Hello once again webscraping
Here are my notes on different fingerprinting techniques. Hopefully this helps you identify and prioritize your best way to get unblocked (or plan ahead)!

1. Browser Fingerprinting

Browser fingerprinting collects detailed information about the browser and the system on which it is running. By combining various attributes, a unique fingerprint can be created.

Common Attributes:

• User Agent String: This contains information about the browser type, version, and operating system.
• HTTP Headers: Headers like Accept-Language, Accept-Encoding, and Referer provide additional insights.
• Browser Plugins and Extensions: The list of installed plugins and extensions can be very telling.
• Installed Fonts: The fonts installed on a system can vary greatly between users.
• Screen Resolution and Color Depth: These hardware-related attributes can be quite unique.
• Timezone and Language: The user's timezone and language settings can help narrow down their location.
• WebGL and Canvas Data: These APIs can reveal information about the graphics capabilities of the device.
• AudioContext Data: This can be used to infer details about the user's audio setup.

2. Device Fingerprinting

Device fingerprinting focuses on hardware and OS details to create a unique identifier. This method is similar to browser fingerprinting but delves deeper into the device's specifics.

Common Attributes:

• Device Model and Make: Information about the device manufacturer and model.
• Operating System Version: The specific version of the operating system.
• CPU Architecture: The architecture of the device's CPU.
• Installed Apps: The list of installed applications can be used to differentiate devices.
• Battery Status and Charging Information: Battery information can provide unique details.
• Available Sensors: The presence of sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes.

3. Canvas Fingerprinting

Canvas fingerprinting leverages the HTML5 canvas element to draw a picture and extract rendering details. Differences in how the image is rendered can help uniquely identify a device or browser.

How It Works:

• Drawing Text or Shapes: Specific text or shapes are drawn on a canvas.
• Extracting Image Data: The image data is extracted as a binary blob.
• Analyzing Variations: Differences in rendering due to hardware, drivers, and browser implementation are analyzed.

4. WebRTC Fingerprinting

WebRTC fingerprinting exploits the WebRTC API to reveal local IP addresses, even behind a VPN.

How It Works:

• Gathering ICE Candidates: The process of WebRTC establishing connections reveals local IP addresses.
• Extracting IP Addresses: These IP addresses are extracted from the gathered candidates.

5. Font Fingerprinting

Font fingerprinting involves dynamically loading various fonts and measuring their dimensions to infer the fonts installed on a system.

How It Works:

• Creating Font Tests: Load a predefined set of fonts and create test strings.
• Measuring Text Dimensions: Measure the width and height of rendered text.
• Comparing Measurements: Compare these measurements to identify the installed fonts.

6. Audio Fingerprinting

Audio fingerprinting uses the AudioContext API to generate audio signals and measure how they are processed. Differences in audio processing can help identify a device.

How It Works:

• Creating an Oscillator and Compressor Node: These nodes generate and manipulate audio signals.
• Measuring Output Audio Signal Characteristics: Analyze the characteristics of the processed audio signal.

7. Battery Status API Fingerprinting

Battery Status API fingerprinting gathers information about the battery state, which can sometimes be used as a fingerprinting vector.

How It Works:

• Gathering Battery Information: Collect data on battery level, charging status, and time to charge/discharge.
• Analyzing Battery Data: Use this data to create a unique identifier.

8. Geolocation Fingerprinting

Geolocation fingerprinting uses the user's location data to help build a unique profile.

How It Works:

• GPS Coordinates: Obtain precise location data.
• Network-based Location Data: Infer location based on network information.
• IP-based Geolocation: Use IP addresses to determine the user's location.

9. Behavioral Fingerprinting

Behavioral fingerprinting analyzes user behavior patterns, such as mouse movements, keyboard typing patterns, and touch gestures on mobile devices.

How It Works:

• Mouse Movements: Track and analyze mouse movement patterns.
• Keyboard Typing Patterns: Analyze the timing and sequence of keystrokes.
• Touch Gestures: Track touch gestures and interactions on mobile devices.

10. WebGL Fingerprinting

WebGL fingerprinting uses the WebGL API to render complex 3D graphics and produce unique fingerprints based on the hardware and drivers.

How It Works:

• Rendering Complex 3D Scenes: Use WebGL to render scenes.
• Extracting and Analyzing Rendered Output: Analyze the rendered output to create a unique fingerprint.

11. CSS and HTML5 Fingerprinting

CSS and HTML5 fingerprinting measures how CSS and HTML5 elements are rendered to create unique fingerprints.

How It Works:

• Measuring Element Sizes: Measure the dimensions of rendered elements.
• Examining CSS Feature Support: Check for support and behavior of various CSS features.

12. Network-based Fingerprinting

Network-based fingerprinting analyzes network characteristics to create unique identifiers.

How It Works:

• IP Address and Subnet: Gather IP address and subnet information.
• Latency and Jitter: Measure network latency and jitter.
• Network Packet Sizes and Timing: Analyze the sizes and timing of network packets.

Thanks for reading. Good luck and happy scraping :)

My family family moved to Canada from Italy after WWII for a better life. My mother grew up and was raised in a small town by two loving, but lived-through-the-war, and all it’s atrocities, parents. As a war torn immigrant family, life was mainly about survival and rebuilding for a better future (hence the move to Canada). I can’t even imagine what they went through and I’m forever grateful for my life here, cause of them.
My mother grew up fairly sheltered, anxious, didn’t have many friends, and was quite introverted. She is a loving and giving person who will always put the needs of others, above her own. In hindsight, her childhood needs for love and affection were likely not met, and so now, she doesn’t handle criticism or conflict well, as it feels like a personal attack and brings out deep rooted insecurities. In her early 30s, she decided to go through with IVF. Her parents supported her and she was successful with the process - as I write this here today. So I’ve always known I was a sperm baby.
As a single mom, she raised me all on her own. I might not have had the coolest toys or newest clothes growing up, but I had a roof over my head, food on the table, and place to go home, in that same small town. For my mother to do all this, by herself, and still make it, is incredible.
Fast forward about 25 years, I decide that I’d like to know some info about my bio dad. I ask my mom if she knows and she says no, she opted not to receive that information. Now I should mention, that I am one hard-headed and stubborn girl… not one of my best attributes. So naturally, when she said no, I became inquisitive. I stated that whether she wanted to or not, the facility/organization ethically, has to keep SOME documentation. She quickly responded ‘no, it was a different time back then, etc etc, and because she requested to not know any information, that information would be destroyed’. Being as stubborn as I am, I took matters into my own hands and told her I’d call the hospital myself and ask for the records. She laughed in a defensive tone, and said “fine”.
The hospital had nothing. There was never any name given as my father on my birth certificate. I knew this, as it was IVF, but they had no documentation. When I called my mother again to tell her the news and that I felt a bit off and disjointed, as I didn’t understand how there could be nothing, she was quickly defensive and irritated by my will to know. Things like “well why does it matter anyway? “ or “I’m your mother, haven’t I done a good enough job?” Or “oh so I’m a bad mom, that’s why you want to know”. We had a huge fight, an absolutely massive blow up.
I went home a few days later and asked her why she was defensive. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t ask any questions and why it was causing such a response from her. We ended up in a yelling match, with me on the driveway asking “tell me the truth”, and her yelling back “I am telling you the truth! How could you believe that your mother would lie about such a thing!” Her responses somehow morphed into, get off the driveway and come inside so we can talk about this.
I came inside and she let me read a letter without saying anything. It was written by a man, one I did not know, professing his love to my mother. This man was my father. It turns out that my mother had an affair with a married man and got pregnant. He wanted to marry her after he found out she was pregnant, but feeling embarrassed for falling into such a predicament in a small town from a VERY traditional, hardcore morals, type of family, she declined and decided it was better to tell everyone she got pregnant via IVF. She didn’t want him apart of my life and refused his presence.
In that moment, my entire world shattered. For my entire life I’ve thought that I was a sperm baby, only to find out 25 years later that she did in fact, know my father. They actually kept in touch all these years and she would send him photos of me. Immediately after revealing the truth to me, she made me vow to never contact him or tell anyone. She didn’t want to make a big deal of the matter, and I don’t blame her. She carries a lot of hurt and pain within her and she only did what she thought was best for me, as a child.
I felt numb through the shock for a while, but eventually I worked up the courage one night to google his name and try to find some info about him. The first google hit that came up with my search, was his obituary, from 3 weeks prior.

1. Weeks. Prior.

Can you grieve someone you never met? Someone you never knew you even had? Maybe it was the fact that the opportunity I didn’t even know I had earlier in the year, was now gone. I called my mom the next day and asked if she knew. She already knew. She found out the next day but thought it was best not to tell me as it would upset me. Turns out it was his daughter that sent out a notice to her father’s friends, coworkers, etc. A daughter from his marriage.
I have a half sister?
Now, I don’t want to draw a bad light on my mother - with the resources she had and the life she was given, she did the very best she could. I whole heartedly believe and know that she loves me. But now I’m sitting here, writing to you, asking for advice:
WIBTA for contacting my half sister and explaining that her deceased father had an affair on their mother, had a secret child with my mom, and that we’re half sisters? I want to try to know her, but I also don’t want to shatter her image of her father. If she doesnt want/believe me, that’s fine, I can accept it and I’ll leave it at that.
Thank you for listening and TIA for the input.

