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Hello friends, I am at Lake Tahoe. I have bought the hiking helmet, the camper outfit, a portable tent, and the hiking stick. Am I missing anything to go trekking?

Hi. I'm considering buying a modified Scout TukTuk, a very small camper. I want to put it in the back of a Ford Maverick. This would bring the number of vehicles I own and insure from three to one, as the Maverick outfitted this way would replace my conversion van, my work truck, and my primary vehicle.
However, I cannot figure out how I would be able to use a slide-in. Though the street at the curb is level, the driveway, where I could safely store the slide-in, is heavily sloped. Also, I am a singleton and cannot expect anyone else to help me mount and dismount the slide in.
How unrealistic is it to unload/unload the camper on a heavy slope? Would it be possible to unload it at the curb onto some sort of cart or casters, and then lower it down the drive, perhaps with a winch? How realistic is it that I alone could load this camper on to my truck?
Any other thoughts?

"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!

Risk of Rain 2 Miasma Chronicles - Traded
rep
H
​
Steam
10 Second Ninja X
12 is Better Than 6
Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics
Adventures of Chris
Aggelos
Alchemist Adventure
Amanda the Adventurer
Anime vs Evil: Apocalypse
Arcana Heart 3 LOVE MAX!!!!!
Audio Trip
Autonauts
Autonauts vs Piratebots
Battlegrounds : At Enemy Gates
BEAUTIFUL DESOLATION
Big Bang West
Black Book
BLACKHOLE
BomberZone
BOOBS SAGA: Prepare To Hentai Edition
Broken Hearts Island
Brunch Club
Castle on the Coast
Caveblazers
Chess Ultra
Colortone
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!
Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!
Creepy Tale
Creepy Tale 2
Cubicle Quest
Dance Collider
DEATHRUN TV
Deep Sky Derelicts
Desolate
Don't Be Afraid
DOOM (1993)
DOOM 64
DOOM II
Doorways: Holy Mountains of Flesh
Double Cross
Down The Rabbit Hole
Dragon Spirits 龙魂：学院奇闻
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Drink More Glurp
DUSK
Dust Fleet
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout - Anniversary Edition
Elemental Survivors
Embr
Empyrion - Galactic Survival
Encodya
Eternal Edge
Frail Hearts: Versicorae Domlion
Frog Detective 1: The Haunted Island
Fruit Ninja VR
Fruit Ninja VR 2
Garbage
Going Under
Golden Light
Golf Gang
GRIP: Combat Racing
Guardians of Holme
GUILT
Hentai Teen
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern
Hover
Hue
I Am Fish
Ignis Avis Venatio
In Between
Internet Cafe Simulator
Ironcast
Joggernauts
Just Die Already
Karnage Chronicles
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
King of Dragon Pass
Lacuna
Landlord's Super
Latte Stand Tycoon +
Lawn Mowing Simulator
Learn Japanese To Survive - Hiragana Battle
Learn Japanese To Survive! Kanji Combat
Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War
Legend of Chilli Tree
Light Fairytale Episode 2
Lila’s Sky Ark
LineArt Jigsaw Puzzle - Erotica Valentines
Ludus
Mad Experiments: Escape Room
MagiCat
Mech Mechanic Simulator
Mediterranea Inferno
Memoria
Men of War: Assault Squad - Game of the Year Edition
+ Men of War: Assault Squad
+ Men of War: Assault Squad - MP Supply Pack - Alpha
+ Men of War: Assault Squad Bravo DLC
+ Men of War: Assault Squad - MP Supply Pack Charlie
+ Men of War Assault Squad - Skirmish Pack
+ Men of War: Assault Squad Skirmish Pack 2
+ Men of War: Assault Squad - Registration Key
+ Men of War Assault Squad - Bonus Map
+ Men of War: French
Metal: Hellsinger
Metamorphosis
Mini Thief
Minute of Islands
Monster Camp: Camp Forever Bundle
+ Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp
+ Monster Camp Outfit Pack - Fantasy
+ Monster Camp Outfit Pack - Classic Monsters
+ Monster Camp Outfit Pack - Sci-Fi
+ Monster Camp Character Pack - New Blood
+ Monster Camp Outfit Pack - Thirst and Sensibility
+ Monster Camp Outfit Pack - Moster Porm
+ Monster Camp Character Pack - Zoe
Monster Camp Character Pack - Colorful Campers
Monster Prom
My Step Sisters
My University Girlfriend
Mythic Ocean
Neverinth
Nigate Tale
Nippon Marathon
No Longer Home
Nomad Survival
Northmark: Hour of the Wolf
Omen Exitio: Plague
Onde
One True Hero
Oppaidius Summer Trouble!
Orbital Bullet
Orwell
🧠 OUT OF THE BOX
Patch Quest
Pike and Shot: Campaigns
Pilfer: Story of Light
Play with NEKO
Police Stories
Pumped BMX Pro
Rage In Peace
Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered
Reventure
REZ PLZ
R.I.C.O. 2: London
Saints Row 2
SAMUDRA
Sea Horizon
Silence
Sir Whoopass
Slain: Back from Hell
Slaycation Paradise
SONG OF HORROR COMPLETE EDITION
+ SONG OF HORROR Episode 1
+ SONG OF HORROR Complete Nightmare Season Pass
+ SONG OF HORROR Episode 2
+ SONG OF HORROR Episode 3
+ SONG OF HORROR Episode 4
+ SONG OF HORROR Episode 5
+ app/1295580
Songbird Symphony
SpeedRunners
Spirit Of The Island
Spiritual Warfare & Wisdom Tree Collection
Starship Annihilator
State of Mind
Streamer Life Simulator
Sunny Memories
Super 3-D Noah's Ark
Super Buff HD
Super Galaxy Squadron EX Turbo
Super Panda Adventures
Super Star Path
Swarm
Sweet fantasy
Switchball HD
Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown
Teslagrad Remastered
the bride horror game
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav
The Deed: Dynasty
The Invisible Hand
The King's Bird
The Oil Blue
The Sexy Brutale
The Spectrum Retreat
The Town of Light
The Whispered World Special Edition
The World Next Door
Time Loader
Time Lock VR 1
Train Valley 2
UNDETECTED
Unity of Command
Valfaris
Vanaris Tactics
Virgo Versus the Zodiac
Viscerafest
Visionarium 2 - The Descent
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector
Warman
Warplanes: WW1 Fighters
WayOut 2: Hex
What Lies in the Multiverse
White Noise 2
White Noise Online
Who's Your Daddy?!
Windjammers 2
Wolfenstein 3D
Wordle
World of Voidia（虚亚世界）
Zen Paint
Ziggurat
パラディンリアス
初恋日记
GOG
Fallout 2
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
LEGO Star Wars III - The Clone Wars
The Lullaby of Life
Tomb Raider: Game of the Year Edition
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

Hi,
I'm an Engineer and basically my life is constant tech projects. You name, I do it from software to smart home to AI, etc. A project I am about to start -> an off grid camper van. I live in a tiny home in the Inaka, so I don't have a ton of space to do projects - especially a camper van conversion.
I found a small warehouse 12m x 2.7m with two floors - metal frame near a DIY home center. It can fit a Toyota Hiace. And i think the second floor could be outfitted to a proper office with walls and insulation, etc.
The warehouse isn't just for this project - it's for anything in the future also. The price is good.
Is anyone willing to take a look and offer any opinions about it? This is not my expertise to be buying 50 year old warehouses. But, I am knowledgeable about real estate and I think it looks OK. I just don't know what mistakes to avoid.

Basic Information

Type of information	Information
Full Name	Theodora Alexandra Davis
Nicknames	Theo, Alex, Dora
Date of birth	May 25th 2024
Age	15
Birthplace	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sexuality / Romantic stance	Bisexual, monogamous
Sex	Female
Gender / Pronouns	Cis, she/her
Languages spoken	English, Ancient Greek

Appearance

faceclaim	height	hair	eyes	build
boop	170cm / 5′7″	dirty blonde	baby blue	athletic

Fashion : Theodora doesn't keep up with the current fashion, so she just wears whatever looks good and feels comfortable to her. Since she often plays sports, one of her more common outfits is a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt or a sweater, depending on the weather. Often times, it's stolen from Maxwell. If she wants to be a bit more put together, she'll switch the sweatpants for a pair of jeans.

Personality

Since spending so much time at camp, and the Arena more importantly, where she's really in her element, Theo's become more confident in her abilities when it comes to combat. Fortunately, she's now mature enough for that not to change into arrogance. Listen, she still thinks she's the shit, but what's the point in shoving it into others faces, you know?
She's still as competitive as ever, maybe even more. The competition here in camp is definitely far better than out there in the mortal world, which did make Theo take her training even more seriously. Most demigod's have some supernatural powers, which means that you need to work to stand out. Since most people can do what you can, you need to do it very well, ideally even perfectly.
Theo's also become a bit more stubborn and short-tempered during the last year or so. Not that she's ever really been a calm and easy going person, but it has gotten worse. Let's hope that's just the teenage hormones.
Positive Traits: kind, ambitious, confident
Neutral Traits: perfectionist
Negative Traits: stubborn, reckless, short-tempered
Conundrums: ADHD, Dyslexia

Trivia

• Nectar, to Theo, tastes like the kind of hot chocolate her mom makes.
• Ambrosia, to Theo, tastes like the waffles with Maple syrup her stepmom makes.
• Main love languages: affirmations and quality time
• 16personalities: Entertainer (ESFP-A)
• Hogwarts house: Gryffindor
• Bender style: air

Hobbies

As mentioned already, Theo loves spending time in the Arena, where she's training with either her fellow campers or one of those dummies. She also enjoys a daily run around the borders of the camp.
As the Nike/Enforcers cabin has a TV and a bunch of consoles, she also spends some of her time playing video games.
Unfortunately, she can't bring all of her instruments to camp, but she did manage to convince her parents to buy her a more compact guitar that she can travel to camp and back with. She spends a fair amount of time playing the guitar.

Relationships

name	relationship	age	notes
Nike	Mother	???	Theodora's feelings have become a bit complicated since actually meeting her mother face to face. Ultimately, Theodora wants to make her proud, though, she can't help but resent her for leaving.
Emma Davis	Mother	35	A professional musician turned private music teacher. The relationship Theo and her mother have is possibly the only normal thing in her life. The two get along great, if we ignore the occasional argument.
Nikita Davis	Step-mother	34	Theo met Nikita when she was six. She wasn't a fan of her at first, but ultimately Nikita won her over. As a daughter of Aphrodite, Nikita acts as a sort of mentor for Theo when it comes to the demigod world.
Samuel "Sam" Davis	cousin	16	Sam is much closer to her heart than Theo would like to admit. They didn't spend much time together growing up, only the important holidays, so being around each other so often was at first a bit weird. Theo still insists that he's the annoying cousin.
Alexandra Davis	aunt	38	Like with Samuel, Theodora didn't see her aunt often while growing up, but she looks back on their brief times together fondly.
Maxwell "Maxie" Flammia	boyfriend	14	The two of them met at a Campfire. Theo asked him on a date, Maxie stopped functioning, and the rest is history.
Quincy Rockford, Rowan Micheaux, Danny Hernández-Salter, Darius Jones and others	siblings/cousins	various	They, the ones that are still here at least, live together in what could sometimes be considered harmony.
Casey Neimann	friend	17	Theodora and the daughter of Techne first met when Casey arrived at camp and Theo helped her find her cabin. The two soon became friends and frequently sparred together. Unfortunately, Casey has been away from camp for a while now.
Sadira Andersen	friend	13	Likewise, Sadira and Theodora first met when Sadira first came to camp and showed her where the cabin of the Oneiroi cabin is. They soon became friends as they bonded over their love of music.
Oliver Blackwell	mortal enemy acquaintance	17	Oliver signed Maxwell up for the Matchmaker as an extra, and Theo not so calmly confronted him about it later.

Powers

Type	Name	Description
Domain power	Summon Weapon	The ability to summon a set of particular weapons. The user may be able to distribute up to 10 of these weapons at any give time, but they break or dissolve after 10 minutes (or 5 turns). They are not on the level of Celestial bronze, iron weapons at best, but are still capable of monster-slaying.
Domain power	Disarm Opponent	The ability to instantly disarm an opponent (targeted). It can only happen once every 54 minutes, if the user is holding a weapon. It can happen twice in the same amount of time if the user is unarmed.
Domain power	Weapon Proficiency	A trait where one is naturally adept to various kinds of weapons, especially those preferred by their parent. That includes spears, swords and shields, mid-range melee weapons, such as maces and morning stars
Minor power	Legendary Speed	A trait where one displays one of the highest levels of speed, agility, and dexterity known of half-bloods. The character is able to reach speeds up to 35 mph (56.33 km/h).
Minor power	Competitive Sports Proficiency	A trait where one is naturally adept in competitive sports.
Minor power	Self-Gratification Buff	A trait where one is invigorated by the presence of their own awards. Their senses, reflexes, and fighting ability are heightened. The buff requires at least one applicable item to be within 30 feet of the user.
Major power	Victory Foresight	A trait where one is able to foresee opportunities or possibilities of events that would lead to victorious outcomes.

