I was in Opus Dei for some years some time ago. I am now middle-aged, married, a father and my time in Opus Dei still hurts deeply. I have managed to avoid dealing with this hurt on the surface but it has raised its head from time to time, with little reduction in intensity. I haven’t forgiven the people in Opus Dei who hurt me. I am sensitive. I nurse grievances. I am also hard, like a stone. I need to forgive them, even though they have not asked me to forgive them. I need to do it for my sake, my family’s sake, for God’s sake, and for the sake of whatever I am meant to do with my life on this earth. I also need to forgive to be able then to ask forgiveness and seek reconciliation with some people I hurt in my life - before, during and after I left Opus Dei. But the pace of healing so far is too slow, or at least that is how it feels.
I need to share my feelings. I want to read about the feelings and experiences of others who are hurt, not just those who left Opus Dei, but also those who are members, cooperators, relatives of members and of ex-members, and of anyone who has been close to Opus Dei, for good and/or for ill. I want to acknowledge their stories and thank them for them.
I want to stand in the shoes of people who have different perspectives on Opus Dei to me. It won't be easy. I am prepared for a challenge, or at least I think I am.
People now in Opus Dei have feelings too about those who have left and have the right to feel hurt and to be heard. Ex-members don’t have a monopoly on hurt and no doubt, some of us caused unnecessary pain to those still in Opus Dei – I know I did.
Relatives can feel conflicted. Maybe they are in Opus Dei and have seen their children join and thrive, join and suffer and/or join and leave. Maybe some relatives feel betrayed or hurt by Opus Dei or by those who left Opus Dei. Maybe some members, ex-members and relatives tread a fine line, operating in a complex web of relationships with people with varying degrees of proximity to Opus Dei – and feel exhausted by this.
There are also some things I feel I don’t need at this time. I don’t need professional therapy. I had a lot of it and I am not much better. Others have had better experiences of therapy than mine.
I'm also not looking for official responses, information, advice, recommendations, correction, justice, lashing out, accusations, contentiousness, hardness, judgment, questions, analysis, solutions, campaigns, strategies. I have wanted all of these things and pursued some of them, but here and now, I don’t want them any longer. I want forgiveness and reconciliation – for all, no matter how much we like or dislike Opus Dei or like or dislike those who left Opus Dei.
I spoke to my wife. She met me long after my Opus Dei years. She has never had anything to do with Opus Dei. She supports me but is not against any Opus Dei member or supporter. She has agreed to moderate this sub with me. I am fragile but stable, and with her, more stable.
We will use the same account together, stating posts or comments as “H” for husband or “W” for wife. I will consult her before I contribute. She may sometimes write short supportive comments. I will let her decide what she does! I am a modern man!
I don't know if this project will succeed and what will happen. We will do what we can. If it doesn’t work, we hope that we will all learn something. If it needs to be done differently, hopefully, we will see the way, with the help of whoever wants to help. Thank you for reading and welcome to the group. H & W Team

I posted this as a comment on the disscussion thread. But I think it deserves its own post.
Perhaps it is too late to make my thoughts known on this movie. But here it is anyways.
I hated this movie. Specifically, Vanessa Kirby's character made me absolutely dislike this movie.
**Shia LaBeouf:**His role in the movie was just amazing. The controversy sorrounding his personal life have clouded the greatness of his performance. LaBeouf had his name removed from Netflix’s ‘For your awards consideration’ page promoting the film.I loved the opening sequence and the birth scene. The acting was really good. From the start, Shia LaBeouf ate up the role. This working man trying to help his wife's decision to have a natural birth at home. Everytime he spoke, every interaction he had with the nurse and his wife. He was captivating. When he cries! "Why are you trying to disappear my kid?" That got me.
Ellen Burstyn: The scene where she argues with the daughter in the dining room and narrates her experience. That is an award worthy performance.
**Vanessa Kirby:**Was boring. This is not her fault. the role was written that way. You cannot build a movie to end in an unrealistic court confrontation between Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn. It's unreal. And that's why I hate this movie.
The ending: Was not special. It just felt like a kid's fantasy at this point.
Alright - truth off my chest. Don't yell at me. Lol.

Hello! I (early 20s F) started a job at a behavioral health center more than 3 months ago. Everything has been relatively fine but one coworker.
When I started I used to work a lot with this coworker and since my first or second week I could tell he disliked me. He would ignore me, even when trying to discuss job related stuff and would barely look at me in the face. I tried to ignore it since I just assumed it was his personality and that he was not personable with the new people. I remember one time in my second week at work I made a mistake mixing up one patient’s clothing with another patient in the washer. Instead of helping me he started angrily grunting, nodding his head and saying “I can’t do this anymore”. I felt so bad and stupid that I started crying.
Then every time I would work with him he would be very rude whenever I made a mistake. Sometimes whenever I got to work with him I would hear him cussing me out with other coworkers (they would not engage though) and trying to make fun of me with other coworkers.
I ignored the situation until I found it through multiple coworkers that he was spreading misinformation about me. For example, one day I broke up a fight between two patients and had to do an incident report. He told my other coworkers that I was in the cafeteria and that I left the unit alone when this was obviously false. Likewise, he would try to turn other coworkers against me saying that I was a bad tech, because I was not “aggressive enough” with the patients. Other times he would jokingly threat other coworkers with sending x coworker to the other unit and me to the unit they were working at (like if working with me was burdensome). He also makes me clean the poop of the patients despite having the same position in the center.
My only mistake was (imo) making fun of his height sometimes. The reason I would make fun of his height was because it is well known he acts that way to compensate for that. But looking in retrospect I should’ve not joked about his height with other coworkers because I downgraded myself to his level. It is important to mention that I would never bully anyone or say things like this unprompted.
Anyhow, they started scheduling me with him these last few days. One day he started talking to me and I began ignoring him. In which he replied with “she’s giving me an attitude”. And then I responded: I’m doing what you do to me all the time.
But it got worst a few days ago. I was assigned to take the patients to the cafeteria. When asked how many patients were going down, I stated 9, instead of seven since I did not double-check that the new patient was already in the system and I thought the second new admission was arriving around noon or lunchtime. As I returned to the unit, I encountered a -in my opinion- disproportionally frustrated coworker. His frustration was accompanied by angry and annoyed gestures -nodding his head, making audibly annoyed sounds- and words of complaint and disapproval that he was repeating in front of other patients. The complaints and the frustration continued even after the cafeteria employees were aware of the situation. I, confused about his disproportionate yet familiar reaction towards me, decided to respond in the best way possible which was to tell him that it was not a big deal. He aggravated the situation angrily raising his voice asking me in a threatening manner to not talk to him. After that, he began complaining about me to the secretary, claiming that 'it was not him but me' and that he was trying to 'be professional'. He proceeded to say that he was going to 'talk to them' which I suppose meant the higher-ups, to which I responded that I was going to do the same. Then after saying a few more things to me - I called him a bully.
He complained to the ANM (nurse manager) and she said that I hurt his feelings when I called him a bully. She also said that he’s a great worker that has been there a long time. Likewise, she said that we both were in the “wrong” and that other coworkers complained about me because apparently I’ve called him a bully several times in front other patients (this is not true). I ended up staying overtime to write a letter about the situation, to tell “my side of the story”.
The last part confused me and has made me hyper vigilant and my anxiety has skyrocketed. My coworkers told me that they were on my side, and that they have seen how he treats me. I’ve also been praised about my great performance so now it feels it is a lie. or maybe it is just a few coworkers that have complained, who knows. I just feel this whole situation is unfair and I feel unprotected.
Things to mention: he has never yelled at me or insulted me/mocked me to my face. He lowers his voice when he’s making fun or complaining about me but I can tell it is about me, and this has also been confirmed. He also nods his head whenever he sees me and it seems he’s waiting for me to make a mistake.
Other coworkers have mentioned that he is not a good worker and that when he started he almost got fired because of his attitude and because he treated the patients like they were subhuman.
Also he’s like 40 and I’m in the end of my early twenties.
TL;DR: Coworker makes fun of me, complains to others coworkers about me, creates disinformation, grunts and nods every time I make a mistake, tried to turn coworkers against me, and complained about me to the higher ups after I called him a bully.
Sorry for any grammar mistakes I’m writing on my phone

Currently I work for a “rehabilitation hospital” but I really dislike the job and I am thinking of quitting soon. So far all I have on my resume is just nursing home jobs and this rehab hospital. I really want to open my options when the time comes where my dream job is open for me. So what sort of resume should a nurse have the cast the widest options of potential jobs?

TL;DR at the bottom. I would greatly appreciate input with or without my backstory being read.
Her official title is actually a psychiatric nurse. She specializes in neurodivergence. She did an initial 2 hour assessment and in my state can legally diagnose. I also did the RAADS test. I was only diagnosed a few months ago in my 20’s. I’ve opted not to see a neurospsych because this diagnosis explains my entire life, and I have PTSD from medical trauma so I don’t see the need to seek out another provider. I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid so I’ve always known I was neurodivergent, but I’m not as knowledgeable about autism.
Anyway, as I’m sure most of you know, with a neuropsych they write out a comprehensive assessment that includes a lot of the traits you exhibit. I asked if she could do a written assessment for me and she said yes, but she wants me to send her everything I have questions about/would like included.
So far she has discussed with me that:

• I can be very blunt/straightforward which may come off as rude without me realizing and may cause communication issues. (I told her I often avoid expressing how I’m feeling because I don’t know how, and this causes more problems.)
• Neurodivergent people can get hyperfixated on something in a conversation and stuck on it and will then interrupt (I do this.)
• I dislike sarcasm because I take it literally.
• I am incredibly conscious of/have extreme anxiety over how I am coming across to her. (I had no idea everyone didn’t experience this.)
• I was misdiagnosed my entire life because I heavily mask.
• I experience sensory overload.
• I am sensitive to certain textures.
• I have strong hyperfixations.
• I have outbursts and meltdowns.
• When not masking, I present in a way that is “very obviously neurodivergent and is a common presentation for autism.” (She said this was largely based on my anxiety about how I was coming across. I’ve recently learned that it is common in autism to script what you’re going to say, and I was reading to her from a list the entire time lol.)

Also— When I was in therapy as a child they thought my issue with textures was OCD, and would make me wear uncomfortable things until I could tolerate it. My mother knew this was wrong, told them they were missing something, pulled me from the therapy, and bought me soft clothing with no tags. My psych has now informed me that I am ignoring the signs of physical and mental irritation due to that therapy, and I’m having to learn that I am NOT supposed to stick out discomfort, but do whatever regulates my nervous system instead.
I really wanted to post here to make sure I don’t miss anything. One other thing I’ll be asking about is food. I can ask her anything I want to know about.
TL;DR: As someone diagnosed in my late 20’s, what are parts of autism you would consider vital for me to be informed on? Social things, things relating to anxiety, perception, etc. This will be tailored to me, but if you can think of anything you wish you knew but no one told you, that would be great.
Thank you!

Summary
Hello nak rant sikit about something that happened yesterday. If you don't like dramas don't read this it's a lot.
So for context my husband and I have been married for two years. Husbands bio mom passed away when he was young, I wasn't close to her but she was very nice. At the time my father in law (fil) was in his 3rd marriage with hb step mom (step mil) being the 3rd (2nd wife divorced).
When I first got engaged to Hb I didn't knew much about his fam as Hb was mostly close with my cousins while I was just getting to know him. I did know that fil and step mil had a small child they adopted together and that she was Indonesian and that was about it.
During our 6 month engagement my interaction with his fam was minimal even up to 6 months of our marriage as we first live in my hometown. Step mil would constantly bombard Hb phone to call and ask him if he's not going to take care of his dad which confused me as she's his wife? This also confused my own family and my mom being the narcissist she is used this to put me down to say I married into a bad family.
Well fast forward 6 months Hb is growing worried of fils health and decided to move which causes drama as my mom 'worries' about me. But this post is not about that but to sum it up my mom was basically panicking as her favourite scapegoat was running away and she initiated NC which we went along with and she threw a tantrum at us for not panicking.
So here's the part about step mil. See she's not the typical indo auntie that belais you and sweet talks because she's sweet. In simple terms she does things that only benefit her. She's not outright mean but that's maybe cause I'm fils menantu bongsu.
She rarely visits fil and fil is the one that has to go over to her house despite his old age. I brushed that off and didn't mind looking after him as he is not a picky man, prefers doing his own things unless he needs help and also since step mil is busy with her own fam. She takes care of her mentally disabled son who seems nice (and is surprisingly the most responsible and helpful out of all her children I kid you not), grandchildren and cousins child or her other nieces and nephews. Yeah there's a lot. But all of them other than the close fam have now lived away from her but they used to be cramped together.
Now here comes step mils adopted son, 8 yrs old who I'll refere to as F. So F was adopted by fil after (whew this gonna be long to explain) his step son in law's (so step mils son in law who I'll refer to as A) sister who is also Indonesian had a child out of wedlock with an Indian man who is surprisingly a cop (like wow). She at first gave the child to A and his wife (step mils daughter), V to take care of but she refused? Or only took care of him for a while till she got pregnant (wowowow ikr) then that's when fil and step mil took him in. It was mostly step mil who wanted to take care of him but she's also the one who complains the most about him but at the same time won't stop coddling him, eg: tak nak tegur, biarlah dia budak lagi and all the standard stuff.
I would also like to add that apparently he was a difficult child and oh lord...my fil used to tie him with a metal chain to chair in step mils house. I dunno if he was actually difficult or if they just couldn't take care of a small child as they're old right...Gil is 72 or something and step mil is 57
Now let's give some other history about F. So F is a bit loud, needs to constantly make noise and is always buat tahu tak tahu je kinda like blur ii aja but that also maybe since hes always playing handphone kan. So last year some drama happened when F went to my 2nd brother in law's house, M. Played with his children then my biras, S, his wife was checking the CCTV app on her phone to see F pulling his pants down and telling her 2nd son to 'hisap'. Wow like I'm taking a pause as I type this. S immediately calls V (step mil daughter) and starts bombarding her but not with too much detail basically asking to have step mil come see her at her house when she gets back from her nurse job. F got cekik by M and pushed to the wall and after some sinetron from step mil and sorries from F they all went back.
Another incident was just this year around January or February. Fil like taking old coconuts from the tree near our house. That day was hot so when he got tired he went back in. I was in my room with my baby so didn't know anything when one my close nieces came in my room without knocking to say fil fell on the floor. Fil was on the floor sat down from exhaustion and do you know what F did? He laughed in his face. He laughed at the sight of the man that payed for his expenses when he was considered a foreigner including the textbooks clinics and school fee, the man that helped him get an ic by naik turun imigresen, the man that gave him the life he has now.
I was furious. Like I don't have a relationship with my father anymore but I can recognise a good father. After helping my father out and cleaning out some waste he accidentally exceeded from exhaustion I started berating, F. For the fist time I complained. I was always silent or just tried to advise him nicely gave him words of wisdom but that time? No. I told him how ungrateful he was and how he should've helped me and my niece get fil up, cleaned the floor instead of laughing. I told the other family members and had M my brother in-law send him home as he cried but I did tell F to not make up stories and that he should reflect on how he treats his dad.
Fast forward a few days were having dinner and Hb asks if F is not coming over for the weekend and fil says I hate F and that's the reason. When I told him that it's because he's disrespectful he said the same thing step mil always says. Biarlah dia tu budak. I was like wow. After all that caretaking, I wiped your shit off the floor and chairs and you decide to berate me? For a few days I didn't say a word to fil and when F came I didn't interact with him at all. When he spoke I simply ignore him.
At first I thought that step mil disliked me for sending F home but guess what. It was my fil because during raya when I met step mil she was fine and glad to see me. She did say sorry for not seeing me for a long time as her son in law (the same one who kept spending money from my Hb I made a post about this before, the same one who has nearly 10k in debt to fil) k word himself from stress of ahlongs.
Now yesterday. Yester step mil and F and some of her other grandchildren during maghrib mind you came to our house. This has happened a few times but it hasn't happened in a while so I was stunned. I was more stunned when F who barely eats food I cook when he's staying over would rather eat Maggie, came into our dining area and selamba senduk nasi and makan in front of teh tv sambil suap step mils grandson. Like. Wow. When I invite you to eat you say no and rather eat unhealthy food but now you come invited when all the syaitans berkeliaran outside and selamba eat the food that is cukup ii for the ppl in my house.
After taking turns to pray with Hb we sat down and talked to step mil and guessed what. She started talking about how her granddaughter application as anak angkat to get if wasn't approved. And she said as she pointed a finger at me, 'salah (my name) lah ni'. Because the other day imigresen came and I answered thruthfully that none if them lived there???
When I sat down to eat with Hb obviously since he's a man he got that male ego even if it's small so he asked why I didn't tell him about the imigresen visit and got annoyed when there wasn't enough rice for fil even though fil said he wasn't hungry. Like look I love my man but how is this my fault??? Like your step mom came here with all these kids uninvited and they all started eating, yes she too started eating with her granddaughter in the living room okay.
After some more talking she left back home but F stayed over despite step mil and fil told him to go back to his house. Then only then did my child sleep. Haha. Though thankfully my kid is an easy baby so bless that boy.
Sorry for the long rant y'all. I don't hate Indonesian or Indians or any other race but this was just for context. My husband did apologise and we made up after his step mom left. He admitted that he got embarrassed as he felt that he was also blamed since he felt a sense of responsibility to me so anything I do that's deemed as wrong is his wrong lah.
I also have still tried to talk nicely with F as I still feel a bit bad for him. I mean his mom didn't want him and now only contacts him cuz his adoptive mom asks her to do so. His dad send money never met him. And now since V lives back with step mil he's always getting blamed by her kids for everything which also caused him to be left at his bio moms house a week before raya. My Hb recently started teaching him to read yeah he can't read as nobody else can stand to tegur him coz he either will ignore it or tell his mom and make up stories. Though thankfully step mil despite some of her odd behaviour is one to be swayed by rumours easily so I'll give her that.
Sorry for this long rant I just needed to clear my thoughts.