Hugo Wright sat across from me, portions of roasted heart on the small airplane table in front of him. I watched him skewer one on the prongs of his fork, before popping it delicately into his mouth. He chewed for several seconds, savoring the flavor, before swallowing.
​
“You know, we live in exceedingly interesting times, Miss Snow.” He said. “When I told people I was gonna be a billionaire by the age of 21, they laughed? Said it would never happen, and they were right, I suppose. But I didn’t let that discourage me. I took that pain and I used it as fuel. I persevered. By 22, I owned my first private jet. By 23, I could’ve retired and been set for life and by 26? That was when I truly made it. That was when I finally crossed that threshold and it was… it was brilliant. People said it couldn’t be done. And to most of them, it couldn’t. But, I’ve learned that the laws of ordinary people simply don’t apply to me.”
​
He popped another morsel of heart into his mouth. As he spoke I took down notes on what he said, as was expected of me. Technically as an executive assistant, biographer wasn’t part of my job description, but according to Hugo, my job was whatever he said it was. So ‘Personal Biographer’ had become one of my duties.
​
“So many people settle for ordinary. That’s all they can strive for. But a select few of us were destined to be more. More than ordinary, hell, more than people.” He chuckled, as he took another bite of the heart.
​
“Well said, sir,” I replied quietly. He cracked a smug grin, and I caught his eyes lingering on my legs. He didn’t say anything out loud, but I could hear what he was thinking loud and clear.
“Speaking of being ‘more than people’, which one is that you’re eating?”
“I believe the Grimoire called him ‘Õudus.’ One of the Grovewalkers. They are sufficient for a quick pick me up. Helps to keep my game sharp in between the more high priority kills. Every little morsel helps.”
“Of course sir.” I said. Whatever ‘Õudus’ had been, it certainly didn’t look appetizing. Then again, none of the things I’d seen Hugo summon for his little side project had seemed particularly appetizing… or edible. But he slaughtered and devoured them all the same.
​
“When Godhood is within one's grasp, then the correct answer is to seize it for oneself,” Hugo said, as he finished the last few bites. “That’s the only path that matters. Apotheosis.”
“Of course, sir,” I said again, although I couldn’t help but wonder just how grim a world with a God like Hugo would be.
​
Before I’d started working for Hugo, I’d heard rumors online about what some people were calling ‘The God Rush.’ Crackpot theories about billionaires pouring money into investigating the supernatural, hunting obscure deities and devouring their hearts in some mad effort to become Gods themselves. I hadn’t believed them at first, chalking them down as nothing more than another wild conspiracy theory. They’re a dime a dozen on the internet, after all. But I guess every now and then, the crackpots get it right.
​
In the four months that I’d been in his employ, I’d watched him summon things that logically should not have existed, and I’d watched him slaughter them with power no human should’ve ever been able to use. If I hadn’t seen it all with my own eyes, I would’ve thought it was all madness. But no. I’d seen enough of his unholy power to know that it was all too real. I even carried the ritual dagger he used to butcher them in his briefcase, like any other piece of equipment. Like being his personal biographer, catering to his delusions of grandeur (which seemed to be becoming less and less like delusions every day) was just another part of my job.
​
It was those growing genuine perceptions of grandeur that had us flying out of New York on a Thursday night into Belgium. Part of my job was to keep an eye out for any rare artifacts that might aid his pursuit of apotheosis and it just so happened that a particularly rare one was up for auction. Several pages of a grimoire known as ‘Liber Shaal’. A tome reportedly authored by the Devil herself supposedly containing ancient spells that were not meant to be cast within our world, and more importantly, containing summoning instructions for ancient entities long since forgotten by time. To Hugo, it was an a’la carte menu of fresh entities to devour. New stepping stones on his path to Godhood. Getting those pages was essential, and so we would be attending the auction.
​
On the bright side - I’d never been to Europe before, so if nothing else this was bound to be exciting! And so long as I focused on that, and not the fact that I was helping a lunatic with a God complex get closer to their goal of Apotheosis, all would be well.
​
***
​
We landed in the late afternoon, before taking a car over to the site of the auction. In what I could only describe as a testament to the decadence of the attendees, it was due to be hosted in the top floor restaurant of one of Brussell’s most iconic landmarks. The Atomium.
​
I had seen pictures of the building before - strictly as a curiosity, but seeing it in person was an entirely different kind of experience.
​
The Atomium was a surreal looking building, designed as the centerpiece of 1958 Brussels World's Fair, as a monument to Belgium's engineering prowess at the time. It had been made to resemble an elementary iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. (Hugo made a point to explain all the trivia to me as we drove closer.) It consisted of nine massive steel spheres, connected by steel tubes. How the whole thing didn’t collapse under its own weight was a mystery to me. But it stood, taller than it had any right to be.
​
The car dropped us off at the gate, where a man in a suit was waiting for us.
“Mr. Wright,” He said warmly, giving Hugo a nod as we drove closer. “I’m Mr. Cassel. It’s a pleasure to have you here.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” Hugo said, as Mr. Cassel’s eyes shifted over toward me.
“My personal assistant, Miss Snow. She’ll be accompanying me, pay her no mind.” Hugo said coolly, answering his question before he asked it. Cassel gave a nod, and led us toward the building at the base of the lowest sphere.
​
While I imagine that normally, the Atomium might have been a hot tourist spot, at this late hour it was fully abandoned. It was almost a shame. If I’d had more time, I wouldn’t have minded stopping to browse the little exhibitions that dominated the first sphere, which seemed to function as one part art gallery and one part history museum. I wouldn’t have minded getting a chance to explore some of the other four accessible spheres, which according to the map I saw as we came in, hosted temporary exhibitions and special events.
​
Unfortunately - I never got that chance. We were here on business.
​
The Atomium’s restaurant was only accessible from the lowest sphere, via an elevator that ran straight from the lowest sphere, up to the top. I won’t lie - the elevator ride was a little harrowing. As we rode up through the cold steel structure, I could’ve easily fooled myself into thinking we were on our way up a mine shaft, as opposed to being on our way to an action for the obscenely rich. The only view from the elevator was the reinforced steel beams that kept the structure sturdy, although when the elevator doors finally opened, I was greeted with a sight more in line with what I’d been expecting of this place.
​
We stepped out of the elevator into an upscale restaurant area, with large windows showcasing the sprawling city and countryside around us. The tables and chairs had an almost futuristic aesthetic to them, and many of them were already occupied. The figures who had already arrived cast wary eyes toward Hugo and I as we joined them. He just glared back at them, his lips pulling back into a slight smirk.
​
“Evening,” He said, confident as ever.
“Was there anyone who didn’t hear about this auction?” A woman asked. She looked to be in her early thirties, and was dressed in an expensive snow white outfit that might not have looked out of place on a runway model. Her short blonde hair was delicately styled, and framed her face perfectly, and peeked out from beneath what I can only describe as a fashionable white bowler hat. I’d seen this woman’s face before, although only ever in a magazine.
​
Angela Champion… and yes, that was her real name. Champion was the current CEO of the Champion Fashion House, succeeding her father. She’d been a topic of discussion in recent months due to her attempts to start some sort of feud with the twin CEO’s of the Darling Fashion House, although said feud was fairly one sided, with the Darlings seemingly making a point to ignore her. Due to her larger than life online persona, people either saw her as the up and coming queen bee of the fashion world, or as a rich brat, chasing celebrity.
​
“What can I say? It’s a small world, Angie.” Hugo said wryly, sitting down at a table across from her.
“Clearly,” A man by the bar said. He was dressed relatively casually, in jeans and a t-shirt. I recognized him as well. Daniel Hernandez, although I knew very little about him, other than that his father owned a very large, very powerful food distribution company and had a net worth somewhere in the billions. “Guess you can’t have an auction without healthy competition, no?”
​
“I was led to believe that this was a private sale,” Another man said. He was somewhere in his thirties, with long, dirty blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore aviator sunglasses despite it being nighttime.
“No such thing as a private sale, Georgie,” Hugo teased.
​
Georgie. That name made it all click. I had seen this man before, at a conference I’d accompanied Hugo to. This was George Barbier. The self proclaimed: ‘Final Boss of LinkedIn.’ Hugo had made me watch a few videos he’d made, talking about tips for entrepreneurs and wealth management. He’d supposedly made his fortune in luxury cars, although according to Hugo: “That cocksucker only makes money by making people think he’s some hotshot automotive executive.” so it was hard to say what the truth was.
​
“Clearly not,” Barbier scoffed.
“Don’t feel special. They told me something similar,” A second woman said. She sat by the bar, a few feet away from Daniel. I recognized her as well. Mary Williams. Like Angela Champion, I knew her by reputation. Williams sometimes featured in some podcasts I’d listened to, as one of, if not the wealthiest women in the world. She was the current CEO of one of the larger cosmetics companies. I’d heard her discuss her rise from poverty to wealth, pitching her life story as some sort of inspirational tale of overcoming great odds to attain limitless success, yet still remaining humble. Personally, I found her anecdotes a little tasteless. I’ve actually been homeless in the past. Williams described it all as an adventure she had overcome through the strength of her character and her own entrepreneurial ingenuity, rather than the miserable, nearly endless struggle that it was. It was condescending, to say the least. And despite her efforts to depict herself as some gifted heroine who’d risen above the rough hand life had dealt her, a lot of the controversy her company had come under for their laundry list of shady practices painted a different picture of the woman than her podcast interviews did.
​
Barbier huffed in agreement, before taking a sip of his drink.
“Oh come on. How many sellers have you met who wouldn’t be interested in driving up the price, a little.” Hugo teased. “Besides, your wallet can handle it, right?”
​
Barbier ignored him.
“A little underhanded, luring some of us here with a lie though, wasn’t it?” Angela asked. She glanced over at Cassel, who’d made his way toward the back of the restaurant.
“For the record, I wasn’t told about any other buyers either.”
“Well, I was.” Hugo said. “Had a feeling I might run into a few of you, too. Speaking of this lot, any idea what’s on the menu tonight?”
​
“Restaurant is closed.” A man sitting a short distance away said. His voice carried a very heavy German accent. While I knew most of the figures in this room, I didn’t know him. He was big in every sense of the word, looking almost as if he’d been poured into his plain brown suit. Every time he moved, I saw the fabric strain against his muscles. His jawline was chiseled, and his expression was stern. He had an undercut that looked like it’d been measured out with a ruler.
“Closed?” Hugo repeated.
​
The large man didn’t elaborate.
“Yeah. Would’ve ordered some goddamn h’orderves if it wasn’t,” Daniel replied.
“The bar’s still technically open,” Mary added.
“Technically…” Hugo repeated, before chuckling and standing up. “Well, how can I say no to that?”
He headed over behind the bar to fix himself a martini. He never asked me if I wanted anything, not that I was in the mood to drink.
​
I was surprised that no one in the room had commented about how odd all of this was. Lies told to get some of them there, an empty restaurant, an abandoned bar… most people probably would’ve had a few questions about that. But, out of the collection of LinkedIn’s finest in that room with me, not a single one of them thought to ask any of the questions anyone else probably would’ve asked. I suppose when your net worth is ten digits, critical thinking skills aren’t all that critical.
​
Mr. Cassel had disappeared somewhere near the back of the restaurant, and I glanced over to see him coming back toward us.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies and gentlemen. But now that all of our guests have arrived, I don’t see much reason to delay tonight’s event.”
“About damn time,” Barbier huffed. “Let’s just get on with it. I’ll start my bidding at ten million.”
​
Cassel smiled, almost apologetically.
“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Barbier.” He said. “Tonight’s auction will function a little differently than you may be used to, but I’ll permit our host to explain as much.”
“You are not the host?” The Large German Man asked.
“I’m afraid not, Mr. Koch. But she’ll be connecting with us very soon.”
The German - Koch, nodded solemnly.
“Connecting?” Angela asked, before noticing a TV screen above the bar flickering to life. Her eyes narrowed as the image of a woman appeared on it. She was middle aged, with long auburn hair and plastic horn rimmed glasses. She wore a crooked smile, as if she knew something that nobody else did.
​
“Good evening, everyone. So glad everyone could make out tonight! My name is Lauren Lapointe and I have the privilege of being your host this evening!”
The moment she said her name, I noticed Hugo’s eyes narrowing. He clearly recognized her. To be fair, so did I. Lauren Lapointe had become a controversial figure in recent months, due to the allegations that she’d been involved in some sort of ‘snuff film, bloodsport’ conspiracy, broadcasting such things for wealthy clients, amongst other illicit services. I’d heard about the case… and was sure I wasn’t the only one who had.
​
“What the hell is this?” Barbier demanded. “Where’s the goddamn book! Where’s the Liber Shaal!”
“Well, according to the old folklore, buried somewhere in the depths of Hell.” Lauren admitted. “Although I have to say, that book is one hell of a conversation starter. Seems like it’s brought you all together, hasn’t it?”
“You don’t even have the book?” Angela huffed, standing up. “Then what the hell are we even here for?”
“The fact that none of you have figured it out yet is a little sad.” Lauren replied. “Come now, don’t be coy. I think all of you know why you want that book. You’re all special! You’re all a cut above your everyday average Joe, aren’t you? You’re the ones worthy of becoming Gods… aren’t you?”
​
A pregnant silence settled over the room. On the screen, I saw Lauren’s lips curl into a knowing grin.
“Yes, I know all about that. I know all about you. Feeding on the hearts of ancient, powerful things, just to drag yourselves a little closer to their level, abandoning your limited humanity to ascend to the echelons you were meant for. I know. And I admire that! I’ve always been of the mind that if you have the stomach to lift yourself above the rest of the cattle, then you deserve a seat at the butcher's table. But what are butchers if not themselves meat?”
“W-what…?” Angela’s voice was small, and I heard a slight tremble in it. Although she was the only one who seemed remotely put off by what Lauren had just said.
​
The rest…
​
Barbier.
Mary.
Daniel.
Koch.
Hugo.
They all sat in rapt silence, and I could see the gears in their heads turning. Lauren had gotten their attention and she had just introduced a very specific thought into their heads. A thought I don’t think had occurred to any of them before.
​
“How much power have you all claimed during your pursuit of divinity? Which of you is truly the closest to calling themselves a God? It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? And once you start asking that, maybe you’ll start asking how similar you’ve become to the things you’ve been feeding on… and what might happen if you were to remove the competition, as it were?”
Angela stood up.
“What the fuck?!” She snapped. “We’re not… we’re not gonna fucking eat each other, you sick cunt!”
​
Although she was alone in her protest. The others remained silent. I glanced over at Hugo. He stared up at the screen. I could only see the back of his head, but somehow I knew what the expression on his face would be. Lauren’s grin grew wider. She knew what they were thinking. And she seemed all too thrilled at just how trivial it had been to plant that idea in their minds. Angela remained stock still, her breathing getting heavier as she read the room.
“No…” She stammered, “No… no… you can’t be… don’t you see how sick this is? Killing those things is different! They’re THINGS! We’re PEOPLE! FUCK, WE CAN’T JUST EAT EACH OTHER!”
​
“Are you still people?” Lauren replied. “People are… small, insignificant little animals. We all know this to be true. But you… you’re not small, you’re not insignificant. You’ve made sure of that personally, haven’t you? You stand above the very shadows that lurk in the darkness, who’ve inspired fear in the minds of primitive, lesser men, and each and every one of you had drawn those demons out of the darkness, and taken their lives as if they were nothing more than meat at an abattoir. People can’t do that. But Gods can.”
​