Inventory

Type	Name	Description
Achilles sword	Σπαθί (Spathí), sword	A sword Theo got for her 12th birthday. It's not particularly special in any way, but it is made out of Celestial bronze.
Xiphos	Νῑκηφόρος (Nikephoros), bringer of Victory	A gift from her cousin Samuel. It's a standard xiphos made out of celestial bronze. Though, it does transform into a bracelet when not in use. It's her main weapon nowadays.
Guitar	LXK2 Little Martin	The guitar Theodora drags along with her to camp.
Notebook	The Notebook	Theodora has started copying Maxwell when it comes to jotting her thoughts down on a piece of paper. Unfortunately, her notebook has a limited amount of pages and needs to be replaces every so often.

Some history

Theodora Alexandra Davis was born to Emma Davis and Nike on the 25th of May 2024 in Toronto. Nike left shortly after, as all gods do, leaving Emma to raise their child by herself. That's exactly what she did until she met Nikita. At first the two were just friends, as Emma is clear-sighted and has a demigod as a child and Nikita is a daughter of Aphrodite, the two had a bit in common. They soon started dating, though, and soon after that tied the knot. While Theo knows that she met her step-mother when she was six, she doesn't actually remember the moment, or what her life actually was before Nikita was in it.
Due to Theodora being a very energetic child, her mother tried to get her to stick to a few hobbies in order to get her energy out. Of course, sports was the first option, being naturally good at them, the second option however was music. Theo excelled in both, often going to competitions in both sports and music. What Theodora did not excel in, and still doesn't, is school. While she's passing all her classes, right now at least, her grades could be a lot better.
Theodora was raised with stories about the Greek myths and legends, she was ten when she found out she's a demigod, though. That's when her powers started showing up, and frankly, it's impossible to convince someone they're normal after they accidentally summon a sword. Multiple times.
From that day forward, Nikita spent some time teaching her about the demigod life every day. At first, it was just telling her stories of what happened from the antiquity till now, then they started training, both powers and combat. There was also some preparation for camp, but that was mostly stories as well.
Theo got claimed on her 13th birthday, just as she was cutting the cake a pair of golden wings appeared over her head, however she decided to not go to the camp yet. To be completely honest, she just didn't feel ready at the time, but now? Now, she feels ready and wants to go to this magical and slightly terrifying place her step-mother told her about.

Present

The Cabins

Theo is known in her little circle as a late riser. Seeing her up before 9AM would be a cause for concern. Today, however, is a special day it seems, besides the whole Theo turning 15 thing. She couldn't get a wink of sleep once the clocks struck 7AM. She tried, believe me, she tried, but it was in vain, so she got out of her bed, frustrated and ready to curse Hypnos out, but deciding against it at the last second. That would surely only make things worse.
She had no wonder what to do with all this free time she now has in the day. She was tempted to play her guitar for a bit, but someone , Quincy, would probably complain about the noise, so she quickly puts that idea aside.
In the end she decides to go for a quick run to start the day off. She first gets dressed, putting on some random sweatpants and a sweater that were previously thrown on the free bed in her room, before leaving the cabin and greeting the new day.

The Arena

It's been nearly a year and a half since Theodora first came to camp, give or take a few months. And since then she's trained almost every day. It'd be a shame not to, with all those amazing weapons just lying around. And despite what her boyfriend thinks, she has been brushing up on her defensive techniques.
Like on most days, Theodora spends some of her time in the Arena today as well. Yes, even on her birthday. The grind never stops.
Plus, she just got her gift from her cousin, and how could she not immediately go to the Arena and test it out. She's currently by one of the dummies, stabbing and slashing at it repeatedly. If only there were any victims campers looking to spar...

The Lake

Once all the training and counselor duties were done for the day, Theodora finds her way to the Lake. The dock to be more specific. She sits at the end of the dock, a pair of Nikes and some socks laying next to her, while her legs are splashing in the cool water of the lake.
She sits there, looking at the lake, at the fish, at the nymphs, while thinking about the recent and not so recent developments in her life. She's been at camp for almost fourteen months. A lot's changed. She's met a lot of people. Some of them are still here in camp. People come and go, seems like campers follow that rule as well. But let's not dwell on the negatives.
In the last thirteen months, Camp Half-Blood became her home. A place where she belongs, where people don't look at her weird if she accidentally uses her powers. It almost makes Theo feel normal. Nothing in this place is normal, therefore every odd thing seems pretty normal. Now, if only there was someone else to share this fine evening with...
OOC: Feel free to drop your character at any of the three locations!

I wanted to talk about a theory I have about why other maps aren't played and this is what I came up with.
I believe why other maps aren't played is because of the really expensive and shiny skins along with the meta of the more popular maps because think about it this way.
The OG seasons, crates and Royal Passes had a lot of camo and military skins which were great for Miramar, Vikendi, Karakin and Sanhok when they were at their highest popularity since they are more tactical maps with the jungle setting for Sanhok, the desert setting for Miramar and Karakin and the winter setting for Vikendi but since the skins have gotten more flashy and less camo, it's harder to be stealthy and get kills when you're wearing a shiny X-Suit or a bright helmet plus in Sanhok, Miramar, Karakin and Vikendi, camping is needed especially when you don't know where the enemy is since if you run around looking for people when there's only a few left alive, you will die to a snake in the grass, a rock, tree or mountain camper since the last few will always camp or drive around.
That leads into the meta for the more popular maps, Erangel, Nusa and Livik are popular because of recalls so people get a second chance instead of dying and losing plus Erangel is the FIRST map to ever be in the game so it will be the most played out of all of the maps especially if you are ranking while Livik and Nusa are fast paced smaller maps with fewer players, ziplines and crates filled with dollars and XT weapons plus it's a lot harder to play the other maps when you don't know the terrain and when you're wearing a bright outfit or a really big suit that makes you stand out from your position.
This leads to my final thought on this theory.
It's really possible that if more military and camo stuff made an appearance and less really shiny and bright skins along with updates to the other maps like the PC version did then the other maps would be played more and would get bigger player counts since I think there's only about maybe 10 to 40 sweaty and experienced players in a match and the rest are bots or beginning players.
This is all from my perspective so a few things might be wrong.

The moment a lot of you have been waiting for is here!
A couple of notes before you read (or after because I would just jump into the list right away too)

1. Direct quotes from Ali herself are in italics.
2. I tried my best to keep everything in timeline order. Some people like The Come Back Kid I placed in the order where they reconnected/talked about on the pod. But I did my best to note this.
3. All this information came from the FMH podcast, the Patreon, the original FMH blog, TikTok and other podcast that feature FMH/Ali. I also crossed reference information with this sub. I got most of this done with the help of the Patreon and listening to 1.75x speed but I lost accessed to the Patreon because my subscription ended.
4. I'm open to edits! Things around the matchmaker era confused me and if anything is incorrect or if I'm missing someone, please let me know! I will note where corrections are made.
5. Some people don't have anything simply because only a name was said or I couldn't find any details about the person/date
6. And of course, please be respectful of all the sub rules!

Names on the original FMH blog

• Mr. Adorable aka The Coach
• Trouble
• Waffles
• Future Husband Brian (FHB)
• Cookie
• Peter Pan
• Ambiguous Goodbye Guy
• Bad Bitch Man

AOL chatroom Boyfriend
Mentioned on Tiktok and on the pod once
Myspace Boyfriend
Mentioned on Tiktok
Third Boyfriend
Met on eCrush.com in 2002 and this was mentioned on the Cracked Up podcast, The Dave Glaser Podcast and Tiktok
The Kiwi
Met on a 2 week Model UN type youth trip in high school when Ali was 15, never a boyfriend but she had a huge crush on him, he tried to kiss Ali and she literally ran away, didn’t talk the rest of the trip but exchanged numbers and screen names (Ali’s was FineGal13 or BeachJewel760), she made him a mixtape cd called “Ali’s really cool mix for The Kiwi” but never sent it and she still has it. In 2021, he DM’d her when she posted photos of her and her mom in France and invites her to visit him in London, she says she can’t but says they should catch up if he comes to NYC
Fourth Boyfriend
Met on OkCupid when you had to use it on the computer, this was mentioned on Tiktok
The Homecoming Date or Light Switch
First boyfriend? (she goes back and forth calling him her first bf or a situationship), a family friend, a month younger than Ali, dated in high school but went to different high schools, football player, made him ask her to her Homecoming dance over email (her words), Ali hid in the bathroom the whole Homecoming dance, 3-4 revisits of this situations as adults, saw him on Bumble a few years ago and texted him that he had a typo in his bio, “he very much wanted to be with me” and now he’s married with a kid. His mom is still “obsessed” with Ali and she listens to FMH
Random college guy
Freshman year of college, Ali doesn’t have a nickname for him/doesn’t remember his real name, met this guy through a friend, was texting him to invite him over to hot tub but her phone autocorrected to “how about some hot rubbing tonight?” but Ali didn’t noticed/didn’t correct it and he never replied, Ali had a house party and got really drunk and was all over him, he left the party early, she messaged him on MySpace 3-4 times asking why he left
The Resident
Matched on Match.com, first guy she dated in NYC after college, older than Ali, a doctor, lasted 3 months ”maybe”, he didn’t like Ali’s friends, got a card from him on her birthday and it said “Love, The Resident” and it took Ali back a little, Ali drinks black coffee because of him, he coordinated having her mom visit NYC for her birthday then he broke up with her a week later
The Ghost
Met at a bar when she was 25, turns out they matched on OkCupid and they already had a date scheduled next week, they dated for 6-8 weeks, had sleepovers, “The worst ghosting experience I’ve ever had”, he borrowed The Great Gatsby from Ali’s roommate, planned to make dinner together after a beach trip in August with her friends and never showed up, Ali is blowing up his phone and gets no reply, two weeks later she finally texts “are you alive? check yes or no” and he responds “Yes”, Ali then ask if he could return the book and gets no reply again, 5 months go by and she receives the book in the mail with the note: “Here’s the book back. Sorry. P.S. sorry about last summer. I was in a bad place. You’re a great person and your salmon is amazing”, since then she has ran into him twice on the streets and matched with him on Bumble
The Coach/Mr. Adorable
First serious boyfriend at 26/27 in 2013, matched on Match.com or met through work depending if you’re listening to the pod or reading her OG blog, clean-cut look, played volleyball, Ali invited him to a friend’s birthday party and they made out in the streets at 4am, on their second date he asked Ali if she was seeing any one and when Ali said no he ask her to be his girlfriend 3 days after their first date, dated for almost 1.5 years or almost 2 years depending on if you’re listening to the pod or the Patreon, first time saying “I love you” to a guy, “lovely guy“, never would posted Ali on his instagram until Ali said something, he “lived” with her for two weeks while he was in between apartments, tried blind folding/hair pulling during sex and she didn’t like it, by the end of their relationship Ali didn’t like sex and thought she wasn’t a very sexual person, after they broke up Ali drunk texted him at 2am and he picked her up and she spent the night and she took her things in the morning in a rolly suitcase, from her blog in 2015: “I just want to be careful I don’t end up with another Mr. Adorable situation, where I find myself dating my platonic best friend”, had drinks with him in 2016 from the blog: “Not in a romantic way (at least on my end)”, Ali still talks to him sometimes through casual instagram DMs, he’s currently (as of 2021) dating someone for 4+ years and Ali thinks they’re going to get engaged
Trouble
OG 2015 FMH blog, never mentioned on the pod, “I was immediately enamored with him”, met at a Beer Olympic party but he worked with one of Ali’s best friends (Ali was still dating The Coach at the time), lived in BK, tattoos and stubble, Ali’s best friend said he was a “fuck boy”, “he very much made me see that it was the right thing for me and The Coach to not be together”, from her blog in 2015: “he has this look in his eye like he’s constantly laughing at me – in a super sexy way”, he texted her saying he didn’t see anything romantically with her and she sent a gif of someone shrugging
Personal side note: Ali has mentioned she has cheated on someone but never disclosed who she cheated on or with. I feel like she cheated on Mr.A/The Coach with Trouble because of the timeline. Just a guess.
Waffles
Matched on Bumble, OG 2015 FMH blog, he asked Ali fuck/marry/kill breakfast foods, dated 2 months around summer time, on Fourth of July while watching fireworks he said how they had a great day and Ali replied with something along the lines with “yeah, it would be better if I could call you my boyfriend”, he said he wanted a relationship but just not with Ali and shortly afterwards they stopped seeing each other
The Buffalo
Lived in Buffalo NY, 6’5, Scorpio, met in 2015 at Adults National volleyball (Ali’s team won that year) where he was heckling her while she was playing, asks Ali’s mom for her number and Ali’s mom said “I guess you’re tall enough” and told him to ask her himself, he flew her out and she met his parents, dated over summer, exclusive but never boyfriend/girlfriend (but called him her LD boyfriend on TikTok), texted and talked on the phone a lot, Ali’s best friend’s favorite ex “they had really good banter”, in October he invited her to his cousins wedding and she invited him to her friends wedding, after Ali bought her ticket to his cousins wedding (with the promise he would buy her ticket to her friend’s wedding) he ghosted and stonewalled her, she “poured her heart out to him on voicemail” and he never replied, she asked him to pay her back for her ticket and he got mad that she “made this about money”, 2 years later he told Ali that he freaked out because he really liked her and saw a future with her but knew she would never move to Buffalo and it would “never work”, Ali said at the time she would have considered moving for him, Ali used to have him blocked on Facebook and told all her friends not to update her on info about him (unless she asked). He’s now married and goes to Disney with his wife (which Ali kind of scoffs at?), Ali said on TikTok that she dodged a bullet
Baby Bic
Met him at Adults National years ago, had a flirtationship with him in 2016 when he was 19 years old, ran into him at the Adults Nationals 2021, last texts she got from him were about getting his fake ID taken away at the bar and him visiting her in NYC but Ali didn’t want to buy him beer and drink at her apartment
The Chef
Matched on Tinder around 2016, he loved karaoke, “total shit”, asked Ali to be his girlfriend and to meet his mom after a month, off and on dating, broke up the first time because he was talking to his ex, lied and flew to Mexico to see his ex while dating Ali, that ex sent Ali a Snapchat of them in bed together on that Mexico trip, Ali broke up with him via text and called him a shitty boyfriend, he’s the reason Ali deleted her Snapchat because of drunk Snaps he would send post break up, FB messaged Ali 6 years later (while Roark was visiting/staying with Ali) and said sorry for being a shit head. Ali’s best friends hated him
The Dentist
Met on Halloween in the wild, Canadian, dated NYE 2016- May 2017 “nice guy, not my guy”, one of Ali’s best friend’s favorite ex “he adored you, “he was too sweet for me” and “he had no edge to him”, he painted Ali’s cat for her 30th birthday but she was annoyed it was just Rory and not both cats, The Chef texted Ali while on a date/sleeping at his house
ASV - Aspiring Sober Vegan
Met through a friend (her best guy friend’s college roommate) the day before she had to fly out to her dad’s memorial, a doctor, into meditation, remembered him “being cuter” when they went on a first date, felt “the spark”, had “omg this is awesome sex”, Ali described this relationship as a “slow burn” and “the most attracted she ever been to a partner” even thought she didn’t think he was that cute in the beginning, dated 2-3 months before he tried to ghost Ali but they talked and broke up, four months later they start casually dating/FWB because he’s moving but this turns into a ‘middle distance relationship’ and he moves to Philly, had a lot of communication issues but didn't have a lot of fights, wants to live in Ohio and give a % of his income to charity, Ali was close to saying ‘I love you’ but didn’t, he uninvited her to meet his extended family and they got in a fight, broke up with her a couple weeks before their 6 month anniversary at the park while on a picnic and told her that she’s still his favorite person, Ali used to think he was “the one that got away” and would frequently have dreams about him. From what Ali knows, he's sober but not vegan
The Scientist
2017 or 2018ish, from San Diego, went on one date, Ali ended up ghosting him due to the decline in her dad’s health, saw him on Hinge while she was in San Diego for 3 months in 2020, texted him and apologized for ghosting him, ended up going on 2-3 more dates, took a selfie in front of his house and sent it to him but acted like she didn’t know that was his house and made a TikTok about it, things ended up not working but she doesn’t make it clear on who ended it. She can now see she shouldn’t have been going on dates during this time when her dad was sick.
Good on Paper Divorced Dude
Met a couple of years ago (she told this story on TikTok in 2020) on Bumble
The Groomsman
Met at her friend Ashley’s wedding in Chicago Oct 2019, had a “two night stand” with him, texted/talked/FT’d for 3-4 months, divorced, never dated seriously/FWB, saw each other a couple time when he came to NYC, Ali stopped talking with him due to FMH and her trying to find a serious relationship, he starts dating someone, follows FMH on insta, slid into her DM in 2022 and then sent her soup while she was sick, turns out he’s single again, 2 months later Ali is heading to Chicago and texts him “Hello! Reminder that my arrival to your neck of the woods is imminent” and turns out he is now seeing someone and Ali doesn’t see him while in Chicago (at least she doesn’t mention it)
Unnicknamed person
He was her plus one at her best friend from college’s NYE wedding 2019/2020, met and hung out with Ali’s mom, posted photos of them together on her personal Insta story, “fully dating but weren’t official hehe” doesn’t have a nickname/never gave him a nickname? This could be The Latvian/the person she texted her friend in DC about saying “I think I’m on a date with my husband”

