Hi Reddit. I've posted on here before, got some interesting people messaging me in the past so figured why not try again.
Looking for new friends, particularly people who can hold deep conversations but also want to have fun. People who want to talk consistently and spill the T :P
Anyway, a bit about me. I'm in my 30s, live out here in Arizona. I'm a member of the LGBT community (trans woman) and have a lot of interests. Mostly outdooring and video games lol. But also read a lot. Learning how to draw (even though I suck at it) and getting more into fashion (kinda useful in my transition).
My favorite settings are either in my room playing video games, a library, a really nice park or a chill gay bar downtown.
I got a wonderful Chihuahua Pinscher mutt with a big heart. And he likes to kiss....sometimes way too much. He's adorable though so I let him slide.
I'm INFP for anyone who cares about MBTI.
There's plenty more to me but I've probably rambled long enough. If I seem interesting enough hit me up :)

Title. I just moved here would love some recommendations close to old Pasadena

A couple days ago, my wife and I were chilling and she was sitting with me as I tapped past some stories on instagram. As I went through, I went past an old friend of mine from high school that posted a very revealing picture of herself at a pool or something. I kinda laughed it off cause I know she gets uncomfortable when I see other attractive women, I didnt want her to feel that way. I said something like, "oh of course haha" cause she has posted other pictures of herself like this in the past, and I just skipped over the picture not giving it any attention besides that.
This is when this whole argument started and she demanded I unfollow this person. She started by asking why I was following them to begin with, and I said she was a friend of mine in highschool (we graduated in 2019) that I follow cause I like seeing what my old friends are up to in life. This is the exact reason I follow anybody on my social media, I have a sentimental mindset and like seeing that theyre living life like me. I like seeing my old friends go places, graduate college, the jobs they're working, and the families theyre starting, I do not care for these revealing pictures. I do not follow any models or celebrities or anything like that. I have never had any romantic or other relations with this person besides being good friends that were in some classes together. She also dosent know this person.
She argues that since theyre an old friend that I havent talked to since high school that I have no reason to keep following them. However she did message me last year when I posted some pictures of my wife and Is wedding. She congratulated us on the wedding and I thanked her. She also says that since I am a married man, I have no reason to be following women who post revealing pictures of themselves online. Especially because I made that comment when I tapped past the picture saying "oh of course" implying that she posts like this often. She says as a married man I should have more respect for my wife and not look at women who do this. She says women who do this have no respect for themselves and that continuing to follow them means I am disrespecting her. Another point is that it simply makes her uncomfortable. Besides the other points, that because it simply makes her uncomfortable, I should listen to my wife and unfollow them for the simple reason that she dosent like it. This I understand, as her husband and partner I understand that I should do anything to keep her happy and comfortable no matter how I feel about it. I just thought that I would be able to compromise with her and she'd be okay with me following a friend. Another point was that I was previously uncomfortable with some posts that she was looking at. She followed some gym guys and would make jokes about how attractive they were and I would tell her it made me uncomfortable. I have since told her that I was wrong in those feelings and that I was simply being insecure, and that I feel like she can follow whoever she wants. She also made a hypothetical scenario saying that since I thought it was okay to follow a friend that posted a revealing picture, that she was gonna go out and party at bars and clubs and dance on attractive guys saying "theyre just friends so you wont have a problem with that right?" I felt like this was a completely incomparable situation but told her that yes, I would be uncomfortable with that.
After a couple days, I reluctantly unfollowed them but told her I disagree with it. Some may ask why I was so reluctant to unfollow this person in the first place, after all its just one person to make sure my wife is happy. I thought about this too and honestly, I was reluctant because I thought she was being irrational and controlling. When I brought up that I thought she was being controlling, she got the most upset at that and told me I could find another place to sleep if that was what I thought. I would like to add that she has no problem with any other person I followed only this one.
It is now a day after I unfollowed that friend and my wife is refusing to talk to me. I want to have a conversation with her to find common ground but I dont think she'll accept anything but a full apology and for me to admit that I was all in the wrong. What I want to get out of this post is, what can I do to fix this situation? Should I admit it was wrong? Should keep telling her I dont like that she wants to control the friends I follow? If I am completely in the wrong, please let me know.
TL; DR: Wife is upset that I didnt want to unfollow a HS friend that posted a revealing picture on insta. I reluctantly unfollowed, saying I disagreed and that she was controlling, and she now refuses to talk to me as of yesterday.

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(Long one. Sorry. TL;DR; I fucking love teaching and hate my salary for it.)
It's wild to me to say that. Over 20 years, starting 21, of teaching finished up today. That's just wild to me. Why?
Well, I'm Generation X. I grew up in an era where people had a multi-decade career or two and then retired. Having a thousand jobs like me was unheard of back then. My full resume is five pages.
I had my heart set on 20+ years in the Army before I got hurt and medically discharged. I loved that shit (Embrace the Suck!) and would have done it forever if they let me. Then I worked a series of part time and full time jobs. Security. Bar tending. Door to door sales. Yard supervisor for a roofing company. I hustled darts. Bouncer and doorman (and regular) at a strip club. Security again. Some day labor, which I didn't last long at. Worked as a cashier at an "Adult" toy and DVD/VHS store. (That was a wild job) At least ten other jobs I can't remember. During this entire time, I never made more than $20,000 a year.
Eventually, I made my way into college through a VA Vocational Rehabilitation program for disabled veterans. Although the VA provided a monthly stipend and my wife was working at Western Forge and I had a (VERY fucking small) VA disability check, I still had to work a few hours a week. So during my four years in college (a bit less actually) I worked a lot of jobs, some for weeks, others for a year or more. Some where half time, some where 3/4 time, but I was always full time in school. Together, we did a bit over $40,000.
Help desk. Lab monitor in college. More help desk. Internship in IT at an airline. More help desk. More IT. More consulting and contracting. Tier I support at an internet provider, who supported PC, Macintosh and LINUX (no one else could do that. Lol. Sorry, I was good and I like to brag a bit.) Eventually I graduated. I asked for a raise and promotion at the internet provider, and they denied it, so I gave my two weeks. I had put in over a year and was GOOD at it. I deserved it, so I would look elsewhere if they couldn't give it to me. I wanted to be a network engineer.
But I also had root access to everything, so I was escorted out 15 minutes later and paid two weeks severance. On to other jobs then.
In this order starting at $55,000: Technician on the NASDAQ stock market network upgrade for MCI/Worldcom (where I got fired after I 400 others got fired after they realized they could save more money paying out lawsuits, but not our shitstain boss who got promoted) to a cutting edge VoIP company that went out of business (just like Silicon Valley from HBO) to Ryder Logistics as a Project Manager making $100,000 a year.
Six figures. One of the last private companies in America to still offer a 20 year pension. Even as a contractor, AMAZING salary and benefits. All of my hard work had paid off. The Cisco certification I worked so hard for had paid off. My networking skills that got me the interview for this job paid off. I had MADE IT. I had so much money I didn't know what to do with it given our modest lifestyle. I was going to be with Ryder Logistics forever.
Then in 2000, the "tech market" took a MASSIVE dump. Hundreds of thousands of highly paid, highly certified and educated folks like myself were laid off. I was DAYS, just fucking days, away from being brought on permanently and taken of contractor status. Yay. I knew of a guy with a PhD who was stocking shelves at 7-11. So I'm out there competing with guys and gals with more education and experience, even though I had a great resume. And I couldn't find a damn thing even approaching half my former salary. Guys like me were a dime a dozen now, the vultures could afford to be picky.
I survived and provided for my wife and son by working a shit ton of various jobs. I would get up at 0200 and deliver newspapers and finish around 0600. Then I could home, shower, change and eat. Head into my first shift at work teaching at a college. Go home, nap, go back for night classes. Deliver pizza after work. Picked up consulting jobs on the weekends. Four jobs to support a wife and keep us from living in the woods - her grandmother took us in, but we were still "homeless" in that we had no place of our besides her basement. Eventually I saved enough to move us to Florida and buy a house, where I started teaching high school.
We lost it all. I managed to sell our house for a modest profit days before the bank took it and we were homeless. I had to sell my beloved (and rare) Harley 1992 Dyna FXDC. Eventually, I missed a mortgage payment, and things snowballed. The only thing we kept in the bankruptcy was our SUV, and only because I could barely make the payments on it.
I had to start over at $28,000 as a teacher. After over 20 years, I'm up over $55,000 now. My VA disability check is a lot bigger now. I'm grateful for where I am. But it is wild to me that I make so little after 20 years. I'm literally making the same (on paper) salary now as I did over 20 years ago, and I'm providing more value to society now than then.
Hell, it's wild to me that I did one thing for over 20 years. I know I've focused on money here, but yeah - twenty fucking years doing one thing.
ALL THAT TO SAY (sorry, I'm "lubricated" tonight) that I have never held a single job for more than two years other than my four years (a bit less actually) in the Army. Ever. And today I finished 20+ years. I'm going to be dean this summer for summer school. I'm interviewing for dean (WISH ME LUCK!) full time next year in a few days. I'm excited. I have a lot of great ideas about how to make our campus even more peaceful. I haven't interviewed for a job in a forever since I've been teaching (other than lateral transfers) so I'm a bit nervous. But I believe by boss is in my corner and I have a good shot. I hope so, because I WANT this.
I don't know what else to say. I love teaching. I love these kids, even the assholes. I want to do this for a while, even as I want to retire and take it easy with the old lady. But they keep sucking me back in. Lol. (Who gets that reference?) But I've said it before, without free, public education, our society will regress badly. One very proven way you make sure that a quality free, public education is provided is to pay teachers a good salary.
20 years. Holy shit. And even if I don't get dean, I'm teaching all 6th grade next year. That makes the year INCREDIBLY easy for me. The subject matter is easy, the kids are young and easy to engage and teach. And even though they are regular ed, I'll be teaching them the Advanced curriculum just like I have done for years with my 8th graders. They can do it, you just have to push them.
And I'll be all chill about it until another dean slot opens. The other guy is close to retirement so I'll have another shot soon.
I love you all. The editor started the process on my book this weekend he says, so hopefully I'll have revisions to make soon. Thanks for being here.

