Restaurant supplies stores near me

Hi everyone!
Posted about moving to wichita and how I am super excited to get to know the community and what it has to offer.
What I am not too excited about is the living situation, and have been looking in all directions for a nicer apartment/house that is not on Zillow that looks kind of deserted.
If you could direct me to any you guys have in mind or the best areas in or near wichita to find this, please let me know!
See you all in a few months!

Last week I made a post about generating 2.5 million in sales for a client without spending a dime on ads. The thing is, I did this on a brand that already did over a million in sales the year before. I got a bunch of messages from people that don't already have established brands but thought they could benefit from organic traffic. So I made this post, I'll explain exactly how you can generate sales with literally nothing other than time and a website.
Quick disclaimer, it's 10x harder to make your first 10 sales if you don't have a marketing budget or an existing audience to market to. You're going to have to consistently spend multiple hours a day working to accomplish anything. Not just mindless work either, you're going to have to be a critical thinker and have a basic understanding of human psychology to see any type of success using these methods. If you don't have time to do that, you won't see any results from these methods and you might as well stop reading now.
Now that we've cleared that up let's get to the good stuff. Here's how you make your first 10 sales without spending any money on marketing.
In order to get sales you need traffic. You can't test anything or sell anything if no one visits your site.
So here are 3 ways to generate traffic for free:

1. Become a member of the community that your customers interact in

In my last post, I explained how I built a community from scratch, but at this point, I'm assuming you don't have time to spend 3 months building a community if you haven't even proven that anyone wants to buy your products. So I'm going to teach you how to piggyback off existing communities.
It is easier said than done, but 1 good post can get easily get you your first 5 sales. You can do this on Reddit, in Facebook groups, or any other type of niche relevant group/forum. If the people in these communities think you're trying to sell something you'll probably just get banned and people will actually get mad at you for trying to sell your products. The trick is being a casual, you want to put yourself in the shoes of your ideal customer. Don't even mention your products in your first 2-3 posts. Maybe ask niche relevant questions, or provide value in comments under other people's posts and show people that you have a genuine interest in the topic. Think of this like warming up your account.
Now when it's time to sell, you do it in the most discreet way possible. The better your product is, the easier it is to do this. This is the fastest way to find out if your product is actually useful and if there's actually demand for your product. The best way to promote your product and create brand recognition is with lifestyle content. Never post a product photo with a white background in a community group. NEVER!
I'll give you a few examples of how to post product pics correctly:
Example 1
niche: dog niche
product: dog collar
You take a dog to a beautiful place. Maybe a beach by the water and you get a whole photoshoot with the dog. Bring lots of treats and showcase a happy dog wearing the collar you sell. Now you don't post the entire photoshoot in the group. You post 1 picture, not necessarily the best picture or the most professional looking one. You want to post the picture that evokes the most emotion. It's the picture with the dog making a funny face, or another dog sniffing your dog's butt, or the pic with your dog in bliss chewing his favorite treat that goes viral. Pick a picture that'll start a discussion and reply to every single comment. Then, once the post does well, without a doubt someone will ask about your product. That's when you come in and give a shoutout to the site that you got it from. If no one does this, you can literally create a fake account and ask/answer the question on your own. You're basically creating the perception of product demand.
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Example 2
niche: food and beverage/electronics
Product: digital thermometer
Imagine... It's steak night, you fire up the BBQ and you want the perfect steaks! We're selling the dream of a perfectly cooked steak, not a digital thermometer. You post 2 pictures. Picture 1 is the steak on the grill with the thermometer showing the perfect temperature. Picture 2 shows the perfectly sliced steak being served. Try to capture someone that stirs emotions in the picture, whether it's a happy grandma, a kid with the steak on his fork, or a hungry pet drooling and looking at your plate. Emotion is what sells the product. Make sure you have a caption that conveys the message that you're trying to send. Use something short and simple but also try your best to convey a story. Further, convey the imagery in the comments ex. "Inlaws are over, got this thermometer to make sure everything was cooked perfectly, Now everyone thinks I actually know how to cook."
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Example 3
Niche: candles
Product: candle
"Midterms are around the corner, sparked my favorite scent to set the mood tonight" (caption for the post in studying group or collage group) + a picture of an opened textbook and candle in the background, but you can clearly still see the candle label. This example is for the people who have general products. It may actually be harder for you to sell a candle in a candle subreddit because there are just too many options. So you get into the mind of your customers, you imagine the scenario your customer is in when they use your product, and you sell the feeling of enjoying the product in a situation that they've experienced before.
In the comments, you describe the scent in detail and you talk about how you prefer this candle over the one you got at Bath and Body Works because it's made from natural materials.
If you do this right, consistently. Eventually one of your posts will go viral and without a doubt that will convert into a sale.
2. Grow social media organically
This is a lot easier if you can afford to order the product that you sell. But it's still possible to make this work if you can't get the product in your hands.
With this method, you're essentially picking up a new part-time job. You are now a social media manager, you work 20 hours a week and create and post new content on multiple platforms every single day. You want to take advantage of platforms that favor new accounts. A great place to start is Tiktok but Instagram reels is pretty good too. Tiktok boosts the reach of new accounts, you can see a lot of success blitzing a new Tiktok account (2-5 posts a day). The Instagram algorithm boosts accounts that post a lot of reels because for a good while Tiktok was destroying them with short term content. (Fun fact this feud between platforms is so deep that if you make a video on Tiktok and you cross-post it on Instagram without removing the Tiktok watermark, the Instagram algorithm will suppress the reach of the video)
You want to focus on making short videos with a focus on real-life use cases of your product. I'd break this down into 3 steps.
A. Research
B. Content Testing
C. Doubling down on what gets traction
It can take weeks or even months to get a good feel for how to create engaging content. The true key is consistency. At the end of the day, it's gonna come down to volume. Not just any volume, but a high volume of quality content. Whatever platform that you decide to use, I suggest watching at least 4 hours of content on youtube from experts on the platform. You'll pick up a bunch of tricks and tips. It's important that you understand how the algorithm works on different platforms to see any type of success doing this. I wouldn't suggest attempting to scale on more than 3 platforms at once. In fact, it's actually better to focus on 1 platform and do it well over splitting your time into other platforms trying to scale 3 pages at the same time. Don't spread yourself too thin.
3. Elite cart protection
If you do under 10k a month most email marketing is irrelevant. People with startup brands book calls with me all the time and I tell them the same thing. You need traffic before there's anything I can do to help you other than give some basic advice. However, there are 3 automated email flows that actually can make an impact at this point. These flows are the welcome series, the abandoned cart, and the browse abandonment. Most email platforms are free and they charge based on volume. So in most cases, this won't cost you anything. Sites like Klaviyo make it very easy to set up the basics. Don't overthink this at all, at this point you don't need beautiful designs or stand-out copywriting. You simply need to just follow up with the interested potential customers that visit your site. A healthy store converts 3% of its traffic, 7/10 people who add things to their cart don't complete a purchase. You have a second chance at converting 97% of the people that visit your site if you actually follow up with them.
I've made entire posts about how to set flows up correctly so I won't be expanding on this much more.
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I know this post was a bit long-winded but if you've made it this far you must be serious. There's going to be a bunch of people that read this thread and take no action that'll stay at 0 sales. The beauty of life is that you get to choose what happens next.
With that being said, thanks so taking the time out of your day to read my post. I hope even some of the bigger brand owners were able to get something out of this post. I look forward to seeing some of you guys make your first few sales in the coming weeks. As always feel free to add onto things that I missed, or maybe share what worked for you. I'll reply to everything that I see.

