How fast do wood ducks fly

I feel as though a lot of people might disagree with this, but I’ve been extremely concerned with naz behavior for awhile now, and It’s not for the fact that she wants a piercing or acrylic nails but it’s about her getting influenced way to easily, well of course I don’t think it’s appropriate for a 12 year old too get a piercing but I honestly think its because she sees other kids on the internet doing it. (kids with irresponsible parents). and another thing is Sabre is right about her growing up to fast and how naz is allowed a lot more privileges that Sabre got when she was her age, but it’s also not even that naz acts way less appropriate than any of the Norris nuts do even right now, I feel like if Sabre even mentioned a piercing at 12 the parents would go into a state of shock or something, I know she’s the youngest and all and might look up too people older than her but at the same time she needs too acknowledge that fact that she’s only 12 years old and doesn’t have to do everything her idols do. My point is that I hope that this is just a phase, because if Naz is this easily influenced by something someone else is doing who knows what that could lead to in real life, I’ve had ex-friends try to get me to do something I didn’t want to do, but I recognized what they were doing and left that situation, I’m afraid if something similar happend too naz she wouldn’t be able to recognize it like I did and it scares me.

INTERVIEWS - Allie - Principal - Coach - Math teacher (trig) - Principal
SOCCER FINAL - GAME PLAY -Tai running -Jackie -Van -Shauna sprinting -Nat -Lottie -Allie lost the ball -Tai stole it back -Shauna asking for it on her side -Pass to Shauna -Pass to?? Footwork -Jackie heads it in and wins the game
Usually when a team wins they run back to the goalie but instead they ran to Jackie. Maybe a product of her goal? Maybe not?
CONTINUITY? First scene with Jackie and Jeff he says he loves her. Doesn't she say he said it right before they left?
VIOLET Natalie starts by wearing violet at the rehab. Nat says at the start that she lost her purpose... but she finally knows how to get it back. Foreshadowing? Did she know about Lottie?
COACH STATEMENT TO JACKIE -Shauna faster (speed) -Lotti better footwork (precision) -Tai...??? -Jackie influence
WHEN THEY'RE DISCUSSING WHAT TO DO WITH ALLIE -Tai ... aggressor. -Nat... defender. -Shauna... questions....and defers to jackies likely judgement. -Lottie agreed but doesn't disagree.
DURING THE SCRIMMAGE Jackie questions Taissa "switching sides" during match Shauna tries to stop her but she doesn't want Allie to "freeze under pressure"
AFTER THE BREAK -Shauna to Allie - broken leg -Coach Ben can't deal with the gore (like he can't deal in the woods) -Misty tries to help but comes in too strong
LOCKER ROOM -Jackie tries to regulate. -Nat speaks the truth. -Van is going to throw up. -Laura-Lee brings God into it. -Nat leaves with anger. -Tai is upset.
FIGHT AT THE PARTY -Shauna is the great mediator -Jackie trying to regulate things at the party "we might as well not bother getting on that plane -Tai-- fight and determination, Shauna was sorry about what shebsaid about Tai hurting allie -Van- smile -Laura lee- faith, shiny hair -Nat- being yourself and beer pong -Lottie never talks shit unless they deserve it, pilgrim hat -Shauna - terrible dancer, terrible taste in music, bad taste in music, always there for Jackie, best friend she ever had -Nat sees misty while tripping on acid. Flash forward to the feast with the AQ.
POST-RESCUE Shauna asks Callie if there's any way the teacher will let her retake the trig test [Shauna Googled Jessica Robert's but not Adam
Is the symbol trig-related? That's two references to trig with no other context.
Does any of this make sense?

Barry Allen, Wally West, Bart Allen, Jay Garrick etc. It doesn't really matter. The speedsters from the DCU. I've been perusing battle boards, and it seems like they can do anything. The Flash's greatest power doesn't seem to be that he can run really fast, but that he gets to defy the laws of physics (more than most superheroes rooted in science... even if it's comic book science). He can perceive things in an attosecond, run trillions of times faster than the speed of light, run in space, phase out peoples organs (apparently), time travel, dimension hop, steal speed, lend speed, can outrun teleportation, hit hard enough to one shot Superman with IMP's and even make clothing out of the speedforce.
Often times, you hear about how Superman is boring and OP, but he has nothing on the Flash characters. At least not after the Silver Age. Having characters that powerful, generally don't work as main heroes unless you create greater threats, but how could anyone realistically threaten the speedsters unless they're another speedster or maybe a cosmic entity (although I've heard that Wally West beat the anti-monitor and outperformed most of DC's heavy hitters). You'll often see him get matched up with people like the Silver Surfer, Thanos (with or without the Infinity Gauntlet), Odin, Celestials, Galactus and even the Living Tribunal with people saying that he beats all of these great cosmic powers.
Typically, a character operating at that power level can't operate there for long. Rune King Thor came and went as an example. Or in Kingdom Come, I believe that the Flash was moving so fast that he was basically everywhere at once in Central City. He was basically omnipresent in that one area, but we didn't see much of him. If the Flash was constantly operating at that godly level, how would there be any real stakes in his story? With comic book characters... especially the more prominent ones, you can usually find at least one or two times a character was overpowered for a story arc or two, but then they went back to somethin reasonable. The Flash characters seem to constantly be operating at this level. This could happen with most characters. In theory, if you take the basic main superpower of a character and play it up to it's highest extent, they can get ridiculously OP. Like Aquaman controlling bacteria. But usually
Or take the Hulk as an example. He's a character a lot like the Flash. He's one of the most important superheroes and he has one main physical power. The Flash has super speed. The Hulk has super strength. Now let's say the Hulk is so strong, that he has super breath. We could even give him freeze breath like Superman. Enough to blow out stars. Let's say that his voice is loud enough to shatter planets (like Superman or Uvogin from HxH on steroids). Let's say that he can fly by kicking the air like a Rokushiki user in One Piece or Might Guy in Naruto. Hell, let's say he can push himself through space by creating shockwaves with his feet like Saitama. Let's say that he can lend strength or steal strength. Lets say that he can increase his durability to the point where he can tank the destruction of universes or weaken the bonds between atoms to disintegrate things and people, so that no one can get close to him. What? This is bad science? Well... just give him the strength force!
I've heard that DC writers have said that Flash characters are the hardest to write, because they constantly have to be dumbed down for other characters to matter in the narrative. How Captain Cold (yes... I know he can slow them down a bit), the Rouges and Gorilla Grodd ever chalange them I'll never know. I have read Flash stories before. Against other speedsters like Reverse Flash. I've also consumed outside Flash media... movies, tv shows and video games. The DCAU gave him consequences though. When the Flash was fighting Lex LuthoBrainiac, he nearly got sucked into the speed force. It was made clear that running at that speed wasn't something he could do whenever he wanted. There were consequences and it was awesome. To be clear, I don't hate these character. In almost everything I've seen them in, they've been likable. But Pre-Crisis Superman was likable too. They could get away with it, because at the time, comic books were mostly marketed towards children. Now, most of the readers are adults. I just don't see how there are any real stakes in their stories when they're constantly at the peak of their powers.

Thank you u/ghostchild25 for the floral filled card!
Thank you u/figs1997 x2 for the postcard from Puerto Rico, and for the cute ducks card.
Thank you u/lehmongeloh for sending me a celebratory 10 years of RAOC card.
Thank you u/morenoodles for Museum of Neon Art postcard, I hope you had a great vacation. How was the Gabrielle Zevin book?
Thank you u/_pickupthepieces for the blue floral card and extra goodies. I've never seen Criminal Minds but Law and Order SVU is great. My favorite show I'm watching right now is Veep.
Thank you u/orangewolpertinger x2 for the handmade green Squishmallows card and for the purple and blue easter day card. Thank you so much! Where did you get the adorable Squishmallow stickers?
Thank you u/-random_ness- x2 for the Peter Rabbit postcard, I definitely have to watch the movies. This weekend is gloomy and cold so I might just stay in and do a double feature. Thank you also for the happy cute kitty postcard, there are some movies on your list that I have not seen but Matilda the Musical is amazing I've watched it at least 15 times now, mostly just play it in the backgound and sing along to the songs. I hope Mouse continues to get better and is back home soon! Also the scratch and sniff stickers are so cool, I remember them from elementary school.
Thank you u/postaltherapy for the hummingbird card! I love hummingbirds because they remind me of my grandma, she enjoys watching and feeding them as well. Living near the ocean sounds wonderful, I would love to fall asleep to the sound of soft waves crashing.
Thank you u/Lucky-Strength-297 for the national park postcard. I hope to visit Yellowstone someday, it looks so beautiful there.

