**warning. High level of ignorance*
So I'd like to get a pet that isn't a dog/cat...
However I have a fear, perhaps unfounded, that a lot of the niche pets people keep inside small cages live unfulfilling lives and are perhaps not happy....
I want a pet that I can care for to give it a fulfilling life, not the other way around.
Any recommendations? I've been thinking:
I live in Arizona with a decent size backyard, maybe a tortuous?
Fish?
Love hamsters....but they are just too damn cute to only live for a couple of years.
Snake is out of the question...
Turtle?
other reptiles? Lizards?
Again sorry for the ignorance.

Hey! F24 here. I'm looking to write with someone who also likes female/female romance for a preferably anime influenced F/F story. I am a fan of the aesthetic for visual references, but more than that I am also just a simple fangirl who loves anime tropes fxf and would click well with people who enjoy it as well.
I like developing slow and realistic relationships with just the right amount of tension, so I'm looking for roles and scenarios that don't begin with perfect circumstances between characters and I'm definitely not looking for something that goes straight into characters being a couple. I'm hoping to explore some cute slice of life stuff, but with some actual conflict to unravel as well.
I'm thinking roles that would be fun to explore and situations I like would be
-characters who were once very close and had a rough history together reuniting and attempting to trust one another again
-friends hiding the feelings they have for each other because of various anxieties
-angsty delinquent characters who are unhappy with their lives and confide in each other
-characters attempting to keep their relationship a secret for some reason
-a group of characters brought together by a common interest and who wish to chase their passions such as artists or musicians (kind of influenced by Solanin and other band anime here)
-characters with contrasting personalities more or less forced to get along because of unexpected circumstances
-characters who work a soul-crushing job together have fun with each other to cope for it
-psychological stories with broken characters struggling to fix something in their life or have something heavy on their conscious
-characters who are rivals and always fight suddenly realizing there's stuff they like about one another or share a common goal
or really any scenarios with some type of romantic tension! I'm fine with stuff like angst, themes of depression or loneliness, and fairly serious subject matter, so I'm open to plenty of different concepts being thrown into the ring.
I adore writing slowburn and like to make the most out of character interactions. I genuinely think even the most mundane scenes can be turned into something compelling if we are both invested in our characters feelings and their relationship. This is why I love exploring anime slice of life! I would love to find a partner who gets just as immersed with all the subtle romantic details
I was not particularly craving a canon story but I know there's all sorts of good female romance in anime and would be very open to discussing existing plots/characters types that we are influenced by and since I am openly inspired by the aesthetic I would be interested in hearing any tropes you like yourself.
I prefer to RP on Discord so even if we plan a bit on there, I would really prefer to move over to there at some point. Just send me a DM if this interests you, thanks!

THANK YOU for your patience in these thank-yous being so late!! I received them just a couple of days before I moved and tucked them safely away to thank you once I got here :)
u/Lethbridge_Totty Thank you so much for the beautiful doggo birthday card!! :D I actually just added a four-legged friend to the family and adopted from a rescue shelter, so this made me so happy! I am also OBSESSED with the Kirk and Picard stamps, omg!!! Huge thanks! :D
u/Moose-Maleficent Thank you so much for the adorable Boofle birthday card!! SO CUTE! :D Having so many of my favorite things on one card (dog, flowers, plants, general crafty-ness haha) put a huge smile on my face! I'm so grateful! :D
u/sugarmagandjohn (x3) MY FRIEND :') <3 Thank you so much for this utterly spectacular birthday mail (and I'm so sorry they sent it back to you)!! I legitimately yelled, "AHHHH!" when I saw the Grogu card; it's so so cute! I also love the Doctor Strange and airmail-themed postcards and the sticky goodies, and the envelopes are decorated so colorfully and joyfully! Thank you! :D

I know its a question I should answer myself, but I'd really like to hear some opinions.
We've been dating for a year, and it became a long-distance relationship pretty much at the beginning. I started college in another city, so we can only see each other every couple weeks.
Weekend only has two days, so sometimes I go out with her on saturdays and spend time with my family on sunday. I like to spend time with my friends too tho, and she always gets upset when she's not at the top of my list. Not angry, just overly upset, dramatic and all that.
I feel like she's way less mature than me. Whenever something small happens she freaks out, lashes out on me or her friends and gets sad. I'm always happy to help, but the last few times it is just exhausting. There's not much to say other then "just do what you have to do", and she will obviously get angry if I say that.
One of the things that bothers me the most is how she jokes about things I already said I don't like. Whenever something bad happens she jokes about wanting to kill herself because of it. I obviously asked her if she wanted to talk in the first times, but she only laughed and said she was kidding and mentioned some awful meme. I asked her not to do that because I have a bad history with depression, but she just doesn't care. She says she'll stop, but eventually says it again or uses other words for it.
I feel like I had really good times with her and I love her. But with so much small things she does dragging me down, I feel like this relationship isn't healthy for me anymore. I don't want to answer her texts because all she talks about is dumb problems with easy solutions, or how she's sad about something literally everyone has to deal with.
The main reason I'm making this post is that I also feel so guilty for making her feel bad. Shes gonna be really depressed, but I don't see this relationship going thw right way anymore. Should I just pull the bandaid?
TL;DR - Girlfriend is constantly being overdramatic, insensitive and manipulative. I feel bad for breaking up and making her sad, or regretting it later. What should I do?

Anyone welcome! Just Send me a intro about you :)
Hey im Jonathan! I would love to meet new people from wherever to game, make jokes? Text, anything! Let me tell you more about me!
Please be able to hold a conversation instead of saying “cool” “ok” “yeah”
About me: I’m from Texas
I am LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 Friendly
Lover of memes
I love to watch sci fi/ fantasy movies the most. Favorite would be LOTR : The Two Towers. sci fi would be tron legacy.
I enjoy gaming a lot and would love to play with people. I play a lot of multiplayer games. I love stardew and halo the most, but i play zelda, mario, doom and a whole lot of other games so just ask me what else i play.
On my free time i like to write about fantasy short stories and Or about my days.
I like to go on walks of hikes depending on the weather.
I like to explore more of nature by heading into a nearby forest.
Music: i like daft punk and metallica.
Reading: i like to read young adult fantasy and non fiction books. Percy Jackson and The Mortal Instruments especially. And ACOTAR Too
I enjoy Studio Ghibli, Anime, and Marvel and Dc Movies
I have a couple of dogs if you want to see them, just ask me :)
Currently plan to work on my masters this fall!
Thats mostly everything from me but if you’re interested to learn more just ask!l

Love the idea of finding a girl to hold hands with on dates. I hope you love to do your makeup and dress up all cute. I love when a woman takes the time to get her nails done and feel really pretty. I love the dynamic of a girly girl with a bearded rocker look. It’s fun to turn heads and be that couple that likes to show off.
Little more about me: 6ft 2, blue eyes, long brown hair, athletic/ in shape, beard, tattoos. I work out and hike a lot. I look like I either play bass in a metal band or a burly woodsman with a flannel. I have a bunch of pics if you want to trade. Willing to travel if you like adventure! Lets go somewhere and show off as really clingy couple. Hope we can build this together and really experience some fun times.

Love the idea of finding a girl to hold hands with on dates. I hope you love to do your makeup and dress up all cute. I love when a woman takes the time to get her nails done and feel really pretty. I love the dynamic of a girly girl with a bearded rocker look. It’s fun to turn heads and be that couple that likes to show off.
Little more about me: 6ft 2, blue eyes, long brown hair, athletic/ in shape, beard, tattoos. I work out and hike a lot. I look like I either play bass in a metal band or a burly woodsman with a flannel. I have a bunch of pics if you want to trade. Willing to travel if you like adventure! Lets go somewhere and show off as really clingy couple. Hope we can build this together and really experience some fun times.