You close the door of the black sedan behind you and assume a comfortable position in the leather seat. The driver doesn't say a word to you, the only acknowledgement of your presence being the quiet rumble of the engine as your ride takes off. A quick look through the dimmed window reveals an open field of concrete with some plain warehouses scattered around and several dozen people tending to pieces of machinery, but the speed at which you're going makes you unable to examine them closer. You've never seen this part of the military base. The one you're familar with was filled with everpresent mud, cramped barracks that reeked of unwashed recruit bodies, and sergeants with voices so loud they almost destroyed your eardrums. It's definitely not a place you'll remember fondly. A month of exhausting drills and boring mental tests is what took your superiors to get your sorry rear in shape they were content with, and even then you wondered if it was enough. You're just a regular civilian, so what are they expecting you to do here, exactly? Especially now, since you were chosen to take part in something bigger than becoming yet another crossed out name on the list of fresh cannon fodder.
Before you can begin contemplating your life choices, something bright in front of you draws your attention. A screen built into the back of the seat in front of you lights up, greeting you with a logo of Whitehart Motors. Suddenly, you hear a voice that could only be described as lifeless and robotic.
Welcome, new recruit. We are honored to have you here - a brave soul willing to become a stalwart shield of our glorious nation. You may not think that you are fit for such a role, but you were chosen for a reason. We believe that you have the skills required to become a pilot of a Synchro Frame. The brainchild of Whitehart Motors and the Research Institute of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Synchro Frames were built to protect our country from threats from beyond. Utilising the former's cutting edge machinery together with the latter's advancements in the field of man-made life, we managed to create a true marvel of technology that continues to impress. As a Synchro Pilot of the GLD-02 "Grail Seeker", you will be tasked with controlling a Synchro Frame alongside a Synchro Operator - an artificial lifeform designed to bring out the true potential of a Synchro Frame. Your assigned Synchro Operator will also serve as a teacher, guide, and companion, always ready to answer any and all questions you might have. We hope th-
The car stops, and silence once again fills the luxurious interior. Before you can start questioning the incredibly confusing and vague things you just heard, you feel that it's time for you to exit the vehicle. What you find outside is a hangar, bigger than any you've seen before. You're standing right in front of its giant doors, and as soon as you turn your head to look for anyone that might be looking for you, they begin to open. Through the slowly widening crack, illuminated by the bright midday sun, you see something that takes your breath away. A steel giant in the shape of a human, so large that you never even considered the possibility of such a machine existing. Not until today.
There's something else as well. A much, much smaller figure steps out of the hangar and heads in your direction. A couple moments pass, and you're able to see that it resembles a woman wearing an oversized hoodie and baseball cap, her long, white hair flowing in the wind as she walks.
"Greetings. I assume you're my new pilot." She stops right before you and extends her hand. A piercing blue gaze meets your own eyes. "I hope you can lead me well."
Hello there! I hope you enjoyed this little introduction to the concept! This prompt is centered around the idea of your character becoming a mecha pilot of a Synchro - a union of a giant robot and an android sharing an empathic link - and being thrown into a massive conflict where the life of an individual doesn't particularly matter. Your primary objective here is survival, and perhaps learning more about the mystery of the war your nation is currently fighting.
A little bit about myself - I'm a 21 year old gal from the GMT+2 timezone who got into Gundam a few months ago thanks to Witch from Mercury. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it! It's what prompted me to watch yet another Gundam series - Iron-Blooded Orphans, which I haven't finished yet. Thanks to them I realized just how fun a mecha setting could be, and now I'd love to meet other people who think the same!
This rp is meant to follow a lot of the themes of the Gundam series, like the horrors of war and discrimination, but that doesn't mean there can't be some lighter moments or bonding with your friends, resulting in potential romance. However, I'm planning for this to be a long rp, so anyone wanting to hold hands with your cute android companion will have to be patient.
I'd like to assume a sort of a GM role where I control the world and most of the characters, while you'll be following along a certain route due to having to answer orders from your superiors, you will be free to do what you want during downtime, so I'm heavily encouraging people who enjoy taking initiative! Hell, you could even defect from the military with your giant robot and join the opposite side if you'd like, but remember that your actions have consequences!
As for your character, there are only two strict requirements - she has to be a woman, as I have no interest in writing romance with male characters, and she has to be a new recruit, like described in my introduction. Aside from that, get creative! Doesn't matter if she's cis or trans, younger or older, all I'm looking for are fun ideas that will the roleplay more enjoyable. I will share more info on the setting in private messages, but feel free to just spitball anything that you might find interesting.
Requirements for you, the player, are a bit more strict, but I'd like to ensure that I set the right expectations: - No misogynists, racists, homophobes, transphobes. I'm a trans lesbian and if you're the kind of [REDACTED] who would have a problem with this then don't even bother wasting my time. - Be literate. Usually I write between 3 and 6 paragraphs, sometimes even more, but for a good time with me you'll be fine with 2-3 solid paragraphs that will give me something to work with. If you give me more, then I'll personally kiss you. - Be flexible. I have ADHD and a lot on my plate thanks to college, so I'm not the great at replying consistently. Sometimes you'll get two responses in a day, sometimes none for a week. Make sure to keep that in mind. You don't have to worry about me nagging you over a response either. - Use Discord. It's the only platform I use to rp due to the ease of storing important information. As a part of that, do not contact me using reddit chat. All chat requests will be ignored. - (Optional but appreciated) Talk to me! I enjoy chatting with my roleplay partners a lot, as I believe good ooc often leads to good ic.
I think that's everything! Haven't made a prompt post in a while so I might go back and edit some stuff later, but hopefully I was able to interest you in the concept. Have a nice day!

