I was going to buy a phaze 2, but I called the 2 pro shops in my city and they told me that there was a shortage in Europe or something like that, so I can’t get the phaze 2. What can you recommend me ? I was thinking of either the purple solid reactive or the black widow 2.0 (I know these are completely different balls, but idk they seem pretty good so that’s why I was thinking of them). Btw, I’m a 2H and I average ~150 and my ball speed is around 15mph but I’m working on throwing faster.

I’ve been living at my friend’s house for 4 months. I am moving out in August (she’s upset I can’t find anything sooner). The main reason she wants me out is because she wants her alone time again. Over the past couple weeks, she’s been nitpicking and saying she can’t wait for me to move out. Whenever she has nitpicked me or set a boundary, I don’t do it again.
I decided to stay out her way and remain down low the rest of the time I’m here. It’s just uncomfortable that every interaction is negative lately. I can tell it’s making her mad, but I don’t know what she wants. She has told me multiple times she is excited for me to leave. I’m not mad or purposely ignoring her. I am trying to give her space and make her feel she has her house to herself. I now stay in my room, don’t walk my dog unless she’s walking hers and overall try not to cross paths with her. I’m just tired of the nitpicking, smart comments and hearing I’m not wanted here. Should I stop?

The Guy 24/M I’m seeing doesn’t want to make our relationship official and I’m 22/F panicking
So Ive 22/F have been seeing 24/M since January of this year. We haven’t been on dates with anyone else since we went out and have been spending a lot of time together, planning to go on holiday, and briefly met my parents (I still live at home and it was when he was picking me up to go out). It’s been 6 months nearly now so I came out and asked him, “how come we aren’t official yet” and he replies with “I have a lot going on at the minute with work and moving house I don’t have the time” even tho we spend so much time with each other and the way we are together you would think we were actually together, he calls me “the mrs” in front of his mates… I said it’s just like a label and that it wouldn’t change anything, but he’s adamant he’s not ready. But I’m getting bad vibes, but maybe I’m over thinking it! Do I break things off with him now as I’m petrified of getting messed around, or go along with the flow and risk getting hurt :(?

A couple years ago, I was living in the cutest little apartment. My daughter was happy. I was in great shape. I ate really well. I could shop any time I wanted. I loved cooking for those around me. I would buy a bottle of wine and have a glass with the girls every so often. I had friends around all of the time. I did my hair and makeup every day. I gardened and had a bunch of beautiful plants.
Now... I'm stuck with family that treats me awfully. I'm broke. I got fat, and no matter how much I diet the weight is dropping so slowly. I almost never see my friends. I almost never leave the house. When I do, it's just to the grocery store. My family eats all the food I buy. My plants have all died except one. My daughter doesn't want to be here, she misses our apartment. All I do is clean, cook for ungrateful people and work for very little money. I don't get ready like I used to, there's no use.
I want my old life back. I want to live again. I don't want to be on autopilot anymore.

Hey!
Tldr; the police posted on Facebook that they are looking for a person and to call if you know where they are. A few months ago I dropped this person off at a place they were crashing at and are probably still staying at. I should tell the police where he is, but I'm scared he'd know it was me and come after me.
Long version:
My previous job was in customer service. At this job I met some people with very obvious mental health issues and I always liked to talk to them and let them rant about all the things they were going through.
Through this I met this older man who was dating a younger woman; he is approximately late 40s-early 50s and she's in her early 20s. He usually seemed like he was on some kind of drugs and always had a big bag from the liquor store in his hands. She was quiet and timid and seemed afraid when he would get impatient while she shopped. I always felt unsettled around him. The way his girlfriend behaved around him said she was scared and his personality and impatience reminded me of an abusive relationship I had been in.
After I left that job I saw him while I was at a restaurant in a different city. He asked if there was any way that I could drop him off where he was staying and I said "yes" because my husband was along with me and would be in the car too. On the drive to the place, my ex-customer ranted about how he was no longer with the girl, said she was crazy and that he triggered her CPTSD too much, and that she had him charged for assault even though he says he never assaulted her. When he said he never assaulted her I had to bite my tongue because he really seems like the kind of person that would assault someone.
Anyways, I dropped him off and haven't thought too much about them. Sometimes when I drive by that place I wonder how they're doing and I hope the young lady is staying safe.
I know I should call the police with his whereabouts, but I'm genuinely afraid that he'll know it was me. I dropped him off and I may be one of the only people that know where he's staying. He knows approximately where I live and he's been in my car, so he knows what kind of car I drive. I feel so selfish as I type these "my" and "I" statements.
I'm panicking a little bit, I don't know if I can do it.

