The TD Branch manager, their customer service department... they all say there's no way to contact TD's legal department and that they'll only deal with the courts. Is this true? I've got a letter from a lawyer stating that ODSP funds cannot be garnished or seized. But there seems to be no way to get the information to TD that I'm on ODSP and that the mandate from the Quebec court to seize the entirety of my dental fund savings is therefore not valid. Any direction on this would be appreciated, as the funds are to be garnished Tuesday and over the past 15 days, I've not been able to secure a Quebec lawyer to fight back.
For backstory: A Quebec court order resulted in my bank account being frozen 13 days ago, they're two days away from garnishing all the funds I've been painstakingly saving up for dental implants after losing nearly all my teeth to a lifetime of poverty and health issues.
I live in Ontario but have a debt with the Quebec government from back when I lived across the river and received welfare. At the time, I was trying to start a non profit organization and received a few thousand dollars from friends and acquaintances who believed in my goal to eventually get off assistance by starting something that could eventually lead to gainful employment. I was nowhere near the point of even covering the organization's expenses (much of which I paid out of pocket or put on my credit cards) but I received a few thousand dollars over several years, from friends and acquaintance who believed in my vision. These were funds given to me in trust for the explicit use of activism, recruitment materials, and travel to conferences to generate further interest in the project.
Unfortunately, the Quebec government claimed that these funds were "undeclared income". They claimed I was therefore not eligible for government assistance during the months I had "too much income" and they demanded those months of welfare support back. It goes without saying that if I had used the funds for my own personal expenses, as the government claims I should've done, that I would've betrayed the trust of those who donated to my vision. But I couldn't convince the government of that.
After they combed through several years of bank statements, the government came up with a amount of more than $5000 that they wanted to reclaim for months they considered me ineligible for assistance. In many instances their calculations were flawed, claiming amounts that I had already declared and received legitimately (for instance an honorarium plus flight reimbursement that they claimed I didn't report, in spite of several letters back and forth proving the contrary). In other cases, GST and tax rebate checks were counted against me when these are supposed to be exempt!
I never got my day in court. Due to disability, I missed my 2022 court date at the Tribunal Administrative du Quebec (TAQ) and a decision was rendered against me in my absence. I didn't know that my legal aid lawyer could've requested a new date, given that it was disability related absence, nor that I had the option to protest the decision at a higher court within a "reasonable delay" (considered to be 30-60 days). I felt the frustration at never having had the chance to clear my name and prove I'd done nothing wrong, but I thought that so long as I lived in Ontario, the undeserved debt with the Quebec government would stay in Quebec.
It wasn't until 2 weeks ago, when I discovered my groceries were no longer showing up, that I learned my account had been frozen and that the Quebec government plans to seize more than $10,000 (nearly double the principle in interest fees and court fees!) which I had been painstakingly saving for future dental restorations over many years.
On ODSP we're allowed to receive gifts/loans up to $10,000 per year and having up to $40,000 in savings. I'm well below those limits. The problem is that while ODSP funds (hopefully) can't be garnished, gifts and loans might not be exempt. I also received some federal student grants (yet another fruitless attempt at improving my state in life) which I may not have entirely spent down, as I was holding off on big expenses for school, like a new computer and still have courses I need to retake. I'm going to need at least $30,000 or $40,000 to replace what a lifetime of undiagnosed disabilities and on-off homeless cost my teeth, so I can't afford to lose any of this $10,000!
I have had 15 days to try to find help with all this. On the Ontario side I now have the aforementioned letters from a probono lawyer and from my ODSP worker that I have no means of delivering to anyone in power at the bank. On the Quebec side, I'd hoped Legal Aid Quebec, whom I finally had an appointment with Friday, would file a motion with the Quebec court to oppose the seizure. Instead, they told me they can't help me cause I have "too much funds in my account to be eligible for legal aid". That's right, the account that's bloody FROZEN and about to be DRAINED by Quebec if nobody intervenes is preventing me from getting legal assistance! While it's frozen I can't even access bank transcripts to prove my income and expenditures. But I'm supposed to somehow use that non-accessible money to hire a lawyer at the 11th hour?!
It hasn't escaped my notice that both the Quebec government and now Legal Aid Quebec are perpetuating the same injustice. The latter wants me to take funds GIVEN IN TRUST for medical reasons, to fight a claimed debt that I incurred as a result of funds GIVEN IN TRUST for a nonprofit startup a decade ago. In both cases, those funds weren't mine to use on anything other than their specific stated intent.
This is what it's like to try to navigate life and finances with a disability, all while trying your hardest over several difficult decades to improve your lot in life. Justice isn't blind, she's just too prejudiced to see disabled people as anything other than criminals who deserve a life sentence of absolute poverty.
Thank you in advance for any helpful information!

Hi everyone!
so im slowly coming to the realization that my party needs some railroading. This stems from a reoccurring issue that was exacerbated last evening. Whenever my party is presented with a decision, they immediately stop being a group, and lash out on individual pursuits. For example, my party was ambushed in a tavern by a bounty hunter, while talking to a target they came to rescue. Me, thinking they could use some agency, presented the option to either tackle the bounty hunter and solve the issue, or escape through the sewers as a more peaceful solution.
they tried doing both at the same time. a already difficult combat/navigational encounter was already harsh due to some unexpected absences, and now the group spits in half. Session goes into slog mode, cause now instead of fluid action or roleplay opportunities becomes a mess of jumping scenes that was reminiscence of a 80's action movie chase scene. Party instead of finishing either of the objectives, instead chose to reinforce this division, even when offered opportunities to rejoin.
now im faced with dming a party of 6 next session, where 2 players are returning from absence, 1 player bolted for the city walls alone, another one returned to the tavern and lost track of their party alone as well, and 2 others are advancing towards a area of danger, interested in scouting information about something plot relevant, but they were clearly warned about the danger.
I feel a bit exhausted from yesterday, as things def didnt go as planned, and instead of a effective team, they are scattered and vulnerable. I dont want to punish my players, but at this point im considering some "though love", as they begin to learn the consequences of putting their fate on my good mood, while actively trying to make me a nervous mess.
I mean, the player that bolted for the city walls wanted to offer himself to the bounty hunter while disguised as the target, with me knowing about the teleport scroll the bounty hunter was carrying. His character lived cause i didnt wanted to ruin his experience that early on, but they are temping fate
Does anyone know how i can gather the party who is currently scattered in a city back together, or should the consequences of their actions bite them big as they TPK as individuals, miles away from each other, without any tension or relevance all together. it just feels so anti climatic that they only group as a party like some sort of "favor" to me

Below you will find a weekly reminder of our Rules and partial FAQ. It's definitely a long read, but it's worth your time, especially if you are new to the community, or dropping by as a result of a link you found elsewhere. We periodically revise our rules, this weekly notice will help keep you informed of any changes made.
NOTE: These rules are guidelines. Some moderation discretion is to be expected.

Community Rules

1. Kindness Matters

Advise, don't criticize.

• Post with empathy, thoughtfulness, and constructive commentary rather than judgment. Don't be an asshole.
• Name-calling, slurs (including gender or race based slurs), and insults towards other community members will not be tolerated. Do not attack others for their personally held values, custody situation, marital status, physical distance from stepkids, or economic status; or on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, or ethnicity.
• No name-calling toward children, including the above-mentioned insults or the term "skids", or terms such as "mini-wife" or "mini-husband."
• Comments advocating spanking or any mention of wanting to harm children are not allowed.
• This is a support sub, not a judgement sub, assholes are not tolerated. Comments with terms used in other subs to pass judgement on assholes will be removed.

2. No Drama

This is a support sub.

• Bickering, nitpicking, and thread derailment will not be tolerated and will be subject to removal at moderator discretion.
• Do not repeatedly badger a poster demanding answers, or refuse to acknowledge an answer that's already been given.
• Do not use sensitive issues from past posts (either from this sub or other subs) to attack another user, as we are all discussing vulnerable topics.
• Crossposting anything from /stepparents to any other subreddit might result in a ban and may result in the original thread being locked. Brigading our sub will result in an immediate ban.

3. Report, Don’t Rant

No backseat modding.

• If you see someone breaking the rules, report the post or comment to the mods rather than engaging them in an argument. Failure to do so may be subject to comment removal at moderator discretion.
• No meta posts complaining about rude comments, DMs, or general sub issues.
• If you think someone is a troll or previously banned user, either use the report function or message the mods to direct their attention to the issue.

4. No Naming & Shaming

No userpings or links.

• Tagging/pinging users or other subreddits in an attempt to bully, harass, or complain will not be tolerated. Do not tag other subs, ever.
• If you want to complain about another subreddit being hostile to stepparents, do not name the subreddit. "Other parenting/advice/judgement subs" will suffice.

