Law medical billing late

The House of Commons has approved an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill, introducing new offences related to dangerous cycling. If enacted, this law could result in up to 14 years in prison for individuals whose reckless cycling leads to fatalities or serious injuries. https://tscnewschannel.com/2024/05/16/proposed-law-to-address-dangerous-cycling-and-accountability/

ROH/WOH REVOLUTION PPV
Tony Schiavone and Ian Riccaboni welcome us to tonight's Revolution PPV and send us right to the opening match!!
…..
ROH Tag Titles Champs: Breakker and Alexander w/ Robert Stone vs New Catch Republic
NCR look to reclaim their titles from Robert Stone clients Josh Alexander and Bron Breakker. Alexander's ability to withstand punishment and Breakker's raw make that a tough ask.
NCR has deep technical ability and experience teaming together, while the new Champs are still learning their Rhythm. Everytime it looks too close, Stone can be seen distracting the referee or pulling someone out of the ring.
Late in the match, the referee tosses Mr Stone for excessive interference!! Unfortunately, Tyler Bate turns into a Breakker spear that nearly cuts him in half and the champs retain!!
Winners: Bron Breakker and Josh Alexander
…..
Austin Theory vs Jimmy Uso
From the opening bell, both competitors demonstrated their exceptional skills and determination, trading high-impact moves and near falls. Theory, known for his technical prowess and agility, seemed to have the upper hand at several points during the match, showcasing his ability to outmaneuver Jimmy with precision strikes and calculated offense. Jimmy never backed down as he is used to high-pressure situations.
Despite the relentless assault from Theory, it was the unwavering support of the crowd that proved to be the deciding factor for Jimmy Uso. The fans in attendance were firmly behind him, their cheers and chants creating an electric atmosphere that reverberated throughout the arena. Every time Jimmy looked to be on the verge of defeat, the deafening roar of the audience seemed to reignite his fighting spirit. Theory was able to land Ataxia, but Jimmy kicked out a split-second before the 3 count.
In the final moments, the crowd's energy reached a fever pitch, fueling Jimmy’s final surge of offense. A completely unexpected Full Nelson Bomb caught Theory off guard and Uso scored the 3!!
Winner: Jimmy Uso
…..
WOH International Title Sol Ruca vs Tegan Nox
Salina de la Renta joins Commentary for this one. She proudly points out the talent of the two competitors looking for their first title in WOH. Sol is somewhat hesitant in the early going, as she saw what Tegan Nox did to her last opponent.
Tegan takes full advantage of this, and starts laying in some heavy blows.. every cry of pain from Sol seems to derive a cry of joy from Tegan!!
Salina de la Renta is a little unsure of Tegan’s new attitude, but complements her on finding a way to push herself up the ladder in WOH.
Moments later a wicked looking Shiniest Wizard lands and Tegan Nox is the winner.
Winner and New WOH International Champion: Tegan Nox
…..
Renée Paquette approaches, to get a word with the new Champion, but Tegan brushes her off and stalks up the rampway with her title .
……
ROH International Title Damian Priest vs Marcel Barthel
In a match for the newly unified International Championship, Damian Priest faces Marcel Barthel. Priest is known for his imposing size and strength, giving him a significant power advantage. Barthel is a master technician, excelling in grappling and submission holds.
And that is what plays out. Barthel doing his best to outwrestle Damian, and his opponent using his power and agility to stay out of his grasp. Barthel does manage a couple of Near-falls but the match is definitely Priest's when he wants to end it.
A big boot staggers Barthel and a huge South of Heaven chokeslam wins the match.
Winner and New International Champion: Damian Priest
……
A strange music erupts that commentary is able to identify as a hybrid of Imperium and Ringkampf’s themes mixed together.. A spotlight shines on the entrance ramp. The crowd grows silent. Damian Priest looks up angrily as his celebration is cut short.
Damian is shocked as none other than GUNTHER himself steps through the curtain. The crowd doesn't know how to react. He smiles darkly and points at Damian, then steps back through the curtain. Priest rolls out of the ring and races after him with a look of pure rage on his face!
…..
Pentagon Jr vs Nic Nemeth w/ Robert Stone
The third match in this recent series of matches starts like the others have.. Penta taking to the Sky, showcasing his Lucha skills and Nemeth using a ground based offense. As we have seen, these 2 talented veterans are very evenly matched.
The referee is watching Robert Stone like a hawk after the opening match shenanigans. Stone raises his hands and says he's just there to advise his client. What he misses is Nic punting Penta low and hitting a Danger Zone for the tainted victory.
Winner: Nic Nemeth
…..
WOH Tag Titles Open Challenge Champs: Sky Pirates vs ????
The Sky Pirates, the WOH Tag Team Champions, come out to the roar of the crowd!! They raise their titles in the air and bask in the love of the crowd.
We all await their opponents. First through the curtain is a woman wearing a demon mask! The bigger shock is her partner, a larger woman dressed in black and wearing a dragon mask!!
Io and Kairi have no Idea who the masked women are, but they start the match Kairi vs the Demon mask. Cat and mouse seems to be the idea here, as Kairi plays hit and run with the much stronger Demon. A tag to Io keeps things moving at a fast pace.
The Demon woman does manage to knock down Io and makes a tag to her masked partner. Things slow down as the dragon masked one grabs Io in a bear hug and starts to squeeze. A belly to belly suplex from the bear hug stuns Io. A Powerbomb crumples up Io and suddenly we have New WOH Tag Team Champions!!
Winners and New WOH Tag Team Champions: The Masked Women
…..
WOH World Title Champ: Jamie Hayter vs Asuka
As everyone tries to figure out who the new Women's Tag Team Champions are, the introductions for the WOH World Title Match begin. The challenger, Asuka, comes out first.
The leader of the Queens of Violence and our WOH World Champion - Jamie Hayter is out next . Both combatants are a touch slow after what they witnessed in the last match. But within minutes, the match is going in earnest.
Asuka makes the first move, catching the champ in an octopus stretch!! Hayter gets to the ropes after several minutes of pain. Asuka doesn't want to release the hold, but eventually does. A pair of clotheslines take Asuka down, and the champ starts raining down the fists.
Just as it seems like the champion is going to kick it into a higher gear, the arena goes black. When the lights come back up, four masked women stands over a downed Asuka and Jamie Hayter!!
The new Tag Champs are now joined by a fox mask and a black masked woman wearing a crown. They start to remove their masks.
The Fox mask is new International Champion Tegan Nox !!
The Demon is Zoey Stark!! The Dragon is none other than Salina de la Renta's enforcer Kris Statlander!!
The Crown now produces a microphone and speaks..
“Do you see how easy this was? Tegan is the International Champion. Zoey and Statlander are the Tag Team Champions, and soon - I will be the Women's Champion!!” She drops her mask to reveal, in the biggest shock of the night - Charlotte Flair!!!
“We are The Standard And You Don't Measure Up!!”
……
As The Standard leaves the ring, we head to a brief PPV commercial break - hyping up Anarchy in ROH, next month's PPV. Commentary let's us know that both Jamie Hayter and Asuka have been taken to a local medical facility for observation.
We also hear from GM Nigel McGuiness. He let's us know that Anyone who interferes in the Main Event will be automatically FIRED !!!
…..
MAIN EVENT
ROH World Title Champ: Jay White vs Malakai Black
In the highly anticipated Main Event clash of Superstars, Malakai Black faced off against Jay White. Both competitors brought their unique styles to the ring, with Black's striking martial arts contrasting sharply with White's cunning and technical prowess. The match began with a series of rapid exchanges, showcasing the agility and precision of both men. Black's swift kicks and devastating strikes kept White at bay, but "Switchblade" countered with his own brand of methodical offense, targeting Black's limbs to slow his momentum.
As the match progressed, the intensity only escalated. White, known for his cerebral approach, tried to wear down Black with a series of submissions and suplexes, aiming to weaken his opponent. However, Black's unyielding spirit shone through. He absorbed the punishment and retaliated with vicious knees and kicks that echoed throughout the arena. The turning point came when White attempted his signature Blade Runner, only for Black to counter mid-move, stunning the crowd. With an almost supernatural agility, Black slipped out and delivered a lightning-quick Black Mass that left White reeling.
The climax of the bout saw both men exhausted, each digging deep into their reserves. White, in a last-ditch effort, went for another Blade Runner, but Black evaded it with one fluid motion.
In a moment of sheer brilliance, Malakai Black delivered a second Black Mass, catching Jay White flush on the jaw. The impact was definitive, and White crumpled to the mat. Black covered for the pin. The referee's hand hit the mat for the third time, and the arena erupted in applause, as they realized they have a New ROH World Champion in Malakai Black!
Winner And New ROH World Champion: Malakai Black

I have a full time job. It’s work from home and in email marketing. It’s a little stressful at times, but I’ve had more difficult jobs. I had a recent increase in bills and needed to do something on the side. I started a part time barista job at a place that is open late so I can work night shifts and weekends.
However, after doing this for a few weeks, I don’t know if I can maintain this pace of lifestyle. Maybe I’m used to my cushy job but I personally am struggling with how busy my life is now. And I have anxiety so even in the limited free time I do have my mind is racing and thinking about everything I have to do. I really don’t think this is going to work for me long term. So I have a few points I’m hoping to get advice on.