Hi, I need some perspective on this situation. Thanks in advance!
I started a new job literally yesterday and here's what's up so far- I accepted a remote job as a project manager after a very quick interview process (one week from call to offer and over Xmas week) interview process all over the phone. Post acceptance, the tell me they need me to start ASAP and push my start a week sooner than I offered (they pushed for even a week sooner but I was oot) so I've just started. In my preinterview on-boarding they tell me that they'd like me to come to the corporate headquarters outside of Chicago for a couple of days- all fine so far.
I get this email from the admin assistant like 'you'll fly in take a bus from the airport and stay in our corporate apartment for your trip'- ok weird that they don't use a hotel and not keen on an hour bus ride but still not worried just yet. Next email from my new boss telling me what flight to book on their corporate website. We are going to be meeting at the airport and commuting together and also staying in this same corporate apartment together. No car. Same space (thank God we have our own rooms and bathrooms within the space). Ok- starting to get anxious.
Im still just rolling with it on Sunday. I met her at her gate (for the first time I've ever seen her) at O'Hare and she's like 'we've got 15 mins to catch the bus are you ok with running?' We ran across O'Hare to catch this bus with minutes to spare. She talks to me nearly the whole bus ride -some pleasantries and some asking me about my previous role. We get off the bus catch an Uber to the shared apartment. It's late at this point- there's no food in this 'stocked apartment' besides beer and oatmeal. We order food (she paid). I ate and went to bed exhausted from the day and the non-stop talking. I went up to my room to go to sleep. Monday- Woke up and got ready. We left this apartment and got an Uber to Starbucks for breakfast. We went to the office where we had a small conference room where we spent nearly every minute of the day together- we even took bathroom breaks together (how fun!).
We do a bit of onboarding and starting process review and she gets visibly annoyed when I ask questions about process flow (learning it's her way or no way) and she tells me it's not my job to worry about the controls that I've always worried about in my previous roles. They are doing their own waterfall/agile hybrid process I don't know anything more than the customer facing info on this product and she's really not inclined to expound- not your job- stay in your lane. I explain that it helps me understand what I'm doing if I understand the process and she shoots me down again. She said I need to take 'big steps back'. Whatever. I can be a talking head- dropped it..
So she leaves for a bit to have a meeting with her boss and comes back and starts pinging and calling her pms (this starts at about 3 Central) that they need to report numbers before EOD for some budget report. They don't respond she starts calling people. I'm trying to read SharePoint stuff because effectively my training is now over and I'm just another person in the room. About 5pm she's still working and says she be working late. She was weird about giving me a key to get into the apartment. Then pinged some other out of town people who were in the office to have me go dine with them- I didn't ask for her to do this. After some talking my way out of their group I was able to leave and get an Uber to a different place where for the first time I was alone in 24 hours. She texted me while I was at the restaurant to check in... Literally left the office at 530 and this check in was at 7. I decided to leave the restaurant because apparently I'm being babysat and came back to the apartment around 8-830. She's on the phone with her boss like 'she finally came home'. She is sitting in our living room space (no TV's in any other space) working and is still literally calling people who will be my peers to send her data. I sit on the couch across from her and she said she got a 'weird vibe' from me and asked what was up.... (...l)
She said she had concerns about me (in my life have never been an employee to have concerns about)- I explained that because of my experience my default is to monitor and control my teams work... AND this is DAY ONE. She's at this point still calling her employees, my peers to get them to send her different reports and such. She said to someone as I was in the room 'would you bet your job on that report' ? Tells me she is often on the phone with her boss at midnight and 2 am. I mentioned work life balance and said I I don't really sync or look at work after I'm done for they day and she responded with 'so after 6 I'll just have to call your personal cell, right?'