5. No Platitudes

Nobody knew what they were getting into.

• Comments like "You knew what you were getting into", "Love them, love their kids!", "They're a package deal!" and "You have to love them like your own!" will be removed.
• Comments suggesting that OP is not cut out for stepparenting will be removed at moderator discretion.
• Comments like "This is just a part of parenting, deal with it!" will be removed at moderator discretion.

6. No Trolling

We have zero tolerance for trolls.

• This is a support sub. Our subscribers do not have the time, nor inclination, to provide support to internet trolls. Posts that are suspected to be trolling attempts will be immediately removed, and the poster banned.
• Concern trolling, devil's advocating, gish-galloping, sealioning, and general asshattery are subject to immediate removal and banning without warning or notice.
• Any attempt to circumvent the ban by creating a new username will be reported to reddit admins and possibly result in account suspension.

7. No Personally Identifiable Information

Use discretion when posting.

• We highly recommend using a separate account for support subs to help prevent being doxxed. Do not post any information that may allow others to figure out your identity.
• Do not post photos of children, or any other photo that could be used to identify you or another user on the sub.
• Any image that contains a name or other identifying information should have the name or identifying information blurred out. This includes drawings, notes, and screenshots.
• Do not link to social media or any articles/blogs where you or another user on the sub is mentioned by name.

8. No More than 2 Posts per 24 hours

Use the daily threads.

• We are not a huge sub, but we are no longer a small sub. If you have multiple grievances to air, use the daily discussion threads instead of multiple posts.

9. Follow Reddiquette

Remember the human.

• Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.
• Read it in full here.
• Downvoting is reserved for comments that don’t contribute, and shouldn't be used to indicate disagreement.
• If you believe someone is in violation of the subreddit rules, please either use the report function or message the mods to direct their attention to the issue.
• Suspected brigading will be reported to reddit admins.

10. No Porn, Spam, Blogs, or Research Studies/Surveys Without Mod Approval

Just don't.

• This is a SFW subreddit. Posting pornography will result in immediate post removal and permanent ban.
• Advertising on the subreddit (outside of Reddit's own advertising) is not allowed.
• No personal blog posts are allowed without express moderator permission.
• No advertising without prior mod approval.
• No asking for money/posting fundraisers/etc.
• For links to parenting research studies or surveys, please message the mods for permission before posting.

11. Disputes in Modmail Only

Don't argue with the mods on the sub.

• Any issues specifically related to how a mod is moderating should be addressed to the full moderating team via mod mail. This ensures that all mods are aware of any concerns and prevents disintegration of the topic thread at hand.
• This means to do not message or send chat requests to individual mods. All discussion and complaints about mod actions need to be done in mod mail ONLY. Failure to follow this rule can result in an immediate permanent ban.
• Comments in threads asking about mod decisions are subject to removal without notice.

12. Moderator Actions

We aren't kidding.

• Users are expected to know the rules before posting. If you are warned or banned for violating the rules, ignorance is not an excuse.
• Moderators will remove posts and comments and/or lock threads in accordance with the rules above. Typically this happens when threads have gone off-topic in a way that is not productive for the OP, or comments overall have become contentious or disrespectful.
• If a poster continues to argue or to willfully violate these rules, temporary and permanent ban procedures will be followed. Any attempts to avoid or bypass temporary bans will result in a permanent ban. User bans will not be discussed in the sub. Questions posted about user bans are subject to removal and the poster subject to warning/ban procedures. The mod team will not discuss a specific user ban with anyone other than the user involved.
• New accounts are subject to manual approval until they are no longer deemed "new" by the mod team. This helps to weed out trolls and ban evaders.
• We rely on Automoderator to scan for specific words and phrases that are not welcome here and notify the mod team to review the comment or post. This includes slurs of any type and platitudes such as "Love them as your own!"
• The mod team uses a combination of blacklisting and banning when dealing with trolls.
• We employ the use of a bot that automatically bans anyone who comments in subs that have historically harassed our users. If you are picked up by the bot for telling trolls to get fucked, reach out via mod mail and we'll get you sorted out.
• The rules above as well as ban procedures are considered guidelines only; some deviation may be necessary on a case by case basis and/or at the mod team's discretion.

13. Ban Procedure

These actions are at moderator discretion.

• Pornography will result in an automatic permanent ban.
• Extremely egregious content will result in an immediate permanent ban.
• You may receive a 7 or 30 day temporary ban for first and second rule violations, depending upon severity.
• Continued rule violations will result in a permanent ban.
• Willful attempts to avoid or bypass temporary bans will result in a permanent ban.
• We recognize the reddit site-wide rules of using alt names to get around bans and will ban those as well as report them to reddit admins.

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FAQ - About the Rules

What does Kindness Matters mean?

• Shortest version? Don't be an asshole. People come here for support and advice, they do not come here to be yelled at or told they are the reason everything is going sideways. There are ways to point out that someone may want to do some reflection on their own actions and reactions without being an asshole about it.
• The purpose of this subreddit is to provide support and a sense of belonging for struggling stepparents. We aren't here to pass judgement, but rather to offer support, empathy, and constructive commentary. That does not include "hard truths" or "tough love." Stepparents get enough of that in every other subreddit, we're not passing it out here. Be respectful.
• Remember, most people aren't going to come to a sub like this when everything is going great and everyone is getting along. People are coming here when they are down, when they are feeling defeated and stretched to the limit. Kicking someone when they are down is shitty behavior and we don't tolerate it.

What about being kind to the kids?

• "Won't somebody think of the children?" Pearl clutching isn't needed here. If you read the Kindness Matters rule closely, you will see that there is a clause in there about name calling children. We don't allow it. We also don't allow people rolling in telling OP that they feel sorry for their stepkids because OP is feeling overwhelmed and overloaded.
• If anyone is advocating slapping, spanking, or any other form of violence, report the comment immediately. We do not advocate violence towards children of any sort. The mod team does not advocate any sort of physical punishment at any time.
• Venting about behaviors is not the same as insulting the kids. However, if you see a post or comment where kids are being name called or dragged to the point of no return, use the report button. We try to catch the posts and remove them before they hit the sub, but we cannot see every comment without your help. Use the report button to bring problematic comments to our attention. Don't engage in a war of words on our subreddit.

Why is this sub such an echo chamber?

• Not allowing contributors to pile on and tell OP that they are a terrible human being who should never be around children does not equate to being an echo chamber. Many contributors here will offer OP suggestions to help them work through their resentments and frustrations, and the most egregious situations are called out. We simply ask that it be called out with respect.
• If you feel that a post is simply too much for you to handle without following the rules, move on to another post.
• If you believe that a post itself is crossing the rules report it. If the mod team has approved the post, it is because the mod team believes that the OP needs help from the community or needs a moment to vent and move on from their vent. That does not give you license to pile on disrespectfully. Unless it is proven that OP is a bot, assume that OP is a human being with real thoughts and feelings and has posted from a place of vulnerability.

Why can't I tell OP that they are an asshole?

• Because this isn't a judgement sub. We aren't AITA, we don't want to be AITA.
• Comments with terms like YTA, NTA, ESH, NAH will be removed.
• Don't start your posts with INFO either. We generally recognize that as a fishing attempt for more information to pass judgement on OP, and again, we are not a judgment sub.

But OP asked if they were an asshole?!

• Their post somehow got past our automoderator. Just use the report button. We will address it with OP.
• If you've asked if you are an asshole, a-hole, a*hole, a**hole, whatever, don't be surprised if your post is removed without warning. This isn't a judgment sub. If you want judgment, you know where to go.

What is a gendered slur?

• While it seems that everyone understands what racist slurs are, people struggle understanding the concept of gendered slurs. Generally speaking, we are talking about derogatory nouns or verbs that are used to negatively describe people or situations based on gendered terms.
• We've gone back and forth on this a few times, and the truth is, we get it, it's your safe space and you want to be able to vent about BM/BD how you want to vent about them, without us telling you how to vent about them. Fair enough. Vent away. What we are going to stick to here how people are referring to other users and to stepchildren.
• Examples that are not allowed:
  • "My SD is such a little bitch."
  • "She dresses/acts like a slut."
  • "My SS acts like a pussy."
  • "My SS is such a beta male."
  • "You are all fucking whores."
  • "Any dude who is raising some sluts kids is a cuck!"
  • "Little Lord Fauntleroy over here thinking he runs the house!"
  • "You're just the bangnanny, get used to it."
• Don't call users here names, don't call stepchildren names.
• Masking the term with asterisks or other neat little tricks might get you around the bot, but if we see it, we're removing it and quite possibly giving you a time out. The intended word is still there and you deliberately tried to skate the rule.
• As there is not enough space to list every term that is offensive and does not belong, nor every situation in which term or phrase may be allowable in context, this rule is enforced based on moderator discretion.