Starts FMH on January 2020 on Instagram/TikTok

The Traveler
He was browsing Bumble while Ali was in the bathroom during their first date, he was banned from Bumble and was using his grandma phone number. Ali turned down a second date
The Duke
Early FMH, went for long periods of time in between texts, 7-8 Zoom dates while Ali was in San Diego and he was in NY, Ali said you could see three of his ex’s on his instagram page (without scrolling), they finally went on one date and it was “meh” but they did kiss on their date
The Oyster
Matched on Bumble (he had one photo and no bio) two weeks before Valentines Day, Gemini, a lawyer, part of the 13 First Dates in 30 Days series (he was #13), dated Feb 2020-Aug 2020, love bomber, felt “the spark” and became official after 3 dates, best first date ever??? at the time, said “I love you” to Ali after two weeks, “For most of my relationship with The Oyster, he didn’t live in the city he had moved to Connecticut without telling me”, would fight all the time, opposite political views, Ali felt like a “fucking summer camp director” because she planned all their dates and he would get upset if Ali didn't have a plan, sought out a therapist (Megan) because of her relationship struggles because of him, went to Mass/church, he wanted a traditional marriage/life/wife/kids (at one point had Ali thinking she wanted that), didn’t want to live in NYC, didn’t support BLM, Cindy hated him
The Pilot
Went on 3 dates, texted a lot, didn’t hear back from him in four days and when she said she was looking to date someone who showed more consistency, he replied saying he met someone the day after their last date who seems to have more free time than Ali and he wants to pursue that but would like to be friends, Ali said on TikTok that this other women “bent her schedule to his schedule” and she was unwilling to do that. Mostly talked about him on TikTok
The Analyst
Matched on Bumble two years ago and went on one date, re matched in 2021 and he stood Ali up, she send him a text “getting stood up” script and he never replied. Only mentioned him on TikTok (?)

Ali and Roark start FMH: The Podcast February 2021

The Boomerang
First date on the pod? I couldn't find anything else about him
The Scuba Diver
The Music Man
One date, “he didn’t do anything wrong, he’s just not for me”, amped up small talk, complimented Ali a lot which made her feel awkward cause she wasn’t feeling it, he texted her and asked for a second date and Ali sent the no ghosting script
The Bet
Uses the phrase “ok bet”, 28 years old shoe designer, only went on one dinner date to a spot he picked, turns out its cash only and he didn’t bring cash, was not into him , not looking for the same thing
The Dinosaur
Nickname was previously The Hawaiian, first date at Dinosaur BBQ, stood in a parking spot to save for Ali, he asked for a kiss after their date and Ali declined saying maybe next time
The Rose
He sent her a rose on hinge, first date was an hour long walk in the park while drinking beer
The Comic
Matched on Hinge, older than Ali (Ali’s friends express how happy they were to hear that), had brunch on their first date (was the first part of a double header but the second guy canceled), listed as “moderate” politically on Hinge, good and easy convo, went back and forth twice over text and then never heard back from him, “technically not ghosting...”
The Camper
Met in the wild at a volleyball tournament in July, lives in Chicago, 27 years old, hung out the whole time, over heard Ali asking someone to get her a make out partner, gave Ali his number, drunkly ask him for a FT date in the future and he didn’t reply, Ali texts him again about a volleyball thing and he replied back with not a lot of enthusiasm, Ali is going to Chicago in Sept for a volleyball tournament and she’s already planning on playing 4-on-4 with her best friend vs. his roommate and maybe The Camper, he texts her saying he has to work on the date of the tournament and won’t be able to do the 4-on-4 game, “I feel like I got broken up with someone I never want to date in the first place”

Ali’s Matchmaker contract starts in August 2021 - 6 matches

The Schmoozer
Went on a dinner date, was chatting up the waitress in a kind of creepy way, was bragging about a lot of things and it turned Ali off and Ali texted him her no ghosting script
The Accountant
1st matchmaker match, 31 years old, lives in BK, his dad has also passed away, easy to talk to, on the third date she wasn’t sure if she saw a future with him and in her gut doesn’t feel like this would be a slow burn, Ali breaks things off with him, months (?) later he sent Ali a 5 min long voice memo and they said they were both down to see each other as friends. He later on dated and ghosted Erica
The Aussie
Matched on Hinge, in politics, from Australia but lived all over the place, asked Ali what she’s looking for on the first date and he said he’s “casually looking for something serious”, Ali accidentally walks up to a different person on their second date, Ali texts him saying she would love to see him before he leaves on a trip and she wasn’t happy that it took him till the next day to reply and he can’t see her before he leaves
The Goalie
Was supposed to be Ali’s 2nd match, he’s a paying client, Ali didn’t hear back from him for a while when she told him where she lived, he wrote to the matchmaker saying that she lived too far away even though it states where she lives in her matchmaker profile
The Journalist
2nd matchmaker match, ended things because she was dating/pursuing things with The Discoball and paused her matchmakers matches

The Threepeat
Matched multiple times on dating apps but this recent time with Hinge, Amazon seller, first date was a pizza lunch date (with bubbles aka champagne) and he gave her a single yellow carnation, talked a lot about her “side hustles” aka her food blog, coaching, FMH and the pod (Ali didn’t mentioned the name on FMH), had an awkward half kiss during the date and then gave her a peck when they said goodbye, he had no night stands by his bed?, spent the night but told public pod they had a movie night, different kissing styles, 6 dates, broke things off with Ali two days before her first date with The Rower WHILE Ali was on a Halloween girls trip
The Rower
Dated from Halloween 2021 till early Feb 2022, Pisces who is 6 days older than Ali, has an ex-fiancé (they dated for 8 years, engaged for two of them, she broke off the engagement with him 1.5 years ago once he started dating Ali), has a shared dog with this ex, slept together around Xmas on the fourth date and Ali got a UTI, first time having “omg this is awesome sex” since ASV, first person Ali slept next to wearing an eye mask "that's a big step for me", had him watch 90 Day Fiancé, on New Years Day told her that he sees “long term relationship potential” with her but doesn’t want to be exclusive after 5 dates, “we didn’t talk all week”, he said he wasn’t as ready as he though to date someone seriously and “I don’t know why I don’t want to be in a relationship with you” they broke up over the phone, Ali said he’s a good human and wants to date someone like him, 3.5 weeks later Ali drunk texted him at 3:00 am saying “its really hard not to talk to you” which Ali said was a lie, he replied back (few days? A week later?) while Ali was on another date and it made her cry a bit, she replied back saying “the door is closed but not locked” in regards if he wants to get back together. “Fin… for now”

2022

The Discoball
Matched on Hinge but didn’t go on a first date for two week, Gemini, used to be a singer in a band, moved from DC to NYC, went on 7 dates in 2022, had a dog w/ ex and ex got full custody once he moved, met one of his friends on the second date, slept with him on the second date “morning and night”, he tried to find the podcast without knowing the name, podcasted from his house in DC, he would send Ali photos of them together “all the time”, gave a virtual presentation from his hotel room, did Molly together in DC, had him watch 90 Day Fiancé, moved to BK (didn’t see each other for 2 months pre-move), had a sex-less sleepover (a milestone for Ali), he showed up for her on her dad’s death date (something that a person she’s dating has never done), used to listen to the pod but stopped before they stopped seeing each other, ghosted her after they had a talk about moving things forward to exclusive and Ali texted him something along the lines of “your silence is the answer” when she didn’t hear back from him for a week and he ghosted her. Ali said he sucks in #77 AUA
Lisbon
The Brit
M&M
The Come Back Kid
They went on 2-3 dates in Nov 2018 and reconnected in May 2022, "felt immediately comfortable", sat next to a very drunk lady on their second 1st date and was supportive but "didn't step on Ali's toes" when the drunk lady said something offensive to Ali, couldn’t remember if they slept together or not, knows about FMH, ghosted Ali
The Trainer
The Cold Brew
The Nomad
3rd matchmaker match, reminded Ali of The Oyster, wanted kids and didn’t want to live in NYC forever, Ali was upset at first because her matchmaker was supposed to screen for that but the matchmaker DID check and it wasn’t mentioned when she was screening The Nomad, no second date because those are dealbreakers to him
The Catcher
Matched on Bumble, “good not great” after their first date, ~April 2022, talked about sports a lot on their first date
The Gentleman
4th matchmaker match, knew about Ali’s FMH socials before their date, Ali didn’t like his texting style, awkward intro on their first date “like hugging a 2 x 4”, he runs a dating event company and actually email Ali to be a guest on the pod when FMH first started, awkward goodbye, didn’t discuss the actual first date on the main pod because she doesn’t want to give him a reason to reach out again
The Tennis Pro
Ali had a good time on their date, “He is an adult, he’s mature” BUT “I don’t think he was into it”
The Padre
Matched on Bumble, 3 dates, from San Diego, “energy mismatch”, doesn’t want to know or listen to FMH, no psychical connection/kiss, only a kiss on the cheek on their last date, “I haven’t spoken to him since Friday night [a week]”, she didn’t want to do what The Threepeat did to her (break up while on vacation/traveling), she said it might be a MOO

Roark leaves and Erica joins the pod Oct 31st 2022

Captain Kirk
5th matchmaker match, found him on Bumble before their in-person date, ghosted Ali AND the matchmaker???
6th matchmaker match
Last match and Ali states she will not talk about this date or anything about it
JFK Kirk?
Matched on Bumble, didn’t realize he’s located in SD, exchanged personal instagram info, not sure where things went or how things ended