TLDR: Is it "funny" to buy a big house while being a socialist or bad? I don't think it's really either. Hasan may have bad beliefs, but he's been the subject of some misplaced criticism. Socialism is a broad set of government economic policies. I'm not sure why you should be able to tell the difference between a capitalist and a socialist.
Hasan's sordid history from a simple DGGR trying to make his way in the universe to the socialist IKON and AOC Stan making it big on his own is a long road paved with debates, debacles, re-streamed reality TV shows, and a never dwindling clamor of "living your values discourse." He is featured in several noted DGG debates/discussions such as this one featuring my favorite orbiter Exskillsme and noted Poppy farmer Vowsh,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjszEJBKWRs&list=PL4uIWBpZZ6zci9mM3Gh18NJRXTDx9MGVi&index=6
and this gem referencing the infamous racial slur debate and a variety of complaints about this very subreddit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctAsIoNJmlw.
But this is not a recap of the deeds great and small of Hasan, Titan of Twitch. This is specifically in regards to the classic "live your values debate," the most infamous of which features Vaush and Destiny battling it out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gteClaD9GKc
In regards to Hasan, the live your values discourse hit its apex when he purchased an expensive house. Destiny's general perspective on the matter is summarized here,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYYE76D7B0U with the most critical general perspective at
https://youtu.be/tYYE76D7B0U?t=196
wherein he explains what he considers to be an important spectrum between a slave and a sellout un der a capitalist system. A brief recap is as follows. Destiny states that there is a spectrum between the bottom tier of society barely making it by, someone doing pretty aright but not great, and the top of the pyramid i.e. Hasan. Different expectations to advocate for that persons values should fall in part based on where on that spectrum people reside in with people at the top end having more expectations placed upon them.
A less analytical but perhaps more telling version is at
https://youtu.be/tYYE76D7B0U?t=252
In this clip Destiny describes a paradigm that it is "hilarious" to criticize Jeff Bezos hyperbolically as bad while partnering with him to produce content. The terms "hilarious" and "funny" are used very often instead of words like "bad" or "hypocritical," which I think is a "humorous" observation.
This is one of several iterations of Destiny describing Hasan's house purchase as a wealthy socialist as "funny"
https://youtu.be/tYYE76D7B0U?t=452
and "funny" again here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ulBkFt3nI8
These are two examples, but they are generally reflective of the language Destiny usually uses. Intelligent DGGR's languishing in the low of solipsism this Friday night may wonder why the words "funny" and "hilarious" might be used instead of "bad." It seems that "badness" is being heavily inferred, but not directly stated. Even in the more analytical take above, it's somewhat unclear if there is some sense of "moral obligation," implied or why exactly it would be applied to socialists. One could infer that one has a moral obligation to do "x amount of something," to cause there ideal world to exist or some policy to "happen," and if a person has x level of wealth, power, or influence and they don't do something to produce their ideal world or policy prescriptions they are doing something unethical.
The back and forth on this discourse has been had innumerable number of times, but since it's resurfaced, I believe for the exoneration of Hasan at least in this small regard, it is worth going over again.
So let's get the obvious points out of the way. Being socialist and being rich isn't a hypacricy. To make this argument, I need to make a couple of assumptions and build a couple key arguments.
​
1.) That Hasan would say he's a rule utilitarian (I think he's even said as much). Why do I make this assumption? Because everyone who isn't a cringe philosophy major whose been on this side of the internet is some sort of rule utilitarian. It's hard to be something else. Basically, that means you are concerned with the good outcomes of society but you understand rules need to exist in normal life because it's hard to see what the consequences of something might be and allowing too much discretion may be bad in aggregate. People need some basic rules. To see what happens when one is forced to guess too many consequences you can end up with a situation featured in the excellent television series The Good Place wherein characters are constantly performing evil actions inadvertently because they can't anticipate that driving the speed limit might have caused the person behind them to be late for a job interview which led to that person becoming impoverished, homeless, and die an early death of exposure.
​
2.) That Hasan (if pressed) would agree that capitalism isn't """"""inherently unethical,"""" but rather just produces worse outcomes than socialism. In other words it's just a spectrum of bad to ok to better outcomes. For reference this is the Vaush position. If pressed on the "no unethical consumption" meme, the answer is that bad outcomes might necessarily happen under any system. The goal is just to mitigate them with socialist policies that produce "more good points" and "fewer bad points." The phrase "inherintly unethical" is a phrase that ends up doing a lot of legwork in debates, but doesn't really make a meaningful statement when applied in this context. To draw a comparison, I could believe that any prison system will involve treatment of prisoners that I believe is unethical. However, I consider it a net good compared to no prison system (thus my participation funding society it is justified). I can also believe we should have a better prison system or a very different one. It's not inconsistent.
If all of 2 is granted (a big if for maximum salience DGGR's), I don't think it's fair to criticize Hasan on the grounds of involving himself in capitalism to a high extent. The more apt argument might be the one Ahrelavant goes for with Vowsh here.
https://youtu.be/LUvqIX8w_QA?t=537
This is more similar to Destiny's argument i.e. an obligation to "walk" rather than just "talk" given you have certain values. I think Vaush responds correctly. Hasan's job is as a political pundit. The talk is the walk. Advocating for socialism makes people more progressive. People who are more progressive vote more left leaning. That's a positive change in society in line with Hasan's values. Destiny's response to something like this argument is that all of that benefits Hasan personally, but I fail to see how this is relevant.
If one is outcome focused primarily why is the personal reason someone is doing something that relevant to the effectiveness of what they are doing or in any other way? If pressed, I don't think Destiny would say even a tiny fraction of actions are really altruistic in nature. Hasan is an entertainer who does some socialism. I fail to see what the problem with that is. It's the basic blueprint for almost all political or commentary content. The primary job is entertainment but advocating/ arguing for what you believe in is still important. All of the same arguments could be levied at nearly every content creator who believes strongly in anything. One could make criticisms of Chud Logic for having strong beliefs (which he has argued for in the past between the drama) but not going out every weekend to volunteer and fix them. Socialism doesn't have unique issues in this regard. "It's funny" isn't a good argument. Neither is "it's hilarious."
But what about Destiny's key defeater argument? "What is the difference between a capitalist and a socialist?" How can you tell a difference? To this, I'm not sure I entirely follow. Technically savvy and economically minded DGGr's can correct me, but capitalism is a very broad term that describes a set of government policies that structure an economy in a certain way. Socialism is a different set of government policies that structure an economy in a different way. Neither of these are real technical terms, and the exact manifestations/ definitions of each are as many as there are capitalists and socialists. In general the idea of socialism is that "workers own the means of production," which could mean a lot of things like
1.) All or most industries are nationalized in some way.
2.) All of the businesses are worker co-ops
3.) Some weird giant social wealth fund thing
The best understanding in my view is that if an economy has more nationalization of its industries and state control over personal wealth, it's more socialist. When private entities have more control over different industries, and there is less state control over personal wealth (lower taxes), that's more capitalist. With that understanding you can have mixed economies. Online socialists don't seem to like this, but it's the only actual definition that makes any sense and was provided by Dr. Edward Stewart in one of those great courses audio lectures I got on audible.
https://www.audible.com/pd/Capitalism-vs-Socialism-Comparing-Economic-Systems-Audiobook/B07BHVY5YZ
I'm not sure why there would ever need to be a personal difference in behavior between a capitalist vs. Socialist when both things describe a set of beliefs about government policies? How does that make any sense at all? Capitalism isn't a personal set of actions and neither is socialism. If you want to define a capitalist the way Karl Marx did, just know that no one uses the term that way and when someone says they are a capitalist that's not what they mean. Presumably a socialist and a capitalist would vote for different candidates or argue for different policies.
To wrap this up, I think the criticisms levied at Hasan about his wealth or level of engagement with politics are unfair. I don't think political pundits have an obligation to do something extra. Being an entertaining political pundit is their job. I fail to see what's wrong with that or what is unique about Hasan that merits him having extra obligations from other similarly positioned pundits.
One parting thought is that people often give progressives a difficult time on a meta level i.e. "shouting or being radical might turn others off to your cause." Personally, I hate these sorts of arguments as they doge the facts of the matter in favor for a copy pasted lazy proxy of an argument. I hate progressives as much as the next person, but I don't think you can say they are ineffective. The fact is being loud, obnoxious, unlikeable, and working to de-platform every other point of view does kind of work. Society has gotten significantly more progressive on almost all fronts, and the GOP is in shambles. This might have horrible long term consequences for our democracy, but I'm not sure "effectiveness" is the right argument to make. You might just have a different direction you want society to go in based on different values. So one might wonder if Hasan is more "effective" than we like to admit and not hypocritical. He maybe just has bad beliefs, like other radical progressives.

My boyfriend has a friend who used to flirt with him. I've seen the text messages of him calling my boyfriend cute and talking about potentially being in a relationship together. I don't know if my boyfriend is actually this naive (really, I don't) or if he just likes attention and doesn't want to give it up, but he says he doesn't think the guy likes him in that way. I expressed I think he definitely is looking for romance with him, and bf catches the hint, tells his friend he's dating (we had only recently gotten together at that point) and the friend stops talking to him.
I was relieved, and they didn't talk for a bit after that or at least not that often, but they've gone back to talking again every once in a while. Tonight we talked on the phone and the plan was for him to take a shower and go to sleep right after that, since he has trouble sleeping. While we're nearing the end of our conversation he starts getting quieter. I say "Its starting to get late, you should probably shower now yeah?" and he responds "Yeah sorry, just texting with [friend]." I go quiet too, and for the next 10 minutes mutter a couple remarks about how late its getting to be talking to him. Then I tell him I'm leaving, and he says alright. I hang up without telling him I love him or good night like usual. I thought he might have gotten the hint but he didn't text me after that or try to stop me. He either didn't notice my feelings or just didn't care.
At this point even just the thought of it turns my stomach. I know what the guy wants and I just don't feel comfortable with this friendship. I want to just get out with it and say I do not want them speaking to each other anymore. But that's too jealous and controlling to say out loud. And also at the same time, its not like I can really control who my boyfriend talks to. For all I know I can say that, he agrees, but just continues talking to him without telling me. And honestly I'm afraid he'll just stop liking me if I start nagging him while the other guy seems like an easygoing breath of fresh air by comparison.
Is there anything I can do to drive them apart or speak my mind in a way that won't damage my relationship?

Anyone welcome! Just Send me a intro about you :)
Hey im Jonathan! I would love to meet new people from wherever to game, make jokes? Text, anything! Let me tell you more about me!
Please be able to hold a conversation instead of saying “cool” “ok” “yeah”
About me: I’m from Texas
I am LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 Friendly
Lover of memes
I love to watch sci fi/ fantasy movies the most. Favorite would be LOTR : The Two Towers. sci fi would be tron legacy.
I enjoy gaming a lot and would love to play with people. I play a lot of multiplayer games. I love stardew and halo the most, but i play zelda, mario, doom and a whole lot of other games so just ask me what else i play.
On my free time i like to write about fantasy short stories and Or about my days.
I like to go on walks of hikes depending on the weather.
I like to explore more of nature by heading into a nearby forest.
Music: i like daft punk and metallica.
Reading: i like to read young adult fantasy and non fiction books. Percy Jackson and The Mortal Instruments especially. And ACOTAR Too
I enjoy Studio Ghibli, Anime, and Marvel and Dc Movies
I have a couple of dogs if you want to see them, just ask me :)
Currently plan to work on my masters this fall!
Thats mostly everything from me but if you’re interested to learn more just ask!l

As the title suggests, if you've ever actually told a classmate you thought they were cute, how did it turn out? Is it worth it? I'm very busy so i don't have time to meet people otherwise (parties, clubs, etc) but i've started to like my guy classmate. should i tell him, or just leave it alone and continue to be friends because he probably doesn't like me like that? the couple of times i've invited him to hang out he politely turns me down.
sorry in advance you had to witness me asking for relationship advice on reddit.