Seriously? You are the language police now?

• We're here to talk about stepparenting. And we would like for that to happen in a respectful way. Attacking each other doesn't help. Belittling stepchildren draws in trolls who don't understand your frustration, all they see is an evil stepmonster talking shit on the internet about a poor, innocent baby. Yes, even if that "poor, innocent baby" just robbed you blind and set fire to the house on their way out the door. That's just how it goes.
• We are aware that this is a relatively new rule and a lot of older posts and comments contain a lot of problematic language, including some from mods themselves. We are growing and evolving, and rules change as the sub grows and evolves.

What does No Drama really mean?

• Pretty much what it says, do not bring drama from other subs into this sub. Do not engage in vote brigades. Do not try to incite other subscribers to riot in a different sub. Don't follow posters into this sub from other subs to continue to harass them. Do not badger someone or derail threads. Do not harass community members because you don't agree with them. There's enough drama in the daily lives of subscribers, more isn't needed.

What is thread derailment?

• When a comment chain has devolved to the point where all you are doing is arguing back and forth with someone about the same thing over and over again, you have derailed the thread. Also known as bickering. It's what children do. We assume if people are in a stepparent role they are adults. We expect you to act like it.
• If you aren't a stepparent, or in a stepparenting role, consider that perhaps this subreddit isn't for you. If you want to participate, do so with respect. Thread derailment, arguing, bickering, and nitpicking are not allowed.

But what if they didn't answer my question?

• No one has to answer your questions. This is a support sub, not an inquisition. Jumping on a bandwagon with "OP is evading the question" in a 20 comment long chain is the epitome of thread derailment. You'll find more information about trolling below and how this might be considered such.

Why am I being silenced? I'm just asking for a back and forth!

• Thread derailment, badgering, and nitpicking are considered harassment. Continued harassment of either community members or mods will get you banned.

Why can't I look at someone's post history and comment about it?

• No mod in the history of this sub has ever once said post histories are forbidden. What we do frown upon is using someone's post history to attack, belittle, or otherwise harass someone.
• Example Post: "My stepkid's mom really hates me. How can I make this better?"
  • Okay: "Based on the timeline and your post history, it looks like this may have started as an affair. Unfortunately there's going to be outstanding issues for a long time due to that. Try focusing on yourself and how you can move forward without worrying about how someone else feels about you."
  • Not Okay: "Holy shit! You were the OW! What the hell do you expect, homewrecker?!"
• Example Post: "I am completely overloaded and feeling very down about myself."
  • Okay: "In your post history you mentioned that your spouse wasn't really helping around the house. Has that changed at all?"
  • Not Okay: "LOL, you already got the answers you need in your post on relationships. You are stupid for sticking with your lazy spouse."

Why can't we crosspost stuff to other subs?

• We can't stop you from doing so. The problem isn't that something has been crossposted, it's when the community that it's been crossposted to feels the need to come over here and harass OP. When we see that happening, we lock the post and start passing out bans. If you did the crossposting, you'll be banned. If you participated in the brigading, you'll be banned.

What if it's my own post?

• Again, we can't stop you from doing so. We prefer that you don't technically crosspost, but rather just copy and paste your post. Why? Because inevitably the above will happen. Redditors from other subs will follow you back to /stepparents and start attacking users here. It just happens.

What is "brigading"?

• Reddit defines vote manipulation and brigading as follows:
• Using multiple accounts, voting services, or any other software to increase or decrease vote scores.
• Asking people to vote up or down certain posts, either on Reddit itself or through social networks, messaging, etc. for personal gain.
• Forming or joining a group that votes together, either on a specific post, a user's posts, posts from a domain, etc.
• We, along with pretty much every other subreddit that has ever had to deal with this nonsense, further define brigading as this: You saw a post on another sub that linked to our sub either via a link in a comment or a crosspost. It was basically saying something along the lines of "OMG, check out these assholes over on /stepparents! They literally hate all their stepkids!" And then you and your friends come over and start hammering on OP and telling OP how much they suck. Congrats, you have just participated in a brigade.

What is this whole Report, Don't Rant thing about?

• If you see a post or comment that breaks the rules, instead of engaging, report it. When you report it, it sends notification to the mod team. We will act on it where appropriate. Engaging with bad faith users may result in your comments being removed. If you repeatedly do so, you may end up being banned.

What if I see an obvious troll?

• Report it.

What if they are being really mean in comments?

• Report it.

What if they are harassing me in private messages?

• Step 1: Report them to admins. You can report harassment to reddit by using this link or send a DM to reddit admins. Include the link to the DM, admins can see your inbox and providing a direct link is helpful for them to weed out bad actors.
• Step 2: Block the person so they cannot directly contact you again.
• Step 3: Send us a mod mail and let the mod team know. Tell us who they are and what they said, send us a screenshot if you can - admins can see your DMs, mods can't. We'll take action where necessary by banning from the sub if they aren't already banned.

What do you mean by No Naming & Shaming?

• Just as we prefer to not be linked to or crossposted from, we do not allow linking to or calling out other subs by name. If you see something you want to share, say it's a hot post that has hit the front page and a stepparent is being absolutely flayed, just refer to it as "that hot post that hit the front page." If you want to complain about other places in general, "other parenting/advice/judgement subs" will suffice. Absolutely under no circumstances should you link to anywhere else.

I can't link to other subs?

• Do not directly link to another sub. (e.g.: "/insertsubnamehere is ridiculously hostile to stepparents!")
• Do not name other subs. (e.g.: "I won't link to it directly, but insertsubnamehere is ridiculously hostile to stepparents!")
• Do not abbreviate other subs. (e.g.: "I know that ISNH is ridiculously hostile to stepparents!")

I can't ping other users?

• Do not summon another user with a username ping/tag. (e.g.: "insertusernamehere was being an asshole.")
• If you are agreeing with someone, it is okay to link to them. (e.g.: "I agree with insertusernamehere, you need to take a couple of steps back and reflect on this.")

What does No Platitudes mean?

• Sanctimonious, overused clichés that grossly oversimplify the stepparenting experience are neither wanted nor allowed here. We have all heard it a thousand times before, we don't need to hear it again. It's not nearly as insightful and wise as some would like to think.

Why don't you people understand it's a package deal?

• Any comment that suggests that OP should have known what they were getting involved with, or that they needed to understand that the kids were part of some package they needed to accept before signing up for marriage is subject to immediate removal.
• This is one of the most insensitive things you can say to a stepparent. Most stepparents were aware of the children, but they were probably not aware of all of the family dynamics.

Why can't you just love them like they are your own?

• Demanding that a stranger you do not know love children that are not biologically theirs as if they were theirs can be incredibly damaging to someone who is already in a vulnerable situation. Any comment that falls along these lines will be removed.

What do you mean by No Trolling? I was just...

• No means no. No trolling. No pretending to be a stepparent and then whipping out the Greatest Hits Bingo Card of The Worst Stepparent in the History of Stepparents. We see you. We've seen you a thousand times.

What does "concern trolling", "gish-galloping", and "sealioning" have to do with stepparenting? This isn't a debate sub, why are you using debate terms?

• That's absolutely right, this isn't a debate sub. And yet, here we are, day after day, having to defend ourselves against this sort of thing. So, enough. No more. Usage of any of these things will get you banned.

What is "Concern Trolling?"

• A concern troll is someone who disingenuously visits sites of an opposing ideology to disrupt conversation by offering unwanted advice on how to solve problems which do not really exist.
  • Example Post: OP expresses concern that she will feel, and possibly act, differently towards her stepchildren after her husband decides that no, he doesn't want anymore children after all.
  • Example Concern Troll pulled from actual mod mail after their comment was removed: "Possible child abuse claims need to be sorted out well before whatever empathy you believe the OP was looking for."

What is a "Devil's Advocate"?

• "I'm just playing devil's advocate here, but have you considered that maybe BM is just really tired and needs a break, too?" BM has dozens of different mom based subs alone on reddit she can complain on, this sub is for stepparents. The stepparent doesn't need to consider that maybe BM is just really tired and needs a break.

"Gish-galloping?" What does that even mean?

• The Gish Gallop is the fallacious debate tactic of drowning your opponent in a flood of individually-weak arguments in order to prevent rebuttal of the whole argument collection without great effort. The Gish Gallop is a conveyor belt-fed version of the on the spot fallacy, as it's unreasonable for anyone to have a well-composed answer immediately available to every argument present in the Gallop.