I saw a post by u/Usual_Jeweler1222 about how intellect is useless, and I agree. I think stats in general need a rework. Here are some of my ideas
Mobility - Buff sprint speed. This instantly makes it a great pick when on non-hunter. Currently, it actually is more useful on warlock to spec into low mobility because of staying lower to the ground.
Resilience- I think a 30% DR at T10 is good. No changes here
Recovery - I never use recovery when not on warlock, because ability regen is so much better. I think giving recovery some sort of weak passive healing even if you're taking damage would be nice.
Discipline/Strength are both in great spots right now, and are great picks depending on your build. The one thing I'd change is just an increase in the potency, because with mods you get abilities back super fast anyways. It would help them keep up.
Intellect - The entire point of the post lol. Intellect needs a complete rework. Getting a little more super energy is completely useless with how many orbs we get. My idea for a rework is buff the potency of orbs. Maybe at T10, orbs give double the amount of super energy as they do normally. Or maybe just a complete overhaul, unrelated to supers.

Welcome to the inaugural discussion of this monster of a book a day early! It takes place in my home state of Maine. Let's jump into the summary:
TW: Death, murder, abuse
The Airplane and the Woodchuck
Claudette Sanders is learning to fly an airplane over the town of Chester's Mill. She is doing a good job. Then the plane explodes and kills her and the instructor.
A woodchuck is going about his day when he is suddenly cut in two.
Barbie
A man named Barbie is hitchhiking. He had gotten in a fight with Junior Rennie and planned to leave the town. A young woman slowed down but had second thoughts. If she had picked him up, she might not have made it out. He witnessed the woodchuck and the plane disaster. He ran from the scene. Then he walked back towards it. Something looks shiny. A man in a pickup truck stopped and got out, but his nose broke as he hit something.
Junior and Angie
Junior Rennie has bad headaches. Even though one is coming on and even though he has trouble controlling his temper, he's going to talk with Angie McCain. He hits her when she answers the door then drags her into the house. He hurts he so bad, she has a seizure. Junior blames her for the fight he had with Barbie and for dating his friend Frank. Then he kills her.
He hears sirens and thinks it's for him, so he runs away through the backyard. He takes the path over a covered bridge to get away from the light.
Highways and Byways
The location of the town is described. The oldest resident is Clayton Brassey who is 105 years old. If he was 20 years younger, he could have told you all the side roads leading out of town. A scarecrow in Eddie Chalmer's field was split in two. Crows died when they hit the barrier. Roux drove a tractor into it on his birthday and died.
Myra Evans was picking a squash when the Dome cut off her hand. She staggered inside to show her husband Jack. He made a tourniquet out of a belt. 911 was busy, and he kept redialing. Myra bled out and died.
Barbie looks up and sees a black smear and knows it's where the plane hit. A grass fire burned in a straight line. The man with the broken nose thinks it's a force field. A man driving a log truck way too fast hit the Dome, exploded the engine, and spewed logs everywhere. The man's car was crushed, but he was spared. Barbie hit his face on the wall, too. A crowd gathers to gawk at the scene. Barbie and the man get the cold shivers.
Lotta Dead Birds
Police Chief Howard "Duke" Perkins didn't hear the explosions but did pick up on the sirens and knew exactly which trucks and which men were driving them. His wife Brenda told him the power was out. They think a plane and a truck collided on the highway. Then the town whistle started up. He kissed his wife goodbye and left. It was the last time she would see him alive.
Billy and Wanda Debec argue on their way to a flea market. He turns around to go home and take a nap. They hit the barrier, killing Billy instantly. Wanda broke her leg and an arm among other injuries. Two retired nurses, Nora and Elsa, helped her. The nurses hit the barrier, too. Nora and Wanda were ejected from the car. Only Elsa survived.
The farmer's son Rory sees Barbie's bloody handprint hanging in midair. He knocks on the glass. Barbie and Paul want to see how far the glass goes before big shot Jim Rennie gets out of his car.
They think there's an end to the Dome. Paul talks to Elsa on his side of the barrier. A news helicopter from the big city flies in. It hits the barrier and crashes.
Junior Rennie snuck home to take a migraine pill and sleep. He thinks offing himself would be the best option. Sirens wake him, then he goes back to sleep.
Extras
Portland Sea Dogs
Covered Bridges
Allen's Coffee Brandy. Very popular in Maine. Usually drunk mixed into milk. My mother tried it once and thought it was gross.
Imitrex
American Scum by LCD Soundsystem
Questions are in the comments. Join me next Monday, June 19, for Clustermug to We All Support the Team.

