? That didn’t make a lick of sense.
“That’s just weird,” said Sam. “Let’s keep going.”
“Wait,” said Everett.
He stepped off his bike and walked around for a bit. I leaned against my handlebar, feeling the weight of my backpack. I hadn’t even noticed how out of breath I was. Everett leaned down, looking at the snow.
“What’s up?” Sam asked. “We going?”
“Yeah, yeah,” nodded Everett. “It’s just… I dunno.”
“Dunno what?”
“Like… where’re the tracks?”
“You’re sitting on ‘em” I added. “What’s the deal?”
“No, Josslyn’s tracks.”
​
Now I could definitely see my own breath. And Everett was right, the snow was undisturbed. Josslyn couldn’t have come through there, unless the snow had recently settled. But what, an inch and a half of powder snow in late June, in less than a day? Nah.
Everett got back on his bike.
“Let’s just keep going.”
We biked through the snow. About ten minutes later, we got to the edge of the tunnel.
​
It’d collapsed in on itself.
The ceiling had caved in and filled the entire tunnel with a steep slant of solid rock chunks. It didn’t look recent either.
We just turned around. There was no reason for us to keep pushing forward, so we decided to just go back out and follow the (if somewhat broken) main road instead. We had bikes, we could go pretty much anywhere. Still, I couldn’t help but notice how Everett seemed a bit distraught. We all were.
On our way back through the snow, I got the sense that something was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on what. But right then and there, I was just happy we were leaving.
​
Except we didn’t get far.
The path we came in through had also collapsed.
​
“Did we make a… a wrong turn?” Sam asked. “I thought this… this was just a straight line.”
“It is,” said Everett. “This, uh… this doesn’t make sense.”
“I didn’t hear anything,” I gasped. “I didn’t hear a goddamn thing.”
“This is old. There’s dust. It didn’t just collapse, this is… ,” insisted Everett.
“So we must’ve gotten turned around somewhere,” smiled Sam. “So we backtrack.”
​
It took us about 45 minutes to move from one end of the tunnel to the other; but both ends were definitely collapsed. How we entered in the first place was mind boggling. It didn’t make sense.
At some point, we just stopped. We stepped off our bikes and sat down. Sam used his phone as a flashlight, illuminating the dancing dust particles. The air tasted stale.
“No bars,” Sam said. “Tunnels suck.”
“It doesn’t make sense!” groaned Everett. “We got in, we can get out!”
“How?!” I asked, throwing my arms out. “I’m not seeing any exits! It… it fell!”
“That’s impossible!” spat Everett. “There would be a… a goddamn ear-bursting pressure! There’d be so much dust we… we wouldn’t be able to breathe! And there wouldn’t be goddamn snow all over the ground!”
​
We tried to get our phones to work. We tried moving the rocks, but the thick moisture in the air had frozen; making them all stick together like bricks and mortar. There was no way.
We wasted hours, and the temperature just kept dropping. I’d started shivering, and Sam’s breath had frozen into little icicles in his beard. Everett paced back and forth, trying to come up with a plan.
The snow was either expanding, or we kept coming back to it. Either way, it was everywhere. And the temperature kept dropping; fast.
​
At one point, that strange feeling in my stomach came back to me. I removed my bike light and used it as a torch. I noticed something in the snow.
I could see our tracks. Both from our bikes, and our shoes. But there was something else; a slight impression. Two thin parallel lines, running next to the wall. They twisted and turned at times, but I couldn’t make out what it was supposed to be. I called Sam and Everett over to help me, but we suddenly got distracted.
​
Somewhere deep in the tunnel, I heard something.
A voice.
​
“You should be helping me.”
​
It came from further in. Without a doubt in my mind, and after all these years, I could still recognize Josslyn’s voice. We tried to pinpoint where it came from, but the tunnel made it impossible.
“Joss?” Sam called out. “Joss, you there?”
Nothing. We looked at one another. It took Everett a few moments to even attempt to accept this.
“Joss!” Everett finally called out “Josslyn!”
Still, nothing.
​
We looked for her. I could feel myself growing more desperate as the air got colder. My teeth had started to chatter, and no amount of rubbing my arms changed a thing. My hairs were standing at attention, as if listening for warmth.