Hello everyone! I wanted to ask your opinion on Epic Games Store I considered signing up a few years ago, but back then people were mostly talking that the company is not safe, especially in terms of data protection
I see that now more and more people are using it and seem happy with it. I realize that data protection isn't perfect with the other companies as well but it looks like EGS is the most suspicious of them all.
Could you please tell me what you think about Epic Games Store and how safe they are for your computer and you as a player?
Thanks!

I want to upgrade my old (7 years or so) pc and shit has changed ALOT since. I’m not a big multiplayer gamer at least not anymore. Recently got back into playing pc and I just finished “The forest” after 5 years of owning it. Fucking loved it. I wanna strap on a VR and play it. Also want to play half life Alyx. I looked into upgrading during cOvid and there wasn’t shit available or it was way way to expensive. So I would like to get my pc to run ALYX and Sons of the forest at a high frame rate. 1440p or 1080p. Whatever I can get to run these games if that’s possible. Plan on building a high end pc around Black Friday when deals seem to be aT there best. Want to get something now to get me by. Not look to max out the z170, but I want something performs near the top at the best prices. Thanks. PC Components: Intel i5-6600 @ 3.3GHz Nvidia gforce GTX 980 ASUS Z170 pro gaming motherboard 8GB ram Samsung SSD

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I’m 36m, and I don’t have parents (anymore). I haven’t really had any direct family love since my mom passed away about 10 years ago. Even prior to that our relationship was a bit mixed. I knew she loved me, but I also didn’t like that she tried to control/manipulate me and so even then I would distance myself. The rest of my extended family lives thousands of miles away in another country. I talk to them every few weeks, but I haven’t seen most of them in person in over 14 years.
Nor have I had any serious romantic/love relationship. I have yet to say "I love you" to anyone in that way. Would be a first when it happens (hopefully soon).
I give this context because I feel like for the majority of people I know they get their reference of love from how their family treats them (even if it’s one or two people). Or from their partners/relationships.
I instead grew up with a very conditional-love step-father and house hold. And especially ever since my mom passed, I’ve noticed myself internalize the notion that “if I don’t earn it” then I’m not “worthy” –– and the trouble with that is depending on what mood I’m in, there’s always “something more I can do” to “earn it”. It’s a slippery slope.
What can I do to reframe and turn this ship around?
The main thing motivating me to align myself right now is to manifest a relationship. I’d love to manifest someone to love and be loved by. I feel like I have a lot to give and would be a fantastic boyfriend to someone. From my readings I’ve learned that the work to do that though is to first feel lovable yourself.
And I admit... I’m not sure how to do that. Like I don’t sit there and hate on myself or anything, but I admit that whenever I meet someone who appreciates me somehow I feel so much more confident and lovable than I do by default, day to day.
I’ve been actively hoping to manifest a loving relationship for 8 years now and it still hasn’t manifested.
Clearly there are some internal beliefs holding me back – I’m just extra motivated now to get to the bottom of it so that I can move into the next phase of my life successfully and in a healthy way.
"Getting too old for this sh*tt..."
:)
Thank you very much for any input and thoughts! :)
Btw... I have a regular spiritual practice and already meditate frequently, practice yoga nearly daily (legitimately, I'm a fan) – I’m in excellent health overall, I work out regularly, still in college level athletic shape. Objectively speaking I am tall 6'3, got blue eyes, 6 figure remote job, I got music and artistic talent that I’ve been very much complimented on over the years. I’ve traveled and lived in other countries.
Err.. I say all that because I think “objectively” speaking I would make for an amazing partner for someone out there. But... I get it, I get it... this is an internal work.
Any advice?
(+ thank you in advance!)