Please help me share my go fund me, I really appreciate it guys. In case you don't click links, here is my story.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/fired-for-attending-brothers-funeral-need-lawyer
My name is Ethan Wiley, and after spending 7 years in prison for defending myself against an armed assailant, I was released on parole November 21st, 2022 and began trying to rebuild my life as best I could. I have a community college degree and over a dozen certificates in drug and relationship counceling. The first thing I had to do was get a job, and after a few months of searching, I did, at the Pilot Flying J Travel Centers.
Unfortunately, I was fired from Pilot Flying J for attending my brothers funeral, reinstated, then fired again after severely injuring my ankle a few days before I was to return to work.
On the morning of February 10th, while at work as a maintence worker at the Flying J Travel Center in Lebec, California, I was notified of my 32 Year old brother, Richard Christian Wiley Jr's passing. Fortunately it was at the end of my shift, so I was able to go home and cry alone. I did not have the mental stability to inform my work of the situation at the time, so that night when I went back to my 12am-8am shift, I informed my manager, who told me to inform the general manager and ask them about how to get time off to go to his funeral. The GM shows up at 6am, and when he did, after a full nights work of cleaning gas pumps, oil spills and trash in 10 degree weather (without a jacket I might add, as the GM refused to provide me with one) I immediately asked him if I could speak to him in private, to which he blew me off so he could have coffee for another hour and a half. At 7:30am, he finally found the time to speak to me, and I broke down into hysterical sobbing and he told me I had to step away and gather myself. Once I was able to stop crying, I explained the situation and that my brother lived in Texas (I live in California) and so I will need time off to go to his funeral and help with preparations for the services and the burial. His response was that I should call in when I find out what days I need off, but that there was a corporate inspection this Thursday (we were speaking on February 11th, the tuesday before the inspection) and that he needed me to be at work that morning to get everything ready.
This guy showed me no commiseration or sympathies, just telling me that no matter what, regardless of my closest brother just passing away, he wanted me at work Thursday. They offered me no time off whatsoever to even get over the shock of my brothers untimely passing.
After his kind, compassionate words of support, he then requested that I go do several more things outside my job description before I went home that day, and for me "not to do anything stupid". So I did, and returned home to begin figuring out how to get to Texas and be with my family.
Later that day, after work, I found out that I had to fly out on Friday, and so regardless of his wishes, I would have to miss his corporate inspection to prepare.
I called the General Manager, and informed him that I would need a total of 7 days off to prepare and attend the services, which included the next 2 days (Thursday and Friday). His response was an exasperated sigh and then a solid tongue lashing about how he already informed me that I needed to be at work on Thursday because he has been understaffed and theres stuff that he wanted me to clean that noone had done since before I started working there. I apologized profusely for messing up his plans, but asserted that there was nothing I can do. Its my brother. I HAVE to go to his funeral and I NEEDED to be with my family. The GM gave another frustrated huff and puff, then told me "We have to have a talk when you get back" and hung up on me. I spent the next several hours crying for my brother, and worrying about losing my job.
How was I supposed to help pay for aservices, funeral and burial that noone in my family could afford, if I had just lost my job for going to the funeral?
What would you have done in this situation? What would anyone? Did my showing up at work the day after my brothers death not show my commitment to my job? Unfortunately for me it did not matter, as I later found out that the GM was out to get me from the beginning, and that he never wanted to hire me in the first place.
A few days later, after sleepless nights and grieving for the loss of my brother, I recieved a notice of my final paycheck being submitted to my checking account, and when I called a coworker, they said that an email had gone out informing everyone of my termination.
So, it was true. I had hoped I was just misunderstanding his words, but now I knew. Words cannot describe the crushing, heartbroken emptiness I fealt at that moment. I have never suffered so much, as I did in that one week, compared to 7 years in prison. How this man could live with himself after doing this to someone is beyond me, and I find myself crying even now as I remember how bad the next few days, and the upcoming funeral were. I had no choice but to make a gofundme just to help pay for my brothers funeral, as I had already gone into debt, and now that I had no job, I couldn't afford to even pay for my plane ticket, let alone help pay for funeral services or burial.
After returning home the next week, I found out through calling Human Resources that I had been reinstated or the termination stopped. Apparently the other managers had informed the GM that what he was trying to do to me was illegal. I was happy, but I knew it didn't matter, the GM had proven he was out to get me, and even admitted at my hiring that it was because he really needed someone and the other managers who had known me outside of work and their refferences were the only reason he was hiring me.
I was correct. I was set to return to work on a wednesday, and the sunday before I slipped on an unfamiliar step and hurt my ankle severely. I waited until Tuesday before deciding that there was no way I could work on an ankle this badly hurt, at which point I called my boss and explained the situation. I thought of a compromise that would prevent me from actually missing any work, and explained it to my boss. I had never recieved any training for my position other than a person showing me that basics of how to clean this or that, and there are videos we are supposed to watch that are part of our mandatory paid training. I offered to come in and complete the training I never recieved, and my boss thought it was a great idea, but had to call the GM to make sure it was ok. After she called him, she informed me that the GM didn't want me to come in while I was injured, and instead told me to stay home until I see a doctor, and that we would figure things out after.
I had an appointment scheduled for the upcoming monday, and after meeting with the doctor he advised I stay off my feet for a minimum of 5 days, and for me to see him on the 6th day. I asked him for a copy of his report and dropped it off at work, speaking with my direct boss and giving her a copy of the report, and was told to call them again after they time is up and I speak to my doctor. Once again, I did exactly as instructed. After the 5 days my ankle was still extremely swollen and painful, and so my Doctor set me up for Xrays and MRIs. I then called my boss and informed her of the severity of the issue and that I would likely need to take a medical leave, to which I was told no problem just keep them updated. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
I recieved a call a few days later after my first Xray, which showed no break but alot of swelling, which indicates tendon damage, from a Human Resources agent, who informed me that my request for Medical Leave had been denied, and instead I had been terminated from my employment with Pilot Flying J travel centers. When I asked why I was being fired, I was informed that on Thursday March 14th I had not called in to inform my boss that I would not be at work, and was listed as a no show/no call. Even the HR representative knew and verified that this was during the time that I was injured and waiting to see the doctor after I had already called an notified my boss and the GM of the situation and when my appointment was, and I was not supposed to call in every single day or so my boss and the GM had told me.
I never called in on any of the days I was off, because my work told me not to and that I didnt have to because I had already spoken to my boss and verified I would not be there until a certain date.
So after all of this, as a worker who recieved nothing but complaints, I was fired for doing what I was told.
I had been a model employee, filling in when others could not make it to work do to emergency or snow hazard, recieving numerous praise from customers, several of which spoke to the GM of how impressed they were at the new staff.
I immediately sought an attorney, and was matched with a group called Abramsons Labor Group. Who told me I have a no brainer case and would win with no issue, and that I should try to settle to make it quick if I needed the money. These people said that 50% was the standard rate for cases like this, and continued to pressure me to settle as quickly as possible. I did not want to, and after being strung along for several months, being scheduled for numerous attorney visits with different attorneys through the law group, this last week I finally had it our agreement terminated. Only after this was I provided with copys of my employee file that had been turned over to Abramsons by Pilot/FlyingJ. Here I discovered several manipulations, all of which are obvious but obfuscate the situation to where it makes any lawyer looking for a quick buck turn away, because it will take them a few minutes of work to prove the falsifications.
The GM even had the gull to add fake reports to my employee file, all of which were supposedly presented to me to sign, but have never been signed by ANYONE, let alone me, a witness, nor the gm himself! He literally just wrote up a few reports and put them in my file to make me look bad, but forgot to sign them.
I need help. I need to hire an actual attorney who will represent me and help me take this to a trial. I want people to be aware of what this company and scumbags like the General Manager who made me suffer like this are doing to people like me. They saw me as an ex convict parolee they can just take advantage of, use and abuse, and treat me like garbage. They never bothered to train me because they knew they didnt want to keep me.
Any funds donated will be used strictly for legal fees, and since I would not have to pay a portion of the awarded funds to an attorney, I will instead donate that money to several different charitys in my brother, Richard Christian Wiley Jr: my local food bank, Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous.
Please, anything you can do to help support my cause is better than nothing. Dimes, Nickels, Pennys, everything helps. Help me move forward and make a difference in not just my and my families, but the lives of everyone who has been hurt and sufffered because of the careless nature of the Pilot Flying J Travel Centers management.
For anyone who has come this far, I have included my employee file. I would also like to note that they have also taken out the praises I recieved from at least 2 different customers who were astounded at the quality of my work and customer service.
Thank you for taking the time to read my prayers. God bless you and I hope you understand what I am going through. This man single handedly ruined my life and made me suffer in one of the worst ways anyone can, during the worst moment of my life.
__________________________________________________
Thank you for reading, anything you guys can do is hugely appreciated, bless you guys for just reading through this and understanding what I am dealing with.

I keep seeing peoples cows, ducks, chickens etc all different colours like the rainbow LOL. How do you get that?!

Hi, I've noticed two bugs relating to consumables since the Necrom launch (one major, one minor). The first (and more important) one is that my food buffs will disappear COMPLETELY when I fast travel. For instance, I consumed a Crown Fortifying Meal for a dungeon, and it still had about two hours left afterward. But the second I left the instance, the buff was completely gone (it was no longer visible on the character sheet, and my health, stamina, and magicka bars went back down to normal). Additionally, experience scrolls do not show how much longer you have anymore for me in the character sheet. I'll use one, but the buff will not appear. However, unlike the issue with the food buffs, at least the buff still seems to be in effect (I still seem to be accruing experience faster and it does not allow me to use another scroll for some time).
A UI bug with the scrolls is a bummer, but not game-breaking, but the immediate loss of food buffs while fast-traveling is awful and completely changes the game for endgame content where those buffs are important. I submitted a bug report, but I was wondering if anyone else experiencing these issues or similar?

Howdy all, I’m new to this sub and have a burning question to ask, so apologies if this has been frequently asked before: how do I come up with a title?
And yes, I’ve heard it all before that a title isn’t all that important yet and can come later, BUT my novel has been in the works for 3 years and my google doc with it is currently titled a bunch of random letters. Where can I look for inspiration?
Plot synopsis: a princess, who is also training to be the kingdom’s enchantress, wakes up from being in a brief coma and is told she was found unconscious in the woods without her enchantress circlet, which is one of the few in the world and very powerful. She and her former best friend (who turns into her lover) go on a quest across the continent to find it. On their journey she discovers she is a descendant of one of the two gods of legend and must team up with the descendant of the other god (who is a dragon, kind of) to ensure the stability of the world

I just graduated from a top 25 university with a degree in Communications. I only chose that major because I had no idea what else to do after I hated my original major (theater tech/stage management).
I have been applying for jobs since March. Since I don't have clear career goals yet, I've applied to a wide range of jobs, some that I have very little experience with but felt applicable to my major (administrative assistant, various admin positions, entry level office jobs) as well as ones I have years of direct experience in (receptionist, production assistant, AV tech, food service, customer service).
I've applied for 80+ jobs since March, applied to most in April. I have been rejected from a handful, but most just never reply. A classmate/coworker of mine applied to the same production assistant role as me, which had a start date of May 1st. Neither of us heard back. I reached out, and they told me they would contact us eventually if they were interested. I had one phone interview, after which I didn't hear back for two weeks until I reached out and asked, and was rejected.
I've started applying to restaurants and fast food and I'm still getting nothing. Even though I have 2 years of fast food experience and 3 of fine dining from my previous jobs.
I never had an internship because I had a work study job that I needed the money from so I could eat. So I don't have any connections, which seems to be how most people from my school got jobs.
How is anyone able to get a job right now?? I don't get it. I'm desperate for work at this point.