1. I feel really guilty about quitting after a few weeks. It’s a family owned shop and while it is doing well, I feel bad about the time and money they’ve invested in training me to work there. There’s a part of me that wants to tough it out longer so that I can actually be a benefit to them.
   
2. Any recommendations on a way to earn $300 per week that could be less stressful? For instance I am working at the shop 4 days week. Two-three nights from 5pm-12am, and Saturday and Sunday mornings 9am-5pm. I know some people may think I’m lazy but this isn’t something I feel I can do sustainably for a long period of time. I’ve got other family responsibilities so I find myself feeling overwhelmed a lot.
   

So I found a 5000 dollar check I'm my husband's desk while looking for a marker. Turns out the check is from my in-laws that we are not on speaking terms with. We had a huge fight like 2 years ago and alot of stuff followed after that. During that time we bought a house that needs alot of renovations (we had no other options and it was in our budget) one being the bathroom. It's half way done but we still have to shower at my moms. My husband a month ago went to my in-laws to pick up his birth certificate. And so he told his dad our current situation and how we are struggling financially and they offered to help. So now we have no 5000 or my husband's bonus of 2000 and still no bathroom. We have 200 in savings and 300 in the bank. I am beyond angry that he is terrible with money. He says it all went to bills the mortgage and groceries all in less than 2 months that's including his salary. He's in charge of the finances and im just a stay home mom of 2 boys under 5. I feel very angry and upset because not only did he betray my trust he lied and kept stuff from me. But am I wrong for being mad?

Ive been an esthetician for 2years &, I feel like maybe I didn’t put my all like I should have to be the best aesthetician so I’m trying to now. I don’t know if it’s too late for me to even start a business going to school for nursing and working. 3 years ago I started doing my own thing, but I had stopped because of personal family reasons, but I can’t use that anymore. I’m trying to get back into it but now it’s a little bit harder because I have bills to pay and I’m not making as much money as I used too. I started working at a chain wax center because I thought it would help me level up my skill, but now I’m trying to become a medical aesthetician, but no one wants to hire someone with no medical or aesthetic facial experience. I feel like I’ve been a failure as an esthetician & trying to be a business owner. Maybe it’s my fault for not really buckling down and so I’m trying now this year in 2024, but trying to get back into facials and re-learning everything again on my own is pretty tough and I want to go to seminars and aesthetician conferences And do medical grade skin care. I haven’t done a facial in three years and sometimes I feel like I’ve lost touch and ive only being a waxer for a year no. I feel a little confused. I feel like , me trying to do facials again I’m trying to get a better job at a spa has been pretty hard looking for a job being an aesthetician again has been pretty hard looking for job, I feel like it’s my own fault, I didn’t put in my all like I should have to be the best aesthetician so I’m trying to now. I don’t know if it’s too late for me to even start a business while going to school for nursing and working. To be honest, the main thing is monies, stopping me from pursuing my my business as aesthetician.

I (21F) decided to drop out of university a couple of months ago after my third attempt at a degree. Bluntly, I just don’t think the way it works is for me. I’m ADHD/ASD Level 1 and, partially as a result of that, I’m an extremely literal person and I learn through examples of a concept or way of thinking in practice. I had to spend hours and hours of my time a week seeking out examples of every single topic I learnt in a class (say, I was in a class about political theory when I was trying out political science and they mentioned historical relativism, I then had to spend hours searching for examples of historical relativism to understand it). I also struggle a lot with hyper focus and there’d be days where I’d just read without food or even more than one or two bathroom breaks from 8am in the morning to 8pm at night. As you can imagine, I got super burnt out and I’d crash and burn and end up majorly depressed within a year, but then a few months later I’d convince myself that it was just because I didn’t like the material and try again. Thankfully, I finally picked up on the cycle and I walked away for good. Maybe I’ll try again in my mid or late 20s, but, right now, I’m done.
I still live with my parents and, when I told them I dropped out of uni full-stop, they just said: “It’s absolutely fine that you’re not in uni for now, but you need to get a full-time job ASAP if you want to continue living here” and I jumped right on it. My dad works in hospital administration and his manager told him to tell me to send my resume to HR there and they’ll maybe hook me up with something. Within a week, I got an interview with one department that I thought went solidly despite my utter lack of experience in hospitals or even in administration (my only work experience before has been nannying and working in OSHC/tutoring centres casually). The department head called me about a week later saying I wasn’t successful for that particular position but they really liked “my personality” and all my references were great and they were passing my resume onto other department heads.
A couple of weeks later, I got a call from an administration manager that oversaw the hospital’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit and she wanted me to come in and “meet everyone”. I thought this just was code for another interview so I got super prepped and came in ready to be grilled. As it turns out, the manager just met me in the building that all the heads and managers work out of it and took me to the unit. I met the head nurse and her and the manager just sat me down and told me all about the unit, warned me about some of the challenges (ward accepts children and seeing brain-damaged children come who have to stay there on their own for an extended period doing rehab with little understanding of what’s going on is, of course, distressing + majority of patients in the ward are young men who sometimes get argumentative and aggressive), assured me that I’d do several weeks worth of training so that I’d feel adequately prepared, allowed me to ask questions and gave me a tour of the entire unit afterwards. In the end, the head nurse said: “Looking forward to seeing on the 27th!” as she said goodbye. I was totally flabbergasted because it wasn’t even an interview - just a good, informative chat.
The admin manager told me as she was seeing me off that I didn’t have to accept the position if I didn’t want it, but I “have the job” and to please let her know within a couple of days what I decided. I have my reservations about how I’ll handle it (I’ve worked with disabled children in tutoring/OSHC but this is a lot different) but I really want to give it a try + I kind of need a job so I called her the next day saying I’d love to take up the position. I’m still kind of in shock. As I said in the title, I basically got offered this job on a silver platter and I’m in absolute disbelief about how this has all happened and how I just suddenly got a job on a random Tuesday. Like wtf?
I got sent some paperwork yesterday about the job and the minimum pay is $2820 a fortnight which is utterly INSANE. No, I’m not going to be rich, but, as someone who’s always worked casually around school and never earned over $700 a fortnight, I still can’t fathom that amount of money. Even after I take out tax, mandatory HECS (student loan system in Australia) repayments and the amount of rent my parents are charging, I’m still pocketing $1800 a fortnight. I can’t even believe it. I didn’t think it was possible for 21-year-olds without a degree to earn that much. I don’t even want to tell anyone around me because I’m afraid it’s some mistake.
I won’t lie. There are some cons. The job is from 7:30 to 3:30 M-F and, because of how far I live from the hospital and the fact that I can’t drive for medical reasons, I’ll have to get up before 5:30 in the morning. The admin manager also mentioned to me that the unit doesn’t really ‘do’ overtime and if I clock out after my scheduled finish time, a record of that time is kept and I can eventually apply for an extra leave day with it. Furthermore, as I mentioned above, there’s elements of the job I have mixed feelings about. I have a lot of trouble comforting people, so if a distressed patient or family member approaches me (which, in a brain injury unit, is probably going to be common), I’m not really sure what else to say other than: “Oh… Oh.. I’m sorry… That really sucks… Oh… Oh…” Nevertheless, both of those pitfalls still don’t seem to justify the 72k a year to me… It’s not like I’m literally taking care of these patients, I’m just talking to people coming in and answering emails and phones.
I’m super scared that there’s something that’s being hidden from me and that’s why they were so eager to get me, an inexperienced 21 year old, into the position. I tried to ask my mum the other day: “What if they’re just saying that the patients are ‘argumentative’, but in reality they throw chairs and spit at the admin or you’ll have to pull 11 hour shifts on the regular with no proper overtime or they’ll just leave me in charge of an entire ward and that’s why they’re so desperate to find someone?” My mum told me that I was being ridiculous and I’m “underselling myself” and she’s sure it will be fine… but I’m not 100% certain. I’m sure there has to be at least some level of transparency and professionalism because it’s a public hospital and it’s fully accountable to the government (the Australian health system is reassuring sometimes!), but there’s nothing strictly stopping them from straight up lying about what I’m in for when I start this job.
I really want an objective perspective on this because everyone I’ve personally tried talking about this to has brushed me off and said they’re sure I’ll be great… But I don’t ask if they think I’ll be great, I’m asking if they think this job is straight up too good to be true and they’re just dancing around the question. Randoms, what do you think?