Hey all, moving from Seattle to Portland for a job and my buddy is coming down to visit so we’re looking for a chill dive bar with pool tables and good drinks. Both of us are 23 M. I live in Kenton, willing to go anywhere in the city. Thanks guys!

A Wassup, my (24m) gf (26f) and I have been dating for 10 months and I been knowing her for longer than a year, the relationship is really good I love her a lot everything is positive not much arguing and we get along really good.
The only problem we’ve had is that at first she would talk about her ex a lot sometimes when we weren’t even on the topic she’d bringing up, When I first met her I asked her about her exes and she told me she hasn’t seen her ex in over a year, and he was abusive cheated on her and treated her like shit always making her cry. recently she’s been getting random no caller I’d calls and she said it might one of her exes and I didn’t think much of it and then last time we were at my house watching a movie just chilling and I recently just got new WiFi at my house and she was asking for the password and I grab her phone and I was like ok let me go put it it’s in the other room and she snatched her phone out of my hand really fast and hard and I ask her why she did that and all she said was “I just don’t want that number to call again and you answer and it creates drama” so I was like ok whatever I forgot about it, then another day she was sleeping and I was a little buzzed so I started thinking about it and I was like fuck it and I went through her phone, I know I shouldn’t be doing that I’m not usually the type to do that I usually don’t care but I did it and went through her ig, photos and everything and I found pictures of her and her ex, Ubers to his house, she still follows him on ig, also that she had been hanging out with her ex when i first met her, we only knew each other for 3 months before we started dating and for that whole time she was still hang going out with him and going out to bars, house and to eat, that’s before we officially started dating but also found out she hung out with him 2 times a month after me and her started dating which bothered me a lot. Also found out she still talks to his brother and his mom and they’re really close. Found videos of them kissing just weeks before we started dating, archive stories and posts of him and she also deleted all their messages which makes me think they still talk cause why would she have pictures and stuff and not messages.
When I confronted her I asked her why would she lie and why she’d still hang out with him even if he was abusive and everything else she said she just said that he doesn’t have feeling for him at all and that he’s been calling her and texting her cause he wants to get back with her. She said she doesn’t want him or anything and that he still thinks they’re gonna get back together and I told her why wouldn’t he think that? You still hang out with his family and we’re hanging out with him as if y’all were dating. I asked her why she still hangs out with his mom and brother and she said “just because I ended my relationship with him doesn’t mean I have to cut them off too they were good to me “ and I understand that but she didn’t cut her ex off too so I don’t think she’s right. Recently we haven’t been talking as much just because I’m really bothered and overthink a lot.
My question now is am I overthinking? What would y’all do if y’all were in this situation ?

Everyday seems to be overwhelming when your not drunk or taking a hit of something. Most people have vices to avoid alcohol but it's not easy for some individuals. I grew up with family members & around people that would drink until they died but that is the life they enjoyed living and I always understood why. My family has criticized me before for my drinking but they did the same. I will admit Sober people have great jobs, Save more money but seem more nervous, uptight, angry and agitated than people who like to smoke. Alcoholics can have tempers aswell but I met some pretty chill ones in bars some stupid. When you do have a drink though you want more and become addicted and then can't save money but find happiness in your bottle and forget about distractions. So if your Sober Your either high on life, have more money but also bored and stressed from Life VS if your Drunk, high from marijuana, smoke cigarettes it's entertaining for the moment but goes away then your angry when you can't buy anymore so you do whatever you can to get more money to buy it. So which side would have it harder than the other?

Help me out with this project, found a commencal absolut frame and will go from there, is that a good start at $400 AUD? Intermediate skilled rider, doing mostly pump tracks and smaller dirt jumps
Wheels Got 2 options Spank spike race 33 SS 26” - 300 aud Dt swiss 471 on pro4 hubs - 450 aud
Chill me some underrated:
Crankset Fork Handle bar / stem Hydraulic brake kit
🤘🏼

There's a lot more stress and anxiety introduced in my life after a year of being chill and doing nothing
Yesterday I ate probably 600 calories and today I've eaten 100
I seen a post on here basically saying take as small as bites as possible and constantly chew it until your body automatically swallows so that's what I'm doing eating crumbs off of a granola bar
But I'm going to go to the doctor tomorrow and see if we can slightly up my medication to help
I take Fluoxetine 20mg Mirtazapine 30mg
I also took meclizine chewable 25 mg today I talked with my pharmacist and he said it would help with nausea that it was for motion sickness but it should help 30 minutes after taking it I threw up a little bit seeing the pink of the chewable inside I don't think I threw up because of the medicine just because of all of these stress and worry building up