Sam and Everett kept calling out to her, but we got no response. And all over the snow I kept seeing these two parallel lines, just barely scraping the top of the snow. Either they’d been there for a while, or whatever was making them were something extraordinarily light. But there was no way of telling where it came from.
I have no idea how many hours we spent walking up and down that freezing tunnel. At some point, we all gathered in a circle and wrapped ourselves in sleeping bags. I tried to use my Firestarter, but we didn’t have much to burn. We piled up some of our extra clothes and spent the better part of an hour setting it on fire. It burned for less than ten minutes.
​
At some point, we just stopped trying. Our hands were raw, and I started having cold sweats. We’d turned off the lights to save on battery, but my restless eyes kept moving. I could feel myself going cross-eyed, my mind confused by the pressing dark.
There was too much ground to cover. There might be some side tunnel that we might’ve missed, but we were losing hope. I didn’t know what to make of it. Sam and Everett had gone through several cycles of arguing, making a desperate effort, being anxiously hopeful, and then back to arguing. Now they were just quiet.
I would’ve preferred an argument.
​
“You… should be helping me.”
​
We all looked up. It was distant, but not as distant as last time. I could hear Sam shuffling as he got up. He called out to Josslyn again and again, but there was no response. Sam was growing more and more desperate, and his screams got louder. At some point, he stopped calling out to her; he just screamed.
The arguing started again as Everett tried to shut him up. But I heard something. I looked up, concentrating on the sound. There was a slight reverb, like the sound bouncing off something metallic.
I put my bike light back on and looked up, letting the bright cone answer my question.
There were drainpipes running along the ceiling of the tunnel.
​
“Some… some kind of drainage, or a run-off,” said Sam, looking up. “That’s gotta… wait. This wasn’t at the entrance.”
“So it started further in,” I said. “Maybe there’s a maintenance area.”
At that, Everett got up.
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Yeah, that makes, uh… that makes sense.”
​
We followed the pipes, and I couldn’t help but notice that the parallel lines in the snow that seemed to be going the same way. They were roughly following the way the pipes were running in the ceiling. Sam and Everett didn’t seem to notice.
“There might be another way out,” said Sam. “Like a… maintenance entrance.”
“Yeah,” agreed Everett. “They can’t have people running in and out of here when the trains are coming, right?”
My stomach turned. The stress was getting to me. I wasn’t usually the quiet one of the group, but crawling around in the dark just weighed my entire mind down. It wasn’t supposed to be cold. It wasn’t supposed to be dark. We were supposed to be making hot dogs by the cabin.
​
There was a faint tapping sound. Something banging against the pipes, somewhere up ahead. Sam and Everett pushed forward.
And there it was. A maintenance door.
We all got excited. We ran up to it, and the moment Sam put his hands on the handle, I shouted at them to stop.
​
They just looked at me, barely illuminated by our combined electronics. I could see the parallel lines running in the snow leading into the maintenance door. I pointed it out to Sam and Everett, who didn’t pay it no mind. Sam thought it was water drops from condensation. Everett didn’t care.
It couldn’t be water drops. It was too cold, and too consistent. Something in me screamed at me to just… not go further. This was bad.
​
But the door flung open, and we stepped inside.
There was an awful smell in the air. Chemicals; mostly ammonia. It took some time getting used to, but we pushed on. There was a small corridor leading us further in, branching into maintenance tunnels that were so small that we had to move sideways to fit.
We explored, as a group. We couldn’t find an obvious way out, but we could make an educated guess. We just had to find a way that pointed us either straight forward, or straight back; following the curvature of the Rosewater tunnel.
​
At one point, we hit a dead end. As we turned back, I was suddenly first in line. Then we heard it again.
“You should… be helping me.”
This time it was just down the hall. It was so close it chilled me more than my freezing breath. And for a split second, I could swear I saw something move just at the edge of the light. Something that retreated into the dark with a rhythmic sound. And it was leaving behind those strange parallel lines in the frost-covered floor.
​
We got back to one of the maintenance hubs. The drainpipes coalesced, leading us further in. We stopped for a while, as Sam was out of batteries.