I thought I was well prepared for the water creature, thinking it wouldn’t be that scary but oh how wrong I was. Absolutely terrified me. Nearly had to quit the game and take a break because of how scared I got

Hello, I am Galadriel, 15mo female rat. I live with sisters Idril, who is my age and Rosie and Celebrian who are 3mo. We have two humans, main human and other human.
Every night, we have playtime outside cage. I always first one to leave. So fun to explore and run around! Also, there are often forage toys! Also fun to go see human for cuddles and treats! But play space also big and open and a little scary. So many things going on! I get tired and a little stressed. And then start think, human kind of big and scary. If she wanted, she could totally eat me. So I make sure to always hide. Stay in tunnels and rat drawer or under couches. Come out sometimes for forage toys, but only when human not looking. Then, at end of playtime, human sit near cage and say get cheerio if come. But then she GRAB you and put you in cage. I want go in cage because it safe and I tired and stressed. But I no want GRAB. All sisters go and get put in cage. But I hide. Human find me and I run. She chase and eventually catch and grab. Then she put in cage and I immediately feel so much better. Decide she best human ever and want cuddles and treats. My sisters and human say "This happen every night. Should learn." But every night think, maybe this the night I get eaten?
Sometimes when I start feel stressed and tired, go hide in cage. Human close door and make very safe. Also give me pumpkin seed which is best treat! But then sometimes after nap, want go play again. See sisters having fun and get FOMO. But human no reopen cage door. Say she no trust me when tired. No fair sisters get playtime and me locked in!
Anyway, human say I have "mood swings" and "really cute but a huge pain". Idril get really worried when I not get back in cage right away at end of playtime. They seem to think I cloaca but I just sensitive rat and free thinker. So what do you think?

https://imgur.com/a/fNDE4FK
Delivering personally. Message me location near your address (so I won’t know your address for obvious reasons unless you’re buying) to see how far you are from me. Willing to meet in location that we can meet at to shorten travel time. If you’re further than 30 minutes from me (little to no traffic) I will ship it but will charge any shipping fees. I promise to find the cheapest delivery service or if you know one let me know.
**Brand new. Nothing has been added, removed, or tampered with. I have no idea how it performs as I got it from a mystery box. ** Features: CNC aluminum slide with RMR-profile optics mounting cutout Maple Leaf 144mm inner barrel installed Maple leaf ML-TH06A60 Transformers Autobot 60 Hopup Rubber Installed Maple Leaf hop-up chamber with adjustment that doesn't require slide disassembly installed Green fiber optic front sight paired with orange fiber optic rear sights Upgraded for supreme accuracy Threaded 16mm positive (CW) barrel for suppressor and tracer attachments High 24 round magazine capacity Functioning ambidextrous magazine catch / release Manufacturer: Matrix FPS Range: 360-390 Specifications: Weight: Approx. 880g Dimensions: 255mm x 155mm Inner Barrel: 144mm Thread Direction: 16mm Positive (CW) Magazine: 24+1 rounds Gas Type: Green Gas Firing Mode: Semi Automatic System: Green Gas / Gas Efficient Short Blowback Hopup: Yes, Adjustable Package Includes: Gun, Magazine, Extra Magazine, Bottle of 2k .2g BBs Yes I copied this off a website. It’s easier that way. Too much? Maybe 🤷‍♂️

For context I (19) have had separated parents from the time I was born. When I was 12 my father got married to my stepmother and they had my sister (7). I have always primarily lived with my mother my whole life and the few days a week I spent at his house I was expected to complete most household tasks from the age of about 6 years old. I also often lacked basic things I needed like shampoo and clothes for school and for a long while my own bed, it never felt like home to me.
When my sister was born, he became infatuated with having a "legitimate" family and "legitimate" child and began to portray himself as the "perfect father". He would get mad at me for small or nonexistent issues he would make up and say that "everyone in the house was tired of you" and "My family is being disrupted by you" (he said this because I mopped the floor and therefore the floor was wet). He always made sure to complain to me about dispising my mother and the responsibilities of caring for me while he gushed about his love for his wife and my sister.
My father is well off and when I was 18 he purchased an older car for me. I was always immensely grateful for the car and told him regularly. He lives over an hour away and told me he bought it because it isn't fair he had to drive to pick me up and it was about time I did it myself. I commuted 3 hours a week to see him. And everytime he complained, because I was in my own bedroom, didn't clean enough (eventhough I only stayed 2 days a week and didn't make the messes), and wasn't interested in driving 3 hours to visit only for them to take off to party and leave me to babysit my sister. After about 3 months the car began to stall out randomly and frequently. I told him about it repeatedly for 5 months and he could not care less.
One night I nearly got into a severe accident and called him nearly in tears, he got angry and called me ungrateful that the car wasn't good enough for me. It of course was but as great as it was I didn't want to die in it. He blew up about me being ungrateful and spoiled. He said that he was taking the car because I did not deserve it to which I simply responded alright as I know it is his right and I was grateful to ever have it. I asked him to calm down so we could talk properly, but by the end of the call he said he was done with me and to not visit, see or call him anymore.
Since then I have honored his request to not come to his house. He has since gaslit me and denied his outburst. This is not the first time he's lashed out like this, but for me it was the last. Becoming my class' valedictorian, cleaning his house, graduating high school with my associates degree, never getting in trouble in my life only to be told how much of a burden I am. I finally got my own car 2 weeks ago without his help, now he insults me about not caring about my family and going to his house. But honestly I've simply had enough.