Not finished yet but nearly done just need to know if it's decent.
Spider-Man VS The Punisher
A man walking his footsteps sounds like mini explosions as a row of computers with people typing on them. The man stops upon a window looking down to a glass cage with yellow electricity emerging from it.
“He's here, he's taking us all out. We need back up. Noooo.” The man looks at one of the scientists saying “wait for him to get here.” The man cleans up his suit and tightens his tie.
“Ohhh you're getting dressed up just for me. I shoulda brought flowers.” The man looks up where he sees a man in a red and blue webbed suit. “I should have killed you years ago. Well after today you will be.” “We both know that's not going to happen Willy. I'll arrest you and you'll escape, Rinse and repeat, it's always been like that.” The man grinds his teeth and grips his hands. “Unleash him.” the scientist looks at him and then at the computer pressing a button.
“Unleash him Fisk are you cheating on me with another hero.” as he says this a bolt of lightning strikes through the glass levitating in front of him. “You must be Spiderman. I'm electro, the man that's been tasked to kill you.” Spider-Man whispers to himself. “This guy's making my spider sense go crazy. I don't think this will go well.” he coughs then says. “Shouldn't you be at the circus.” Electro looks at Fisk and says “Leave Mister Fisk now.” Fisk and the scientists walk out into an elevator. “Don't disappoint me Max.” The elevator goes up with Spider-Man and Electro looking at each other “So electricity man are we gonna start.” He looks down to his hands where they start to glow brighter with electricity shooting out. BANG electricity shoots out his hand Spider-Man just dodging it. BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG Spider-Man narrowly dodges the bolts. He creates a continuous line of lightning towards Spider-Man. Cracking Peter tries to dodge it but fails on the ground Peter feels his muscles shut down. Electro walks over to him, shocking him again. “Ahhhhhhh.” He stops Spider-Man trying to crawl away BANG “AHHHHHH.” An alarm goes off as sprinklers also go off hitting Electro causing him to grunt.
Spider-Man using this crawls up a wall into a vent leaving the building Spider-Man takes off his mask feeling the rain hit his face. He hears Fisk talking to Electro below. “Is the job done.” “No, he escaped. The sprinklers set off burning my skin.” “You let him escape. I gave you one job and failed me." Electro looks at him sternly saying “Mister Fisk you gave me these powers and you want me to kill Peter I will. You know where he lives, I can go over there and kill him and his family.” “You will do no such thing. He will not try to kill us if we just go after him he won't understand.” Electro nods and walks away with an umbrella.
Spider-Man looks at his web shooters. “Great, they're gonna have to get the train. May's gonna kill me when I get back.”
Brooklyn, New York, 21:32
“PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T DO IT. I HAVE A FAMILY LOOK. PLEASE I'LL DO ANYTHING. WHAT DO YOU WANT MONEY, POWER.” A man shouts breaking down in fear of whoever is trying to kill him. “I want to know why you do it. Why commit crime when there's hundreds of heroes. I think I know why though. They won't kill, they won't just take the godam leap and end you scumbags. So I chose to do it myself.” The man says in a deep voice wrapping a cord around his neck. He picks him up, showing him a fifteen floor drop. “No, no, please don't do this.” He starts to cry as looks at him blankly, throwing off the building with him screaming for about three seconds till the man hears a snap. “Good Riddens.”
Queen's, New York, 9:29 pm
Walking into a house a teenager walks in “Peter where have y- My god what happened to you?” Peter looks at his aunt and says “Some people tried to rob me, it's alright May.” “Did they take anything? Did you call the police.?” “No and no May I'm fine May.” He looks at May. “I'll call the police.” “DON'T. I never saw what they really looked like, you'll just waste their time.” She looks at him saying “From now on you'll be back before it gets dark.” Peter nods “Now Peter time for your cake Happy Eighteenth Peter.” Peter looks at a cake with candles on it. He blows them out “Thanks May I'm just gonna go to my room I've had a ruff day.” May looks at him. “Are you sure you don't want some cake I've made? It's your favourite.” “I'll have some tomorrow really.” Peter walks up to his room turning on the TV playing the daily bugle. “Today Spider-Man failed to capture this so-called Lizard. I think he's just too lazy to put in any work. When the police lose a suspect their back on the streets trying to find him but Spider-Man swip swap swoops his way down and destroys peoples properties.” Peter looks at it in a rage “People would have died if i wasn't there yet I don't get thanked but hated. Why do I do this?” He looks at the picture next to his bed of him and uncle Ben. The time when he didn't worry if Aunt May would see him tomorrow. If she'll be targeted by villains. “Ben would call me stupid for doing something like this. Even more stupid I was responsible for his death. I couldn't just tell him where I was, I just had to storm out. He goes looking for me and ends up getting shot. I'm sorry Ben.”
Manhattan, New York, 06:34
“What will it be?” “Coffee, milk and two sugars.” She turns around and the man looks at his watch as he checks the time. “06:36 still have seven.” “It's ready. Have an amazing day.” he hands her a ten and leaves. He walks to an old burned building. Walking in he goes up five floors and goes towards a sniper pointing out a window. He takes a sip of his coffee checking his watch. “06:42 one minute.” A minute later a limousine drives up to a small building. A man dressed in a white and gold suit walks. “Gotcha.” BANG, a single bullet from the sniper shoots the man in the head obliterating the back of his head. He walks away with screams of people running and people shouting. “It's him, Punisher, he's here.” Pointing their pistols in the air looking where the shot came from.
Queen's, New York, 7:45 am
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BE-. Bang Peter hits his alarm destroying it. “Uhh, great way to start the day.” Peter goes to the bathroom brushing his teeth. He leaves the bathroom getting changed into his new clothes then goes to check on his web shooters. “Thank god for the science lab.” Checking his costume he sees it burnt and destroyed. He messages MJ to ask her to bring his spare costume she's working on. He gets his bag and web shooters going downstairs. “Hey Aunt May I'm off to school.” “Not so fast, I've got some cake for you to take.” Petter goes up to May and takes it. “Thanks May love ya bye.” Peter walks out to the school bus.
On the bus he sits next to his girlfriend Mary Jane. “My god Pete what happened to you. Also you suits in my bag.” Peter looks at her saying “New villain in town calls himself Electro.” “You've got to stop doing this Peter really you're going to kill yourself. How many villains do you have?” Peter looks down and says “Well Theirs the lizard, Shocker, Electro, Fisk, Otto Octavius and sin eater. Don't forget about the small time.” She looks at him saying “God why do I put up with you.” “Because I'm irresistible.” She smirks.
A couple hours later Peter only had two lessons left. Peter in the back of his English class looked at his web shooters making sure they still aren't broken and that he fixed them during science. Peter looks at his phone where he sees a notification from the daily bugle saying that sandman is robbing a bank. “Can I go to the bathroom?” Peter shouts. “Sure Mister Parker uh just take the pass.” Peter takes it and leaves. He goes to the janitor's closet putting on his Spidey suit and web shooters jumping out of the window. He looks at his phone while swinging. “Sometimes I wish I had a GPS in my suit instead of needing to use Oscorpe maps.” He swings wondering why sandman is robbing a bank. “He's stupid but not this stupid to rob a bank, especially during the day.” He swings across Queensboro into Manhattan.
When he arrives the swat team surrounds the area with Captain Stacey on standby. Spider-Man drops down in front of him. “Hey.” Looking up Captain Stacey talks to Spider-Man. “Spider-Man good thing you're here we need your help. Sandman has taken over the bank and he has three hostages.” Spider-Man looks at him saying. “Guess you can say things are getting out of sand.” “Sure just when you go in don't destroy much will you.” “I won't captain you know me, just get your officer's to sand back.” Spider-Man does finger guns at Captain Stacey swinging in. “Everyone shut up. I'm gonna pay it off with this score.” Spider-Man slowly swings down “It's ironic that you're named Flint. You know because flint and steel create fire and fire turns you into glass.” “WHAT.” Spider-Man sighs as he launches a kick towards him. He kicks him with Spider-Man going straight through him as this happens he webs his feet and pulls causing him to fall. He goes to punch sandman but punches him through the glass into a police car. CRASH, the police start firing at him but they do nothing. “SPIDER-MAN GET UP.” Captain Stacey shouts at spider-man. Spider-man jumps in slingshotting himself into sandman. He goes straight through him knocking sandman back as well. “Stop this Flint, think of all the good you've done.” He jumps onto the wall looking at a fire hydrant. “Like you've no that won't cut it. Ok you haven't done anything good but that doesn't mean I have to kick your ass again.” Sandman gets up. “You think you can kick my ass again. Not happening.” Spider-Man sighs. “Ok.” Spider-Man jumps down and grabs the fire hydrant and pulls. CRACK, the fire hydrant breaks splashing water all over sandman. “I told you Flint, I always win.” Flint starts to turn into a pile of wet sand. Spider-Man webs the hydrant to stop the water then walks over to Flint. Barely able to keep your normal form. “Screw you.” Spider-Man looks over at the captain. “He's all your captain enjoy.” Spider-Man jumps onto the side of a swat van. “Where do you go when you finish?” “School, besides I'm only missing one class.” Peter says this jumping and swinging away. “About ten minutes getting there. HEY I'M SWINGING HERE. Five minutes there and ten back is enough to miss english.”
Last lesson goes pretty boring for Peter. He's thinking about the lizard and how he escaped yesterday.
Bronx, New York, 15:45
“Nah he'll be here soon. The boss says after today's shipment the police are going to leave the Bronx alone.” An unknown man, clearly a gangster in a suit, is talking to another man in a suit. “Yeah, isn't he worried, though I mean what happened yesterday? You know Freddy.” One of them says “Nah, his new guy almost killed Spider-Man yesterday. He was talking about how he was crawling to escape only got away because of the sprinklers.”
BANG, BANG, The Punisher walks into a restaurant with seven men in suits in it. “HEY WHO LET THIS GUY IN.” The Punisher grabs his M4 and start to spray into a crowd killing three of them. Two of them pull out micro uzi's shooting at him. The Punisher grabs a grenade and throws it at the bar. BANG, The grenade goes and kills the two of them. The other two put their hands up and surrendered. Frank drops his AR. BANG, BANG, He shoots them with his pistol. He walks upstairs where five line a wall of AK's. The Punisher pulls out a stun grenade throwing it at them. BANG, they all drop their guns blind and staggering The Punisher walks in picking up one of their guns firing on them all. He walks to a door with the dead piled up next to it. He kicks it open to see a man in a suit. “I wondered how long it would take for you to find me, Frank. Now I have some you want and in return you'll let me go, unde-.” BANG, “No deal.” Frank starts to pack a duffel bag with money. Once he's done he lights the office on fire and leaves.
He walks to a van getting into the driver's seat. He drives for about thirty minutes to a small house. Walking in he puts the money in the pantree where about fifteen of the same bags are. He puts on the TV playing the news and works on making bullets. “Spider-Man today was responsible for the destruction of one bank. One I go to, when i wanted to go there today I realised I COULDN'T BECAUSE SPIDER-MAN HELPED SANDMAN DESTROY IT AND WHEN THE COPS SHOWED UP HE THREW HIM UNDER AND PRETENDED TO BE THE HERO. Now why do I have to pay for it? Why doesn't he? We know who Captain America is and he destroys a bank because he's civilised and not a maniac.” Frank looks at the TV turning it off and continues working.
Manhattan, New York, 4:21
“PARKER, PARKER, these photos are blurry I'll give you fifty.” Peter looks at him “Mister Jamerson I need a hundred and twenty.” “I need better pictures.” A man walks in “We need pictures Jonah.” He looks at Peter. “Ok one twenty.” He sighs a check giving it to Peter.
Peter leaves and goes to the woman working at the desk in front. “Hey Betty.” Peter gives Betty the check to Betty who gives him the money. “Thanks.” Peter leaves the daily bugle checking phone. He sees that he's missed a call from Captain Stacey. He calls him. “ you at the station up town.” “Ok but which one?” He runs into the alley next to the bugle changing into his costume swinging away. “So which one.” “You won't miss it kid really.” The call ends. “Ok, quite weird but he didn't even say why he needed me.” It takes him about thirty seconds to realise what he's about. In the distance he sees a giant ball of electricity. “Oh no.”
“Where is it?” CRACK, BANG, Electro kills three police officers. Captain Stacey tells all the police officer's to get into the building. “YOU CAN'T HIDE.” Spider-Man swings down checking the pulse of one of the dead police officers. “no. SURRENDER NOW.” Electro flies in front of him. “Or what. At least I'll get to kill you now. Peter.” Peter feels nervous looking around and Captain Stacey shouts for him to get in. “STAY INSIDE CAPTAIN.” The captain goes to one of his men. “Is it ready?” “yeah” Electro shoots electricity at spider-man. BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG. Spider-Man webs a man hole throwing it at him. Electro catches it, Spider-Man using this moment slingshots himself punching Electro multiple times. “I'M DONE PLAYING. YOU KILLED COPS I'M NOT GOING EASY.” Electro smirks at Peter creating an emp knocking Peter down. Electro drops to the ground, shocking him. “AHHHHHHH. BANG, AHHHHHHHH. BANG, AHHHHHHHH.” Electro walks up to Spider-Man who is crawling away. “Poor little Peter Parker. Once I'm done with you I'll deal with the ones you love. Rest in piece Peter Parker.” Electro charges his hands then. BANG.
Manhattan, New York, 16:23
Punisher loads his sniper talking to himself. “Really, they would kill me immediately. At least I'll kill this freak.” He toggles with the scope. “SURRENDER NOW.” “He won't do that kid” he waits for a clear shot. “YOU KILLED COPS I'M NOT GOING EASY.” he waits for his moment. Bang “AHHHHHHH.” Electros hands start to charge he lifts them. “bang.” BANG. A single bullet goes through the chest of Electro. Frank picks up his sniper and walks downstairs.
Walking down he sees Electro holding his chest on the ground and Spider-Man next to him barely alive. The Punisher walks up to Electro with a knife. “No please d-dont do this.” He gets close to Electro as tries to crawl away. The Punisher grabs him and turns him around. Fear in Electros eye's “Once I'm done with you I'll deal with your loved one's.” “No please.” The Punisher stabs him in the throat, killing him. “You know kid stay away from fisk for the next couple of days you understand. Deal with that giant lizard terrorising the city. Got me Parker.” Peter just looks as he starts to lose consciousness. “Good.” Gorge Stacey and his men leave the building telling The Punisher to surrender. He walks away as no one dares goes to arrest him. Gorge gets his men to help Peter.
Manhattan, New York, 7:32 pm
“You've got to take it easy kid. The doctors said you could have died.” Peter listens to Captain Stacey saying. “I know but with this guy out there, bloods gonna spill in the streets.” The Captain sighs. “So what are you going to do.” Peter coughs “I'm going to try and find the lizard first.” “Stay safe kid.” Peter jumps of the empire state building swinging through the city calling MJ to tell May he's staying at hers tonight.
Thirty minutes Later Peter hears on the police radio that a giant lizard is destroying Oscorpe. Swinging over he feels the stitches in him starting to rip.
When he arrives he sees a fire and a chunk of the side of the building gone. He swings in where fire and dead security guards are. “W-who is he?.” He hears a continuous clicking sound. “There aren't any alien space hunters down there, ha ha.” He laughs nervously. Suddenly a human sized lizard runs towards him trying to eat him. He dodges jumping on a wall “Hey I'm from the zoo, they said a lizard needed to be put down. That doesn't make sense. I don't kill. Hey no bitey.” He sees on the lab coat he's wearing it says Dr Connors. Still dodging “Connor's wait Curt Connors how did you. AHHH.” The Lizard scratches Spider-Man across the chest leaving a claw mark. Spider-Man looks up and sees him jumping to bite him. Spider-Man cartwheels backwards into a jump webbing his head and face planting him. “If you chill out I'll give you a box of insects to eat.” The Lizard gets up. “AHHHHHHHH.” Spider-Man looks at him. “Uh I don't know what to say to that. Raw maybe." As Spider-Man gets ready to attack, the Lizard's left arm starts to turn grey. It looks at it and runs away. Spider-Man swings after him through the streets of Manhattan “YOU MIGHT UGLY BUT I'M FINE WITH IT YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN.” As he swings the lizard throws a hotdog stand at him. He webs it to a wall and keeps swinging. “SERIOUSLY A HOTDOG STAND IF YOU DON'T STOP I'LL TURN YOU INTO A LIZARD DOG. WELL I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY.” The lizard goes into an alley into a sewer. Spider-Man follows him slingshotting himself in shouting. “YEAAAAH.”
Inside of the sewers Peter looks around and sees only one way forwards. He crawls ol the walls seeIng the destruction Connor's did. “UH MISTER CONNOR'S, CURT, LIZARD, ANYONE. AM I JUST TALKING TO MYSELF, YES, why did I shout that.” He keeps crawling till he hears shouting. “PLEASE I DIDN'T HAVE CONTROL PLEASE DON'T DO THIS.”
Manhattan, Sewers, New York, 19:28
“Where is this freak? This vermin to society.” The Punisher walks through the sewers trying to find the rat killing innocent people. “HISSSS.” He hears a hiss and feels something watching him. “SHOW YOURSELF YOU FREAK OF NATURE.” A black figure crawls out from the shadow. “Tries to hurt me, hurt Edward. AHHHH.” He hisses and screams at him. He goes to attack him but The Punisher unloads bullets from his M4. Vermin shouts in pain “AHHHHHHHH.” Frank slowly followed him. “YOU CAN'T RUN VERMIN. I'LL KILL YOU MATTER WHAT. I'LL DO WHATEVER, YOU'RE COWARD THAT PREY ON THE WEAK.” “Vermin doesn't prey on the weak. I DON'T HAVE CONTROL, AHHHH. Vermin needs to eat, Edward needs to live.” he scurries away. After a minute of walking he arrived in a circular area where Vermin threw him in. “AHHHHH. Vermin will kill you now.” Frank picks his M4 up again, shooting him. He screams crawling up the wall. The Punisher pulls the trigger when vermin is above it and doesn't do anything. He checks the mag to see it's empty. Vermin drops down Scratching Frank across the face. He pulls out his pistol shooting him in the eye. “AHHHHHH, AHHHHH.” Frank goes up and shoots him on the head, killing him.
He hears a scream further down. Going down the tunnel he sees lab equipment and a lizard transforming into a person. “The Lizard, perfect timing.” Limping, he goes over to The Lizard waiting for him to transform. “AHHHHH, AHHHHHHHHH, HELP PLEASE, AHHHHHHH.” Frank just stands there till he transforms. He pulls his pistol out and points it at Connor's. “You're the lizard. What's your name? WHAT YOUR NAME?” “Connor's. Dr Curtis Connors.” Frank starts to pull the triggers. “PLEASE I DIDN'T HAVE CONTROL PLEASE DON'T DO THIS.”
Peter drops down in front of him webbing his pistol. “We don't kill people, understand.” The Punisher grits his teeth “Back off kid really.” “So you can kill him. Like you did Electro. You told me you were going against Fisk, why are you going for The Lizard.” The Punisher smirks at Peter, making nervous. “I wasn't here for him. It's just a coincidence.” Peter stands there wondering what's next. The Punisher runs towards him Peter jumps over him kicking him in the back. The Punisher hits his head knocking him to the ground Peter uses this to web him up.
“Ok we need to get outta here understand.” Connor's nods and starts to pack his stuff. “I won't kill you kid.” Peter looks at him. “Good because neither will I.” “I'm ready Spider-Man.” Curt says to Peter “Alright let's get outta here.” Peter swings Curt Connors out of the sewers
Manhattan, New York, 8:53 pm
“Ok you need a cure. Uhh, I've got it. I'll take you to the Baxter building. Reed can help you.” Connors thinks. “What if he finds me?” Peter sighs. “It's probably got more security than the raft and it's got four of the best heroes in the world in there.” Connors agrees and Peter swings him there.
When he gets there they walk in. Peter shouts. “REED YOU HERE. REED RICHARDS.” “Peter.” They turn around to see Sue. “Hey Miss Richard's I need your help.” She looks at Peter then at Connor's “What's wrong Peter are you in trouble.” Peter looks at her then Connors. “Not me. Have you ever heard of The Punisher?” She looks confused. “Uhh no why.” “He's trying to kill him. He needs a secure place to stay. And he needs a cure to stop him from turning into a lizard.” She looks. “What about you? Will he kill you?” He sighs “No he won't. He just wants to kill villains.” She looks at Connors saying “Reed is out but he'll be back soon he can make you a cure. Be safe Peter this stuff doesn't end well.” Connor's looks at Peter “Thanks Parker I would never expect you to be a superhero. Miss Richards, can you get my family?”
Peter leaves, going to the top of the Baxter building for some peace. “I'm too tired. I just want to go home but I need to find Fisk.” He checks the wound Connor's left. “I'm losing too much blood. My costume is destroyed and I helped the guy escape death. How am I going to explain this to May my wounds? I can't believe it. First day as an adult and I might not live to see the second. Uncle Ben must think I'm stupid.” He shakes his head. “I've got to go to Fisk tower and warn him.” Peter swings to Fisk tower.
Manhattan, New York, 9:01pm
Spider-Man arrives feeling light headed. He swings up to the office where Fisk and his men are sitting. He opens the door, his men immediately pointing their guns at him. “DROP YOU WEAPONS.” Fisk tells his men. Reluctantly they do Peter Limping towards him. “I need to warn you. A guy, a guy is uh is uh going to kill you.” His voice started to slur and he was barely able to keep his eyes open.” Fisk walks towards him. “You two get the medics now.” Peter falls unconscious.
Waking up Peter wonder's where he is looking around and he sees medical equipment. He gets up and walks through a pair of doors into a room full of men and Fisk working at a desk. “You're awake. You've been out for nine hours.” Peter realises that his face is exposed and Fisk notices this. “We all know who you are, Parker.” Peter walks up to him. “Why did you save me? You're goon tried to kill me yesterday.” Fisk calmly got up saying. “Yesterday you came to warn me. I knew why because of the Punisher. When you came here you were close to death. I saved you because. I need you to defeat the Punisher. I've asked every mercenary in this city and it's the same answer. No before Punisher was a myth but now after the men he's killed. The only one who can defeat him is you.” Peter looks at him. “Who's to say I'll stop him.” “Because yesterday you came here to warn me. The only one who wants me dead that can do anything is him.” Peter looks at him. “Where's my stuff.” Fisk clicks his Fingers and one of his men comes over to Peter giving him his phone, suit and web shooters. Putting them on Peter goes to the window telling Fisk. “Thanks Fisk. You really should leave the city.” Peter swings away.
Queen's New York, 6:09 pm
Peter swings through Queens arriving at his girlfriend's house. He goes to her window knocking on it. She wakes up opening it. When Peter enters he takes off his mask. “I can't do it anymore Peter last night you never showed up. I thought you were dead. This Electro almost killed you and the lizard. Peter I ju- AHH.” She screams seeing Peter's face covered in stitches. “I'm not that ugly.” Peter jokes but MJ says. “What happened yesterday.” Peter sits down “It's a long story.”
Manhattan, New York, Sewers, Time Unknown
“DOWN HERE, THERE'S A LAB.” Two police officers walk down the sewers seeing a lab. They both walk into Connor's lab looking around. “What the hey Chris, what is this place? Chris.” Click the police officer feels a gun to the back of his head. “I'm going to take your gun and handcuffs. And Chris is alright just incapacitated.” Frank takes the cop's gun and handcuffs him to a metal pole.
Leaving the sewers Frank feels the cold air on his face. Checking his watch he realises it is broken. He goes to his van and drives off to his house.
When he gets inside he goes to the kitchen checking the clock. “Wasn't down there for long.” He puts on the TV while he makes shotgun shells. “Breaking news this morning we have word that Spider-Man and the Lizard destroyed Oscorpe hours ago, fleeing in the sewers. They also found the cannibal serial killer known as Vermin dead. They say it's a man dressed in black wearing a white skull on his chest. Now I don't condone murder but I want to personally thank this heroe for dealing with someone Spider-Man probably thinks isn't worth his time.” Punisher looks at the TV and at his shotgun loading. “That's all for now J, Jonah, Jamerson signing off.”
Frank goes into his pantree grabbing a bag of cash. He looks in it seeing about hundred and fifty grand. He takes it to his van with him driving off.
Manhattan, New York, 04:41
Frank walks into a small café and enters. “Mister Castle, quite a busy night was it.” Frank walks up giving him the bag of money. “Do you have the thing?” the man clears his throat. “Yes, your coffee is ready. Hot, two sugars and no milk. That'll be one dollar fifty cents.” Frank looks at the bag and at the device he's buying. He picks it up and leaves. “Keep the change.”