Adult daughter and mother situation, I'm the daughter.
She and my father moved very far away 10+ years ago to a remote place not convenient for anybody to visit easily. She is incredibly clingy and has long insisted that my siblings and I HAVE to move back in with them at some point. None of us like where they live and we have happy lives elsewhere. But there is no alternative in mom's mind. My siblings and I can't even talk about future plans or life events if they involve any form of independence or geographical separation from her without her completely flipping out.
She has always been a negative person, but lately she has become incredibly negative and is diving down every ridiculous conspiracy rabbit hole, as well as watching videos of people losing their lives in gruesome ways as a way to pass the time. What's even weirder is she is sending me these videos as if she thinks i would enjoy them too. I have asked her to stop twice and she's still doing it. She doesn't get any exercise, doesn't eat well, doesn't take care of herself (dad does literally every chore and cooks her meals), so the majority of her waking hours are spent online.
Today she stated very matter of factly that if my siblings and I don't move back in soon, or at least make a solid plan to do so, that she otherwise has no reason to live anymore. She didn't directly threaten you-know-what and she never would do it, she has a history of occasionally making veiled threats when she doesn't get "her way" about something or to get attention.
Here's the honest truth that I cannot tell her without her getting so mad that she ends our relationship: I have zero intention of ever WILLINGLY moving in with them, short of an emergency medical situation. I have battled diagnosed PTSD that is largely caused by events that she perpetrated. Both my parents (tho mostly my mom) have refused to even meet my partner of 9 years and have made it clear she is never welcome to visit, let alone live. So basically my mother is demanding me to completely abandon my current life, loved ones, friendships, etc. that I have built in order to make her happy, "or else".
My mother used to be in therapy and on medication and it helped greatly, but she has refused to get any mental help for many years. In fact, the only thing she seems happy to talk to me about lately is how mentally "defective" I am and to be nosey about how my "desperately needed" 2 therapy sessions a week are going, and critisizing my "emotional disregulation" if I don't keep my tone impossibly steady at all times, and how she thinks my meds need changing. She refuses to look at her own flaws/issues and instead will harp on the inadequacies of everyone around her.
In my heart I believe the only way she is going to get better is if she finds some purpose in her life that doesn't involve her adult children (or my father) catering to her every whim. Is it my job to prop my mother up the rest of hemy life? Am I allowed to pursue a life that makes me happy if it's at the expense hers? How do I deal with this situation long term?

So I found a 5000 dollar check I'm my husband's desk while looking for a marker. Turns out the check is from my in-laws that we are not on speaking terms with. We had a huge fight like 2 years ago and alot of stuff followed after that. During that time we bought a house that needs alot of renovations (we had no other options and it was in our budget) one being the bathroom. It's half way done but we still have to shower at my moms. My husband a month ago went to my in-laws to pick up his birth certificate. And so he told his dad our current situation and how we are struggling financially and they offered to help. So now we have no 5000 or my husband's bonus of 2000 and still no bathroom. We have 200 in savings and 300 in the bank. I am beyond angry that he is terrible with money. He says it all went to bills the mortgage and groceries all in less than 2 months that's including his salary. He's in charge of the finances and im just a stay home mom of 2 boys under 5. I feel very angry and upset because not only did he betray my trust he lied and kept stuff from me. But am I wrong for being mad?

I am going to delete this after the post slows down, but I am lost and it is my own doing.
Spent 8 years in the US Air Force fixing medical equipment. Got caught up with drug charges and ended up with a misdemeanor and a bad conduct discharge. I got a job right out of the military at 28/hr, doing maintenance on medical equipment. I lost that two weeks in because I was not pulling 10+ hrs of OT a week, due to family obligations (school age children). I have a lot of electrical experience. I know how to troubleshoot circuits very well. I know how to be safe with electricity. I have never received a bad review on work performed. I just fucked up the good thing I had.
I also have extensive experience in high pressure steam systems. I've repaired steam sterilizers and I honestly am satisfied doing that type of physical/mental work.
I still have my GI Bill so I can get a full bachleors if I choose so.
I just don't know what to do. I fucked up so bad and lost everything, but I can't live forever dragging my ass and working odd jobs.
What do you think I would fit well in? I am not bothered by manual labor, I honestly feel satisfied using my hands to work (I work at a plant nursery currently and I bust my ass every day), heat does not bother me (thanks Qatar).
I just want to do right by my kids. I'm tired of being a POS who fucks everything up. Any advice is appreciated.

I don’t know what to do. My brother just shot himself in front of our mother after battling with depression and some undiagnosed manic-depressive disorder that he wouldn’t get treatment for. He was my best friend for much of our life until he joined the military, then we became distant as his personality seemed to change. He was married to a very sweet young woman who he cheated on multiple times and became hateful and cruel towards her and it made me lose respect for him. They divorced and he left the military (he was never deployed) and had plans to become an occupational therapist but he never followed through on any of the steps necessary to get back into school. He became an alcoholic during his time in the military and would steal pain medication from my mother that she took for her migraines and back pain. He used THC heavily as well. He would have these huge mood swings, going from grandiose plans to change the world to hitting rock bottom and becoming paranoid, thinking everyone was spying on him if we made one comment that triggered something in him. We begged him to get help but he refused, he didn’t have enough self awareness or something to see how bad his paranoia and/or mania was getting. I have very young children and became less willing to spend time listening to him when he was in either extreme phase. I’d had him blocked for a few months because he’d accused me of trying to turn our mother against him after he went through her phone and read texts we’d sent regarding his behavior. I’d only unblocked him a few weeks ago and we just started talking again on Mother’s Day as he’d bought me flowers and had our mom deliver them to me when we got together. I’d thanked him and he’d asked to see me soon, but I work varying shifts at night and had plans to help my mother-in-law this coming weekend so I told him we could shoot for June. My mom called me at work tonight wailing that I needed to leave, he’d asked her to come over to his house and she’d gone and he waited until she got there and shot himself in front of her. She supported him through everything, providing him with money and a place to stay when he didn’t have a job and her love always. She loved him even when he made himself unlovable. Why would he do that to her??? Why would he do something so cruel that will destroy her??? She’ll never unsee her baby boy killing himself in front of her. I’ll never forgive him but I am struggling with forgiving myself too. I should have done more but I always used the excuse of having too little free time or energy after taking care of my kids and working and such. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to feel. I’m breaking apart and I’m not sure what happens next.