“They will come looking for us,” said Sam. “We should just go back and wait.”
“We’ll freeze,” I said. “It’s absurd, but we’ll freeze.”
“She’s right,” agreed Everett. “We… we gotta push.”
“Then I go second. I don’t have a light.”
​
We agreed.
And as we turned around, there was Josslyn.
​
We could barely make out her shape at first. She looked taller, and her hair clung to her face like she’d crawled out of a cold bath. She just stood there, barely keeping herself upright. Sam and I stood there in shock, but Everett burst into action. He sprinted forward towards her.
In a whiplash-like motion, Josslyn was pulled back into the dark. She didn’t make a sound.
I noticed two things.
One, that her legs didn’t move.
And two, that her feet barely touched the ground; leaving parallel lines in the frosted floor.
​
Everett rushed after her, screaming her name over and over like a desperate parrot. I was right behind him, and Sam was trying his best to keep up. We ran, seeing whiffs of her hair disappear further and further into the darkness. She was moving, fast, and we could barely keep up. Just seconds later, as we came to a four-way junction, she was gone.
Everett fell to his knees, panting. I stopped short of tripping over him.
“She… she’s here,” Everett panted. “S-something’s wrong.”
I spat and tried to stay in motion to keep my sweat from freezing. The salt stung my eyes.
“Why… why is she doing this?” he asked. “What’s going on?”
“Wait,” I said.
I turned around.
“Where’s Sam?”
​
We backtracked. We tried to mentally map those labyrinthian halls, but we just came up with dead end after dead end. Sam was gone. Disappeared into the dark.
And somewhere, far ahead, we could hear something again.
​
“Yooooouu~ should be… helping me.”
But this time, in Sam’s voice.
Sam’s broken, drawling, drawn-out half-voice. It made the drainpipes reverberate, shaking with excitement.
​
This time, we turned the other way. We couldn’t keep getting pulled further and further in. We made a silent agreement that whatever was in there was something we didn’t want to see. We had to keep going, and once we got out, we could help.
“We… we have to follow the pipes,” said Everett. “They have to lead outside at some point!”
“Or they’ll just… just lead us further in!”
“We can’t keep running in circles! We pick a path, and we stick to it!”
He grabbed my shoulders. Even with barely functioning light, I could see the panicked size of his pupils. I nodded. Whatever it took for us to stick together.
​
We must’ve walked for hours. And finally, it opened up into another junction. This one with only two adjoining corridors. But by now, we’d moved around so much there was no way to tell what was north, south, or in-between. We could only guess.
“You pick,” said Everett.
And I did.
​
We followed one of the halls, and I could hear my footsteps growing louder. The echo was increasing. Moments later, the halls opened into a kind of hub area where all the drainpipes coalesced. It was much large than expected, with solid concrete walls and floors. Dozens of pipes lead us here.
Everett was about to rush forward when I put a hand on his shoulder. I looked around for a bit, but he brushed me off and kept going.
“Wait!” I called out, pointing.
There was something up ahead.
​
It was impossible not to recognize Sam. His body hanging limp, inches off the ground like a stringed-up puppet.
His skin white as snow, with icicles hanging from his beard and hair. He didn’t move.
“You shooooould… be helping me,” his body groaned, without ever moving his mouth.
​
The shadows behind him moved.
The very dark of the room; it moved.
​
And at that moment, I realized there was something oil-slick and dark slithering along the pipes; holding Sam up like a ventriloquist dummy.
​
“Sssssshould. Sssssshould be.”
​
I could see Josslyn’s bike, snapped in half and thrown into a corner. Strange flowers grew along the edge of the wall; like little sunflowers, frozen and blue.
I could see Josslyn’s backpack torn open and thrown across the floor. The hot dogs, trampled and abandoned. And there at the very edge of my light, I could see Josslyn’s frozen hair splayed across the concrete in a pool of frozen blood.
Unnatural hands crawled across the drainpipes, causing a rhythmic thumping. And just as the horror of this vision sunk into me, my mind exploded into panic. It was like watching through my eyes like a passenger, surrendering completely to whatever power would get me out of there. My mind lit up the world with fear, as a real and tangible threat started coming our way; and it was dragging Sam along.