Hi! I'm a total newbie to woodworking; I have done the basic woodshop stuff in school, but nothing more, really.
I've wanted to try it out as a hobby for a while, but it wasn't until my uncle and I had a long talk about life and stuff, and he talked about how he always wanted to try woodworking as a career but never believed in himself enough to go for it, that I decided I wanted to give it a go - for the both of us.
So my request is figuring out how I should go about it. We both live in small flats ( about 40 sqm/400 sqf each) and I'm an art student, so I'm figuring I have to keep it small scale and low budget. I think I want to make more artsy stuff, so maybe small wooden sculptures. I think my uncle prefers making furniture, but I have no idea how to do that in small scale?
I have access to some free wood from a friend of mine who lives on a farm - it's just regular spruce, birch and pine wood, so I hope that's good enough - but I have no tools or safety equipment.
I figure I'll need a basic set of tools of course, a large plastic tub of some kind so we don't mess up the place too much, some kind of way to secure the wood so it doesn't slip or fly out of our hands, safety gloves and goggles - but that's just me guessing from some basic googling.
I hope it's possible to kind of do something with it, I really want to make my uncle feel like someone believes in him and his dreams and really cares, even if I can't do all that much.

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Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
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Chapter 92: Higher Ambitions
I rolled my eyes at the ageing man kneeling before the Winter Queen's feet.
Oh, Duke Valence was never the brightest pea in the pod. That he'd dare turn his nose up at the kingdom which protected him was proof of that.
But being an imbecile was never a crime. To date, his constant posturing and complaints served little purpose than to allow other nobles to size up the opportunity to replace him. Thus, his frequent border closures, public tantrums and the size of his moustache were all forgotten, if not forgiven.
Loyalty to my family was never more than a bale of hay to be bartered, after all. The only thing more familiar to nobility than treason was to fail at it. Duke Valence was no different. He was destined to join the long, inglorious line of those seeking to grasp power where none was to be had.
His petty schemes were doomed to failure. But when had precedence ever been viewed as more than an opportunity to succeed where countless others had failed?
Indeed, if the nobility possessed a single, redeeming trait, it was their infatuation with seeing their ambitions through.
Not because I admired perseverance.
No, it simply made things easier for me to see who was worthy of the greatest of my scorn.
That man was now Duke Valence, who in a single moment had swept away what little time remained of his temporary governorship of Aquina.
Seeing this man desperately adorned with armour like a toad dressed in a suit, I found that my scorn couldn't quite raise itself above the quiet revulsion I felt.
It was difficult to summon my outrage. After all, it wasn't with anger that I reacted to a mosquito zipping about my orchard.
It was distaste.
Just as it was their nature to sap, to bleed and to sting, it was mine to swat, stamp and crush. I didn't reconcile with insects.
No. I removed them. Entirely.
“A poor jest,” I said to the kneeling mosquito. “You've neither the jurisdiction nor the competency to pledge Aquina's fealty to any but the kingdom it resides in. And in offering your personal allegiance, you have done away with any authority you could claim to wield. You've stripped yourself bare, and the sight is more gruesome than the breastplate you've stretched to match your girth.”
At last, the man looked at me with eyes bubbling with familiar ambition. There was no other emotion, whatever he made himself believe. And that was truly tiresome.
Ugh. Sedition for ambition's sake was truly the dullest bottle on the wall.
Where was the ill feeling in his eyes from the constant stream of personal slights against him? The grief at the decades of national policy aimed at eroding Aquina's identity? The woe as we levied mountains of bureaucracy on the duchy's farmers?
Frankly, this was insulting!
A minimum level of anguish had failed to be met! Had a hero risen to wave the banner of rebellion and lift the spirits of the peasantry, I at least would have rolled my eyes before setting things alight!
But now?
Now I could only yawn.
“Princess Juliette,” he said, not even offering a nod as he sneered at me. “A surprise. Of all the members of your battered House I expected to see skulking like kitchen mice, I admit it wasn't you. I see that desperate times require desperate measures.”
“Quite so. My brothers and sisters see to matters of urgency and peril. I, meanwhile, have come to audit your finances. An unexciting task, but one which needs to be performed–particularly as it seems none has done so for a while now.”
“Then I welcome you to the Duchy of Aquina. I see you've already made yourself comfortable.”
“And I shall make myself even more so. The coins I've used to erect my chair is merely the start. Once I've gathered your gemstones, your jewellery, your artifacts and your treasures, I intend to build an extremely cozy public gallery, filled with ample seating, warm lighting and a myriad of crêpes stalls. Which flavour would go well with looking on at the remnants of your tenure as Aquina's ruler, I wonder? Chocolate or banana? I'll permit you to make this last decision, in recognition of my own generous nature.”
The man rose to his feet, chuckling despite his disregard to etiquette. Neither the Winter Queen nor I had given him permission to stand.
Really, now! He couldn't even do the formalities of betrayal correctly.
“Reputation of your impudence precedes you, Princess … as does my own memory. Though this is our first formal meeting, I had the pleasure of seeing you ride against my own knights as they mistook you for a common horse thief. A splendid display. Your cackling laughter as you led them in endless circles resounded for miles.”
I tried recalling the incident.
I couldn't. There were far too many.
“I may laugh more, providing that you offer a suitably farfetched excuse to the Winter Queen for stealing her from her own palace. I dare say it doesn't shine a positive light on your offer of vassalage.”
The man turned to the listening fae in question, whose delicate smile betrayed none of her thoughts.
“My actions prove my worth,” he boldly said, bowing his head until it was blockaded by his stomach. “To demonstrate resolve is the traditional approach to begging for an audience with the Winter Queen. And I believe my act of proudly swearing fealty has earned that meeting.”
The Winter Queen tilted her head slightly. She quickly shot her hand up, holding the falling teacup in place.
For a moment, her arctic eyes measured the worth of the man before her. And while I knew she found him to be lacking, she was still obligated to give her reply.
A reply which she had no right to give.
Because she was not the queen of this kingdom. And I had not yet finished speaking.
Thus, I did what was only appropriate.
I stood up from my chair, interrupting the Winter Queen as her lips parted.
Both she and the duke blinked at me–and then continued to blink as I started shovelling snow and coins onto the spot just before my chair.
“Coppelia,” I said simply.
Off to the side, my future handmaiden looked up from her work.
She had an extremely detailed snow beret nestled in her lap, and was painstakingly carving what looked very much like all 104 metres of the 1172 Battle of Remansille tapestry into the snowy fabric.
“It's not ready yet,” she replied, earnestly lifting up the beret.
I waved away her concerns.
“I know. I require your assistance again.”
“Want me to boink the old guy with my scythe?”
The errant duke peeled away slightly, looking between Coppelia and the Winter Queen.
That he didn't look to me for mercy was only proof that a lesson in humility was needed.
“Not yet,” I said after a pause. “Help me make a stool.”
“Okie~”
Placing her newly made beret on her head, Coppelia joined me in scooping together a stool to match the unfashionable appearance of the chair.