I only get attention from older men. By 'attention', I mean receiving compliments, comfort (when I'm feeling down) and affection. It's usually online, though I've had experiences with older men IRL cat-calling me and trying to talk to me. I'm not sure if it's because I'm more traditionally attractive in their eyes, because I'm young, or mature for my age.
I feel like I'm nearly invisible to the boys at my school. I'm viewed as intelligent, so they're likely to ask for help with their school work, but nothing else. I'm not ugly, nor am I dead-drop beautiful like the girls they're interested in (at least in their eyes, I know everybody's perspectives are different). Perhaps it's how I present myself, as I am not apart of the 'popular kids', don't have TikTok and haven't started doing 'cool things' until very recently (like smoking and drinking).
I do get attention from men my age online, but it's way less than the amount of older men that try to pursue me.
Is it because I'm prettier online, and am able ro present myself a certain way? Is it because I'm too 'mature' for the boys my age? Is it because older men tend to be more desperate and willing to go for somebody like me? What is it? I feel like I'm inadequate and never going to get attention from boys my age, meaning I'll never have that 'teenage romance' experience.

Apologies for the long post. Let me start by saying we live in a remote area. We are nowhere near cities so it's not like we can run down to a used lot on the corner and shop around, for those who disagree with the used car choice.
Background:
We have two cars right now: a 1985 Chevy Suburban and a 1997 Toyota Celica. There's 3 kids in our family (8, 7 and 3) and we have another on the way that's due in October. We had a 2016 Kia Sorento but got rid of it after being told the engine needed to be replaced for a second time after having it completely rebuilt 3 years ago. Understandably, I didn't want to dump 8k into the same problem twice. There's also the issue of insurance no longer wanting to cover the vehicle in our state thanks to TikTok videos showing people how to steal them.
We're renting where we live currently but we are closing on a house on 6/9. We have to wait to close on the house before we can sell a piece of property we have because most of our belongings are stored in a storage shed on the property. With the money netted from the property, we plan to buy a 2023 Toyota Highlander. However, not a lot of properties are selling in our area right now and we need a safe vehicle for the family while we wait for it to sell.
The Suburban has a third row and is very reliable but it has terrible gas mileage (12 mpg on average). It does not have airbags and only has lap belts in the back, which is a concern for the kids in booster seats. It was initially bought as more of a vehicle meant to tow trailers and move things but it's become the main family vehicle after we sold the Sorento.
The Celica only has seating for 4 people so it's not really an option. This vehicle has been owned by my spouse for about 10 years. We are both open to selling it.
Now on to the used car:
There is a 2006 GMC Yukon with 250k miles on it for sale for $5000. From what I've read, they're very reliable up to 300k or even 400k miles. This is the only vehicle within a 2 hour drive that has a 3rd row, is decently priced, seemingly taken care of and isn't a total heap of junk. The interior is nice and the owner claims it's been meticulously cared for and regularly maintained. I know the gas mileage isn't THAT much better than the Suburban (average of 16 mpg) but it's safer with better seatbelts and has airbags. Of course we'd get an inspection done and want to look up the CarFax.
I'm here because I thought it would be a good idea to buy a used car in the interim but my mom freaked out on me and acted like I was an idiot. Paying 5k for a used vehicle wouldn't break us financially by any means. We will still have a decent cushion in savings after closing on the house and paying for this vehicle, if we buy it, but we can't stretch much more than 5k in cash on a car for now and we do not want to get a loan.
So... which car should I buy? Wait for the Highlander and drive the Suburban for now or go for the Yukon first while we wait for the property to sell?

I know that I’m kind of aware but I can’t stop giving in each time and I’m not also sure that it is and I’m probably just in denial or something but it’s confusing for me even though I know what’s happening and what I’m letting happen. I will not be specifying my age but I’m an age that people would tell me I shouldn’t be doing this and this person is in uni and I know that’s really bad and we only had sex twice in April and he didn’t text me for a little and I went from feeling so good about it to then feeling really terrible and then to making myself believe I felt good about it end then actually feeling good about it and then feeling very violent towards him and then not caring at all and I was doing just fine and I didn’t feel the need to check his socials or anything and he wasn’t really on my mind at all and then he texted me yesterday and I wanted to cry and felt anxious and shaky and I was at the bus station and I felt worse because I didn’t want to cry in public and I thought it was going to be him just saying hey and asking how I am and then not responding but he didn’t do that and I felt more like that and he asked what I was doing and I said I was at the bus station to get to school and he said I should take the bus to get to his dorm and I still felt a little bit like that but much less and I felt better like I’m wanted or some shit and obviously I gave in and after I felt amazing like on top of the fucking world and now I feel terrible again and it’s just a continuous cycle for me and it’s probably going to happen again and I know he’s doing it on purpose so that it’s near impossible for me to not give in