​
I bolted back out the door. Something was right behind me, but I didn’t know if it was Everett or… that Sam-thing. I didn’t care. I didn’t care the slightest.
I turned a quick corner. Everett followed. The Sam-thing couldn’t keep up, and whatever held him just tossed him aside. I could hear his body shattering like a gypsum statue; his body frozen solid.
Another corner. A quick turn.
Too quick.
​
I tripped on my own feet. I fell, and Everett fell right after me. We ended up on our sides, lying face-to-face. Something in my elbow broke, and I couldn’t get up.
Then, Everett stopped. I did too. I held my breath, waiting for whatever pain there was to come. Everett looked at me, slack jawed.
​
His breathing stopped. A long mosquito-like appendage had extended down from the drainpipes, piercing the back of his skull, like popping a water balloon. It was sucking out his warmth, making his skin lose its color. Eyes sinking into his skull, freezing. Nails and tongue turning black. Skin cracking like porcelain. Membranes shriveling into nothing but dry meat.
“Yooooooou~ “ it started. “… yoooOoou… heEeeeeEelping me. Help. Helping meeeee.”
​
I couldn’t look away.
But as my light dwindled, all that was left was the cold of his touch, and his words; frozen in time.
“Shhhh… shhhhoooOo… should be. Be. Be.”
As my light went out, all that was left was one desperate plea. And for a moment, it sounded just like him.
“Helping me. Helping. Helping me. Helping… me.”
​
I must’ve stayed there for hours, growing colder by the minute. I just lay there, listening to him slowly learning how to talk with Everett’s body. My tears had frozen my eyelids shut, and my shivers had subsided to a deep throbbing pain.
At some point, Everett was lifted off the floor. And as a cold spike poked against my skin, I realized I could barely feel it. I was too cold.
The creature must’ve thought the same thing, as it left me there. I had no warmth left for it to feast on.
​
I was no longer interesting prey. I’d accidentally strained my elbow as I fell, and I could barely feel my legs. Further and further away, I could hear the rhythmic thumping as the creature moved along the drainpipes. The pleas of what remained of Everett grew more confident, and distant.
At some point, it wasn’t interested anymore. I fumbled down corridor after corridor, trying to keep my eyes open.
And out of nowhere, the tunnels just seemed to... open up.
​
On the other side of the Rosewater Tunnel, the light blinded me.
The sun of late June promised me that I was finally safe.
​
Now, this was all about… five years ago. Law enforcement insist that we were “urban explorers” who messed up. There had been reports of rockslides near the Rosewater Tunnels, and they figured that Sam, Everett and Josslyn got caught in it somewhere deep in the abandoned side tunnels. They didn’t take any other report or indication of wrongdoing seriously. That I had frost burns in late June didn’t seem to bother them.
I’ve been holding off on writing this story as it was technically open for investigation until last September. They finally closed it, officially classifying it as a kind of spelunking expedition gone wrong. They swear they’ve investigated the tunnel, but I have yet to see a single squad car anywhere near it.
I don’t think this is over.
​
I’ve since left it all behind. The town, the people, the past.
And whatever future I have left, I will cherish.

I stopped the pill after my wedding last summer and got diagnosed with PCOS in September. Went 100 days without a period. My obgyn said that sometimes a 5% weight loss helps the body kickstart periods naturally. I’ve lost about 20% of my weight (gone from 250lbs to 195) and still can’t get it period without medicine. Do I need to get to a lower BMI for a natural period? Has anyone had a similar experience? Thanks!

hello,
I’m a pretty big woman (260ish lb) and I’ve been trying to lose weight for a while. I finally had the courage to talk to a wellness coach after 2 years of lifting, losing 25 lbs and gaining it back while still being consistent at the gym. I’m decently active and workout 4-5x a week with strength training and 10-30 mins on treadmill. I went on my tdee calculator and it said I needed to eat around 2700 cals and my wellness coach is telling me to eat 1200-1500. I was already eating less than 2000 calories and haven’t lost weight and I have told them that but they still want me to eat under 1500. should I listen to my wellness coach or the tdee?