A few moments later, I sat back, now with my right boot raised onto the stool.
“This is the boot of authority,” I said to the stunned duke. “From now on, you will converse with it. Begin by explaining with what right you would offer your fealty to the Winter Queen. You have chained yourself to oaths already. And I'm not in the business of sharing the loyalty of my vassals.”
“My business is with the Winter Queen,” he replied, far more swiftly than his steady candour wished to reveal. “You … You should not even be here. For what reason did your father send you? Where is the Royal Army? Why, how are you–”
I tapped my heel against the stool.
“Silence. This is the Kingdom of Tirea. Not the Winter Court. And while I speak, you will answer.”
The man turned to the Winter Queen.
She responded with a smile and no more. And so for the first time in his life of mishaps and faux pas, he realised that he'd stumbled in a manner which couldn't be shaken off with a sneer as he fled to his borders.
“It matters not to whom I speak,” he said, standing at full height. “So long as the Winter Queen listens. So here is the answer you wish to hear, Princess. I have the right to decide to whom my vassalage belongs.”
“You do not,” I replied simply. “Both yourself and your long line of disappointing ancestors have renewed promises which cannot be reneged upon.”
“I am no longer beholden to oaths sworn to a kingdom that has failed to uphold its own. They are null. Tirea is consumed by the shadow of threats, and I would seek a better shelter for my people. A better ruler for our prosperity.”
I wriggled my boot, silently apologising to Coppelia as I dug a tiny hole into the stool.
“Your people? These are my people.”
“I am–”
“You are a glorified village mayor, tasked with the collection of taxes on behalf of the Royal Treasury. A simple task in which you are failing magnificently. No, these are not your people. No more than this is your wealth. All that you have is ours to loan, and you are now deeply in arrears. Do not pretend that you can offer even a blade of grass.”
The Duke smiled.
“I am the ruler of Aquina, as was my father before me. And I offer far more than a blade of grass.”
He turned, looking directly at the Winter Queen.
“I offer a bridge from the Fae Realm to the mortal lands. A permanent land to offset the loss of the Wovencoille all those centuries ago.”
Once again, I dug my heel into the snow. Silence filled the treasury.
I only proceeded to speak when he correctly faced me.
“And in return for enticing the fae into breaking the ancient treaties separating us, what do you hope to gain? Would you hope to see the dawning dusk, as the elves do? You are neither elven nor fae. You would not survive. You haven't the will.”
“Only those worthy of entering the Fae Realm needs witness the horizon. And those that do may be shielded, gifted and titled, should the Winter Queen deem the honour acceptable.”
Ah.
And there it was.
The nobleman wishes to remain a nobleman. Here was a headline that even The Reitzlake Daily didn't have low enough standards to publish. And the drivel they wrote about my family was only tolerated for the excellent artists' impressions they used of my father's chin.
“I am offering Aquina,” stated the duke, his voice becoming steadily louder. “And yet I know this alone is an unworthy price. Because what I also offer is a worthy host. A maiden fit to bear the Winter Queen's crown. Beside us, the Tournament of Crowns is–”
Click.
I blinked.
Suddenly, the noise of fingers snapping echoed not only within the cavern of this treasury, but also my very mind.
The next moment–
I was no longer peering into the eyes of a man beyond both his prime and his senses.
I was no longer suffering as the ice from beneath me clawed at the most delicate part of me.
And I was no longer surrounded by the hoarded wealth of Aquina.
Instead, I was sitting on a small chair behind a simple tea table, laden with a pot of tea, a platter of assorted bricks and two teacups.
Around me was a room decorated in a wallpaper of white.
It was not vast. And yet it was uncluttered. No armoires containing a hundred silk dresses could be found here. No mirrors to admire my soft skin proving triumphant over blemishes. And no bookshelves filled with textbooks and the adventure romance novels which existed behind them.
Only a royal, four-poster bed with a crystal frame existed to command the space. Adorned with velvety blue curtains, it boasted a mattress, duvet and pillows so untarnished that the colour outshone the white of the tea table.
A glimmer to the side caught my attention.
There, a single window looked out into the world. But it was not my world.
A horizon beyond all measurement of beauty shone. An eternal twilight as dawn and dusk met, dancing in the sky as an aurora of lights and colours.
For a moment, my eyes were caught by the endless cascade, and I found myself drifting to somewhere beyond my reach. But as I looked, I saw the imperfections in the sky. I saw the lack of fluffy white clouds offering the promise of light drizzle to my orchards. And I saw that it was not my sky.
I am the Third Princess to the Kingdom of Tirea. And to be enamoured with any sky but my own is unseemly.
Even if that was the fabled sky of the Fae Realm.
I shook my head out of my stupor.
As I did so, the Winter Queen appeared, teacup on head, and strolled past me as she made her way over to the royal four-poster bed.
Without a moment's hesitation, she leapt face down onto the bed with her arms slightly spread. A moment of stillness ensued. The teacup rolled sadly off her head.
Then–she smacked her fists into her pillow.
“Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo laaaaaaaaame!!!!!!!”
Punching with alternating fists, the Winter Queen, very much a fully grown woman, sent her punishing fury into pillows so soft that they barely made a noise as they absorbed her displeasure.
“A fat old man! A disgusting, greasy, dirty, fat old man! And he offers me lands trampled by pigs and goats! And just now! He was about to suggest a tournament visited by peasants as suitable for finding a host for me! Me! I can't … I can't do this anymore!”
Upon the mirrored wings protruding from her back, I spied my deeply shocked expression. I fixed it at once, then did the same for the strand of hair errantly falling down the wrong side of my face.
Soon, the punches died down as the sound of the Winter Queen's fury was replaced by heavy breathing.
She then grabbed a pillow, went to her knees, and turned around.
“Princess of Tirea, do you have any notion of how long I've waited to be stolen away?! 200 years! Kidnappings used to be a weekly occurrence! And always involving a tale to be told in bars across the mortal realms! I witnessed love and betrayal, duty and cowardice as I was passed from hand to hand, across desert and seas! And now?!”
She puffed up her cheeks as she angrily hugged the pillow.
“Now it's all business,” she rued, slouching as she kneeled on her bed. “The schemes are always so predictable now. So dull. So stately. I see more of treasuries than I do treasure hunters. The heartfelt, swashbuckling tales of yesteryear as worth is proven and gold is sought are no more, and now I await my kidnappings with trepidation over anticipation. The times that I could be sold on by enterprising rogues and handsome knaves are gone. And I now rely upon the eyes of my snow ducks to take in the world beyond the Fae Realm for me. Tell me, Princess of Tirea. When did your kingdoms and duchies become so ghastly? So bereft of adventure? What joy is there to be had in a land where romance is dead and none now dares to tread the storied Fae Realm for its riches? To whom must I bribe and threaten to take me to places where maidens frolic in fields and gentlemen betray each other over honour and duty?”
All of a sudden, the Winter Queen's eyes began to sparkle as she looked at me.
And then–I did what any other reasonable person would do.
I started looking for the door.
​
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If so, how fast/reliable is it? I have a backup generator and my hope is that everything work work well with Starlink in that regard.
Also, just curious, for the less mechanically inclined, how difficult is it to set up Starlink? Any recommendations for the electricians/cable installers in the area to do the setup?