And "sealioning?" What's that?

• Sealioning involves jumping into a conversation with endless polite, reasonable questions and demands for answers, usually of entry-level topics far below the actual conversation (e.g. "please prove sexism exists"). This tactic differs little from harassment; instead of discussion, the point is to derail discussion, receive criticism (for their ignorance) so as to look like a victim, or to make someone feel overwhelmed and quit talking.

Who gets to define what is considered asshattery?

• The mod team, of course! If we feel that comments are out of line, are trolling, are leading up to a fight or "just asking questions", we are going to remove them and most likely ban the offender.

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FAQ - Sub Questions

Posting Guidelines for Stepparents

• Body text is required, we suggest you use line breaks between paragraphs as a wall of text is difficult to read. Posts that have only a title are likely to be removed. Instead of using names (even fictitious ones), try to use the sub acronyms. It helps our users to follow along if you use the acronyms and not names.
• Assign a post flair that accurately describes what your post is about and what you are seeking. If you are posting an update from a previous post, include a link to that post.
• Flairs are applied to posts to determine what a person is looking for. When submitting a new post, you should choose a flair that specifies if you are looking for advice, support, etc. The following link flair is available and is color coded with side bar links so that you can search by flair:
  • Advice - For when you are specifically asking for advice or help.
  • Announcement - Mod Use Only, for subreddit announcements.
  • Daily (Formerly TTP) - Mod Use Only, for our daily discussion threads.
  • Discussion - A little advice, a little "How does your family handle this?"
  • JustBMThings - Pretty sure this is self explanatory!
  • Legal - Asking for legal advice? Tag it with this!
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GREETINGS FROM OZ!
Firstly, thank you so much for clicking on my post!
If you’re on the search for constantly shifting power dynamics, chemistry and tension so thick you could cut it, then you’re in the right place!
I’m looking to write a long-term dark-romance story with someone who can capture emotion, vividly written senses, and near-disastrous chemistry. I want to weave together two characters that hate each other so terribly that they burn for one another, and it only leaves them hating each other more. I’m cruel to my characters like that, but it always makes for a delicious tale!
(Also please excuse this formatting. Reddit tends to mess with what I have, and this is the only way I can make it nice to read.)
ABOUT ME
✧ 28YO
✧ Advanced literate writer
✧ 10+ years writing experience
✧ Third person perspective
✧ Multi-paragraph to novella posts
✧ Discord, Reddit or other platform friendly
✧ Happy to OOC chatter, but respects personal boundaries
✧ Your character will have a fan base, and than fan base will be me
✧ Actively advances plot
✧ Happy to plan, organise and discuss ideas but also a love of keeping some things secret and spontaneous
✧ NSFW friendly, seeking adult themes
WRITING SAMPLE
✧ Writing Sample
CHARACTER PREFERENCE
I’m currently looking to write a male character as my main. I do love writing masculine men that have multiple layers and a bit of gruffness to their exterior; I find them so much more delicious to torment. In contrast, I can also write leaner men with slightly more feminine features; that appear beautiful but are deadly sharp.
✧ I’m looking to write a switch/versatile male character.
✧ I’m hoping to find someone who is also looking to write a switch/versatile male character, or even dom/top leaning.
WORD BANK
Enemies-to-allies-to-lovers, hate-fuelled passion, banter, intense chemistry, “I hate you so much I burn for you”, yearning, masculine men, alliance of convenience, against all odds, morally grey, denial, fighting as flirting, competition, prolonged palpable tension, “just kiss already, dammit”
IDEAS
“Captive Prince” Inspired Spinoff
✧ The continent is split into many Kingdoms, two of which neighbours and have been at war for a great length of time.
✧ My character (MC) is the sole legitimate son of King A, and has served as his father's General throughout his early twenties. He's an esteemed warrior, a battle-hardened man, and extremely devout to his father's cause. In battle, MC kills the young King Bof their enemy Kingdom. However, a little while after he returns home, King A/MC’s father dies and MC’s been framed with the murder. MC is taken prisoner by his jealous half-brother (who's made the elaborate scheme) and told that he's to be given to their enemy kingdom as a slave—amidst dozens of other slaves to be gifted to the enemy kingdom as "good will" while MC’s bastard half-brother ascends the throne and seeks to make peace.
✧ Your character (YC) is the brother of the fallen, young King B and now sole remaining heir to the enemy kingdom. Having now inherited the crown, YC ascends as King, and receives the shipment of slaves sent to him as a token of good faith in attempt to broker a peace deal (this could be to their disgust, or hold cultural significance). YC is, however, told that one particular slave has been explicitly sent as his gift (MC), and that refusal of such a slave would be to elicit further war. YC has no choice but to accept the slave…who just so happens to be the rightful Crown Prince (MC) and murderer of his brother. But does YC recognise his brother’s murderer? Does he recognise that the “slave” he’s been sent is the rightful King of the other kingdom?
✧ I'd love to explore starkly different cultures and the shock faced when MC is thrust into the unknown. I'd also love to develop political intrigue, espionage, and more. Besides, what better way is there to force these two unlikely characters together than the need for an ally?
✧ Perhaps YC is nearly assassinated, and recognises that MC has skills able to keep him safe. Similarly, perhaps MC knows that he'd have no chance to escape his servitude alive if the King is killed, and instead plots to escape while protecting the King, with the goal to return to his kingdom and kill his bastard half-brother as revenge.
✧ I imagine their relationship in public to be very stony, with examples of "ownership" in order to keep the court gossips from spreading rumours. Despite whatever intimacy they find behind closed doors (if at all), I imagine that they would have to participate in court theatrics and games so that no one questions their relationship. After all, I doubt the court nobles would take well to their new young King having feelings for his slave—as it’s one thing to own one, and another to actually care for them.
✧ If YC recognises MC, then I also imagine that, given MC killed YC’s brother, the previous King, in combat, that there would be some very hard feelings there. A potential reason for the hatred, on top of sheer bias as result of the two countries being long-term enemies. However, the hatred between people and the general scorn YC may feel would be enough for a sour relationship.
✧ I do, however, imagine that MC would be far more trouble behind closed doors. While in the public eye, he understands that his behaviour is a reflection upon YC and would likely result in severe punishment. So, he avoids it, even if he has to bite his cheek until it bleeds and participate in petty, little games. Behind closed doors, however, I imagine he is far more likely to try and push YC beyond his limit, the two perhaps even getting physical during a fight. If all this boils over into passion, then that’s the dream!
✧ I see there being no true “role” between either characters, as there’s a deeper power struggle occurring. While one holds possession of the other (MC being owned by YC), behind closed doors would be entirely different. Their relationship would be complex, dynamic, and forever changing. I’d much prefer for their roles to be just as fluid, and entirely dependent on the specific situation rather than pre-defined. In all actuality, I see both characters vying for dominance over the other, until they settle into intimacy and understanding.
YOUR IDEAS
Please feel free to pitch your own ideas! If they have these key elements (chemistry, tension, boiling hatred), then I’d be more than interested to hear them!
THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for your time and attention, I really appreciate it!
Have an awesome day,
Smoulder 🔥

This ‘allegedly’ True Mysterious Haunted Home story was written & emailed to me. It will also be available on my YouTube and TikTok channels tomorrow for viewing if you wish to watch it in storytelling/video format. You may not use this story. Please do not ask me. Thank you. Enjoy. 💀

 The Basement Boogie Man Story by Bryan M. 