Stockholm 8 July 2026
Michael is lying in his bed sleeping but suddenly he opens his eyes and immediately feels that he is completely rested. Michael turns and looks at his digital clock on the bedside table and it's only 8am but Michael decides to get up straight away and eat breakfast. Michael gets up at 9:30 a.m. normally, but he thinks he's had enough sleep.
It has been a week since Michael wished that the Alien queen and several warriors should exist for real in Stockholm and it has been an extremely difficult week for Michael. Michael became extremely tired already the night he made the wish and the next day he only left the bed when he went to the toilet. The staff immediately guessed that Michael must have wished for something but he lied and said it wasn't so.
The staff contacted the workmates but they had not heard or noticed anything strange with Michael. The staff also talk to Sven and he tells us that Michael seemed a little absent at times when they met but nothing more than that. Sven forgets to mention that Michael asked about some large space that was not easily accessible and he does not mention that he has told Michael about the underground tunnel.
When the weekend comes, Michael is still unwell and the staff guesses that he has been infected by some virus or disease. Michael gets a throbbing headache on Saturday morning and it doesn't go away until late Tuesday night. Michael also has a lot of pain in his body from Saturday morning until Monday evening. Michael is in so much pain that he can barely move. Michael's father visits Michael both on Saturday and Sunday and he is worried about his son's health. Michael's father also believes that Michael must have wanted something from the world of the movie but soon changes his mind when he sees his son's tormented face on Sunday.
One of the nurses who goes out on urgent matters at the residence gives Michael several painkillers and several vitamin tablets and it seems that they help, even if Michael does not have the strength to do so many things. The staff do weekly shopping for Michael and they also buy his favorite sweets.
It is only on Wednesday that Michael feels normal again and he wants to go out straight away, but the staff decides that he should stay at home for safety's sake. Michael is at home all day and he begins to plan what he will do when he gets to the Alien queen. Michael has already planned that he will use the bike and ride down the tunnel to get to the Alien Queen faster. If his plan works, Michael will take several eggs that the Alien queen has laid and place them in a few different places where there are a lot of people in motion. Michael has already decided to place some eggs at T-Centralen, Brunkebergstunneln, Slussen and Sergels torg.
Michael knows that some human will see the eggs and become curious and approach them. When they are close enough, the eggs open and a facehugger jumps out and impregnates the victim. Once the chestbuster in the stomach has grown, it explodes out of the victim's stomach and soon grows into an adult alien if fed enough food. Michael understands that some people will die, but he is attracted by the idea of full-grown Alien monsters running around the streets and eating people. Michael doesn't know if his wish worked, but he hopes it did.
Michael goes into the kitchen and starts his kettle and takes out several sandwiches and spreads lots of margarine on them and rinses some tomatoes and slices them and puts them on top of the sandwiches. Simple and easy. When the tea water has boiled, Michael pours it into his favorite cup and takes out his favorite tea. Michael likes to drink Earl gray in the morning. As usual, Michael is sitting in the kitchen eating his breakfast.
When Michael has finished eating, he goes straight to the bedroom and puts on clothes that he is not too careful with. It is quite possible that the clothes will get dirty when he handles the eggs. Michael puts several large flashlights in his backpack. The flashlights have fresh batteries and shine very well. They may be needed if the tunnel lacks lighting. Michael puts several large empty garbage bags into his backpack. It is good to transport the eggs in the garbage bags. Then no one can see what he has on his bicycle saddle. Michael puts on comfortable trainers and takes the bicycle helmet in one hand and leaves his apartment and goes out into the common corridor belonging to the accommodation.
The staff are in their office and they are surprised when Michael comes out into the hallway and is heading for the entrance and exit. Michael greets the staff and explains that he has had breakfast and is going out for a bike ride. The staff asks Michael if he is okay and he is. Michael says he is expected back before lunch or shortly after. The staff say goodbye to Michael and he leaves the accommodation.
Michael collects his bicycle in the bicycle room and immediately starts cycling towards Mariatorget. It is not a long way between the accommodation and Mariatorget and Michael will be there soon. Michael immediately sees that both the fence and the high bars are gone and he sees the entrance immediately. The entrance is fully open and Michael cycles down into the deep tunnel. The tunnel is well lit and Michael doesn't need his flashlights. Michael does not see the Alien queen or any Alien warriors as he rides down the tunnel and he guesses that they are further into the tunnel.
It is pleasantly warm in the tunnel and Michael thinks it is nice that it is not cold in the tunnel. Michael continues cycling and passes a place where the road splits in three different directions and he continues cycling on the road going forward. Soon he passes another place where the road splits, but MIchael chooses to continue cycling.
Michael has been cycling for almost half an hour when he realizes that the Alien queen and her warriors are not at the passage in the tunnel but must be at one of the places where the road split in different directions so he has to cycle back from the beginning of the tunnel again. Michael passes the last fork in the road but he realizes that the Alien Queen is not there but at the first fork in the road. Michael cycles as fast as he can through the tunnel and arrives at the road split in just under 15 minutes.
Michael looks at the two directions and tries to guess which direction the Alien Queen is. For some reason, it becomes the road that leads to the right. So far, there are no revealing details showing that it is the right way, but Michael still feels that he is heading in the right direction. Michael notices that the heat is getting hotter the further in he gets and soon he sees something that convinces him that there are Alien monsters here.
There is some transparent secretion on some of the walls and it reminds of the same secretion seen in the Aliens movie when Ripley is near the Alien queen but also where all the people are gathered in cocoons. Michael realizes that he is on the right track and decides to jump off the bike and lead it instead. Michael is sweating profusely because it's so hot. Even more secrets are visible on the walls when Michael has come even further in and soon the road splits once more. This time, Michael immediately sees which path to take. He begins to approach the Alien Queen.
There is clear secretions everywhere on the ground and on the ceiling and Michael thinks it is slimy but when he feels it he discovers that it is completely dry and not slimy at all. Michael pulls hard on the secret that grows in the ceiling and it is incredibly strong and he almost cannot separate it but succeeds in the end. Michael is impressed that the secrecy is so strong. It does not appear to be strong. Michael picks up his cell phone and photographs all the secretions.
Michael suddenly smells a special scent that he has never smelled before. The scent is partly reminiscent of what it might smell like in an old potato cellar, but also what it smells like when wood is burning. There are a few other smells behind the two strongest and they are reminiscent of blood, sperm and felines, among other things. Michael sneezes involuntarily because the scents are so pungent. Michael looks around but sees neither the Alien queen nor her warriors but he guesses that they must be nearby.
Michael sees a small opening in the wall and he immediately understands that the Alien Queen must be in there. Michael parks his bike outside the opening. He is unsure how the Alien Queen will react to his cycle. Michael enters through the opening and emerges into a gigantic space. The ceiling must be at least 20 meters or higher in here and Michael wonders what is above this space. It doesn't take long before Michael sees several Alien eggs. They are still very moist and slimy even though the space is very hot. The eggs look exactly the same as they do in Aliens. Michael knows that the eggs open when they sense the presence of prey so he tries not to get too close to them.
Michael sees a quick movement to one side and when he looks closer he sees that there are several Alien warriors further into the space and they seem to be watching him even though they have no eyes. Michael goes further in and is greeted by more eggs but they are not as moist as the first ones he saw. Michael concludes that these eggs are not as fresh. But where is the Alien Queen? She is definitely not in front of him and not over where the Alien warriors are.
Michael turns and looks towards where he came in and directly sees the Alien queen. She is only a few meters from the opening and Michael watches as she lays an egg. The egg lands softly from the large ovipositor and Michael moves so that he can see the Alien Queen pretty much in front of him and now he can also see the long and large egg sac where the eggs are formed. Lots of gooey mucus drips from most of the egg sac and Michael can see a new egg starting to form and getting bigger. The egg tumbles around inside the egg sac and begins to move forward. The egg sac is very long and soon the Alien queen lifts her ovipositor and it seems that she is looking for an empty place for the egg that is on its way through the egg sac and she soon finds a free place. The egg slides out through the ovipositor and lands softly on the ground. Michael becomes absolutely fascinated watching the process but he can't stand here all day just watching her lay her eggs.
Michael starts to advance towards the Alien Queen but she doesn't seem to react at all. Michael sees that the Alien Queen has retracted most of the front of her head like a turtle and only the very tip of it is sticking out. The magnificent crown higher up on the head is easier to see because it is so long and large. Michael thinks the Alien Queen resembles a large insect except for the magnificent head crown. She looks mostly like a wasp or a bee. The long spider-like legs stick out on either side of the Alien queen and Michael wonders if she can use them somehow. The Alien Queen's long arms hang from either side of her and they are massive. The slightly shorter arms are higher up and they also hang freely at both sides. The long and spine-like tail stands right up behind the Alien queen. A new egg slides out through the ovipositor and lands softly on the ground. The egg is placed very close to where Michael walks and he moves a little so he is not too close to the egg.
Michael approaches the Alien Queen and he can smell her breath. The alien queen has a very hot breath and Michael guesses that she automatically heats up part of the tunnel. Michael notices that the Alien Queen doesn't seem to notice him and he gets disappointed but then he remembers that it seemed like the Alien Queen in the movie was asleep when Ripley entered her hive and he thinks that it's entirely possible that this Alien the queen is also sleeping at the moment.
Michael decides to wake up the Alien Queen and he whistles softly so as not to startle her but the Alien Queen does not react. Michael whistles louder and now it seems that the Alien Queen is waking up. A new egg slides out through the large and long ovipositor and lands softly on the ground with a sticky sound. The alien queen slowly pushes out part of her head and now Michael can see her huge jaw and finally her whole head. The alien queen appears to be looking directly at Michael but she does not appear to be aggressive. Michael notices a movement just behind him and he turns around and sees two warriors almost behind him and is scared for the first time. But the Alien queen also seems to see the two Alien warriors who are behind him and she loudly hisses at them and they retreat. The alien queen hisses very loudly and the sound is reminiscent of both the angry hiss of a swan but also the reptilian hiss of a snake. It is a sound that evokes fear in MIchael even though he knows that the Alien Queen saved him from being attacked.
A thick and transparent mass lands on the top of Michael's hands and he realizes that it is the Alien Queen's drool landing on his hands. Michael turns his hands so that the palms are visible and an even thicker lump of thick drool lands in his hand. Michael feels the drool and it feels thick but also fluid somehow. The slime is almost reminiscent of K Jelly, It's been a long time since Michael saw that in the store but it had a very interesting texture and feel when touching it. Michael looks at the drool and another large lump lands in his open hands. Michael gets an idea and smears himself with the Alien Queen's drool. Michael chooses to smear himself with the drool even under his shirt. Now he smells like her.
The alien queen's long and large spine-like black tail sways faintly behind her and Michael thinks it moves almost like a cobra about to attack. The Alien Queen extends her long arms and it almost looks like she is going to grab Michael and he involuntarily recoils but the Alien Queen relents and moves them in a different way. Michael finds the Alien Queen moving in a very sensual way and his body reacts to it. Michael is unsure whether or not to show that he is sexually attracted to her. It is a difficult choice.
The alien queen opens her huge jaw and Michael can see the inner mouth. The inner mouth looks very big and Michael didn't think it would be as big as it actually is but on the other hand Michael can only compare how big it looks in the movie. The alien queen's hot breath sweeps over Michael and he almost finds it too hot. In between, big chunks of the Alien queen's drool drip from the big jaw and they land on Michael's arms and hands.
The alien queen lowers her big head towards Michael and he guesses that she is studying him and she can do that if she wants to. The alien queen's thick drool lands on Michael's shirt but also in his hair and it feels strange when it starts to run down his neck. Michael reaches out a hand and gently pats the Alien Queen's large head. It feels very hard and she is really hot even on top of her head. Michael pats the oblong giant crown and the texture on the back of her head feels very interesting. The Alien Queen doesn't seem to mind being patted on the head so Michael continues to pat her. Since Michael is standing so close to the Alien queen, he can easily see where the egg sac itself and her body are joined together
Meanwhile, another egg slides out of the large ovipositor and lands softly on the ground. Michael looks at the big eggs. There are already a lot of eggs in the hive and since the Alien queen lays new ones at short intervals, it won't be long until there are eggs just about everywhere. Michael feels that he must help the Alien queen and spread the eggs in different places in Stockholm and he suddenly gets an idea of where to start first.
The person who bullied Michael the most at school lives not too far from Mariatorget and Michael knows that it is that person's birthday today. Michael looks at the eggs in a whole new way and grins. The bully will get a very special present today. A deadly gift. Michael looks at the Alien queen and hopes she accepts him taking several of her eggs.
Michael goes towards the eggs closest to the entrance because they are the closest. Michael bends down and lifts one of the eggs and is surprised that it is not as heavy as he thought it would be. The egg weighs a maximum of five kilograms and is easy to lift. The alien queen sees what Michael is doing and hisses weakly. She doesn't seem to like him touching her eggs. Michael drops the egg and walks up to the Alien Queen and starts talking to her.

• I just want to help and spread your eggs so that there will be more Aliens and warriors. You can trust me, my lovely queen.

Michael has no idea if the Alien Queen understands what he is saying but he hopes she does. Michael again pats the Alien Queen's huge crowned head, making calming noises. After a while, Michael opens his backpack and takes out one of the empty garbage bags and approaches the eggs again. The alien queen seems to be alert but she doesn't hiss when Michael lifts one of the eggs and puts it in the empty garbage bag. Michael hopes it doesn't matter that the opening of the egg is pointing down. Michael looks up at the Alien Queen and smiles at her

• I'll be back in a moment. I'm just going to make an Alien baby.

Michael goes out through the entrance and exit and puts the garbage bag on the rear bike rack and he turns the garbage bag so that the opening of the egg is facing up. There are low noises from inside the garbage bag and Michael hopes that the egg doesn't open and a facehugger jumps out through the garbage bag. Michael unlocks the bike and rides as fast as he can through the tunnel and it is not long before he is out of the tunnel and facing the sun again.
Michael cycles towards the villa where he knows the bully lives. When he arrives, he takes an extra look at the name on the mailbox so that no one else has moved in without his knowledge. But it says Zizer H on the letterbox and Michael knows the name is correct. The bully's name is Henrik Zizer and he apparently hasn´t changed his name. From the beginning, Zizer was a large family and they had many children, of which Henrik was the one who was heard and seen the most. But the other children moved on but Henrik chose to stay with his parents for some reason and when the parents died, Henrik inherited the villa. Henrik lives alone except for an incredibly ugly cat that Michael has seen a few times when he has passed by the villa.
Michael unloads the garbage bag and carries it in one hand while he walks into the garden of the villa. The garden was nice when Henrik's parents took care of it, but it mostly looks like a junkyard these days. Henrik has an expensive and nice moped and there are lots of tools for maintenance of the moped in the tall grass. Michael knows that Henrik always used to put the house key under a special stone that was by the stairs at the villa and Michael soon sees that the stone is still there and when he lifts it he sees a house key there.
Michael picks up the house key and unlocks the front door. It is dirty in the dark hall and Michael puts the garbage bag on the floor so that it is quite close to the front door but not right when you enter the hall. Michael makes sure that the opening of the egg is facing up and then he pulls off the garbage bag. The egg has not opened but small movements are visible on the outside of the egg. Michael slowly backs away from the egg and when he is at the door, it suddenly opens. The egg opens just like a flower and Michael rushes out of the hall and slams the door shut as fast as he can and locks the front door.
Michael puts the house key back where he took it and puts it on the stone and starts to walk out of the garden but suddenly hears a moped approaching very fast
Uh oh.
Michael is still in the garden when the moped stops in the street and a fat person jumps off the moped and approaches Michael menacingly.

• Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my garden?

Michael immediately recognizes this person even though he is significantly fatter than he was at school and he has also changed his appearance a little but not for the better.

• Now answer! Who the hell are you?

Michael clears his throat and looks at Henrik.

• I recognize you, but you apparently don't recognize me. I saw that today is your birthday and just wanted to congratulate you.

Michael can see that Henrik is searching his memory to be able to tell who is standing in front of him and he looks thoughtful.

• You're not one of Elin's brothers anyway and you can't be Max because he died last year. I wonder if you could be....Roger.
  
• Nope. I am not one of Elin's brothers as you just said and my name is not Roger.
  
• In that case, you're either Kenneth or... No, wait a minute now. I think I recognize you now. You are Michael. Your parents were really weird and almost never let you watch movies. Such a freak you were. Yeah I remember you now.
  
• Correct answer.
  

Henrik looks at Michael in surprise. Considering that he bullied Michael at school, he never thought that one day Michael would be standing in his garden.

• But.. what are you doing here? We were never friends at school as far as I can remember. You did greet me a few times, but it was very seldom. I recorded some synth tapes for you, I remember.
  
• Huh. I still have the tapes. Well, I was nearby and thought I'd surprise you since it's your birthday. Have you been celebrated today?
  
• Nobody celebrates my birthday anymore. Probably no one even knows that it's my birthday today except you, which is very strange.
  
• You know what, Henrik? Things can change. Even if I disliked you quite a bit then, I don't have to now.
  
• Okay, I understand. Do you want a proper apology from me?
  
• Ah, there's no need.
  

Henrik and Michael stand and look at each other. They remember their school days together. Henrik was the toughest and made the most noise at school, while Michael was the one who was noticed the least except when he was bullied. Michael was always quiet and mostly mumbled if anyone spoke but him. Henrik scratches his dirty hair. He looks a little confused.

• Um. Are you around often?
  
• Well. I live in one of the apartment buildings over by the Zinkensdamm sports ground so I assume so.
  
• Own apartment?
  
• In some ways. I live in a group accommodation. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and it explains why I was perhaps a bit odd even when I was at school.
  
• Autism Spectrum Disorder? That's a long word.
  
• It means that you have a certain type of Autism. It used to be called Asperger's syndrome, but that name is no longer used.
  

Henrik raises his eyebrows. He has actually heard of Asperger's Syndrome but didn't know it had changed its name. Henrik suddenly sees the Alien queen's drool, which still looks wet and which is mostly on Michael's shirt.

• You have something on your shirt. Have you played with lube?

Michael can't help but laugh when he realizes that the Alien Queen's drool resembles lube.

• Huh. Maybe it.
  
• You know it's the women who use that, right? Well, anyway. You had a present for me or did I hear wrong?
  
• Yes, an acquaintance of mine brought a present and put it in your villa. I know what it is and I think you will love the gift considering you like mopeds so much.
  
• But wait a little now. Did an acquaintance of yours break into my villa? To give me a present?
  
• This person works for the police so he always has keys to the villas. He also has contacts in the US and other countries so he can source parts for mopeds that others cannot import.
  