Kirk #1
Met in the wild, make out a lot the night they met, “stealing kisses throughout the night”, exchanged numbers, planned a date (no specifics, just the day) but when Ali texted him day of he asked to reschedule (no specifics again), he replied back that he’s picking up a rental car, told him she’s looking for someone to respect her time and he never replied back

2023

The Falcon
First date of 2023, matched on The League, first nickname was “League Kirk”, hard to talk to, felt like Ali was always reaching for the next topic, likes to travel, “there wasn’t a vibe”, MOO
The Roommate
Used to be her friend’s roommate and have met before (Ali doesn’t remember but it was the day after that exclusive convo with The Rower), “totally cute”, reunited at their mutual friend’s engagement party January 2023, made out at the bar, comes back to her place and sleeps over (no sex), Ali questions why her friends never set them up and its because he was taking a break from dating, first date they made out a lot at the bar (again), “I really felt like we were already a couple”, “It didn’t feel like a first date”, mentions her FMH content has popped up on his FYP, tried texting him after their date and he wasn’t giving effort, she’s glad she didn’t sleep with him because “one night stands aren’t my thing”, MOO
The Belgian
Matched on Bumble, accidentally had their first date during a trivia night at a bar, easy to talk to
The Viking
Ali forgot they had a first date on the day of said date
Tinder Man
Matched on Tinder (duh) on Valentine’s Day, first Tinder date in three years, good convo on first date but got a pushy vibe from him at the second bar they went to, put his hand up her sweater and was kissing her in the bar, made Ali uncomfortable and she told him that after he asked her on a second date
The Historian
Matched on Bumble, good conversation on the first date with a wide range of topics like “urban planning and its impact on feminism”, he’s in grad school
The Georgian
Matched on Hinge, he asked if she was free on Friday and she said yes but didn’t hear back from him in two days and in that time she made plans for Friday, rescheduled for a Saturday afternoon date at a dive bar, ate on her way to her date “it would be next level rude to eat on the subway”, good first date, talked about places he wants to take her to
The Publicist
Matched on Tinder, lives in BK, Jewish, one year younger then Ali, good first date, invited him to the Chaotic Singles Party that night, came over to Ali's apartment (which Ali said was messy) before and he made her favorite cocktail for her, a couple of listeners met him at the CSP, goofy and silly convo mixed with deep and serious convos, second date was at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and a tasting menu dinner, he made a Resy reservation and Ali got an email saying she was added to it ”fuck receiving gifts, THAT’S my love language”, he's into words like Ali, he sneezed and Ali said "God bless you" but then corrected herself and said "gesundheit" and he leaned over and kissed her and said he loves that she cares about her words, he met her friends on the third date ”It felt so easy. It felt so comfortable”, her friends took “sneaky” picture and videos of them together which Ali said she loves a sneaky pic, took all their date recap videos on his phone, cooked Ali steak on their fourth date, "it's very comfortable", had him watch 90 Day Fiancé, Ali met two of his friends and some of his teammates he plays a rec sport with, had sex the day they took a trip outside of the city, Erica met him before their trip to Greece and I said “he’s dorky in a good way”, WhatsApp video chatted while in Greece and told her “see you in two days!” at the end of their call, said she felt less anxious about him compared to other relationships while on vacation, sent him a birthday present while she was in Greece, felt an energy shift coming back from vacation and didn’t hear back from him 3 days after she came home, Ali requested a call to talk about this distances she was feeling, ”I did the 12 date rule and it didn’t work!”, she said the distance help her see that they’re not compatible, went on a total of 9 dates. Ali talks about the “break up” on episode 123
Mr. Chaotic
Matched on Tinder but he saw Ali at the Chaotic Singles Party and Cassidy the host is there mutual friend, went to a brewery and played games on their first date (Ali said this was her favorite first dates in episode 147 where they recapped 2023), works in entertainment industry, very high energy, knows about FMH and he said she's entertaining to watch, splits his time between NYC and some unknown city, texted while she was in Greece, ”The man gives good texts”
Random Matchmaker Match
Withdrew his match to Ali because he found her FMH socials. Talked about on #71 AUA
Gone with the Wind
Matchmaker match, said some gross things about women in volleyball outfits on their first date, Ali told her matchmaker about this, ”I would describe him as misogynistic overall”, Ali was glad he did say those weird things so early on so she didn’t waste her time, the matchmaker flagged his account. This was around June 2023
The Rock
Ali knows him from an activity that they used to be involved with in the city (she's very vague about what this is) from 8 years ago, he had a very serious/long term GF when they met, follows her personal Insta, has never talked about him because he’s never been a “prospect”, summer 2023 they met up to catch up and found out that he’s now recently single but he’s moving out of NYC for work, Ali texts Cindy saying she thinks this is a date, Cindy said to tell him that you really want to kiss him, he ends up telling Ali “I really want to kiss you”, made out at the bar, Ali invited him back to her apartment and they had sex the night before Ali ended things with The Publicist, “one night stand vibes” but she said she was down to do it again, Patreon only and talked about on #75 AUA
The Tourist
Matched on Hinge, just moved to Brooklynn, went to a brewery in BK for their first date, Ali showed up to the date dripping in sweat, allergic to cats, he sent Ali a ‘no ghosting’ text the next morning
The Stout
Matched on Bumble, ”we had really great banter right away”, laughed the whole time on their first date, talked about going on a second date during their first date
Speed Racer
Matched on Bumble, drinks first date, axe throwing second date, made out after their second date, MOO, randomly texted Ali ~6 months later because he said one of Ali’s date recap videos about him popped up on his FYP (Ali and Erica think this is a lie), he thought Ali wasn’t into him, he claims he was doing all the work with texting even though there was only a few messages since they exchanged numbers after their second date
Billy Joel
Recently sober, Ali said she felt like they had several inside jokes before they met in person, ate pizza on her way to their first date, second date was getting coffee and going to the museum, they cooked dinner together for their third date at Ali’s apartment and they watched 90 Day Fiancé (he didn’t like it), he Googled how to clean a red wine stain when it spilled on her countertop, he asked if she wanted to have sex and she turned it down, the next day/the day before a 7am flight Ali booty called him and they had sex, she was drunk and said the sex wasn’t good/they stopped mid way, helped Ali pack for her flight, Ali said he’s at a crossroad and he doesn’t seem like a long term fit, Erica found a condom on the ground while cat sitting, Ali said she didn’t regret hooking up with him but wishes she hadn’t done it, MOO
Sales Cycle
30 seconds in and Ali said he was very boring, only really talked about his job, stared at Ali’s boobs, “might be a MOO”, texted her ‘merry christmas’

2024

Pie Guy/Dr. Laundry
Matched on The League, 34 years old, requested a nickname change from Pie Guy to Dr. Laundry, he had to cancel their second date because he got hit by a car, went on two dates, Ali sent him a pic of his subway stop saying something along the lines of “the stop isn’t looking as cute today” and turns out someone he dated with in that photo, were supposed to go on a third date the night she got back from a bachelorette party but he didn't answer her text when she said she landed, the next day he asked her how her trip was not acknowledging her previous text at all, Ali expressed her disappointment and he replied that he was tired last night, she said she would've been understanding if he said something then ghosted her
Andddd I stopped listening to the podcast around the Dr. Pie Laundry Guy but have stayed up to date with everything via this sub.
I have a huge interest in dating culture, human behavior and data similar to Ali and this little project of mine was really interesting once I got the framework of this list. I started this list once I found this sub in December 2023 and started re listening to the Patreon while working out (and lost 10 lbs ayeee) and writing down information in my notes app. I did my best to keep this list unbiased and just give facts and information that was said.
My own thoughts after making this list is that I'm very sad for Ali. I didn't realize the extent of her dating history. I think about my own dating history or even my friends who are in their 30's and dating and Ali's dating lore runs so deep. Is Ali unlucky with love? Did she pass on someone that could have been great for her? How has she had so many dates with little success in a long term partner or even going beyond 6-8 dates? Or is Skyline the person she has been waiting for? What's the pattern with all this dates/men? So many questions.
I truly do hope Ali finds her guy because I believe theres someone for everyone. Until then, I'll be hopping into this sub (cause y'all are too funny and give the best advice) and waiting for Ali to find Mr. Height.
Enjoy and I look forward to everyone thoughts! I'll keep my eye out for any edits that need to be made.
Bonus quotes:
“Longest relationship was a little under a year and a half. Haven’t made it past 6 months with anyone else” - AUA #7 11/27/21
“I spent the first 10+ years of my dating life being sort of perennially single” -1. The Actual First One episode 2/21/21
"I think my parent's story is the reason why I think that I can romantically get back together with an ex and it'll work out" -The Dave Glaser Podcast 4/5/21
“Almost every relationship I’ve ever been in, with a couple of exceptions, started as a situationship.” -21. The Undefined One 7/11/21
“All of my boyfriends have been white” -Ali’s BFF Special on Patreon 4/23/22
“You definitely need an older guy” -Cindy on Ali’s BFF Special on Patreon 4/23/22
“I’ve been on the dating apps since high school. Dating websites at the time” -Ali’s BFF Special on Patreon 4/23/22
“Who would be the perfect man for Ali?”
“Clearly a combination of the The Dentist and [the early stages of] The Buffalo” -Cindy on Ali’s BFF Special on Patreon 4/23/22
“Do you consider The Rower or Disco ball to have been situationships?”
“No, I don't consider either The Rower or The Disco Ball to be situationships” -question asked on TikTok 11/9/22