I was working at a different store one day, when a woman came in with her 4 kids. When it came time to check out, they came through my line. Each kid wanted their own bag, so I obliged them. as they were leaving, one of the younger kids turned back and thanked me. Then she said, "You're beautiful!!" I was blown away!! One of those little perks that sometimes come along.

i’m leaving my house in a day and it’s finally hitting me. i won’t be yelled at for leaving my room anymore because i’ll be with someone who wants my presence. i won’t be yelled at for attempting to speak with you because my new family actually loves me. i understand you didn’t want me and i thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a life for myself. but you prioritizing my brother over me day in and day out is killing me. when he hit me you blamed it on me. when he called me those horrible names you said i deserved it. i was 12 mom what did i do wrong for you to start hating me like this. i’m sorry you ended up in a loveless relationship but i found the guy who makes me happy. there is nothing wrong with leaving the house to spend time with friends it does not make a w slur to wear a tank top and shorts. i can finally save my money and use it to buy things i like instead of having to give it all to you. you know i was willing to stay until you disrespected him. the one person in this world who hasn’t ever made me feel less than and you still managed to make it all about you. i’m not sure how to tell you and it’s killing me. i love you so much and i don’t know why. the thought of not being near you makes me physically sick but also so relieved it’s confusing me to no ends. you’re supposed to be the one who kept me safe not the one who hurt me the most. i’m sorry for leaving like this but i know if you start crying i’ll stay and i won’t ever leave. i just hope one day you forgive me and one day i’ll be able to forgive you. i’ll never say this to you because you never listen to what i say. he just texted me and i smiled. when you text me it feels like the world is shutting down and my heart starts to dull. you tell me i need a college education and i agree but you don’t support me in my field. it’s been a great twenty years but i’m done this time. you’ve broken my heart but not my spirit. i will make something of myself and not to prove you wrong or anything like that. but i’ll make something of myself for the little girl you failed to believe in. i’m taking control of my life and i will never let my body, mind or spirit be harmed by anyone ever again. i am not you and i will not let myself become you.

First time posting so it’s a bit of a ramble—
I hate the taste of any alcohol at this point, I can’t even have a glass of wine without tasting my organs rotting (exaggerating but sometimes I really feel like I can taste my own decay, does that make sense to anyone?)
I rarely feel all that good when I drink either, I’m more often tense now cause I’m usually trying to maintain a thick buzz while actively hiding it. I model, and sometimes to deal with the anxiety in front of the camera, I drink — well, this used to be sometimes. Although I know, cognitively, that I’m completely capable of and just as good working sober, I have made a habit of packing a flask or a “water bottle” on every single gig.
I used to justify to myself “it’s just to loosen up and show my more bubbly side at work”
Then it became “just a few shots before leaving the house will make the day more fun”
Now it’s (nearly) every time I have an appointment, gig, meeting, plans with friends, flight/train ride and I hate it- I even drank a whole bottle of vodka this weekend just to “make moving out of my apartment funner”. I regularly take a couple shots before going out just to do the groceries.
I hate how it’s destroyed my confidence in knowing I’m capable of feeling happiness without the “liquid support”
I hate most how embarrassing I must look, and how embarrassed I am — what I spend all of my hangovers reeling over isn’t the tension and pain in my head and body, it’s the things I said and had done while drinking. It doesn’t even have to be that bad/embarrassing but if I think I said or did something stupid enough for someone to realise I’d been drinking, I’ll lay in bed awake thinking about it all night. I smoke weed to get me through hangovers which probably makes the paranoia worse but I feel like I really can’t handle a moment being sober so the drinking and smoking is cyclical and sometimes I’ll convince myself they’re cures for each other (I know that’s dumb).
I been having gaps in my memory lately and I hate that so much. It makes me really worried when I am completely unable to remember a whole conversation with my boyfriend, and it makes me feel like a bad partner. I want to tell him I’m struggling with this addiction but I’m so scared how that will make him feel; to realise his partner has been drunk ALMOST EVERY DAY we’ve shared for the past 3 years. I hate that this doesn’t make me want to stop.
And yes, most of all I hate that I don’t want to stop at all — to be honest I might drink even after putting all of this in writing.
I know depression is real and treatable I just feel like I’ve tried (therapy, meds, meditation, microdosing) and I still deeply dislike the whole ordeal of living, and feel like I have to drink just to keep myself interested in living.
Hoping for some support — I feel really stuck in this cycle of hatred with no way out (because there isn’t even motivation for it)

[About me]
Hello everyone! I am the solo developer of Dance of Cards and I am happy to have the opportunity to connect with you again and share news about my game.
[Links]
Trailers: Steam Announcement Trailer Steam Release Date Trailer
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1797630/Dance_of_Cards/
OST: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2403410/Dance_of_Cards_Soundtrack/
Discord: https://discord.gg/eu9rK2SBer
[Description]
Dance of Cards is a story-driven poker battle royale where you play as a magician travelling to the New World on a seven-day cruise. But things quickly take an unexpected turn when the crew forces the passengers to compete in a deadly game of poker, with the caveat that whoever loses will die.
You will form alliances with other passengers, search for clues to your mysterious situation, and decide who to save on this journey.
[Gameplay]
At the heart of the game is poker, and it will come in spades (pun intended). Each night, you and one other team will face each other at the table in a wild and exciting battle. However, you won't be playing a standard game of poker, as each character has something to bring to the table (pun not intended) and offers their talents, which are essentially special abilities that allow you to alter the flow of the game in some way. Bribing, stealing, taxing or putting others to sleep are just a few examples.
Mastering this system is the key to victory, as those who play fair will quickly find themselves out of chips, unlike their sneaky opponents.
[Multiplayer]
Something I've always wanted to implement was the multiplayer mode, so that players from all over the world could pick their dream team of characters and play against others, and I'm happy to announce that online play is now possible! It can be accessed from the Extras menu on the title screen. If you're looking for opponents, join the Discord.
Have a great Sunday!