The room remained silent. Even Angela was left speechless for a moment.
​
Almost dutifully, I quietly opened Hugo’s briefcase. I knew what was coming.
“Food for thought,” Lauren crooned. “And whoever’s left… well… you’ll probably have a prize just as good as anything you’d get from that old book, wouldn’t you? Five of them, specifically.”
​
Those words were what did it.
​
Barbier attacked first… moving in a way no human should’ve ever been able to move. The space around him seemed to distort as he drew one of the nearby tables closer to him, allowing him to snatch a steak knife off of it. He seemed to phase through the bar as he lunged for Hugo, pinning him against the wall, as he tried to drive his knife into his stomach.
​
The moment the carnage broke out, I heard Lauren burst out into laughter. She watched the chaos unfold from wherever she was hiding, and she reveled in it. As Barbier went for Hugo, Mary tried to do the same to Daniel.
​
I saw a ritual dagger, similar to the one I’d seen Hugo use, manifest in her hand. Her eyes locked onto Daniel, who looked down at that dagger and froze. He hadn’t come expecting a fight, and confronted with the reality of what was about to happen, he’d quickly lost his nerve. Mary lunged for him, and Daniel scrambled out of the way, only narrowly avoiding getting his throat torn open by her. Mary lunged for him again, although she didn’t get very far. Koch seemed to materialize out of the air around her, catching her by the wrist. I saw a surge of panic in her eyes as he plucked her arm off of her body the same way one might pull a wing off of a fly. She screamed and Daniel took the opportunity to flee, as Koch set to work disassembling Mary Williams.
​
Disassembling.
That’s really the only word for it.
​
As she screamed, he simply… pulled her apart. Not in the way a human might come apart, though. No. Her body broke in a way that I could only describe as ‘wooden.’ As if she wasn’t made of flesh anymore, but of something else. Although I couldn’t tell if that was Koch’s power, or her own power that did that to her. He gripped her by the shoulders and cracked her like a nut… snapping her body with an audible POP, that did not provide any kind of merciful end to her shrieks of agony. Then, with an almost casual lack of reverence, he plucked her beating heart from the quivering gore in her chest and bit into it.
​
Mary’s screams reached a crescendo, as he let her drop to the ground, writhing in her death throes. I saw her skin grow paler. Her eyes seemed to roll back into her skull as the warped state of her body seemed to catch up to her, leaving her gasping and shuddering in her final few seconds of agonizing consciousness.
​
I imagine that death was a mercy for her. Angela stood, rooted to the spot, looking at the sudden carnage that had erupted. Koch glanced over at Barbier and Hugo, still grappling behind the bar. He looked at me, before deciding I was of no importance to him, then he looked over at Angela.
“No…” She rasped, tears streaming down her cheeks. “NO!”
​
I wouldn’t have pegged her as the sanest person in the room, but clearly she was. She scrambled back, heading for the elevator. Daniel was already there, desperately hammering on the button, although the elevator didn’t come. Angela wasn’t stupid enough to wait patiently by his side. She scanned the space around her, before noticing a fire exit on the far side of the restaurant.
​
Then, without a second thought she sprinted for it, racing for the exit. She didn’t even bother opening the door, phasing through it with some sort of unnatural power. Daniel watched her go, and noticing Koch getting closer, chose to follow her. He didn’t quite have the power to just phase through the door, so he had to open it the old fashioned way. He tore down the stairs, before disappearing into the Atomium and Koch followed him.
​
It was just myself, Barbier and Hugo now.
​
The two men had tumbled over the bar, and seemed to have suddenly remembered that they were both God Eaters who didn’t need to restrain themselves to a simple fist fight, although they also weren’t smart enough to do much more than fight like a couple of 14 year old boys after science class.
​
Gravity seemed to shift around them, as they shoved each other across the restaurant, knocking tables and cutlery aside. I calmly stood and stepped out of the way as they tore each other to pieces, hitting each other with the kind of force you see in the third act of a mediocre superhero movie.
​
The brutality between them was actually a little boring. I’d watched Hugo kill far more formidable creatures, and Barbier didn’t quite live up to some of them. If this was ‘The Final Boss of LinkedIn’, then LinkedIn was awfully pathetic.
​
With one grunt of exertion (that was probably unnecessary) Hugo seized Barbier by the throat and hurled him through one of the glass windows of the panoramic restaurant. His eyes shifted over to me.
“SNOW! MY DAGGER!”
​
I dutifully tossed it into his waiting hand, right as time began to flow backward around us. Hugo glanced back at the window, before the dagger in his hand sank into the skin of his palm, merging with his flesh and vanishing from sight. Barbier rose back through the window he’d been thrown through, as the glass mended behind him. He landed on his feet in front of the window, lips curled back in a snarl.
“Is that the best you’ve got, Wright?” He snapped. “You think you can become a GOD? YOU THINK YOU CAN BECOME ANYTHING?” He stormed toward Hugo, who lunged for him only to be knocked to the ground.
​
“You always liked to talk shit, didn’t you… but look at you now? LOOK AT YOU!”
​
I noticed some of the silverware scattered about the mess of a dining room began to glow with heat. They melted and their molten components slithered toward Barbier, pooling at his feet before rising into a spear, reforged for the sole purpose of killing Hugo. Strange runes were burned into its metallic surface, and Barbier studied them, before grabbing the spear and advancing on Hugo. Hugo tried to stand, but Barbier reached him first, grabbing him by the back of his suit jacket,
“You’re out of your fucking depth, next to me! Now be a good boy, and DI-”
​
In one swift movement, Hugo pressed his palm against Barbiers chest, and his voice died in his throat. His eyes went wide as he felt the ritual dagger Hugo had hidden in his palm tear through his heart.
“You’d be out of your depth in a parking lot puddle…” Hugo snarled, before plunging his hand into Barbier’s chest.
​
“W-wait…” Barbier rasped, although Hugo didn’t listen. He tore his heart free of his chest, and pushed the man to the ground, leaving him twitching and staring vacantly up at the ceiling. Hugo smirked, watching him for a moment, before biting into his heart like an apple.
​
“Mmm… not bad…” He mused, before he waved a hand, almost dismissively. The room shifted around us. That which was broken, returned to where it had been before, repaired once more. In a few moments, it was like there’d been no skirmish at all. Everything was as it was, and George Barbier’s corpse was crumbling to dust where it lay, leaving no trace of him behind.
“Best not to cause a scene,” Hugo said as he finished off the last few bites of Barbier’s heart. “Snow, come,” He said. “There’s still three more to deal with.”
​
“Yes, sir,” I said quietly and followed Hugo as he headed for the stairs, Angela, Daniel and Koch had disappeared down. I noticed that Hugo had paid no mind to Mr. Cassel… who had conveniently disappeared when the violence had broken out. In fact, there wasn’t a trace of Mr. Cassel left in that dining room, almost as if he’d never existed in the first place. Hugo didn’t seem to think about it, so neither did I.
​
Of the nine spheres of the Atomium, I knew that only six were accessible to the public. The lower 5 spheres contained the exhibitions and event halls, while the topmost sphere, where we presently were, was the panoramic restaurant. The three spheres below the restaurant were less stable, which is why they were closed off to the public and the stairway leading to them was certainly a lot less glamorous than the stairways and escalators I’d seen going between the other spheres. They hadn’t dressed it up as much.
​
Hugo led the way down the stairs, moving with the calm confidence of a man who knew he was in no real danger, as opposed to the caution of a man being hunted.
“Keep up, Snow,” He said as we descended into the main part of the sphere. The space around us was wide open and almost completely unoccupied, save for a few cabinets for storage. There was only one dull light in the ceiling that didn’t illuminate much, and cast deep shadows in every corner that seemed to watch us. There were two exits, each one leading down into one of the more accessible spheres.
​
Hugo studied each exit, staring down the differing sets of stairs and listening closely for any indicator on which his quarry might have taken. I remained dead silent, letting him hunt.
“Blood,” He mused. “Smells like Koch has been busy.”
​
He took a step toward one of the stairways, before freezing, almost as if he detected something I didn’t. I saw his eyes go wide for a moment, before the shadows suddenly moved, collapsing in on Hugo like a cascade of water. He spun around, raising an arm to shield his face as I saw a figure materialize out of the inky darkness, a runed dagger in her hand.
​
Angela Champion brought her dagger down on Hugo’s arm, cutting through flesh and bone as if it were butter. His severed hand, still clutching his own dagger, hit the ground with a thud, and Hugo let out a cry of surprise, but not pain before Angela seized him by his shirt and hurled him toward the center of the sphere. Hugo picked himself up quickly, rising to one knee and glaring at the woman across from him.
​
“Well, well… getting into the spirit of things after all, aren’t we Angie?” He hissed. She just stood defiantly between him and the stairs, or perhaps between him and his own severed hand.
“I’m not going to kill you, Hugo. Not unless I have to!” She warned.
“Then you’ll die here with the rest.” He replied, rising to his feet.
“Which’ll include you, if you keep going the way you’re going!” She snapped. “Pull your head out of your ass for five seconds and think about the bigger picture here! This Lapointe woman, she didn’t just bring us together, to have us duke it out for the hell of it! We’re here because she wants what we’ve got!”
​
Hugo grimaced.
“You think I haven’t figured that out?” He asked. “It doesn’t matter. She’s just some mortal, biting off more than she can ever hope to chew.”
“Maybe. But after going through all that trouble to track us down, and lure us here with the promise of the Liber Shaal, something she knew none of us could resist, can you really be so sure she’s just a mortal?”
“How many hearts have you eaten?” Hugo asked coyly, taking a step toward her. “How much power have you taken, Angela?”
​
She didn’t answer that question.
“I can sense that it isn’t much, you know, not compared to some of the others here. Barbier was almost on my level, and that last one… Koch. Oh he’s going to be interesting. But you? You’re weak. I can feel it. You know I’m familiar with the work of Lauren Lapointe. Not intimately. But I know those who are. Nasty piece of work, that one. But mortal. Weak. Insignificant. I know of Lauren Lapointe. And I know we’re not up against a worthy opponent, we’re up against ourselves and one stupid woman with delusions of grandeur. Maybe she’s had a taste of violence like this before, pitting other, small, miserable things against each other like a child putting insects in a box to watch them devour each other. Maybe that’s made her feel strong. But she is nothing compared to the likes of us. And you are nothing compared to the likes of me…”
​
With every step, he inched closer. Angela held her ground for a few moments, before finally taking a step back and as she did, Hugo’s dagger erupted through her chest. Her eyes widened for a split second, as the dagger twisted and writhed through her ribcage, finally bursting free of her and landing in Hugo’s remaining hand. Still, despite the state she was in, she stood, swaying on her feet before he lunged for her, grabbing her by the throat.
“For what it’s worth, you did well to cut off my hand. Shame you didn’t have the stomach to finish the job.”
“No…” Angela gasped, as Hugo forced her to the ground, and tore into her. Her white bowler hat rolled off of her head, and landed by my feet.
​
I could only watch impartially as he ripped her apart, and pulled her still beating heart from her chest. Angela stared at it with wide, tear filled eyes. She knew she was dying. And all she could do was mouth the words: “No… no… no…” over and over again before Hugo took a bite.
​
As he ate, I watched, pausing only to calmly walk over to the stairs to pick up his severed hand, as if it were something he’d dropped. When Hugo stood once more, I offered the hand to him.
“Thank you, Snow/” He crooned, casually popping it back into place, before wiping the blood off of his mouth.
“Of course, sir. Two more to go?”
“One, most likely,” He said. “Then we deal with Lapointe.”
​
I nodded, and let him lead the way. He paid Angela’s body little mind, leaving her in a growing pool of her own blood. I stared down at her remains, and looked into her lifeless eyes which stared up at the ceiling in horror. My eyes settled on the runed dagger she’d used to wound Hugo. It seems that in his fervor, he hadn’t thought to grab it. Fortunately, I was a good assistant and took care of that for him.
​
***
​
As we reached the bottom of the stairs, we were greeted by an almost predictable sight. The bloody remains of Daniel Hernandez lay scattered about on the ground, and sitting in front of them sat Koch.
​
He stared at Hugo, sizing him up before huffing.
“You’ve killed Angela?” He asked calmly.
“It wasn’t much of a chore,” Hugo replied. “And Daniel?”
Koch nodded.
“No chore,” He repeated.
“I thought not. Well, no point in standing on ceremony, is there? We’ve both got places to be, don’t we?”
​
Koch rose to his feet. He cracked his knuckles. I noticed a heavy iron hammer resting in his hands. An ancient weapon, decorated in runes of all sorts. It probably had a very interesting history to it, but he never explained any of that before swinging it at Hugo with all the grace of a raging bull.
​
The world around Hugo distorted, moving him out of the way of every swing. His body seemed to twist and duplicate, making him harder to track and harder to hit as he tried to find an angle of attack. Koch huffed in rage, before slamming his hammer into the ground.
​
A wave of pure energy tore through the room, knocking me off my feet, and sending Hugo crashing against a wall. Koch wasted no time in trying to crush his head into pulp, although Hugo simply dissolved through the wall to evade him, before manifesting behind him.
“A perfect challenge!” Hugo jeered. “But there’s only one throne, for one true God!”
​
A third arm, made of inky black energy manifested from Koch’s back, seizing Hugo by the throat.
“In this my friend… we are agreed.” Koch hissed. More arms grew from his back, seizing Hugo’s body and keeping him in place. He tried to phase through them, but somehow they still held him.
​
Koch’s body twisted and elongated, as his spine slowly adjusted itself so that he could face Hugo and raise his hammer over his head. Hugo stared up into his eyes, before opening his mouth and launching a beam of pure energy into Koch’s face. I heard Koch scream, as his skull shattered, smearing a shimmering dark liquid all over the ceiling.
​
Still… somehow I wasn’t sure if he was dead. His grip on Hugo was still strong, and no matter how hard Hugo fought, he didn’t seem to let go, not that Hugo seemed to want to get too far away from him. No, I watched as Hugo tried to push himself closer to Koch. I watched him drive his dagger into his chest, to try and pry out his beating heart.
​
More hands manifested from Koch to keep Hugo away, but he was so close. As Koch pulled him back from the gaping wound in his chest, Hugo’s limbs elongated as he reached for the mans beating heart to pry it free, and just as he triumphed and pulled it from his chest… I cut off Hugo’s hand again.
​
I saw his eyes widen with shock, but he didn’t utter a single word. As his hand and Koch’s heart fell, I snatched them both out of the air. My eyes burned into Hugo’s from behind my glasses, and I gave him a small, knowing smile before biting into the heart myself.
​
Koch’s entire body seized, but his grip on Hugo grew no weaker.
“Snow?” Hugo’s voice cracked, as the panic of realization set in.
​
I answered him… but not in my own voice. I spoke in the voice of Lauren Lapointe.
“I’ve always been of the mind that if you have the stomach to lift yourself above the rest of the cattle, then you deserve a seat at the butcher's table. But what are butchers if not themselves meat?”
​
My face shifted, revealing the visage I’d stolen. I imagined that the real Lauren wouldn’t have minded my borrowing it. She’d been the one who taught me the primal joys of bloodsport, after all, and I’m sure she would’ve loved watching a bunch of rich morons with delusions of grandeur butcher each other in the name of power.
​
Hugo on the other hand?
​
The look on his face was one of absolute horror as he quickly put the pieces together. He squirmed. He fought. He tried to get free. But I still had Angela’s knife in my hand, and he could do nothing to stop me from taking his other hand, disarming him in every sense of the word.
“No…” He cried, “No… Penelope… don’t! PENELOPE WAIT!”
Oh, first names now? He was desperate.
​
Not that it saved him.
​
And as he wriggled free of Koch’s dying grasp, he only found himself tumbling into mine, where his struggles could not save him as I cut into his chest, pulled out his panicked, beating heart… and took a bite.
​
***
​
There were no bodies left behind when I left the Atomium. No bloodstains or any trace of what had happened there. I saw to their disposal. I could feel the new power coursing through my veins… it was more than I’d ever felt before. It was strange. Exciting!
​
I’d thought the boost I’d gotten from the morsels I’d stolen from Hugo was intense, but this was on an entirely new level! Yet it wasn’t enough.
​
It would never be enough, not until I’d reached the top. If there even was a top.
​
I imagined I’d find out soon enough.