Henrik looks thoughtful. Something about this doesn't feel quite right. Henrik suspects that Michael is trying to trick him in some way. Henrik still decides to go and see what he got as a present and he walks past Michael and heads towards the villa's stairs. Henrik lifts the stone and picks up the house key and unlocks the door.
Michael quickly walks towards the stairs and is almost there when Henrik opens his front door. Henrik sees the open egg as soon as he has opened his front door and he stands hesitating in the doorway. Whatever it is, it cannot be used for any moped. It takes a few seconds before Henrik recognizes the egg and knows what it is. It wasn't that long ago that he watched the movie Aliens.

• But what the hell. What the hell is an Alien egg doing in my hallway?

Henrik watches as the facehugger gets ready to jump out of the egg and he starts to slowly back away from the open egg but Michael is right behind Henrik and pushes Henrik as hard as he can and Henrik loses his balance and falls straight towards the egg. The Facehugger explodes out of the egg and attaches itself directly to Henrik's face. It starts to sizzle from Henrik's face as if it was eaten away by the face-hugger's chemcals. Henrik lands straight on the floor in front of the now empty egg. The facehuggers 8 digits has a firm grip on Henriks face.
Michael enters the hall and turns Henrik's body over so he can see what is happening. The facehuggers 8 digits climbs a little further up over Henrik's face and the long and strong tail helps hold Henriks face still. Michael would like to see when the facehugger gives Henrik its eggs through the proboscis and he turns Henrik so that he is lying on his side. Michael can now see when the face-hugger's proboscis begins to penetrate through Henrik's open mouth. The proboscis looks very soft when it enters Henrik's mouth, but it suddenly becomes very stiff. Michael is surprised that the proboscis becomes stiff but he thinks that it helps it penetrate deeper into the mouth then. Michael thinks that the proboscis will only penetrate the beginning of the throat, but it continues even further down, and Michael feels with his finger on Henrik's neck how the stiff proboscis continues to penetrate further and further down the throat. A clucking sound is heard from Henrik's throat as the stiff proboscis continues to penetrate in an uninterrupted movement. Finally, it stops and the now long and stiff proboscis stops penetrating through Henrik's open mouth.
Michael hears a loud hissing sound and at first thinks that the sound is coming from either the face-hugger or Henrik, but when he looks up and looks around the hall, he sees Henrik's ugly cat and understands that it is the one who is hissing. The cat is completely white but is very fat and has very unkempt fur. Michael has seen the cat walking around the area and he doesn't like the look of it. The cat hisses again and arches its back into a high arch. It is clear that the cat does not like the face-hugger and hisses at it.
Michael can see that the proboscis swells up and that something begins to move through the proboscis and down where it enters Henrik's mouth. It looks like several smaller lumps are moving through the proboscis at a high speed and Michael guesses that the lumps are some kind of eggs and that there are so many of them so they will start to grow quickly in Henrik's stomach. Michael can see that the two appendages hanging out of the side of the facehugger are periodically inflated and deflated and he guesses that it breathes through the appendages. Of course, it could also be that it fills up with more eggs, but it probably doesn't do that. The smaller lumps continue to flow uninterrupted through the facehugger's proboscis and down through the part of the proboscis that is inserted into Henrik's mouth. Michael can feel the lumps moving down as he feels the outside of Henrik's neck. The facehugger is very productive to say the least. Michael wonders how Henrik would have felt if he hadn't been unconscious.
Michael sees the last lumps run down the proboscis and then it's over. The proboscis of the facehugger quickly becomes completely slack and is no longer stiff. It has done its job. The facehugger pulls its limp proboscis from Henrik's mouth and it disappears into the facehugger. When the entire proboscis is lifted, the facehugger releases its grip on Henrik's face.
The facehugger scitter towards the cat and the cat hisses and runs away. Michael thinks it looks fun when the facehugger scitters over the floor. The facehugger runs into a room that is next to the hall and Michael follows to see what the facehugger is doing. It's a smaller bedroom and the facehugger runs under the bed and stays there. Michael kneels down and looks under the bed. The facehugger is furthest up against the wall and Michael sees its 8 fingers begin to pull inward and he understands that it is dying. Michael grabs the facehugger's long tail and pulls it off the bed and it puts up a weak resistance but it's obvious it's dying. Soon the facehugger is completely still and Michael carries it back to the hall and thinks about what to do with it and the egg.
Michael will remember that there is a smaller lake in the area and he decides to throw the egg and the facehugger into the lake. No one is swimming in the lake anyway. Michael puts the dead facehugger in the egg and tries to close the egg. It is not easy to close the egg because the four parts that open like a flower have become hard and rigid. Michael takes the garbage bag that the egg was in and he puts the egg back in the garbage bag and leaves the villa.
Henrik is still lying on the floor and Michael thinks it would have been fun to watch the chestburster explode from the stomach but he knows it could have been dangerous for him if he was still there. Henrik had perhaps pushed himself against Michael when the chestburster had started to be born and then both Henrik and Michael had died and that is not part of Michael's plan.
Michael goes straight to his bike and puts the trash bag on the rear bike rack and he makes sure the rear clamp presses over the trash bag so it doesn't roll off the bike. Michael bikes to the smaller lake, parks the bike and removes the garbage bag from the bike stand and walks to a suitable spot where he can drop the egg. Michael sees a slope going down to the water and feels that this place is going to be good. Michael takes the large egg out of the garbage bag and lets it roll down the slope and into the water. Lots of bubbles form in the water as the egg sinks to the bottom of the lake and Michael stands quietly and watches the bubbles. There are many thoughts running through his head.
Michael is fully aware that Henrik will die and that he has now become a murderer. Michael feels no sadness that Henrik will die because he bullied Michael so badly at school. Michael has had dreams where he takes revenge on Henrik and now the dream has come true and he feels almost proud of himself but he is aware that he should feel ashamed. Sven and the staff as well as the parents had not thought that Michael did the right thing and what has happened must remain a secret that only he knows.
Michael doesn't think too much about the fact that several people will die when he places the eggs in the crowded places. If Sven or the staff had known about Michael's plans, they would have most certainly called the police and forced him to stay in his apartment until the Alien Queen was killed and the eggs destroyed. Michael intends to keep the Alien Queen a secret, maybe he can show her to Alexander. Alexander is a work colleague and he is careful to keep secrets.
Michael rides his bike back to Mariatorget and the tunnel where the Alien Queen is. When Michael has cycled down the tunnel, he remembers that he should place some of the eggs in some selected places in Stockholm, but he does not know exactly which way he should cycle to get to the places. Michael remembers that there is GPS in the cell phone and he picks it up and cycles to the first place where the road splits. It doesn't seem like a good place on the right side, but on the left side, Michael sees that there is a road to Slussen under the tunnel and he lets his GPS show him how to cycle to get there. Michael stands and thinks and decides that he will place an egg at Slussen very last before he cycles home because he and Sven will take the ferry to Gröna Lund.
Michael cycles to the next place where the road splits and he checks how he should cycle to get to the T-centralen, Brunkebergstunneln and Sergel's torg and also how long it takes to get to the various places. Michael decides to place the first egg in T-Centralen and then Sergels Torg and after that Brunkebergstunneln and lastly Slussen. That order seems the most logical.
Michael cycles back to the Alien queen and she has laid even more eggs and also moved a little bit. Michael guesses that the Alien queen's warriors have helped and moved her. The alien queen recognizes Michael and she appears to be looking at him with some interest.
Michael thinks about the best way to get the eggs into the remaining four garbage bags. Lifting the first egg went well, but he feels he exposed himself to a great risk being so close to the egg. Michael looks at the Alien Queen's large ovipositor and soon has a great idea. He will put the garbage bag around the ovipositor when it is time for a new egg. The egg will automatically slide into the garbage bag and Michael doesn't even have to touch it. In addition, the egg is facing upright from the beginning. It's a really brilliant idea.
Michael picks up the first garbage bag and approaches the Alien Queen's large ovipositor and he can immediately see that a new egg is making its way through the egg sac. Michael places the garbage bag under the ovipositor and pulls the garbage bag up a bit so that it is as extended as possible. The alien queen doesn't seem to notice what MIchael is doing and it doesn't bother him. It certainly makes her less suspicious if she doesn't notice what's happening with the four eggs. Michael sees when the egg is dropped into the garbage bag and as soon as it is completely down, he removes the garbage bag around the ovipositor and immediately takes out a new garbage bag and waits for the next egg to be laid. Michael pushes down the opening of the trash bag containing the first egg. It is not good if the egg feels his presence.
There's bubbling and gurgling from inside the egg sac as a new egg begins to form and it's a very organic sound and Michael likes it. Michael wonders if the Alien queen can sense when the eggs are being formed and if so how it feels to her when they are being formed. Michael hopes that the Alien queen is not in pain when the eggs are formed because it is a continuous process. Michael is extremely close to the Alien queen and he wonders if his friends would have dared to stand as close. Michael thinks that most people might have avoided the Alien Queen entirely if they could, but he himself thinks it's cozy to be so close to her. Although she can certainly be dangerous, she is still a mother.
Michael sees that the new egg is on its way through the egg sac and he approaches the ovipositor. Michael places the second garbage bag under the ovipositor, making sure the garbage bag is as extended as possible. The ovipositor undulates gently as the egg moves through it and there is an organic sticky sound when the egg lands in the garbage bag. When the egg has landed properly in the garbage bag, Michael removes the garbage bag around the ovipositor and places that garbage bag next to the first one and he closes the opening of the garbage bag so that it is closed. Michael takes out a third garbage bag and waits for the next egg to be ready to lay.
The alien queen turns her big head towards Michael and it looks like she's wondering what he's up to. Michael chooses to walk away from the ovipositor and advances towards the Alien queen. The alien queen lowers her huge head as he gets closer and copious amounts of clear, thick drool lands on Michael's shirt and runs all the way down to his pants. Michael can't help but giggle at the Alien Queen drooling so much.

• You drool a lot, my beautiful queen. I really smell like you now.

Michael raises his hands and gently pats the Alien Queen's huge head and she seems very calm. Michael wonders if the patting has the same effect as in humans. Michael gets really hot in the face when the Alien queen breathes on him and the drool continues to run down the shirt and pants and it doesn't take long until even the pants are wet from the thick drool. Michael thinks he has to change his clothes before he can meet Sven. Michael almost reaches the oblong head crown and he finds it impressive. Especially when she is so close that he can really see all the details of the crown but also the Alien Queen herself. The long and large spine-like tail sways behind the Alien Queen and Michael is almost hypnotized as he tries to follow its movements. Michael sees and hears as another egg comes out of the ovipositor and lands softly on the ground.

• You are so good at laying your eggs. I'm a little jealous of you actually.

The alien queen turns her large head and looks the other way and Michael soon goes back to the ovipositor and patiently waits for the next egg to travel through the egg sac and emerge through the ovipositor. Michael looks above the Alien Queen and it looks like the white secret in the ceiling is holding the Alien Queen so she is standing steady. Michael wonders if it is the Alien queen herself who is doing the secret or if it is her warriors who are doing it. Michael thinks that people might have been able to use the secret to secure things considering how strong and durable it seems to be.
Michael sees that a new egg is coming through the egg sac and approaching the ovipositor and he places the garbage bag so that it is all around the ovipositor and then he lifts the garbage bag so that it is extended. The egg lands in the garbage bag with a soft thud and Michael immediately removes the garbage bag from around the ovipositor and moves the garbage bag to where the other two are. Now there is only one egg left and Michael looks at his watch. It shows 11.30am. This took longer than he had expected but Sven won't arrive until 2pm and Michael expects to be home by then.
Michael takes out the last garbage bag and stands watching as the next egg is formed in the egg sack. Michael finds it fascinating to watch the eggs form. It happens so quickly and he wonders how it is possible that it can be formed so incredibly quickly. Michael also feels that the facehugger was very quick and efficient when it pushed its proboscis into Henrik's mouth and filled him with its eggs.
Michael sees that the new egg is beginning to be transported towards the ovipositor and Michael places the garbage bag so that it is all around the ovipositor and waits for the egg to land in the garbage bag. The ovipositor undulates slightly a few times and there is a sticky organic sound and Michael can see on the outside of the garbage bag when the egg lands in it. Michael removes the garbage bag when he knows the egg is at the bottom and he puts the garbage bag next to the other three. Now he just has to say goodbye to the Alien queen.

• Now I unfortunately have to leave you, but I promise to come back tomorrow.

Michael grabs the four garbage bags and he holds two in each hand. Michael walks towards the exit of the hive when the Alien Queen hisses very loudly and Michael turns to her and looks at her questioningly.

• What?

The alien queen looks at him for a long moment but seems to calm down again and Michael exits the hive and goes straight to his bike which he has parked right outside the entrance to the hive. Michael places the first two garbage bags on the rear bike rack and the other two above them. Michael makes sure the garbage bags are secured properly and then he starts to ride his bike out of the part of the tunnel where the Alien queen is.

I got divorced, had to sell my house in Minneapolis and at the same time my job went remote from Covid so I moved home to smalltown Wisconsin to help my elderly father with mobility issues and congestive heart failure. Once here it was apparent he had neurological issues and it was Lewy Body Dementia. He wanted to stay out of a home at all costs and I thought it would be easy.
It started easy and then descended into hell. Trying to eat the buttons on remotes thinking they were his meds. Calling 911 using his cellphone from the nursing home during respite stays so the police trace calls back to house and kick down the door at 1:00 a.m. Trying to drive to buy guns. Bodily fluids everywhere. Picky eating to where bologna sandwiches were the only acceptable meal. Forgetting my name. Coming at me to harm me where I had to restrain myself or I would hurt him. The list goes on and on.
An always rocky relationship turned into resentment and fantasies of abandoning him and harming myself because I gave up my life and friends and felt like life was slipping away. I got depressed and had to talk to online counseling as hospitals/insurance denied him for everything and bills piled up. Hospice care (angels, true heroes…) got involved and did what they could.
Last Saturday while I was trying to get him up to go to the bathroom something happened, possibly a stroke, and he melted before my eyes. At 10:57 a.m. today he died. After 3 years it was over and didn’t seem real.
I hope the resentment fades with time. I hope this is a new beginning. Since I kept him out of the clutches of Medicaid and somehow kept my job I now have a home for me and my beloved dog and maybe now life can start again. Maybe have friends again. Maybe someday see him for the good things and not the bad.
Thanks to this subreddit that I stayed up all night reading so many times just to try to keep going and not blow my head off. I deeply appreciate all the advice given here over the years but now am deleting it from my Reddit feed, not because I dislike it but because this is the only life I will get so I’m starting over. I have to look at this as a clean slate for one more shot at life. I know I got out of this much easier than some and I do not take that lightly.
Dementia is hell. One love to all and thank you again. Every post in this subreddit is helping and some are saving lives.

I started symptoms a week ago. Did go to the doctor right away but he kinda sucks, looked at it for 30 seconds and said it was Blepharitis. Wasn't that, got worse, now I'm correctly diagnosed and on the steroid and dilator.
I was doing the steroid every 2 hours, now he's telling me to do it every 3 hours and to to do dilator 1-2 times a day. The nurse seems to really dislike him and was giving me different advice, she said to stop the dilator after today after he left the room. Just wondering what others experience was. I've only been on the medication for a day.
I had extreme light sensitivity and a lot of pain in my right eye. Pain is just about gone completely at this point and no light sensitivity. Just kinda confusing with having a shitty Ophthalmologist and even having the nurse question him. She was shit-talking him for misdiagnosing me lol

"Here he is; Our Lovelorn Phantom, the Bewitching Blaze Survivor, Herald of the Heart and Phoenix of Passion. The Enigma of Eros, Cel Aria."

Bio
Name: Celestial "Cel" Amare Aria	Date of Birth: June 6th
Age: 18	Gender: Male (He/Him/His)
Sexual Orientation: Homosexual	Nationality: American
Race: Brazilian-Caucasian (French)	Fatal Flaw: Wrath
Demigod Conundrums: ADHD and Dyslexia	Hometown: Scarsdale, New York

His name was given to him by his mom. She told Cel that he would 'grow to shine brighter than the stars.' "Amare" means "Love" in Latin, it was given to him by his father for reasons unknown. Cel believes it serves as a reminder that "love" is always with him.
Family Members

Family	Age	Description	Relationship
Father: Eros	Old enough to steal your girl	The god of Love, Desire, and Pleasure.	Cel finally had the pleasure of meeting his father after falling into a coma. It goes without saying, but Cel loves him with all of his heart and wants to make him proud. Eros is proud that Cel is growing and loves him. He's even blessed Cel's relationship with Seth, if you can believe it! Their relationship is probably closer than most demigods with their immortal parents.
Mother: Andrea Aria-Almeida	45	An emergency room nurse practitioner. She looks no older than 25 and is one of the most gentle and caring women you'll ever meet. Her arms are open to all who are in need.	Andrea always made time for Cel in his childhood. She is a strong woman, a First-Generation immigrant with a strong work ethic who taught her son to always be kind and thoughtful. She loves son and would move the Heavens and Earth for him if she could, and vice-versa.