I was home alone one night playing video games in my living room when I heard noises coming from downstairs in the basement.
My parents went out for the night with some of their friends for dinner and I had the entire house to myself. And it felt refreshing to finally have some alone time and play video games on our big screen Plasma TV.
We had a 50 inch Pioneer High definition Plasma and I remember being so excited about playing Halo 2 all night on this thing online with my friends.
After playing for an hour, I thought I heard and felt movement coming from down below me in the basement.
I muted my headphones and listened out but heard nothing. So I continued playing…
Two hours went by when I heard and felt the same movement below me again, so I muted my headset once more and listened a little closer. This time it was louder and it felt like something actually hit the basement ceiling below me.
I told my friends to hang on a second then I walked to the entrance door leading to the basement.
There’s also a side door entrance that leads to the basement from outside of my house, which is about 7 steps down from the hallway entrance door that leads to the basement, and it was open.
Not much. But enough to seem as if someone let themselves in and didn’t shut it all the way.
I slowly walked down the steps and shut the side door and locked it. I was seriously freaked out and scared. I mean, there was no one home except me. And I lived in a good neighborhood. Nothing bad ever happened around here.
Curiosity got the better of me so I figured I'd check out the basement. I flicked the lights on and everything seemed fine just as it should be.
But we have a storage room tucked away at the end of the basement hall, and I couldn't resist making sure everything was in order in there too.
I literally tip-toed towards the storage room and I could feel my heart racing.
I grabbed my trusty old aluminum baseball bat I had stashed beside our mountain bikes and gripped onto that thing ready to swing for the bleachers if anyone came charging out of that storage room.
As I moved closer to the storage room door I could feel my hands beginning to get clammy. And what felt like an hour was only a few minutes when I stopped and just stared at the door.
The fear and sheer anxiety was holding me back from opening that door.
But I had to find out what made those noises.
I reached for the door knob and turned it and pushed the door open with my bat. And as soon the door was half way open, someone kicked the door shut and growled at me like an animal.
I fell on my ass but got right back up and never ran so fast in my life. I ran and tripped up the basement steps but made it back safely into my house, locked the door, and told my friends I had an intruder in the basement and that I had to call the cops.
I dropped my headset and I could hear my friends voices saying “what the fuck and holy shit are you serious?” as I ran to grab my cell phone to dial 911.
While I’m on the phone with the 911 operator, I could hear pounding on the basement ceiling coming from down below me. I shouted to the 911 operator that someone broke into my house and was in my basement storage room.
The operator was asking me question after question, but I was so frightened I couldn’t answer any of them and just kept telling her to please send help because there’s someone in my basement.
“Someone broke into my house, please help!”
She told me to calm down and find a place to hide and told me help was on the way.
So I hid in my bedroom closet…
My breath was bouncing off of the telephone and hitting me back in the face from how fast I was breathing.
The operator asked me for my name again and now I told her. She asked me my age, where my parents were and I told her. She asked if anyone else was in the house besides me and I said “no it’s just me.”
She asked me if there was any way she could get in touch with my parents so I gave her both of their cell numbers. She told me not to hang up and to stay on the phone with her no matter what. She told me I was doing fine and that everything would be fine, that there were 2 police units heading to my house and they would be there any second.
And then the pounding on the basement ceiling started up again!
And this time the pounding was so loud it sounded like a demolition team was rearranging my entire basement!
The operator asked me what was going on and if I was okay? She asked me “what was that noise?
And I told her whoever is downstairs is banging on the basement ceiling and won’t stop. She told me to hold tight and that the police had arrived and were outside in front of my house. She asked me if there was any way the police could enter my house without breaking down any doors.
I told her I didn’t want to leave the closet. I told her I was very scared and that I didn’t want to go anywhere.
She told me not to worry as the banging from the basement was somehow now coming from underneath my bedroom closet.
I shouted “Please help me! The banging is underneath me!
And then I heard my side door getting kicked in from the police. I ran out of my closet and ran to the back door and heard the police yelling out commands as they walked down the basement steps.
The banging kept increasing as they shouted “make yourself known.
The operator told me to stay put so that’s what l did as the police continued giving out commands without getting any answers from anyone.
I heard a door getting kicked in assuming it was the storage room door, but then I heard them say to each other “there’s no one here it’s all clear.”
The cops searched the entire house and found no one.
It couldn’t be possible…
I kept telling them that there had to have been someone here. That someone had to have been in my basement. I told them that the side door was slightly open like someone came in and forgot to shut it but that we always kept that side door locked. That I opened the storage room door and someone kicked the door shut and then growled at me. That there was banging on the basement ceiling.
They tried using the excuse of me being a kid with an over amplified imagination.
So what the fuck was all that banging that I heard? The cops heard it. The operator heard it.
This couldn’t have been playing out in everyone’s imaginations.
The police took down notes of what I heard and saw and then my parents got home. And right before my parents walked through the now broken side door, the cops were laughing with each other and one of them even said “maybe his house is haunted?”
Well, if that was the case, then, why didn’t anything ever happen again?
I was 17 years old when that crazy night happened. And I lived at my parents house until I was 23 before getting my own place. I’m going on 37 and nothing ever happened again at my parents house.
Believe me, I’ve asked them…
And even stayed there some nights throughout the years on the weekends waiting for something to happen again.
They’re going on vacation next month for their 40th wedding anniversary.
And I’ve given this a lot of thought. Many years and nights of endless thought.
So much so that it kind of consumed me.
My friends that were playing Halo with me that night? They heard everything through their headsets and we’ve talked about this for a long time together, too.
Next month when my parents leave, we plan on doing a Oujia board session in the basement storage room.
I need to know if that house is really haunted or not…
💀
Hope you enjoyed this creepy ‘allegedly’ True, Mysterious Haunted House Story. Again, please don’t ask me to use this. It is for reading and viewing (if you wish on my YouTube channel tomorrow night) purposes only. Thanks you for understanding. If you have your own creepy True story you’d like told in video format, let me know. Every story I create I turn into a single Horror Short. So, you’ll have your own video to watch the Horror unfold. Long, Short. It doesn’t matter. As long as it can be up to 8 minutes long in video.
Thanks again. Stay Sinister.
👻

There was pounding on the basement ceiling!
This ‘allegedly’ True Mysterious Haunted Home story was written & emailed to me. You may not use this story. Please do not ask me. Thank you. Enjoy. 💀

 The Basement Boogie Man Story by Bryan M. 

I was home alone one night playing video games in my living room when I heard noises coming from downstairs in the basement.
My parents went out for the night with some of their friends for dinner and I had the entire house to myself. And it felt refreshing to finally have some alone time and play video games on our big screen Plasma TV.
We had a 50 inch Pioneer High definition Plasma and I remember being so excited about playing Halo 2 all night on this thing online with my friends.
After playing for an hour, I thought I heard and felt movement coming from down below me in the basement.
I muted my headphones and listened out but heard nothing. So I continued playing…
Two hours went by when I heard and felt the same movement below me again, so I muted my headset once more and listened a little closer. This time it was louder and it felt like something actually hit the basement ceiling below me.
I told my friends to hang on a second then I walked to the entrance door leading to the basement.
There’s also a side door entrance that leads to the basement from outside of my house, which is about 7 steps down from the hallway entrance door that leads to the basement, and it was open.
Not much. But enough to seem as if someone let themselves in and didn’t shut it all the way.
I slowly walked down the steps and shut the side door and locked it. I was seriously freaked out and scared. I mean, there was no one home except me. And I lived in a good neighborhood. Nothing bad ever happened around here.
Curiosity got the better of me so I figured I'd check out the basement. I flicked the lights on and everything seemed fine just as it should be.
But we have a storage room tucked away at the end of the basement hall, and I couldn't resist making sure everything was in order in there too.
I literally tip-toed towards the storage room and I could feel my heart racing.
I grabbed my trusty old aluminum baseball bat I had stashed beside our mountain bikes and gripped onto that thing ready to swing for the bleachers if anyone came charging out of that storage room.
As I moved closer to the storage room door I could feel my hands beginning to get clammy. And what felt like an hour was only a few minutes when I stopped and just stared at the door.
The fear and sheer anxiety was holding me back from opening that door.
But I had to find out what made those noises.
I reached for the door knob and turned it and pushed the door open with my bat. And as soon the door was half way open, someone kicked the door shut and growled at me like an animal.
I fell on my ass but got right back up and never ran so fast in my life. I ran and tripped up the basement steps but made it back safely into my house, locked the door, and told my friends I had an intruder in the basement and that I had to call the cops.
I dropped my headset and I could hear my friends voices saying “what the fuck and holy shit are you serious?” as I ran to grab my cell phone to dial 911.
While I’m on the phone with the 911 operator, I could hear pounding on the basement ceiling coming from down below me. I shouted to the 911 operator that someone broke into my house and was in my basement storage room.
The operator was asking me question after question, but I was so frightened I couldn’t answer any of them and just kept telling her to please send help because there’s someone in my basement.
“Someone broke into my house, please help!”
She told me to calm down and find a place to hide and told me help was on the way.
So I hid in my bedroom closet…
My breath was bouncing off of the telephone and hitting me back in the face from how fast I was breathing.
The operator asked me for my name again and now I told her. She asked me my age, where my parents were and I told her. She asked if anyone else was in the house besides me and I said “no it’s just me.”
She asked me if there was any way she could get in touch with my parents so I gave her both of their cell numbers. She told me not to hang up and to stay on the phone with her no matter what. She told me I was doing fine and that everything would be fine, that there were 2 police units heading to my house and they would be there any second.
And then the pounding on the basement ceiling started up again!
And this time the pounding was so loud it sounded like a demolition team was rearranging my entire basement!
The operator asked me what was going on and if I was okay? She asked me “what was that noise?
And I told her whoever is downstairs is banging on the basement ceiling and won’t stop. She told me to hold tight and that the police had arrived and were outside in front of my house. She asked me if there was any way the police could enter my house without breaking down any doors.
I told her I didn’t want to leave the closet. I told her I was very scared and that I didn’t want to go anywhere.
She told me not to worry as the banging from the basement was somehow now coming from underneath my bedroom closet.
I shouted “Please help me! The banging is underneath me!
And then I heard my side door getting kicked in from the police. I ran out of my closet and ran to the back door and heard the police yelling out commands as they walked down the basement steps.
The banging kept increasing as they shouted “make yourself known.
The operator told me to stay put so that’s what l did as the police continued giving out commands without getting any answers from anyone.
I heard a door getting kicked in assuming it was the storage room door, but then I heard them say to each other “there’s no one here it’s all clear.”
The cops searched the entire house and found no one.
It couldn’t be possible…
I kept telling them that there had to have been someone here. That someone had to have been in my basement. I told them that the side door was slightly open like someone came in and forgot to shut it but that we always kept that side door locked. That I opened the storage room door and someone kicked the door shut and then growled at me. That there was banging on the basement ceiling.
They tried using the excuse of me being a kid with an over amplified imagination.
So what the fuck was all that banging that I heard? The cops heard it. The operator heard it.
This couldn’t have been playing out in everyone’s imaginations.
The police took down notes of what I heard and saw and then my parents got home. And right before my parents walked through the now broken side door, the cops were laughing with each other and one of them even said “maybe his house is haunted?”
Well, if that was the case, then, why didn’t anything ever happen again?
I was 17 years old when that crazy night happened. And I lived at my parents house until I was 23 before getting my own place. I’m going on 37 and nothing ever happened again at my parents house.
Believe me, I’ve asked them…
And even stayed there some nights throughout the years on the weekends waiting for something to happen again.
They’re going on vacation next month for their 40th wedding anniversary.
And I’ve given this a lot of thought. Many years and nights of endless thought.
So much so that it kind of consumed me.
My friends that were playing Halo with me that night? They heard everything through their headsets and we’ve talked about this for a long time together, too.
Next month when my parents leave, we plan on doing a Oujia board session in the basement storage room.
I need to know if that house is really haunted or not…
💀
Hope you enjoyed this creepy ‘allegedly’ True, Mysterious Haunted House Story. Again, please don’t ask me to use this. It is for reading purposes only. Thanks you for understanding. If you have your own creepy True story you’d like told in video format, let me know. Every story I create I turn into a single Horror Short. So, you’ll have your own video to watch the Horror unfold. Long, Short. It doesn’t matter. As long as it can be up to 8 minutes long in video.
Thanks again. Stay Sinister.
👻