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Intro

To preface this review, I just need to say that this is going to be a very, long read. Going through it myself just for the fun of it takes around 30 minutes — it's almost 7k words of text, including lyrical references. So for the best experience, listen to the album beforehand to understand what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this review, play the album while reading, and set a good amount of time aside.
And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary going over the song, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!
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Between 1&2 💞

Album Review
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TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED
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Talk that Talk 🎙

Lead producer: collapsedone
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One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like… Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,
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Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
A to Z da malhaebwa
But shijageun ireoke have
Talk that talk ttak han madi
Talk that talk L-O-V-E
deullyeojweo ooh
Now now now now now yeah~

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During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, enunciating and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man, Jihyo powered through that first chorus, but the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that stands out and shouts this is THE chorus. I think this is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. She also highlights “malhaebwa” in a similar way later in the chorus.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,
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The simple words “I love you”
That’s all I wanna hear
Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you
I’ll make it simple
And just tell you I love you

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The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery “Talk that Talk”, Momo comes out of nowhere with “oh yeah it sounds so good!” — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.
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han beon deo~ haejweo
geurae banggeum geu mal~

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Nayeon outright shouts “Tell me what you need” and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second line descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh! What a party. What a song.
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THE GOOD

• The synths of all time
• The chimes during Talk-that-talk~
• Jeongyeon’s pre-chorus going into Nayeon’s chorus
• The entirety of that magical, final chorus and outro

Needs Work

• The opening hook (Tell me what you want) and accompanying choreography could be “catchier”

Core Memory

• Singing (and dancing) my heart out when this song played at a K-pop club

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Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering “What is love?” and imagining their crush responding with “yes” when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase “Talk that talk, [talk that] L-O-V-E”, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.
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WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD
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Queen of Hearts 👑

Lead producer: LDN Noise of SM
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If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,
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You ain’t ready for it
Watch me go~ watch me go~
Rule the world
Know you never doubted baby
I’mma go run the whole universe~

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Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.
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Baby I was born to rule~~
Yeah I’m the queen, I’m the queen
And it’s all because of you~~
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

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These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line "And it’s all because of you." But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,
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And now that I’m surrounded by all my girls
We be shining bright like diamonds and pearls

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It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours
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Screaming out my name
See it in the stage lights
Feel so lucky just to have ya
Cause I know deep down I was meant for something bigger! Greater!
I know you’re seeing what I see
Yeah I’ll be everything you need
I know I’m gonna walk the walk
And talk the talk to be~ [the Queen of Hearts]

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This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centrepiece in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.
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So thank you for the memories
You’re all the ones who made me~
So thank you for the memories
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

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I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.
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THE GOOD

• Adorable fucking lyrics
• Unrelenting, roaring chorus
• English and vocal flex
• Addicting guitar riffs

Needs Work

• Chaeyoung rapping in English in their Korean songs somehow slaps harder than her English rapping in their English songs, nonetheless, in QoH, it fits with the sound of the song

Life Highlight

• Walking home from a K-pop festival with this song playing, felt like a Queen of Hearts

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I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.
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I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS
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Basics 🌈

Sole lyricist credit: Chaeyoung
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Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,
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dareun aedeulgwaneun dalla
Ain’t beggin’ for love
nappeun geon anijana ige naraseo
eodiro twilji molla
Like rainbow bubble gum
geureoni nal kkwak butjabadweo

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Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line "rainbow bubblegum" is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.
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I wanna wanna wanna take it to the basics
da weonhae weonhae weonhae? seodureuji ma Baby
ppeonhae ppeonhae malhae mweohae da al tende
Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah

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That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: the “wanna”, “weonhae”, and “ppeonhae” all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding “ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah” comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.
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taneun deut tteugeoun samak wie
yeppeuge pieonan jangmi gata
joshimseure naege dagaol ttae
nado moreuge jjilleobeoril tende

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Translating to:
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Above the hot, burning desert
It’s like a rose that bloomed beautifully
When you come to me slowly
I will prick you unconsciously

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The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.
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THE GOOD

• That sweet summer vibe of a chorus
• The “spaceship” post-chorus is killer
• Chaeyoung devoured this song
• Sure-footed, confident lyrics