Family is an important facet of life, especially to Cel. Once he learned the words 'mom' and 'dad' he began to daydream what it would be like to meet his own father. After talking to Eros he still wasn't satisfied and would give anything to talk with him again! He holds each of his family members in high regard and keeps in contact with them as much as he can! He consistently writes letters to his mom while at Camp and is planning to attend NYU in the Fall in part to stay close to her.
"Yeah, he's basically obsessed with me. Got him eating out of the palm of my hand." - Seth Westley
Friends/Relationships

Name	Relationship	Description
Seth Westley	Boyfriend	[Redacted]
David Ruiz	Best Friend	A friendship forged in the fires of love and war. That should be a metaphor, but David and Cel quite literally became friends through constant clashing of their respective powers in an effort to train. What began as a mentor-mentee relationship blossomed into a strong friendship that could last even a Styx Oath. Cel is so proud of the man that David has become and is so happy to call him his friend. He's had some pretty bad experience with mentors, and David made up for all of that. Together, with Jules, they make up 1/3 of Triple Threat.
Jules Morgan	Best Friend2	It began on a fateful day when a motorcycle lunatic crashed into a tree and began crying over his lost love. Cel offered to show him around Camp and the rest is history. Jules has made Cel countless prototype weapons for testing. Some that work, others that don't, and many that probably violate some kind of international war laws. Cel has watched this guy grow (metaphorically, not literally) from a machine crazed sociopath into a machine crazed sociopath with a girlfriend. Any time with Jules is sure to be a riot, with a bunch of insults sprinkled in for good measure. With David, the three boys make up Triple Threat, their brotherhood.
Walker Marshall	Aged (emphasis) Ally	Both of these guys have been around for an insanely long time. Walker was at Camp Half-Blood before Cel even got there, so they've known each other for a while. Cel is trauma bonded to him after everything that happened with the Son of Metis (see; statues, Medusa, etc). He views Walker as a strong ally, and a loyal friend. They had their rough patches during the aftermath of the war over the throne of Olympus but all of that is water under the bridge now. It's hard to keep friends at Camp Half-Blood, people always come and go, sometimes never coming back. Cel is grateful for that constant southern drawl he knows is always around the corner at the Demeter cabin.
Sadira Andersen	Budding Buddy	This little one somehow managed her way into Cel's dreamscape after his mysterious three-month blip from reality. She saw deep cut secrets that Cel didn't share with the world. Trauma of his past that eats at him every day. The girl is the mediator and Cel wants her to focus on being a kid. They don't know each other well, but Sadira is definitely on Cel's radar. She may not know it, but he's looking out for her.
Quincy "Quinn" Rockford	Crabby Comrade	Quinn is an enigma to Cel. One moment, they're brash and abrasive like the back side of a sponge, the next a broken child trying to heal parental trauma. Cel gave Quinn a present for Christmas because he wanted to let them know they were seen. He let them know about the secret burrow of bunnies near the Eros cabin as well. Cel understands their abrasiveness and respects it, but also keeps his distance because of it. You can't help someone who doesn't want it, and Cel isn't going to drag himself through the thorns of Quinn's attitude until they're ready to open up. He's always there for the kid, though, they just need to say the word.
Amelia "Mel" Hayes	Tattooed Twin	Another friend as old as Cel's time at Camp. Amelia is a constant laugh, her personality is crazy and infectious. Together in a trip to Atlantic City they both shoplifted an entire store (love and humor) then proceeded to get tattoos together. If Cel needs a partner in crime, aside from Seth, he knows he can always count on Amelia for a good time. He loves hearing her shout insults from across the way and the roar in her iconic laugh. There's nothing better than a good laugh, after all.
Harper Morales	Magazine Mate	Since meeting Harper has been nothing but kind to Cel. She was there after the entire Capture the Flag debacle when Lupa Hines punched him in the face for his emotional assault. It was a rough time, what with Seth not talking to Cel and a lot of irritation at his powers going around, but Harper was such a breath of fresh air in that trying time. Her personality always has Cel feeling light and happy. He's constantly impressed by her work with The Camp Half-Blood Chronicle. He's even thought about stealing her for his own magazine.
Booker Fink	Prankster Pal	New friends never hurt, it was always an avenue for new beginnings. Cel first met Booker when he decided to throw lightning bolts at Cel's boyfriend. But- that was training, Cel couldn't blame him for anything that happened during training. They reunited at David's birthday party and seemed to hit it off in an smooth way. Booker seems to want to train with Cel. Cel wants to hear more about what past came with Booker. Who knows where their friendship will grow from here.
Caspian Kaito	Nostalgic Neighbor	These two have a complicated history. Within the first five minutes of Cel meeting Caspian he zapped him with love magic. A weird crush ensued shortly after... which made things awkward for the two boys who otherwise would've have an amazing friendship. They fought alongside each other in the War for Olympus when the Son of Metis returned, burying the hatchet and forging a friendship on its grave. Cel attended Cas' graduation and wished him well into adulthood. He often wonders how the guy is doing now...

Appearance
"I heard he got burned alive but he said it only made him hotter" - Walker Marshall

Faceclaim	Height	Build	Weight	Hair	Eye Color	Piercings
Right Here	6'2	Muscular, but lean. His body isn't burly due to muscles, he's more toned than built.	How rude of you to ask!	Wavy and Light brown; Normally left to be messy and do its thing. Although, his hair never seems to get too unruly	Deep Red	Both ears are pierced. with doubles. Cel usually sports a simple stud and a small hoop. (Note: This is NOT his Faceclaim)

Description:
"It's so easy to get lost in those red eyes." - David Ruiz

• A visage of his father, some even may even for the other. Passerby who have met Cel describe him as one of the most striking people they've ever seen. The son of love turns heads wherever he walks. His face is a mastery of divine artisanship. Smooth, as if he was sculpted directly from marble by the great artisans of past with perfect symmetry. His tanned skin is soft, lacking any imperfections of the sort. His lips were the color of fresh rose petals and give way to the most illuminating, tantalizing grin some may ever see. It casts an inviting, enticing light on any who lay their eyes on him and held the power to warm the coldest of hearts and disarm the fiercest foes. This smile is both mischievous and sincere, imbued with a flirtatious charm so infectious that you can't help but smile back. His most captivating feature, though, are his deep red eyes. Intensely red like the embers of a dying star or the last traces of a sunset dipped in fire. A color so deep its like every valentine in the world was drained and distilled into one vibrant mixture. These eyes are a paradox of loving warmth and imminent danger, smoldering with unimaginable depth that seems to dip into the very soul of whoever Cel casts his gaze upon. Half-lidded and flirtatious, it is a gaze so hypnotic that sometimes the entire world falls away and you become the sole focus of his universe. His hair is a cascade of silky strands the color of valentines chocolate. A strand never out of place, always appearing painstakingly styled yet moving effortlessly with Cel's every action. It framed his face perfectly, accentuating each and every feature to bring it to life. He stands tall, exuding a presence that commands attention and respect. His body is sculpted with lean, defined muscles that speak of agility and strength, a testament to his prowess in battle and his divine heritage. Each movement he makes is fluid and graceful, a dance of power and elegance that mesmerizes all who watch him. His hands are both delicate and strong, with long, tapered fingers that move with an almost magical grace. Whether he's wielding a weapon or simply reaching out to a friend, his movements are always precise and elegant, hinting at his extraordinary control and dexterity. Those who get close enough to him may even notice he smells faintly of chocolate. Cel Aria is a intoxicating blend of divine beauty and otherworldly charm, a welcoming smile that leaves everyone who crosses his past feeling uplifted. A demigod whose appearance and presence leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of all who encounter him.
• In the past Cel never cared much for his attire. As he's grown and weaved his way through the life, he gained an increased interest in the world of fashion. Now his closet is nearly bursting at the seams with clothes of each and every category, from thrift store to designer boutique, and even some from the bottom of a dumpster. He often opts for a comfortable, yet stylish outfit in his day-to-day. However, finding Cel wandering the campgrounds in sweatpants or a workout outfit is far from uncommon. Even if he has become somewhat of a fashionista, nothing beats the classics.

"He doesn't actually like chocolate" Caspian Kaito
Outfits

• Outfit 1
• Outfit 2
• Outfit 3
• Outfit 4
• Outfit 5
• Outfit 6
• Outfit 7
• Outfit 8
• Outfit 9
• Outfit 10

Equipment/Accessories:

• Amare and Virtus: Twin-knives enchanted by Brandon to turn invisible whenever Cel does. Sadly, the knives only stay invisible when they're in his hands. Whenever they aren't in use, they appear as beaded bracelets on his wrists.
• Eros' Ring: A ring given to Cel by Eros. It's now Cel's most prized possession as it was given to him straight off of his father's hand. It's rose gold with grey in the middle and fits Cel's ring finger perfectly.
• Heart-Breaker: Cel's celestial bronze sword with a small, ring shaped hole through the base. A normal sword from the armory that doubles as a ring in its dormant form. When Cel needs to change between the forms, he flips ring to make it into a sword. To go back to ring form, he slides his finger through the hole at the base.
• Heart-Seeker: A gift from Cel's friend Jules. It's a simple compound bow with a matching a magical bracelet. It's mystical gimmick is that the arrows it fires home in on targets. The lock on mechanism is through the bracelet, which cools slightly on Cel's wrist once he finds a target. It's dormant form is an bow shaped charm that hands from the bracelet. It's activated by pulling the charm off the bracelet.
• Boots of Aria: Greaves gifted to Cel by Simon. When he crouches, his jump gets exponentially stronger. When jumping from a full crouch he can jump 6 feet in the air! ___ # Abilities and Skillset

"I hear the training dummies actually line up to be his target." - Harper Morales
Abilities:
Domain:

• Amokinesis - "Love's Puppeteer" - The ability to manipulate a target's emotions, specific to the domain of the user's godrent. (For Eros - Love Manipulation/Amokinesis).
  • This is Cel's bread and butter ability. As the son of Eros, Cel has a great deal of control over his father's domain. He is incredibly proficient with his amokinesis and can manipulate a person's love and their desires to fold to his whims.. From giving them a hormonal overload, to enhancing their attraction, even turning a flicker of interest in a person to an inferno of passion or removing a persons will to fight, all are possible with the power of love.
• Emotional Fortitude - "Sanctuary of the Mind" - A trait where some children of Emotional gods are immune to magical attempts at changing or manipulating their emotional and mental ability. This does not mean demigods with this trait are immune to non-magical means, however. With enough experience, users can share this immunity with others—one other for intermediate users, and two others for masters.
  • An evolution of Cel's amokinetic powers. His familiarity with the manipulation of emotions has lead to him becoming immune to magical attempts to mystify his mind. Tough luck to anybody who wanted revenge.
• Scent Manipulation - "Essence Weaver" - The ability to manipulate fragrances. Although beginners are only capable of dissipating or spreading a smell, intermediate users are capable of manipulating their own scent to mimic fragrances they have encountered previously. Many users have been observed using this power for stealth and concealment, to avoid alerting wild animals when hunting, to confuse monsters in combat, and to segregate waste more efficiently. Masters of this ability have been known to mimic powerful and exotic smells, like those associated with monsters. That said, these fragrances are approximations at best and cannot be used to copy the unique scent of an individual.
  • This is a new one for Cel. The ability to manipulate his own smell and the smells around him is odd, a foreign ability. He's not sure how it manifested, but is grateful to his father for the blessing. Hopefully Cel will begin to gain a master over it soon.

Godrent Minor:

• Summon Bow and Arrows - "Archer's Call" -The ability to summon a bow and a quiver of arrows. The user can produce up to 10 of arrows at any given time, but they are fragile. After 30 minutes (5 turns), they will dissolve and leave no trace. Though made of iron and wood, these weapons are still capable of slaying monsters.
  • When Cel focuses he can summon a bow into his hands or arrows nocked into his bowstring. He likes to think of it as a blessing, or allowance, from his dad. It really comes in handy in a pinch!
• Arrow Enchantment - "Cupid's Quill" - The ability to enchant an arrow such that it can induce a particular emotion in the target. The arrow appears gold if imbued with love magic, and it appears leaden if imbued with apathy magic. When a person is hit by these arrows they do not sustain any physical damage, although they will still feel pain from the impact. The affect fades after a small period. If the arrows fails to meet a target it causes a small explosion.
  • A new gift from Eros which allows Cel to imbue his amokinetic powers into arrows. This allows Cel a new outlet for utilizing his emotional powers to incapacitate enemies without expending energy.

Godrent Major:

• Invisibility\* - "Vanishing Act" - The ability to turn invisible, including one's attire and held items.
  • The most iconic ability in Cel's arsenal and, arguably, one of the most powerful. Countless mischievous acts have been made possible because of the invisible man. Being able to disappear has turned Cel into a deadly stealth fighter.
• Sensory inhibition - "Sensory Saboteur" - The ability to inhibit the senses of a target. Should this effect take hold, it will wear off after 12 minutes (2 turns).Although this power is most associated with temporary blindness, other symptoms include dampened hearing, clogged noses, etc.
  • Cel's ability to temporarily blind his foes has grown to now impair other senses. While stealing sight is the easiest for him to do, Cel is slowly learning and becoming more comfortable with mangling the other senses of his opponents. He hopes to master the sense of hearing next.

* Denotes modmail/custom power.
“Uh, what do you want me to say about him again?” - Booker Fink
Skillset

• Gymnastics: Cel was in gymnastics for a few years when he was younger. He can still do a backflip! This helps him do acrobatic movements while he fights.
• Knifework: Playing with knives is generally frowned upon, but anything goes at Camp Half-Blood. Cel has become incredibly skilled with dual-wielding knives, as well as throwing knives. Practice makes perfect! and, while Cel may not be perfect, he has definitely improved over time. He can carve nearly anything!
• Swordsmanship: Cel has added sword play to his repertoire of fighting skills. While he is no master, Cel is definitely able to hold his own with a blade, even against the likes of David Ruiz.
• Archery: Cel is a natural archer! His aim is perfect and he can make some of the most difficult shots look easy. A bow is definitely the weapon that Cel finds the most comfortable in his hands.
• Basketball: Not pro-level, but Cel isn't bad. Basketball is his favorite pastime outside of training and video games in his cabin. He'd always dreamed of playing varsity basketball in high school and achieved it just this past year,
• Fashion: Cel has gained an eye for clothes. He enjoys perusing catalogs and store windows, looking for the next exciting piece to add to his collection. ___ # Personal Information

"Cel doesn't need to flirt; he just breathes and people fall head over heels for him. It's ridiculous." - Amelia Hayes
Personality:
Where the was once uncertainty masked in the frame of an insecure kid there is now a confident, strong young man. Cel has come into his own, accepted his divine heritage, and found confidence in who he is. He stands tall and proud, his head held high with a smile and light that could rival the sun. He's playful, flirtatious, even. Talking in smooth tones that could soften even the coarsest personalities. Cel enjoys having fun conversations with friends. He'll talk animatedly about subjects for hours with those he's close to.
His mischievous smile isn't just for show. Cel enjoys finding fun things to do that may not necessarily be the best. A trait he gained from his father, who was known for causing lots of mischief. (Looking at half the myths about Zeus' affairs). If someone suggests a midnight snack run, Cel will offer to lead the charge (invisibility does come in handy).
Never one to shy away from a challenge. He has been known to get into trouble with his fellow campers for taking things (in their opinion, of course) a bit too far in friendly camp games. Cel is competitive when it counts, but never a sore loser. He loves when the people close to him are having a good time. Cel is the life of the party, and often the planner. Gatherings with those he's close with are some of the most joyous moments for the son of Eros. Nothing is better than having you friends around.
His friends are regarded with the utmost care. When Cel loves someone, he truly does and tries his best to be there for them in any way. New people and new friends are always something Cel looks for. He is personable, always finding ways to make the person he is talking to feel like they are his entire focal point for the time they are together. When faced with a problem, Cel no longer will shy away from straight-up confrontation, preferring to handle issues outright then letting them stew into an even more poisonous problem.
"One time, he punched me in the face." - Quincy Rockford
Cel's Spotify Playlists:

• Vibey and Thrivey - Vibey songs.
• bop it - Bops, of course.

"One time he rescued me from the wreckage of a burning bike, and the bike was only the second hottest thing there." - Jules Morgan
Fun Facts

• Cel is ambidextrous because he broke his arm when he was 7.
• He smells somewhat like decadent chocolate.
• When Cel blushes his face doesn't get red, however his eyes turn light pink!
• If he was going to eat his last meal on death row, Cel would want a Churrasco style Brazilian steak dinner.
• Cel is fluent in Portuguese (as well as French due to his divine heritage).
• There is a birthmark shaped like a 'fat duck' (according to young Cel) on the back of his armpit.
• He named his dog 'Bowser' because he wasn't allowed to play Mario as a kid.
• Before a basketball game Cel has a habit of tapping his shoes together twice like in the Wizard of Oz. He also won't buy any basketball shoes other than red ones.
• Cel's nerdy micro-obsession is the history of Cleopatra and her love life. ___ # Backstory

"Determined, strong... very kind. You can count on him to have your back, and that... means a lot." - Sadira Andersen
When Cel was born and Eros subsequently had to leave Andrea alone to raise a child on her own, his mother made it her mission to make sure her son knew he was loved. His childhood was relatively normal. No monsters followed him around and Cel found that he had a lot of opportunities afforded to him, more than other kids. Teachers always said he was such a joy to have in class and the other kids seemed to be drawn to him, wanting to be his friend.
As Cel found his way to Camp Half-Blood, he was immediately swept up into countless events. His first experience with true danger was in The Olympics where Cel was tasked with venturing to the underworld and capturing Cerberus, the guard dog of Hades. His group failed the task and one of his former friends was cursed by the river god, Acheron, in exchange for their safe return home. This event proved to Cel just how weak he was, and just how easy it was to die trying to play the hero when you could barely grasp how to use your powers. Cel swore that he wouldn't allow himself to be that weak any longer and sought to grow stronger. He found himself training under one of the most sadistic beings at Camp Half-Blood, the former Hades counselor Derek Ward. For some reason, Ward had an intense dislike for the son of Eros, but he trained him nonetheless. It was brutal, Cel almost died a few times, but it definitely turned him into a stronger person.
The first test of Cel's resolve as a hero came when he found himself on a quest to Ikaria in order to find the entrance to the newly reopened labyrinth. Upon their arrival, many things happened including Cel yelling at the guide sent to them by Pasiphae, goddess of the maze. This led to his group having to venture into Ikaria on their own to find the entrance of the maze. The trio found their way to the junkyard of Hephaestus where Talos tried to kill their party. With help from the luck-empowered Felix Branwen, Cel was able to shoot an arrow directly into Talos' control panel, stalling the automation to give his fellow quester's enough time to run into the labyrinth for safety. Cel, however, was burned alive by the automations fire where he was sent into a magical coma and confronted by Bellerophon. A deal was made between the forces of Pasiphae and Cel, where he swore a Styx Oath of fealty to them in exchange for them healing the burned Son of Eros. However, some good did come from this coma as Cel was finally able to meet his father. It was, quite literally, the greatest moment of his life.
After arriving back at Camp, a whirlwind of events happened. Camp was attacked by statues, Zeus cursed the Apollo campers, and Seth charmed his way into becoming Cel's boyfriend. Eventually, life settled down and everything went back to business as usual. Life, it seemed, would remain calm. But demigods never held calm for long.
Cel enjoyed a long period of peace without much happening. He met David and Jules and the trio instantly became close. They went on some jobs together, Cel did some on his own. He and Seth enjoyed each other's company daily. Camp Games were quite fun, even if they did sometimes end in a loss and with you getting socked in the face by a scorned rival. Overall, though, Cel didn't have much turbulence in the time before his senior year. That is until he accepted a job to investigate an anomaly. Together, with David and Ciara, Cel ventured into the unknown and the trio disappeared for a three month long blip with no explanation. When they returned with no explanation, turmoil hit Cel's relationship. He and Seth suddenly found themselves at opposite ends of a seemingly endless chasm. None of Cel's friends were able to offer him any consolation for what happened, Cel's own brothers even ignored his problems. Eros, for the third time in Cel's life, met him and gave him his blessing. He assured Cel that everything would end up all right, that there was beauty even in the pain life brought. So, Cel left Camp and returned for his senior year. He accomplished his dream of playing for the varsity basketball team, established a fashion magazine with his friends, and got up to some of your average demigodly shenanigans (near expulsion, anyone).