(my post originally from CharlotteDobreYoutube)
TLDR at bottom
I will try to keep as many relevant details in here as possible without going too far off track, since the history with us and with her is utterly a novel. This is long, but worth it, so here goes.
11 days before my wedding I kicked out two bridesmaids (A and M.) This meant I had two left (E and L.) It started with bridesmaid A who asked if her boyfriend could wear a cowboy hat to my wedding. Mind you, my wedding venues were a church for the ceremony and a beach front venue for the reception. I told her that I did not want a cowboy hat in my photos or in my wedding, that that was not the vibe my husband and I were going for, and it just didn’t fit either venue’s décor or environment.
A bit of a backstory – A is not in the best position financially. She was dating her boyfriend for like 2 months before she got pregnant. He promised her a better life closer to his family, she believed it, got fired from her $50k/year job, left her first child w/ her ex-husband (Child 1 was supposed to be my flower girl, whose dress we also bought,) they moved from State A to state B, they don’t make much money. They now have the newborn that they can barely afford while living in a camper.
Before A asked about the cowboy hat, she asked about jeans. I did not want denim at my wedding. Denim is not formal. She said he was going to wear the same outfit to the wedding as his grandmother’s funeral. Fine, not a big deal. I told her if they are black jeans that is fine since from a distance they will look like slacks. (I gave her an inch and she was definitely looking for that mile.) She kept going with it and I eventually said, “I did not want denim, but I made the exception for you two.” And she said “Yeah, it’s not like we could have afforded anything else anyway.” I felt the tension and left it alone for the night.
The next morning, she texted me that she was hurt, that I had an attitude basically and I’ve been acting some type of way, she again brought up the money situation. I tried to be understanding and that I know they are not in the best position financially, but a lot of my family is not, and I know a lot of people are spending quite a bit to get where we are for the wedding (about half our guests were coming from out of state.) I also said I wanted everyone to have a great time and I was sorry if I came off any type of way or insensitive. This was not good enough for her. She decided to say that a wedding was about celebrating our love and if I was focused so much on a cowboy hat my priorities were in the wrong place. I asked her what was going on because this was clearly not about a cowboy hat and she avoided answering. Also did not tell me anything else it might have been about.
She said ever since planning the wedding I have been micromanaging, acting proud, and some other accusations that made no sense. I had no idea what she was talking about because a lot of the decisions my husband and I needed to make were taken care of with both venues – food, DJ, set up, breakdown, clean up, etc. A also said she had been talking to M about the way I was behaving, and that the cowboy hat was the final straw. (What’s that even mean? If I was bothering you with things, why didn’t you tell me so I could fix it or change the way I was approaching things?)
Somewhere in the midst of this whole thing, she said her daughter (Child 1) would just be uncomfortable in her dress and wouldn’t sit still for more than 30 mins (A lie, I have been around her and she is well behaved,) and also said her boyfriend does not like to eat in front of people (Arms must be tired from all that reaching) and all around is just making excuses, trying to call my bluff about this; if the boyfriend can’t even wear the cowboy hat to the reception, then they probably just go fishing after the ceremony, and not even come to the reception. She also said we could have helped with her shoes. In many other words, I told her just because we make more than her does not mean we owe her anything and told her almost everything we were paying for. Then told me to chill and that I was probably emotional from the planning and everything going on. Basically, gaslit me when she was the one that literally threatened not to come because of a cowboy hat. She brought up money again like five more times and how they’re broke – so clearly this is about money.
Husband and I bought the dresses, fronted the Airbnb we needed to get ready in, we fronted hair & makeup without asking for anyone to pay for their portion, bought gifts, A’s plane ticket (she paid us back the next day,) and many other things for our wedding for the bride and grooms party so everyone had a good time, knew they were appreciated, and felt like the event was worth the traveling and time.
Throughout my wedding planning, I pretty much planned everything with my husband, and we asked for hardly any input from anyone since no one was really available, no one was close, and it was just easier. So the whole micromanaging comment made no sense to me. I was doing my best to be flexible and understanding of finances for A, not as much for bridesmaid 2, M, but a little. She was also in a state 3 time zones away from me, so her plane ticket was not cheap.
I have known this girl A for six years. I am crying at this point. It’s the afternoon, I have to get final headcount to the reception venue for catering THE NEXT MORNING. I am texting my mother, bridesmaid E, friend D, a group chat on messenger, and I have not told Husband yet. Every single one of them was on my side. E said, “If she is this way now before your wedding, imagine what she is going to be like on your wedding day.” And being the desperate person I was, I said to friend D “I know this is shitty and a horrible circumstance but if I needed you to be a bridesmaid, would you? The dress color and material are still available on [Vendor’s site.]” She said absolutely. I felt terrible for asking but I trusted her.
M now comes in. She was busy at work so she could not respond to the chat as much, but I was keeping a lot of the chat between A and I because I did not think M needed to be involved. A kept bringing the chat back to the group chat. She brought enough back to the group chat that M picked up on some stuff and basically agreed with A, she said I was being insensitive, and “At least she asked you before she did it.” I’m sorry, what?
Backstory for M – A few months earlier she said she was upset I did not officially ask her to be a bridesmaid and did not think it was worth it to come to my state for the wedding because it would be the second time she is here with her boyfriend but not for them; like not for their own reasons such as a vacation. We had a conversation when I started planning and I asked if she would be comfortable ordering a dress for me to see what it looked like. She said “Aww you want me to be a bridesmaid?” I said “I thought that was obvious!” So maybe it’s a thin line, but she went shopping with A and I, went to try on dresses with her, and LET US BUY HER DRESS. She could have said something beforehand that she did not want to, rather than just thinking she had to. She also was not going to be there for the rehearsal since there was a concert in her state rescheduled for two days before my wedding and she was not going to miss it. Understandable since she would have had to get up at 5 am or earlier the night after the concert to get to my state sometime Thursday evening or Friday afternoon. I did not like this, but I accepted it because she also said “I think I’ve been part of enough weddings to figure it out, -insert laughing crying emoji-
By this point husband also called me for something, I don’t remember what, but I eventually said to him “I don’t think I want either A or M to come.” He said “Okay, whatever you need to do. I’m fine at this point.” I summarized the events and he said “If you want to burn everything to the ground I don’t care, that’s fine with me.” I stewed on everything for a few hours but I knew what I had to do.
I let it sit, I said nothing else, I went to run an errand, I was on the way home, told D when the rehearsal and dinner was, asked if she could make it, she said yes. I told her to order her dress, called the florist, I told them I needed one less bouquet, and got home about 30 mins later. A few hours later I said to both A and M, basically, “You know what? Never mind. I don’t want either of you to come. This is my wedding, we are paying for everything, and I was not wrong. I do not deserve this treatment. It is not my fault A you made shitty decisions and can’t afford anything and M you planned a wedding before, how can you agree with her?” and quite a few other things. (Told them both to send back the dresses but ultimately did not end up caring and said they could do whatever they wanted with them later.) A then said I was attacking because I was frustrated. No, A. You made shit decisions and you’re taking it out on me now. M called me and I didn’t answer. (She was married before, divorced now. Whole other fucking story.)
The other kicker? A kept her flight to STILL COME SEE HER DAUGHTER and was going to need a CAR RENTAL ANYWAY, and A HOTEL ROOM with her boyfriend. So wait, was it NOT actually about money? I don’t even know anymore.
Anyway, D got her dress by Thursday or Friday the same week, we went shoe shopping a few days later, and she bought her own shoes, too.
My wedding party on my wedding day had three girls that were super supportive, loving, and made my day a whole lot easier. They were by my side, made me smile and laugh, and made the day so much more special. I have screenshots, by the way. If anyone wants them, I can attach them to a google doc and have you see them, haha. Just PM me!
TLDR; Bridesmaid didn't like that I didn't like or want a cowboy hat to a non-ranch or country themed/styled wedding and flipped out when I said no, her boyfriend could not wear one. She then said I was focusing too much on it but threatened not to come when I said no, and then gaslit me when I said I didn't want it and told me it was just a cowboy hat and that my emotions were probably all over the place from wedding planning. Bridesmaid two chimed in and agreed with her that I was being "insensitive" about it, even though husband and I fronted everything except shoes, flight, and car rental for both of them, and didn't even ask them to plan any type of bridal party or bachelorette party due to distance. Told them both nevermind, I don't deserve to be treated like I'm the enemy when I didn't do anything wrong other than say no to one thing asked.
Edit: TLDR added

I need advice. I hadn’t talked to my ex in literal years. I’ve tried reaching out in the past and he would never respond because he was in another relationship. He had remained friends on Facebook with my brother and one random day he commented on a post I tagged my brother in. The dopemine rush I got from just that was unreal!!! After his comment I just said well hi and he liked it and that was that. Fast forward to a couple weeks later my mom was posting memories of family trips etc on Facebook tagging my brother and I. And he starts liking the posts. So i went to his page and looked at a recent picture and gathered all courage I had and messaged him. I told him I never realized how ginger he was until now and happy early birthday! We’re old now (he 34 and I 32)! Because his birthday was the next day. To my surprise he responded right away, saying he’s just ginger on his face and balls not his head hair, and thank you!! So what does my dirty ass do? I told him to prove it lol and he says what’s there to prove? I don’t believe you have big tits and you know where that lead! Lmfao! He then starts saying he wants some birthday cake and not the cake you’re thinking! Literally wanted me to come to his house that night. I was flabbergasted because I thought he was engaged? Did him and ole girl break up? They had to of because he wouldn’t be responding to me him he was with her. I didn’t even ask because it’s not my business. He proceeded to keep asking my plans that night and I’m sorry but I was not prepared for all that I wanted to look GREAT when I seen him so I asked if I could have a rain check and he was like idk can you? I told him I liked that and of course, and he was like ok then and I left it as that and he continued to text me at midnight saying what’s the word raincheck? And I’m thinking like obviously bc if I just ran right over I’m clearly still whipped after all this time. So now it’s the next day his birthday april 27, and he asks what time is cake served ? Like bro am I dreaming?? Bc this is insane god what plans do you have ? I went out bought all new makeup, new outfit, sexy bra, underwear, lmfao I got to looking my best. He was over his sisters having some drinks with them and my brother was with his friends out having some drinks so I ended up meeting my brother at a bar nearby to my exs house when I was waiting for him to say what the plan was. He randomly just shows up at the bar we are at. It was so crazy being next to him, seeing him, hearing his voice after so long. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. I bought him some bday drinks and we all had a great time just catching up. He’s done great for himself. I’m really proud of the person he’s become. My brother was like so we’re all curious what happened to ole girl and he was like none of your business (just as I thought) but he later told him she was a bad alcoholic and never knew if he’d come home to her in lingerie or a bad bad fight. So he made her leave. I have no idea how long it’s been since then. 2am came fast and he invited my brother and I back to his place. We just hungout there talking and smoked one. Until it got real late and he said he was tired and was calling it a night. Nothing happened. I hugged him and wished him a happy bday. And we left. I was sad but relived bc I didn’t want to seem that easy. He texted me once I got home saying thanks for the drinks and it was nice catching up and he would’ve had some cake if it wasn’t the three of us. After that, he texted me the next day because my brother lost his keys somehow so he was asking if yo the three of us. After that, he texted me the next day because my brother lost his keys somehow so he was asking if he ever found them I almost thought he was just trying to keep on a conversation. And that we did, we talked about the past the present things going on in our lives our jobs. Or dogs, how our families were doing who died. Sent pictures back-and-forth of stuff. The weekend after I seen him, he went up north to open up his camper and said that I could’ve came, but I would’ve been bored because there wouldn’t have been much to do. I’m kicking myself now because I should have just said I’ll go. I don’t care about being bored as long as I’m hanging out with you, but I was too dumb to even think of that. He even brought that up, man logic I guess. His whole ride up north to his place he was sending me dick pics and I was sending some stuff back so literally I started putting this whole scenario in my mind like we were gonna maybe start hanging out again. I really had no big expectations. I just wanted him in my life again. We only spent three years together when we were real young and I made some dumb choices back then which I totally regret and if I didn’t make those choices, my life would be so different today. I don’t think we would have ever broke up. He was the love of my life and still is because I have never loved anyone like I have loved him. We kept texting. I would ask him how his day was or he would ask me how my day went but it wasn’t as much. Now it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve seen him and 10 days since we even talked. Idk what to do. The last time we talked, I kind of made a fool out of myself telling them about fantasies of having my panties cut off with a knife then put it to my throat and yeah he was laughing but after that, I haven’t heard anything from him. I do too much sometimes and I embarrass myself and I think that’s exactly what I did. I want to reach out to him. I want to talk to him, but I kind of feel like it’s in his hands. What do I do? I almost feel like he’s just not interested. Was he just looking to get laid that night but then why would you proceeded to talk to me for almost a week and a half every single day, continue to send dick pics and talk about inviting me up north. It doesn’t make sense I don’t know what’s appropriate and what’s not in our situation. I know that he’s probably still hurt about his ex. They were with each other for over 10 years and we’re gonna get married. I’m sure that has left him hurt in someway, but obviously it’s none of my business. I just don’t know what to do.