Hello, beta-readers of Reddit! I'm a novice writer who has recently picked up the pen again. I'm looking to improve upon my writing; but I feel as though I've hit a block reading and rereading and editing myself. I'm hoping a fresh pair of eyes and a new perspective might help!
I'm happy to swap stories- I'm open to reading almost any genre- with the caveat that is is paired in some way with fantasy- though I have been known to get sucked into a good sci-fi! I'm not particularly fond of gritty realism or nonfiction, and I'll struggle to get through anything historical or even set in the modern day without a touch of whimsy. I love progression fantasy, and adore a good irreverent protagonist. If you've got an expansive and interesting worldbuilding project you are working on, I'd love to hear all about it and swap ideas! Let me get lost in the universes you've created! Speculative biology is also somewhat of a passion of mine that I've been delving back into as of late, so I'm also happy to help workshop creature designs and descriptions!
I'm seeking critiques on pacing, characterization, dialogue, and I'd love questions about the world/worldbuilding- the story I'm seeking a beta for here is one of three currently set in the same overarching world- though in different time periods/locations. I'm constructing my own magic-system for this world, with the soul and its connection to the mind and body being the core building blocks of this system! I very much enjoy progression fantasy.. but I also dislike hard and fast rules and numbers that quantify the unquantifiable. IF you're into that sort of thing, I have maps, charts, and docs with worldbuilding I'm happy to share- but none of it is necessary to beta this story if that doesn't interest you! I DO have 2 other stories in progress set in the same world, as well- all are currently about the same length.
This will be an adult fantasy romance. The current setting has some semi-modern technological advancements replicated utilizing magic. There ARE some smut scenes I have written- but I can remove them and hold those separately if it isn't something you are comfortable reading!
Trigger warnings: Potential graphic descriptions of violence, medical procedures, or injuries. Heavier themes like sapience/what makes one human may be approached. Depictions of sex, dubious consent, likely a lot of death. Not intended to be a dark/depressing story; but dark/depressing themes are likely to come up/be touched on. Smut scenes can be removed if that proves an issue.
Small part of the story outline/summary I've written is included below.
Wynne is an acolyte and healer in The Order of The Dragon Prime, a secret cult worshiping the Devoured God, Sunnaerus. Her particular branch of The Order is dedicated to researching souls to better understand their composition and power. Having discovered some texts dating back to The Age of Strife hundreds of years prior detailing the creation of certain types of monsters via a process known as ‘soul fusion’, Wynne's branch of The Order is dedicated to studying of the souls of these creatures’ descendants to discover the true power of the soul. They are currently researching a species known as 'Oni' by the locals. Wynne is a low-level member who joined the cult to escape her father, and further her research on healing and souls. She is responsible for the intake, processing, and preparing the creatures for study, harvest and experimentation, as well as healing them after more rigorous procedures and harvests of materials. Despite finding their treatment of monsters barbaric, Wynne is unable to leave without risking her own life and the Oni's, and attempts to keep them as comfortable as possible, often going against or twisting orders to try and better provide for them. Due to her usefulness as a healer, and her good relationship with several of the Elders, she is given some liberties around the facility.
The story begins as Wynne prepares for the intake procedure of a newly-captured Oni- Subject 4.
Link to an excerpt
If any of what you've read here sounds interesting, don't hesitate to DM me! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this post. Hope you have a lovely evening!

Okay lol this is my second post to the group but I need some advice…
My partner of a couple years cheated on me. He has done it before, in November and I was willing to forgive him and look past it in hopes of salvaging the relationship.
I thought I knew this man but it’s now starting to become clear I do not.
Last night, I got a call. My partner was in jail.. confused by the story he told me ( he had a road rage accident) I obviously just looked up the charge myself. The charge was for trying to get a hooker.
I’m absolutely devastated and my whole world just turned upside down. How can he be so casual with me and 30 min later get charged for something like this?
The thing is, I feel bad. FOR HIM?? I worry about him losing his job, his shame and life moving on from this. He has past law issues waaaay back before finding recovery and his recovery is a substantial amount of time. He let me know he has a sex addiction he has in the past gotten help for and will start again/ sobbing, apologizing and I just feel empathy for him.
I have a therapist and I know I should be angry. My body physically hurts from the pain and two years, not my longest relationship is still enough that I’m close with his family and was really planning our future together. I always get worried because I feel like I’ll never have children or a family and this just amplified it. Along with my past addiction to alcohol that I have 4 years sober from. 5 in September. I started late with life and the catch up game is hard.
On top of that I live out of state so the isolation is real. I’ve reached out and am attempting to find my friend groups but I don’t want to leave him??? I do however, believe I will leave. I just don’t want to and that makes this a billion times more painful.
He put me at risk for STD’s and it just utterly sucks that yesterday everything was great and today it’s all different.
Maybe someone has a similar story, advice for a relationship you left when you didn’t want to.
Thanks in advance.