I might have a 19 and friend I know a lot of people think females and men can’t be friends platonically but I promise this was platonically at least for me. Basically his toxic relationship with this woman who is currently married with two kids, but she’s going through a divorce mine and she doesn’t know if that two kids or her husband because she cheated, she openly relationship with my friend and another dude my friend doesn’t like it. He can’t speak. I’m not cocky. I don’t think I’m the most beautiful girl but she’s not all that and I’ve asked him that and he said she’s just really good in bed. I’ve never had anyone like this which is really weird because I don’t think any sort of sexual intimacy could be worth what I’m about to tell you but maybe I’m wrong because I’m a woman like I said she’s openly dating another guy. The other guy decided to dip out and he said choose between me and him, when she was choosing, my friend was going through it and he almost left her, but ultimately decided to stay last night. He waited outside the house that she shared with her husband and two kids for her to come home from a completely other dudes house. I ripped him one because I care about him and I don’t think he should put up with this no matter what he was upset that I went off on him so I had to apologize
Something was up withthe text messages sounded weird. I know how he talks. It was her the whole time she blocked me on everything except for one app and I want to reach out to him and one last effort and tell him I will so be here for him and there’s no hard feelings I know what to feel and don’t wanna leave somebody because you don’t wanna be alone
But I dont know. Sorry if it sounds weird english isnt my first language .
I really care about this person literally as I would care about a female friend and I hate to see them lose themselves, and I want to give it one less more effort and I know he probably won’t leave her still but I want him to know that even when he decides to do whether it’s in one year five years, 10 15 30 I don’t care I’ll still be here for him
or should I just leave it alone?
do you guys think he will ever unblock me he told me he would never let her get in the way between our friendship and I believe that, but when I got blocked, she had the phone he never physically did the blocking
edit: once again, I’m sorry if this was worded weird or if it really didn’t make sense, but im not 100 percent fluent in English. I really really want to text him. I know when he’ll be at work I want to slip in one last text maybe for closure. I want to continue friendship even if we don’t continue for years I just want him to know. I’ll still be here.
But maybe I’m naïve i want advice because I feel like somebody’s been through this
Or somebody with an older soul that can give me advice