I published a 2-hour steamy read novella mid-March and ran some promos, and it went super-nova (for me comparatively speaking), reaching #1 in a sub-category and top 100 in all of Amazon Kindle Free. Huge deal, super excited. Whee so fun.
I had a non-related but same genre novella out that I personally thought was more marketable, more interesting, slightly better written, etc come out March 15 with stacked promos out the wahoo on the 18th plus it was free on 18th/19th. It did about 1/4 of the business of the first novella. Womp womp. I mean not terrible but confusing and sad.
Okay, so post-mortem time so I can learn from this and do better.
I'm not sure what the differentiating factor was: I used the same cover maker, the titles are comparable (one is not vastly more on-market in other words), I wrote both blurbs using the same guiding principles, etc.
However I will say Less Successful Book was in MUCH more competitive categories/sub cats although it had a shining moment at #3 (!! but that proves that downloads don't always correspond to rankings).
If it matters, the positive reviews for Successful Book frequently mention an amusing animal friend character that is featured in the blurb--I guess I could do that for Less Successful Blurb as there is a cute animal sidekick in that book too?
But how do you figure out if you need to tweak the cover, blurb (obvi can't tweak title on Amazon), keywords, marketing approach...?

Context: Long ago, the Dragon King, Xayd, turned mad and nearly tore the kingdom in two. His younger brothers sent him to a prison-like cavern with only one person to tend to him... you. Over the years you've brought him his food, you've grown fascinated with him. What you don't realize is that he's grown just as fascinated with you.
Setting: The Mad Drake's Prison
Tags:[M4A][Fallen King x Slave][Friends to Lovers][Yandere Fallen King Dragon Speaker][Loyal Slave Listener][VERY SPICY][Obsessed][Fantasy][Magic][Flirting][Seduction][Confession][Snapping][Calm]to[Furious][Dominant][Protective][Possessive][CW: Spice/Mentions of Torture/Genocide]
Usage: You may tweak or record this script. Gender flipping is OK! Please credit me if you use this script in any of your projects. If you would like to use this script for a paywalled recording, please note:
Monetization: All forms of monetization are OK with me! Youtube, Patreon, etc. I would appreciate being able to listen to the recording, if possible. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!
Check out the rest of my scripts by using the Script Directory, if you'd like :3
[Scene opens within a prison-like cavern]
[SFX: A wheelbarrow trundling over the ground/general cave ambiance]
[As you do every day, you push a wheelbarrow deep into a cavern that serves as a prison for its lone prisoner… the Mad Drake. He stirs as you approach with a yawn and a lazy smile]
[X] “Ooh, and here is my little Mouse, bringing me my meal for the day. I’ve heard tale that my name or, well, ‘the Mad Drake’ has been in the mouths of the royal family again, hmm? Are my little brothers growing paranoid that I may burst into the throne room and just… kill them?”
[Pause]
[X] “Oh, come now…Sweet little servant. You always bow to me, address me as ‘Your Highness’... Darling, look at me. While I may have once been the dragon King, I am now a simple madman in rags, being appreciated by a sweet little mouse in chains just…like…mine.”
[Pause]
[He smiles that twisted, calm smile]
[X] “I think they look garish on us both, to be honest… But what is a dragon to do, hmm? I’d need someone brave enough to approach me. Brave enough to help me get this oh-so-pretty collar off… so I feel myself again, of course.”
[...]
[To your surprise, he seems to ease]
[X] “No… No, little one, don’t. As much as I’d love my freedom, I know there are things eating my sanity, little by little… I don’t feel mad, you know? Perhaps that is what makes it so frightening for some, hm? I just seem so damn… reasonable until they do something to make me angry…”
[Pause?]
[X, chuckling quietly] “Hmhmhm, no, no… It’s not you who would make me enraged, no! It’s THEM, my sweet little friend! THEY’D run in to kill me, and you could very well be caught in the crossfire… killed… I can’t have that.”
[Pause]
[X] “...I suppose my reasoning is somewhat simple. You have treated me well, these many long years of imprisonment. You talk to me reasonably, you sneak me food that doesn’t have maggots in it, you tend to me after they beat me for information… For all of my crimes, for all of my callous behavior and favoritism towards pleasure, you… I don’t know.”