Cigarettes and rebellion have always gone hand-in-hand, and in an age of cigarette packet-sized health warnings, now more than ever, smoking a fag says: 'I do not give a fuck.' But if Brandon Flowers is hoping to strike a seditious pose by sparking up at the start of the interview, it's not going according to plan. The Killers' frontman is on all fours rooting through the junk that carpets the anteroom at the band's rehearsal space. "Has anyone seen my lighter?" he asks, rocking back on his heels. The question hangs in the air while Brandon cocks his head, waiting for an answer like a meerkat listening for a predator. Twenty-five years old and with a delicate bone structure, there's something almost dainty about him. Receiving no response, he returns to his search. "Oh, Jeez," he sighs. "I had it just a minute ago."
It's a scene that emphatically does not suggest a rebel without a cause. The mess isn't helping. The Killers' HQ - an industrial unit sandwiched between a construction supplier and the offices of a housing development just off Dean Martin Drive in West Las Vegas - is ankle-deep in designer clothing. A Dior Homme suit lies crumpled by the door; there's a pile of shoes topped like a sundae by a pair of Marc Jacobs trainers; and anyone wishing to enter the shoebox room the band use as an office must negotiate a mountain of discarded jeans. Many items are identifiable as coming from the wardrobe of Hot Fuss, The Killers' hugely successful 2004 debut album - triple platinum in the UK with two weeks at Number One and five million sold worldwide. Look! There are the shirts, ties and suit jackets they wore when they thrilled Glastonbury 2005 with indie rock anthems Mr Brightside and Somebody Told Me. That was the crowning moment of a two-and-a-half year tour that finally concluded in October of last year. It seems that after playing that final date in Miami, they returned to Vegas and shrugged off their image onto the floor of this bland white box.
Now a fine layer of dust covers the dead clothes. The Killers have no further use for white tuxedos on their second album, Sam's Town. Today, Brandon wears a black polo shirt, black pin-stripe waistcoat, black jeans and black boots. Where there used to be a layer of foundation, there is now a beard - an untrimmed beard at that. Dave Keuning (30, guitar), Mark Stoermer (29, bass) and Ronnie Vannucci (29, drums) all echo Brandon's black ensemble. Ronnie has added Aviator shades and a handlebar moustache for a dash of motorcycle cop, Dave's frizzy bubble of hair gives him a Marc Bolan-ish air, and there's something very teenage about Mark's scuffed Vans.
Short of walking around wearing sandwich boards saying, "Our new record is a bit heavier than the last one," The Killers couldn't hope to communicate that message more effectively. And they have gained some musical girth on Sam's Town. The pop hooks that made Hot Fuss so irresistible survive intact - see the ringing guitar riffs on first single When You Were Young - but there's a newfound punchiness, coupled with an epic sweep. The minor-to-major uplifts on Bones are fabulously dramatic, the coda to Why Do I Keep Counting? thrillingly intense. Comparisons to Bruce Springsteen have been made. If they overstate the case a little, they are at leaset qualitatively accurate. The Killers are back and this time it's serious - they've got the bootlace ties to prove it.
"Hey, it says here that Springsteen's headlining Glastonbury next year," shouts Ronnie, who's flicking through the NME. He nods sagely at the page without looking up.
"Really?" asks Dave, nicknamed Crazy Dave on account of his alledgedly volatile nature.
"The Boss is headlining one night, we're playing second on the bill the next night and Kylie's headlining the Sunday," says Brandon, charging like a bull through Michael Eavis' as-yet-unannounced line-up with what subsequently proves to be a characteristic gaucheness.
But that lighter is proving elusive. This being America, none of the people hurrying to-and-fro prepping the world for the release of Sam's Town smokes. Manager Robert Reynolds - Bobby Rey to the band - barks into his mobile, booking his band onto eye-wateringly demanding tours. "We're going to make a lot of money," he cackles to himself before switching calls to make a series of stern pronouncements on legal matters. Dave, Mark and Ronnie disappear for a jam session. Artwork is approved, B-sides are decided on and schedules are hammered out.
"I can't find it," Brandon says, finally. But he's not going to be denied the opportunity to underline The Killers reinvention with a puff of smoke. "Let's go to the gas station. I'll have to buy one. It's too busy to talk here anyway."
+
Brandon's black (of course) Volkswagen Touraeg four-wheel drive is barrelling down West Flamingo Road into town. "I was a bell boy there," he says, pointing out of the driver's window at the stucco facade of the Gold Coast casino. "I was working there when we were signed."
Coming from Las Vegas, it is perhaps inevitable that casinos play a big part in The Killers' story; not only is Sam's Town named after one, it was recorded in one, too.
The band began writing songs while on the road with Hot Fuss, turning up early for soundchecks to run through new ideas. On a trip home to Vegas, George Maloof, a hotelier known for cultivating famous friends, invited them to record the album in the new studio he'd built at The Palms, his flagship hotel-cum-gambling den. When the tour finished in October 2005, they returned to Vegas and spent five month finessing the songs they'd sketched out on the road. Then, in February, they decampled to the third floor studio at The Palms and recorded Sam's Town over 11 weeks.
Producer Flood (U2, Depeche Mode) encouraged them to experiment. They overdubbed, fiddled with synthesizers and played with new equipment. It took them five weeks to get the backing vocals right. The band sang the harmonies, then double-tracked them four times. The end result recalls Queen wondering, "Is this is the real life? Is this just fantasy?" When Ronnie, a trained classical percussionist, brought some kettledrums down, eyebrows were raised; but the fabulously bombastic coda on Why Do I Keep Counting? vindicates his indulgence.
"That's kind of the Ben Hur of the album," he says. He's not wrong. Sam's Town is a record on an epic scale. "Yeah, it has drama," he continues. "But, at the same time, I think it's a little more exposed than Hot Fuss. It's a little more naked. Last time it was about a lot of fictional things." By "fictional", Ronnie means that Hot Fuss wore its predominantly British influences for all to see. Brandon's taste in music is rabidly Anglophile - he constantly references The Smiths, The Cure and Joy Division - and it showed. By contrast, Sam's Town is an unequivocally American record. The lyrical imagery is pure American dream - cars, girls, wide-open spaces and escaping to a better life. "We're burning down the highway skyline/On the back of a hurricane that started turning/When you were young," sings Brandon on When You Were Young. That's the basis of the Springsteen comparisons then, though the lack of pathos more closely recalls another blue-collar rocker from New Jersey - Jon Bon Jovi.
The phrase "this town" recurs throughout the album, and it's always receding into the distance as The Killers escape to a new life. "This town was made for passing through/I never did get along with everybody else," sings Brandon on This River Is Wild. On Read My Mind he "never really gave up on breaking out of this two-star town", while on the title track he offers something of an explanation: "Nobody ever had a dream round here."
"With the first record, there was this feeling that there was this world out there that we didn't know," says Mark later in the day. Before The Killers, he studied philosophy: now he's their quiet one. "We wanted to get out and away from this and be somewhere else. We hadn't had a lot of experience - hadn't travelled much - then we were gone for three years. We didn't sit down and say that we wanted to make a record about how we're glad to be home, but that's what happened naturally."
It's not an angsty record. The Killers have already escaped with Hot Fuss, and, having done so, they view the experience fondly now they're back. There's a mistiness to Brandon's eyes as he explains how the album got it's name.
"Sam's Town is a casino on the edge of Vegas," he says. "I grew up in Henderson, which is out on the way to the Hoover Dam. My mom and dad lived in a trailer park, and my dad used to hitchhike up and down Boulder Highway, which is the only way you could get to Vegas. Sam's Town was the first thing you saw on your way in to town. So, when you're driving down Boulder Highway from Henderson, I always thought you finally knew you were getting somewhere when you saw Sam's Town. It was kind of like a beacon."
"It's not a completely American album," contines Brandon. "We still have our English influence, but we're also from the Wild West. Somehow we've managed to unify all that on this album. it's just such a perfect resemblence of what we are."
At the petrol station, Brandon rummages through the glove box looking for change to buy a lighter. "This is a great album," he says, pointing at Highway Companion, the latest from iconic American rocker Tom Petty. "I've always been a big fan of his. He's such a great American artist."
Yes, Brandon: we get the point.
+
When Brandon finally lights his cigarette, he smokes it awkwardly, like a child mimicking something he's seen the grown-ups doing. However, when he cheerfully admits that, "I feel the same mentally as I did when I was 12," it's not a knowing nod to the fact that he sometimes behaves like a loveably precocious child, but a reference to an unusually comprehensive grounding in pop music at an early age.
When Brandon sings about "this town", he doesn't mean Las Vegas. He means Nephi, Utah or Henderson, Nevada, where he spent his childhood. His parents are Mormon and he is the youngest of six children. "I was a surprise," he says. "I've got a 42-year-old sister." If he was issues about his "surprise" status, he chooses to gloss over them. "It turned out perfect because my brother was a teenager when I was a kid," he says. "He would bring home things like Rattle And Hum by U2 and I would watch it. I remember he bought Live In Dallas by Morrissey. It was always him watching these things, or his door was shut and you'd hear The Head On The Door by The Cure blasting through the house and rattling the walls."
The Killers were formed when Brandon answered an advert Dave had placed in a local paper in late 2002. Dave cited Oasis as a big influence; Brandon had seen them play recently and responded; and, as Dave has said in previous interviews: "He was the only person to reply to my ad who wasn't a complete freak." However, the band was born in Brandon's brothers bedroom.
"His room was like a shrine," enthuses Brandon. "It was a holy place. I wish I could show you a picture of it. It was covered in posters. There'd be a big picture of Elvis wearing a bow tie that just said 'The Smiths' [the artwork for The Smiths 1987 single Shoplifters Of The World Unite]. You had The Cure wearing face paint [the artwork to The Cure's 1985 single In Between Days] - all that kind of stuff. I remember Morrissey being on the cover of the NME, with the halo [from 1985] - stuff like that. You just wanted to know about these people 'cause they were so cool. My brother seemed like such a cool person. But he was a teenager, so he wasn't going to be that nice to me, a kid."
Brandon was fascinated by his brother's collection of music, magazines and posters, but he was denied access to them - officially, at least. "I would sneak in," he says. "I knew he'd be angry if he found out, but I would go in as soon as he left the house." For a long time Brandon was too scared to actually play anything. "That didn't come 'til later. I just used to go in there because I liked it. Then I got to the point where I'd actually take a tape out and put it in. It took more guts to do that."
It was a life-changing moment. "I was ten and the first song I played was Sing Your Life by Morrissey. I remember dancing about to it."
The lyrics to Sing Your Life include the lines, "Sing your life/Just walk right up to the microphone/And name all the things that you love/All the things that you loathe." It's intriguing to wonder what Morrissey makes of the neophyte he inspired with these lines.
Eventually, Brandon inherited his brother's tape collection. "It was around the same time CDs started coming out in a big way. He started buying CDs and gave me his tapes. And that was it: it took off from there. I got a hundred of the best albums - all the New Order, all the Morrissey, all The Smiths, The Beatles. I started buying posters. I went to see The Cure in concert. It was just kind of a continuation of my brother. And it was nice because, though my parents were strict, they were already used to it from him. There was no, 'My dad doesn't understand me,' or any of that kind of stuff. My mum likes The Smiths."
Brandon was 13 and his favourite band was late-'70s/early-'80s American new wavers The Cars, and particularly their jaw-droppingly catchy 1979 single Just What I Needed.
"I wouldn't exist without that song," he says. "That was the one. I remember driving around with my mum when I was 13, and we're living in Nephi - a really small town - and I felt so cool when I put that song on. Like: 'I have something that none of these kids I'm going to middle school with tomorrow have.' That excitement is what music's about, isn't it? That's why I understand the mentality of people that don't like us because we've sold so many records. I used to like it when no one else knew about a band. So I get that - I do."
+
Brandon's first band was called Blush Response. It was never going to work out. Not because he refused to move to Los Angeles with them, but because he is utterly - comically - shameless. He's given to making outrageously boastful statements like: "It's not like the '60s, '70s and '80s now. There are only a few bands around that are really good, that just do it. I mean, there's what, five or six of us?"
For the record, in Brandon's estimation, those bands are Franz Ferdinand, Razorlight, The Strokes, The White Stripes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and, of course, The Killers.
"I don't want people to think I'm lumping myself with other people just to make us sound cool," he says. Really? It sort of sounds like you are. But he just steamrolls through it. "Yeah, but you know what I mean," he says, grinning at his own cheekiness. He's so disgracefully forward you can't help but laugh along with him - Oh you are awful, Brandon! But joking aside, The Killers are the most commercially successful of all the bands he mentions.
Later, back at the rehearsal space, the band run through Sam's Town at deafening volume in preparation for the forthcoming tour - first the US, then the world. The infectious, almost contagious, chorus of When You Were Young sounds fabulous, as do the U2-like guitars and Twin Peaks synths of Read My Mind. Meanwhile, Smile Like You Mean It and Somebody Told Me benefit from the newfound harder edge.
They somewhat heavy-handedly underline the new direction by playing Paranoid by Black Sabbath and Get It On by T Rex. That's the thing: The Killers are not a subtle band. Their songs are like a wet kiss from a girl who's a bit too drunk. They are big and brash, and not everyone loves them for it. Mr Brightside and Somebody Told Me might go down as well at hip nightclubs as they do on the festival circuit, but the DJs play them with the same guilty look they wear when playing a pop record.
"I hate that," says Brandon. "Like writing a song you can hum somehow cheapens it? It makes me think of this quote by Morrissey. Everybody knows how he read Oscar Wilde, Keats and Yates when he was growing up and that he wanted to be a writer. He was talking to this journalist who asked why he hadn't become a writer, and Morrissey said: 'What I do is more powerful than what you do because I can write down these words and you get it to a melody. How can you beat that?' I'm of the same opinion. I don't understand why a good melody that's memorable is a bad thing."
Being dismissed as pop particular aggrieves Ronnie. "When we first came out we got compared to Duran Duran all the time. Jesus Christ! We got a keyboard player now all of a sudden he's Nick Rhodes! Come on!"
"The people who criticise us for being too poppy don't get it," agrees Mark. "I think that's the problem with a lot of rock music. People are afraid to write a song any more. Either that or they can't. And that attitude hurts music in general. The best bands ever have all written great songs. You can still do it and do it intelligently and it can be original. This isn't a studio creation with a producer writing these songs for us. We're not Avril Lavigne, or something like that. We're a real band writing real songs, just like a punk band would do, except that we write pop songs."
You get the impression that The Killers knack for showboating pop hooks that border on vulgar is inextricably tied up with the brazen side of Brandon's personality. But while his ebullient charisma, not to mention the songs themselves, mitigates his outrageousness, there is a less attractive side to his ego. He has a combative streak. He can't resist taking pot shots at emo bands, notably Fall Out Boy, whith whom The Killers share an A&R man.
Has he heard how many emo kids it takes to change a light bulb? "No." None. They just sit in the dark and cry. It's a full 30 seconds before he stops laughing. When he does he admits: "Yeah, we've had problems with other bands. You know, when you walk in the room it's like..." He whistles the theme to The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. "We're like gangs."
And while the other members of the band are diplomatic on the subject of Brandon, you don't have to read too deeply between the lines to conclude that there have been internal issues, too.
"Some people will think Brandon's the big genius," says Dave, visibly bridling. "There are songs, such as Why Do I Keep Counting?, where he's written every note. But there are others, like When You Were Young, that were more of a collaboration - like Mr Brightside, where I had some of the music and Brandon came up with the lyrics. We always have arguments about who wrote what. The truth is that we all help in that process."
When asked how success affected them, Ronnie says: "There were certain things that needed adjusting. When you're on tour for two years, people can get a little needy. It doesn't help that you're surrounded by yes men and everybody's working for you. At times we've had to say, 'Who do you think you are?' to people. No one wears the trousers, but some people would like to. I think if it wasn't for the people in the band kicking each other in the ass... Let's just say there was some ass-kickin'."
It doesn't take a genius to work out whose ass needed kicking most often.
+
It's the following day and The Killers are back at their rehearsal space. The topic of discussion is what to wear in the video for Bones, the second single. It's a big deal: the director is Tim Burton. "I feel like Frank Sinatra when I sing it," announces Brandon. "With maybe a little bit of Morrissey and a little bit of Elvis, too."
Of course he does. But if securing the services of Tim Burton tells you one thing, it's that The Killers are about to get even bigger, perhaps even make the leap to the same level as Coldplay et al. Already stars, they are about to become superstars. Brandon can hardly wait.
"Do you know that Rolling Stone didn't want to put us on the cover last time," he says indignantly. "They didn't think we were stars. We sold five million albums! What more do they want from a band?"
Whatever was required, Brandon would be happy to do most things. "I'll do stuff that some people don't want to do, 'cause I want people to hear the music," he says. However, even he has limits. "The Rolling Stone thing made the record label think: 'What can we do to make them stars?' If I go on vacation with my wife, do they have to send somebody to be there to take pictures of me? Is that how you become a star? I don't want that. I walked down the red carpet one time and I realised I don't like it. But you don't have to walk down the red carpet for people to hear your music. We do still have some of that indie blood running through our veins."
He heads off at a tangent: "When you walk around Liverpool, you think of The Beatles, or you go to Manchester and you think of The Smiths or Oasis. I want you to come to Las Vegas and think of Sam's Town. And I think we've started to capture that, which is a truer version of The Killers, 'cause that's where we're from."
He pauses.
"I used to live across the street from Sam's Town. Maybe it'll be like our Abbey Road where people go to take pictures."
Is that what he'd like?
"I wouldn't mind it," he says, desperately hoping it will come true.
He puts a cigarette between his lips, looks down at his trouser pockets and pats them in search of the lighter he bought yesterday.
"Hey, I don't suppose you've got one?"