My family family moved to Canada from Italy after WWII for a better life. My mother grew up and was raised in a small town by two loving, but lived-through-the-war, and all it’s atrocities, parents. As a war torn immigrant family, life was mainly about survival and rebuilding for a better future (hence the move to Canada). I can’t even imagine what they went through and I’m forever grateful for my life here, cause of them.
My mother grew up fairly sheltered, anxious, didn’t have many friends, and was quite introverted. She is a loving and giving person who will always put the needs of others, above her own. In hindsight, her childhood needs for love and affection were likely not met, and so now, she doesn’t handle criticism or conflict well, as it feels like a personal attack and brings out deep rooted insecurities. In her early 30s, she decided to go through with IVF. Her parents supported her and she was successful with the process - as I write this here today. So I’ve always known I was a sperm baby.
As a single mom, she raised me all on her own. I might not have had the coolest toys or newest clothes growing up, but I had a roof over my head, food on the table, and place to go home, in that same small town. For my mother to do all this, by herself, and still make it, is incredible.
Fast forward about 25 years, I decide that I’d like to know some info about my bio dad. I ask my mom if she knows and she says no, she opted not to receive that information. Now I should mention, that I am one hard-headed and stubborn girl… not one of my best attributes. So naturally, when she said no, I became inquisitive. I stated that whether she wanted to or not, the facility/organization ethically, has to keep SOME documentation. She quickly responded ‘no, it was a different time back then, etc etc, and because she requested to not know any information, that information would be destroyed’. Being as stubborn as I am, I took matters into my own hands and told her I’d call the hospital myself and ask for the records. She laughed in a defensive tone, and said “fine”.
The hospital had nothing. There was never any name given as my father on my birth certificate. I knew this, as it was IVF, but they had no documentation. When I called my mother again to tell her the news and that I felt a bit off and disjointed, as I didn’t understand how there could be nothing, she was quickly defensive and irritated by my will to know. Things like “well why does it matter anyway? “ or “I’m your mother, haven’t I done a good enough job?” Or “oh so I’m a bad mom, that’s why you want to know”. We had a huge fight, an absolutely massive blow up.
I went home a few days later and asked her why she was defensive. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t ask any questions and why it was causing such a response from her. We ended up in a yelling match, with me on the driveway asking “tell me the truth”, and her yelling back “I am telling you the truth! How could you believe that your mother would lie about such a thing!” Her responses somehow morphed into, get off the driveway and come inside so we can talk about this.
I came inside and she let me read a letter without saying anything. It was written by a man, one I did not know, professing his love to my mother. This man was my father. It turns out that my mother had an affair with a married man and got pregnant. He wanted to marry her after he found out she was pregnant, but feeling embarrassed for falling into such a predicament in a small town from a VERY traditional, hardcore morals, type of family, she declined and decided it was better to tell everyone she got pregnant via IVF. She didn’t want him apart of my life and refused his presence.
In that moment, my entire world shattered. For my entire life I’ve thought that I was a sperm baby, only to find out 25 years later that she did in fact, know my father. They actually kept in touch all these years and she would send him photos of me. Immediately after revealing the truth to me, she made me vow to never contact him or tell anyone. She didn’t want to make a big deal of the matter, and I don’t blame her. She carries a lot of hurt and pain within her and she only did what she thought was best for me, as a child.
I felt numb through the shock for a while, but eventually I worked up the courage one night to google his name and try to find some info about him. The first google hit that came up with my search, was his obituary, from 3 weeks prior.