Hey, so you ever get a birthday present that's so not your style, but you really can't return it because it'd be really awkward? Normally it's like, I dunno. Shoes, or shirts or something like that, right?
For me it was four fire-breathing horses.
Okay, so I should clarify. My dad didn't really give me four fire-breathing ponies to keep. It was more of a test for him to treat me like his son again.
See, I just recently got out of a Styx oath that would have led me to eternal damnation if I didn't fulfill it. It's a long story, but to keep it short: I swore an oath on the Styx to be a brave hero by my eighteenth birthday when I really should have just pinkie promised. But yeah. My dad, God of War and dad of the year took it well. …In that he pretty much said that I was a waste of space, disowned me and he'd personally hand me over to the Styx for eternal damnation.
Nice guy. Really should get into motivational speeches.
The night before, after riding the high of not having the threat of being sent to Super Hell I had a pretty bad dream. I mean, it wasn’t the normal David nightmare. It wasn't me killing endless hordes of monsters while my dad laughed at how pathetic I was.
Well, half of that. It was just my dad. To be honest, rather I’d take the monsters.
He was laughing at me, with that smug face of his, in that all-leather biker outfit with the shades that made him look even more like an asshole, as if that's hard to believe.
Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to cuss. Anyways yeah. Me and my dad. Not the best relationship, even by demigod standards.
He gave me a toothy grin, like a shark’s as he circled around me. I instinctively stood up straight, at attention. As much as I hate my dad, ticking off a god is a pretty dumb thing to do. Plus, I was pretty dumbfounded to see him here in my dream of all things.
“Well, color me surprised. To be honest, boy, I thought I'd end up taking care of this myself. So, congratulations on that front. But, sorry to burst your bubble, it might be good enough for ol’ Styxy but…it’s not good enough for me. But, you know, I'm a generous guy! Prove me you're a warrior. Do that, and I'll welcome you back in the family with open arms. I even got the perfect way for you to prove yourself.”
Without warning, he tossed me a set of keys with a miniature boar-headed keychain and a really big switchblade on the end of it. I fumbled with it before slipping it into my pocket.
“An oldie but a goodie. Used to let my sons prove themselves to me all the time with this one. Now, I'm sure once you see what I got planned you'll know the rules, considering you're a fuckin’ nerd. But in case you forget…”
He lowered his shades, revealing balls of fire as he glared right at me.
“Sundown. My temple. Don't be late or I'll toss you in the Styx myself. Well! Have fun, yeah? I'm looking forward to watching you fail this one, like your last quest. Now, get up. Clock’s ticking after all…”
“Gaah!”
I snapped my eyes open, falling out of my bed and onto the hard floor under me. As soon as I hit the floor, I could hear one of my many siblings start to stir from their sleep. Immediately, my sister Tiffany started to sigh as she shot up from her bed. I could see her pastel pink sleep mask perched on her head as she glared into the darkness of the early morning. She groaned in frustration, her words cutting through the quiet of the dawn.
"What the hell are you idiots doing?"
To be fair, I could see why she’d think that. Most of my siblings were fond of pranking each other every now and then. The chaos of the Ares cabin was unmatched from most cabins, except maybe Hermes. But, when you cut off her beauty sleep, the threat of an angry Tiff was usually was enough to make nighttime a truce. Usually.
My sister rubbed her eyes and looked down at me. I sheepishly gave a smile as I rubbed my head, still sore from when it hit the floor.
"Seriously, David?"
Tiffany got out of bed and silently made her way to me. She wordlessly held out a hand and I grasped at it as she pulled me up.
"Thanks Tiff. I had this dream, where Dad called me a nerd and was talking to me about testing me now that my Styx Oath is..."
I felt something hard and metallic poke against my leg, from my sweats pocket. I pulled out the unfamiliar object and to my surprise, there were the same keys from my dream. My eyes widened as I realized that my dream was a little bit more than usual demigod stuff.
"Oh. That...wasn't a dream."
She raised an eyebrow as she looked at the keys that sat in my hand. I played with the accessories, absentmindedly feeling the boar head and the switchblade knife. She leaned in, peering at the keys as the dawn started to rise.
"What the hell are those for?"
She looked to the keys, then back at my face, and then the keys again. She looked at me as if I just said that Kronos was about to come back and throw an ice cream party courtesy of the Titans.
"You're telling me Dad gave those to you or something? You're joking. Have to be."
I shook my head, but I could see why she thought so. I was pretty sure I was near the bottom, if not at the bottom of his list of favorite kids. If I was being honest, I was pretty sure he wanted me dead more than a few times.
"Tiff, you know that I'm not exactly Dad's favorite by a long shot. Why would I say something like that and risk him getting even mad more mad at me because of my lying? Dad disowned me, remember? He mentioned something along the line in my dream that if I pass his test I'd be treated as one of his sons again but he didn't mention what it..."
The gears started turning as I looked at the keys in my hands.
”A test…keys…sundown…oh no. Oh, no.”
I immediately pocketed up my keys and started putting on my shoes. No time for pants, sweats would do just fine, I just had to make sure to take my wallet with me, considering I was going to New York now. I had to be quick or this test was over before it even started.
"No. I...I think I know what it is. But if I'm right, then shoot I gotta get going then! Before our brothers take it."
In hindsight, I probably should have told Tiff a bit about my thoughts. But, the more I delayed the more issues that could have cropped up. I just had to make sure it was safe.
"Take what? Where the hell are you going?!"
I burst out of the cabin, staring at what was in front of our cabin. I felt a bit of nervousness bubble up as my thoughts were proven true. Tiffany was close behind me as she walked outside our cabin. I looked at her face and caught an expression of wonder as whatever she was going to ask me was forgotten. Parked in front of the cabin was a red and gold Harley. The seat was white leather and gave a sorta…humany vibe to it that I did not wanna think about. Only one thing came to mind, something I knew instinctively from the moment I saw it. Dad's War Chariot.
Or as the god of war would call it, his chariot.
"I...I think dad wants me to take his ride for a spin."
I ran my hand over the cold metal, and I realized what Dad meant about the “oldie but a goodie.” A while back, before the Second Titan war ended, and all of the children of the gods had to be claimed, there was a ritual all sons of Ares went through. It was something all my brothers did at fifteen. Drive around his Chariot and return it before sundown. It wasn't easy, my Godly siblings, Phobos and Deimos both loved to mess with whoever was in charge of the chariot at the time. And you had to deal with monsters too, but overall when it came to demigod stuff it wasn’t the most dangerous around. I dunno if that says a lot about how dangerous this life can get though.
But, shortly after the then-counselor Clarisse La Rue became the first girl to do it, Dad pulled the plug. I dunno if it was good ol’ sexism, someone totaling it, or dad not wanting to let all of his kids drive his ride, either way it wasn't super common nowadays. It wasn't like he stopped, but it was something given, not a right. Dad letting me do this was him at least giving me a chance to prove myself to be one of his kids, which was more than I expected to be honest.
I took a breath as I looked at Dad’s ride, feeling a pit of unease in my stomach as I started to climb in. If it wouldn't end up with me being tormented for the rest of my short life, I'd tell him no and go back to sleep. But, telling a god no, especially my dad is a neat way to be turned into a rodent. Or a fine red paste. Or a rodent that would be turned into said paste.
Tiffany's brows furrowed as she processed my words, a layer of disbelief on her face as she chewed over it.
You? He wants you to drive it? I...that...what the hell?"
I fought off a wince as she looked at me, then the ride, then back at me again. I could tell she was a bit annoyed. I mean, yeah from her perspective I was singled out by dad to do something she probably wanted to do for a while. I felt a pit of guilt in my stomach, it wasn't fair, really. But at the same time I had to do this.
"I mean, seriously? He must be out-"
She cut herself off. Calling my dad crazy was another way to get turned into a rat that would then be turned into a fine paste. Actually a lot of things carried the threat, my dad is kinda a jerk. I sighed, figuring I might as well tell her about why Dad was doing this. I didn't wanna hide it, but it's not like I like to talk about the fact that I've been disowned for two years. She knew, most of us did. But it's not something I like bringing up, because yeah. It sucks.
"I read a bit about previous Ares campers. He used to do this more often, at first only his sons did, but later his daughters could. I dunno why he stopped but, this isn't really like he's doing it because he's proud of me. I'm sorta disowned, remember? He said if I can drive the chariot, he'll take me back as one of you guys again. It's...more of a test to earn myself back into his good graces, I think.”
Tiffany listened to my explanation, not saying anything for a bit She looked a bit bothered about the fact that I was chosen to drive the Chariot, which again, not surprising.
"Ugh, I guess that makes sense."
I could hear the frustration in her voice as she crossed her arms. I winced again, preparing for her to resent or hate me. But to my surprise, I heard her add more in a softer voice.
"Well, don't get yourself killed trying to pass this stupid test, I don't want to have to explain to everyone why you're not coming back."
Her icy tone defrosted as she looked back at me with a bit of concern in her eyes. She seemed less annoyed and more worried about me, which was sweet. Not that I'd let her hear that. I hoped that maybe, dad would let her give it for a spin later down the road. If anyone deserved it, it would be her. I gave a nervous laugh as I took the keys out of my pocket.
"Of course, I passed my Styx Oath, didn't I? It'd be really dumb of me to die right after barely avoiding that, right? Oh, yeah. If Ellie asks for me, tell her about dad's little test he has for me. Hopefully it won't be too long but you know how it is with godly stuff. I should be back in time for us to hang out for the rest of my birthday once I do this for dad. I'll bring back something cool!”
I felt my trepidation fade away as I prepared to drive. Lots of my siblings dreamed of piloting the chariot. It wouldn't be right to reject the opportunity when it was given to me. And, who knows? Getting back in Dad's good graces (or as much as one can get in them) might help me out. At least I would have one less target on my back. As I sat down in the white leather seat, I put the keys in the ignition and instantly it began to morph.
OOC:Read this while listening to whats coming up
The front split apart into one steel horse that slowly split into two, and then four cream-colored horses that looked around with a cruel intelligence. The seat dipped, and warped before it became a horse-drawn chariot I was now standing in. The chariot was gold and blood red, adorned with the lovely images of people dying gruesome deaths, because Dad's taste in decor is somewhere between military surplus and serial killer, apparently.
“Okay…so, I need to get to Dad's temple before sundown. I don't know New York highways though, so how can I…oh hey! A gps!”
My fingers brushed against a touch screen set up on the chariot and punched The Intrepid into the coordinates. I gave one last wave to my sister before I lashed the horses and they immediately took off. I led them out of camp easily enough, but as we reached the highway they sped up to an impossible speed for a chariot. Their speed was even faster than any cars on the highway, rivaling the time that Aphrodite camper drove us to the beach once. I pulled back on the reins, trying to get them to slow down. Instead, they gave a rebellious snort and went even faster.
I would like to say that I embraced my inner Ares kid and relished the challenge. But I'm not going to lie, when you end up going past 80 MPH in a chariot, you tend to think you're going to die, fun fact. I screamed for most of the way, yanking and pulling at their reins so we could bob and weave through traffic.
It's a bit of a drive from Camp Half-Blood to New York City, I know it well, it’s a pretty common place for me to go for some monster slaying. But, up until now, I've been in the passenger seat while Argus drives. The speed of the horses really made the time go by faster. As we entered the city, the horses started to slow down and I felt a ray of hope as I started to steer them through the city. I gave a triumphant laugh as I looked down at my ETA. It was surprisingly quick, considering how congested New York can get. And I didn't see hide or hair of either one of my godly brothers, so I felt pretty good, all things considered.
“Huh. That's weird. There's not many cars today…my luck must be turning around!”
“Traffic update: Incoming Monsters. Rerouting. Cannot reroute.”
“Huh?”
Immediately, a massive boar the size of a garbage truck burst from a nearby alley way behind me. Behind the massive pig, two armored bank cars recklessly merged into traffic. One leaned out, revealing a gray-skinned human in body armor brandishing a shotgun.
“Of course! I had to open my big mouth! Is there anything that I’m going to have to deal with?”
“You are on the fastest route!”
“Well that’s just GREAT! Now I can be on the quickest way to the underworld!”
”Rerouting to: D.O.A. Records, Los Angeles.”
“Woah, woah, woah, no! Keep me on The Intrepid! The Intrepid!”
Seeing all these enemies together though, I started to put a thought in my head. They all had something in common, now that I saw them all in front of me. A boar was sacred to Ares, Spartoi too came from a dragon sacred to him. I put the pieces together as I saw the monsters come out of the woodwork and all to me. Now things made sense. The lack of Phobos and Deimos, the sacred beings to Ares, the lack of mortals on the street.
I didn't see my siblings because Dad wanted to mess with me personally.
Even now, I don't know if he wanted to test me in a Spartan way, or if he just wanted to get rid of me without kinslaying. Either way, I couldn't back down now. Not when I was so close. I snapped on the reins and the rebellious horses continued on their path, bickering and weaving left and right as they snorted and whinnied.
I heard the wiz of something traveling through the air and quickly moved out of the way. A metal feather hit the chariot, bouncing off the hull and onto the ground. I looked up and saw a few birds. They were black and crow-like, but their feathers had a metallic sheen, like iron. Their wings flapped and I heard the sound of metal on metal as they soared above me.
“Dad called in feather-shooters too? Come on!”
I steered left and right as I evaded the metal feathers shooting at me. The newcomers behind me quickly gained as I bobbed and weaved. I had to figure a way out of this, and fast. Problem was, I was quickly outnumbered and outmatched. I wasn't the best at archery, and my sword could shoot a blast of force, courtesy of the then Forgemaster. Main issue was it took a bit to charge, and I couldn't take them on so high up.
I couldn't run. I needed to fight out of this. But even if I could fight the two Spartoi and the big pig, the problem was the birds. I didn't have a ranged option…or did I? I looked to the horses, breathing embers as they huffed and pulled the chariot further on. Ares kids couldn't talk to horses, but these were godly horses. They seemed smarter than your average horse. Maybe I could talk them into behaving, the same way I got some of my siblings to listen to the plan during Capture the Flag.
“Hey guys, are you bored? I'm sure Dad and my brothers take all the good fights, huh? You know, if you guys continue fighting each other, I might lose this and you guys will miss out on a good fight.”
At first, I thought it fell on deaf ears. But then, they stopped their jostling and started to take a more unified path as we raced along the streets. Like I thought, they enjoyed a good fight as much as their owner did.
“That's what I like to see. Look, we're pretty surrounded right now. What do you say we rampage a bit before I take you guys home?”
An evil-sounding whinny came from the horses. I couldn’t really speak horse, but I took that as an okay and pointed at the birds above us. Did I feel stupid? Kinda. But as long as it worked, I couldn’t complain.
“See them? All yours. I'll cover you guys from the ground forces, and in exchange, you guys fall in line. Alright?”
A burst of fire came from one of the horses in response and I heard a loud squawk as it engulfed one of the feather-shooters. I breathed a sigh in relief as the rest of the birds started to scatter. They veered left and right in an attempt to avoid the flaming streams that were now sporadically being fired in their direction.
“Alright! Good job, I'll leave it to you!”
I gave a smile as I turned behind to my land-based foes, quickly gaining on me. I could hear the occasional woosh of fire as the horses fought the birds. One of the armored trucks caught up to my right and one of the spartoi leaned out of the vehicle. They aimed down the sights and pointed their shotgun at me.
“Sudden traffic in your area. You will be delayed by…five minutes. You are still on the fastest route!”
“Woah, that’s not fair! Come on Dad! A gun? Really!?”
I felt a tug in my stomach. It wasn’t something I could do a lot in a row without being exhausted, but I had some sorta pull when it came to weapons. When I gave a command, they were able to fall right out of their owner’s hands.
“Alright, let’s even the playerfield shall we?”
I held out my hand and they dropped it, the gun fell onto the ground, crushed by the wheels of the car. The second caught up to my left and once again, a spartoi leaned out of their car, weapon in hand.
“Another one!? Come on! How am I going to…”
I was jerked to the side as the horses suddenly veered right. At first, I thought it was the horses misbehaving again, but then a monstrous squeal came from behind me, rushing forwards.
Crash
I heard the sound of steel groaning as the boar rushed past the truck, pushing their truck out of the way as they aggressively charged forward. It was a good thing I managed to get out of the way, or else I would have been in trouble. I could see the spartoi shaking their fist as they spun out, their car massively dented with a massive gash in the armor. Now that I had to deal with two enemies, I decided to use the boar’s momentum to my advantage. I pulled back on the reins and the boar kept barreling on, too fast to stop as I made the chariot suddenly stop and then take a sudden turn away from the temple. The boar ran straight into a brick wall, seemingly dazed but otherwise okay.
”Rerouting...”
That temporarily took care of two of my enemies. Now that I had one to worry about, and my horses were pretty steady, I could start this fight in earnest. I kept one hand on the reins as I grabbed my Miku keychain. I unclipped it, and the keychain turned into a katana, with said keychain still on the bottom. It was my sword, Anime (I want to clarify, my friend Jules named it, not me). One of the Spartoi readied a spear and lunged at me. I parried it with my blade, and stabbed at their chest. I felt my blade plunge into their body. I pulled away at it, slashing at it again to tear it apart. To my disappointment though, the monster quickly reformed.
I don't know what I expected, to be honest. They wouldn't be much of an immortal soldier if they died after the first hit. But it bought me valuable time as we pushed forward. Almost as soon as its bones knit back together, it struck at me. I guarded once again, my sword starting to glow brighter and brighter with each strike. Our blades clashed and separated again and again for, I don’t know how long to be honest. I was putting up a good fight, but I just couldn’t gain the upperhand in that fight. For starters, if it was a monster or even a demigod it’d be ten ways to Tartarus at the moment. But, no matter how I sliced or diced it, the immortal soldier kept on coming back. Also, I just wasn't used to multitasking like that, I held on as tightly as I could, but the brief times I practiced Chariot combat with my friends Jules and Cel, I was either driving or fighting. Both at the same time was hard, and I was lucky that the horses were so cooperative.
I heard the whinny of one of the horses ahead as I looked back to the front. No sign of the birds meant that there was a few extra-crispy feather-shooters along the road somewhere, which was good news. But then, I looked out in front and realized that there was a big problem. One of the trucks we left behind somehow got in front of us, blocking the road with their car. Five spartoi were standing outside of the car, swords and spears drawn as they headed the chariot off.
At this moment, I knew I was screwed. I was too fast to just stop. And, even if I did stop, I’d have to deal with all the angry skeleton men chasing me down. I just winced, bracing for impact. But then, I heard a neigh as the horses pulling my chariot started to turn into steel and combined once more. The chariot started to shift, the creak of metal folding and turning. I quickly sheathed my sword as the reins turned into chrome handlebars which I gripped like my life depended on it. The chariot continued to morph until once again it was a motorcycle with flame patterns. I veered as left as I could, narrowly avoiding hitting the side of a nearby building as I sped past the skeletal blockade. I braked, motorcycle now turning back into the chariot form as I turned back and watched as the car that was chasing me slammed straight into the other.
The now pissed spartoi stumbled out of the wreckage and started to scream undead obscenities to each other. I couldn’t speak ghost, but whatever they said seemed to be pretty rude, because both sides started to unsheath their swords and get into an all-out brawl. One of the spartoi sliced the other in two, and they didn’t reform this time as their essence slid into their black sword.
Huh. Well, that was one way to deal with them.
“Whew! Good horses.”
I turned, ready to snap the reins once again, but I stopped as I saw what was waiting for me at the other end of the road. The boar, still very much on my trail stood in front of me. It pawed at the ground in front of it, and my horses started to do the same. I stared at the boar, unsheathing Anime once again as we stared off.
“Keep straight for…500 feet.”
The thing about boars is that they can be pretty deadly. They’re brutish and aggressive, and they go down fighting. You know the crossguard that’s near the pointy end of a spear? That’s so the animal doesn’t run up the spear to take you out with it. You don’t think them being that dangerous, but there’s a reason that dad’s symbol is a boar.
I had to make this quick, and efficient or I’d end up maimed, or worse. I snapped the reins one more time, and the horses started to dash down the street. The boar squealed as it barreled to me. I could see it get closer and closer. I grit my teeth, holding my blade in my right hand as it started to shine more and more brightly. My hand held onto the grip tightly, bracing for my next action.
I’d have one shot at this.
I miss, I’m dead.
I hesitate, I’m dead.
I don’t hit the vitals, I’m dead.
Time started to slow around me as I watched the boar rush at the chariot, enraged as it reached the point where there was no stopping it now. I could see the powerful muscles push and pull, the beast using all its power in an attempt to off me for good. I felt heat coming from the front as all four horses breathed a stream of flames at the swine. The boar kept on charging forwards, through the fire as the flames engulfed it. An angry squeal erupted from the inferno as it lept up from the sea of flames, still on fire as it used its strong legs to clear the horses and go straight for me.
Breathe in
I felt a sense of calm wash over me as I pulled my sword hand back. My blade shined brilliantly, even in the May sun. I watched it fall ever closer to me, the flames still eating away at the flesh. I stared into its ever-angry eyes, burning brighter than the flames surrounding it. I don’t falter. I’ve faced monsters that have crushed my bones. I don’t feel fear. I’ve fought creatures that could have killed me in five seconds. This is it. I need it to be perfect.
Breathe out.
SHING
I swung my blade and a rush of air followed it, making an arc that flew to the boar. I don’t doubt my skills. I simply watch, confident that this will end the monster once and for all. The blast, charged from my fight flew unimpeded. The beast’s chuffs turned into surprised squeal as it sliced the boar cleanly in two, bisecting it from the snout down. I sheathed my sword and put both hands back on the reins, eyes on the road as I barely watched what came next. The flaming boar started to fade into dust, still falling through the air until only a tusk was left. I held out my arm and caught it with my right hand.
“Oh hot, hot!”
I juggled it a bit with one hand before placing it down on the chariot floor. I grinned triumphantly as I realized what happened. Dad tried to test me, to see if I was “worthy” or he genuinely tried to kill me. Either way, I beat him this time, proving to him that I was more. That he underestimated me when we first met, that I was a brave warrior all along. In the end, I proved to him that I could fulfill my Styx oath even past what was expected of me. I laughed as I sped up, I felt pretty good about my victory. I wondered how his face would look, or if I could read his expression past his dumb sunglasses.
But as I rounded the corner, a terrifying sight came to my face as my glee turned to sorrow. I watched with horror as I realized Dad’s influence on the fight kept a more dangerous foe than any before at bay. Now that the fight was over, he had no reason to keep it around, and for once, I wasn’t sure if I could get through this unscathed. I gulped as I put my hands on the reins, not ready to face the impossible challenge alone. I hoped it wouldn’t break me as I prepared what little I had to fight this foe.
”There is an unusual amount of traffic in your area today.”
“Now you tell me…”
None other, than New York traffic.
I’d like to say that I did something else. Like I defeated an army of drakons on my way, or managed to fight off crazed demigods sent by my dad…but no. It was pretty much just traffic the rest of the way there. It was long and arduous, but I managed to make my way over to The Intrepid. After that traffic,I had to say, the amount of crazy drivers was almost San Francisco bad. I’d have taken as many spartoi and boars as dad could throw at me, if it meant I wasn’t drowning in the sea of cars. I drove down Pier 86, feeling a sense of relief as I got closer and closer to the aircraft carrier turned museum. As I got within eyeshot, I realized that dad said to take it to the temple, but not where to drop it off at.
It would be really stupid to end up failing just because I wasn’t sure where to leave dad’s ride. I got off the chariot, and was eyeing the prices of a ticket.
“Adults are thirty-six, Seniors and College Students…thirty four… Oh hey! Children of Ares get in free! Now, how do I wheel dad’s chariot through the front…”
Suddenly the side gate opened, lights flashing and clanging as it automatically retracted. The person standing in the booth waved me over and I hopped back onto the chariot, driving it by cautiously. They were dressed like a security guard, shades covering their eyes as they looked down onto their phone that they were absentmindedly playing with. Eyebrow piercings peeked out from behind the shades. They were tall, looked about early twenties, and seemed like your average bored museum guard, if not for that sorta godly aura I got from them.
“Take the chariot this way, Lord Ares will be at the end of Pier 86. Can’t miss him.”
I eyed the godling suspiciously. They seemed like one of those myriad younger and minor gods I saw when I was on Olympus. Not anyone I’d know, but if they wanted to stop me, it’d be annoying to get past them. They didn’t seem to be that dangerous, at least right now. But when you were a demigod, you learned to be wary of free handouts.
“Uh…look man, I’m going to be honest. I just got through some hellish traffic to get through here. So if like, you’re leading me into a trap or if my godly brothers are going to show up to try and take this, can you just start the fight and save me the trouble? It’s been a long morning, and I just wanna get this over with.”
I stared back at my reflection through their mirrored shades. Growing up, I always thought of myself as gangly and awkward. I could see my messed up hair, tousled from the wind. I stood tall, and although I wasn’t the buffest Ares kid around, you couldn’t call me skinny anymore. I looked almost heroic as I held the reins atop the chariot. Was that how I looked now? The godling shook their head as they chuckled, putting down their phone as they looked at me in the eyes.
“Kid, even for a god like Ares who likes conflict, you don’t do something like that in a temple. You can’t just attack his kid on his own grounds. Plus, it's part of the rules of war to respect neutralized zones. Trust me, you’re home free.”
“Oh. Um, thank you.”
He nodded and went back on his phone. I snapped on the reins and the chariot trotted along, even fire-breathing horses had to follow traffic laws apparently. I was on guard, not taking the godling’s words at face value. Mortals in a daze parted around the chariot, a few snapping pictures at me. I freaked out for a split second before I heard the tourists being in awe at what I heard to be a “vintage bomber”. Dumbfounded, I stopped for a brief second. It didn’t even have wings! But, I could see the mist shimmer around me and for a brief moment, see the silhouette of the plane around the chariot. It was an old fighter, a single propellor with flaming horse art on the nose.
“P-40B Warhawk? Alright, guess we’re working with that.”
I frowned a bit, trying to think if I knew that before this, from a school project or if it was more demigod shenanigans. I was never into fighter jets, but when you’re a demigod sometimes your parent’s godly influence shoves itself into your head and it’s always confusing when it does.
I drove the “plane” to the end of the pier, where I could see my dad sitting down on a barricade, blocking off a massive plane above him. It wasn’t used for war apparently, because I had no clue what type of plane it was. Looked cool though, it was really narrow around the nose end and the wings were all near the back end. He had a big wicked-looking combat knife in his hand that he used to clean his nails. He looked up at me, disinterestedly, before going back down to the knife.
“You’re alive.”
I couldn’t tell from his tone if that was a good or bad thing. It seemed… neutral. Like he was stating the sky was blue. But, overall I’d take that as a good thing, considering our last meeting. I spoke a bit warily, not sure if he was in a good or bad mood considering my victory.
“Uh, so Father. I’m finished with what you-”
“No. You’re not.”
“I’m not!? Do I need to do anything or-”
A moment of panic snuck up into my chest. For a brief moment I was afraid he was going to pull a twelve labors on me, but then he whistled and held out his hand.
“Not until you give me the keys kid, then it’s done.”
I hopped out of the chariot, the reins in my hand turning into keys as the horses went back into their motorcycle form. I somewhat clumsily tossed it to my dad, who grabbed it. He pushed himself off his perch, first making sure his motorcycle was unharmed. Then, he turned to me, eying me up and down as he circled around where I stood. I stood still, at attention as I felt my heart racing in my chest. I felt like a deer, cornered by a wolf just waiting to strike. Yet, the first pang of anxiety soon settled down. If he wanted to take care of me, he would have done so already. Or sent something more dangerous like a Drakon at me when I was driving. I felt my heart leap up into my throat as he clapped a big hand on my shoulder. The gesture wasn’t hostile, if anything, the motion seemed friendly. But his grip was anything but. His hand, like the claws of a tiger dug into my shoulder as he grinned at me.
“I have to say, I thought you were a lost cause, but look at you kid. Took you long enough, but I guess you have enough of me in you after all. Well, a late bloomer is better than being completely useless, but man! You were one of my most pathetic kids when you took that oath. I don’t think I had a kid as wimpy as you in a long time. Well, I’m glad my little nudge helped you keep that oath up after all. It would have been a waste of a perfectly good warrior if you didn’t shape up.”
I looked at him, dumbfounded. He helped me? He didn’t do anything! I wasn’t stupid enough to point it out, but I guess he knew what I was thinking as I felt his grip tighten as he growled.
“Come on, don’t give me that look, kid. Oh, don’t look so surprised. Tip of advice: don’t dip your toes into cards. You have a horrible poker face. Your mom was the same way. But, yes. I helped. Not that kids these days would understand. Parents these days are too soft, including most of us gods. Back in Sparta, we’d leave our kids to fend for themselves. Just give them barely enough food and let them hunt or steal the rest. If they end up dying in the hunt or starved, well that’s fine. They were too weak to do anything of note anyway. You should consider yourself lucky I was generous enough to just turn my back on you.”
He chuckled low, and my blood ran cold as he shook me. I shook my head, fighting off a wave of dizziness as he threatened to take off my arm.
“Oh, but that’s in the past! You passed your agōgē period, all by yourself. Now that is true strength.”
His evil grin widened as he gave me the closest thing to an approved look he’d ever given me. I furrowed my brow as I shook my head. This credit, it wasn’t mine to take, was it? Before I could think, I spoke what was on my mind.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t do this by myself. Everywhere I went, I had someone to help me out. If it wasn’t for the help from my friends, I don’t think I would be standing here. I didn’t-”
My dad’s good mood instantly soured as his grin warped into a snarl. His grip, although somewhat friendly now seemed dangerously tight as he frustratingly interrupted me.
“Oh for the love of! I’m complimenting you, kid. Look. I don’t care about those other twerps one way or another. Allies are fine enough in war, as long as you don’t make them do all the work. Kid, you’ve gotten strong all on your own, like a true son of mine. Don’t deny you and me the kleos you rightfully deserve ever again. Shut up and just take the honor.”
“I…uh…yes, Dad.”
I was surprised that all it accounted to was a mild scolding. My dad, too seemed to calm down after I agreed with his words, as he went back to a smile. He put his hand back into his pocket as he started to walk up to his chariot. He ran his finger across the chrome finish, taking out a cloth and cleaning off my fingerprints from the metal.
“About your joyride. Not bad, not bad at all. It took you a bit to embrace your birthright, but you ended up not even scratching my ride. Nice. Nice. Saves me the trouble of buffing it out. Now, if you could only stop complaining at everything that opposed you. You’re a man, aren’t you David? Start acting like it. If you think a bag of bones and a pig are hard, just wait until your future. The stronger a warrior gets, the stronger their foes get. Make sure you’re strong enough to stand up against them before you end up a stain on the pavement.”
I heard the engine rev as he got into the seat. He threw a bag at me that I clumsily fumbled with before I fully caught it. I opened it, and a few golden drachmas shined back at me.
“Since your agōgē finished up, consider yourself un-cut off. Even I’m not heartless enough to leave a son of mine stranded in New York. Keep the rest. Feel free to hang around my temple, and help yourself to the gift shop if you want, it’s on the house, happy birthday and all that. Just don’t go overboard.”
He turned the motorcycle, wheeling it around so he could leave the pier. He turned around, giving me a few more parting words he shouted over the roar of the engine.
“Don’t think you’re done yet, David. You got a lot more to grow. Especially now that you can receive my blessings again. What, did you think that taking a good hit was all you can do? You’ll see sooner or later. See ya kid! Don’t disappoint me.”
He revved his engine one more time and took off, leaving me behind on the pier. As I watched my dad leave, I realized that with that resolved, the last of what made my Styx Oath so suffocating was finally finished. A part of me felt that I’d always keep the consequences of it with me. Either dad would continue to disown me, or I’d be horribly injured from my jobs. But, to my surprise, everything worked out alright. I worked as hard as I could, and now everything was over, truly over. I…wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I mean, like obviously I didn’t wanna have them with me for the rest of my life. But, for all of my oath’s lifespan I had the deadline looming overhead, and my expectation was that something would happen to me as a result. I was glad to have it over with, but I never felt that I could relax until now. The feeling of not having the anxiety of my imminent demise was something I wasn’t familiar with, and to be honest I still have trouble relaxing. As he disappeared into the afternoon traffic, I realized that, so too did my previous life.
Maybe…maybe I could afford to enjoy my life now after all.
OOC: And there we have it! The final David storymode relevant to this storyline! I meant to have this yesterday but I didn't see the modmail that gave me the okay until literally an hour ago oop. Which means that yes, the Chariot and Ares both are approved from the mods.
Big thank you to Tiffany's writer, angelspoint for helping me with her parts, I had a blast working with them! Hope you enjoyed David's Victory lap!