Needs Work

• Perhaps an alteration of that ah yeah ah yeah line
• The way Jihyo did her pre-chorus line is good, but Mina’s is great

Core Memory

• After donating my hair, walking down the rainbow-coloured areas of downtown Toronto with this song playing was very… fitting

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This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning “spaceship” post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.
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BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE
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Trouble 💃

Sole lyricist credit: Jihyo
Background vocals: Jihyo
Lead composer credit: Jihyo
Vocal director credit: Jihyo (an assumption given her contributions in First Time)
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One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces “Let’s go”, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasted with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat with sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,
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• Nayeon opens it using a breathy tone, with vocal chops serving as harmonies
• The blooming of the house piano takes centre stage and the song ascends into euphoria
• A random drum roll capped off by a cymbal crash
• Jeongyeon’s pronunciation of the word “trouble” almost being a growl
• Chaeyoung slyly admitting “I like this trouble”
• The entirety of Tzuyu’s tro~oh~oh~ouble yeah~
• Sana using her deep voice for the na~na~na~na
• Jihyo leading the vocals during the synchronized T W I C E chant

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This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.
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gamchweo bwatja geugeon Fake
ppajin hamjeongeun Sweet cake

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During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:
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You cannot resist this
Cannot miss this, such a bliss
Ima put it down down
Oh yeah, better kiss kiss

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Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:
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Triplet-triplet
Quadruplet-triplet
Quadruplet-doublet
Doublet-quadruplet

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Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for “cannot miss this” in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:
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Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble be-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-beh
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trou-ble

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Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.
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THE GOOD

• The theme of relishing in an uncontrolled love
• Sana and Mina’s melody in the pre-chorus
• Chorus
• Rap
• Outro
• Wees and woos

Needs Work

• Mina’s line of “falling down, falling down, falling down low” in verse 2 feels a bit too abrupt of a change

Core Memory

• While writing Trouble's review I had this song on repeat for my whole subway commute and I must've been so distracting, just head-bopping and being so invested in enjoying a song

​
Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.
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BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU
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Brave 💖

Main producer: Slow Rabbit of HYBE
​
I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.
​

The night that was unusually dark
Above this terrifying world, felt so lonely
The world has grown in the time of wandering
So hard to breathe

​
Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely and that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to be this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them 'brave' that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of this chorus acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:
​

Oh na na na neon nal naige hae [Momo, then Tzuyu, then Momo]
On and on and on
Brave brave brave for ya [Dahyun, then Chaeyoung, then Mina]
Oh na na na neon nal sum shwige hae [Sana, then Momo, then Sana]
On and on and on oh trust me babe

​
Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.
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THE GOOD

• Special lyrics
• Pleasant sound to vibe out to
• That gentle break after the first chorus
• Jihyo’s high note at the end
• A Nayeon Jeongyeon joint high note ⁉️
• Just pretty vocals throughout

Needs Work

• Potentially hard to comprehend without translating the Korean lyrics

Core Memory

• Form of Therapy’s life motto revolves around the word “brave”. I don’t know where I got that from, but I remembered it right before watching his album reaction

​
I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:

• 7/10s are songs are ones that are simply good throughout or great songs with apparent flaws
• 8/10s are great songs with standout characteristics
• 9/10s are borderline perfect songs where I sometimes can't comprehend how great they are
• And 10/10s are the best of an artist's discography, songs that encapsulate their ethos perfectly or expand upon them in a meaningful way

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I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE
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Gone 💨

Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun
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Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then, Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…
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I see the LIES on the top of your tongue

​
The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,
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All the fate I had towards you
Fades like a fog, gone, gone
Your flipping mind of doing this and that
I’m tired of it, it’s meaningless
In the beginning, it was hard to believe
With that, hatred increases

​
The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s gone through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do your job better, or don't.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:
​

I can’t stand it anymore [Dahyun]
My patience, invisible
I can’t find it, it’s all gone
Even if I try to turn back, it’s too late [Chaeyoung]
There’s no use anymore
It has left, it’s long gone
You, with flipping mind, you are out [Momo]
I know that you know what I’m talking about [Dahyun]
Nothing you could say that could turn this around
I’m gone

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Continuing the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what was once there for all of it is long gone. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the “gone” in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.
​
THE GOOD

• They’ve still got their surprises
• Thundering chorus
• 2nd rap and bridge combo
• A bitter, crumbling relationship theme

Needs Work

• I’m not a huge fan of the mixing during the first post-chorus, where Momo's vocals were fighting with the production, which is disappointing because Momo is capable of an insane flow
• The post-chorus in general, specifically the first one, can be a bit tiring on repeat listens