Context:
As a 2L I took an internship at a red flag sweat shop pre lit settlement mill in PI. I only did this because I liked the guy who interviewed me (we went to the same school, were the same age, and he seemed chill.)
Fast forward - I cruise through the internship, turn down other more lucrative offers, and accept this pre-lit sweatshop job offer for 80k.
When job starts - the guy I like is not my supervising attorney. Instead it was a bait and switch into a really aggressive shady dude who went to one of the worst law schools in Texas, failed the bar, and seemed to make it in life by being a snake at a settlement mill. The way I’ve seen him give up on clients he coulda helped was flat out gross.
“We’re above pts - don’t negotiate bills down for client more, just keep it moving.”
Fast forward - I put up numbers for a while but me and this dude hate each other (huge part of it is my fault - I own my immaturity there. Maybe the elitist aspect of me about his bar failure and worst school in America didn’t allow me to respect him) but I just felt hoodwinked giving this used car salesman my career. The way he treated me was bizarre. He’d scream at me no matter what I did.
Fast forward - in this pre-lit mill I was doing above average (400-600k settlements a month) but getting shit on unprofessionally by this guy constantly.
I had a few temper tantrums in response (I own it), so he embarked on a campaign to trigger me as much as possible to save his face before the business owner (business owner of mill wanted it to work with me cause i brought value).
My supervising attorney, as a 5 year settlement mill playa who knew all the support staff well- got all his cronies to mimick and humiliate me in a cubicle for months - it was hard to process.
Finally - after trying to reach common ground with him as long as possible, I gave him an e-mail telling him I respect him (but am onto his mimick game) so I want to put in my 2 weeks and look for another job.
He responded by circulating the email to the entire office, convincing all of his cronies to make fun of me all day - then finally make the guy who hired me (and I liked) walk me out.
Also - this firm tries to convince lawyers to risk their license and do out of state settlements without having a home base lawyer on the project getting 10 percent.
It’s the ultimate gross red flag sweatshop. I’ve only been practicing for 7 months and don’t know how to process this still.
I def blew it at points but I got hired again within 48 hours at a real trial firm. Salary went from 80 to six figures. The supervising attorney treats me with respect and loves doing things by the book (we pro hoc into other states)
So why can’t I get over this? My life is better in every way. I even have an office instead of cubicle.
I’m really shook to my core - I was treated with such disdain and walked out after I gave that firm so much 210+ hours a month and hella elbow grease.
Business owner had to greenlight the walkout to stick with the loyal supervising attorney whose resume probably couldn’t land matching salaries on the open market. He’s making 200+ in pre litigation business mgmt.