idk if it's just me but the term "transsexual" has always felt off. maybe it's the fact that i've only heard it used by transphobes to describe extremely clockable late transitioners but it feels wrong. i've heard the "it sound like a sexuality" argument here before, and i do agree with that. idk what other term though because transgender is too related to ppl who simply "choose" to be trans.
i tend to just use "trans" as it's pretty ambiguous but most ppl probably think i mean transgender or i just say im an mtf girl/woman (if i have to at all, i'm always boymoding bc i'm closeted to all but a few friends, medical transition for <16 is illegal here anyway, and the clinic is super backed up) idk have you ppl heard other terms that might be better?

DC Next presents:

I AM BATMAN

In True Crime
Issue Sixteen: Dark Hair And Face Paint
Written by ClaraEclair
Edited by PredaPlant & DeadIslandMan1
 
<< < Previous Issue Next Issue > Coming Next Month
 
 
Gotham University’s winter term was coming to an end, and that meant the resident varsity football team was finishing out their season — on home turf, no less. The Nighthawks were on a winning streak and were looking to finish off the season with a championship. The entire team felt the energy coursing through them as the stadium filled and crowd chants grew.
There were always major league scouts within the crowds at these types of games, especially for teams as impressive as the Nighthawks had been. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that some of the players on the varsity team would be making it to the national league. The coach, as hard as he could be on his team, felt nothing but warm pride in his heart and mind.
Zack Howard, the captain of the Nighthawks, looked over the 120 yard field from the player entrance, listening to the roaring crowd chanting for the Nighthawks — even fans of the Princeton Tigers felt the pull toward cheering on the Gotham University team. Just as much as his coach, he felt pride in being able to carry his team this far. He hoped to give the best game he’d ever played, to be noticed by big league coaches and scouts.
“Zack!” He heard his coach shout from behind him, no doubt trying to shift his attention back to the locker room and preparations for the game ahead. Zack exhaled deeply and turned around to see Coach Fremlin approaching with a light jog, holding something in his hand. “Delivery for ya,” he said, handing the envelope to the captain. “Some girl said to give it to you, said there’s somethin’ special inside.” With a smirk, Fremlin clapped Zack’s shoulder before turning back toward the locker room.
Zack’s mind flooded with possibilities and fantasies about what could’ve been in the envelope. Something special could have been anything, and it excited him as he ripped it open. His expression quickly shifted, however, as he pulled a handwritten note out of the envelope, scribbled in nearly illegible handwriting.
”Zack Howard,” it read. He opened it, his brow furrowed, and watched as an instant print photograph fell out of the fold and onto the ground. One piece of clear tape had been shoddily applied to the corner and had clearly lost its adhesion. Leaning down, Zack picked up the photo and squinted, trying to make out the subject.
It took a few moments, but the longer he stared at the photo, the more it dawned on him what was depicted in it. Instantly, upon realising what he saw, he rushed back to the locker room and forced himself through his teammates to Coach Fremlin, who was dragging out his playbook. He grabbed the coach by the shoulder, twisted him around to face him directly, and planted the photo firmly on his chest.
“What the fuck is this?” he demanded. Confused, Fremlin chuckled nervously as he tried to grasp the small photo on his chest, not able to see the subject but only the fury in Zack’s face. The room fell totally silent as the entire team watched the coach and their captain with bated breaths.
“What do you mean?” asked Fremlin, turning the image over and squinting at it, trying to make out the details. Just as fast as Zack had initially made out the details, Fremlin’s face dropped at the realisation. “Holy God, Zack, I–”
“What the hell is this?!” Zack demanded once more, resisting the urge to grab his coach by the collar and push him against the wall. “Who gave this to you?”
“I– I don’t know, it was some girl,” Fremlin stuttered, fumbling over himself. “She was short, had black hair, face paint…”
“What’s it say on the back?” asked Tim Teslow, the team’s best running back, pointing toward the image and the messy scrawls on the back of it. Zack snapped it back out of Fremlin’s hands as the coach sat down, head in his hands.
“Section 204, Row 8, seat 9,” Zack read the note aloud. “I’m going to go see what this is,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Dude, that’s across the stadium,” said Cutter Karznowski, the wide receiver that had only joined at the start of the season. “The game’s starting in a few minutes.”
“I don’t care,” Zack snapped back. “I’m going.”
 