(original story but also a promt I'd love to see other people expand on as well)
Wind howled past the cave opening, and Vr’ocria cursed the cold air for the hundredth time that day. “Volunteer for the away team,” Galek had said. “It’s a great experience,” he said. “You’ll love it,” he said.
Vr’ocria swore she would throw her nest mate right out the airlock the moment they got back.
It was supposed to be a simple survey mission, only lasting a few hours and with only two members on the team.The moon they’d landed on was rich with vegetation and wildlife, but also–as they’d discovered too late–suffered frequent and terrible storms due to a sudden shift in seasons. The two of them ended up having to take shelter in a cave and were pretty much stuck until their shuttle came back for them. Which should have been several hours ago–except that they received word from the shuttle that there was a delay due to an engine malfunction, and that they weren’t expected to be back for them until the next morning.
Vr’ocria was utterly miserable.
“Hey you,” a voice said from over her shoulder, and she was startled when something heavy–and warm-- fell across her back. She turned to look.
“Human Aldrick?”
Human Aldrick laughed. “I told you, just call me Aldrick.”
Vr’ocria reached up to touch the fabric draped over her. “Is this your coat?”
He shrugged. “You seem to need it more than me. I come from a cold climate, I’m pretty used to this.”
Vr’ocria’s scales flushed purple and she tugged the coat closer around her. For the warmth, of course, and not to hide the flush. “Thank you, Hu– erm, Aldrick.”
“You’re welcome.” He sat down across from her, on the other side of the fire. The fire still freaked her out a bit–her people rarely, if ever, used open flame–but she cherished its heat. She had Aldrick to thank for that, too.
Honestly, if it weren’t for Aldrick, she probably would have withered away in misery hours ago. She wasn’t accustomed to such storms, but according to Aldrick, they were fairly common back on Earth. It was thanks to him that they were able to find shelter in the first place, and he was the one to build them a fire and collected edible herbs and roots to supplement their rations–in the off chance they were here even longer.
Vr’ocria shuddered at the thought.
“Are you alright? Still too cold?”
Vr’ocria snapped out of her thoughts. Aldrick’s head was tilted, eyes filled with concern.
She shrugged. “I’m alright. I just can’t wait to get back to the ship.” She sighed. “I miss my stasis chamber.”
Aldrick groaned in agreement. “I’m not excited about sleeping on a stone floor.”
Vr’ocria paused. “Sleep?” The word felt foreign on her tongue.
“Humans sleep, we don’t enter stasis. We can’t rest standing up like you do,” he explained. “Sleep for us is different–when you enter stasis, you’re still sort of aware of your surroundings, right?”
Vr’ocria nodded.
“See, for us, we’re fully unconscious. When I’m asleep, I can’t see or hear anything, unless it’s loud enough to wake me up. And because we’re unconscious, our bodies go completely limp.” He shifted where he sat. “I mean, sometimes we move around a bit when we sleep, like rolling over or something. But because we go so limp, we can’t stand up. Sometimes we can sleep sitting down, but really we have to be lying down.”
Vr’ocria frowned. “But if you’re unconscious, then how will you know if there’s danger?”
Aldrick gave a wan smile. “We don’t.”
She stared. “But…”
“Sleeping is a very vulnerable position.”
Vr’ocria was starting to realize how little she knew about humans. She’d always been told how dangerous they were, how resilient and fearless. She’d always somehow thought that humans barely needed rest at all. But here she was, realizing that when night fell, her crewmate would be in the most vulnerable position a human could be in.
She drew her shoulders up, her scales rippling. “I will protect you,” she declared.
Aldrick blinked, and his cheeks turned–pink? Was that normal for humans?
Who was Vr’ocria kidding, she didn’t know.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
That night, Aldrick curled up at the back of the cave.
Curled up!
He reminded Vr’ocria of her little rillard she’d had as a pet when she was a hatchling. Her scales were bright purple now. Thank the planets Aldrick’s eyes were closed. She forced herself to turn around and face the cave entrance before entering stasis.
She couldn’t protect him if she was busy staring at him.
Vr’ocria was beyond relieved when the shuttle arrived the next morning. She and Aldrick boarded eagerly, and the shuttle took them to a space station to await their ship.
Upon arriving at the station, they were assigned temporary living quarters.
“Normally we would put the two of you in separate rooms, but everything is full right now,” the attendant said briskly. “I trust you don’t mind sharing for a few cycles?”
Vr’ocria’s scales rippled nervously, but Aldrick replied before she could say anything. “As long as there’s a bed for me and a stasis chamber for her, I don’t care,” he said.
Vr’ocria was sure her scales were permanently stained purple.
She trailed behind them as the attendant led them to their quarters. “What’s a bed?” she asked.
Aldrick smiled. “It’s where humans usually sleep. You’ll see when we get there.”
The room they were given turned out to be small, but not terribly so. There was a stasis chamber in the corner and some kind of large, rectangular thing draped with what looked like multiple different kinds of fabrics.
Aldrick darted to the rectangle and threw himself face down upon it with a loud sigh, his legs splayed out as they hung off the side. The rectangle appeared to give under his weight, almost bouncing a bit.
“Is the room satisfactory?” The attendant asked.
“God, yes.” Aldrick’s voice was muffled from where he lay. The attendant left without another word.
“So…” Vr’ocria began, “is that a bed?”
Aldrick was in the process of kicking his shoes off. “Yep! Basically just a big squishy cushion with blankets and pillows.” He motioned to the two smaller cushions at the top end of the bed. “I slept like shit in that cave, so I’m exhausted and I’m going to sleep.”
Vr’ocria’s scales flushed their deepest purple yet when he pulled his shirt and uniform pants off. But Aldrick didn’t seem to notice, and simply pulled the upper layers of fabric back and crawled underneath. He curled on his side, resting his head on top of a pillow, one arm clutching the pillow underneath and the other hand pulling the top coverings to his chin.
Vr’ocria’s scales rippled and fluttered.
What was that so blasted cute?
Humans are supposed to be scary. They’re dangerous, they’re nearly unkillable creatures! They should not be allowed to be cute!
She found herself creeping closer until she was standing over him. His eyes were closed, his breathing slowing. Was he already asleep?
She slowly reached out and tentatively brushed a strand of hair out of his face.
She nearly jumped out of her scales when Aldrick’s eyes opened to look up at her. His cheeks were pink again.
His lips curved in a smile. “Everything okay?”
“I–um. Well,” she stuttered, and cursed her clumsy tongue. “Just. Checking if you need anything else for your sleep?”
“Well, actually–” he raised his head to look towards the control panel, “if you don’t mind, could you dim the lights? Easier to sleep when it’s dark.”
“Of course.” Vr’ocria crossed the small room to the panel and turned the lights off. Only a tiny emergency light illuminated the bottom of the door now. She turned to face the door and stood still.
There was a pause, and then Aldrick’s voice came from across the room. “Are you entering stasis?”
“Yes.”
“But–Vr’ocria, you don’t have to do it right there. Use the stasis chamber in the corner.”
“I want to do it here.”
“Buy why?”
“To protect you.”
Silence filled the room.
“Vr’ocria–”
“I want to do it here,” she said firmly.
Silence again. Her insides knotted as she suddenly wondered if she’d offended him.
Then, finally–“Thank you, Vr’ocria.” Aldrick’s voice was softer than she’d ever heard it..
At least it was too dark to see her scales, for once.
Hours later, when she had finished stasis, Aldrick was still sleeping. She could hear his slow, deep breaths drifting through the darkness.
Leaving the lights off, she felt for her communicator in her pocket and addressed a message to her nestmate, Galek.
What do you know about human mating rituals?