Core Memory

• Actually, I think this song sounds like a mix between GOT7's Not By The Moon, BLACKPINK’s Love To Hate Me, and Dahyun’s Bring It Back. I don’t know where I got this thought came from, but it stuck

​
Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song when I listen to it for the first time in a while elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.
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INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES
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When We Were Kids 🧸

Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun
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Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in,
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Invincible superheroes, we wanted to be adults
To the higher, clearer world

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The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies come in,
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Remember when we were kids
When we were kids, we didn’t know
If we could go back
I will love it even more
Remember when we were kids

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Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so clean, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:
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I wish that I could meet
Could meet the younger me

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Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:
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Oh, we were kids

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Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.
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THE GOOD

• Heavenly vocals throughout
• Relatable, heartfelt lyrics
• Euphoric chorus
• Great closer to the album

Needs Work

• Refrain after the last chorus, "Back when we were kids," could’ve been executed better

Core Memory

• For an album titled Between 1&2, I don’t think anything hits harder than finishing the song reviews, with this song in particular, during your 21st birthday

​
I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original marketing was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was always about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.
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Epilogue

And finally here is the end. If you made it in one sitting then I commend you, because I could not write this mess in one sitting. As alluded to, I started writing this album review sometime in October, after a series of edits the first draft was finished in March, and now here's the final draft in June.
I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop, music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and this is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.

Growing up, I heard this phrase a lot from people who worked in the business that I was interested in at the time. I was young, dumb and full of cum so I brought into it. As a young kid, you want your work to be meaningful instead of pointless busy work.
Now I'm nearing my 40s and in the beginning of a career change. I took a class that would prepare me for the certification exam I needed to take. First night of this class and I hear this lins again. It took a lot of strength for me to not roll my eyes in the zoom call.
Maybe I've gotten older and more jaded, but I've come to loath this phrase. Now I've come to view jobs as something I have to do so I can pay my bills, afford groceries and take care of my pets.
I know some jobs truly are a "calling" and it can be more than just a way to make money. However I doubt this applies to like 99% of occupations in the modern world.
Employers should be okay with the fact that Data Market Analyst is just something people do to put food on the table and that their employees put stock and worth into something outside of work.
"It's not just a job" has the same sentiment of "We're a family here."

There was a period of my life, for about a year, when I was completely immobile. I couldn’t walk by myself, I couldn’t get food by myself, I couldn’t even use the bathroom by myself. I spent every minute of every hour of everyday laying in my room with the lights off, the door closed, and the blackout curtains drawn. I stopped going to school and although we all had phones and shit, my friends were busy with their school stuff plus their clubs and shit so I fell out of contact with all of them, barring two who I’d only ever interact with every 5-ish months. My parents were working full time and I don’t think my sibling liked being in the house so I didn’t see them at all, though sometimes I could hear their voice talking to mom in the mornings. ‘Cause of this, my whole family would either be away or hella busy until 8 pm. Most days a family relative would come over to sit in the kitchen in case I needed anything, but they’d be doing their stuff, only coming in to give me food. The best analogy I can think of is Futaba’s palace and living situation in Persona 5. The only difference being that she was trapped by grief whereas I was trapped in a much more physical sense.
All this doesn’t even cover half of it, but here’s the thing I wanted to get off my chest; sometimes I feel like I’m still there, left in a tomb to die. It’s when the lights in my room are off and the curtains are drawn and the door is closed and I’m stuck in bed. It makes me nauseous, that distinct feeling of rotting and loneliness. I haven’t told anyone about this properly, but I needed to at least tell someone... so here I am on Reddit.

Hey all, my family is thinking of moving to Lexington KY and we’re looking at the Griffin Gate area. My friend suggested that we live near the Masterson Station or Griffin Gate, so I figured it’s safe. One of the apartments there is a bit west of Griffin Gate and it’s fairly new and it looks great.
I just want to know if I should be aware of anything dangerous, like crimes and such. Is Lexington safe up north? I’m not planning to be in the city or in any of its districts. I’m just mostly concerned I’ll be mugged/assaulted/hate-crimed. To preface, I’m an Asian woman, and I know that where I am isn’t super diverse. My friend told me to avoid Nicholasville Road due to high traffic.
As a note, I grew up in the Fairfield/Cincinnati area in Ohio. By comparison, is Lexington safer than Cincinnati?
I’d appreciate all and any advice, thank you!!