(Vague and brief descriptions of sexual activity, viewer discretion advised)
David took one more look through the window before shutting it. He couldn't have anyone see what was going on. Jack quickly tossed the bound individual through the door. They grunted out of annoyance as opposed to fear. Jack, almost appearing scared, flung the key David gave him to the side and slammed the door.
“Congratulations, you're out of the dog house.” David grinned, calmly walking to the keys, bending down to be at eye level with the individual on the floor. Their look was more neutral than expected, but a tangible spark of malice was present.
“Aw, what's wrong? Don't like being on the floor? I thought you were used to that.” David remarked with forced doe eyes. The person looked away, trying not to engage with the brunette. David dragged them across the ground, sitting them on the couch. They began growling through their cloth gag, gradually wetting it with spit as David stood across from them with the world’s most condescending smile.
“I'd like to say that it's good to see you again, but we both know that would be a lie. I don't have many strong feelings for you, which I think goes for everyone in your life.” He chuckled, leaning towards them to remove their gag. As soon as it was removed they attempted to bite him, though he saw this coming and backed up.
“Ugh, why the fuck did you bring me here?” they spat, wriggling in their restraints.
“I brought you here to clean you up before we meet with Zander again. He's forced me into a deal where I return you so my info won't be leaked.” They rolled their eyes whilst groaning loudly, confusing David.
“Goodness, for someone who’s escaping captivity and torture, you sure aren't very grateful,” David remarked while pulling out a comb from a cloth bag.
“Because I'm not escaping shit! You're the one choosing to get me out of my situation, I don't even get the dignity of leaving because of my efforts!” David took out a folded pink blouse and set it on the table between him and his captive.
“I understand how that can be frustrating if I was in your situation, which I never would be since I would have escaped months ago. I'd be pissed at someone playing doll house with my life too. But that's the thing if you were truly as capable as you claim to be you wouldn't have to wait for my interference.” David walked off to the small kitchen connected to the living room, not paying attention to the specific ways his victim’s hands were moving.
“Please, until you're in my position you can't say that you'd handle it better than me. You can make as many flimsy predictions as you want, but the moment you step into my world your scenarios won't reflect shit.” David shrugged, pulling out a half-empty cup of iced coffee.
“I'd argue against that but I won’t bother since I know you won't listen. I could explain my reasoning in a myriad of ways and you’d still block it out.” The bound individual scoffed.
“Like your one to talk about listening to others. Last I checked, you're the one who's been trying to fix the same milk toast guy since high school no matter how many people tell you it's a waste of time.” David didn't respond, taking a sip of his drink.
“Yeah that made you shut your trap fast didn't it?”
David set his beverage on the table and approached his captive. Joining them on the couch in uncomfortable proximity.
“For a moment yes, but only because I needed a second to word what I'm about to say in a way you’d understand.” he smiled to the chagrin of the captive.
“Zander isn't some random former classmate, I selected him in the same way a breeder selects a dog. I evaluated many others before choosing him. To people like you, my pursuit appears meaningless since you aren't gaining the knowledge I am. If you knew what I knew, you wouldn't be able to resist going further either. I've seen into the mind of this man further than he has. I've run my hands over every inch of his psyche and molded him into a silhouette even closer to my affection. Ideally, I’d create the perfect entity and we'd repeat the process together on another, but I no longer have the time for that.” The bound individual stared dumbfounded. Taking a breath before replying, needing a moment to process the mountain of words that had been thrown at them.
“Wow, you must be the most talented gymnast on the planet for all the mental gymnastics you just did,” they stated bluntly.
“I gotta give you credit, that's the most sensible explanation someone could give for this. Not that it’s saying much since this is completely delusional.” David rolled his eyes, pulling out a pair of light jeans from the same bag as the blouse. The captive looked down at the completed outfit with disgust.
“Well, I described it in the most digestible way I could, but I suppose that doesn't matter since you don't want to give what I've said serious thought. Regardless, I still need to make you look presentable for this exchange. I assume you wouldn’t want me to dress you so I'll untie you and allow you to do it yourself, but don't try to run off because trust me I’ve prepared for that.” They looked down at the garments with disdain. David observed their expression further, there was a hint of sadness. He found it odd at first but soon understood what was wrong.
“I know it's stupid but do you have anything else I can wear? This stuff feels wrong to me.” They commented as David untied their wrists.
“I don't have a lot of masculine clothes in my wardrobe that I think you'd like but I can look. I know that this outfit doesn't reflect your current self but it's what I was provided.” The captive rubbed their wrists and began to free their ankles.
“It’s alright, honestly I didn't expect you to do anything especially after I insulted your logic, so this is a nice surprise.” They said, spreading their legs so they could sit more comfortably.
“I understand the importance of gender affirming clothing, you deserve to wear something that represents you.” Their eyes widened upon hearing the mention of their gender.
“W-wait you know about my identity?!” they asked defensively.
“Yes, and don't worry, I respect it. Jack filled me in on everything involving your gender identity including that your current pronouns are they/them and that your preferred name is Mad Dog. Though even if he didn't make me aware of that, I would have asked about it upon seeing your masculine appearance. Your completely flat chest and stubble didn't go unnoticed by me.” They calmed down, loosening their posture.
“Oh wow, alright, I didn't expect you to take that so well. A lot of people don't understand and just right me off. So I sort of expected the same from you.” David frowned while approaching them.
“That’s unfortunate, I know you have little reason to trust me, but at least trust that I won't purposely misgender or use the wrong name for you.” The feminine individual’s understanding in tandem with his appearance made Mad Dog have questions.
“Alright I trust you with that and it's appreciated but I have to ask. Do you see yourself as something that isn’t male?” David sighed, folding his arms and glancing at the floor.
“I don’t express it to anyone apart from Jack and Jackson, but yes. I see myself as a woman and feel most comfortable when I’m perceived as such. IIt’s been hard since Sophie has actively punished me for being the way I am. Even setting my injectable hormones on fire in front of me” Despite Mad Dog’s heavy dislike of the woman they couldn't help but feel sympathy for her in this instance. For a moment they were even tempted to say sorry, but they couldn't bring themselves to do it.
“Well you're out to me, and I’ll respect your identity as well. You might be a bitch but you still deserve to be addressed correctly.” She laughed, unfolding her arms.
“Hehe, thank you, Mad Dog, now help me get you something to wear.” She responded in a lighter tone than earlier. They followed her into her bedroom as she looked through her suitcase.
“Hmmm, I have a purple button-up, would you like that? I don't think my jeans will fit you well since your legs are noticeably thinner than mine, but you can try them on if you'd like.” They looked around the room as she spoke, as they expected, it was rather barren. They knew that David didn't stay in one place for long so it made sense that she never got time to settle in.
“Were you listening?” she asked, appearing at their side with the dress shirt in hand. They flinched at her sudden appearance, shifting their gaze to the item.
“Oh, nah I'm good just wearing my pants, even though they could probably use a wash.” They rubbed the back of their head, the grease in their hair becoming prevalent as they pulled their hand away.
“You could use a wash too, the stench that surrounds you is quite dreadful. If I was going off scent alone I would really think that you're a stray dog.” She joked, tossing the shirt back onto her bed.
“I'd like to say you're wrong but unfortunately you're spot on,” they responded putting their hands up, she giggled at the gesture.
“I’ll take you to the restroom and let you know what stuff you're allowed to use. I might be feeling merciful but I don't want you using my good shampoo. I won't see you after tonight but I live with my curls every day.” she remarked, poking her textured hair for emphasis.
“Heh, you know I’m starting to get why so many people fall for you. You’re pretty charming when you want to be. With a face like that, I'd almost call you cute.” She was suspicious of the partial compliment, questioning the motive behind it.”
“Awe, you're such a sweetheart, giving me half a compliment after I've shown you kindness.” she crouched slightly and patted her legs.
“Do you want a treat for doing the bare minimum?” She mocked. Mad Dog’s face turned sour in response.
“Ugh, I take it back, guess you can't take a win unless it goes in the exact way you want.” She adjusted her position and shrugged.
“In my eyes, the less you have to compromise the greater the victory.” Before Mad Dog could respond she started walking to the restroom, motioning for them to come along. Once they were inside, David hung up a fresh towel and opened the shower door. Turning the knob clockwise while describing how to adjust the temperature.
“See that 3 in one bottle? That's what I’ll have you use, I’ve never touched the stuff but I keep it as a last resort.” Mad Dog watched her as she explained everything, her body language was relaxed and inviting. Seeing her in such a mundane situation was fascinating. They wondered how someone like her could appear so normal.
“That's good with me, I'm not picky about that kind of thing,” they spoke, removing their raggedy shirt. Her eyes widened at the sight of their nipple piercings and tapered abdominal hair. They smiled at her expression, she looked at them with an embarrassment they couldn't have pictured on her face.
“Jeez calm down lady, I know this isn't the first time you've seen nipple piercings.” they playfully winked, taking off their pants.
“I don't need to be calmed, trust me I've seen better. I’m just surprised by how comfortable you are.” Mad Dog removed their chest jewelry, a subtle smirk developing on their face.
“Nah, at this point my stomach is made of steel, it takes a lot to make me uneasy. Hell, you could see me with my whole cock out and I wouldn't care!” they jested, setting the metal pieces on the countertop. David was taken aback by the crude comment, awkwardly looking away.
“Oh, alright then, anyway I’ll let you get clean. Just don't take too long. Also, the blue washcloth is mine, use the red one.” She responded, trying to hold her composure after Mad Dog’s words painted a strange picture in her mind.
“Heh, I'll make sure to remember that and don't worry about me taking long, I've practically been conditioned into taking short showers.” David nodded, leaving them alone to tidy up. When the door was closed, the woman took a deep breath. Things with Zander were coming to an end whether she liked it or not. She flopped on her couch, allowing the festering dread inside her to take hold. She’d been bottling it up for those around her, but she couldn't take it anymore.
“This is it,” she told herself quietly, staring up at the off-white ceiling.
From the moment she got Sophie’s message about Zander needing to die, cracks began to form.
She couldn't be weak in front of Zander, especially not during their final showdown. She couldn't cry in front of him, she couldn't show how much she’d miss him, she couldn't hold him, she couldn't ask him what he thinks she should do after the game is over. The more she thought about the upcoming meeting the more she dreaded it. Whatever she’d say to him would be heavily condensed and sanitized, which hurt her in a way she couldn't explain. David put her hand in between the couch cushions to retrieve her lucky shirt. A striped tee she'd stolen from Zander’s room towards the beginning of the dare.
“I wish I could be weak around you, you don't understand how much I want to weep into you.” she shakily stated, hugging the cloth.
“I wanted things to end differently, I truly did, but I don't have a choice.” Tears began to develop in her eyes.
“You were so close to reaching me, the way you used your audience was impeccable! If given just a year or so more to live we could have finally been on the same level. Acknowledging the demented elements intrinsic to each other, but still finding happiness.” Water flowed from her eyes as she clung to the clothing item.
“It’s no use though, you’ll be gone before I can even explain any of this. Fuck, I wish I could just have a real conversation with you!” she threw the shirt to the ground, almost throwing herself off the couch along with it. Despite all the time she’d spent with him, she felt like she’d never spoken to him as herself. Come to think of it, she never spoke to anyone as her authentic self. Despite multiple people claiming to have strong feelings about her, in reality, they only felt that way about a fraction of her or a character she’d played. Once Zander was gone, she’d lose the closest thing to a genuine connection.
“No, no, no,” she sobbed, it was all crashing around her. Images of the things she’d done up to this point overlapped in her mind. Highlighting how much she’d put herself through to get to where she is. Years of planning, multiple human lives, all sacrificed for nothing. Each heinous act she’d taken part in was now a meaningless act of violence, making her no better than a bloodthirsty monster. She was content with being morally in the wrong, but she couldn't bear her efforts lacking purpose.
The faint noise of pouring water dissipated as she curled into a ball. She ignored it, sinking further into her sorrow. Zander had told her that she'd need to meet him at a particular time, but at this point, she’d lost track.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Mad Dog rudely asked, kneeling before her with a towel tightly wrapped around their waist. She slowly turned to face them with a distraught expression. Barely processing their presence in the midst of her breakdown.
“These walls ain't that thick, I heard what you were weeping about.” She was upset with their insensitivity but didn't have the energy to respond.
“You’ve done nothing but destroy this man’s life and now that he can finally be free from the hell you’ve created, you're having a hissy fit!” they chastised, with more vitriol than she’d ever heard from them.
“At this point death is a sweet release! If you had even a shred of sanity or real feeling you’d be happy for him!” Her face scrunched up further, she was not equipped to handle their words. She just wanted to process in peace, but they wouldn't let that happen.
“God lady, why the fuck are you breaking down over this?!” they yelled at her, it was too much and she screamed throwing a pillow at their stomach.
“BECAUSE I CAN’T HAVE THIS ALL BE FOR NOTHING!” she shot up and pulled them closer to her by their hair.