Hey all,
Planning to rent a boat for my birthday next month. Despite living in St. Pete I haven’t been on a boat in years! Can anyone recommend a local company to rent a boat from? Has anyone tried any of those boat rental sites (like boatsetter) and had good luck with it? It’s probably just gonna be for 2-6 people max, and we don’t need a captain (my husband has boating experience).
Also, where are the must see stops when you have a boat for a day? Places to get out and swim or sand bars, restaurants to dock, etc? I really just want clear water, chill vibes and a drink in hand. Haha

Chapter 1
Scene 1
Sunlight streamed through the windows of my modern apartment as I meticulously folded clothes and packed my bags, the anticipation of an upcoming trip tingling in the air. The day seemed ordinary enough until the doorbell shattered the tranquility.

Startled, I hurried to answer it, only to find Elena bursting into the house with her usual exuberance. She was a whirlwind of energy, her long chestnut hair tied back in a messy ponytail, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Her olive skin glowed with vitality, and her infectious smile lit up the room.

"Peter, what took you so long to answer?" she exclaimed, her voice carrying a mix of impatience and amusement as she took in the array of luggage before me.

I shrugged, avoiding her gaze. "Just packing for a trip."

Elena scoffed, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Immigrating, are we?" She scanned the room before turning her attention back to me. "Seriously, though, what's with all the luggage?"

I chuckled at her bluntness. "You know me, always overpacking."

She rolled her eyes, reaching for her phone and cranking up the volume on her favorite song. The heavy riff of "Passenger" by Deftones filled the room, adding a pulsating rhythm to our conversation.

Taking a seat at the cluttered kitchen table, Elena flashed me a mischievous grin. "I came to hang out with my friend. Is that a crime?"

I raised an eyebrow, eyeing her suspiciously.

Elena's laughter filled the room, unapologetic. "Okay, you caught me. I need your help." Despite my curiosity, apprehension flickered, yet her sparkling eyes drew me in. "Come on, Peter," she urged. "I promise it'll be worth your while."