[Pause]
[He smiles. It seems genuinely affectionate]
[X] “Hm… You know, I have taken so many lovers across my long, long life. All so much fun, such a thrill in one way or another, most of them trying to violently murder me after we had a night of torrid sex. My libido is quite high… Insatiable, really…”
[He leans forward, eyes lidded and just a little breathy]
[X] “...I’ve had to use my imagination these last few years to get by.”
[P-Pause]
[X] “Hmhm, what am I saying? I’m saying that I’ve been obsessed with you since Day…oh, three. Mmhm. Day three of my traitorous brothers sending a sweet little human down to serve the Mad Drake. Ooh, just the thought of touching your skin for just a moment…”
[A shudder goes through his large form but he continues to stare at you like an amused, lecherous cat]
[X] “Ooh. Those little legs are all locked. Hmhm. I don’t mean to tease you, my dear. After all… I’ll always be collared here, only able to stare, obsess, and imagine… Mmh, I bet you’re beautiful. Especially with all those scars, glinting like jewels in the torchlight. You look like a porcelain figure that was broken and then mended with gold.”
[Pause]
[SFX: The wheelbarrow trundling along over a stone floor]
[He watches idly as you carefully push the wheelbarrow into his containment field, tail swaying from side to side]
[X] “M’aww… Did I make you nervous, little Mouse?”
[P-Pause]
[X] “Ooh, you think a King like me shouldn’t desire a lowly servant? Well, I’m not a King anymore, am I? And even if I were…”
[SFX: Him shifting forward/the chains rattling]
[X] “I have no doubt in every depraved corner of my mind…”
[SFX: The wheelbarrow crashing ovethe meat hitting the floor]
[You jump in alarm as he moves closer. Though he isn’t in his full form, he’s still incredibly imposing, even crouched on the ground. He makes eye contact with you from the floor, tongue rolling out slowly]
[X] “...That I would make you my favorite, and only, concubine…Mmh, pardon me for a moment. Sssllp, mmh. All of this good boar shouldn’t go to waste. Not even the ahh, blood I’m licking clean from the floor…”
[SFX: The Listener’s heartbeat escalating]
[P-Pause???]
[X] “...Am I trying to seduce you?”
[...]
[He studies you for a moment, tongue and face bloodied]
[X] “Hmm… I suppose that depends on if it is working or not, doesn’t it? Hmhm, your face! Oh, it is sweet… No, I suppose I should behave myself. If they find out you care for me, so, then they’ll no doubt have you killed, or worse… No. I want you to stay safe.”
[...]
[He chuckles, rising fully at long last with a stretch]
[X] “You seem surprised that a noble, even an ex-noble, would care more about a slave’s safety than their own benefit, no matter how temporary. Does that notion confuse you?”
[Pause]
[X] “Hmm. Me, too, to be honest.”
[With that, he settles before the spilled meat and gets to eating]
[P-Pause]
[X] “Mmh? Yes, the meat is, mmph, delicious, as always. Would you like to join me? It’s not the most couth way to eat, but…”
[Pause]
[X] “Ooh, someone was starving… Literally, it seems. My poor, wee little Mouse.”
[Pause]
[X] “Shh… Do not apologize. It’s… Any time they punish me, I feel as though I should be angry, but all I feel is amusement. I can’t explain why it’s so funny that this is where it all led to me, but hearing that they’re harming you, now…”
[He growls under his breath. The cave rumbles subtly]
[...]
[X] “...Why do you apologize, my sweet?”
[Pause!]
[He looks at you, unreadable, as you confess]
[X] “...When I asked you, years ago, if you were being hurt or not, you said no. You were…lying.”
[Pause…]
[You bow to him again, pleading for forgiveness. When he speaks, at last, his voice is deathly quiet]
[X] “...Darling.”
[P-Pause?]
[X] “...Please take off the collar binding me here.”
[Pause!]
[He’s still quiet, but his voice hits like a hammer]
[X] “Mouse. If you believe me to still be the rightful King, then I am issuing this command: take off the collar binding me here, NOW.”
[...?]
[X, with a little scoff] “Why?”
[His eyes flash with a terrible power, beyond rage. Beyond madness]
[X] “Because I intend to commit a genocide in your name, my love.”