“I CAN’T HAVE THE PAST SEVEN YEARS OF MY LIFE BE USELESS! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M GOING TO DO AFTER THIS, SO AT THE VERY LEAST I SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROPERLY FINISH THIS! ” she screamed out, spitting into their face. They stared dumbfounded at her as she relinquished her grip. They’d heard about how skilled she was at faking feelings, but they could tell this was real. Regardless, they had little sympathy for her.
“There you go, admit what we both knew. You only care about him dying cause it's not what you’d envisioned in your sick little fantasy. All this pseudo-psychological bullshit is just an excuse to disguise what you actually are. A soulless sadist who doesn't have anything to her outside of fucked up games!” She sobbed, putting her hands over her face to catch her tears.
“YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO GO THROUGH LIFE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE AND FEEL CONSTANTLY ALONE!” she screamed, a hint of venom developing in her tone.
“That’s how I have to interact with people! I can't feel them so I have to analyze and try my best to find joy! It's no secret I'm fucked up, but this is just how I function.” She responded, gaining some more composure. Mad Dog held back a smile when staring at her reddish face. Seeing the usually confident woman weakened satisfied them in multiple ways. Prompting them to continue prodding at her.
“You're still selfish for mourning experiences instead of people. Only giving a shit cause of what you can no longer get out of them.” David’s expression was grim as she gazed back at the long-haired individual.
“I never said I wasn't, besides you do realize that everyone mourns people for experiences right? Just like you’ll be upset that you can't spend time with a family member once they’re gone, I’ll be sad I won't be able to spend time with Zander. My relationship with him is not healthy by traditional standards, hell it's hardly a relationship at this point. But I’ll still miss the time we spent, and sulk over what was taken.” Mad Dog calmed their stance, sitting down at the edge of the couch. Their legs dangled near hers since they were facing toward her.
“You along with most people hate that I can't express real emotions, but when I finally do you get hyper-critical of my reasoning? I’m not asking for sympathy, I'm just asking to be allowed to feel. I don't think you’ll ever understand how crushing it is to sacrifice so much only to fail. Mad Dog, my mother is dead, I gave up the last of my family for this.” They looked down at her, the gleam in her eyes pulled at their heartstrings, a mix of sadism and empathy kicking in. On one hand, they did feel sad seeing someone in such a state, on the other, it was David King. A woman who had set them on a dark path by allowing Sophie to keep them captive. A woman with little respect for them, evidenced by her using them as a bargaining chip with Zander. In that instant, the desire to comfort was matched with the desire to humiliate.
“Okay, that was a pretty good act, you got me a little there honestly. Now, what do you want?” They inquired with a notable drawl.
“If you insist on staying, can I lay with you? I get that it's weird especially since you aren’t dressed yet, so it's fine if you don’t. I just need the feeling of being held” she requested quietly, with her knees to her chest. For Mad Dog, it was hard to say no when she, in their opinion, looked so pathetic. Secretly, they thought her desperation was attractive. So now that she was expressing the need to be touched, they took advantage of the opportunity.
“That's a lot of words to ask for a hug.” They kidded, making her crack a modest smile.
“But yeah, I can do that, at the very least you'll smell better than the last person I laid with,” they commented, trying to sound wholesome to hide their true intentions.
“And who was that?” she questioned, a slightly warmer tone emerging. They picked her up, throwing her over their shoulder. Enjoying the feeling of grabbing her. She was a bit heavy but they didn't complain.
“Hate to break it to you, but Zander, bro gets sweaty as hell during summer nights, meanwhile I have a high tolerance for heat. It was pretty awkward.” She scoffed, tugging on a bit of their wet hair.
“Ah, alright sorry for bringing him up. I know this ain't the time.” They opened the door to her bedroom and dropped her on the bed. The landing was a bit harsh but the plush of the mattress made up for it. The woman got under her comforter and Mad Dog joined her, wrapping their arms around her waist. Their damp body was cold but she didn't care, she just wanted to be held. They gradually got warmer as they stayed by her side and shifted their position. She was still crying as they cuddled her.
“Hey, it'll be okay, you're a skilled lady, you'll land on your feet,” they assured her as her body shook. Her heavy breaths were apparent, she was making them out of distress, but they triggered inappropriate images in Mad Dog’s mind.
“A woman as beautiful as you could probably start modeling.” they complimented, the words catching the woman’s attention.
“Really?” she asked softly,
“Of course! If I didn't know better, I'd start spoiling you the moment we lock eyes,” they playfully answered, wrapping their arms around her waist. She turned to face them, there was a shift in their demeanor. The way they spoke was almost sensual.
“You’ve spent a lot of time working, I say you just become a sugar baby. You're one of the few people in this ugly-ass world who’s hot enough for some rich dude to shower you with gifts.” they partly kidded, moving their arms up to rub her shoulders. At this point, she knew what they were doing. Still, she chose to hold off her comment since she was a sucker for praise.
“Thank you Mad Dog,” she replied, she was no longer crying, which Mad Dog had mixed feelings on.
“Hey, I want to apologize for what I said earlier, I should have left you alone. You deserve better treatment than that and I’ll make an effort to make it up to you.” They smiled, moving their arms to her lower back. Despite the sweet words, their tone was audibly sleazy. It was clear to David what they were holding back.
“Do you think I’m pretty?” she asked innocently, they took a deep breath before responding.
“Are you kidding me? You're so much more than pretty. You're smart, determined, focused, brave, and yeah, pretty sexy.” She smiled smugly, a distinct sheen appearing in her eyes. Confusion overcame Mad Dog as she began giggling.
“What, not used to hearing me say sexy?” The woman’s giggles soon grew into cackling. Mad Dog looked away from her, taking it as a reminder of her insanity.
“Hahaha! I’m sorry, I just think it's so funny that you're blunt about everything, but when it comes to this you feel the need to ease me in! You're so quick to say what’s on your mind, but now you’re trying to be a charmer. It's simply hilarious!” They let go of her and sat themselves up, though her position remained the same.
“What the hell are you talking about? I’m not trying anything, what led me to this point is simple. I made you feel worse when you were crying, felt guilty about it, and agreed to give you sympathy snuggles. That’s it!” Her expression turned serious as she twirled a strand of their long hair.
“You're not good at subtlety, I understand your entire scumbag strategy. First, you’ll try to break down my self-esteem by saying my feelings aren't valid. Second, you’ll swoop in and shower me with compliments so I’ll warm up to you. Lastly, you’ll apologize so you can look like a good guy and convince me to sleep with you. I might be vulnerable but I’m not stupid.” They rubbed their temples, looking down at her with a newfound resentment.
“Okay fine, maybe I saw that you were feeling down and took advantage of the situation. But it's not malicious, it's something to cheer you up. I think it would be a nice experience to take your mind off things. Not much room to use your brain when you're giving it right?” She cringed at their joke.
“Don’t waste my time with these lovey-dovey lies if you just want to get your rocks off. I get it, you think you’ll be such a badass for shoving your dick in the thing that ruined your life.” She pulled the blanket down, exposing the lower half of their body.
“You're a shithead, but honestly, I’ve slept with people worse than you. I’ll do this, but only because I want to see how long your weak ass will last with me.” She pulled off their towel and crawled to the lower half of the bed, pressing her head against their crotch. Mad Dog took a deep breath before she started stroking their genitals. The first few minutes were pleasurable but awkward.
They thought they’d feel strong having such a feared, well-respected woman sleep with them, but they didn't. Sure, physically it was stimulating, especially since this was the first time they were intimate since their bottom surgery, but outside of the catharsis that came with that, it was a rather dull experience. They thought she’d have a lot more energy than she did. David felt entirely neutral, it wasn't awful but there was no chemistry present. She could tell they were disappointed, which added to her annoyance. In truth, she was only doing this because she doubted that she’d get the opportunity to sleep with someone for a while. She never stayed anywhere long enough to form a relationship and her options were limited as a trans woman. There was a hint of additional bitterness knowing that Mad Dog had been in a relationship with Zander.
Why did they get to go on fun movie dates and hang out with his friends? She’d kill to have one more positive interaction with him. He was vanilla personified, which is what she loved about him. He was so malleable, just a couple of well-mixed ingredients and he’d be something entirely new. Still, the base of his identity was endearing enough on its own. The more she thought about him the more she wished she was being intimate with him instead. She never thought of him in a lewd manner before, but the idea was beginning to sound enticing. She knew he didn't have long, so wouldn't it be nice to pleasure him before his inevitable loss? It was morbid, but it was preferable to reality.
“God I miss you~” she murmured with her eyes shut as she thought of him. Mad Dog looked down at her with confusion. She laid on her back and pulled them in deeper, they shivered from the feeling.
She could picture it clearly, him gazing at her with a mixture of arousal and disgust. An ounce of frustration let out with each movement. The conflicting thoughts that would run through his mind were already enough to motivate her. It was such an intriguing prospect that she began to yearn for it. Almost entirely blocking Mad Dog’s presence from her mind, imagining her favorite little purebred instead. Mad Dog didn't know why she suddenly became so passionate but it didn't matter to them. They were getting a better experience so the reasoning was irrelevant in their eyes. The long-haired individual got harsher as they continued, getting animalistic with how they handled her. She said some strange things that didn't apply to them but it was easy to ignore in their lustful pride-infused haze. The bigger the reaction, the more successful they felt. Though, in the end, they had run out of stamina faster than her.
“Oh fuck, we did it.” they huffed, laying down in a sweaty heap. She got off them, stretching her back. Her bottom was sore, the fresh bite marks stung, and her skin was still reddish in certain areas.
“You're lucky I wasn't thinking about you, or else this would have ended a lot faster.” she snarled, hopping off the bed. They smirked, as unflattering as it was to admit, this was the best time they’d ever had.
“Yeah whatever, I put in work, and it paid off, so you could be picturing my ex for all I care.” they laughed weakly, coughing midway through.
“Good to know, 'cause that’s exactly who was on my mind,” she responded smugly, knowing it would upset them. Their laughter stopped, turning into a disappointed groan.
“Fuck lady, you seriously can't get this guy out of your head for a millisecond.” they chastised, she looked back at them while pulling a teal dress out of a bag.
“I’m not sure if you have the right to complain since you're the one who tried to emotionally break me down so I’d let you fuck me.” they darted their eyes away with a hint of guilt.
“Thanks to you both of us will probably arrive half an hour late, now get dressed.” she sternly commanded, her voice displaying the power they wish they’d gained from the experience long term. They got their clothes back on while she ironed her dress. Once the wrinkles were out she went into the bathroom to wash the smell of sex away. Mad Dog sat on the couch and flicked on the TV while waiting for her. As they channel surfed fatigue settled in, making them drift off to sleep.
In their slumber, they relived the day they met David. Up until this point they’d heard of her but had never interacted with her. When she came into their holding cell she appeared soulless, an unfeeling machine disguised as a human. Anger clouded over them when they saw her. If they weren't chained up, they would have lunged and bitten her face off like a rabid dog. Not because they hated her, but because they hated that she put them in such an inferior position. Throughout their life, they were forced to be a victim in many regards. So being the kidnapped love interest in a cage was the last straw. From that day onward, they promised themselves that they’d do something to assert power over her when she was at her weakest.
“Anything you want to say to me?” David asked, wrapping duct tape around their wrists. They jolted up, peering down to find that their ankles had gotten the same treatment.
“Oh, shit, we’re leaving now?” They asked sleepily, meeting her gaze again. She was wearing sleek dark makeup that complimented every one of her facial features. They were surprised by the elegance that radiated from her.
“Yes we are, and I’ll have to tape your mouth soon so if you have anything to say you have to say it now.” they frowned, there were a lot of things they wanted to say. They’d experienced so much emotional whiplash with her that it was hard to condense their thoughts into a few parting words. She rolled more tape, attempting to apply it to their face.
“Wait, I have something! They yelled, causing her to abruptly jerk her hands away.
“When this is over you should start focusing on yourself. Not Sophie, not psychology, not any crazy dares. I think your main issue is that you build your life around achieving goals or getting answers to questions that apply to others. If you spent some quality time finding yourself, I think you could not only be a better person but happier overall too.” She was speechless, she hadn't expected something so profound from them. The words cut deep, making her realize how little she knew about herself. Maybe that was the core reason why she didn't want to be alone, ‘cause if she was, then she wouldn't even have herself to keep her company. She fell into a slight haze while taking in their words, snapping back to reality when the roll of tape fell out of her hand.
“Oh shit,” she murmured, bending over to grab it. Mad Dog smiled at her moment of clumsiness, wishing they’d gotten to know that stripped-back, human version of the woman more. David ripped off the piece she first unraveled, applying it to Mad Dog’s cheek with embarrassment upon realizing how short it was. They let out a final snicker, finding her mundane error to be the most endearing thing they’d seen from her. David sighed while wrapping the multiple layers of duct tape around their head. Soon their face was replaced by a gray adhesive cocoon, with nothing more than their hickory brown eyes visible. Gazing into her reflection in their sclera, she uttered her final words to them.
“This whole night has been a roller coaster, and while I can't call you a friend, I can thank you for the experience. You made me address issues that have been festering for years, something I didn't think anyone could do. I might not like you, but I don’t hate you either. If you know anything about me, you know I love seeing people develop their own type of strength, which you’ve done. So for that, I give well wishes, goodbye Mad Dog.”