"What do you need me for?" I asked, unable to resist her infectious enthusiasm.

Elena's brows furrowed, and she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I was hired by a family in Silverlake to find their missing daughter, Emily. She disappeared without a trace, and I've been investigating this case for weeks. But I have zero leads."

I frowned. "And you think I can help?"

Elena nodded eagerly. "You're one of the best investigative journalists I know, Peter. Your skills are exactly what we need to crack this case wide open."

"I promised my mom I'd spend a vacation with her. I leave in 2 days. I'm sorry, I cannot help you," I said firmly, my resolve wavering in the face of Elena's determination.

"In 2 DAYS AND YOU'RE PACKING FROM NOW?!" Elena exclaimed incredulously.

"Well, I've got to be well prepared," I defended with a shrug, trying to downplay the urgency of the situation.

"This will be over in less than 2 days. All I need from you is to help me identify her last known location when she disappeared and any digital data you could find linked to her disappearance. Do that for me, and you can continue with your plan," Elena bargained, her eyes pleading with urgency.

I hesitated, torn between my obligations to my family and the pressing need to help Elena solve this mystery.

"Well, you could get that from CCTV cameras and her social media, what do you need me for?" I asked, raising my voice slightly to be heard over the blaring chorus of "Passenger."

The heavy guitars and pounding drums filled the room, drowning out Elena's next words as she searched my face for a response. "Well, don't you think I tried that?" she retorted, frustration evident in her voice. "I couldn't get access to CCTV footage, and her social media revealed nothing. I need a deeper search into the digital landscape, and you're the one I trust the most with this."

"One thing is never enough for you, though. You have a way of always pulling me with you, and I really need this. My mother needs me right now. I haven't seen her since the funeral, and I cannot let her down," I said, my voice cracking with emotion.

Elena's expression softened, her eyes reflecting understanding. She reached out and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I get it, Peter. Family comes first. But think about it, helping me could bring closure to another family who's desperate for answers."

Her words struck a chord within me, igniting a sense of duty and purpose that I couldn't ignore.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded slowly.

I grabbed a notebook and a pen, my determination solidifying as I focused on the task at hand. "I'll do it for the girl's family."

A flicker of relief crossed Elena's face, her shoulders sagging slightly as she realized I was onboard. "Thank you, Peter," she said, her voice tinged with gratitude.

"The town of Silverlake, where Emily had disappeared, was 140 miles away. It was a daunting distance, but one that felt insignificant in the face of the urgency of the situation. Little did I know, Emily wasn't the only one missing. There was a series of disappearances in Silverlake that had gone unnoticed until now."

With a shared glance, Elena and I made an unspoken agreement. We would go to Silverlake, together, to start investigating immediately.

Scene 2
As Elena and I approached the reception desk, the polished tiles of the lobby floor echoed softly beneath our steps, carrying an air of anticipation. The lobby itself exuded a quiet elegance, bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sunlight streaming through the expansive windows. A gentle hum of activity filled the space, punctuated by the occasional rustle of papers.

The receptionist, a woman with an air of indifference, glanced up from her notebook as we approached. Her eyes, cool and assessing, swept over us before settling on Elena with a hint of curiosity. "How can I help you, dear?" she asked, her voice monotone yet tinged with a subtle edge of detachment.

Elena, undeterred by the receptionist's demeanor, greeted her with a warm smile that illuminated her features. "We're in need of a room for my friend here," she said, gesturing towards me with a nod of her head. "He'll be staying with us."

The receptionist's expression remained unchanged as she reached for another key, her movements precise and methodical. Retrieving the key, she handed it to me with a detached air. "Room 204, second floor, fourth room on the right," she repeated mechanically, her attention already drifting back to her notebook as if our presence was of little consequence.

As I accepted the key, my gaze was drawn to a striking symbol adorning the wall beside the reception desk – the Eye of Horus. Etched in gold against a backdrop of deep blue, its intricate design seemed to watch over the lobby with an enigmatic presence, casting a subtle aura of mystery over the space.

"it's all over the place in here they believe it protects them from evil" Elena shrugged, noticing my gaze lingering on the Eye of Horus.

I nodded thoughtfully, intrigued by the symbolism woven into the fabric of the hotel. "Interesting," I murmured.

With the key in hand, I turned to follow Elena as she led the way towards the staircase, the soft echo of our footsteps mingling with the hushed whispers of the hotel's guests. As we ascended the stairs.

As Elena entered the room, she immediately shed her coat and rushed to the counter, grabbing her phone. Without pause, the familiar strains of Metallica's "Master of Puppets" filled the room, blasting at an ear-splitting volume.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Elena's predictable ritual.

"Okay, Mr. P, we have no time to waste," Elena declared over the blaring music, oblivious to my annoyance. "Grab your notebook and let's start with the case."

"Emily's disappearance was the initial focus of my investigation," Elena began, her eyes reflecting the seriousness of the matter. "According to her family, Emily was extremely close to her mother. Her life seemed to be on track, with a successful career in marketing and a new boyfriend. However, her parents didn't approve of her relationship with Matthew, citing him as a point of contention."

She paused, her gaze drifting as if searching for the right words to convey the complexity of the situation. "The police initially dismissed Emily's disappearance as a case of a young woman running away, especially since Matthew was also missing."

Elena's voice wavered slightly, betraying the weight of the uncertainty surrounding Emily's fate. "For a while, I entertained the possibility that Emily had indeed chosen to leave her life behind. But then, three days ago, another woman disappeared under similar circumstances."
"And where is Matthew?" I interjected, my mind grappling with the complexities of the case. "His friends and family filed a missing persons report on him as well. He disappeared one day before Emily. But there's no reason to think of him as a suspect, is there?"

Elena's expression darkened, mirroring the shadow of uncertainty that clouded my thoughts. "That's the perplexing part," she replied, her voice tinged with frustration. "All three people disappeared without a trace. One moment they were there, and the next... poof, disappeared as if they've been captured by ghosts."

Her words sent a chill down my spine, and I couldn't shake off the sense of foreboding that gripped me. It was as if we were peering into the abyss of the unknown, where answers remained elusive and danger lurked in the shadows.

As my mind raced, struggling to contain the torrent of thoughts swirling within, I sought desperately for patterns amidst the chaos. With furrowed brow, I turned to Elena, my voice trembling with urgency.

"Is there any connection between the third woman who disappeared and Emily or Matthew?" I inquired, grasping at straws in the hopes of unraveling the enigma before us.

Elena shook her head solemnly, her eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation. "No," she replied, her voice tinged with frustration. "The third woman is a 50-year-old, last seen exiting her workplace at the quaint bistro, La Petite Cuisine, and heading home."

The revelation sent a shiver down my spine, the realization sinking in that the disappearances were not isolated incidents but part of a larger, more sinister web of mystery. As I pondered the implications, a sense of unease settled over me, the unknown looming ominously on the horizon like a gathering storm.

"Listen, P," Elena's urgency resonated in her voice as she spoke, her words cutting through the tension in the room like a knife. "I acquired CCTV footage of Emily's last sighting, and that's what I need you for."

Without a moment's hesitation, she raced to retrieve her laptop, returning with it clutched tightly in her grasp. With a sense of urgency, she opened the device, revealing the footage of Emily walking down a seemingly ordinary square, her demeanor betraying no hint of the impending turmoil.

But then, like a sudden storm on a clear day, a police patrol car flashed across the screen, casting a shadow of doubt over the otherwise mundane scene. "That means the police have more information on Emily's last movements," I realized, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach.

In a voice tinged with frustration, Elena explained her futile attempts to obtain a statement from the police, leaving us stranded in a sea of uncertainty. It was a crucial piece of the puzzle that remained tantalizingly out of reach, teasing us with its elusiveness.

Turning to me with pleading eyes, Elena's hand reached out to grasp my arm, her wide eyes locking with mine in an unspoken plea. "I need you to secure an interview with the chief of police or any detective working the case," she implored, her voice soft but desperate. "You could still go on your awaited vacation with your mum afterward."

Her touch sparked a fire within me, "alright el I'll think of a plan but I need some rest first, maybe we could meet at the lobby after 2 hours?"

"Thank you, Peter, for real," Elena's gratitude washed over me, momentarily easing the weight of the task ahead. "Also, two hours sharp, don't be late, ey?"

I offered her a reassuring smile, my resolve firm. "I am always on time," I assured her, though a flicker of uncertainty danced behind my eyes.

"Yeah, right," Elena retorted sarcastically, her skepticism evident as she exited the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

As the door clicked shut behind her, a sense of apprehension settled over me like a heavy shroud. Contemplation mingled with reservation, and a hint of fear gnawed at the edges of my mind.
Scene 3
As Elena departed, I surveyed the room. It bore the marks of neglect, with faded wallpaper peeling at the edges and worn furniture showing signs of age. The bed, positioned against one wall, appeared tired and weathered, its mattress sagging in the middle and the sheets bearing wrinkles. Above the bed, an out-of-place symbol caught my attention once again - the Eye of Horus, its intricate design etched into a wooden plaque and mounted on the wall.