Now

It was odd spending his birthday in New Argos, definitely not how Cel envisioned his eighteenth. When Cel thought of eighteen he saw a massive party with his friends on the beach, Seth at his side with loud music and fun outfits. They'd all dance and eat some of Cel's favorite foods, tearing it up all night until the sun came back into the sky. New Argos was a far cry from the beach at Camp Half-Blood. Some of his friends weren't even there to help celebrate. So, yeah, it wasn't ideal. But Cel was going to make the most of it.
He gave invites to every camper that came to New Argos for the games, no room for discriminating between guests when the pickings were slim. It was going to be a party at New Argos' version of Central Park. As a New Yorker, Cel found the park to be less cool than the real thing, but it would have to do for now. Some decorations were set out on tables, pizza boxes were stacked high, and games borrowed from Harper's sleepover available for play. Cel wasn't dressed in anything super flashy, a simple 'Bluey' themed oversized t-shirt and black shorts. He wasn't worried about looks tonight, all he wanted was to have a good time.
A large speaker was blasting his favorite tunes as Cel waited for the guests to show up. Hopefully they would, nobody wants to spend their birthday party alone!

Don't.
I found out way too late they didn't do treatment through the service (Yes I understand that's my fault, but it was not clear to me).
I found out literally in my assessment, and thought "Okay, well we'll figure that out later."
I have now been diagnosed with ADHD Combined and.... that's it. I went to my GP and I have been put on the waitlist for medication, which is now 12 months.
My GP asked if I could reach out to other companies (Psychiatry UK and ADHD360), which I did. PUK hung up on me after a 75 minute wait and ADHD 360's chat agent said that I couldn't, because NHS will only pay for 1 RTC assessment.
I reached back out to CUK to see what if I could do anything with them since they are the ones who did it (awaiting a response). But prob not since A) it was a nurse that did the assessment, not a psychiatrist and B) the nurse did not recommend medication (which I profoundly disagree with). So I already figure they will have me go through the whole thing again.
So I'm basically left in the dust. ADHD 360's cost is 655 pounds upfront for a 12 month 'cover' (they literally do have quotation marks) and doesn't even include the 535 pounds for an assessment. Nor the medication which can be 50-250 pounds.
So I'm fucked and made this post just so when people google, maybe you'll catch this and avoid CPUK (IF you want to go the medication route. If medication is not your interest, then I recommend it. Hey, they even gave me an Autism diagnosis as well)

I (23F) am a nurse in a specialty unit. I am fairly new and have only been there for six months. I’m not very good at navigating office politics but mind my own business and try not to talk to anyone. I speak a language that is not English as my second language, and get very excited when I find that other people also speak it. As such, I tend to speak it whenever I get the chance so I can improve on it.
Recently I had a new coworker join the unit that also speaks my native language. It is his first language and I tend to speak it to him at work because we’re more comfortable with it. One day we were at the nurses station because it was nearing the end of the shift and we were just waiting to go home. It was double staff time, so all the nurses were gathered there, some having small talk, and some were doing/talking about work.
So I started talking to my new coworker in our native language about small talk, (in particular, that day i asked if he was gonna drive home) and another white coworker turned around and stated loudly at us (so much so that the whole room could hear) that we shouldn’t speak our native language around others and it was rude to do so because it excludes everyone. I was very shocked and angry and whilst I conceded because I dislike confrontation, my bad mood for the (very limited) rest of the shift was instantly noticeable. And none of my other coworkers said anything and I believe even avoided talking to me and the other native speaking coworker but continued to talk to the white coworker.
I’ll add a bit more context in terms of office politics here:
My other native language speaking coworker is very new, and has an eccentric personality, and I am vaguely aware that he is perceived as such by my colleagues in a divisive way. But I am very bad at navigating office politics so who knows. He is also slow to the uptake, but very bright and kind, and therefore I am aware that my colleagues talk about him, however I am unsure of what the general opinion of him is. But I know that the white coworker has a low tolerance for questions and may dislike him due to him being the type to ask a lot, and I mean a LOT, of questions. I am also aware that the white coworker dislikes me, however I am unsure why, as I had never been mean to her, and the only other reason I can think of is because, like the native speaking coworker, I am prone to being slow. I am also aware she may talk behind my back about me, however I always give the benefit of the doubt and am unsure of this as I have no concrete proof.
The place also has a lot of general gossip like talking crap behind backs and other stuff going on, but I like to not involve myself and I mind my business. Also, it is an Australian workplace, in a sort of small country town, so I’m not sure if it’s different to other places like America and maybe it’s just an Australian thing.
Anyways, sorry for the long post, I just really want to know if it was really rude or if it was valid. I’d really appreciate an opinion.

I like learning. Most times I like school, bad teachers and required class I am not interested in talking are the only times I remember disliking school. Been a nurse 7 years now and decided it's time to get my BSN because my new place of work pays more for BSN where my old job didn't. So my motivation is completely finance related which to me isn't a great driving factor (I am doing it for my kids, more trips we can take and college savings). I think well at least I'll learn something and become a better nurse. I'm almost half way through (6 more classes to go) and I can't stand it. I haven't learned anything helpful and currently stuck with two teachers who will "Be very firm with APA, because it is crucial to your professional success." APA isn't hard to do but Jesus Christ it isn't going to help me save lives in the ED. After talking with 10 or so coworkers from different schools at different times to hopefully get a pep talk, every single one of them said their BSN program taught them nothing and it's only good for a pay increase. I'm unmotivated to continue and discouraged. Has anyone felt their BSN made them a better nurse?

This is a worst feeling for a nurse graduate who planned to pursue psych nursing. A friend (24F) reached out to me (25M) on IG after 5 years of no contact. Ako, with kindness in mind, went along with it at kinakamusta ko sya, what happened to her during years na di kami nagusap. Apparently she was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and stress at kaka break up lang ng sila ng ex bf nya so now shes trying to reach out the people whom shes friends with pero binabawalan ng ex bf makipagusap.
I wasn't interested nor dislike the idea of her opening up with her personal life so suddenly but as someone who was taught how to deal with individuals na may problem with mental health, I treat them like my own patient.
However as time passes by, she starts to invite me out for outings. I still stood my ground where i treat her like a patient. Kinakausap nya parin ako about her problems and i listen attentively as well as guide her to realizations without giving actual advice, an give her empty encouragement at everything she does positivly. But she starts to give me updates i never really asked in the first place or needed. Everyday.
Just last week i started to notice her smile, her giggles, the things she likes, or the way she scribbles on a paper. Or the way she sings and listen to aespa.
Im aware that shes probably doing everything she can to move on with her ex. Ilang beses na nya ako kinausap tungkol sa guy galing manila and she also plays valorant with some guys she met on valorant. Kaya ako sobrang lito narin. Ba't nya ko kinakausap araw-araw? Ba't nagbibigay update na d ko hinihingi? Alam kong may problema sa utak pero ba't parang ang sobrang saya nya kapag nagkakasama kami?
Siguro mauuna nako maging pasyente sa mental hosp bago maging psych nurse.

Throwaway account in case anyone who knows me sees this
I’m struggling to pick a school and am in a tricky situation. I was banking on one school that I didn’t get into, and now I want to choose the school with the least cost. I assumed I’d only need to pay a few thousand at most, but it's turning out to be much more. I’m currently considering three schools: Loyola University Chicago, Rhode Island College, and University of Saint Joseph (CT).
Considerations:

• University of Saint Joseph seems to be my cheapest option, potentially saving me 5-10k compared to the other schools (based on current estimates, as the financial aid offer isn't out yet). This is significant and impacts my decision.
• My parents disliked the University of Saint Joseph, suggesting Loyola as a better choice, citing marginal cost difference, better reputation, and greater likelihood of my success and satisfaction.

Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, IL): $32,265.00

• It’s my most expensive option and quite a distance away, but it seems like the best overall.
• I value Chicago’s public transportation since I don’t drive, can’t afford to, and prefer not to.
• I liked the school and the surrounding area, and I can imagine living there for a while.

University of Saint Joseph (West Hartford, CT): $20,000ish

• I loved the small campus feel despite fewer and outdated buildings. It felt safe and supportive, especially for nursing, as it seemed noncompetitive and relaxed.
• Transportation is a concern. CT public transit options are limited, and I’m looking for more information on this.
• I worry about living in the Hartford area. I’m originally from Southern Connecticut but never liked it as much as our previous home in suburban Maine.
• Their athletic center is nice, not as good as Loyola but better than Rhode Island College.

Rhode Island College (Providence, RI): $28,401

• I loved their nursing facility, the best among my options.
• It’s a 2+2 program where you apply to the nursing program after freshman or sophomore year, making it feel competitive.
• Limited transportation information: campus shuttle stops at CVS, Stop n Shop, and Family Dollar after 4:30 pm.

I’m feeling very anxious and overwhelmed because I have so many factors to consider, and I can’t seem to balance them without feeling overwhelmed. Discussions with my parents haven’t helped, and it’s making them more upset that I can’t decide.
I’d appreciate any insights, information, suggestions, comments, advice, etc. Please let me know if you need any more information.
Additional Context:

• I considered community college, but there were issues with the CT Community College system changes, program deadlines requiring me to be 18 when I was still 17, and competitiveness, which could extend the program to 3 years instead of 2.
• I’m aiming for an on-campus job if that matters.
• I’m considering public transportation as part of my decision because I don’t drive currently due to the expense, I prefer not to drive, and I need reliable transportation options.
• I plan on settling down in the local area of my chosen school and accepting a local job after graduation.