Last night, I had just returned from a celebration of my sisters 21st birthday, I am 27, so me and my parents and several of her friends went to the bar, we stayed until almost closing, I had driven one of my cars to the bar, but was a bit over the limit okay, I was too drunk to drive, so I called for a Uber to drive me and my sister home. My parents left at 1am, as they were still sober. I had the driver drop off my sister first, after carrying her into her apartment, then we headed to my house. As soon as we turned the corner, I could see my other car missing from my driveway. I got out and I was mad as hell, I looked but there was no broken glass or any signs of how it was taken. I walked into my house, I immediately sobered up with the realization my car had been stolen. I started the search for the license plate number, vin number and my insurance company phone number. I was on the phone with the police when there was a knock, no let me rephrase that, there was banging on my front door. When I open it, 2 police officers were standing there, I said wow, that was quick, they looked at me funny, asked if I owned a 2014 jeep in black, I replied, yes did you find it already. They just looked at me and told me to place my hands behind my back, I said why, they didn’t say anything and just grabbed me and then threw me to the ground and handcuffed me. I was dragged out of my house and placed into the back of a patrol car and taken to the station.
At the station I was fingerprinted, photographed, searched and my blood was drawn, then they took my shoes and belt. I was placed into a cell, while all the time asking what the hell was going on, 3 hours later I was taken from the cell into an interrogation room, I sat there for about another 4 hours before anyone came in, all this time I was not allowed to call or speak to anyone, I still had no idea why the had me like this.
Finally, a detective came in and sat across from me and once again asked if I owned a black 2014 jeep, then he gave me the license number, I said yes, it was missing from my driveway, I was in the process of calling the police when they showed up. He said we will get to that later. He started asking where I had been last night, I told him at a celebration for my sister’s birthday, he asked who was there with me, I gave everyone’s names and as many phone numbers as I could. I said I wanted to know what the hell was going on, he said that I was under arrest for vehicular manslaughter, hit and run, leaving the scene of a crime, and a few more just for good measure. I said again my car was stolen and I had nothing to do with this at all. They pulled out pictures of the accident and the dead bodies, yes there were 3 teens killed from the other car.
I said I wasn’t driving that car; they could verify by contacting the bar, I spoke with the bartender all night, I had even spoke with the bouncer while I was waiting for my Uber. They could also call Uber to confirm I was being driven from that bar and the times. They didn’t believe me at all, they took me back to a cell. This is where I sat for another 7 hours waiting for anything from them. Now I have been in their custody for more than 16 hours.
That’s when they took me from my cell, returned all my belongings, then I was escorted back to the interrogation room this time without cuffs, the detective came back in and he placed a picture in front of me, asked if I knew this person. I did, he was a kid from down the street, I had caught him siphoning gas from one of my cars a few months ago. They told me they found him hiding behind a trash bin close to the accident, he had a broken collar bone and a couple broken ribs. This was the person who stole my car and crashed it into the other car while on a joy ride. They basically told me I was free to go, no apology, no shaking of my hand, just a cold uncaring sense as to what they had just done to me over the past 18 hours of my life. They walked me to the jail gate, and said here’s the case number, I asked If they were going to drive me back home, they said no, it was up to me to find my own transportation. Luckily my car was still at the bar I was at the night before, it was only about a mile away, so I walked, got my car and drove home. I called the insurance company, gave them all the information as well as the case number and I went to sleep. I know there will be more but that is as far as everything stands as of right now.

In the early morning
While the sun is rising
A fair lady was wandering
In the woods and forest
On the Earl’s estate
Then she saw his servant
Then at once he did state
You now must depart
Because my lord has his right!
And now leave from my sight
When she was leaving
In indignation walking
She saw a knightly sir
“What brings you to this huff”
“Oh, the Lord sends his servants
And has not the heart to bring himself”
Then let us battle and confront
They rode for 4 hours to somerset
The white steed never tired
When the day was hottest
They arrived at his manor
The good kinight called out,
Lord Buckingham, I have rode
Though land and sea, to order
Your apologies to my lady,
“Good knight you have no authority
If you wish to battle, I shall need only go easy
If you're so inclined, let us battle on this field,
With bushes and trees
But you must disperse all your servants
As the Lord schemed
He ordered all to leave bar one
“Faithful serf, when the battle is peaked
You must emerge form bush armed
And slay the Lowly knave
And all his riches you may have”
As both men met to shake hand
And stepped back to draw sword
The knight strikes first, but alas
His was a near miss
As this continued
And sweat, toil and arms
Started to slow and miss
With armour and power
Both parties at parity
Then the signal went out
The serf sprang,
From deceitful hiding
And plunged a dagger
Into his back, in murder
His heart did turn blue
In cold murder
The lady, shocked
Did ride away ne’er to return
And fiery heartly emotions did burn
For vengeance and destruction
But the light was smashed
The good knight was perished
After an hour of riding
She stopped to gather breath
And In deep thought,
The torment of death
Did approach and give her the sword
It only take one swing to see the knight
Only one swing!
In sadness and desperation
She cried, O God forgive me!
O wicked Lord die in anguish
For I shall be reunited
In life or death
It doesn’t not care me
Now, I take my body
And soul to heaven…
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/13yuh2h/o_ubereats/jmpgeli/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/13x2vj6/the_icelandic_beauty/jmf652n/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3