Researchers warn that companies are rapidly depleting high-quality human-written training data for AI models. This data bottleneck could halt advancements in AI capabilities.

• Feast or Famine: AI thrives on vast amounts of data, often harvested from public online sources. Legal battles with publishers highlight the ethical concerns around this practice. As companies automate tasks, the flow of new training data might decrease.
• Running Out of Fresh Food: A new study predicts that the growth rate of text data for training AI falls short of computing power advancements. This suggests large language models could exhaust usable data by 2026.
• AI Ouroboros: Self-Eating Solution? In the absence of fresh data, companies might turn to AI-generated content for training. However, experts warn this "synthetic data" could lead to a decline in output quality, creating a loop where AI consumes its own inferior creations.

"I think it’s important to keep in mind that we don’t necessarily need to train larger and larger models," AI researcher and University of Toronto assistant professor of computer engineering Nicolas Papernot, who was not involved in the study, told the AP.
Source (Futurism)
Subscribe to my free newsletter and get more summaries like this in your inbox.

This ‘allegedly’ True Mysterious Haunted Home story was written & emailed to me. It will also be available on my YouTube and TikTok channels tomorrow for viewing if you wish to watch it in storytelling/video format. You may not use this story. Please do not ask me. Thank you. Enjoy. 💀

 The Basement Boogie Man Story by Bryan M. 

I was home alone one night playing video games in my living room when I heard noises coming from downstairs in the basement.
My parents went out for the night with some of their friends for dinner and I had the entire house to myself. And it felt refreshing to finally have some alone time and play video games on our big screen Plasma TV.
We had a 50 inch Pioneer High definition Plasma and I remember being so excited about playing Halo 2 all night on this thing online with my friends.
After playing for an hour, I thought I heard and felt movement coming from down below me in the basement.
I muted my headphones and listened out but heard nothing. So I continued playing…
Two hours went by when I heard and felt the same movement below me again, so I muted my headset once more and listened a little closer. This time it was louder and it felt like something actually hit the basement ceiling below me.
I told my friends to hang on a second then I walked to the entrance door leading to the basement.
There’s also a side door entrance that leads to the basement from outside of my house, which is about 7 steps down from the hallway entrance door that leads to the basement, and it was open.
Not much. But enough to seem as if someone let themselves in and didn’t shut it all the way.
I slowly walked down the steps and shut the side door and locked it. I was seriously freaked out and scared. I mean, there was no one home except me. And I lived in a good neighborhood. Nothing bad ever happened around here.
Curiosity got the better of me so I figured I'd check out the basement. I flicked the lights on and everything seemed fine just as it should be.
But we have a storage room tucked away at the end of the basement hall, and I couldn't resist making sure everything was in order in there too.
I literally tip-toed towards the storage room and I could feel my heart racing.
I grabbed my trusty old aluminum baseball bat I had stashed beside our mountain bikes and gripped onto that thing ready to swing for the bleachers if anyone came charging out of that storage room.
As I moved closer to the storage room door I could feel my hands beginning to get clammy. And what felt like an hour was only a few minutes when I stopped and just stared at the door.
The fear and sheer anxiety was holding me back from opening that door.
But I had to find out what made those noises.
I reached for the door knob and turned it and pushed the door open with my bat. And as soon the door was half way open, someone kicked the door shut and growled at me like an animal.
I fell on my ass but got right back up and never ran so fast in my life. I ran and tripped up the basement steps but made it back safely into my house, locked the door, and told my friends I had an intruder in the basement and that I had to call the cops.
I dropped my headset and I could hear my friends voices saying “what the fuck and holy shit are you serious?” as I ran to grab my cell phone to dial 911.
While I’m on the phone with the 911 operator, I could hear pounding on the basement ceiling coming from down below me. I shouted to the 911 operator that someone broke into my house and was in my basement storage room.
The operator was asking me question after question, but I was so frightened I couldn’t answer any of them and just kept telling her to please send help because there’s someone in my basement.
“Someone broke into my house, please help!”
She told me to calm down and find a place to hide and told me help was on the way.
So I hid in my bedroom closet…
My breath was bouncing off of the telephone and hitting me back in the face from how fast I was breathing.
The operator asked me for my name again and now I told her. She asked me my age, where my parents were and I told her. She asked if anyone else was in the house besides me and I said “no it’s just me.”
She asked me if there was any way she could get in touch with my parents so I gave her both of their cell numbers. She told me not to hang up and to stay on the phone with her no matter what. She told me I was doing fine and that everything would be fine, that there were 2 police units heading to my house and they would be there any second.
And then the pounding on the basement ceiling started up again!
And this time the pounding was so loud it sounded like a demolition team was rearranging my entire basement!
The operator asked me what was going on and if I was okay? She asked me “what was that noise?
And I told her whoever is downstairs is banging on the basement ceiling and won’t stop. She told me to hold tight and that the police had arrived and were outside in front of my house. She asked me if there was any way the police could enter my house without breaking down any doors.
I told her I didn’t want to leave the closet. I told her I was very scared and that I didn’t want to go anywhere.
She told me not to worry as the banging from the basement was somehow now coming from underneath my bedroom closet.
I shouted “Please help me! The banging is underneath me!
And then I heard my side door getting kicked in from the police. I ran out of my closet and ran to the back door and heard the police yelling out commands as they walked down the basement steps.
The banging kept increasing as they shouted “make yourself known.
The operator told me to stay put so that’s what l did as the police continued giving out commands without getting any answers from anyone.
I heard a door getting kicked in assuming it was the storage room door, but then I heard them say to each other “there’s no one here it’s all clear.”
The cops searched the entire house and found no one.
It couldn’t be possible…
I kept telling them that there had to have been someone here. That someone had to have been in my basement. I told them that the side door was slightly open like someone came in and forgot to shut it but that we always kept that side door locked. That I opened the storage room door and someone kicked the door shut and then growled at me. That there was banging on the basement ceiling.
They tried using the excuse of me being a kid with an over amplified imagination.
So what the fuck was all that banging that I heard? The cops heard it. The operator heard it.
This couldn’t have been playing out in everyone’s imaginations.
The police took down notes of what I heard and saw and then my parents got home. And right before my parents walked through the now broken side door, the cops were laughing with each other and one of them even said “maybe his house is haunted?”
Well, if that was the case, then, why didn’t anything ever happen again?
I was 17 years old when that crazy night happened. And I lived at my parents house until I was 23 before getting my own place. I’m going on 37 and nothing ever happened again at my parents house.
Believe me, I’ve asked them…
And even stayed there some nights throughout the years on the weekends waiting for something to happen again.
They’re going on vacation next month for their 40th wedding anniversary.
And I’ve given this a lot of thought. Many years and nights of endless thought.
So much so that it kind of consumed me.
My friends that were playing Halo with me that night? They heard everything through their headsets and we’ve talked about this for a long time together, too.
Next month when my parents leave, we plan on doing a Oujia board session in the basement storage room.
I need to know if that house is really haunted or not…
💀
Hope you enjoyed this creepy ‘allegedly’ True, Mysterious Haunted House Story. Again, please don’t ask me to use this. It is for reading and viewing (if you wish on my YouTube channel tomorrow night) purposes only. Thanks you for understanding. If you have your own creepy True story you’d like told in video format, let me know. Every story I create I turn into a single Horror Short. So, you’ll have your own video to watch the Horror unfold. Long, Short. It doesn’t matter. As long as it can be up to 8 minutes long in video.
Thanks again. Stay Sinister.
👻