All I do anymore is either intentionally or unintentionally dissociate from one moment to the next, or get high on what weed I can get my hands on. I just shove my head into some show, video, or music until the day is over, meanwhile what few relationships I have rot away. I try and look back and remember what happened, and there's nothing; I'm lucky if even two things made enough of an impact to be turned into something I can remember. I feels impossible to stop this cycle, I don't have the strength. It seems like forever I've been trying to, but it never ends.
From age 6 until 16 (19 now) my life was a endless maze of incompetent/malicious(mostly this one) systems or juvies that treated my existence like something to be cured; All so desperately pretending they had my interests at heart despite the fact that I, and most others, were clearly getting worse and worse and worse in direct correlation with their ""efforts"". Even when I finally escaped their matrix it didn't get better. There was never any help or direction, everything my foster parents told me amounted to "well, we(middle class white boomers) did it at your age, just stop being so lazy and do it already", all the therapist and support aids ever did was rely on me to come up with and deploy most every solution to my own problems while they sat there and got paid. My doctor cycled me through multiple bipolar medications for years despite the complete lack of evidence to support that diagnosis, and my adamant disagreement against having it. My entire life has been a death by a thousand cuts; I could go on and on and fucking on, that isn't even 20% of it, but I'll just fast forward to recent times so this doesn't turn into even more of a novel.
After years of confusion I'm finally starting to begin to understand what's been happening in my brain. There's too much for me to try to tie into a cohesive paragraph, so I'll just list it all. Depression, Generalized and Social Anxiety, PTSD, Autism, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Self-Harming Tendencies, ADHD, Gender Dysphoria, Suicidal and Homicidal Ideation, and now recently I have begun experiencing what seems likely to be Psychosis, or at least it's early stages, on multiple occasions; My life right now looks like a 14-year-old girl's tiktok bio.
On one hand I feel a sense of comfort in understanding, and I've certainly felt much happier after coming to terms with all of it; But on the other, that feeling has not done me many favors in changing anything. As always, it feels like I try my best to change and improve myself in what few ways I can come to understand and manage while everything else around me does its best to decay further into it's own sickness, expecting me to pick up the pieces and try to find a way to fit them together. That famous quote about insanity keeps coming to mind, about doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. That's what this feels like, but I don't have any other options. I have no money, no close friends, nobody I could consider family, and no system I can use to put my life together. What little support I can access through my state insurance is a labyrinth of phone calls, holds, weeks long wait times, and general beaurocracy; Made all the worse by my aforementioned tendency to have hours disappear before my eyes.
I can't stand living like this anymore, and once I turn 21 and my insurance for medications expires, I won't even be able to. I KNOW I could be infinitely more than this, for a long time I questioned if I was just worthless, but that's not the problem. I'm highly intelligent, creative, empathetic, charismatic(when I'm passionate at least), have alot of potential to be attractive, passionate, multi-talented, and a great deal of other things; And all after being locked in a dissociative weed-coma for years. (And my apologies if that comes off as egotistical, but I let doubt drown me for years, this is what I've come to understand about myself since I pushed that aside, and I either doubt everything or doubt nothing.) Despite all of that I can't seem to compose myself for long enough to fix my life. It feels like I'm learning how to take every small step from scratch. I need some kind of mentor, somebody to take me on for some time and teach me without expecting much in return, but every aspect of America (if not the whole world) is built on exchange. There are no "freebies", even if it provides benefit in the long run. I need more than anything a path in life with some certainty; A plan with clear steps to stability. Hard enough I'm sure for normal people, let alone my addle-brained self.
I refuse to be another of the people this system crushes up in it's machinery, but how am I supposed to learn what the world doesn't even realize it knows, what it takes for granted as common sense? I don't want an exorbitant life, all I want is to have enough stability to not worry about losing everything in the near future, and enough free time to pursue being a graphic novelist.
The core of my questions are these: How do I put my life together with no frame of reference? How do I overcome my fear and lead a happy life? What do I need to do to in order to find at least temporary stability? And how do I do all of that while not consigning myself to a life of compromise to achieve it, at least not outside of the short-term?
-Jennifer