[Pause!]
[X] “Shh, I won’t let them hurt you anymore. You don’t need to hide your rage from me. I know, sweetie, I know… Don’t worry. You won’t have to face your demons. You won’t ever have to admit that you fantasize about revenge.”
[He smiles ‘sweetly’]
[X] “You can just fantasize about me.”
[He lowers his voice to a whisper]
[X] “It will be the exact same thing, darling… because I will be your vengeance. Hmhm, ohh, FINALLY, some motivation! Hmhm, now I can finally get my glorious ass up and get to work on destroying everything my little brothers ever loved~. But, the collar…”
[Pause???]
[X] “Oh, love… Yes, I know, it was incredibly rude of me to hide the fact that I could leave this silly little prison at any time were it not for the collar. All the other wards, spells, human sacrifices… Well, it certainly made them feel better, I’m sure. Me, I just wanted some time to think… and a quiet place to speak to you. If I’d known that they dared to lay a hand on what is mine… I’d have done this much sooner.”
[He reaches out and puts a claw under under your chin and tilts your head up to look at him]
[P-Pause]
[X] “...Darling.”
[SFX: The Listener’s heartbeat escalating again]
[X] “...Don’t you ever lie to me again… alright?”
[...]
[X] “Hmhm… You’re so smart to curb that desire to argue with your King. To simply obey and accept that you are mine. No one else’s… and if I want to go to war over you, I shall… and I will expect you to be waiting in my bedchambers once I am done decimating everyone that has ever harmed you… What do you say to that?”
[...]
[X] “Mmh… ‘Yes, my King’. Good Mouse. Now… won’t you be a love and take off this collar? Pretty, pretty please?”
[SFX: Heartbeats growing faster]
[He lowers his voice to a whisper again, voice in your ear]
[X] “...Don’t be scared, my love… I’ll protect you. You’ve trusted me for years, now. Proven yourself loyal and loving and so… fucking irresistible. Please…”
[He pulls back enough so he can look you in the eye]
[Pause…]
[X] “...Let me burn this kingdom to the ground… Just for you…”
[Pause…]
[SFX: A magical hum and two metal pieces hitting the ground
[You shakily reach up around his neck and unbind the collar with what little magic you have left. The old device hums briefly before splitting in two and dropping to the ground. Xayd rolls his neck slowly with a few sighs]
[X] “Mmh… Oh, that feels so much better. That mark around my neck won’t fade for years… Thank you, my sweet little Mouse. No one has ever trusted me like you… and I will love you until it hurts, I am sure. Doesn’t that make you happy?”
[Pause]
[He smiles widely, regardless of your answer]
[X] “Wondrous. Now… Take my hand.”
[You do]
[X] “There we are. Now…”
[SFX: His wings unfurling]
[X] “...Let us make our wedding bed in the ashes of a wicked world… Shall we?”
[...]
[You have no idea what lay ahead. Or if you’ll even survive the night. But you do know that, no matter what happens, he will never let you out of his sight again]
[To be continued]
Note: Curious to see how people react to this character.

We had to put our cat, Cookie, down this morning.
He had severe anxiety and stress all his life and could never really gain that much weight, but around a month and a half ago, he had lost whatever weight he had and couldn’t eat because it was too painful for him.
We took him to the vet with the fear the he had contracted FIV, but his test came back negative. The vet started him on some antibiotics but when they weren’t helping him we moved onto steroids, and they helped him a lot. He could eat without pain and seemed to back to his normal self.
A few days ago he hadn’t come to us for any food, we weren’t that worried because he disappears from time to time. The next day our neighbour said that he saw him once during the day, we still weren’t that worried.
This morning my mum woke me up saying that we were going to have to put him down. She told me that our neighbour called her and that he was just laying underneath one of his fruit trees. When my mum went to check on him he was in very bad shape, he had blood and pus coming out of his eyes, nose and mouth. We waited until the vet could take us, and we put him down.
Cookie will be missed lots by our family, friends and neighbours, but mostly by his brother, and sisters. He may not have been the friendliest cat, but he was still an amazing cat. I take comfort in knowing that he is no longer suffering and that he is now at rest.