Part One Here!
Part Two Here!
Part Three Here!
Part Four Here!
Part Five Here!
Part Six Here!
Part Seven Here!
Part Eight Here!
Part Nine Here!
Part Ten Here!
Part Eleven Here!
Part Twelve Here!
Part Thirteen Here!
Part Fourteen Here!
Part Fifteen Here!
Part Sixteen Here!
Part Seventeen Here!
Part Eighteen Here!
Whoops, I forgot to add the name of who wrote each part to a lot of the titles. This is taking a lot longer than I thought, and I'm not gonna go back and fix 'em. I'm sure you will all survive. Much love.
We left off in the aftermath of Survivor Series 2016, where Big Match John fuckin’ flubbed it and got choked out by Samoa Joe. While Cena’s Team SmackDown went on to win, he didn’t get anything out of it, and flipped out on SmackDown management before bailing on the show and going completely AWOL, vowing to return in pursuit of the WWE Championship and revenge against all the enemies he’s made across both Raw and SmackDown. TLC 2016 comes and goes without a Cena appearance, as does the New Year’s episode of SmackDown, so it seems like he’s a lock for the Royal Rumble… until Number 30 enters, and it’s not him. Weird. The Rumble ends up being won by Roman Reigns, making up for his not having won in 2015, and saving us from Roman vs. Taker.
Road to Elimination Chamber 2017
The next week, Daniel Bryan is seen in his office talking to Shane McMahon, saying that he’s going to reach out to Cena and tell him he’s in breach of contract for missing so many dates. Shane approves it, and Bryan makes the call, only to be greeted with the greatest answering machine ever. You know, full disclosure, as proud as I am of this booking’s content, I can use a break from writing matches and build as we get into the tenth part written by me, so we’re just gonna do the script for the entirety of the call.
DB: Listen to me, John…
JC: doodoodoodoooooo
DB: JOHN!
JC: doodoodoodoooooo
DB: If you don’t come in next week to SmackDo-
JC: doodoodoodoooooo
DB: You’ll be fired, you hear me?
JC: doodoodoodoooooo
DB: FIRED! FIRED! YOU’LL NEVER GET A TITLE MATCH AGAIN! I’LL PUT AJ IN A MATCH WITH AMBROSE, REIGNS, ROLLINS, JOE AND OWENS FOR THE BELT, AND NAME IT THE “YOU CAN’T SEE JOHN” TITLE! I DON’T CARE! I’LL MAKE YOU REGRET NOT DOING YOUR DAMN JOB! BE HERE NEXT WEEK!
JC: doodoodoodoooooo
Finally, Bryan slams the phone down on the receiver, exhausted. Shane asks if he’s actually intending to do that, and Bryan shakes his head, saying that at the very least, he definitely wants to sack Cena at this point for all the difficulties he’s caused. McMahon agrees, setting the stakes for next week.
Next week goes by pretty smoothly, with the Elimination Chamber match announced for the WWE Title. Bray Wyatt qualifies, as do Dean Ambrose and Luke Harper. Finally, to close out the show, AJ Styles takes to the ring, taunting Cena and saying the clock is ticking for him to come on down to the ring. Bryan joins Styles, telling him to stop being a nuisance but reassuring everyone that yes, Cena’s only got a few minutes, when OUT COMES THE FRANCHISE! Cena walks down to the ring, says he’s here so he doesn’t get fired, and says he’s also here for the gold. Styles tells him to bring it, and WAIT A SECOND! THAT… THAT’S SCOTT DAWSON AND DASH WILDER! THE REVIVAL ARE ATTACKING AJ STYLES! They lift him up… SHATTER MACHINE! Bryan gets in Cena’s face, and CENA PICKS HIM UP INTO A FIREMAN’S CARRY! HE’S GOING FOR AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT ON A RETIREE! Shane McMahon pulls Bryan off Cena’s shoulders, but now CENA LEVELS SHANE WITH A LARIAT! He grabs Shane O’Mac by the back of the neck, the Revival boxing Daniel out as Cena shouts at Bryan that he’ll hit Shane with another unless Bryan adds him to the Chamber. Daniel relents, saying that he’s got his wish. Cena drops Shane to the canvas, and picks up the WWE Title, delivering a “You Can’t See Me” taunt to both Styles and Bryan before heading off with the Revival in tow, a new stable sending shockwaves through SmackDown Live.
Dolph Ziggler ends up rounding out the Elimination Chamber lineup, and AJ Styles opens the go-home show for Chamber wanting blood, only for Cena to not be there. He’s not the only one, though - Bryan is furious, and Dean Ambrose, as always, is fond of the idea of taking Cena out. In a rare moment of aligning with his management, Dean promises to take Cena out for the good of SmackDown, and in order to take the WWE Title to WrestleMania and walk out for the second year in a row with the gold, while Styles promises he’ll be exiting WrestleMania with the WWE Title to prove that he’s undoubtedly better than the Franchise.
Elimination Chamber 2017
Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Title: John Cena vs. AJ Styles (c) vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper
Wyatt and Harper start this one off, and Harper gets plenty of babyface fire in against his old leader, but Wyatt’s craftiness sees him lasting until AJ Styles enters the fray. AJ tries to take out both men at once, but upon eating a boot from Harper, decides to just let them fight. Bray ends up leveling Harper with an uranage on the steel grating, but Harper somehow kicks out to stay in the mix, only for AJ TO DELIVER A SPRINGBOARD 450! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT BY HARPER, AND NOW BRAY OBLITERATES AJ WITH A BODY TACKLE! Wyatt goes to work on Styles as the buzzer sounds, and Dean Ambrose enters the match with a flurry of strikes to all involved, acting like a rabid dog as he sets his eyes on the champion. He goes straight for Styles, but Wyatt remains a haunting presence, and Harper continues to cause trouble for all three men. Ziggler’s out next, meaning Cena gets to enter last, and Dolph lets loose with a superkick party, finally laying in a stiff one to Harper, who falls into Wyatt’s waiting arms for a SISTER ABIGAIL! ONE! TWO! THREE! LUKE HARPER IS THE FIRST MAN DOWN, RIGHT AS BIG MATCH JOHN ENTERS THE CHAMBER!
The Franchise unleashes hell on the already battered foes, taking them all down with suplexes before DECAPITATING ZIGGLER WITH A LARIAT! ONE! TWO! THREE! Commentary discusses Cena’s use of the lariat as another finisher as of late, with John having apparently fittingly dubbed it the “Franchise Lariat,” and Cena looks to uncork another on Bray, only for Wyatt to duck it and AJ TO NAIL A PHENOMENAL FOREARM ON CENA! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOOO! Cena rolls to the outside, but Ambrose follows him out, lining up for a REGAL KNEE, BUT CENA AVOIDS IT, AMBROSE CRASHING THROUGH THE POD BEHIND JOHN AND STRAIGHT OUT TO THE FLOOR! Cena howls with laughter before turning around and locking eyes with a spider-walking Bray Wyatt, and, wigged out, runs straight towards Styles. The two men trade blows, AJ starting to get the upper hand before WAIT A SECOND! THE REVIVAL GOT INTO THE CHAMBER THROUGH THE BROKEN POD, LAYING WASTE TO AMBROSE ON THE FLOOR BEFORE COMING IN TO HELP CENA! SHATTER MACHINE TO STYLES, AND NOW CENA MAKES THE PIN! NOT LIKE THIS! ONE! TWO! THREE! WE WILL HAVE A NEW WWE CHAMPION HERE TONIGHT!
Cena directs Dawson and Wilder to go after Bray, and Bray starts throwing hands, refusing to give in after coming this far. He knocks down Wilder, but Revival Bald slugs him from behind, driving him into the chain wall before EATING A URANAGE FROM BRAY, ONLY FOR CENA TO NAIL AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! Rolling Bray back into the ring, he makes the cover… ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT BY WYATT! Bray won’t give up that easy, but The Revival are back in the mix, lifting Bray up and holding him steady for a FRANCHISE LARIAT! ONE! TWO! THREE! JOHN CENA IS MAKING LIGHT WORK OF THIS CHAMBER, BUT NOW… MY GOD, UP ON TOP OF THE POD! IT’S DEAN AMBROSE, NAILING AN ELBOW DROP TO TAKE OUT ALL THREE MEN IN THE RING! HE PICKS CENA UP AND DELIVERS A DIRTY DEEDS! ONE! TWO! THRE-DAWSON BREAKS IT UP! GODDAMMIT! Ambrose frantically starts throwing fists at Dawson, but Wilder grabs his arms, Dawson getting up to hold him steady as Cena comes to… BUT AJ STYLES BREAKS IT UP! AJ STYLES IS HERE TO HELP DEAN AMBROSE AGAINST THE GREATER EVIL! PHENOMENAL FOREARM TO WILDER! PELE KICK TO DAWSON! CENA GOES FOR THE FRANCHISE LARIAT, BUT AJ SLIPS BEHIND, GIVING AMBROSE TIME TO NAIL A SECOND DIRTY DEEDS! ONE! TWO! THREE! DEAN AMBROSE IS THE WWE CHAMPION ONCE MORE!
Dean Ambrose def. John Cena, AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper (35:59) to win the WWE Title
AJ still has plenty of beef with Ambrose, but for tonight, all he can do is give him a nod, and a promise he’ll be back for the title sooner rather than later. Ambrose accepts the challenge, and watches on as Styles taunts Cena with a “You Can’t See Me” wave, leaving Dean to celebrate with the gold.
Road to WrestleMania 33
It is an understatement to say that John Cena is displeased with AJ coming back for revenge. He comes out with the Revival, saying that he was robbed of victory last night because Styles cheated and re-entered the Chamber. There’s some solace in the fact that AJ left a loser, but Dean Ambrose is no better. Styles hits the ring, and Cena calls him an idiot for walking into a 3v1, only for GALLOWS AND ANDERSON TO ATTACK FROM BEHIND, RUNNING OFF CENA AND THE REVIVAL! Daniel Bryan, fed up with Cena’s shit, makes a six man tag match official for next week’s main event, saying if Cena doesn’t show up, he won’t be getting a WrestleMania paycheck at all.
John Cena and The Revival vs. The Club (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows)
The next week, it’s an all-out brawl, all six men showcasing their abilities with the Revival working a clinical style of tag wrestling, but also, most importantly, going back to their NXT roots by cheating as creatively as possible. They crawl under the ring to pull their opponents off the apron and halt hot tags, they put the boots to people while covering the ref’s field of view, the works. Cena and Styles have a brutal exchange that sees Styles get the better of the Franchise, even delivering a STYLES CLASH THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE DESK, TAKING OUT BOTH MEN! However, in the end, Styles’ incredible ability isn’t enough to save Karl Anderson from a Shatter Machine, with Wilder picking up the win for his team in a hellacious main event.
John Cena and The Revival def. The Club (24:58)
It’s clearly far from over for Cena and Styles as we continue to hurtle towards WrestleMania, and the direction is clear as day for both men, with AJ issuing an official challenge to his foe for the Grandest Stage of Them All on the next week’s SmackDown Live. Cena isn’t there to accept, but Daniel Bryan does so on his behalf, saying he likes the sound of the match. On Twitter, Cena is frustrated to not have just been given a title match or something, but he says he’ll be at Mania to show the Phenomenal One that there are levels to this game.
WrestleMania 33
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
Opening WrestleMania for the very first time, John Cena immediately takes the fight to Styles, making for a very different contest than their SummerSlam match. After having fought over who was the face of TNA, they now do so to determine the face of WWE, and it’s a brawl from the jump. It’s been over a decade of trying to be the better wrestler, and now it’s just a war of attrition, both men battering each other all around ringside before taking it back into the ring. Here, it’s a story of AJ trying to overwhelm Cena as he has in the past, throwing everything he can at the Franchise, but Cena rallies with an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOO! He sets Styles up on the top to go for an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment, but Styles knows just how nasty that feels, fighting tooth and nail to keep John at bay before throwing caution to the wind with a stiff forearm and a SHOOTING STYLES PRESS! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT BY CENA! AJ immediately calls for the Styles Clash, but Cena reverses it into a fireman’s carry, only for AJ to swivel around into a POISON RANA! He goes for the Styles Clash again, and in a desperate move, Cena simply charges towards the ropes, sending both men out to the apron. AJ lands a Phenomenal Blitz, stunning Cena for long enough to run at the turnbuckles for a STYLIN’ DDT ONTO THE APRON, BUT CENA CATCHES HIM FOR A LAWN DART INTO THE STEEL SUPPORT OF THE TOP TURNBUCKLE! AJ goes down like a sack of bricks, crumpled in a heap on the outside, and Cena rolls him back in for a FRANCHISE LARIAT! ONE! TWO! THREE!
John Cena def. AJ Styles (23:39)
John Cena does not propose to Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33, as Nikki Bella idolizes Mitsuharu Misawa, who John Cena killed in 2009. Nikkisawa could never forgive the Franchise, so they never got together. You can thank this booking for saving the world from a real-life post-engagement split.
Road to the 2017 Draft
Coming out of WrestleMania on a win, John Cena still has pretty fraught relations with SmackDown management, and Daniel Bryan seems unsure of if he even wants to try and draft Cena for another year. He says he’s a terrific competitor, but they can’t have someone on the roster trying to strong-arm them all the time to get his way. Similarly, Kurt Angle seems to immediately dislike Cena, as if, in another life, he’d been a real rival. However, Cena’s starpower is certain to make him highly contested in the draft lottery, and once the Draft rolls around, he’s drafted… nowhere. As an employee of WWE, he’s declared a free agent, who can travel wherever he likes on a case by case basis. The Revival is drafted to Raw, though, and with Cena’s disdain for Bryan, it’s a safe bet where he’ll land in the future.
Road to Extreme Rules 2017
A few weeks later, he says he’ll go over to Raw if he gets a shot at the Universal Title, but Kurt Angle negotiates him down to a Number One Contender’s match at Extreme Rules. Cena promises he’ll win, but the field is a daunting one. Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins await him, and it’s made an Extreme Rules match, making Cena’s first match for Raw since the brand extension a particularly brutal affair. The week before, he tries to get one up on the competition by attacking Seth Rollins, and the two get into a huge brawl, only for Finn Balor to come in and try to take both out. Samoa Joe crashes the party, and then the lights go out, Bray Wyatt appearing to deliver a SISTER ABIGAIL TO ROLLINS, BUT CENA NAILS A FRANCHISE LARIAT TO BRAY, ONLY TO CATCH A SHOTGUN DROPKICK BY BALOR! Finn goes up to the top for a Coup de Grace, but he’s intercepted on the turnbuckles by SAMOA JOE WITH A MUSCLE BUSTER! Joe turns around to celebrate standing tall, but CENA’S BACK UP TO DELIVER AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! John looks around at the carnage, nursing his ribs from Finn’s dropkick, and suddenly feels pretty confident about his odds at Extreme Rules, hoping to get another crack at Brock Lesnar.
Extreme Rules 2017
Extreme Rules Match for the Number One Contendership to the Universal Title: John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe vs. Seth Rollins
This match is a riff on the real life one, which I feel really flew under the radar. Joe and Wyatt team up early, looking like a wrecking crew in a match that can best be described as a round of Smash Melee taking place in a wrestling ring. Joe and Rollins duke it out, their feud having reached a fever pitch, while Balor fights with Cena, having openly acknowledged himself as a friend of AJ Styles. Balor gets to be highlighted after his time away, wanting to reclaim the Universal Title he never truly lost, and finally manages to deliver a COUP DE GRACE TO CENA! ONE! TWO! THR-ROLLINS WITH THE BREAK! Seth throws Finn out of the ring, but Joe locks in a Coquina Clutch on the former Shield member, Rollins reversing into a high stack before EATING A BASEMENT DROPKICK TO THE RIBS FROM FINN! Joe and Balor lock eyes, a subtle acknowledgement despite their differing allegiances, but now CENA REENTERS THE MIX, LAYING OUT BOTH MEN WITH A CHAIR!
He lays out Balor with an Attitude Adjustment, and floors Joe with a Franchise Lariat, but Joe manages to roll out of the ring. After covering Finn for two, Cena sets up a table, placing Rollins on it, and climbs up to the top rope… BUT BRAY WYATT MEETS HIM THERE! Bray cackles with glee, Cena looking as frightened as he did in the Chamber, and Bray gets his revenge for Cena cheating him out of the WWE Title with a SUPERPLEX THROUGH THE TABLE, STRAIGHT THROUGH ROLLINS’ MIDSECTION AS WELL! ONE! TWO! THR-CENA KICKS OUT, AND BRAY COVERS SETH! ONE! TWO! THRE-FINN WITH A COUP DE GRACE TO BRAY! ONE! TWO! THRE-CENA SOMEHOW MANAGES TO PUSH FINN OFF THE NEW FACE OF FEAR! Finn lines up for a Shotgun Dropkick on Cena, but CENA COUNTERS WITH A POWERBOMB! He calls for a Franchise Lariat, but Balor ducks, Cena pivoting into a PELE KICK, BUT SETH IS BACK UP TO SUPERKICK FINN! REVOLUTION KNEE CONNECTS, AND NOW HE SCRAMBLES TO THE CORNER FOR A CURB STOMP, ONLY TO BE BEHEADED WITH A FRANCHISE LARIAT - BUT JOE TOSSES CENA OUT, LOCKING IN THE COQUINA CLUTCH ON ROLLINS! SETH IS OUT! SAMOA JOE IS THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDER!
Samoa Joe def. John Cena, Bray Wyatt, Finn Balor and Seth Rollins (30:17) to become Number One Contender to the Universal Title
Road to Great Balls of Fire 2017
John Cena has plenty of potential rivals coming out of Extreme Rules - Bray Wyatt hates him for screwing him at Elimination Chamber, as does AJ Styles as an extension of their never-ending feud. Similarly, Balor immediately took a disliking to him, and Rollins has detested Cena for years, just like Roman Reigns. Samoa Joe is busy with Brock Lesnar now, but once that’s done, he’s sure to be back to feuding with Cena too, so John’s fine waiting and seeing what pops up for him - but it’s a surprising one. Cena’s appearance on Raw is cut short by a roar of BRAAAAAUUUUUUNNNNN, sending the fans into a frenzy as Strowman enters, fresh off defeating Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules. Immediately, Cena tries to get the fuck outta dodge, but Strowman cuts him off with a huge tackle, shouting that there’s another top star he wants to see pancaked. Cena fights back, but the crowd is most definitely behind Braun as he delivers a RUNNING POWERSLAM THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE TO CENA, STANDING TALL OVER THE FRANCHISE!
The next week, Strowman is seen backstage, where he’s asked for an interview. He stares vacantly at the interviewer, silently reminding them of the stupidity it takes to ask Braun Strowman a series of questions, but before they can start asking, JOHN CENA BLASTS BRAUN FROM BEHIND WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO THE BASE OF THE SKULL! Braun drops to a knee, and Cena hits him again before LIFTING UP AN EQUIPMENT BOX! THOSE HAVE TO WEIGH NORTH OF FOUR HUNDRED POUNDS, AND NOW CENA DROPS IT DOWN ON STROWMAN! MY GOD! Cena grabs the microphone off the interviewer, shoving them aside as he stands over an unmoving Braun, saying that he saw what Strowman did to Roman Reigns. He knows he’s a freak of nature, but, news flash, John Cena is too. If Braun wants to be scary and strong, call himself the Monster Among Men, he can do that all he likes, but he picked a fight with John Cena, and Cena’s no ordinary man. He scoffs at Strowman, laid out, and says if Braun wants to settle this, they can do it at Great Balls of Fire.
Naturally, Cena takes the easy route to avoid Braun’s rage and stays at home until the PPV, but Braun isn’t finished with him. Via satellite, Cena cuts a promo from his home, but he’s taken aback when he hears sirens in the background. He gets up and looks out the window to see an ambulance, and then hears a gruff “you’re gonna need it.” Turning around, Cena is face to face with BRAUN STROWMAN, SOMEHOW MANAGING TO STAND AFTER CENA’S ASSAULT THE WEEK PRIOR! John is stunned, but throws a few punches and lobs a coffee table at Strowman before THE MONSTER AMONG MEN TACKLES HIM THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW! The feed cuts out as Michael Cole tries to explain the situation, but we get a report that the brawl was broken up by police after the paramedics called it in. Later that night, Kurt Angle says that the match at Great Balls of Fire will be an ambulance match, in the hopes that one night of wild violence will get all the ill will out of the systems of Cena and Strowman.
Great Balls of Fire 2017
Ambulance Match: John Cena vs. Braun Strowman
And what a night of wild violence it is, because Braun and Cena tear each other apart. It’s a straight-up showcase of strength, Cena using his strength in combination with his wits and veteran instinct to try and keep an edge on Strowman, while Braun just uses strength and even more strength. Cena tries to keep his distance, so Braun hurls a chair like a baseball before taking John up to the stage near the ambulance. Braun tries to slam Cena off the stage, but Cena manages to kick out his legs before shoving him off the ledge, down to the concrete below. Strowman starts coming to, but John knows he’s superhuman, and it’ll take something wild to keep him down, so he TURNS OVER THE ANNOUNCE DESK, DUMPING IT OFF THE STAGE AND ONTO THE MONSTER AMONG MEN! He manages to roll the desk off of Braun, dragging Strowman’s massive body to the back of the ambulance, opening the doors and loading Braun in. He closes one door, and then the other… BUT BRAUN STOPS THE SECOND DOOR AT THE LAST MOMENT, KICKING IT STRAIGHT INTO CENA’S FACE! John flops to the ground, Strowman hoisting him up for a RUNNING POWERSLAM INTO THE TECHNICIAN’S AREA, A VOLLEY OF PYRO ERUPTING ON THE STAGE BEHIND THEM! He picks Cena up by the scruff of the neck and hurls him into the ambulance, and CLOSES THE DOORS! BRAUN STROWMAN PICKS UP THE HUGE WIN!
Braun Strowman def. John Cena (16:22)
He celebrates his victory before telling the ambulance to set off, but there’s a muffled shout before the driver is ejected. Strowman rushes over to the driver’s side door, and WAIT A SECOND! JOHN CENA JUST OPENED A NOZZLE, GAS FLOODING OUT INTO STROWMAN’S FACE! Braun coughs and wheezes, clawing at his eyes as Cena grabs the empty container and SMASHES BRAUN IN THE SIDE OF THE HEAD! He dumps Strowman into the ambulance and sets off, driving backstage into the American Airlines Arena before REVERSING INTO AN EQUIPMENT TRUCK AT FULL TILT! FIRST MISAWA, THEN RUSEV, NOW JOE - CENA’S ON AN ATTEMPTED MURDER SPREE, AND THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIS SECOND SUCCESSFUL ONE! He staggers out of the ambulance as Kurt Angle appears, stunned beyond belief, urging bystanders to call 911 as Cena laughs at Braun and leaves, sending us into the main event, in which Samoa Joe defeats Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Title.
Road to SummerSlam 2017
While Cena’s enemies haven’t gone anywhere, there’s now a sizeable target on Samoa Joe’s back as well, and Cena wants a shot at the Samoan Submission Machine’s gold. He’s not alone, though, as Samoa Joe kicks off the show eight days after SummerSlam and is interrupted by Paul Heyman on behalf of Brock Lesnar. Joe backs Paul up into the corner, telling him the Beast can come down himself… and Brock does. Lesnar enters the ring, staring Joe down, when out comes Roman Reigns. Reigns and Joe spent some time feuding ahead of this, but Roman is shoved aside by Lesnar. Joe says he’ll fight ‘em both if he has to, when JOHN CENA FROM BEHIND, LAYING OUT THE CHAMPION! He stares daggers through both Lesnar and Reigns, two longtime rivals of his, and then all three look down at the Universal Title as Joe starts to come to, pulling it in close to his chest. The crowd is electric, and the tensions are high as can be when… BRAAAAAUUUUUUNNNNN!!! Cena’s eyes go wide, and Joe takes the chance to sink in a Coquina Clutch on the Franchise, Cena swinging wildly before LESNAR SUPLEXES JOE ACROSS THE RING! Joe scrambles up to his feet, but there’s a new problem as Braun enters the ring, Roman making a beeline for the Monster Among Men as all five seek to come out on top. Strowman is bandaged up, and Reigns takes advantage with a Superman Punch, calling for a Spear before BEING TURNED INSIDE OUT BY A FRANCHISE LARIAT! Cena turns around and charges at Strowman, and BRAUN REVERSES FOR A RUNNING POWERSLAM BEFORE STARING DOWN LESNAR! Joe grabs the title and splits, making his way up the ramp and holding the title aloft as security run down to break it all up, but he’s got four challengers who all pose one hell of a threat. It’s made official for SummerSlam - the Battle for Brooklyn, with Samoa Joe defending the Universal Title in a fatal five way made of meat and muscle.
SummerSlam 2017
Earlier in the night, Shinsuke Nakamura murders Jinder Mahal to win the WWE Title. This won’t play a factor in the booking, but it’s just personally important to me that it happens.
Universal Title: John Cena vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe (c)
Big meaty men are bumping meat. They’re slapping meat. Their meat can’t be beat, but only one man’s meat can prevail. The theme to start is a simple one - everybody hates Cena. He gets his shit pushed in before the other four go at it, letting chaos reign all around the arena. Barricades are broken, announce desks are demolished, Braun throws big things, Lesnar throws big people, Joe throws big bombs and Roman doesn’t throw anything, because Samoa Joe decides he hates him and beats his ass. Everyone gets some shine, with Strowman plowing through everybody at ringside, the Beast naturally dominating a good chunk of the contest, Joe’s brains paying dividends as he avoids most of the big offense and arrives to pick the bones with a surprising level of athleticism, and Roman gets a few big hope spots in, even cutting Brock in two with a Spear for a nearfall. However, it’s Cena who jumps in at just the right moment, laying out Strowman with a FRANCHISE LARIAT! ONE! TWO! THRE-REIGNS BREAKS IT UP! Cena goes for an Attitude Adjustment on Reigns, but Roman slides off his back for a SPEAR, CENA SIDESTEPPING AND LETTING ROMAN CONNECT WITH THE CHAMPION! He throws Joe out of the ring, shouting at him to stay gone as the Big Dog and the Franchise start trading blows, Reigns getting the upper hand before CENA PUNTS HIM BELOW THE BELT! Mockingly hitting Roman with a “You Can’t See Me,” he lines up for the Franchise Lariat, but BROCK FROM BEHIND WITH A GERMAN, FOLLOWED BY AN F-5 ON A PRONE REIGNS! ONE! TWO! THREE! BROCK LESNAR STEALS THE UNIVERSAL TITLE BACK!
Brock Lesnar def. John Cena, Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe (24:06) to win the Universal Title
Road to No Mercy 2017
Samoa Joe is back in hot pursuit of Brock Lesnar, as is Braun Strowman, who wasn’t involved in the finish at all after going on a win streak over both Reigns and Cena. That leaves Reigns, who feels slighted after Cena kicked him in the nads to try and get the upper hand, and the Franchise himself. Reigns comes out at the top of the hour on Raw, saying that John cost him the title by being a coward. They’ve got a lot of history, and he was ready to be the bigger man and move on, try and progress to the World Title without Cena getting involved, but Cena had to involve himself and get in the way. Cena comes out and says the same - he was ready to never give Reigns a moment of thought again, and the same goes for his loser buddies in the Shield. Suddenly… IT'S DEAN AMBROSE, AND SETH ROLLINS IS WITH HIM! The new Raw Tag Team Champions are here to party, and Cena, despite his recent cowardice, shockingly stands his ground. He says that for Roman’s complaining about “cheating him out of the gold,” it’s damn sure hypocritical when the Shield only debuted to screw Cena out of the WWE Title. Rollins and Ambrose reach the ring, and now THE REVIVAL JUMP THEM, TAKING THEM OUT AT RINGSIDE BEFORE THEY COULD SURROUND THE RING! CENA AND REIGNS START THROWING HAYMAKERS! WE’VE GOT A FIGHT ON OUR HANDS! It’s broken up once the Revival and Cena cut their losses and duck out, the war wounds clear on all six men as they bark at one another. In the main event, Rollins and Ambrose retain the Raw Tag Titles in a rematch with The Bar.
The next week, Kurt Angle announces that The Revival will face off with Rollins and Ambrose at No Mercy for the Raw Tag Titles, and that Reigns and Cena will have one more singles bout to settle things.
No Mercy 2017
John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
It’s a big fight feel at No Mercy, John Cena and Roman Reigns meeting once again with their roles firmly switched - Cena now the detested villain, and Reigns the hopeful babyface, backed by Ambrose and Rollins. John works a methodical match, using his veteran prowess to frustrate the Big Dog, but Roman’s wiser than he was last time, staying calm, cool and collected. Cena considers targeting the shoulder as a force of habit, but Roman is 100%, and makes Cena pay with a huge uppercut and a DRIVE-BY! Reigns keeps the pressure on with a Superman Punch for two, but when he goes for the Spear, Cena simply rolls out of the ring, only for REIGNS TO FLY OVER THE TOP… AND FOR CENA TO STEP ASIDE, ROMAN CRASHING AND BURNING! Cena lays into Roman, piecing him up against the barricade and bashing him into the ring post before locking in an STF in the ring, Reigns somehow rallying with the support of his brothers to get to the ropes. He fights to his feet, but Cena’s confident, taunting the Shield at ringside before calling for a FIVE KNUCKLE SHUFFLE, BUT REIGNS INTERCEPTS HIM WITH A SUPERMAN PUNCH! HE’S GOT CENA ROCKED, AND NOW HE GOES FOR ANOTHER… ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT BY CENA, REVERSING THE BLOW! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT! Cena chuckles, getting into the corner and letting loose a mocking “OOOOAHHHH” before THROWING A FRANCHISE LARIAT, BUT REIGNS NAILS A SPEAR! ONE! TWO! THRE-SCOTT DAWSON APPEARS, GETTING CENA’S FOOT ON THE ROPE! The referee doesn’t see him, but the Shield do, leading to a two-on-two brawl at ringside as Reigns tries to get his wits about him. The referee is distracted as he throws everyone at ringside out, and Reigns turns around INTO A LOW BLOW BY CENA, JUST LIKE AT SUMMERSLAM! Cena’s face is painted with a cheeky smile, proud of his handiwork as he hoists Roman up for ANOTHER ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, BUT REIGNS SLIDES OFF HIS SHOULDERS, GOING FOR A SPEAR! CENA SIDESTEPS, AND ROMAN KEEPS BUILDING UP SPEED, BOUNCING OFF THE ROPES FOR A HUGE SPEAR, CUTTING CENA IN TWO! ONE! TWO! THREE! ROMAN REIGNS OVERCOMES THE ODDS AT NO MERCY!
Roman Reigns def. John Cena (18:45)
Later in the night, the Revival topple Ambrose and Rollins to win the Raw Tag Team Titles, and Brock Lesnar retains the Universal Championship against Samoa Joe.
Road to Survivor Series 2017
John Cena announces via Twitter that he won’t be at TLC, clearly pouting about his loss to Reigns, but TLC does see some major developments. AJ and Balor meet in a singles match before sharing a Too Sweet, and Samoa Joe attacks Rollins and Ambrose, saying that once Roman Reigns is back, he’s next. Reigns returns to action a few weeks later, and, for the first time in years, the Shield competes in a trios bout, defeating Balor, Gallows and Anderson (by pinning Gallows) before declaring themselves the most dominant trio in the WWE. Balor gets up, taking offense to that, and he’s shockingly joined by AJ Styles, who makes his way over from SmackDown to crash Raw on the road to Survivor Series. AJ and Balor stand nose-to-nose with Rollins and Ambrose, and now SAMOA JOE! SAMOA JOE CALLED HIS SHOT, AND HE’S CHOKING OUT ROMAN REIGNS! Balor and Styles are far from Joe’s biggest fans, but they welcome the support as they start duking it out with the Shield, only for WAIT A SECOND! WHAT THE HELL? SMACKDOWN’S ROSTER IS CRASHING THE SHOW! BRAND WARFARE IS IN FULL EFFECT! Kurt Angle rushes down to the ring to try and stop the calamity, and there are so many bodies around ringside as the Raw locker room empties out that nobody can see JOHN CENA! CENA’S HERE, THE REVIVAL BY HIS SIDE, TAKING DOWN JOE, BALOR, STYLES, ROLLINS, AMBROSE AND REIGNS! IT’S MAYHEM, BUT THAT’S ALL THE TIME WE’VE GOT ON RAW!
The next week, Cena and The Revival open the show, saying that Cena’s got his problems with The Shield, and they took offense to that “best trio” line. However, it’s not long before Balor, Styles, Gallows and Anderson show up, and Cena says that they’ve beaten the Club before. They had no trouble doing so, so Balor can back his ass on up out of this conversation, but AJ DECKS CENA! The Revival take out Gallows and Anderson as Cena rolls out of the ring, Styles in hot pursuit until taking a thumb to the eye, John grabbing a chair and BLASTING THE PHENOMENAL ONE, AND NOW BALOR BEFORE WEARING IT OUT OVER GALLOWS AND ANDERSON! AJ and Finn leap back into action, refusing to stay down, but the Revival take the fight to them, Cena grabbing a microphone and shouting from ringside. He says that nobody’s got what it takes against him and the Revival, that nobody can stand up to the Franchise, and… gulp. JOE chants ring out as the former Universal Champion makes his way down to the ring, Cena sliding back in as the battle lines are drawn. Balor and Styles get to their feet on one side as the Revival and Cena get up in the other, and the place erupts as Joe enters the ring and stands right next to the Phenomenal One. He’s made his choice.
Cena’s beside himself with fury, screaming that everyone’s out to get him because he’s the face of the WWE, but fine. If Joe, Balor and Styles want a piece, they’ve got one, because there’s no unholy alliance that can stop… Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta, SHIELD. Man, Cena should stop saying things. It’s an unbelievable spectacle, the crowd rising to their feet as Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose make their way down through the stands, surrounding the ring. The Hounds of Justice are back on the prowl, and there are six men in their sights, with years of history interwoven between them… AND HERE WE GO! ALL NINE MEN ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES! IT’S A MELEE! Security rush in to try and stop the mayhem, but it’s Kurt Angle shouting into the microphone that halts it. Daniel Bryan joins him, much to Cena’s chagrin, and they say that they’ve been talking about this. This has gone beyond brand supremacy. They’ll do their champion versus champion matches, they’ll have all their fun, but this is too much for them to get a handle on. Raw stars, SmackDown stars, and a free agent are all involved, so they looked outside for a solution, and then… they looked back. Out comes William Regal, NXT’s GM, and they say that they needed an impartial voice to decide what to do to settle this. Kurt hands Regal the mic, and he says that all of them are all going to do battle at Survivor Series. Nine men, three teams… two rings. One cage. At Survivor Series, WWE will play host to the return of one of the greatest stipulations of all time, the only thing barbaric enough to contain them. It’ll be Cena and The Revival vs. The Shield vs. Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Finn Balor… IN WAHRGAEMES!
There’s a triple threat elimination advantage match on the Raw before Survivor Series, determining the entry order, pitting Cena against Styles and Ambrose. Ambrose is out first thanks to a Franchise Lariat, but Styles manages to get a semblance of comeuppance against Cena for WrestleMania 33 by nailing a Phenomenal Forearm and a Styles Clash for the clean three count, giving his team the right to enter first - and temporarily make the bout 3v1v1. Cena’s will enter second, and finally, the Shield will come out third to officially let the WarGames begin.
(Cont'd in Comments)