When it started i wasn’t sure where this was going, I was like crunchyroll is getting pretty bold airing borderline hentai now and figured id drop it. But behind those first couple episodes of occasional sus fan service it became a pretty good show.
Leave it to studio bind, they love making amazing shows hiding behind degeneracy ( mushoku tensei) it seems.
It started off good and after the first couple episodes the fan service was pretty much gone, and by the end i was thoroughly enjoying it.
Now this show isnt for everyone, its basically a slice of life girls doing cute things with an underlying message and tone . Kind of like if mushoku tensei was a cute girls show instead of a isekai fantasy lol. But I hope more ppl appreciate how good it is.
And let me know if u view the same and if it surprised you.

Its been like 15 games since I last saw someone's side or back. Some times it doesnt even feel like im playing agaisnt players anynore but some weird campaign AI.
No matter how I flank, How I go slowly go to not make noise or how I even try to camp in the most unexpected locations, every enemy that appears on my screen is already aiming and shooting at me as soon as a pixel of them is in my screen. Its making my game experience miserable.
And this is not a "im getting rolled" post as I usually top scoreboards anyway, but its not a fun experience at all.
In fact ,still doing good makes me extremely suspicious of this, as "players" with such god tier awareness to always be facing where I am should also be good at combat and aiming... but its only unnatural movement and awarenes and the fact that theres zero time between enemy appearing and me being fired at, even when enemy still has bad aim and misses. Most of my won fights starts with me taking damage first and managing to kill my aggressor. I basically never get to start the fight.
The other thing that makes me very suspicious is that is that uninstalling the game ,waiting a couple days, and installing again gets me in lobbies in which I see again players backs. After some games this starts happening again. Also my position in scoreboards and won/lost games are unaffected, only the fact that enemies start gaining constant awareness of where I am, making it, as I said, a chore to play.
And I repeat this is not a post about losing or being outgunned, it is only about a suspiciously unnatural awareness and placement which is reinforced by me topping scoreboards in which I should be stomped according to how others always predict my location so well. This is not a "I shoot first and die" or "enemy never misses a shot" post. The fact that I can still do well with meme guns like a sawed off 725 lockwood with slugs is what raises red flags for me.

A couple of weeks ago my mom and aunt were over for the birthdays. (They're twins) My grandparents had the whole family over, one of which being my little nephew. He's about 3 or 4 now. I don't get to see him often, so I spent quite a bit of time with him because, despite not wanting children or generally liking kids, I do really enjoy my nephew. In small doses, of course. Lol
We were playing and he got upset about something. I don't even remember what it was but I told him I couldn't help if he didn't tell me what was wrong. I didn't think it would work, but I had him breathe with me a few times to calm down and then he told me what was wrong. I think it was something to do with playing cards. Anyway, we got the cards and started playing. I didn't think anything else about it except that I was proud of him for telling me what was wrong. Most kids I've been around just fly off the handle and become unmanageable.
Well, later in the evening, my aunt said something to me about how good I was with him. Then she said that my husband and I need to have one. I just kinda stared at her. I had a hysterectomy less than a year ago. Everyone in the family knows it. So I just kinda laughed and said that I was pretty sure that ship has sailed. She then launched into a drunken rant about how I should've had kids cause I'd be a great mom and my husband and my kid would be so smart and cute.
I finally got fed up with it and said, yeah, I know I'd be a badass mom because I'd actually respect my kids and be respectful of their choices in life, whatever they may be. And I sure as hell wouldn't berate them at a family dinner about something they have no interest in doing.
For context, my aunt helped my mom raise me and we've always been really close. She's never said anything about being disappointed in me for not having kids. It honestly really hurt hearing her say these things.
But, it just goes to show that breeders will continue to bingo, even when the person isn't capable of having kids anymore.
As an aside, I didn't have the hysterectomy because I didn't want kids. That was just a bonus. My uterus was eaten up with endometriosis and I was in severe pain for two weeks out of every month. My husband and I couldn't have penetrative sex for a year because of it. So yeah... It felt like a complete slap in the face from my aunt. I'm glad I have a community like this who understands.