This ‘allegedly’ True Mysterious Haunted Home story was written & emailed to me. It will also be available on my YouTube and TikTok channels tomorrow for viewing if you wish to watch it in storytelling/video format. You may not use this story. Please do not ask me. Thank you. Enjoy. 💀

 The Basement Boogie Man Story by Bryan M. 

I was home alone one night playing video games in my living room when I heard noises coming from downstairs in the basement.
My parents went out for the night with some of their friends for dinner and I had the entire house to myself. And it felt refreshing to finally have some alone time and play video games on our big screen Plasma TV.
We had a 50 inch Pioneer High definition Plasma and I remember being so excited about playing Halo 2 all night on this thing online with my friends.
After playing for an hour, I thought I heard and felt movement coming from down below me in the basement.
I muted my headphones and listened out but heard nothing. So I continued playing…
Two hours went by when I heard and felt the same movement below me again, so I muted my headset once more and listened a little closer. This time it was louder and it felt like something actually hit the basement ceiling below me.
I told my friends to hang on a second then I walked to the entrance door leading to the basement.
There’s also a side door entrance that leads to the basement from outside of my house, which is about 7 steps down from the hallway entrance door that leads to the basement, and it was open.
Not much. But enough to seem as if someone let themselves in and didn’t shut it all the way.
I slowly walked down the steps and shut the side door and locked it. I was seriously freaked out and scared. I mean, there was no one home except me. And I lived in a good neighborhood. Nothing bad ever happened around here.
Curiosity got the better of me so I figured I'd check out the basement. I flicked the lights on and everything seemed fine just as it should be.
But we have a storage room tucked away at the end of the basement hall, and I couldn't resist making sure everything was in order in there too.
I literally tip-toed towards the storage room and I could feel my heart racing.
I grabbed my trusty old aluminum baseball bat I had stashed beside our mountain bikes and gripped onto that thing ready to swing for the bleachers if anyone came charging out of that storage room.
As I moved closer to the storage room door I could feel my hands beginning to get clammy. And what felt like an hour was only a few minutes when I stopped and just stared at the door.
The fear and sheer anxiety was holding me back from opening that door.
But I had to find out what made those noises.
I reached for the door knob and turned it and pushed the door open with my bat. And as soon the door was half way open, someone kicked the door shut and growled at me like an animal.
I fell on my ass but got right back up and never ran so fast in my life. I ran and tripped up the basement steps but made it back safely into my house, locked the door, and told my friends I had an intruder in the basement and that I had to call the cops.
I dropped my headset and I could hear my friends voices saying “what the fuck and holy shit are you serious?” as I ran to grab my cell phone to dial 911.
While I’m on the phone with the 911 operator, I could hear pounding on the basement ceiling coming from down below me. I shouted to the 911 operator that someone broke into my house and was in my basement storage room.
The operator was asking me question after question, but I was so frightened I couldn’t answer any of them and just kept telling her to please send help because there’s someone in my basement.
“Someone broke into my house, please help!”
She told me to calm down and find a place to hide and told me help was on the way.
So I hid in my bedroom closet…
My breath was bouncing off of the telephone and hitting me back in the face from how fast I was breathing.
The operator asked me for my name again and now I told her. She asked me my age, where my parents were and I told her. She asked if anyone else was in the house besides me and I said “no it’s just me.”
She asked me if there was any way she could get in touch with my parents so I gave her both of their cell numbers. She told me not to hang up and to stay on the phone with her no matter what. She told me I was doing fine and that everything would be fine, that there were 2 police units heading to my house and they would be there any second.
And then the pounding on the basement ceiling started up again!
And this time the pounding was so loud it sounded like a demolition team was rearranging my entire basement!
The operator asked me what was going on and if I was okay? She asked me “what was that noise?
And I told her whoever is downstairs is banging on the basement ceiling and won’t stop. She told me to hold tight and that the police had arrived and were outside in front of my house. She asked me if there was any way the police could enter my house without breaking down any doors.
I told her I didn’t want to leave the closet. I told her I was very scared and that I didn’t want to go anywhere.
She told me not to worry as the banging from the basement was somehow now coming from underneath my bedroom closet.
I shouted “Please help me! The banging is underneath me!
And then I heard my side door getting kicked in from the police. I ran out of my closet and ran to the back door and heard the police yelling out commands as they walked down the basement steps.
The banging kept increasing as they shouted “make yourself known.
The operator told me to stay put so that’s what l did as the police continued giving out commands without getting any answers from anyone.
I heard a door getting kicked in assuming it was the storage room door, but then I heard them say to each other “there’s no one here it’s all clear.”
The cops searched the entire house and found no one.
It couldn’t be possible…
I kept telling them that there had to have been someone here. That someone had to have been in my basement. I told them that the side door was slightly open like someone came in and forgot to shut it but that we always kept that side door locked. That I opened the storage room door and someone kicked the door shut and then growled at me. That there was banging on the basement ceiling.
They tried using the excuse of me being a kid with an over amplified imagination.
So what the fuck was all that banging that I heard? The cops heard it. The operator heard it.
This couldn’t have been playing out in everyone’s imaginations.
The police took down notes of what I heard and saw and then my parents got home. And right before my parents walked through the now broken side door, the cops were laughing with each other and one of them even said “maybe his house is haunted?”
Well, if that was the case, then, why didn’t anything ever happen again?
I was 17 years old when that crazy night happened. And I lived at my parents house until I was 23 before getting my own place. I’m going on 37 and nothing ever happened again at my parents house.
Believe me, I’ve asked them…
And even stayed there some nights throughout the years on the weekends waiting for something to happen again.
They’re going on vacation next month for their 40th wedding anniversary.
And I’ve given this a lot of thought. Many years and nights of endless thought.
So much so that it kind of consumed me.
My friends that were playing Halo with me that night? They heard everything through their headsets and we’ve talked about this for a long time together, too.
Next month when my parents leave, we plan on doing a Oujia board session in the basement storage room.
I need to know if that house is really haunted or not…
💀
Hope you enjoyed this creepy ‘allegedly’ True, Mysterious Haunted House Story. Again, please don’t ask me to use this. It is for reading and viewing (if you wish on my YouTube channel tomorrow night) purposes only. Thanks you for understanding. If you have your own creepy True story you’d like told in video format, let me know. Every story I create I turn into a single Horror Short. So, you’ll have your own video to watch the Horror unfold. Long, Short. It doesn’t matter. As long as it can be up to 8 minutes long in video.
Thanks again. Stay Sinister.
👻

This ‘allegedly’ True Mysterious Haunted Home story was written & emailed to me. It will also be available on my YouTube and TikTok channels tomorrow for viewing if you wish to watch it in storytelling/video format. You may not use this story. Please do not ask me. Thank you. Enjoy. 💀

 The Basement Boogie Man Story by Bryan M. 