My lil Frankie-stien has seborrhea, which has been acting up dreadfully recently. So my lil angel has to be bathed ~which she hates!!~ 3X a wk. Nonetheless the special shampoos that (allegedly) help treat it, have to sit on her for 10-15mins before rinsing off. I just got her the Douxo S3 shampoo. And as per usual, it has to sit on her for 10mins. She's not a happy camper!! 🥺
She's been on Apoquel & also tried the Cytopoint injection, with no luck. {When getting the Cytopoint injection, the vet had to estimate how much Cytopoint to put in the syringe, bc she's 3.5lbs & apparently the injection chart instructions only starts at 10lbs}
I don't want to put her on some toxic chemical prescription medication that could end up causing her more harm in the future. Yes I'm am a freak when it comes to her, she's even titer tested to prevent over vaccination. She's so little & fragile. Besides dealing with the seborrhea BS, she also has luxating patella. In addition to those health concerns, on 4•14 another one reared its ugly head....
At around 11pm I ended up having to rush her to the emergency vet 2hrs away, bc of how she was breathing. (the way you breathe when you're in a lot of pain. Where you Breathe in, hold it & eventually you slowly exhale) She also had the majority of her tongue sticking out, drooling all over herself. She was lethargic, crying persistently & wouldn't drink or eat. No lie, while rushing her there I was planning my suicide if it was to be anything serious. I also think I had a coronary at 41. Once the radiologists looked over her X-rays they informed me that she has intervertebral space narrowing between vertebrae L5 & L6. 😰 She was prescribed Gabapentin for pain. Then for the next 2 days I used a tiny condiment bottle to occasionally squirt some water in the side of her mouth, bc she wouldn't drink. I did that with oat milk too. Just to get something in her, bc she wouldn't eat either. Finally on day 3 I fed her boiled hamburger mixed with plain rice & sweet potato baby food. She ate it!! 👏🏼 Then within 4 days besides drinking, eating, again, she was walking ~w/o hunching her back, running & playing fetch 🥎 OBSESSIVELY, like her normal self again!! 🐕‍🦺
I've bought a plethora of antiseborrheic/itch relieving/anti-itch shampoos over the years, trying them all on her, resulting in very little or no improvement whatsoever. When it's not majorly acting up, she's still bathed once a week as the seborrhea causes her hair to get oily quickly, her paws begin smelling like corn chips, and to ofc try & aide in the itching. Sometimes the itching is less frequent, and sometimes it's a lot more persistent. It usually decreases once the weather breaks.
She's been on a strict diet of organic dog food with few ingredients. I add a little coconut oil into her brkfst & a little fish oil into her dinner. According to my relentless researching on Google, those 2 oils should help. Yet the seborrhea continues randomly acting up. Leaving her suffering from the itching. FML.
It usually doesn't act up this horribly once the decent weather approaches. And when I say this horribly I mean it's awful!! Whenever you touch in her leg pits, she goes nuts thumping her back foot. Today, Monday & Wednesday during her bath, I was just running the water in those areas, and she began thumping. 😢
After her bath, once dry, I either rub on some organic 100%--aloe or Douxo foam in her itchy areas. As well as I keep a breathable pajama outfit on her, bc if I don't, she'll end up scratching her skin open.
She'll be 10yrs old on 7•25. The 1st [atrocious] seborrhea attack began when she was approx 2yrs old. Besides the excessive itching, that 1st time she had bumps with yellow crust on them all over her neck & back.
I realize there's not a permanent cure for it, but I want to give my little angel some relief!! Maybe I should be consistently bathing her 2-3X a week regardless of the flare ups?? Idk. 😮‍💨
Plz help!! I am open to any tips & suggestions. I also know Frankie sure would greatly appreciate any insight you can give!! 🩷