So I'm a trans lesbian, maybe a little bi, idk yet. But I'm using Her and they have all those cute little badges. I put Queer, Lipstick Lez, T4T, and a couple others in there.
For T4T, will people assume that's all I'm looking for? Or will they know I'm just also open to that?
For Queer, I've heard there might be negative connotations on that? Thoughts?
Same with Lipstick Lez. I'm very into girls but also really love being cute and getting done up. Am I using this one right?
I feel like a total noob here lol...

Out of a toxic ego-death inducing relationship , I spent a couple years getting to know myself , working on my inner child shit , and hating dating apps ofc . My current gf was honestly the last ditch “wtf not “ message on bumble where I joked about getting a couples massage for our first date .
After a lot of texting back and forth, I actually planned a dinner like a grown up 🤵‍♂️and since we live in the same area she was gonna meet me at my place , and we were gonna walk to the restaurant at sunset 🌅 cute af idea I think . She pulls up , and I go in for a hug hello and she just starts making out with me . Didn’t make the restaurant but we been a few times since . Dating 6 months now .
My entire breakup left me realizing I was overextending myself to people who didn’t deserve it , just to validate myself . This girl appreciates parts of me that nobody has ever identified and articulated (outside of my own head when I’m feelin myself).
I moved into my new place in San Diego a couple years back , and furnishing my own place as a single male was the most surprising form of self care and discovery about myself 😇 especially when healing from a toxic breakup that makes you question who you are. l love my place , but tbh I never been a HANDY person . I got the nicest apartment , that I’m super thankful for , but my lack of handiness and also ADHD had me LACKING af in the 2 key areas girls judge your spot: - my mattress was on the floor until a 3 dater from Hinge built my bed frame like a fuckin DIY queen 👸 - Monster TV not mounted and sitting on floor …the last thing that really screams Bachelor Pad”
Anyway , my 37th birthday is Sunday. I usually am so worried about other people in my life’s birthday that I normally dgaf about mine . This girl has dated me for 6 months without saying a single snarky thing about the TV. She hasn’t said shit fellas ! That deserves props right there . She even tried to spin it as preferable to the status quo to make me feel better 😂😂😂. Yesterday, she knows I’m on PTO bc my dad visited to stay overnight for the first time .
She says “I need you out of your apartment at 11am no questions please trust me “. I go to the gym and she had that TV mounted and my place was spotless 🥰🥰🥰
Besides the other amazing aspects about who my girl is as a person , this level of thoughtfulness is like an every day thing with her that makes me really fucking thankful to have her in my life. Major ups to Miss Julia 🏆

Anyone welcome! Just Send me a intro about you :)
Hey im Jonathan! I would love to meet new people from wherever to game, make jokes? Text, anything! Let me tell you more about me!
Please be able to hold a conversation instead of saying “cool” “ok” “yeah”
About me: I’m from Texas
I am LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 Friendly
Lover of memes
I love to watch sci fi/ fantasy movies the most. Favorite would be LOTR : The Two Towers. sci fi would be tron legacy.
I enjoy gaming a lot and would love to play with people. I play a lot of multiplayer games. I love stardew and halo the most, but i play zelda, mario, doom and a whole lot of other games so just ask me what else i play.
On my free time i like to write about fantasy short stories and Or about my days.
I like to go on walks of hikes depending on the weather.
I like to explore more of nature by heading into a nearby forest.
Music: i like daft punk and metallica.
Reading: i like to read young adult fantasy and non fiction books. Percy Jackson and The Mortal Instruments especially. And ACOTAR Too
I enjoy Studio Ghibli, Anime, and Marvel and Dc Movies
I have a couple of dogs if you want to see them, just ask me :)
Currently plan to work on my masters this fall!
Thats mostly everything from me but if you’re interested to learn more just ask!l

Assets and Debt

Retirement Balance: $36,428 in a Roth IRA, $4,571 in an individual brokerage account, and $19,960 in a 401k. Right now I contribute 6% because my company’s match policy maxes out at 3%. I’ve always contributed this much regardless of my salary progression to max out my company’s policy. I’ve been at the same company for the entirety of my salaried career so this is all of it too!
I go to my Dad for pretty much everything money-related. I’m very lucky to have a father who opened up a Roth IRA for me at 22 and practically forced me to open up my own brokerage account a little before I turned 26. Right now I contribute $250 a month to my Roth and $250 to the S&P 500 at the end of every month. This is an automatic payment out of my bank account so I always leave enough in my checking account for this to avoid a late fee. My dad is huge on maxing out a Roth IRA so my parents match the other $3,000 each year. I would have significantly less in my Roth IRA without this and I’m extremely grateful. Apart from this and my phone bill I’m financially independent and would love to make a little more money soon so I can max out my Roth IRA on my own. (It’d really be ideal if I stayed on my parents' family plan for my phone though haha.)
As mentioned before, I really didn’t want to open up a brokerage account at first because I was (and still am) extremely intimidated by the whole process. Eventually I gave in and we settled on an automatic payment to the S&P 500 so I really don’t have to think about things. As usual, my dad was right and I’m really proud of that $4,571 since opening it up. I contribute the same amount regardless of how well the market is doing too to make it easier. I also do not touch this money ever because my spending habits can be all over the place (I’m working on it!)
Savings Account Balance: $1,580 in emergency savings
At the height of the pandemic this was up to $10k. I paid NYC rent while living with my parents until my lease ended and then kept living between my house or my BF’s to save as much as possible. Living at home really messed with my relationship with my parents (and my independence honestly) so I scrambled back to NYC in June of 2021 and furnished this apartment with the majority of my emergency savings. My boyfriend lives with me now but he didn’t then, so this felt AWESOME knowing I did it by myself. I’d ideally love for this number to be much higher so I’m working on it. It’s admittedly been hard because of my spending habits.
Checking Account Balance: $551.63
As mentioned above, I contribute $500 at the end of every month so I like to keep that amount in my checking account. I put all expenses on my credit cards and only pay rent and utilities directly from this account at the end of the month when I get paid.
Credit Card Debt: $0

Income

Income Progression: I started as a “mommy’s helper” when I was 12 years old for some families on my street and quickly became the resident babysitter on the block as I got older. This was great money in high school in addition to my jobs! Through high school and college I worked as a cashier at a bakery, a receptionist at a hair salon, a day-camp counselor, an associate at Skechers (this was easily my favorite because 3 of my best friends worked there at the same time), a wedding videographer, and the front desk of a camera equipment facility at my college.
I’ve been working in social media (with a focus on video production/editing) for 6 years, two years of which were internships. I’ve been at my current job for just shy of 4 years now at an advertising agency in NYC. I graduated college in 2018 with a 6-month fellowship at a pretty big news website as a video producer making $22/hour. I was one of about 50 interns (15 of which were also part of my graduating class). The job description was identical to that of an Associate Video Producer and the only difference was the pay. I remember being devastated when I wasn’t offered a salary of $50,000 like some of the people in my intern class.
For the next 6 months I was living the unemployed life. This was a super dark time in my life and I remember feeling so worthless. The amount of unanswered applications really got to me and I really wanted someone to just give me a chance. During this time I made due by walking and watching more dogs than I can count (S.O. Rover and Wag!) and wrote a ton of freelance articles. Fun fact, I only heard back from companies during my employment that I had connections at. (I was ghosted or immediately rejected from every other company I applied to. Connections. Are. Everything.)
Finally, I was hired as a Video Editor working on a TV network account. My starting salary was $60,000 which I was super happy about at the time so I didn’t even bother negotiating (huge mistake!) I only made this salary for about 9 months before the pandemic hit and I was partially furloughed. My salary was cut by 20% for the next 6 months. Making $48,000 obviously wasn’t fun but I was living at home at the time and my only real expense was the rent I was still paying in NYC so I was still able to save a good amount at this time. I also got Fridays off because of this and it was a DREAM!!! I’ve never been more productive honestly so I’m a hugeeee fan of the four-day work week trend going around right now. Right around my 2-year anniversary I got Wa 15% raise to $69,000. 11 months after that I was promoted to Social Media Producer and my current salary of $80,040.
Monthly Take Home: $4,413.40

Expenses

Rent: $1100 (my boyfriend and I currently share a lofted studio for $2200/month)
I’ve been in my current apartment for just shy of 2 years now which is a big deal considering I left every apartment prior to this after my 1 year lease ended! Our current lease is up in September and we’re DYING for more space.. I’m really nervous considering the housing market in New York so TBD on how that’s gonna go.
Electric: $35ish in the winter (my share). My share of the bill can go up to $115 or so over the summer which is brutal.
Subscriptions:
Gym: $92
Apple Music: $10.99
Pet insurance (my share): $24.40
Wifi: $54.99 (I cover Wifi in full and my boyfriend covers Youtube TV for us)
Debt Payments: I’m very lucky that I have $0 debt after school.
Parental Help: Phone plan, Streaming services (Amazon Prime, Netflix, HBOMax, etc. and their Roth IRA match for me every year).

