u/Mastermiine

Anything noteworthy that will be forever lost when the store shuts down?

I am really really excited for this game. I know new TCGs sometimes have volunteers that can sign up to host demos at their LGS.

Have they made any announcements like that?

Content warning: friendship loss, grief

I’m having a really hard time processing the loss of two close friends, and I could use support from people who understand friendship grief. For privacy, I’ll call them “S” and “B.”

“S” and I met freshman year of college, became roommates sophomore year, lived together junior and senior year, and then continued living together outside of school from 2019 until June 2024. We were best friends for about 9 years. We talked about everything, went through a lot together, and he was one of the closest people in my life.

“B” was also a close friend. We met freshman year too, and sophomore year “S,” “B,” and I all lived together. I did not live with “B” junior or senior year, but around 2019 to 2020, “B,” “S,” and I all lived together again. So there is a lot of shared history between all of us.

Around September 2024, “S” stopped talking to me. I tried asking what happened and whether we could talk things out, but I never really got an explanation. His then-girlfriend, now wife, and I did not get along very well, and I’ve wondered if that had something to do with it. But I don’t actually know, because he never really talked to me about what happened.

For the next few months, I cried a lot and broke down often. It felt like grieving someone who was still alive. The person was still out there, but the friendship, the closeness, the daily connection, and the version of him I knew all felt gone.

By late 2025, I felt like I was finally starting to heal. But this month, June 2026, I’ve been going through a really hard time with other major life stressors, and the friendship came back into my head hard. I had a bad night and just wanted to ask what happened.

I reached out and called “S” because I wanted closure, and after that he blocked me on social media. “B” is still friends with “S” and his wife, and “B” has also ghosted me. That part hurts too, because it makes me feel like I lost not just one friendship, but a whole part of my life and history.

I know I probably need to stop reaching out and accept the silence, but it hurts so much. I keep replaying everything and wondering what I did wrong. The lack of closure makes me feel like I must have done something terrible, even though I don’t actually know that.

Has anyone else lost close friends this way, especially people who were part of your daily life for years? How did you get through realizing you may never get closure?

I’m not looking to force a conversation or chase anyone. I think I just need help surviving the grief, not blaming myself for everything, and accepting that silence may be the only answer I get.

I’ve been researching Italian citizenship by descent through a possible 1948 case and recently had a consultation with Aprigliano Law Firm.

Based on the records they reviewed, they believe there is a viable pathway through my great-grandmother’s line, although they made it clear there are no guarantees.

The quoted pricing I received was roughly:

* ~€6,600 for a solo applicant

* ~€7,950 for 2 applicants

* ~€11,850 for 4 applicants

plus court fees and possible additional document/translation costs.

From what I’ve researched so far, this seems to be within the normal range for a full-service 1948 case, but it is obviously still a major financial commitment.

Originally I thought more family members might participate, but when the per-person estimate landed around ~$3.5K USD each, my brothers immediately lost interest and said no. At this point I’m realistically evaluating whether this is something I would eventually pursue solo (or possibly with my father) once I’m financially stable again.

My main questions are:

* For those who pursued a 1948 case, what did you realistically pay all-in?

* Did unexpected costs come up beyond the original quote?

* What firms/lawyers did you use and would you recommend them?

* For those who pursued this solo, do you personally feel it was worth it?

* Has anyone regretted waiting too long before filing?

* How much concern do people have about future rule changes affecting eligibility?

Right now I’m trying to balance:

* the potential long-term value of EU citizenship,

* future opportunities for children/family,

* current financial realities,

* and uncertainty around possible future rule changes.

I’d appreciate hearing honest experiences from people who have actually gone through the process.

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EDIT / UPDATE:

Thank you everyone for the feedback so far. I really appreciate the perspectives and reality checks.

To clarify a few things:

• I have NOT committed to moving forward with the case yet.
• I absolutely plan to consult with additional firms/lawyers before making any decisions.
• I understand this appears to be a much more uncertain and evolving legal situation than I initially realized, especially with the recent changes people have mentioned.
• Part of why I made this post was to better understand the real-world risks, success rates, and total all-in costs beyond just the initial legal quote.

I also think part of my confusion right now is understanding exactly how the legal pathway is being structured.

From my understanding of what the lawyer explained, my direct line through my grandmother may be considered broken due to naturalization/minor-related issues. However, the firm believes there may still be a possible pathway through my great-grandmother’s line instead, because she allegedly maintained the uninterrupted bloodline through marriage/citizenship status.

The way it was explained to me sounded like:

• my father could potentially qualify through his grandmother,
• and then that recognition could potentially reopen or restore the chain for me afterward.

That said, after reading the comments here, I’m realizing there may be major uncertainty around whether courts will still recognize these types of reconstructed/workaround lines under the newer legal changes, which is why I definitely want multiple legal opinions before making any commitments.

Right now I’m mainly trying to understand:

• whether the case is actually viable under the current legal landscape,
• what realistic total costs look like after apostilles/translations/document work,
• how much of this depends on future legal challenges or changing interpretations,
• and whether this is realistically worth pursuing financially long-term.

The feedback about getting multiple opinions has been extremely helpful, and I’ll definitely be doing that before moving forward.