1. Weeks. Prior.

Can you grieve someone you never met? Someone you never knew you even had? Maybe it was the fact that the opportunity I didn’t even know I had earlier in the year, was now gone. I called my mom the next day and asked if she knew. She already knew. She found out the next day but thought it was best not to tell me as it would upset me. Turns out it was his daughter that sent out a notice to her father’s friends, coworkers, etc. A daughter from his marriage.
I have a half sister?
Now, I don’t want to draw a bad light on my mother - with the resources she had and the life she was given, she did the very best she could. I whole heartedly believe and know that she loves me. But now I’m sitting here, writing to you, asking for advice:
WIBTA for contacting my half sister and explaining that her deceased father had an affair on their mother, had a secret child with my mom, and that we’re half sisters? I want to try to know her, but I also don’t want to shatter her image of her father. If she doesnt want/believe me, that’s fine, I can accept it and I’ll leave it at that.
Thank you for listening and TIA for the input.

Me and my gf have been dating for 3 years now and for some context so I don't sound that insecure we normally spend a lot of our time together especially recently since we are currently long distance for a bit and we usually facetime all day and spend time together at night. She recently started talking to an online friend group and they have just taken all of her time.
Last Wednesday they all started talking, and since then there has been little to no communication between me and her. She normally works during the day so she goes on TikTok until they are on (she has a severe tiktok addiction) and talks with them until she falls asleep basically.
The other day she randomly brought up the idea of her going to Maine (where the friends are from) for a few days and staying with one of the girls in the group. I don't mind this idea, this was just so out of nowhere it caught me off guard.
She isn't the type to cheat so thats not my worry, I just want to spend more time with her. There have been a few times shes told me we'd talk soon but she keeps ghosting me until I fall asleep basically.
I admittedly got upset tonight since I had waited for over an hour after she said she would be done soon and we had a small fight over it. I wasn't upset about her spending time with her friends, restricting her from having fun is the last thing I want, but its the fact that there is absolute no communication between us and maybe a dozen texts in the last few days that got me upset. She instantly started invalidating me saying I was "acting butthurt" and she kept saying she has no idea why I was so upset.
She brought up some weird stuff saying how I do things like this too so its fine for her to do it. I do play games with my friends but I strictly restrict it to when she is busy/asleep as she has told me before it upsets her when I dont spend time with her, so it was just really hypocritical for her to say that. She also brought up "wanting space from me" even though she admitted nothing was wrong which is like fine, but again the main issue is that there was just no talking at all for days when at least for our relationship that isn't the norm.
Honestly I might be overthinking this, maybe I'm in the wrong but the last week for me has been really bad. My dog had surgery and I just started a new job and things overall have just been messy. If this comes off as insecure or needy I get it, but the hypocritical things she said and just the fact that it isn't normal for her to do this makes me feel like I need to try and talk to her about it again since I don't feel heard or validated right now.
TLDR: Need advice on how to communicate to my girlfriend I am upset we haven't spent time together

I (31F) started seeing someone (32m) I use to "date" years ago, we've been doing LD since January (basically) when we rekindled. Things were great for quite a while until..
His avoidant style attachment has really been hard for me, and he even left me for a month to "figure things out". I would say he goes back and forth quite frequently.
My self esteem has taken such a hit due to his behavior to the point where I'm even crying right now thinking he may be with someone else, it's not like me.
We did a "look don't matter" kind of thing upfront, I was under the assumption that it was due to his obvious (from facial photos and such) weight gain. I didn't mind because I liked him for him..but since I struggle with my physical appearance, it recently became important to me to approach it since we discussed meeting up soon.
There was a small misunderstanding of an insensitive comment he made which he promptly apologized for but left me feeling..low. I noticed that he's taken to putting work into his appearance (relevant).
Usually we spend time together from 9-11pm but tonight he didn't even show up after I texted this morning asking if he really wanted to meet up (it's something we talked a lot about but never seemed to make it happen). No text to tell me he was busy or anything. Lately it's later and later that he's "available", despite claiming he wants to be with me and all that.
I feel like his behavior towards me has changed since he started losing weight and the ego boost he's been getting from my constant stream of compliments for months and months, making my self esteem feel even more low. Especially since I sent a full body photo recently, only to feel worse about myself after. I wouldn't say there's anything wrong with my looks per se, only that I'm self conscious because I like him a lot and I'm shy.
I don't even feel like I'm worth texting to say "Hey, I'm busy so I won't be around tonight". It's kind of crushing, honestly. I'm way too old to feel this way, but I really let myself fall crazy over this guy and I feel like such a wreck constantly.
I think that it'd be better for me if I just broke it off with him by blocking him. I've explained many times all kinds of things (about my self esteem, how much I like him, how I like spending time together before sleeping and just all kinds of things generally about how I think even a short text is considerate so I don't worry or whatever).
I know this may put some people off but I feel like at this point just blocking him and ending the whole thing is the best thing to do to protect myself. I just worry that it's immature but don't want to risk being sucked back in by pretty words like I usually am.
I'm in such a state by how low my self esteem has gotten over this relationship that I worry I'm overreacting constantly but I feel like I ask so little and can't get my needs met.

Ex Girlfriend
My ex (F24) and I (M26) broke up a week ago. Last night she came over and we had sex. I texted her recently saying sorry because before she was about to leave last night I was about to cry, I started tearing, but she told me not to so I didn’t. I was also drunk. We broke up mainly because I yelled at her through a voice note also being in another state since I went to school out of state, but that same week we broke up I decided I was coming back to my hometown to do school here since I didn’t like the whole out of state thing. So, she was also doing the LD relationship thing with me. I doubted her love for me because at times she would call this relationship stressful and obviously you don’t want to hear that from your significant other or feel that you are stressful. It’s also because we’re at different stages in life. She’s applying to grad school. I’m about to do trade school soon/just started getting my life together. She drives. I don’t. I went out of state then came back. That night I yelled at her, it all started because I got mad at her because she said she was anxious about me coming to her bday friend party because there’s going to be ass shaking and how I once slid in her friends DMs but tbh It was so long ago and before we started dating I don’t remember what I said. Worst thing I did was probably heart eye her stories. To make matters worse I once called her by her friends name cause I was drunk while I tried to yell my girls name while I was laying down on the couch and her friends name slipped out. Honestly I wasn’t thinking of her friend nor do I see her friend like that. I honestly love my ex like I never loved anyone before. I wanted to marry her. I wanted to grow old together, have kids. To my defense my bartender of that night I called my ex her friends name was also named her friend name also and no I don’t see nor think of her like that.
So when she got home a family situation happened and she said she was overwhelmed but before she told me it was a family situation going on she said not to call her and I’m thinking it’s about me on why she’s overwhelmed but she just wanted space to deal with what was going on in her home. So me being drunk was just thinking of myself and said stop fucking playing with me since I thought she had her doubts in her relationships and honestly she I always felt she did and this incident sealed the deal and realizing she doesn’t want to be with me.
Here’s the dilemma: I love her. I always will. I told her I just want to have a good time with you not be a burden. I do want to be her friend and spend as much time as possible even when I do know she’ll eventually find someone new. I really love her guys. She said she loves me to and she’s not confused about getting back together and she’s not about to just have sex with someone else. It just goes to show eventually she will and that she’s really over this relationship. And somehow she loves me but not enough to get back with me and work it out. It’s sad but for real, this is my one life, I won’t regret spending time together because I love her and at least I had that time with her.

I (27M) am currently living with my ex in a 1 bedroom unit. We were together for 8 years, she ended things in April. Even though she ended it - we still care about each other as people, we keep things rational/cordial as roommates and the split itself was amicable. (Probably helps that 80% of the days, I'm at home only to sleep).
Even though it’s only been two months and I wasn’t the one to end things; the two months have helped me realize that we’re in different stages of life and I genuinely have 0 interest in getting back with her in any romantic sense.
I’ve been on apps once again; though I have generally put “unsure” as to what I’m looking for, I’ve managed to match/chat with someone who wants something more long-term and more matches where I’m at in life. We have a date planned for a week from now. The vibe so far is great, and if my read isn't completely off, I would say we're falling for each other pretty hard.
How and when do I bring up that my roommate is my ex-girlfriend? Over the phone/text before meeting, during the first date, during the second? Even if this specific someone doesn’t pan out, is there a general best practice or is it person-specific?
(This current someone knows I HAVE a roommate at this time, I just haven't been prompted to elaborate).
From what I see between this and other subreddits, this is more common a question than I was expecting to see, but the advice seems to generally be that someone should be moving out or that I shouldn’t date at all until we’re no longer roommates. To that, some points:

• Money-wise, we live in Northeast NJ: my ex cannot afford to break the lease and move out on her own, and we’d be hard-pressed to find a sublet for a 1 bedroom/1 bath unit. I DO have the option of moving back in with my parents and continuing to make the payments but it’s farther away from work and the city, plus comes with its issues.
• We very much like where we’re at for us individually - it’s safe; she gets better medical care in our new area, accessible without the use of a car. I am closer to work and use that same accessibility to explore around, try new activities, go into New York City, etc. (which is somewhat central to the reason we split), and it’s a 20-minute commute to work (previously it was 1hr+, my parents would be about 45-50 mins).
• We started the 1-year lease on March 1 - meaning we have quite a while to go.
• My ex and I have established that we cannot bring dates, hookups, etc. to our apartment while the other is there, and we will honor that, so no mess in that regard.
• I’ve seen comments regarding rebounds and giving time to grieve/heal. Honestly, over these past two months, between therapy and all that I’ve been able to do, I’m confident in not needing someone to feel secure, and based on where my ex and I are both at, I’m moved on and at peace with it all.

My ex (F24) and I (M26) broke up a week ago. Last night she came over and we had sex. I texted her recently saying sorry because before she was about to leave last night I was about to cry, I started tearing, but she told me not to so I didn’t. I was also drunk. We broke up mainly because I yelled at her through a voice note also being in another state since I went to school out of state, but that same week we broke up I decided I was coming back to my hometown to do school here since I didn’t like the whole out of state thing. So, she was also doing the LD relationship thing with me. I doubted her love for me because at times she would call this relationship stressful and obviously you don’t want to hear that from your significant other or feel that you are stressful. It’s also because we’re at different stages in life. She’s applying to grad school. I’m about to do trade school soon/just started getting my life together. She drives. I don’t. I went out of state then came back. That night I yelled at her, it all started because I got mad at her because she said she was anxious about me coming to her bday friend party because there’s going to be ass shaking and how I once slid in her friends DMs but tbh It was so long ago and before we started dating I don’t remember what I said. Worst thing I did was probably heart eye her stories. To make matters worse I once called her by her friends name cause I was drunk while I tried to yell my girls name while I was laying down on the couch and her friends name slipped out. Honestly I wasn’t thinking of her friend nor do I see her friend like that. I honestly love my ex like I never loved anyone before. I wanted to marry her. I wanted to grow old together, have kids. To my defense my bartender of that night I called my ex her friends name was also named her friend name also and no I don’t see nor think of her like that.
So when she got home a family situation happened and she said she was overwhelmed but before she told me it was a family situation going on she said not to call her and I’m thinking it’s about me on why she’s overwhelmed but she just wanted space to deal with what was going on in her home. So me being drunk was just thinking of myself and said stop fucking playing with me since I thought she had her doubts in her relationships and honestly she I always felt she did and this incident sealed the deal and realizing she doesn’t want to be with me.
Here’s the dilemma: I love her. I always will. I told her I just want to have a good time with you not be a burden. I do want to be her friend and spend as much time as possible even when I do know she’ll eventually find someone new. I really love her guys. She said she loves me to and she’s not confused about getting back together and she’s not about to just have sex with someone else. It just goes to show eventually she will and that she’s really over this relationship. And somehow she loves me but not enough to get back with me and work it out. It’s sad but for real, this is my one life, I won’t regret spending time together because I love her and at least I had that time with her.