Feeling the weight of exhaustion settle upon me, I sank onto the bed, craving a moment of respite. Before I could even settle in, the insistent ring of my phone shattered the silence. With a resigned sigh, I reached for the device, noting the caller ID - it was my mother, FaceTiming me.

I answered her call, greeted by the warm glow of her smile radiating through the screen. Our exchange of greetings was laced with the gentle familiarity of mother and son.

"Hello, dear," she chimed, "So, you finally found some time to visit your old mum, did you? How kind of you."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, accustomed to the underlying reproach that often accompanied her affectionate words. "Yes, Mom," I replied, trying to mask the unease in my voice with forced cheerfulness. "I'm looking forward to spending some time with you."

Her smile widened. "Well, I'll believe it when I see it," she quipped, her words laden with a veiled challenge. "Don't keep me waiting too long now. You know how precious my time is."

"Are you calling me just to do that?" I interjected, a hint of frustration creeping into my voice.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Do what, dear?" she inquired innocently.

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat as I grappled with the swirling emotions inside me. "Never mind, Mom," I murmured, a wave of guilt washing over me for even entertaining the notion of confronting her.

But before I could retract my statement, her expression softened, and her voice took on a tone of vulnerability that caught me off guard. "Listen, Peter, I'm sorry," she began, her words tinged with a hint of sadness. "I just miss you. You don't call enough, and it feels like there's nothing for us to talk about. I just..."

Her voice trailed off, leaving the weight of her unspoken words hanging heavy in the air between us. In that moment, I felt a pang of sympathy for the woman on the other end of the line, grappling with her own insecurities and yearning for connection in the only way she knew how.

"I understand," I replied softly, feeling a surge of empathy. "I've been too caught up in my work, but that's why I decided to take this vacation. I've missed you too, Mom, and I really am looking forward to spending more time with you."

A genuine smile spread across my mother's face, her eyes lighting up with warmth and relief. "Oh, Peter, that's wonderful to hear!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine happiness. "I've missed you more than you know, dear. It's been too long since we've had a chance to catch up properly."

Before we could delve further into our conversation, my mother couldn't resist injecting a bit of her trademark humor. "Well, now that you're finally taking a break from work, maybe you'll have some time to find yourself a nice, not-at-all-crazy wife," she teased, a mischievous twinkle dancing in her eye.

Her playful jab elicited a hearty chuckle from me, knowing full well it was all in good fun. "We'll see, Mom," I replied with a laugh, shaking my head affectionately. "But for now, I think I'll focus on spending time with my favorite woman - you."

With a heartwarming laugh, my mother waved goodbye, her parting words carrying a hint of playful insistence. "Don't forget to keep your eyes open, Peter! You never know when Mrs. Right might come along," she quipped before ending the call, leaving me smiling at her enduring humor and unwavering love.

As she hung up, the old bed's worn embrace felt oddly inviting. I sank into its tired folds, finding unexpected comfort in its familiarity, and drifted into a well-deserved sleep.

scene 4

The sound of my alarm rang, and I half-opened my eyes, seeing only in black and white. I hit snooze and repeated the process five times until I finally woke up. I hoped Elena wouldn’t get mad at me for being late. The bed squeaked as I got up, and I hastily washed my face. As I turned on the water tap, I noticed water droplets leaking from the sides.

"Jeez, this place needs serious renovations," I muttered to myself.

I walked to the lobby, only to meet Elena.

"Hi, El," I said, bracing myself for Elena to scold me for my lateness.

"Hello, Peter," she replied in a low voice. She seemed to be staring at a void behind me, her face expressionless and still. I took a step closer to her.

"El, you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, all is good. Uhm, weren't you supposed to leave for a trip to see your mom?"

"Well, yeah, in two days. I'll help you with this thi—" I began, confusion visible on my face, but Elena interrupted me. Her voice was firm, yet she avoided making eye contact.

"No, Peter, it's fine. I've thought about it, and I don't need your help anymore. You can go."

"I am not your toy, Elena. You can't just make me travel with you and then ask me to leave before I even get the chance to do anything," I snapped, my anger blinding me to the obvious. There was something Elena was hiding, and I needed to be calm to understand what was going on.

I tried to salvage the situation by apologizing and reassuring her that I was by her side, but it was too late. Elena's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry, but please, Peter, leave. Go on your trip," she said, storming out of the lobby.

As she left, I noticed a necklace with the Eye of Horus dangling around her neck. Why does Elena wear this, and why is this place filled with an ancient Egyptian symbol? I froze, unsure of what to do. As I ran after Elena, desperation gnawed at my insides. She wasn't in front of the lobby anymore. I hopped into my car and started scouring the streets, telling myself she couldn't have gone too far.

I drove down every street, checked every alley, but Elena was nowhere to be found. Panic rose within me, and my breath quickened as I frantically tried to contact her, only to find her phone out of service.

Finally, I parked in front of an old bar. It was midnight by now, and the place was bustling with people. As I entered, I was greeted by a middle-aged man with a full beard. "Hey, newcomer, welcome to the Allure Bar," he slurred, his breath heavy with alcohol. He introduced himself as Michael Convivial, the owner of the bar, and offered me a shot on the house since it was my first time there.

"I didn't come here for the drinks," I said, the song 'What Am I to You' playing softly in the background. I showed him a photo of Elena, and he instantly recognized her, laughing as he muttered something I couldn't quite catch.

"That crazy girl who still hopes," he said, his speech slurred. He mentioned that he last saw her two days ago.

As I stepped out of the bar and headed towards my car, a ping from my phone startled me. It was a message from an unknown ID, accompanied by a chilling photo. In it, Elena lay unconscious, her Eye of Horus necklace smashed beside her. The caption sent shivers down my spine: "Listen to Elena, outsider. Get out of Silverlake and don't get involved in a fight you've got nothing to do with."

Dread washed over me as I stared at the image, my mind racing with questions.

As my fingers moved almost of their own accord, typing out a message, my mind raced with a mixture of fear and determination.

"I don't know who you are, but I will soon, and I will make you pay," I wrote, my fingers trembling slightly as I pressed send. "You've made it personal by kidnapping Elena, and I won't let you hurt her even more, you hear me?!"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the screen. I never knew I cared for Elena this deeply until this moment. The thought of her in danger filled me with a sense of fierce protectiveness, driving me to do whatever it takes to bring her back safely.

Please get some help. The only reason I did not report your behavior to the crew until we pushed back was because I didn't want to cause a delay. [ETA: okay, maybe not the only reason.] You are a sick individual and you can, and should, get some support.
This guy came on and sat in the window seat (I was in the aisle; a younger woman was in the middle), visibly drunk. He's also on the phone talking loudly to his girlfriend and how many gin and tonics he just had at the bar. Now, it's 7:30 am, but I don't judge too harshly. Time zones, vacation, whatever. We've all had a few too many a time or two.
Then, he starts getting sexually graphic with her. "You'd better be spread eagle when I get home" and so forth. Just repulsive. He's slurring and drooling and yelling into the phone. I eventually alert he FA (as well as united chat support via my phone) and they did a good job of keeping things mostly chill. Brought a pot of coffee around, didn't offer any alcoholic drinks to those in his vicinity (I'm sure if someone had asked they would have provided, but they kept it hush hush).
He had to be asked twice to hang up the phone, and still had not even as we were literally lifting off. Still on the phone. His left leg spread into the middle seat space.
I discretely let the young woman next to me know I had no problem going "full Karen" on this guy if he needed it. She said she was fine but later grabbed my arm suddenly to get my attention.
He had fallen asleep, hunched over, drooling onto the floor. Before this he kept "accidentally" reaching into her seat space like he was trying to grope her with plausible deniability (as creeps do). He began leaning over onto her. She tried nudging him awake to no avail. We pressed the call button and alerted the FA who immediately moved the young woman in the middle seat to the only other open seat on the plane. I was fine seated with a buffer between us. The FA tried shaking him awake and nothing happened other than his head rolled back against the window and stayed that way.
The guy was still passed out when I got off the plane. As we are waiting for our bags, I hear someone speaking loudly on the phone.
"HA HA HA! Yeah babe, I must have been dreaming about you! I was groping her in my sleep lololo!!! I don't even remember the flight! I woke up and they moved her seat. HA HA HA"
It's one thing to overindulge, even to the point of being a nuisance. It's quite another to then brag about it.