 
Good evening, Gothamites, I hope you enjoyed that last one — Barcode by Self-Sacrificial. It’s always been a personal favourite of mine, straight to the point with the best beats and deepest riffs.
In the same spirit, I’ll get straight to the point of why today’s a big day for me — you’ve all known this was coming but I never quite said what it was. When I started this show a little over a year ago, I wanted to look at the dirt of the world. I wanted to bring you my favourite music while trying to figure out my favourite events in this city.
I’ve talked about all the legends, I’ve talked about Joker, Mister Freeze, and so many others. I’ve talked about new shooters like Man-Bat and Professor Pyg. I’ve even, unfortunately, shed some light on the unoriginal copycat hacks that have started popping up in recent years. It’s all been out of love, though. Love for the mind of those who would commit these atrocities, appreciation for what they are and what they represent.
There’s a reason why they are what they are, and it’s always been a goal of mine to love and appreciate what they put into the world. It’s all about the chaos.
But, today, I won’t be talking about that. Today, I’ll be talking about football. Before you all start booing me, it’s my special day and it’s my show, so I get final say. Specifically, it’s the big championship game for the Gotham University Nighthawks. I went to school with these guys, I feel… an obligation.
I’m excited to see how the game will turn out. I get the nagging feeling that their winning streak might come to an end.
 
 
Section 204 in the Gotham Knights stadium, on the north side of Tricorner Island, the southernmost landmass of Gotham, was filled to the brim with spectators and fans. All were cheering as they waited and watched the Gotham University Nighthawks enter the field below, while Zack spent his time searching the section for a small woman with black hair and face paint.
Despite the difficulty of sifting through the crowded seats, he couldn’t find a woman matching that description. He looked back down at the photograph’s note and read it again, making sure he was in the right spot. The location remained the same: Section 204, row 8, seat 9.
People called out his name, but he was quick to shrug them off. He was too focused on finding the woman who’d sent him the photograph. Even asking those who’d been sitting within section 204 had proved fruitless, with no one being able to say anything about the described woman.
Angry and dejected, Zack turned back toward the steps between sections to head back down to the field when something caught his eye as he moved.
“Sir!” He called out, angling his head toward a man two rows above him, pointing beneath his seat. “Sir, what’s that under your seat?” There was some sort of flashing light taped to the bottom of the seat, slowly pulsing between purple and green.
The man looked confused, leaning forward to take a look at what Zack had pointed at, eyes widening the moment he saw the wiring that he sat atop. A complex series of wires and lights traced their way around each seat in the section, though neither he nor Zack could see what, exactly, the wires were attached to.
“I don’t–”
The man could only shout out those few words before a loud explosion rocked the stadium, blasts running down the portion of the stadium from rows 12 to 4. Dozens of seats were annihilated as smoke, fire, and green gas erupted. Cries of pain and fear replaced the cheers of the spectators.
Blood tainted the intact seats while the smoke rose into the air, infiltrating the sky of southern Gotham, visible from all along the city’s coast. What fell across the stadium, permeating nearly every seat on the west side of the stadium, making its way into the halls that traced the inner workings of the building, was a thick green gas, forcing its way into the lungs of the men and women who were running for their lives, trampling each other.
Those closest to the explosion felt intense convulsions in their abdomens and spasms in their faces, involuntarily forced to bear wicked grins while their shattering breaths overtook the screams of terror in the form of wicked laughter.
Amidst the chaos, the charred photo that Zack once held fell slowly and gracefully, slightly charred, ignorant of the horror that it had been subject to. Slightly charred, it landed a few sections away from the explosions, trampled upon by infected spectators who had no idea what was being done to them.
 
 
A Few Minutes Earlier…
James Gordon’s office at the Gotham City Police Department headquarters was quiet as he sat at his desk, resting his elbows on its surface with his hands clasped, opposite Astrid Arkham, the frail-seeming daughter of Jeremiah Arkham. She had requested a meeting with him, and he had assumed it was for an update into Batman’s investigation into her father.
“Gotham City needs something new,” she began, catching him by surprise. His eyes widened slightly, then his brow furrowed. “We’ve been in this… this state of insanity for decades now, and it is only getting worse. This city is no longer livable, Commissioner.” He resisted the urge to groan. The only difference in Gotham City as it was and the Gotham City of before was that the murders had become spectacle.
When supervillains pushed out mobsters and gangsters, there was a shift in crime, but the results remained the same. Salvatore Maroni and Carmine Falcone knew how to keep their business quiet to the public unless they were in active war. Those were the good old days, now.
“Insane, maniacal supervillains,” she continued. “They rule the streets whenever they so choose. The police cannot deal with them, not under you. You rely on the Batman,” there was venom in her voice as she spoke the name, “and she sweeps up the problems while bringing deranged cultists and assassins into this city. She’s the heir of a small personal army with untold technology and she runs free. The Joker Riots, the assassin siege, Simon Hurt, all because the Batman has infested this town with these misguided thoughts of the supernatural, supposedly haunting our city.” Gordon remained silent.
“Essen’s incentives are now failing,” she said, watching Gordon closely for a reaction. If he gave one, she couldn’t see it. “How many companies that were enticed by her incentives have moved headquarters out of Gotham? They pay nothing in taxes, they have Essen licking their boots, and it’s still not enough. Despite all that’s happened, we haven’t been through hell yet, Commissioner. We’ve only arrived at the gates.”
“If I may, Miss Arkham,” said Gordon, leaning back in his chair, scanning the young woman up and down. “What’s your point?” He understood what she was saying, and he feared she was right, but he didn’t like the conclusion she was bringing forth.
“You are antiquated, Commissioner,” she replied, her face straight. “Obsolete. Your methods don’t work anymore, the law you uphold is no longer effective. Besides that, you are getting old. I can see the fatigue in your face, the bags under your eyes, your paleness. You’re not the detective you used to be.” Astrid leaned forward in her seat, putting her weight on her cane. “Gotham needs something new.”
Gordon’s phone rang, and for a brief moment he was thankful for the reprieve — but only for a moment.
 
 
I’d say I feel bad for the people at the Nighthawks game, but, if I’m totally honest, they had it coming. It’s about time everything caught up to them.
While we all ruminate on what’s happening at the game right now, let’s listen to some good music. This is Confetti by Viscera.
 
 
Batman had listened to as many notes as she could about a green gas that made anyone who inhaled it laugh uncontrollably. It typically led to suffocation through the inability to control the diaphragm, but this time it didn’t, and it confused the Dark Knight. A familiar sight, an attack that resulted in eery laughter, and yet it wasn’t what the city had seen before. None of the victims that hadn’t been in the initial blast had died, though medical care for each of them was necessary.
As much as she cursed herself for being late, not able to save anyone as the events unfolded, she knew that she needed to take control as fast as possible. She, along with every person in the city, dreaded what this attack meant. The name of a particular clown lingered on everyone’s tongues, though no one dared invoke his name.
Batman wasn’t so sure, and she hoped that her gut feeling was right. Most of the bodies that were recoverable had been extracted from the blast zone, over a dozen dead and dozens more injured. Blood and soot equally covered the destroyed seats, and even more on the concrete below.
One thing caught Batman’s eye amidst the mess, two sections away from the initial blast. A small instant print photograph, half burnt, laid on the ground, covered in dirty boot prints. She picked it up and looked it over, squinting as she studied the subject.
It was a blonde woman, head down with wet hair covering her face. Almost lost in the details was a small trail of blood behind the hair, mixing with trailing makeup. Batman frowned as she flipped the image over, seeing the note for a specific seat in the section of the stadium that had been blown to bits.
She approached the seat and kneeled, ducking down to see under the seat. It was one of few that remained intact after the explosions. Zack Howard’s Final Stop was scratched into the bottom of the seat, and at the sight of it, Batman signalled to Oracle to scan the engraving. She couldn’t identify the woman in the photograph, but she could see clearly enough that the attack was targeted at a specific person.
Another killer, she thought to herself, fearing what it could mean for the city. Pyg almost tore the richest members of the city’s economy apart, and they were ready to throw their own to the wolves. Now, there’d been a deadly gas attack at a football game — one that had been sponsored by many of Gotham’s elite.
The idea that the Clown Prince of Crime had returned was already making its way through the city — Batman knew she would have to exert control over everything she could to keep it from tearing itself apart at the seams. She was more than prepared to do so.
“It doesn’t look good,” she said to Oracle.
“Yeah,” she said, her voice distant. “I hope it’s just another copycat, they’re much easier to deal with.”
“I don’t know,” Batman replied, looking back at the photograph. “Something’s different.”