Hi everyone, first time poster here. I am a new grad nurse from alberta with a job offers to Victoria and North Vancouver. Which city should I move to and why?
About me: single early 20s. Would probably live by my self. I am concerned about housing costs in north van as vic is cheaper. I don't have a preference for busy or quiet lifestyles. I'm also not a huge nightlife/clubbing/concert/event person. I do like the outdoors so both would work for me. Wages would also be identical in both cities (around 80k year).
Which ever city I do choose I will have to be there for at least 2, possibly 2.5 years as I have a return of service contract so moving if I dislike a city is not really an option.
Please help and thanks in advance!!!

Mary Jane

This review is of the play Mary Jane which is currently playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in NYC. Please see the latter portion of this post for “Review Structure” and “Context” descriptions, which may add helpful background to this writeup.
Impression: Rachel McAdams made a rock-solid Broadway debut in this production, that is both hopeful and heart-wrenching. Playwright Amy Herzog and director Anne Kauffman masterfully crafted the world in which Mary Jane and the supporting characters exist. The book, visuals, and sound design worked in unison to show more often than tell this emotionally heavy story.
Watch check: Zero times. The story and dialog were engaging throughout.
See again: While this production has a solid cast and brilliant writing, I would not see the show again due to the emotional toll. This is not a criticism of the production, just a personal preference. I would recommend that those with interest and means see this play before it closes at the end of the month.
Music & Lyrics: Some live music is performed during the show. The song itself isn’t as impactful as the context of the music. It is a perfect example of showing rather than telling the audience Mary Jane’s unending frustration with the disfunction and bureaucracy of the US healthcare system.
Story & Book: The book was an intricate weaving of the mundane and the profound; the combination made the story and characters seem real. Rachel brought it all to life with a character that is eternally optimistic, emotionally and physically exhausted, and in deep denial about her son’s prognosis and her own wellbeing. For example, I felt my heart break for Mary Jane when she expressed concern to the doctor about the daily chest x-rays to monitor her son’s pneumonia, and the doctor tactfully stated that the potential increase in cancer risk was irrelevant given the son’s life that would almost certainly be short. Mary Jane’s reaction to this information appeared to be a brief flash of comprehending the implications of the doctor’s words, followed by an immediate suppression of the reality that she understandably does not want to be true. I do like that the ending of the show was ambiguous. I think this approach avoided some of the potential perils of definitive closure. I enjoy that I can think of at least 3 ways to interpret the final scene, and all provide a satisfactory conclusion.
Set & Props: Mary Jane’s apartment felt cozy and lived in. I appreciate the attention to detail in decorating that space. When the nurse disposed of spent medical supplies I had this nagging feeling about the garbage can not being on the floor. This feeling was resolved during the somewhat jarring reveal of the hospital set that existed behind the apartment. The contrast between the warmth of home and the sterility of the hospital was stark; this visual difference felt even more disjoint by Mary Jane’s lack of change in demeanor between the environments. The props in use were limited but interesting. I especially like the ordinary task of switching the batteries in a child’s toy and the resulting interplay of the lighting design and the light from the toy.
Costumes & Makeup: The costumes and makeup were as expected for this play. Rachel had no more than a handful of minutes off stage during the show and had a few limited costume changes on stage. I have respect for an actor being able to smoothly change costume while in view and often continuing dialog. One aspect of the costumes I didn’t like is that all the actors except for Rachel played two parts, and it wasn’t always immediately obvious when a person changed roles. For example, April Matthis who played Sherry and Dr. Toros; it wasn’t immediately obvious that she was no longer the nurse when she appeared in the hospital.
Movement: Nothing specific to report on this topic.
Tech: The sound and lighting designs were another piece of the story telling puzzle that effectively did more showing than telling. The tone of the play was set early on with an abrupt interruption to the everyday conversation, where a medical device alarm when off and Mary Jane matter-of-factly got up and delt with the situation like it occurred all the time. None of the response was shown on stage and there was no supporting dialog, but it was immediately obvious what was going on based on sound effects alone.
Cast: I felt there were two standouts in the cast of five:

• Rachel McAdams (Mary Jane) – I felt she gave a nuanced and engaging performance. I believe she deserves significant respect as an actor for bringing this role to life. Her nomination for Leading Actress in a Play is justified, but there is incredibly stiff competition in that category this season.
• Brenda Wehle (Ruthie/Tenkei) – I thought it was appropriate that she effectively opened and closed the show. Her dry humor as Ruthie set an early tone, and her caring ear as Tenkei was a nice way to wrap up the story.

Seating: Every seat in this house should have good sightlines, since the Friedman is the second smallest house of all the Broadway theaters (based on number of seats). I might recommend closer seats if you have any difficulty hearing, since I suspect seats in the far rear of the orchestra or mezzanine may miss some lines.

Review Structure

I am systematic in my approach to assessing shows. During a performance I am in the moment, but at intermission and after the show I often write down an outline of my thoughts. Typically, I’ve used these notes to help me re-experience the shows long after the curtain call, but now these notes are the base material for the review in this post.
Each review is divided into categories, and each category is described below. I am a bit of a theater tech nerd, so don’t be surprised if those topics are emphasized compared to most reviews in Broadway (though I am not an expert and welcome corrections from the true experts here).
Show Name & Link: The name of the show with link to the show’s playbill.com page (if applicable) for quick access to cast, schedule, and host theater information.
Impression: This is a summary of my overall thoughts on the show.
Watch check: This is the number of times I felt compelled to check my watch during the show (don’t worry there is no backlight to distract/annoy others if I were to actually look at my watch). If the show drags or is uninteresting, I usually shift my attention to other things like tech or costumes, but eventually my brain subconsciously gravitates toward wanting to know the time. I've found this to be a reliable indicator for how engaging the show is for me. An engaging show is “0 times”, and a dragging/rough/bad show could be “6 times” or more.
See again: This section describes whether I would see the show again and how much I might be willing to spend on another ticket. However, this isn't always an indicator of show quality, since I tend to only want to see heavy topic shows just once, no matter how good it may be (e.g., Parade).
Music & Lyrics: This covers the music, lyrics, orchestra, and conductor of the show. There is overlap with the next category for sung-through shows.
Story & Book: This covers the dialog and story of the show. Comments about show pacing will usually appear here, if applicable.
Set & Props: The category is focused on the set components, lifts, rigging, turntables, stage wagons, drops, curtains, props, and puppets. There is often overlap with the “Tech” and “Movement” categories.
Costumes & Makeup: Here I would cover anything notable about what is worn on stage. Some shows have extravagant makeups/costumes and other shows do not. Both are okay, as long is it all fits the show vibe.
Movement: This section covers blocking, choreography, acrobatics, and scene transitions. Transitions can do overlap with the “Tech” section.
Tech: This covers tech aspects including lighting, sound, projection, displays, video, etc. One aspect I am likely to comment on here are missed mic cues (i.e., a performer’s mic was not unmuted in time, or less commonly left open too long). Few things take me out of a show faster than quite/undiscernible dialog or having the sound level jump mid-note.
Cast: This category covers the cast of the show. There will usually be a general comment about the overall cast, and then several cast members or roles will be specifically called out as being notable, for better or worse. Standouts here could be anyone that caught my attention, from Broadway royalty to the smallest ensemble role.
Seating: This is an attempt at indicating how "bad" partial view seating may be for the show. Sometimes I see shows from partial view seats, sometimes I pay for a prime center orchestra seat (and everything in between). Either way view restrictions can be roughly assessed based on where the action occurs on stage. My goal is to assist those that are on the fence about the potential drawbacks of typical rush, lottery, and TDF tickets.