I've just devoured this brilliant novella by L A McBride, I loved it and I know you'll love it too.
My review:-
Boneyard Thief by L A McBride is a brilliant fast paced urban fantasy read. It's the prequel to her forthcoming Riley Cruz series but it doesn't read like a little taster... it is astoundingly good.
It is a heist book, which is one of my favourite tropes in all the world. Reading this novella, my heart was pounding and I was genuinely so nervous for Riley. I wanted her to succeed and make her escape from an abusive pack.
Oh and did I mention... Riley is a GOAT shifter 🤣
🐐BONEYARD THIEF BLURB: Sixteen was supposed to be about fast cars and first kisses, not plotting a heist that might get me killed.
As a scrawny goat shifter in a pack of werewolves, my role is to get into places they can’t go. The alpha who took me in after my parents died molded me into a master thief. For four long years, he’s lined his pockets, while I’ve taken all the risks.
Now he’s sending me after the magical artifact he’s chased for years. This is my chance to escape. All I have to do is pull off the biggest heist I’ve ever attempted, escape the seethe of vampires I’m about to rob, and ditch the wolves who watch my every move.
To walk away from this job alive, I better prove I’m as good at getting out of trouble as I am at wading into it.
You can get it on Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/3356434
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Long rant about some of the abuse I suffered from my family. Includes physical and emotional. Fair warning..
So, my brother recently moved back into town to live with my mother. Both have abused me in the past, and both deny that anything they did to me was abusive behavior. My brother tried to confront me today, told me to explain what happened that was so bad in my childhood, because he thinks we had the same experiences growing up. I agreed that maybe 30% of our childhood was the same external experiences and tried to express my view before his confrontation turned far too aggressive for my feeble amygdala to process and I shut down and asked him to leave.
I remember as a child being terrified of having to sit next to my brother, because I had a nervous tick; I would shake my leg, and he would punch my leg until it hurt too much to move simply because it annoyed him. I remember having him spit in my face on multiple occasions; I recall some of them being accidental, at least according to him in the moment, but I also remember him laughing in my face while I cry over it every time. I remember being beat into submission any time I disagreed with his opinion, pinned to the ground and caused physical pain until I yielded that he was right and I was wrong; never mattered what it was about, I was always wrong because he was stronger than me. When I started drawing as a preteen, he would rip up my art and tell me it was garbage because he didn't like the style I referenced; if I tried to imitate something he liked, it was still garbage bc it didn't meet his standards. I remember him reading my diary to my face and belittling my emotions as I attempted to find out how to express them completely on my own while severely depressed by age 12. Having him tell me, with knowledge that I was suicidal at the time, that people need to "stop bitching about being sad and just off themselves already bc society doesn't need them."
I remember being smacked for expressing too strong of emotions. Being dragged around by my arm by a human 10x my size, holding back my tears because my mom was mad that I was crying. Getting yelled at that I'll be given something to really cry about if I didn't shut up. I remember riding in the passenger's seat before I hit double digits, while my drunk mother drove 90+mph down the highway, being forced to listening to her tell me about all of the awful abuse she had to grow up with and how she had it so much worse (recalling weighing the option of jumping out of the speeding car to end it all right then and there but being too scared to follow through). Having to walk on eggshells to avoid triggering my mom and being screamed at just for being a burden if I wanted something she wasn't in the mood to give; food, affection, help with homework, it didn't matter if she didn't feel like being my mom at that moment. Told multiple times growing up that I was a mistake and I owed my mom for not following through on any of the appointments she had set up to abort me me as a fetus (told enough times that I specifically remember it was 3 appointments).
Being told all my life, even now, that I'm just too sensitive and need to suck it up because everyone does stupid shit.
Sure, I wasn't abused that bad so according to my brother my trauma must be fake. My inability to hold down a job is just because I suck. Freezing up any time I need to ask for help, or doing things that I know will physically hurt me just to avoid being a burden to others; sure, that's normal, healthy behavior and has nothing to do with how I was raised. Shutting down at the first sign of aggression; hiding under my covers and crying for an hour when my boyfriend yells at his video games; being told no to literally anything; reverting to my 5y/o state of mind at 29 after asking my mom for some comfort through a difficult situation and being told to fuck off. Internalizing everything and pushing away the people who actually care about me because my brain simply cannot comprehend anyone honestly loving my useless, disfunctional ass. I'm not a healthy adult and I don't think my family has treated me right the majority of my life, but I guess it wasn't abuse according to them, so fuck me, right? 😖💩🤡
I feel like, even if I didn't shut down at his hostile confrontation and could list every one of these things to him, he wouldn't change his mind on this. I had the fawn response to my brother for years and am finally getting over it and realizing that; even if he doesn't physically hurt me anymore, his behavior and mindset toward me aren't healthy for either of us. I love my family, I honestly do, but why am I always the one in the wrong for wanting to be treated with kindness and respect by them?? 🥺🥺 Going nc asap, but that's so hard in this economy to try to live without familial support. Wish me luck guys, I'm gonna need a lot of it. Just glad I caught myself from getting lost in the flashbacks today after that chat... I'm so mad but I just wanna puke and cry after talking to that jerk, and now I'm too sick to my stomach to even eat lunch... I hate that they both still have this effect on me after all these years, I thought I had made progress, this is so frustrating... 😭