It never fucking ends. How many resources have I wasted just by being alive this long? What have I contributed? I’m jobless, not in school, I don’t even have a drivers license and I live with my grandparents. My mom pays all my medical bills, and there’s SO MANY. Because Christ, I just seem to have endless problems. How many more problems until I’m the fucking problem? I can’t do this, I can’t keep being a disappointment and embarrassment to my family. I have ZERO positive attributes. My life will always come back to this, and I can’t keep doing it. I am a BAD PERSON.

So this is just one of the many MANY issues I’ve had with mg landlord but this is my biggest issue.
My landlord came to do maintinence un announced with no notice. The bathtub was rusted and he came to fix it even though I put in this work request back in November when I moved in and the lease is up next month. How did he fix it? He came while I was at work today and proceeded to spray bathtub glaze which fumed up the entire apartment.
I got back home from work today 9 hours later and opened my door to a WALL of toxic fumes that immediately gave me a headache. No windows cracked. No AC going. No ventilation what so ever.
MY DOGS WERE IN THE 600 SQUARE FOOT UNIT FOR NINE HOURS WITH TOXIC FUMES!!!!
I go into my house and I see my dogs passed out and foaming at the mouth. I called poison control on the way to the emergency hospital. $3k in vet bills later and my dogs now have life long lung issues.
My landlord couldn’t care less. He’s taking no responsibility and says that in the lease and per our Ohio state laws, he is legally allowed to fix things without notice if its to keep things “up to code”
is what he did legal? Can I sue and win? I cannot afford a lawyer so can I represent myself?
Other issues to note with this landlord: -ignored plumbing issues - termite and rat infestation ignored -mold issues ignored -lied about a laundry room being available -has rented out a portion of my yard to someone go store things. Said person has direct access to my bedroom window through the AC unit. I’m a woman who lives alone and a random man has access to my window.

Let me explain why I will be upset tomorrow morning. On my day off, you decided to drink, despite our agreement that you would only drink on weekends when I am off or on special occasions. I asked you not to drink at the restaurant, but you did it anyway. You had a free beer from the waitress, ordered three more, and even though you said the third would be your last, you ordered a fourth. It feels like you don’t want to be sober when I’m around, and it hurts that you can’t be sober on a regular weekday.
I feel like I do most of the work at home and with the kids, and I feel overworked, but I never think about drinking to cope. When I mentioned that we needed to fold the clothes, you ordered more beer instead and then lied about it, claiming you were on the phone while you were actually drinking. You keep breaking my trust, lying to me, and breaking your promises. I feel like a joke to you.
I'm fed up. You might not remember our conversation, but I am done. You’re irresponsible, a liar, and untrustworthy. I can’t handle your drinking anymore. Every time you drink, you have an excuse, and it's not fair. I also feel overwhelmed and tired, but I shift my thoughts and energy for our children because they need me. You’ve shown me that you lack self-control, and I don’t trust leaving you alone with the kids.
You've even deleted my information from the DoorDash app to hide your beer orders from me. It's astonishing how clever you can be when you want to hide your actions. This has to stop, or I will have no choice but to seek help elsewhere. I will be changing my bank accounts because I feel you’re misusing our money. I thought my mother’s present came from our bank account, but it was paid for with borrowed money from an app.
From now on, I will take responsibility for my own expenses. I will give you $700 from my paycheck for rent and another bill of your choice, but I am done with this never-ending cycle of emotional abuse. We don’t deserve this. I am drained, and I will do what’s best for our children. Your behavior might seem insignificant to you, but you have an addiction, and I am not prepared for this. I did not sign up for this. If you don’t seek help or realize that you’re losing us, it will be too late when you finally do.

In the United States, only people who have experienced domestic violence, human trafficking, or transgender people can have a name change record sealed. Having it sealed means it is not a public record that anyone can view. Only the police can view it with a warrant.
The problem many people face is being abused, harassed, stalked, threatened, etc. and are unable to prove this in court. Sometimes abuse/stalking victims are unable to gather evidence. Without being able to prove in court that they are in danger, they are unable to have the name change record sealed. If an abuser has your name, they can search for you on a people finder website and find out where you live or work. This puts many lives in danger. Even if they get a P.O. box to hide their address or a service to reroute their mail, these boxes and services cost money that people sometimes can't afford to keep for the rest of their life to protect themselves. These people should be allowed to legally change their name without being required to prove they are in danger. "I'm afraid" should be the only thing they should have to say.
People who have faced extreme public embarrassment/humiliation either on their own or at the hands of a covert narcissist's smear campaign, bullies, etc., should also have the ability to legally change their name and have the record sealed simply because they want to for peace of mind. They should not have to provide a reason. [Trigger warning] Situations like this can often lead to someone taking their own life. I believe that we need more mercy and compassion in the world and should set laws (in the United States, but also other countries) to help encourage people with unfortunate background to re-enter society and pursue a life of peace as a normal, contributing member of society.
With all the technology we have today that allow the police to find a wanted criminal, it is extremely unlikely that this would be abused by people running from the law. Technology such as, Cameras in stores and on streets, biometrics, stingray tech, satellite, GPS trackers in cell phones and cars, digital credit/debit history showing location of withdraws and purchases, etc. All of this makes it virtually impossible to hide from the police, and especially the government, even if someone legally changed their name and had the public record sealed so it was no longer public. All previous crimes committed are tied to your social security number and fingerprints, not your name. Currently, to get your name legally changed, you have to provide a fingerprint as well as other information to recieve a background check. This background check includes criminal past and credit bureau check to see if you owe money to anyone.
With all of this in mind...why can't we legally change our name and have the record sealed without having to provide a reason??? We are not asking to hide from the police. Just regular, unofficial people who have no societal authority over other people. An old name is no longer a part of your identity, which means it should not be publicly tied to you. It is a part of your personal history. Unless you signed a contract, signing over your name or likeness to a person or company like some people do for advertising purposes, this would be the only reason they would have any legal claim to your old name. Even matters of "public interest" or "public concern" only go so far. If a group of people said they were concerned for your health, "show us your medical records", does that mean you have to show them your medical records? No. There are plenty of things the public can be concerned with but that doesn't give them the legal authority to know everything about you.
I want Name Change Laws to change in this country (the United States) and around the world to make it easier for people to escape abuse as well as grow and change as a person after facing public shame and humiliation.
Thank you for reading. Please let me know your thoughts. And let's get people talking about this!

Pay any bill by credit card with Plastiq. Use my referral code & pay $2500 worth of bills to get 1000 fee-free dollars: https://plastiq.com/invite/u9q5civ
This is great for getting massive sign up bonuses on credit cards like the 100,000+ points offered by amex/chase lately that need $5000 or more spend in 3 months. May be hard to do with normal purchases that take amex, but with your everyday bills, like rent, insurance, taxes, etc, its very easy. And yes you can pay ANYONE, ANY business.
Basically they charge your CC, +2.9% and they send whoever you like a check. They also support ACH and wire though if you need faster service. The referral removes that fee after the first $1000 spend.
And you can also get unlimited fee-free spend if you pay this month via mastercard and masterpass. (Sadly not amex or visa)
They are not flagged as cash advances so you also get your regular credit cards points on top of that.
Works for both USA and Canada.
https://plastiq.com/invite/u9q5civ