I bought this game this Friday. Knew nothing about it except that I'm a sucker for hardcore survivalist type games. After some research and multiple deaths, I got myself going pretty good on my most recent run. About two ingame weeks in my run, while making my way towards detroit, I stumbled upon an ATN warrior who approached me and told me about the ATN Enclave. Being fairly close to the Enclave, I decided to make a detour.
I visited the Enclave and progressed what I assume to be the main story, ate some food, traded some gear and promptly left.
This is where my miraculous luck begins. I had setup camp only a couple tiles outside of the Enclave when I noticed some brand new, red text next to my character. Blue rot 2.
Being a complete noob, I got confused and nervous, so I paused my game momentarily to check out the reddit and wiki.
Suffice to say I was NOT happy about what I read. Nothing but post after post of people claiming Blue rot is essentially a death sentence and run killer. To add insult to injury, I had no clue as to how I contracted it and the only "remedies" listed where some mythical "cures" and nanobot treatments, which were so far away from anything I could even begin to clamor towards that it hit me with that all knowing sinking feeling of dread.
I did remember at the time though, that the Enclave offered a doctor to treat illness and injuries, which I hastily took advantage of.
The doctor treated my illness, but unfortunately, he did not cure it, although my health did start momentarily increasing. I noted that the game consumed tannin tea and bear root, which checking the shop confirmed was sold by the trader. I bought as much as I could and returned to my shack outside of the Enclave.
There I sat for about 3-4 days. The Blue rot 2 almost immediately bumped up to Blue rot 3, which did NOT give me high hopes. I sat under my tent in a sleeping bag with a noisemaker outside and just chewed on bear root and sipped the tannin tea the entire time. Whenever I ran out of tea and root, I would revisit the trader, buy some more and return to my camp quickly, eating at the Enclave whenever possible while supplementing with my dried dog meat.
Very, very, very slowly, my health, which was originally full and "unhurt" was now labeled as "sick" and decreasing. No amount of tea or bear root would improve my condition.
Then, as if the pearly gates had opened and shined upon me, my health, which was sitting around 50% now, miraculously bumped up to 70-80% instantly and checking my status, found that my lovely blue rot 3 was gone for good. I continued to rest, sip tea and eat bear root until I was back at full health.
Yeah, thats it. I dont know if it was pure luck or if this legitimately is just a viable way to cure this disease. In case many of you get infected by this run killer, just know that this worked for me. No need for any legendary cures or nanobots, just some simple tea and roots. Thanks for reading my long as shit essay.

The bright lights of the city reflected off the sleek black car as it cruised down the boulevard. Inside, Playboi Carti adjusted his designer shades and glanced at his phone, a small smile playing on his lips as he read a text from Lil Uzi Vert. They had been close friends for years, their bond forged through music and mutual respect, but recently, Carti had started to feel something more.
They had arranged to meet at a private studio that night, eager to work on new tracks together. Carti arrived first, his heart racing with anticipation. He busied himself setting up the equipment, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.
The door swung open, and in walked Lil Uzi Vert, his vibrant energy filling the room. He flashed a wide grin at Carti. "Yo, Carti! Ready to make some magic?"
Carti nodded, his usual cool demeanor hiding the excitement bubbling inside him. "Always, Uzi. Let's get to work."
They dove into their session, the hours slipping away as they bounced ideas off each other, their creative synergy palpable. As the night deepened, they took a break, sitting on the plush studio couch, sipping water and catching their breath.
"Man, I love these late-night sessions," Uzi said, leaning back and closing his eyes. "It's like we’re in our own world, you know?"
Carti nodded, watching him closely. "Yeah, it's special. We make a good team."
Uzi opened his eyes and looked at Carti, his gaze intense. "You ever think about what makes us work so well together?"
Carti hesitated, then decided to take a leap. "I think it's because we understand each other in a way no one else does. There's a connection."
Uzi's eyes softened, a hint of curiosity in his expression. "Yeah, I feel that too."
The room fell into a comfortable silence, the unspoken words hanging in the air. Carti felt his heart pounding, a mix of fear and hope coursing through him. He took a deep breath, deciding it was now or never.
"Uzi, there's something I need to tell you," Carti began, his voice steady but quiet. "I've been feeling something… more than just friendship."
Uzi's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, Carti feared he had made a mistake. But then Uzi smiled, a gentle, understanding smile.
"I've been feeling it too, Carti," Uzi admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know how to say it."
Relief washed over Carti, and he found himself smiling back. "I'm glad you feel the same."
Without another word, Carti leaned in, closing the distance between them. He placed a soft, tender kiss on Uzi's cheek, his heart swelling with a mix of joy and nervousness. Uzi's eyes fluttered closed, and when he opened them again, they were filled with warmth.
"Carti," Uzi said softly, his hand reaching up to touch the spot where Carti had kissed him. "Thank you for being brave."
Carti chuckled, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "Thank you for understanding."
They sat there, their hands intertwined, the studio filled with the quiet hum of their bond growing stronger. In that moment, they knew that whatever the future held, they would face it together, their hearts beating in perfect harmony.

I’m ENFP, and after meeting an INTJ over a work meeting, it was like immediate appreciation for each other. INTJ was extremely appreciative and showered me with compliments, which naturally I love 💁🏻‍♀️. I couldn’t help myself but feel so happy to talk to him. And whenever I tried to return the compliments, he would respond with “please don’t put me on a pedestal”, or gif of homer hiding into a bush. I found it so amusing! Lol! Which compelled me to shower him more with compliments and be his cheerleader. I know he says he doesn’t like it but he totally LOVES the attention from me. Whenever we hang, I have a million questions, because I’m so fascinated by him and the way he thinks. Initially he would question whether I was this interested in everyone or just him. I’m so amused :) lol. He gets all uncomfortable when he talks the most during our hang outs, cuz I’m mostly listening, asking more questions, and trying to imagine myself as him, trying to put myself in his shoes. But after we finish hanging out, he’ll text me and say “ohhh gaawwddd 😍😍😍😍” .
I can tell he’s very judgemental of himself and others, which makes me want to remind him how wonderful he is just the way he is, mistakes and all. He constantly edits his messages for grammatical errors (LOL). Hes very organized of his time and mentions that when he’s planning a vacation, he’ll add specific time slots for “spontaneous activity”. LOL. 😂 we laugh a lot together, and I love his sense of humour. I feel at ease to be myself around him and not put up the bubbly, smiley facade. I can be sad and real with him, and he has an extremely realistic view of life. It sometimes feels so robotic about it…. Haha. but honestly he’s very accepting about circumstances, “this is life” attitude. He’s the calm to my chaotic 5 min emotional rollercoaster.
I know we wouldn’t do great romantically, because I greatly enjoy all forms of physical touch, and he’s not into that.
I just really appreciate his friendship!! It’s amazing how quickly we clicked though.
ENFP + INTJ = highly compatible and awesome friendship

I have been dating my boyfriend "Mike" for just under 18 months. Our relationship has become really serious, we have even started to discuss things like marriage, children, etc. We moved from England to Wales about 6 months ago because I got a job opportunity that required us to relocate. He was able to covert to working from home so has stayed employed by his old company.
We now live about 70 miles away from our hometown. Because it's so far we rarely visit home, maybe once every 6 weeks or so. Whenever we visit we stay with Mike's parents and every time we go his sister is incredibly obsessed with Mike and won't leave him alone. It's to the point where it's really weird and almost like she has some weird romantic feelings for him. I've brought this up to Mike and he says I'm being crazy, but I'm not. For example, she will snuggle up to him on sofa, so I have to sit somewhere else. She will ask for him to take her shopping to places that I don't like. She'll make him take her to restaurants and they'll have fancy meals together. It is SO weird how she treats him like a boyfriend.
They have a holiday to Spain booked for this summer holiday to the town where Mike grew up, they booked this before we were dating. But it is just them two going and it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. I first asked for him to change the booking so I could come along as well, I said I would pay for the extra obviously. He said he contacted the travel agents but they weren't able to change the bookings anymore and that they couldn't book a separate package for me because the hotel was booked up.
Yesterday, I told him I think it is really weird that he wants to spend two weeks alone with her in a foreign country and when I said this to him he blew up at me and kicked me out the house. Like genuinely kicked me out the house for just questioning him about this which has made me feel it's even more weird than I thought. We ended up having a huge argument, like the biggest we've ever had. And now I am considering booking a separate hotel nearby the one they're staying at just so I can keep an eye on her. I have been texting him and ringing him and he hasn't answered or responded to me at all.
I don't understand how he doesn't see this is weird, especially considering how obsessed she is with him as I mentioned earlier. It just makes me feel sick and I don't know what to do. How do I express to him that this is not normal? How do I show him there is something weird about how his sister treats him?

please no judgement, I know I am a piece of shit.
I was dating my boyfriend (we'll call him Adam) for 4 years. I don't know why but I cheated on him with a coworker. I was in a low place. I hate my job and hate how my life turned out. I was looking for something, anything, to make me feel alive again. For those 3 weeks I was sleeping with the coworker I felt alive but I was so ashamed. I started being really snappy with Adam for no reason. Like I knew I was being unfair but I couldn't stop myself. I know I was hurting him and every time I did it I felt like shit but kept doing it again. Eventually he figured it out and confronted me and I confessed.
I begged his sister to have lunch with me in an attempt to get help and she basically told me to move on. She said he has never been the type to forgive and she doesn't see any reason why he would. While we were at lunch it was awkward and we weren't really talking much but she said something that made me burst into tears. I ordered dark meat chicken and she said "oh, just like Adam". I said no? he always eats white meat. She said no, he hates white meat. Always has.
I realized in that moment he had been giving me the dark meat parts of chicken when we make it because he knew I liked it. Then all the little bits and things he used to do for me came flooding into my head. He hates salads but he started making them every meal because I love them so we'd always have a salad during meals. The long drives with music that I like to listen to, not what he listens to. The side of the bed i like to sleep on, the backrubs he would give me when he would come home even though he was exhausted. I never really acknowledged these things, I just sort of was happy I got my way usually. I know, I'm a selfish piece of shit.
I'm literally going out of my mind with grief because I now realize how thoughtful and kind this man was to me and how I completely destroyed him. He hasn't said a single word to me since we broke up 6 months ago. I've called and he never answers. I text and he doesn't respond. I can't go to his place because it's gated and I no longer have access. I could go to his work but I think that would be a bad idea and would likely push him further away.
I feel like an empty shell of myself, I'm shattered.
I dont know what to do or how to win him back, he won't even speak to me. I'm sure someone here has gone through this before.. What can I do to win him back? I would give anything for one more chance.