I've diagnosed with depression with anxiety, mostly have a handle on it, but it came back hard due the death of my father after a year long fight with cancer, which I resigned from my job to care for him. May be way probably typing too much as it's just a stream of conciousness as I type.
It's been a year and change since his death since then and I've been unable to really find a new job as market has been flooded with more people looking in my fields than there are jobs. I rent out spare rooms in my inherited house, my mother live here but in a smaller bedroom (her choice, master bedroom has bad feelings attached now as my dad stayed here during early treatment. He moved to hospice near the end). Most of the rent of which goes to bills. I mostly job hunt and fix things around the house during the day.
Got a friend from college times, friend of a friend situation, about 10+ years now, who's moving to another state. According to him, its better state for him to grow his start up wood working business and he dislike how current governor is passing bills that affects his day job. Tried to convince me to move with him as the state has "many opportunities" for me. I said no as I like my life here.
He starts tearing into me for not being "successful" for lacking ambition and other crap. So I decided to say muted him and sent him basic depression info stuff from Doctor office and. My mom can take care of the household instead of me. How he was so successful he can afford to move states and get his business going.
What I wanted to say but everyone in the friend group has gained basic attutide of just let him talk so not to hurt his feeling as he's straight up disillusional. I do the same but mostly I would alienate everyone from me because I told him the following:
"You failed at life. You left away from home at 18 because you thought you knew better. I had more money in my pocket from my part time job then you did when you left your house but I stayed home. I went to college while you took on loan after loan to go to university, rejecting any parental aid."
"You were not a executive administrator moving from one company to another. You were first a desk jockey to a wiring company then you were one of four secretaries to a health care department head. The department didn't fall apart when you left for your latest get rich scheme (not even get rich quick). I had to rely on your old department when my dad got sick. They were as quick and on top of everything still,"
"All of your personal ventures have failed. Remember that bitcoin mining server you want used to invest in? You fucking sold your bitcoins for a hundred bucks. You couldn't even get enough to pay for your mining server"
"Remember your rental house you split with your friend? You failed at that. You didn't flip the house. You and your friend had arguments on how to rent it out and sold it when you two couldn't settle on a plan. That house you sold fir 10% profit? it was worth 3x the price a year later because you stupid idiots sold it while the area was still being built up"
"You think you're some success? You've been bouncing from one rental to another while surfing people's couches between rentals. You're leaving the state because you can't afford to live here anymore since you blew through your savings trying to start up a wood working business without the skills and proper tools or even marketing ability"
My father was carpenter and taught me a lot about it. It's not my degree or occuption but I know my way around it.
"You think a cheap miter saw is just as good as a pricey one? Dude you can't even cut a 2x4 on it without flipping it and cutting the other side. You need a planer if you want to make stuff like tables. Your eye for straight lumber is a lie. You're so cheap, your wireless drill need to be charged on the hour. That's not normal, that's not good. You want to know where your profits are going? You're fucking tools are shit. You buying new bits and pieces almost monthly.
"Now you think you can lecture me about not taking leaps of faiths or shooting the moon? Dude you've shot for the moon with firework up your ass as you jumped off the cliff, staring at the moon. The moon didn't get closer, that was the reflection in the water when you crashed into it head first,"