Race Information

• Name: Ottawa International Marathon
• Date: May 26, 2024
• Distance: 42.2 km
• Location: Ottawa, ON
• Time: 5:23

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Finish	Yes
B	Enjoy the experience	Yes
C	Sub-4	No

Splits

Kilometer	Time
1	5:28
2	5:31
3	5:48
4	5:47
5	5:47
6	6:24
7	5:32
8	5:53
9	5:41
10	5:40
11	5:36
12	5:44
13	5:26
14	5:33
15	5:48
16	5:34
17	5:31
18	5:41
19	5:32
20	5:42
21	5:37
22	5:42
23	5:41
24	5:51
25	7:02
26	6:56
27	7:17
28	7:49
29	7:28
30	7:43
31	8:08
32	9:09
33	11:42
34	11:33
35	13:02
36	14:54
37	11:28
38	9:06
39	10:35
40	11:49
41	11:42
42	9:17
43	6:12

Training

I've been running for a little over a decade now (30M) and in recent years have been doing triathlons and 1/2 marathons, as well as shorter running races. I've always said I would eventually do a marathon, and with this being Ottawa Marathon's 50 anniversary, they had a special early bird promo for a $50 registration, which I couldn't pass up on. I began a Garmin marathon training plan (intermediate 16 weeks) in January, and stuck to it for the most part. I repeated a few weeks to line it up with actual race date and had to take one week off in late April due to a ITBS flare-up. The plan was HR based which I'm familiar with for tri training and 5 workouts/week usually consisting of a couple interval sessions, a couple easy runs, one long run, and the occasional threshold run. Overall I really enjoyed the structured training plan and definitely felt the benefits of the various types of workouts. Knowing that this would be my first marathon, I decided to stick in high Z2/low Z3 for the most part and enjoy the race. I figured I could run a 5:30 avg pace and maybe even squeak in under 4hrs if all went well.
Nutrition wise I incorporated various gels, finally landing on Maurten ($$$), Xact bars (which are given out on course), salt tabs (eload 250mg), and water in a hydration vest.

Pre-race

I started carb loading 4 days out with pasta, bagels, bread, pizza, and chips. The day before the race, I had a late pasta lunch around 3pm and then had a light snack around dinner time. I went to bed early at 8pm and to my surprise was actually able to fall asleep. At 5am I woke up, had coffee with maple syrup and a bagel, then headed to the start line.
Prior to the start, I warmed up doing some jogging with a couple strides and used a resistance band for some targeted activation. Finally, as we lined up in the corral the pre-race jitters kicked in!

Race

The race started out great! I planned to run the first 15k at 5:45, the next at 5:30, and the final at 5-5:15, depending on how I felt. Crossing the start line I was holding myself back but still went out slightly over target. I dialed in around 2k and get in the groove. I did have to go pee from the start (of course...) so after skipping a bunch of porta-potties with line-ups, I found an open one at about 6k. After that I felt much better and was able to get back in the groove and enjoy the run. Being from Ottawa I always love running around the canal and the farm so it was really cool being on familiar roads in such a big event! My wife and some friends were on bikes and able to spot us at various parts along the course. For nutrition/hydration, I was taking a Maurten gel160 every 45min, a 250mg salt tab every hour, sipping on water from my hydration vest when needed as well as taking a nuun and water at every station. At 15km, I felt great and upped the pace as planned. Going along the Zibi parkway I really remembered how I dislike running on such cambered roads! Coming across Parliament Hill the elite half-marathoners were passing us. I thought this was interesting because although they had a police motorcade for the lead pack, the others who were ~15-30s behind were left to weave through the massive crowd of marathoners. I don't know if this is normal for a race but I figured those elites must be cursing the organizers! Now for Rockcliffe...this is where this went sideways. Around 25km, and when the sun decided to come out, I started getting an intense pain in my stomach which made me want to puke! It was severe enough that I had to take some breaks to walk and try to get it to settle. It felt something like gas build up opposed to the runs. At this point I took my last gel and I couldn't really stomach anything. The long slog on Aviation Parkway and walk/running resulted in leg cramps as well. I was still taking my salt tabs, and watenuun at every station but was cramping... I didn't know what was happening! TMI: Heading back into Rockcliffe, I actually did puke (sorry about that), and it was all liquid. This worried me, I had be hydrating and sticking to plan, but my body wasn't absorbing anything. Energy wise I still felt great. At no point did I think I was going to quit so I just started walking, and walking, and walking. Eventually a buddy caught up to me and stayed with me for a bit, he gave me some chewable salt tabs and after staying for a bit went on his way. Pretty quickly after that I felt my legs coming back to life, although my stomach was still a problem. I was able to finish the result of the race alternating between walking and hobbling. Very humbling experience.
As this was my first marathon my #1 goal was always to just complete it. Accept it as the challenge it is and enjoy the experience. Although it technically went as bad as it could (minus injury), I crossed that finish line with a big smile and I am very proud of that. There's always next time.

Post-race

Immediately after the race I got my medal (shout out to all the amazing volunteers!) and went through the finishing chute to get a food baggie, bananas, and some protein drink. My family was there and we sat and chilled for a bit before crossing the street to collect the finishers beer! We didn't stick around too long afterwards as I was anxious to get home and soak in the tub for a bit. Later that evening after being horizontal for a while we went out for celebratory ribs!

Lessons learned

The first one is a learning experience. Again, my first goal was to just complete it, which I'm so happy with. At the same time it is a little frustrating to but in all those months of training and have your body so physically ready just to be humbled by poor nutrition/hydration. Live and learn!

rant lang kasi lowkey naiinis na ko djdbsjsjs
background lang: me (22f) working student + scho kaya may pera, and my bf (22m) full time student, living on daily allowance from parents.
nahihiya daw jowa ko mag aya kasi wala syang pera. pag ako nag aya, never ko naman syang inexpect na magbayad or stuff. pero ayaw pa rin nya.
nahihiya daw sya, okay getz sure kasi ako din nahihiya pag nililibre,, uncomfy ako pag nde q kaya ibalik yung libre. like, at some point kahit pamasahe namin dapat afford ko for me..
ang stressful kasi ng "date idea" nya. sa tingin nya laging gagastos ng malaki on stuff. kaya nahihiya sya.
ako mag pplan ng date, ako magpipilit sa kanya, ako na nga gagastos lahat lahat. ayaw nya pa rin. hindi nya maintindihan na presence nya lang yung gusto ko, gusto q lang sya kasama
puta parang the bar is on the floor na nga, hindi pa rin nya maabot.
pag sya magpaplano ng lakad nya, sya lang hahaha parang ayaw din ako kasama eh. magugulat na lang ako may plans sya "alone" o kaya with friends. ewan ko, nasasakal na ba to sakin?
ako na lang gagala mag isa, tangina hahahahaha minsan naiisip ko na ayoko na sya kasama.
inaya ko sya before mag cloud 9 antipolo, yung overlooking na maganda raw, ayaw nya kasi malayo. kahit commuter friendly naman yung lugar. pero sure sige okay.
may one time, inaaya ko sya mag moa kasi sabi nya gusto nya ng long chill commute rides ONE BUS RIDE LANG YON. sabi nya ang layo ayaw nya. nung nag aya friends nya biglang sasabihin sakin "isang sakay lang pala yon" OO TANGINA MO KAYA NGA INAYA KITA DON.
nakakainis na. gusto ko kasi sya kasama eh. gusto ko pumunta ng new places na kasama sya. kaya ko naman mag isa, dati ko na ginagawa yung mag ikot kung saan saan eh. pero may partner ako, may bf ako. natural gusto kong ishare sa kanya yung places na masayang puntahan.

Looking for a homie to hit up bars, 420, game. Super chill dude. Always down for more friends with a chill vibe. Down for spontaneous adventures or just smoking at the park.

I stopped drinking alcohol six months ago and never felt better. But during the summer damnnnn when im out partying with people at a pool, bbq - social setting, i def want to partake in something that makes me loose and giggly - like a drunk or buzz. So then there is THC. I get a bit anxious and paranoid and unmotivated and quiet / mute w weed. I have been liking a cbd and thc mix with the thc being very very low- but i only like doing thc or any of that when im home and playing vid games or chilling. What can i do when out at a wedding or bar or social setting like a party that isnt alcohol but isnt being high? Im open to more cbd thc advice - i really want to know what people think of the new brez drinks and these buzz drops i keep seeing everywhere. Thoughts?

Hello everybody. Years ago i watched this Movie with a friend of mine and i really want to watch it again. Sadly i cant remember a lot of specifics about the film. One specific scene has stuck tho. The main Character is female and she chills in an abandoned bar with some friends. Punks and misfits who do not fit into the backdrop of an unfeeling megapolis. Zhey are broke, they are hungry but they have guitars. They are bored and she is asked to sing the song "my way". What follows is a rather rocky/punky rendition of the song where all the characters present forget their woes for a moment. I can not say if it was Chinese, Hongkonese, Taiwanese or even Japanese (The friend who showed it to me was mainland chinese and well into indie and arthouse stuff). I know its not much but the scene and utilisation of the song is rather specific. If this at all rings a bell to you i would be very greatful for any hint.