Diary

Day 1:
9:15am: I roll out of bed (I’ve been working on going to bed and waking up earlier and am failing). Since it’s Friday I order pick up from the Starbucks down the street and pick up H and my usual orders. I’ve been known to get into funks where I order Starbucks every day for H and I. Right now I only allow myself Friday Starbucks to combat this. I pre-load my card in $25 increments so technically this order was free.
9:30am: I’m back and ready to start my work day. I anticipate a pretty quiet work day today and since it’s my birthday this weekend I really want a haircut. I found an amazing place in Chinatown months ago that I want to go back to because I’m not trying to spend a ton of money. I call and make an appointment for 5pm
4:30pm: I leave my apartment and get ready to catch the Subway to Chinatown. $2.75
5:40pm: I chopped a few inches off and my hair hasn’t been this short since I graduated college. I’m especially obsessed with my hair because of the price. $51.60 with tip!
5:45pm: I make it to the subway and get ready to go home. $2.75
6:15pm: I make it home and greet my dog and get him dinner. As I’m going through my closet and trying to figure out what to wear for my birthday celebration tomorrow, I get a FaceTime from one of my friends from home. She made it to the city (she’s staying at a mutual friend's place) and is wondering if I want to grab dinner and drinks with them. I accept and start to get ready.
H has been out all day watching March Madness games with his friends so I make sure to give our puppy some extra treats and love while I’m home. After a long shower I throw on my coat and get ready to meet my friends for dinner.
7:15pm: I make it down to the Q with 1 minute to spare before the next downtown train. Always a win! $2.75
7:45pm: I greet my two friends L and P and we immediately start discussing what we’re craving for dinner. We eventually settled on a Mexican place just a short walk away. We get large specialty margaritas, an order of guac and chips, and three orders of enchiladas. It honestly was not the best dinner considering we didn’t get our drink orders until we were halfway through our entrees. Upon getting the bill, we noticed that the restaurant charged a 20% tip with our orders so we split the bill evenly three ways! $76
After dinner we make our way back to P’s apartment. After a couple more hours of catching up I decided to call an Uber home. $22.91
Daily total: $135.85
Day 2:
9:30am: I wake up and am already so excited for the night ahead. (That’s my excuse because I decided to break my Starbucks rule right after I wake up). This time I do have to reload my card. $25.00
9:45am: I make a quick trip to the grocery store for some breakfast supplies for H and I. I’m cooking today! $15.78
Our dinner reservation isn’t until 8pm and I have no plans before then so I lounged for most of the day. At one point H and I decided to take our dog to the dog park for an hour before starting to get ready for the night ahead.
H picks up the car to the restaurant. We went to a pizza place that makes pizzas up to 10 feet long and it was such a fun night. One of my best girlfriends and I share a birthday three days apart so we decided to celebrate together this year. The final bill is $1402.20 and I am happy to put my Amex down for the 4x credit card points. (Fun fact: I have not paid for a flight out of pocket in two years since having this card. I love it!) People will be paying me back though, so my share is only $78.
We spent the rest of the night bar hopping and ringing in my birthday at midnight. It was honestly such a great night. When we were finally done dancing and ready to turn in, H and I caught a cab with one of my best friends and her boyfriend since we live close. H picked up the tab as well as my drinks throughout the course of the night so it was technically free!
2:20am: We arrive home and start getting ready for bed. I start chugging water hoping I’m not hungover on my birthday. (I swear my hangovers get worse every year).
Daily total: $118.78
Day 3:
10:30am: My steady water intake from the night before definitely helped because I woke up not hungover! I spent the morning cuddling up to H and my puppy on the couch while I answered several “Happy Birthday” phone calls from my family members. I seriously have the best family in the world and I’m so grateful for my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that still take the time to this day to make the day feel special!
12:00pm: Five of my friends from home show up at my apartment because we’re planning to all go to a birthday brunch together before they catch their trains home. We settle on a fun diner and H joins us! Since it’s my birthday, my friends and H all split my meal for me so it was free.
2:00pm: My friends grab their bags from my apartment and we start to say our goodbyes. I’m so happy they were all able to come in for the weekend to celebrate!
4:00pm: Since I’m not as full from lunch anymore I decide it’s time for my birthday Starbucks. I always try to order something expensive since it’s free!
7:00pm: After a nap and some lounging on the couch, H asks me what I want for dinner. I settle on sushi and H ordered UberEats for us.
The rest of my birthday consisted of watching Netflix, taking a 30 minute shower and doing a face mask before crawling into bed. It was truly such a nice and relaxing birthday after the night before. 10/10.
Daily Total: $0
Day 4:
8:30am: It’s Monday and it feels very much like it because it’s pouring outside. I spent much of the day working from my couch instead of my desk because it felt right.
12:30pm: H stays home on Mondays too and neither of us feel like making lunch. I venture out and buy us some Sweetgreen for lunch. $28.69
2:00pm: Today is an extremely slow day at work so I decided to subway to my friend's apartment to pick up some of the leftover pizza from Saturday night earlier than planned to avoid rush hour. I want this pizza to be our dinner tonight so I can avoid cooking again. $2.75
3:00pm: After some catching up with my friend I returned to the subway with pizza in tow! $2.75
3:30pm: On my way home I stop by the local smoke shop and see my friend Mary Jane. Since she’s legal now in New York I’m seeing her more often. $135.20
4:30pm: I’m going to a friend’s Bachelorette next month and one of her bridesmaids just sent the itinerary for the weekend ahead. She asked us to Venmo her for a couple of the activities ahead of time. This is going to be my first Bachelorette I’m attending so I don’t have much to compare to, but this entire process has been so organized in my opinion and the bridesmaids have done a great job at keeping it as affordable as possible. $70.62
7:30pm: I finish out the rest of my workday and heat up some of the leftover pizza from Saturday in the airfryer for H and I. I love enjoying my Monday nights watching the Bachelor with a glass of wine in hand, so I pick up a bottle of wine from a shop right off the subway. $16.32
After a couple glasses of wine and “the most dramatic episode ever of the Bachelor” H and I start getting ready for bed.
Daily total: $256.33
Day 5:
8:30am: I roll out of bed and start getting ready for my workday. I had to shoot a couple pieces of content this day so I didn’t spend much of the day sitting down which was really nice. I currently work on a couple food brands’ social media content doing anything from food styling, food photography, video content, etc. It’s a lot of fun and definitely allows me to tap into my creative side.
12:30pm: Since I worked through my lunch while eating more leftover pizza, I decided to get a gel manicure during my lunch break. This is a habit I picked up after my last promotion and I don’t regret it. I’m really trying to prioritize self care the more I get older. $46.59 with tip
5:30pm: I finish out the rest of my work day and start to get ready for some dinner plans with a friend who couldn’t make it Saturday night.
7:00pm: I say goodbye to H and my puppy and catch the train downtown to dinner. $2.75
10:30pm: My friend and I spent hours at this restaurant gossiping and ended up being the last two people there! Oops! It was a cute little Indian restaurant and reasonably priced considering the amount of food we ordered. We split the bill down the middle. $69.44
11:00pm: I arrive home after getting myself a cab home instead of taking the subway. I had a bad experience not too long ago and I like to avoid going late at night if possible. I know it’s not the best financial habit but tonight I feel anxious. $22.20
Daily total: $140.98
Day 6:
9:30am: I totally stayed up way too late scrolling on TikTok last night after dinner so I sleep in super late this morning. Thankfully today is just a meeting day for me so I settle in at my desk and try to imagine my Keurig coffee is Starbucks instead.
12:30pm: H had to stay home today from work because of an arrest warrant that went wrong on the street of his office building (scary!) I have a buy-one get one free deal at Chipotle that’s going to expire soon so I offer to buy us lunch. $17.42
Tonight H and I have dinner plans with one of his best friends and his girlfriend P. P and I also have birthdays just a couple days apart so the four of us decided to celebrate together.
5:30pm: I stop working and start getting ready for our 8pm reservation. We’re going to Il Mulino which is one of our favorites but definitely more of a special occasion restaurant due to the prices.
7:30pm: H wants to take a taxi to dinner so he offers to pay. We get to Il Mulino just in time for our reservation and had such a great night. After a few hours we notice that we’re the last table at the restaurant and H makes a joke that I did this the night before too. (I promise this is not a typical thing for me haha). H splits the tab with P’s boyfriend.
10:45pm: I order H and I an Uber home and we call it a night pretty much immediately. $17.16
Daily total: $34.58
Day 7:
8:30am: Another day of meetings for me. I have a couple of client meetings where I have to present some of the content I’ve made in the last couple of weeks that all went well.
12:30pm: H stayed home again today because we’re planning to visit his family this weekend and we need to pack. I’m really jealous because H has leftovers from our dinner but I don’t so I have to go out and buy lunch. I buy myself some chili and a piece of bread from a place near our apartment. $10.89
6:00pm: I polish off the rest of the day by brainstorming a couple more concepts for the month ahead with my Social Media Manager. Around 6:30pm H’s dad picks us up (he drives to Manhattan every day) and we start driving home to H’s family’s house. Although we always run into traffic, H and I like doing this because it’s easy with our puppy and we avoid paying for a train.
8:00pm: H’s dad picked up a pizza on the way home for all of us to enjoy and we’re starving by the time we get back to the house. After dinner we caught up with H’s brother and watched some Netflix before going to bed.
Daily Total: $10.89
Weekly Total: $697.41
Reflections: This was definitely an expensive week for me but I do identify as a messy spender for a reason. I don’t typically go out to eat as much as I did this week but it was my birthday and I definitely celebrated! (If this were my weekly total every week I wouldn’t be able to keep my credit card debt at $0 so do keep that in mind). I’ve been working on saying no more to things if I don’t think they’re worth the money and my friends and I tend to cook in our apartments together more than going out anyways but it certainly is interesting seeing how much money I can waste by cutting corners like subways and cooking lunch/dinner. As I mentioned in the Assets and Debt section I don’t touch any of my investments for a reason because the amount of money I spend month to month can be drastically different. Here’s to a much more frugal next week of spending!