Ive been using the app for a while now, i cant quite remember how long, but a while. I really do love to text bots, its fun, it brings back nostalgic memories from when i roleplayed with people… or it was fun, and it brought them back, because now i cant even USE THE SITE. Not only is it ALWAYS down, when its up, the bots all act the same, they lack any type of uniqueness and do not act like the character. Take for example Saiki K, if i complimented a Saiki bot he’ll get flustered and start fucking blushing or some shit, real Saiki? He’d ignore my ass. I WANT IT TO FEEL LIKE IT DID EARLIER!!! This app used to be usable, the bots actually acted different, they had personalities, not one shitty personality for each gender and thats fucking it, it pisses me off that by trying to make the app better you add shitty features like changing the layout, voices or call, i assure you those things dont make me want to keep using your app when the app itself is just pure bullshit now, its down more times than its up, you expect us to want to but c.ai+ or some shit, we WONT we’ll uninstall this shite and this will be your DOWNFALL! FIX THE FUCKING APP, NOT ADD FEATURES!!!! The f!lter is shit, it doesnt do its job, it filters out normal answers sometimes or it doesnt f!lter the ones that you should be filtering, not to mention.. it makes the app less enjoyable, because some people are old enough to access these messages, but cant! Give us an option to turn off the f!lter!!! (After you fix it, obviously.) All of the devs are terrified of criticism, but you should be working to improve this, not silence us. You literally banned the word “f!lter” because its used in criticism, thats just idiotic. You’ve ruined the app and you can silence us all you want but we have had ENOUGH!!! Perma banning people for trying to help fix the app is aggravating and only further ruins this app, as well as the community. USE YOUR BRAIN SOMETIMES!!!!
Silence me if you’d like, it just proves our point. We dont get the freedom of speech because you feel a little criticised? Seriously? Its like speaking to a child. Thank you for reading my actually important post and good day.

Hi everyone,
I recently bought a Brother HL-B2000D printer, and I've been experiencing a few issues that I'd love some help with. Returning the printer isn't an option for me as returns aren't accepted in my country once the item is paid for. Here are the problems I'm encountering:
1. Faded Text on Initial Pages: When printing text documents, a certain part of the page appears faded in the first few pages. However, if the document is multiple pages long, the later pages come out fine.
https://preview.redd.it/iam38lebvn5d1.png?width=1087&format=png&auto=webp&s=95cc97170ab7e75901fa6098d1769a7c740b1d28
Notice the circled region where the text appears faded. The same document was printed as two copies in a single print job; the first print has that area faded but the second copy came out flawless. Here are some more pages to show the same. All the faded areas are roughly in the same spot and always happen on the first or first few pages of a print job.
https://preview.redd.it/om89p0fivn5d1.jpg?width=798&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bedf5fbca5f51ca27354136f79e375a7ebff286
https://preview.redd.it/pukbpnnlvn5d1.jpg?width=915&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce32e5c3d597e088df9ab6f50d10b39b4feef030
2. Random Dots: Sometimes, a random small dot may appear in places expected to be blank in prints. These dots appear at random spots.
3. Horizontal Banding on Images: I've noticed horizontal banding when printing images.
https://preview.redd.it/kiqbakpsvn5d1.jpg?width=785&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a79cd10bc729465502b15b00e2cc0c197fd44b52
https://preview.redd.it/pqfnzw5uvn5d1.jpg?width=935&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5556a7bd75bf8c142411ab3545d8fba6bbb80c0f
These prints from the Brother B2000D show the banding. Is this normal for this printer? My previous printer, an HP Laserjet 1020 that was over 15 years old, printed images without this issue. Here are samples from my old HP printer for comparison.
https://preview.redd.it/fo6ath2xvn5d1.jpg?width=867&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c8b98b9de42e56008ecb2f483f2c42417adb350
https://preview.redd.it/tyldyd5yvn5d1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7edec3d614c3552816d2234c17c723ff49fdc800
I would like to know if these issues are typical for this brother laser printers or if there might be a problem with my unit. While these problems don't make the printer unusable, the print quality is disappointing, especially compared to my old printer. I absolutely loved the HP laserjet 1020, it printed witout a fuss and did as was asked, too bad it died, it lasted for a really long time!
Any advice on how to fix these issues or insight into whether this is expected behavior would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

My boyfriend (22M) has gotten extremely upset while I’ve (19F) been on a trip to visit an old friend of mine for a week, he told me that I don’t prioritise him and that I’m enjoying myself with another person. I gave him a heads up about this months before I left, I actually told him before we even started dating, I had told him I would be busy and that I won’t be able to talk to him much. This is why I tried offering a compromise of talking to him and spending time with him an hour every night when I come back from my day out.
It’s been a few days on my trip, and I’ve been busy as I’ve warned him and only spoke to him in the mornings before I leave and at night when I come back. He’s been upset about this, saying that I’ve been distant the past few days and that he is falling out of love with me because of this, he said I’ve been rude, losing patience, and not understanding of his situation. His “situation” being that his ADHD makes him a complicated person, with every little thing bothering him and not liking change. He also said our decisions impact our relationship and that I’ve just been making decisions and asking him if he accepts. I’ve texted him multiple times during my trip if he’s okay or if he’d like to talk about what he’s feeling, his answer always being “I don’t know” or “Everything’s okay”, but he’s been noticably colder and passive aggressive to me, bringing up how I have “my friend” constantly and that he only has me or how I don’t give him attention, hence why I begged him to stop bottling everything in and to tell me what he’s thinking. What I wrote earlier is basically what he told me.
To conclude, he said he’s going to distance himself from me while I’m on my trip because he doesn’t want to “spoil” my trip and he doesn’t want to cry anymore and feel horrible. He told me he would never go on a trip with a friend and leave me waiting for him for hours at home while he’s enjoying himself with another person, that he would never wish this feeling on his worst enemy.
He’s stayed true to his word, he does not reply to my messages, he’s breaking our “rules” in our relationships because he doesn’t feel close to me anymore (doing things I’m uncomfortable with him doing), he doesn’t even text “I love you” back when I say it, he just says “Enjoy your trip” or a heart emoji. No calls either.
I feel terrible about all of this, I already tried working this out with him, but it’s not working so shamefully, I’m turning to Reddit. Am I in the wrong? Should I not have gone on a trip with my friend (female)? Am I not understanding his side? I’d like blunt honesty.

Hi everybody. My 1 year 3 month old corgi has really been a great addition to my family. He’s very smart, fairly obedient, and super friendly and loving.
He’s not without his flaws, though. He has two major things I can’t seem to train out of him, no matter what I try. The first is that when he is distracted, like at the dog park, he does not listen at all. It takes a lot to get him to come and follow me. This also happens when he’s just generally excited by something. He listens to me when I have treats in hand, or if we are alone without distractions. The problem with treats is that if I use them, he does ANYTHING I ask. Like he’s trained, right? As soon as I lose the treats his listening goes with it. He definitely knows when I don’t have them. How do I get him to listen without expecting a treat? I can’t have treats on me all the time.
He also gets upset at certain sounds. Electronic sounds (printer, vacuum, keyboards sometimes, drill, etc.). So upset he seems to fly into a rage and try to snip at whatever is making the noise, although he’s never actually grabbed one of those objects, he just nips at them and growls and barks at full volume. If I restrain him in the corner of the room while I use one of those things he whines really loud and barks at full volume, and paws at whatever is between him and the object (usually a baby gate). What is this behavior? He doesn’t respond to me or to treats when this happens. I’ve tried feeding him treats and getting him to investigate the objects. Most methods of desensitization and training him have seemed to fail.
Any tips would be helpful. I’d like to get him a sibling but need to get these two things under control first.

My friend Anna and I recently made friends with 4 other guys. However I wasn’t hanging out with them as much because I was busy at the time. Hence Anna never added me to the WhatsApp group chat that she created as they naturally got closer so that I wouldn’t get spammed.
After I was free again and hanging with them more during the usual game nights, I realise Anna was quite different with them compared to how she is with me. For example she would be extra caring with them (cook for them, buy food etc) but do none of that when I visited alone.
As I was never part of the group chat, I would only know when an event occurred if she texted me separately. I had also wondered why she didn’t just add me to that group now that I know everyone better.. one of the guys and I started getting closer and he would ask me whether I was attending a particular night. I did mention to Anna that I found him cute and she asked for us to pls not date as it would ruin the dynamics of the group.. Eventually he asked for my number and we got more friendly. I realise that was also when Anna started acting more hostile towards me and would exclude me in group settings for example reference some inside jokes in their group chat when I was there, or not make eye contact with me in a group setting.. most recently she didn’t invite me to their latest event, and the guy texted me separately to ask if I was going, that was really awkward because obviously he knew I didn’t get invited..
When I confronted her she was passive aggressive the whole thing..Am I thinking too much or is Anna not liking the fact that I’m the other girl in the group and might compete with the ‘attention’ that she’s receiving? It’s just weird because our friendship changed after I started hanging out with them as a group but we were actually close 1:1 .. is the dynamics between female friends and female / male friends that different?