I will try to keep as many relevant details in here as possible without going too far off track, since the history with us and with her is utterly a novel. This is long, but worth it, so here goes.
11 days before my wedding I kicked out two bridesmaids (A and M.) This meant I had two left (E and L.) It started with bridesmaid A who asked if her boyfriend could wear a cowboy hat to my wedding. Mind you, my wedding venues were a church for the ceremony and a beach front venue for the reception. I told her that I did not want a cowboy hat in my photos or in my wedding, that that was not the vibe my husband and I were going for, and it just didn’t fit either venue’s décor or environment.
A bit of a backstory – A is not in the best position financially. She was dating her boyfriend for like 2 months before she got pregnant. He promised her a better life closer to his family, she believed it, got fired from her $50k/year job, left her first child w/ her ex-husband (Child 1 was supposed to be my flower girl, whose dress we also bought,) they moved from State A to state B, they don’t make much money. They now have the newborn that they can barely afford while living in a camper.
Before A asked about the cowboy hat, she asked about jeans. I did not want denim at my wedding. Denim is not formal. She said he was going to wear the same outfit to the wedding as his grandmother’s funeral. Fine, not a big deal. I told her if they are black jeans that is fine since from a distance they will look like slacks. (I gave her an inch and she was definitely looking for that mile.) She kept going with it and I eventually said, “I did not want denim, but I made the exception for you two.” And she said “Yeah, it’s not like we could have afforded anything else anyway.” I felt the tension and left it alone for the night.
The next morning, she texted me that she was hurt, that I had an attitude basically and I’ve been acting some type of way, she again brought up the money situation. I tried to be understanding and that I know they are not in the best position financially, but a lot of my family is not, and I know a lot of people are spending quite a bit to get where we are for the wedding (about half our guests were coming from out of state.) I also said I wanted everyone to have a great time and I was sorry if I came off any type of way or insensitive. This was not good enough for her. She decided to say that a wedding was about celebrating our love and if I was focused so much on a cowboy hat my priorities were in the wrong place. I asked her what was going on because this was clearly not about a cowboy hat and she avoided answering. Also did not tell me anything else it might have been about.
She said ever since planning the wedding I have been micromanaging, acting proud, and some other accusations that made no sense. I had no idea what she was talking about because a lot of the decisions my husband and I needed to make were taken care of with both venues – food, DJ, set up, breakdown, clean up, etc. A also said she had been talking to M about the way I was behaving, and that the cowboy hat was the final straw. (What’s that even mean? If I was bothering you with things, why didn’t you tell me so I could fix it or change the way I was approaching things?)
Somewhere in the midst of this whole thing, she said her daughter (Child 1) would just be uncomfortable in her dress and wouldn’t sit still for more than 30 mins (A lie, I have been around her and she is well behaved,) and also said her boyfriend does not like to eat in front of people (Arms must be tired from all that reaching) and all around is just making excuses, trying to call my bluff about this; if the boyfriend can’t even wear the cowboy hat to the reception, then they probably just go fishing after the ceremony, and not even come to the reception. She also said we could have helped with her shoes. In many other words, I told her just because we make more than her does not mean we owe her anything and told her almost everything we were paying for. Then told me to chill and that I was probably emotional from the planning and everything going on. Basically, gaslit me when she was the one that literally threatened not to come because of a cowboy hat. She brought up money again like five more times and how they’re broke – so clearly this is about money.
Husband and I bought the dresses, fronted the Airbnb we needed to get ready in, we fronted hair & makeup without asking for anyone to pay for their portion, bought gifts, A’s plane ticket (she paid us back the next day,) and many other things for our wedding for the bride and grooms party so everyone had a good time, knew they were appreciated, and felt like the event was worth the traveling and time.
Throughout my wedding planning, I pretty much planned everything with my husband, and we asked for hardly any input from anyone since no one was really available, no one was close, and it was just easier. So the whole micromanaging comment made no sense to me. I was doing my best to be flexible and understanding of finances for A, not as much for bridesmaid 2 – let’s call her M - but a little. She was also in a state 3 time zones away from me, so her plane ticket was not cheap.
I have known this girl for six years. I am crying at this point. It’s the afternoon, I have to get final headcount to the reception venue for catering THE NEXT MORNING. I am texting my mother, bridesmaid E, friend D, a group chat on messenger, and I have not told Husband yet. Every single one of them was on my side. E said, “If she is this way now before your wedding, imagine what she is going to be like on your wedding day.” And being the desperate person I was, I said to friend D “I know this is shitty and a horrible circumstance but if I needed you to be a bridesmaid, would you? The dress color and material are still available on [Vendor’s site.]” She said absolutely. I felt terrible for asking but I trusted her.
M now comes in. She was busy at work so she could not respond to the chat as much, but I was keeping a lot of the chat between A and I because I did not think M needed to be involved. A kept bringing the chat back to the group chat. She brought enough back to the group chat that M picked up on some stuff and basically agreed with A, she said I was being insensitive, and “At least she asked you before she did it.” I’m sorry, what?
Backstory for M – A few months earlier she said she was upset I did not officially ask her to be a bridesmaid and did not think it was worth it to come to my state for the wedding because it would be the second time she is here with her boyfriend but not for them; like not for their own reasons such as a vacation. We had a conversation when I started planning and I asked if she would be comfortable ordering a dress for me to see what it looked like. She said “Aww you want me to be a bridesmaid?” I said “I thought that was obvious!” So maybe it’s a thin line,” but she went shopping with A and I, went to try on dresses with her, and LET US BUY HER DRESS. She could have said something beforehand that she did not want to, rather than just thinking she had to. She also was not going to be there for the rehearsal since there was a concert in her state rescheduled for two days before my wedding and she was not going to miss it. Understandable since she would have had to get up at 5 am or earlier the night after the concert to get to my state sometime Thursday evening or Friday afternoon. I did not like this, but I accepted it because she also said “I think I’ve been part of enough weddings to figure it out, -insert laughing crying emoji-
By this point husband also called me for something, I don’t remember, but I eventually said to him “I don’t think I want either A or M to come.” He said “Okay, whatever you need to do. I’m fine at this point.” I summarized the events and he said “If you want to burn everything to the ground I don’t care, that’s fine with me.” I stewed on everything for a few hours but I knew what I had to do.
I let it sit, I said nothing else, I went to run an errand, I was on the way home, told D when the rehearsal and dinner was, asked if she could make it, she said yes. I told her to order her dress, called the florist, I told them I needed one less bouquet, and got home about 30 mins later. A few hours later I said to both A and M, basically, “You know what? Never mind. I don’t want either of you to come. This is my wedding, we are paying for everything, and I was not wrong. I do not deserve this treatment. It is not my fault A you made shitty decisions and can’t afford anything and M you planned a wedding before, how can you agree with her?” and quite a few other things. (Told them both to send back the dresses but ultimately did not end up caring and said they could do whatever they wanted with them later.) A then said I was attacking because I was frustrated. No, A. You made shit decisions and you’re taking it out on me now. M called me and I didn’t answer. (She was married before, divorced now. Whole other fucking story.)
The other kicker? A kept her flight to STILL COME SEE HER DAUGHTER and was going to need a CAR RENTAL ANYWAY, and A HOTEL ROOM with her boyfriend. So wait, was it NOT actually about money? I don’t even know anymore.
Anyway, D got her dress by Thursday or Friday the same week, we went shoe shopping a few days later, and she bought her own shoes, too.
My wedding party on my wedding day had three girls that were super supportive, loving, and made my day a whole lot easier. They were by my side, made me smile and laugh, and made the day so much more special. I have screenshots, by the way. If anyone wants them, I can attach them to a google doc and have you see them, haha. Just PM me!