I'm looking for someone to play as mermaid! Possibly instead of the cliché Ariel knock off, I want this mermaid to be different! Possibly a different version of Ariel? I am more than happy to discuss about the character! Any who, I will talk more about the plot once our characters are finalized but you should get to know me first! Hi, my name is ZOD and I am 22 years old! I do have dyslexia so I do not understand my writing, I am happy to communicate and fix any problem! But to add on for what I am looking writing wise: 3rd person and at least 2 para or more! Plus please be 18+!
And here’s the starter!
It was a late night for the ships but this was a special occasion! It was Cole’s birthday! Cole was old enough to run his own kingdom and his palace was nearly complete! It was perfect time celebrate on the sea since Cole was fascinated by myth of King Triton, a king merman ruled over a kingdom full of merpeople. Yet on the boat, the night was just getting started as people began to pull out the alcohol and the gifts that was given out of appreciation of being one of the best prince. Cole was sterling the ship as they were more to sea. “Alright crew! You may set off the fireworks and let the party begin!” He yelled to them as the crew began to set off fireworks in the sky, letting the sky light up in bright colors. Which soon began to drink and dance to the music was provided by Cole. He laughed as he danced around like a fool along with some of his closes members who have worked with for ages now. Yet what bother him was the lack of being high alert. Partying is one thing but being safe should be above that! If one thing slips, all could be doom for this royal ship! Little did he know, a young mermaids was watching him on his ship, out of sight and easy to slip away if caught.
Thanks for reading! If you are interested in this rp, I just ask to have these when you dm me! All I ask is little a bit about you like your age, etc. Then a example of your writing and finally, maybe a quote from the little mermaid? :) that last part is not important but you if do, I will appreciate it!!

My senior mother has a 14 year old chihuahua mix that has been in good health other than normal signs of aging. We’ve recently hit an extremely rough patch and are both currently homeless and staying with friends, with very little funds. She called me sobbing yesterday because she noticed what basically looks like a hole (about quarter-sized) in her lower abdomen near her genitals, right near the fold of her leg, not sure how it wasn’t seen earlier as she loves belly rubs. I was able to go by and see her today and my stomach dropped. I was speechless from how bad it looked. My mom never noticed her get hurt, but it’s red and swollen around so there is clearly an infection. I think it may be a ruptured abscess, but I don’t want to post the pic due to the graphic nature. If it is allowed, I can add it in another post. We’re scraping together whatever we can to get her to the vet, but I have a few main questions here. 1. Have any of you experienced something like this with your pet? 2. What can we do to treat at home until we can get her to the vet? 3. When we take her in, what can we expect in terms of testing and treatment? Any ideas on how much we may need to scrounge up for this visit? We have already applied for Care Credit and were found ineligible. We’ve been applying for grants and other assistance programs but not sure how long that would take. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.