I just have to say it! This is my first time doing one of her programs and I am HOOKED.
I have never ever been an athletic person. Maybe fit during a few periods of my life, but for the most part I am pretty lazy and unmotivated. I got into jogging two years ago, but I (literally) ran my butt off and didn’t like how my body looked.
I decided it was time to try strength training and I stumbled across STF the day it started. I have only missed one workout because I just love it! I have NEVER been this consistent - even with running, I always skip at least 1-2 runs a week. With Sydney’s workouts, I can’t wait to do them.
It’s only been a little over a month, right? But people have been NOTICING! My thighs don’t touch anymore, my legs are strong, my arms look strong. I am outgrowing my dumbbells fast.
Idk I’m just really thankful I found this program. I feel really good and I can’t believe I never thought to do this before. Getting stronger is such a wild, empowering feeling.

Hello everyone. I (29M) am auditing the trauma-laden relationship with my DID wife (29F) after another bout of unwanted cheating. We are hypermonogamists. To us, infidelity is a sacrilegious violation of Love. Alas, my wife has Dissociative Identity Disorder and some alters are hellbent on reenacting trauma with abuser substitutes. Yes, the DID is diagnosed by a trauma specialist, not Dr. Google. To differentiate from her alters, I will refer to Her True Self as Wifey.
I tracked the cheating history by writing this behemoth of a post and did my best to connect dots between childhood trauma and modern consequences. I hope that the community’s outside perspectives can spot things to which we are still blind, provide advice, or give any input that might aid our situation. All opinions welcome. I will access them carefully.
Please note that I have a Dismissive-Avoidant attachment style, and my psychologist noted C-PTSD. I also have DID but unlike my wife, I worked long enough to achieve co-consciousness, internal cooperation, and current dormancy in my alters. My True Self is finally in command. We ran out of therapy money before my wife could address her own issues, hence online communities are our last resort until savings build up again.
#OUR TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD ORIGINS
I was raised and abused by my narcissist grandmother for 25 years due to her orchestrating a rift between Mom and I (topic for another post). Her 16yo son aka my uncle sexually abused both my wife and I from infancy. In my case he had daily access. For my wife, it was because our fathers and my uncle were a trio of scum.
Despite the uncle link, I didn’t meet Wifey till age 3. She was dancing under a sprinkler and noticed my stare. Lightning hit us the second our eyes met and we breathlessly ran over to announce the mutual BOOM. After that, we were inseparable. At age 4 I proposed, she agreed, and we shared our first kiss. Adorable? No. We didn’t know how to be kids—due to sex abuse and grandma teaching us adult concepts, we related as boyfriend-girlfriend way too early and began playing the game ‘naked stuff’. Nothing beyond this first connection is purely innocent.
Soon after our romantic friendship started, my wife was groomed into nightly ‘special love’ with my uncle, laying a foundation of unfaithfulness towards me. When the ‘other boyfriend’ dumped her at 6, infatuation spiked and led to 9 years of cartwheels to regain his desire. Between that and my grandmother worshipping him, I competed for both women’s hearts by copying uncle into synonymity. I even used his playlists for dates and sex, believing that I am only worthy of love if I am him.
During and after my uncle’s abuse, my wife’s pedo father raped her too. I am loathed to call this BDSM given that he never abided by Safe, Sane, Consensual, but what he inflicted is BDSM activity. By age 5, he was trafficking his daughter and forced me to watch the rapes plus participate in sadism until I started doing it of my own accord. I was taught that boys are supposed to do this to girls, because they are girls. I didn’t know vanilla sex exists till age 11, at which point we finally shared positive intimacy—this formed the bedrock of what we are striving to build in adulthood. Alas, the learned fetishes persisted for years.
Meanwhile, my narcissist grandmother tormented me daily and brainwashed my wife to mimic her opinions, mannerisms, approaches, etc., thereby producing a mini-me alter and adding layers to our trauma bond. That alter learned toxic views on women (they exist to serve men) and pro-adultery, as the Narc preyed on committed guys for the fun of causing break-ups, obtained her husband by homewrecking, and caught a married lover long before grandpa died. As teens we were actually ghostwriters and phone sex assistants for that affair, obstructing critical stages in our own relationship.
Throughout this, Love existed. No one but her made me feel Loved, Seen, Heard, Safe, Certain. Moreover, me and Wifey expressed authentically only to each other, providing an oasis for Our True Selves to develop untarnished. We mutually soothed our demons, inspired creativity, and entertained one another. Teen Wifey also proved my angel. She endured hell to guide me out of darkness and prevented suicide attempts. Without her, I would be in prison or dead. At 23 we married in hopes of becoming wholesome and slowly inched toward that goal.
For Wifey’s wellbeing, I spent 2015-2022 deprogramming my BDSM porn addiction, fetishes, and toxic attitudes about women. Only last year I comprehended healthy relationships in concept. I think it is a beautiful way to live but it unnerves me as well. We also realized that vanilla D/s is our true preference, and we are highly compatible as a team. There is potential for absolute Paradise, but many issues still need to be overcome (communication struggles, ignoring Wifey for eons while she waits for me to interact again, etc.). The infidelity is my current focus. Here goes the trauma-fuelled history of online cheating.
#UNCLE SUBSTITUTE EXPLOITS HER
Wifey has 7 alters. Some self-harm, some climb out windows, some rabidly scratch me or shriek enough for police to arrive, but the most annoying is that 9yo girl imprinted on my uncle. She always pines to get him back—which she finally did, in proxy form: AP1 (Affair Partner 1).
May 19th, 2022, my wife met a 31yo ‘virgin’ on Facebook who sucked her in via sob stories. While extracting info on her alters and rapes, AP1 made her a sex-ed teacher. Her confidence flourished. I had no concerns given my rock-solid trust in Wifey. Little did I know the 9yo alter was having an emotional affair of unrequited ‘love’. AP1’s eerie similitude in looks / job / zodiac / vibe / pedo streak made him an ideal projection, especially given how much Uncle 2.0 lavished the alter. He was her dream come true. Looking back, I invited this situation by depriving Wifey of attention for too long. She needs regular interaction with me to stay Her True Self.
Anyways, Wifey believed the hours spent texting / on the phone were recharging her desire for ‘me’. We were yet to understand that ‘me’ meant ‘uncle’, as the two were blended. I started feeling off, but kept trusting her. After all, she had befriended two FB guys in 2021 who stayed platonic (only now we recognize them as lighter emotional affairs). Besides, grandma taught me that getting randomly sidelined or devalued is ‘just the way things are’.
After 3 weeks of grooming, AP1 triggered my wife, fully infiltrating her subconscious. She fearfully hid from him for 2 days, then tried to end the friendship on June 8th. AP1 derailed the goodbye into engaging topics, followed by traumatic content that methodically wore her down into an aroused trance. Once he hit the trigger jackpot, her alter seized control and delved into 6 hours of abuse reenactment sexting, audio clips, nudes, unholy “I love yous”, etc. while Wifey’s undercurrent of extreme stress induced miniature heart attacks—this caused permanent damage. Once Wifey woke up and saw what transpired, a female FB friend moved mountains to prevent her guilt-ridden suicide. She desperately wanted to die.
Later, I walked into the room expecting nothing unusual. Instead, tear-stricken wife fell to her knees, grabbed my leg and frantically confessed sexting, giving away our gif collection and using terms sacred to us. The heartbreak annihilated me. While consoling her, I struggled to swallow reality: the ONE PERSON I thought would never break my trust, just shattered it. Another dude just stole MY wife. Long before I learned that my old rival (uncle) was the motive, I felt triggered.
Many talks / meltdowns ensued between us and Mom. 48 hours later, the alter cheated again (June 10th) while we thought Wifey was snoozing. AP1 had unlocked an oil spill of traumatic arousal, hence it took seconds to induce the marathon, this time centred on BDSM. AP1 then instructed the alter to give him first dibs every day—the Husband can only get sloppy seconds. Once he left, she ran over to Mom announcing that her boyfriend is going to marry her (old fantasy about my uncle) in a jarringly American voice (Wifey is Francophone). This unmasked DID as the cheating engine and introduced us to a previously-unknown alter.
Once awake, Wifey plunged into catatonic shock and depression. We all supported Wifey grieving AP1’s sick exploitation and processing why she succumbed. I never got a chance to focus on myself amid the revolutionary insights, plus Mom and I kept scrambling to stop that alter before she obeyed the “sext me daily” command that would only retraumatize her further. We also discovered AP1 is a predator who targets mentally-ill wives in addition to little girls. That vulture has a thing for the most vulnerable forbidden fruit.
Realizing the insidious influence made Wifey hyperfocus on Our Marriage. She was outraged that AP1 dared invade us and texted him revocations of love, condemnations for “raping her while drunk” and tried to hammer the sanctity of Marriage into his snide mug. We banded together against my uncle’s spectre and felt in-tune as a couple. Therapy sessions were scheduled. Had this continued, Our Love would be detoxed and stronger than ever. Alas, a parasitic distraction sapped its power 6 days later.
#GRANDMOTHER TRAUMA BOND INTERFERES
My wife kept shutting down during intimacy due to intrusive memories of AP1, plus an urge to blot out the existence of non-abusive sex. Her alters were clinging to my uncle’s ‘style’. She quickly realized that AP1 had stained sex and rendered her numb to me. She was distraught.
When my wife sought advice on June 16th, 2022, her friend (also abused) nabbed the chance to confess a bewildering lesbian crush. This shock activated the trauma bond with my grandmother and prompted another alter affair. She declared that a bit of lesbianism will cure our intimacy problem. At first, I laughed it off. Then therapy was cancelled, my savings were spent on gifts, and I realized that my wife’s #heart# was stolen in addition to sex drive. A Facebook woman had burglarized my one remaining stronghold.
Given how romantic it was, I felt replaced, invisible, abandoned (childhood themes). It sliced and diced me, particularly since my wife blinded herself to my pain no matter how I pushed her to see it (grandmother theme). My wife cried that she wants us both and can’t choose—no wonder, since she was unknowingly reliving a childhood scenario where emotional incest with my grandmother accompanied and influenced Our Love.
I was clueless about this. To me, it seemed a heart-crushing romantic affair. Being a hypermonogamist forced into polyamory is indescribable. On June 23rd, I ranted at AP2 for stealing the Love of My Life and decided on suicide even if I’m hellbound—Heaven means nothing sans my wife. Panicked AP2 called the cops. Mom convinced the officers that it was a false alarm, knowing that I would try to get shot. Wifey was unrecognizably hollow while comforting me. I fell asleep in bitter tears, her hand numbly wiping them away.
My bitterness began erupting while teary wife insisted this is a mission. She swore to end the affair as soon as she solves the ‘mysteries of sudden lesbianism’. I refused to support it. Our fights incited a fullblown manifestation of my AFib and worsened heart issues for my wife. Daily vomiting turned her into skin-and-bones. We nearly died, which would have caused the suicide of My Mom and AP2. Poor Mom already suffered intense health issues from this affair. She adores us both. Our vitriol devastated her.
Eventually I put my wife’s happiness above my own and let her go: if she is meant to come back to me, she will. I spent another month in living death. Surprisingly, Wife kept her promise. She discovered that the emotional incest with mother figures in both her and AP2 caused them to ‘fall in love’. The alters tied to my grandmother lost their grip, the affair ended (August 13th), and Love for me flooded back.
Wifey returned a matured woman: more Self-Aware, rational, and opposed to adultery than ever. I fell in Love with her vibrancy. Meanwhile, AP2 became our mutual best friend, an invaluable source of epiphanies for my healing too, and the biggest supporter of Our Love. Turns out that we all share near-identical trauma plus share common interests. As a result, I felt gratitude for this affair. Short-term suffering reaped long-term blessings.
#A STRAINED AFTERMATH
AP1 continued to highjack our sex life. The conscious resurrection of my uncle in my wife’s psyche permanently split him and I into two men and revealed the sexual imprint. Between bringing that into her awareness and the various desecrations, AP1 vandalized her. Damn the timing! We were on the verge of a sex life free from trauma!
We lived in tension despite Loving efforts, and I struggled to overcome the sense that my mate is tainted. I put the bedroom on hold until these stains were purified, and figured it was best not to impose myself until the alter stops craving Uncle 2.0. For months I patrolled my turf obsessively while screaming inside. Did my best to remember that Wifey never betrayed me—these are only echoes of the past wrecking havoc in modern day.
TRANSCENDING THE CHEATING
Fast forward a year since the two affairs. I was working on Self-development and finally grieving my grandmother trauma. My wife started reflecting deeper on infidelity and had epiphanies:

1. Everything that she finds attractive and attributed to my uncle belongs to me (e.g., I’m the analytical nerdy poet surrounded by books—he’s the robotic, stuffy tech fanatic).
2. I am her real dreamboat, projected onto the pedo worshipped by her idol (my grandmother) instead of vice versa. She actually Loves me MORE as I gain authenticity.

AP1 displacing me as the substitute proved a vital liberation. My wife gained clarity because he took the entire uncle projection onto himself. That also made me shed residual mimicry. Her sex alters went dormant and True Wife was eager to rediscover Her Husband directly.
During Our Anniversary (mid-April), True Wife was a trembling ball of remorse and begged for an impromptu vow renewal. Her turn was a meltdown of apologies and fervent promises to never forsake Our Love again. She convinced me of her redemption, especially after rejecting FB dudes in her inbox while posting wishes to me. Hope was rebuilt. We seemed en route to healing. One problem: we still didn’t have sex.
#ABUSER CONDITIONING RETALIATES
Avoiding sex since the cheatings was incredibly stupid. I didn’t realize that her alters, though dormant, felt owned by my uncle because I never reclaimed her. AP1 factory-reset my wife’s sexuality. The healthy things needed reinstallation before it was safe for her to face old trauma. My failure to do that made alters restless and our reconciliation was seen as a challenge to her fortified abuse programming. This was the worst time for my wife to post in a rape support sub.
In minutes the DM creeps descended and my wife met a pedophile whose way of abusing little girls woke the alters. My wife was in denial about the risk and texted me: “The affairs revealed truth about my alters and abuse. This man too. I gain awareness about my trauma as I tell it to him and understand more why pedophiles hurt us. I shall make sure it does not get personal. It is not a real affair. I am just researching.”
My heart was pounding but I tried to trust that she will stay within (barely tolerable) boundaries. NOPE. A mere 38 days after vowing never to betray me, her alter pleaded the pedophile to describe what he would do to 6-year old her. He whet her appetite with a partially-fulfilling fantasy before ghosting. Wifey entered a bizarre state of autopilot.
Inexplicably, she contacted a BDSM Redditor who is a known sanity risk, solicited him for sexting, then prayed for him not to respond. When he did, she felt scared shitless and obligated to describe her old tortures (as he commanded). The guy proceeded to demolish my wife’s barriers until she started craving her father’s tortures. The moment she called him “Master”, it was over for me.
I shut down and observed the trainwreck, feeling no sympathy. My wife invited all this shit and made a conscious choice to engage instead of block. I was dejectedly amused listening to the circus: “This is just research, I learn my mind by interacting with bad men—OMG OMG I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN SURVIVE THIS FILTH! I WANT ONLY YOU! Oh, another client needs my trauma for pleasure! Got to go!”
I felt too drained to realize that her unhinged sexting spree was stirring my trauma. Another oversight.
THE RIDE THROUGH OLD HELL
From May 27-28th, her alter became a snowball down Mt. Everest and the avalanche pulled me under. DM perverts verbally raped my wife while she took explicit photos right next to me in bed. Against all expectation, these e-rapes catapulted me back to boyhood: helpless to intervene, and too horrified to close my eyes. Taking away the phone didn’t cross my mind, nor could I. My body was paralyzed and eerily, I lost the ability to make sound. Seems that I contain significantly more trauma programming than anticipated. I resent my wife for subjecting me to this oppressive hell even more than I resent the cheating itself.
As if going down ‘memory lane’ wasn’t enough, possessed wife also channelled my grandmother. She would look at my tears and emit her sadistic CACKLE. Once I merged the two women, I was screwed. My trauma program dictates that I must endure whatever grandma wants; this includes watching her affair unfold.
As the ultimate insult, my wife spent the last 12 hours building an emotional affair on Reddit while I prayed for sleep. By dawn, her alter declared him a potential ‘boyfriend’. In her deluded head, the sexting arranged for nightfall would cure the rest through ultimate satisfaction plus bring True Wife back to Our Love, as this guy made her feel that “I am with you, not your uncle. Like you finally feel real.” The nonsensicality made me short-circuit. I was DONE.
#THE OBSESSION SLAMS TO A HALT
That afternoon, she finally jolted out of the binge-sexting. How? Wifey noticed my distress, 5 days too late. I watched her first comprehend that this is hurting me, then struggle to reset consciousness, then remember that Love exists. She did a 180 on her ‘client’ and viciously berated his perversion. That helped her regain footing.
My jittery wife proceeded to apologize, freak about the explicit photos, and spiral into a suicidal state over betraying me again. She erratically cancelled every sexting appointment, shut off the DMs, and spent days begging Divinity for help. We avoided each other.
In our first talk, Wifey confessed that she fears herself, as only her housebound life prevents physical cheating. While she wants nothing more than to be pure, her alters are begging for more due to trauma bonds. Wifey described it as: “Insatiable rocket blocked by a moral fence and waiting for release to zoom again.” Needless to say I was embittered.
#REFLECTING ON THE AFTERMATH
While analyzing recent events, I realized something: my wife didn’t run to that BDSM sadist of her own volition. An elusive alter had taken the wheel: the brothel Madame who pulls my wife into prostitution re-enactments. No wonder she was cackling! It’s the alter’s trademark, based on my grandmother! That damn Narc used to say that it’s bad to deprive other men and let the body go to waste on one Husband. No wonder a vow renewal pissed off that alter! Now Wifey-on-autopilot made sense.
Wifey was stunned at the revelation and had a glitch (outraged cackles, whimpers, shudders) that confirmed its truth. She never knew this freaky alter steers her from behind the scenes. Took her awhile to digest the disturbing paradigm shift.
Interestingly, she later texted: “That alter does not excuse my choice to chat with a pedophile right after another creep showed me how vulnerable I am. I have ultimate responsibility even if later choices were not mine.”
I asked if that choice was really her own. She replied: “I think so, because he introduced himself as a retired counsellor. I never expected he was a pedophile and when he mentioned it, I should have been proactive about risks continuing such a topic with any man.”
I avoided her again and tried to pinpoint my feelings (still a struggle). No matter how blatantly I see the nymphomaniac is not Her True Self, the serial breakage of trust is making me relinquish hope, care, and concern. The more I sink into numbness, the less I care who is culpable. The whole Wifey & Co. feel ruined. I know it is very unfair to shun Wifey for sins committed in a trauma trance. DID is involuntary. Yet, her issues are a jinx now that I am surpassing our old life. The very toxicities Wifey healed in me remain her alters’ addiction. Now they’re in nasty withdrawal, desperate for any ‘drug’.
For the first time ever, divorce is drifting through my thoughts. I keep wondering, do I treat these events as a growth opportunity for her, or grounds for divorce? I want to reconcile, but should I? I’m burned out. She’s constant trouble. I feel ready to bail. And honestly, I feel unsafe.
Like my grandmother, my wife let me fly again before shooting me down. I barely began grieving narcissistic abuses and am scared of her containing grandma energy. The no-contact I implemented seems pointless—that Narc lives in my wife anyways. She even has the same power to crush me to dust, only stronger. My wife is my biggest weakness. I abhor weakness, thus I am abhorring her. I also detest the oppression of tiptoeing, compromising, and obliging alter whims at the expense of serious plans—JUST LIKE WITH MY GRANDMOTHER.
Then again, I can’t fathom living after a divorce. Wifey loves Celine Dion and we are the epitome of that duet I Hate You Then I Love You. The lyrics “It’s impossible to live with you, but I could never live without you, for whatever you do, I never never never want to be in Love with anyone but you” still rings true.
The Spouse Slot in my heart was formed in my wife’s shape and for her Essence alone. I can’t accept any other. If I was the dead guy in What Dreams May Come (one of our favourite films), I would definitely traverse the afterlife to save my wife no matter how broken she is. Existence in any world is meaningless without her.
We overcame worse hells than cheating. Why would I abandon Wifey when she is in desperate need of protection!? We live by the quote: “A perfect marriage is two imperfect people refusing to give up on each other.” In my belief, we are Twin Flames, and Wifey is definitely my Ideal Woman: demure, dreamy, melancholic, full of mischief and poetry. She saved my life. She redeemed me. We are supposed to grow old and go to Eternity together. Why would I give up on a lifelong mate over trauma!?
It seems that I am losing interest. This necrosis spurs the desire to amputate, while the increasing loss of exclusivity is repellent. For years I unquestioningly believed that she’s incapable of desiring anyone but me. Now my ownership feels diluted, invalidated, defeated. Several guy’s marks are all over her and nothing scrubs them off. Her intrusive memories of affairs even obstruct our intimacy!!!!! It is slammed into my face constantly—she is no longer ONLY MINE. That triggers a kneejerk aversion to others’ territory, which she now is.
After decades of impassioned Gomez & Morticia-style romance, I have no clue if I even Love her anymore. Something feels extinguished between us. There is a loss of respect—for the first time, my wife’s worth has fallen in my eyes. I saw her defile every renewed vow. It’s burned into me: she is substandard. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. My beloved is suffering. Why am I on the verge of abandoning her!?
#MY WIFE’S PERSPECTIVE
Wifey insists that she deserves patience as she tackles her trauma. Is Wifey right? I am going to copy/paste that text message from her here. Only fair to include both sides.
“Mon Amour, before you sink too deep with ghastly divorce ideas, may I please remind you one thing? I had infinite patience while you wrestled with your demons…I sacrificed myself to my depths for your healing and stayed even when I should have fled. You bemoan loss of trust online while I lived many years never feeling safe to trust you face to face!!!!!! But I never gave up on Love and the amazing man I saw beneath your shadows…my Ideal Man you have now become!
My alters twist and blur my thoughts dreadfully until I forget everything I have now…but they are NOT ME. You also were not yourself when you were lost…I fought so much to free you from problems and I would pray not to be abandoned when my own problems catch up with me…no one can heal their distortions overnight. “In sickness and in health” hm? I am sick. Why throw me away now? I do not feel this is very fair no matter how utterly loathsome my own actions…you know I shall always regret succumbing again. Alters aside I should have been proactive when I still had control and listened to Mama and even Mods warning me to turn off DMs when I signed up. I overestimated myself and now I pay many prices for my idiocy.
You do good job punishing me with ice already…I beg you be merciful enough to stay while I cleanse…please…we are like in the Destino animation…meant to be together but lost among shifting sands and obstacles trying to separate us…please do not forget Our Destiny of Love…remember, we don’t say goodbye…J’taime Éternellement!!”
#CLOSING QUESTIONS
How do I cure the disenchantment / indifference? If I decide to stay, how do we rebuild when we lack solid rubble for a new reconstruction? How do I stop her restlessness to cheat? Is my wife getting exploited similarly to a drunk woman or is she culpable for her cheating? Am I the real failure here? Is this worth fighting for? Am I the real failure here?
TL;DR: Our Marriage is plagued by a shared abusive childhood, wife’s DID in particular. In 2022 an online predator reactivated her trauma programs through sexting. The fortified issues were never resolved, thus her alters cheated again once new predators DMed her in 2023. I hit my tolerance limit and something extinguished between us. I need advice on how to help my wife and rekindle Love.