Context

Approach: Since theater is subjective, like any art form, my goal is that by providing context my reviews might have increased meaning. If your likes and dislikes align with mine then perhaps what I write may help you decide between shows to see, for example. If your tastes are dramatically different than mine my hope is that I do not mislead you into thinking you’ll like a show that you ultimately do not.
About me: I am a theater enthusiast, attending shows produced on world renowned stages but also touring shows, regional productions, and community theater. Musicals are my thing, but I also appreciate plays and operas. Many years ago, I did have amateur time on stage in plays, musicals, and one-acts. Later, I worked semi-professionally back-of-house as a stagehand, spotlight op, lighting designer, and sound/light board op for more shows than I can remember. However, my longtime profession since that time has essentially nothing to do with theater. Also, I do not live near the east coast but am fortunate to travel frequently to keep up with most new Broadway shows, as well as a non-trivial number of the productions in the Washington DC area.
Shows I love: This is a list of shows I’ve seen in the past few years that are standouts; the intent is not to gloat about all the great performances I’ve seen, but instead to give a rounded impression of the types of shows I gravitate towards. If this list does not resonate with you, my reviews may be of lesser value to you. All shows listed are the most recent Broadway production unless otherwise noted. * Aida (Sydney Opera House) * All The Devils Are Here (Off-Broadway) * Beetlejuice * Boop! (Chicago) * The Bridges of Madison County (Signature Theatre) * Come From Away * Company * Dear Evan Hansen * Fat Ham * Good Night, Oscar * Hadestown * Hamilton * Here We Are (Off-Broadway) * King Lear (Shakespeare Theatre Company) * Les Misérables (West End) * Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Broadway) * Macbeth (Shakespeare Theatre Company) * Newsies (Wembley Park) * The Outsiders * The Phantom of the Opera * The Rocky Horror Show (Melbourne) * Some Like it Hot * Spamalot (Kennedy Center) * Suffs * Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center) * Swept Away (Arena Stage)
Shows I don’t love: These are shows I’ve seen in the past few years that I did not particularly enjoy, for a variety of reasons. For reference I have never left a show before its conclusion even if I didn’t like it. These shows are not necessarily bad, and in most cases, they just don’t align with my theatrical preferences. If this happens to be a list of your favorite productions, it is probably best to take my reviews with a gigantic grain of salt. * A Beautiful Noise * Aladdin * Chicago * El Mago Pop * Funny Girl * MJ * Mrs. Doubtfire (US Tour) * New York, New York * Once Upon a One More Time * Perfect Crime (Off-Broadway) * Six * The Who’s Tommy
Shows in the middle: There are many shows that fall between the two lists above, but I do not see value in listing them all. With that said, if you’d like my take on a specific show please do ask.

I remember this horror webtoon where there's a collection of short horror stories kind of like Horang's Nightmare. I remember one of the episodes being of a rebellious girl who was sent to a nursing home by her parents because it would supposedly make her less rebellious. She is then assigned to an elderly lady who she disliked at first, but grew to enjoy her company. At some point, she gets strapped to a table and some weird surgery probably happened so now she's in the old lady's body. The old lady is in her body now and took her place when her parents came. The girl who was now inside the old lady's bodies pleaded for her parents to take her home saying that it's her. The nurses dismissed her and told her parents that she has memory problems and mistook them for someone else.
I don't remember much, it's not surprising since my memory has always been poor when it comes to memories and such. But I sure as hell remember this. Hell, I remember one where there was an app where people caught ghosts like pokemon. Turns out there were real ghosts and the MC dies because of one. I think multiple creators worked on it since the artstyle changed every episode.

Thank you u/SpacePaladin15 for inspiring us all!
And thank you, u/TheManwithaNoPlan for all your help in creating this wonderful project with me! I don’t know where I would be without you!
[First]-[Next]
Memory transcript: Serl, Ipsom-Sprig Lawyer. Date: [Standardized human time] November 13th, 2136.
…I was able to get him to help. I was actually able to get him to help!
When I had been given this case, it was obvious I was being thrown to the Arxur. After the revelation of the omnivorous species, practically every Kolshian was looked down upon for deceiving the galaxy. They were already disliked by the general public through no fault of (most of) their own, and to be handed the defense of one being charged for murder of a human? A yellow slip would’ve been less subtle.
But that’s the board I was dealt, and that’s the board I’d have to play on whether I liked it or not. Venric’s price was steeper than I had envisioned, which irked me more than slightly, but at least I had a fleeting chance at clinching this case…if half the evidence disappeared and the other half swung in my favor. So far, that shows no signs of happening.
Venric was still reviewing the dossier I had prepared for him as we hurtled through the air in his vehicle-office-thing. I didn’t get what about this kind of environment was so appealing to him, but assuming conventionality from him was a foregone conclusion. He defended the first human in Venlil Prime’s court system and won, you didn’t get results like that from thinking within the box. And that was exactly why I sought out his aid.
“Hff,” he sighed, setting down the papers just low enough to see me. “You weren’t kidding when you claimed the evidence was stacked against you. I haven’t even seen the security video yet and I’m already struggling to find a suitable defense.” He leaned forward in his seat and raised his ears. “Have you considered arranging a plea deal?”
I was incensed at his suggestion. After having spoken with the witness prior, there was no chance whatsoever that she could be culpable for such violent actions, and I knew that Venric would see that if he at least tried to speak with her. “Seriously? That’s the best advice you have? I thought you were supposed to be the best around, going off of the break claw whispers.”
“I may be good, but there are reasons that plea deals are the most common way a case is resolved. There’s video evidence of the suspect committing the crime! You truly were thrown to the Arxur, weren’t you?” He set the paper down fully and locked eyes with me. “I admire your conviction, but I fear it might be misplaced.”
“Please, won’t you at least speak with her first? Hear what she has to say?” I pleaded with him, trying desperately to avoid my seemingly inevitable fate. “I know that this all looks bleak, I thought so too, but I know that your opinions will change once you have a face-to-face conversation with her.”
“Where do you think we’re heading?” Venric asked, gesturing towards one of the side windows. I recognized the surrounding area, being where the Sidestar Penitentiary was. “I intend on hearing her out, but this likely won’t end like you think. Perhaps this is a sign that you should switch firms, ensuring that you have a future in law.”
My ears pressed themselves against the back of my head as I steeled myself to not curse at him. “I was very careful in my choice of firm. No matter your personal history, Tail Guard is one of the most prestigious firms on the Entire Planet. It’s gotten the Waterbloom Award for Prestige in Law from the Federal Ministry of Law and Order, in case you’ve forgotten due to your time away.”
“Awards can be handed out to anyone fluid enough to lubricate enough paws. Now results? Those are a lot harder to fake,” Venric explained with a flick of his ears. “That is where they are struggling. Tail Guard has been a standing Snag for quite some time, a trunk and branches still holding green leaves, but long since hollowed within from rot.” He huffed. “To be blunt, I expect the whole firm to go bankrupt within a couple cycles, now that the humans have proven themselves here to stay.”
I didn’t have much of a rebuttal to his claims. Despite my singing of praises, they had given me a nearly impossible task to complete regardless of my status. They could’ve given it to someone with far more rapport, but instead they dropped it on me. As Venric's vehicle descended into a parking area, I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps Venric wasn’t telling me to abandon the firm, but that it had already abandoned me instead. I wasn’t given much time to dwell on that as the door to my left slid open. “After you,” Venric insisted.
I forced my ears to remove themselves from my skull as I slid myself out the door. Venric’s hovercar had landed us directly outside the detention center, just as expected. With the notion that prey were a peaceful group, one might be surprised that we had jails and detention facilities at all. But anyone who would be genuinely surprised by their existence were honestly just naïve. People trespass on property, break into houses and stores to steal jewelry and electronics, sell drugs to minors, even assault others on occasion. But those cases were usually foregone conclusions and an express ticket to the nearest facility.
That was no longer an option here. After the debacle that unfolded on the other side of the planet, the new High Magister of the Sidestar District had stripped down and restructured the Exterminators Office to no longer be involved in incidents of crime prevention or justice. Much like Rolem of Dawn Creek, they were trying to restructure their jobs to be subservient to the police department. It wasn’t nearly as radical a move as had been made in Dawn Creek, as the exterminators were still technically a mostly independent force here, but the circumstances were necessarily different. And those circumstances meant more people were being temporarily incarcerated in police custody for a trial rather than being given a Predator Disease screening before getting transferred for a trial if the screening is negative.
Including my client.
As we entered the building, the mood was bleak. How could it not be, when your facility is suddenly overrun with people in the absence of a fully-fledged Office in the district? Venric and I passed by the guards and approached the front desk. I recognized the Venlil behind the counter, as I had needed to requisition an access card to be granted into the interrogation room. She looked up at me briefly before her attention was drawn to Venric. She raised her head and placed a paw out to stop him. “I’m sorry, sir, no visitors are allowed past this point without a-”
“He’s with me,” I interrupted her. “He’s an associate of mine and will be accompanying me into interrogation. Could you please retrieve inmate 592?” I asked her as politely as I could.
She tilted her head at my request. “Her again? Weren’t you in there with her just a few claws ago?”
I flicked my ears affirmatively. “I was, but I would like to speak with her in the presence of my associate.”
She looked between Venric and me for a moment before toggling her communications headset. “Popmaster? Yes, I need 592 in the interrogation room… Yes, again… Okay… Alright. Thank you.” She turned her attention back to us after that surprisingly short exchange. “She’ll be in shortly. Your name will be called once the room and inmate are ready.”
“Thank you,” I responded, turning back towards the seating in the lobby area to wait. Venric followed suit, sitting down in the chair adjacent to me. I let out a sigh as I massaged my weary face, made as such by far too much tea. I’d had issues sleeping since my first few interrogations with my client. My first session was largely impersonal, simply gathering her side of events. The second and third, however, strayed more into personal territory. I remembered her talking about her time in the Exterminators and the printed photo she used to carry with her. Hopefully she can recover that keepsake soon.
“So tell me,” Venric floated, interrupting my thoughts, “is there anything I should know about Miss Nhilasi that wasn’t covered inside the dossier?” Unsure of how exactly to respond, I simply tilted my head in questioning. “I ask because it’s good to have some idea of who your client is,” he explained, “data doesn’t tell the full story, after all. So, were there any personal observations you would make?”
“Some,” I admitted. “She’s not violent or diseased or whatever you want to call it, but that’s not that difficult of an observation to make. She’s…kind, understanding. Even though she claims no knowledge regarding the incident that landed her in here, she still expressed concern for the affected parties on numerous occasions. I’m aware of her involvement in the Dawn Creek Exterminators during…well, you know, but I also know that she tried to fight against them. I’m not quite sure what she’s doing all the way out here, but it’s only landed her in trouble.”
“Mhm,” Venric agreed stoically, clearly focused on thinking. “And you said she was working for this district’s branch of the XGC?”
“Yes, as a nursing practitioner,” I confirmed. “From the information I was given, she was transferred here due to the call for civil staff put out by the previous administration. I’d imagine that the similar views of the current High Magister aligning with Dawn Creek’s helped matter along, which is why she was able to be transferred here so fast after her equally expedient recovery.” I huffed out and turned my head to more properly face Venric. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe she was the one who did it, no matter what the evidence points to.”
Venric looked about to respond before a voice rang out through the announcement system. “Serl, your interrogation room is ready. Repeat, Serl, your interrogation room is ready.” The system clicked off and I made to stand from my seat. I was admittedly nervous going back in there. What if Nhilasi had managed to dupe me and was actually responsible for the acts caught on camera? What if Venric managed to pull something out of her that I wasn’t able to? Regardless of the outcome, my own future was looking bleaker by the [minute.]
We were escorted down the hall by a couple of armed guards. We passed by many empty room on our way before we arrived at our destination; Room IGR-99. I took a soft breath before sliding the door open. Two chairs were provided for us at a small table, on the other side being Nhilasi herself. Her complexion turned a shade lighter as she saw us, her tail sweeping the floor behind her. “Serl! I didn’t expect you back so soon. It’s good to see you again, I-”
Her voice hitched in her throat. It was easy to tell that her attention was no longer upon me, but upon Venric. As an Ext- well, former Exterminator from Dawn Creek, it wasn’t that big a surprise that his presence would be a surprise.
“V-Venric??” She sputtered, drawing herself in far more than I had ever had the displeasure of seeing her do.
“Glad to see my reputation is still alive and well!” The lawyer whistled as he slid into a seat. I followed closely behind, taking my seat to the right of him. “So I understand you’re accused of Murder, and are in need of a proper defense. I must say it’s quite the change of pace to be talking to an Exterminator on opposite sides of glass.” He turned an eye towards me, “Would you like to introduce us to each other, Serl?”
“Ah, y-yes,” I responded, unsure of what his play here was. The last thing we needed was for Nhilasi to be afraid, lest she close up and bar us from any new information. “Nhilasi, this is-”
“Venric, I already know,” Nhilasi interrupted me. “I heard about you from the others in the office before everything…happened. I suppose I should start by saying thank you.”
It was almost imperceptible, but Venric’s eyes widened. He clearly wasn’t expecting praise from an Exterminator, former or otherwise. Hopefully that’ll help break down any walls he might've built. “The others weren’t too pleased with your work, but I only joined the office around a cycle ago. I read into what actually happened and it’s clear to anyone with an inkling of medicinal training that the substitute for a brain scan was completely inadequate. The response from the Magistratta might’ve been…reactionary, but punishment was due for the attempted rationalization from the Head Officer at the time. The Office can’t help people when not kept to its own standards.”
Venric hummed and sat himself a little straighter. “Hmm, I only heard that once before from an exterminator. Estela was her name, I’m certain you’re familiar with her? She did come to your office, yes?”
Nhilasi’s expression visibly darkened. “Yes,” she replied with a venom on her tongue. “I do recall that. I had attempted to teach her…imports emergency aid, but all the majority seemed interested in were flamer operations. I don’t need to say where that led.” She raised her tentacles to her face and moaned. “Oh, how I wanted to leave that spehkshow behind me…”
I glared at Venric and cleared my throat, hoping to brighten her mood somewhat. “Hey, it is behind you. You stood up to those predatory maniacs and came out the other side all together! That’s something.”
She removed her tentacles from her face and looked at me, her eyes already moister than usual. Damnit, Venric, we’re supposed to be trying to help her! I did my best to provide a reassuring expression, but my lifeless ears made that all the more difficult. How was I supposed to help others be happy when I looked to be in a constant depressive state through no fault of my own?
“I suppose so, yeah,” Nhilasi conceded as she took a shaky breath and sat straighter. “But I assume you’re not here for small talk. Let’s…just get to business.”
“Of course,” Venric stated, activating an audio transcriber on his pad. “So I understand you’re accused of Murder. A rather serious charge, and likely one of the first to ever go through the courts. After all, Prey don’t kill, and any that do are obviously Predator Diseased.”
“I’ll tell you what I told Serl: I didn’t kill anyone,” Nhilasi maintained, her tone taking on a frustrated tone. “I haven’t been able to see the evidence yet, but I wasn’t even in the building at the time of the incident! I was off-shift, taking my break claw when guards swarmed the rec yard and whisked me away to here. All I know about the charges are what you’ve already said. I don’t even know who I supposedly killed!”
“That’s quite a bold claim, considering that there’s video proof of you committing the crime,” Venric countered. I can’t wince at that. Wincing would make Nhilasi believe I don’t trust her, that I wasn’t doing my best to give her a defense. I needed to stay calm and professional.
My ears flattened themselves against my skull as I steeled myself for the coming conversation. Nhilasi’s eyes just about bulged out her skull at that news, and to my dismay, she turned her attention towards me. “Serl, I- is that true? How- I wasn’t even.. how could you not inform me of this? We need to contest it! It couldn’t possibly be-”
“I’m afraid it is true. It only became available for viewing after discovery. I had already met with you before, and I… I didn’t want to distress you further than you already were, not before I had a plan in place,” I admitted, my ears now thoroughly reflecting my mood.
“Plan? Wh-what plan?” Nhilasi sputtered, looking at me pleadingly.
“Him,” I stated, gesturing to Venric. “I couldn’t possibly fight this kind of evidence alone, and I figured if there was anyone who could help me, it would be him. After all, he won a case against the Exterminators!”
“Yes! With the evidence clearly against them and an idiot at their helm!” Nhilasi added on to my statement. “This is different! They- They somehow have a video of me doing something I didn’t do!! I don’t- how could I- but I was-” she continued, her breathing and body language showing her delving even deeper into panic.
“A video from the back.”
Both Nhilasi and I froze. Venric’s voice suddenly seemed to command the room, like how he had sounded in the videos defending Tarlim. He continued once he was assured that we were both listening. “A video of you from the back, face pointing fully away from the camera, medical coat being quickly pulled up over your neck. In other words, not showing your most… distinctive marking.”
Nhilasi brought a tentacle up to her forehead. “T-This? It’s just a birthmark due to a medical procedure. My mother was having issues in childbirth and I had to be removed manually. M-Most Kolshians born that way have this mark, but it’s rare it happens at all.”
“Yes, and that’s exactly why it’s so important it’s not seen,” Venric leaned forward, “because that means it might not be you.” I considered his words for a moment, and found that he was right. Most Kolshians had a similar build and purple skin. The presence of the oval blue mark on her forehead was something that would make her exceptionally distinctive. Without it, there wasn’t much to physically distinguish her from any other Kolshian.
Nhilasi’s tail wagged. “So-so you’re saying I have proof I’m innocent?”
“Oh no, not at all,” Venric quickly corrected, resulting in Nhilasi’s tail stilling once more. “Sorry, at best that would be something your lawyer could use to get a better plea deal.” I once again glared at Venric for suggesting a plea deal, but I relented when I finally accepted that that was the best she was likely to get.
“I could probably try to press that in court, but I’m afraid Venric has a point,” I admitted, my own tail drooping as well. “You’re on the schedule, your rough physical appearance matches, and a man is still dead. It’s up to you at the end of the paw, but fighting this isn’t looking good.”
“I…see,” Nhilasi said dejectedly, lowering her head. “Is there really nothing you can do?”
“I am afraid not,” Venric answered, pulling his data pad out from his belt pack and starting to swipe through it. “There’s a good bit of evidence here. Tentacle marks on the methanol bags used in the murder, witnesses seeing you walking through the halls, the video of you sneaking out the…”
He trailed off, leaving Nhilasi to deflate. I flicked my ears down in sympathy to her. It was hard to accept that sometimes you couldn't get what a client deserved, but reality didn’t always care about that. “Okay,” she sighed, “I guess… do what you ne-”
“When were you scheduled?” Venric asked suddenly, his focus glued to his pad. Nhilasi raised her head and looked at me. I had no idea, so I simply gestured back to him. As I did, he raised his gaze to look directly at her. “Nhilasi, when exactly were you scheduled?”
“I-uh…let’s see…” Nhilasi said, clearly caught off-guard as she tried to remember the events preceding her incarceration. “Yes, I remember. I worked the 3rd claw shift that paw, I left maybe a moment before the digit turn because I was feeling exhausted from a difficult patient.”
“I see,” Venric said, scrutinizing his pad once again. “And what floor of the branch were you stationed on?”
“The fourth floor, why?” Nhilasi asked, her mood having switched from dejection to confusion.
“Because this crime took place on the 7th floor right at the turn of the 4th claw,” Venric explained, laying down his pad and tapping the upper corner of the screen. True to his word, the timestamp for the video showed it was essentially on digit turn, and the video was labeled “7FL_EST.” Seventh floor, east side.
But…then how did she get down to the exit so fast??
[First]-[Next]