So I plan to propose to my boyfriend next month. We already have a day set since our anniversary is around then so I plan to play it as us taking pictures for that. I love getting pictures/videos for literally everything so there isn't anything out of the ordinary there. I'm getting a mutual friend of ours to be the photographer. The 3 of us used to work together and we all were really close so I would love for her to be part of it. I also plan to record it just saying I want to get a cute candid video of us because I'm honestly a sucker for stuff like that.
There's this local park we used to frequent when we first started talking that's really special to us. He even said awhile ago thats where he'd propose so I'm not super worried about it being too public/private for him. I know he wouldn't suspect anything though.
I have a little pokeball ring box that I got custom made to be small enough to fit in my skirt pocket. We've always had a little pokemon theme for our milestones. Every year I've given him a custom pokemon card "The Anniversary". I now have one that's "The Proposal" which I want to give to him right before but that's the only part I can't quite figure out. Maybe have it in my bag and ask him to grab something for me so he turns his back to me but also finds it?
Are there any other details I should try to figure out? We've always been the simple "go with the flow" couple so I don't think either of us want any big gesture or anything so the rest is kind of going over my head.

I have never dabbled in polyamory before so this would be a first. I’m not wanting to be anyone’s unicorn, so please do not ask! I am not doing this for a kink or for any other self-interested motivations that are otherwise harmful or selfish. I genuinely want love, and to give it. I’ve been hesitant to post, but will go ahead and do so.
I am 22, attractive, Midwestern, multi-ethnic, tall, and drug and disease free. I am looking for polyamorous couples between the ages of 25-42! Couples that mesh well with my lifestyle and my need to be laid-back. I am also family-oriented and keep up with a few family friends.
In my free time, I enjoy reading, baking, bike-riding, watching anime, astronomy, camping, crocheting, playing Raid, RuneScape, World of Warcraft, writing, cooking, being outdoors, journaling, cute things (my whole room is pink and kawaii), and volunteering for my local animal shelter. I’m a HUGE cat person. I love cats.
I am currently trying to abstain from alcohol in the mean time, I hope sobriety isn’t a deal-breaker for you.
I currently also work in the medical field and am in school for my medical assistant certification, and plan on getting my RN.
I want to talk about our vacation plans, goals in life, our dreams and hopes, and what we expect to gain from all of this. I want to relocate to you, eventually. I also would love to start a family and have children.
I want a homesteading lifestyle and to leave off the grid with a large, big and beautiful, family. We can share our gifts, talents, hopes, love, and ambition with one another freely, and with impartiality.
If you’re interested in my ad, please PM. Thank you!

Author notes: Yes author notes at the beginning again, this might just be how it is by now, because this time i dont actually have anything to say that needs to be at the beginning. This part took quite long, sorry for that, but it is also quite a bit longer than the other parts. The next one will probably also be long.
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Dear mind diary. Z somehow managed to not only stand up without waking me, but also somehow move me into my bed. I have no idea how he did this, maybe I'm just a heavy sleeper, well, doesn't matter anymore, time to get out of bed.
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We're "parked" at a station, Z is nowhere to be seen but I can hear things getting moved around in the storage, however the sound stops and he comes out to say hi, I don't know how he somehow knew I was awake.
​
Me: "Hey Z" Z: "Hello human" Z: "You slept for a shorter time than normal today" Me: "Why are we at a station?" Z: "Today I am visiting my family, i have not visited them for a while now" Z: "They live on a station, there is too many of them to live on a ship" Me: "Well, how many are there?" Z: "Not that big of a family, only a few brothers and sisters, and my parents" Z: "In total... about 20 people." Me: "20?!" Me: "You call that not that big?" Z: "It is not." Z: "Anyways" Z: "The problem is that I made a mistake and landed in the wrong spot, so there is now a decent amount of distance to get to their habitat" Me: "That doesn't sound like that big of a problem, I doubt they'll care if you're a bit late" Z: "The reason it's a problem is more about you, I don't know if you will be comfortable walking that far." Me: "Oh, i'll be fine, walking never hurt anyone" Z: ... Z: "I do not know how you will react to other people, and also..." Z: "It will probably be easier to show you"
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Well that's ominous, he went back into the storage room, I could hear some things being moved around again and then he comes out with a... Oh no, my thoughts were right yesterday That's a leash.
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Me: "Z" Me: "No" Z: "It will not be that bad Sam" Me: "I am not gonna wear that" Z: "It is normal for humans here" Me: "Not to me" Z: "Please?" Me: "I am NOT putting that on" Me: "I don't need it anyways, I can control myself" Z: "I would still rather you have it atleast this one time" Me: "You think i'm lying?" Z: "I never said that!" Z: "If you behave today I won't make you wear it next time" Me: "I would rather you not make me wear it AT ALL" Z: "Come on" Z: "I just need to see how you act" Me: "You can find that out WITHOUT a leash too!" Z: "It's easier this way" Z: "Just calm down" Me: "I AM calm" Z: "You aren't" Z: "Just consider it" Z: "It is only a leash" Me: "I do NOT wanna be seen in public with a COLLAR" Z: "Please just calm down"
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This is bad, I don't think I really have much of a say in this situation, I don't want to be on a leash, I am not an animal... Oh, wait I guess I am, atleast in his eyes, maybe atleast slightly above an animal, but I certainly aren't a person, that realization makes me a bit uncomfortable i haven't ever thought about this in that way. So I guess there's not much of a point in arguing anyways, he'll probably just keep insisting, but as he said, it's just a collar, maybe it won't be that bad, I just need to survive this one time and I won't have to do it again, it'll be okay.
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Me: ... Me: "Fine" Me: "But next time I won't give in this easily" Z: "Just behave and there will not have to be a next time." Z: "Okay?" Me: "Okay..."
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Well, a minute has passed and I am now in a collar, it is not okay, this feels absolutely horrible and I hate it, the only good part is that it atleast isn't uncomfortable, and I guess also the fact that i'll finally get to see the outside, atleast Z seems happy, but that's probably only because I finally gave in. I will probably feel even worse once we exit the ship.
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And we're outside, this seems to just be the ship equivalent of a parking lot, two rows of ships, all of them in some sort of force field (now that we have walked away a bit, ours too), luckily there aren't any people here. Eventually we reach a bigger than normal automatic door, it opens and we enter an area with TONS of people (which is really unexpected with the lack of life in the parking lot), luckily its not that hard to distract myself from the fact that all these people are seeing me in a collar, because it is absolutely amazing here, it's like a REALLY nice city, the buildings look minimalistic but somehow at the same time luxurious and ALL of them are decorated with really vibrant, really pretty lights.
Once the initial amazement faded away, I started to look at the crowd to see how many are looking at me, not that many, but I have noticed the insane variety here, there are lots of different alien species, there are of course some of the 2 that I already know of, but whats far more interesting are the ones I dont recognize, lots of different sizes, none are smaller than me, but there are some that do get pretty close, there are many different colors too, and dont even get me started on the actual way some of these look, a lot of them I can't even think of any way to describe, but let's just say they arent all the simple formula of head, torso, arms and legs. Looking at some of them makes me feel uncomfortable in the same way Z's friend made me feel, just maybe slightly weaker, however i will try to ignore it this time, i don't want to cause a scene, that would cause people to see me like this. There do seem to be a couple of other humans, about 4, half of them are also on a leash, so i guess that makes me feel a tiny bit better, they're also much happier than me though and don't seem so uncomfortable either, so i assume they've been away from Earth for quite some time already and have gotten used to this.
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Suddenly another alien walks up to us and starts talking with Z, different species, so probably not one of his family members, I will just stand here and wait for them to finish so we can keep walking, but then the new alien suddenly comes up to me, says something in a higher pitched voice and pets me, then just walks away.
Me: "Did you just... let a stranger pet me?" Z: "Yes" Z: "I assumed you would not mind since you like when I do it so much" Z: "I hope it did not make you uncomfortable as that was not my intention" Me: "Oh uh" Me: "No, it's... fine." Me: "It was just that you didn't ask me" Z: "If you are fine with it then I will continue accepting" Z: ... Z: "Are you enjoying the walk so far? We are about to leave the commercial area." Me: "I like the lights here" Me: "There's a lot of people" Me: "Some of them make me feel like your friend did" Z: "That is part of why I was concerned in the ship, I did not know how you would react" Me: "I mostly don't like the fact that they can see me on a leash" Me: "It's embarrassing" Me: ... Me: "and humiliating" Z: "Well, in the residential area there will not be as many people" Me: "If we are almost in the residential area then that must mean we are getting close right?" Z: "There is not that much distance left" Me: "Alright then"
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Once we approach the residential area I immediately notice just how drastic of a change it is, from tons of lights and fancy buildings, to simpler architecture and lights being limited to only the roads (which are more like paths) and the insides of buildings (which i assume are houses), there isn't even any separation between the zones, other than a quite small singular path, there really could have been atleast something to seperate the two, considering that one is almost overwhelming and the other is so calm, that would probably look much better.
Anyways, Z wasn't lying, there are definitely less people here, I guess everybody is spending their time in the more interesting part of town, because walking through this alien neighbourhood is extremely boring, the most "exciting" part of it has been the fact that so far about 4 aliens have come up to pet me, it's still pretty humiliating but I guess I did say it's fine, so it's kinda my fault, none of them knew english but they did seem like they were trying to be nice, well other than one, who technically didn't do anything wrong in the actual interaction but they didn't ask Z for permission, which was quite rude of them, Z didn't seem that mad though.
Honestly now the only thing keeping me entertained is looking at the variety of colors that the aliens are, some can get really vibrant and I have also seen a couple that glow, the feeling of fear has kind of faded, but I do hope that we reach our destination soon as i am starting to get bored again. I have observed that Z has slowed down a bit, maybe he's getting tired?
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We have just stopped moving, it appears we have reached our destination Z: "This is the house" Z: "Are you tired?" Me: "No" Me: "Maybe just a bit bored" Me: "How old are your uh, siblings?" Z: "it varies a lot, but I am the oldest" Me: "How many will bother me?" Z: "Oh" Z: "So that is why you were asking" Z: "Atleast 6 of them will, but remember that not only children find you cute" Me: "I don't like the sound of that" Z: "It will be fine"
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6 is a lot and according to him that number could be higher, I feel like this family visit will not be that enjoyable for me at all, hopefully it's only those 6 though, I don't know what I would do if it wasn't, because that already sounds tiring as hell. Let's just hope for the best, it's time to meet Z's family.
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