I was home alone one night playing video games in my living room when I heard noises coming from downstairs in the basement.
My parents went out for the night with some of their friends for dinner and I had the entire house to myself. And it felt refreshing to finally have some alone time and play video games on our big screen Plasma TV.
We had a 50 inch Pioneer High definition Plasma and I remember being so excited about playing Halo 2 all night on this thing online with my friends.
After playing for an hour, I thought I heard and felt movement coming from down below me in the basement.
I muted my headphones and listened out but heard nothing. So I continued playing…
Two hours went by when I heard and felt the same movement below me again, so I muted my headset once more and listened a little closer. This time it was louder and it felt like something actually hit the basement ceiling below me.
I told my friends to hang on a second then I walked to the entrance door leading to the basement.
There’s also a side door entrance that leads to the basement from outside of my house, which is about 7 steps down from the hallway entrance door that leads to the basement, and it was open.
Not much. But enough to seem as if someone let themselves in and didn’t shut it all the way.
I slowly walked down the steps and shut the side door and locked it. I was seriously freaked out and scared. I mean, there was no one home except me. And I lived in a good neighborhood. Nothing bad ever happened around here.
Curiosity got the better of me so I figured I'd check out the basement. I flicked the lights on and everything seemed fine just as it should be.
But we have a storage room tucked away at the end of the basement hall, and I couldn't resist making sure everything was in order in there too.
I literally tip-toed towards the storage room and I could feel my heart racing.
I grabbed my trusty old aluminum baseball bat I had stashed beside our mountain bikes and gripped onto that thing ready to swing for the bleachers if anyone came charging out of that storage room.
As I moved closer to the storage room door I could feel my hands beginning to get clammy. And what felt like an hour was only a few minutes when I stopped and just stared at the door.
The fear and sheer anxiety was holding me back from opening that door.
But I had to find out what made those noises.
I reached for the door knob and turned it and pushed the door open with my bat. And as soon the door was half way open, someone kicked the door shut and growled at me like an animal.
I fell on my ass but got right back up and never ran so fast in my life. I ran and tripped up the basement steps but made it back safely into my house, locked the door, and told my friends I had an intruder in the basement and that I had to call the cops.
I dropped my headset and I could hear my friends voices saying “what the fuck and holy shit are you serious?” as I ran to grab my cell phone to dial 911.
While I’m on the phone with the 911 operator, I could hear pounding on the basement ceiling coming from down below me. I shouted to the 911 operator that someone broke into my house and was in my basement storage room.
The operator was asking me question after question, but I was so frightened I couldn’t answer any of them and just kept telling her to please send help because there’s someone in my basement.
“Someone broke into my house, please help!”
She told me to calm down and find a place to hide and told me help was on the way.
So I hid in my bedroom closet…
My breath was bouncing off of the telephone and hitting me back in the face from how fast I was breathing.
The operator asked me for my name again and now I told her. She asked me my age, where my parents were and I told her. She asked if anyone else was in the house besides me and I said “no it’s just me.”
She asked me if there was any way she could get in touch with my parents so I gave her both of their cell numbers. She told me not to hang up and to stay on the phone with her no matter what. She told me I was doing fine and that everything would be fine, that there were 2 police units heading to my house and they would be there any second.
And then the pounding on the basement ceiling started up again!
And this time the pounding was so loud it sounded like a demolition team was rearranging my entire basement!
The operator asked me what was going on and if I was okay? She asked me “what was that noise?
And I told her whoever is downstairs is banging on the basement ceiling and won’t stop. She told me to hold tight and that the police had arrived and were outside in front of my house. She asked me if there was any way the police could enter my house without breaking down any doors.
I told her I didn’t want to leave the closet. I told her I was very scared and that I didn’t want to go anywhere.
She told me not to worry as the banging from the basement was somehow now coming from underneath my bedroom closet.
I shouted “Please help me! The banging is underneath me!
And then I heard my side door getting kicked in from the police. I ran out of my closet and ran to the back door and heard the police yelling out commands as they walked down the basement steps.
The banging kept increasing as they shouted “make yourself known.
The operator told me to stay put so that’s what l did as the police continued giving out commands without getting any answers from anyone.
I heard a door getting kicked in assuming it was the storage room door, but then I heard them say to each other “there’s no one here it’s all clear.”
The cops searched the entire house and found no one.
It couldn’t be possible…
I kept telling them that there had to have been someone here. That someone had to have been in my basement. I told them that the side door was slightly open like someone came in and forgot to shut it but that we always kept that side door locked. That I opened the storage room door and someone kicked the door shut and then growled at me. That there was banging on the basement ceiling.
They tried using the excuse of me being a kid with an over amplified imagination.
So what the fuck was all that banging that I heard? The cops heard it. The operator heard it.
This couldn’t have been playing out in everyone’s imaginations.
The police took down notes of what I heard and saw and then my parents got home. And right before my parents walked through the now broken side door, the cops were laughing with each other and one of them even said “maybe his house is haunted?”
Well, if that was the case, then, why didn’t anything ever happen again?
I was 17 years old when that crazy night happened. And I lived at my parents house until I was 23 before getting my own place. I’m going on 37 and nothing ever happened again at my parents house.
Believe me, I’ve asked them…
And even stayed there some nights throughout the years on the weekends waiting for something to happen again.
They’re going on vacation next month for their 40th wedding anniversary.
And I’ve given this a lot of thought. Many years and nights of endless thought.
So much so that it kind of consumed me.
My friends that were playing Halo with me that night? They heard everything through their headsets and we’ve talked about this for a long time together, too.
Next month when my parents leave, we plan on doing a Oujia board session in the basement storage room.
I need to know if that house is really haunted or not…
💀
Hope you enjoyed this creepy ‘allegedly’ True, Mysterious Haunted House Story. Again, please don’t ask me to use this. It is for reading and viewing (if you wish on my YouTube channel tomorrow night) purposes only. Thanks you for understanding. If you have your own creepy True story you’d like told in video format, let me know. Every story I create I turn into a single Horror Short. So, you’ll have your own video to watch the Horror unfold. Long, Short. It doesn’t matter. As long as it can be up to 8 minutes long in video.
Thanks again. Stay Sinister.
👻

As if in response to his words, the rain began to pour down in torrents. I scanned the area frantically, searching for shelter from the deluge. My eyes landed on a nearby gazebo, its roof providing a semblance of protection from the elements. I pointed it out to Lily and Mark, and without hesitation, we hurried over and huddled together beneath its flimsy shelter.
As we stood there, trying to formulate a plan, I couldn't help but notice the water cascading down from the mountaintop, converging into streams that flowed ominously toward the town below.
"It's going to flood," I stated, my voice trembling with uncertainty. I racked my brain, desperately trying to devise a course of action in the face of impending disaster.
Lily shot me a look of concern, her brows furrowed with worry, while Mark's head whipped around in my direction, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
"What? How do you know?" Mark demanded, his voice cracking with anxiety.
"Look," I replied, pointing towards the only road leading in and out of the town situated atop the mountain.
As Lily and Mark turned to follow my gaze, their eyes widened in horror. The road had transformed into a raging torrent, resembling more of a waterfall than a thoroughfare.
"Fuck," Mark muttered under his breath, his voice heavy with dread.
"We have to find somewhere elevated, away from the ground," I insisted, scanning our surroundings for potential refuge.
"There!" Lily exclaimed suddenly, pointing towards the Library, which was not far in the distance. Perched on the side of the mountain, it was accessible only via a flight of stairs. Its elevated position promised some degree of safety from the rising waters, and its sturdy roof offered protection from the relentless downpour.
"Okay, let's go!" I declared, breaking into a sprint towards the Library. The building was within reach after just a few minutes of brisk running. As I reached the steps, water cascaded down from above, creating a makeshift waterfall that made the climb treacherous but manageable. Determinedly, I ascended the stairs, each step bringing me closer to safety.
As I reached the top of the stairs and glanced back down, my heart sank at the sight of Lily and Mark still struggling to reach safety. "Let's go! Hurry!" I shouted over the din of the storm, my voice barely audible amidst the howling winds and pounding rain.
Lily dashed towards me with determination, but Mark remained rooted in the spot, paralyzed by fear.
"Mark, come on! Let's go!" I urged, my voice tinged with urgency. But just then, a deafening roar echoed through the valley, freezing us all in our tracks. It was the same roar we'd heard earlier. Still, now it was closer and had a chilling amalgamation of animalistic cries and human-like roars, resonating with an eerie intensity.
Breaking free from the spell of terror, I shouted again, "Come on, Mark! You're almost here!"
As Lily struggled against the rising tide of the cascading water coming down the stairs, I reached out to her, my hand extended in a desperate attempt to pull her to safety. She stumbled, but I managed to grasp her arm and haul her up the rest of the steps.
Glancing down, I saw Mark finally lurch into motion, his movements labored as he fought against the now ankle-deep water. With every step, he seemed to expend what little energy he had left.
"Mark, you can do it! Just a little further!" Lily's voice echoed through the storm, urging him on.
But as Mark neared the stairs, the water flowing down the steps surged with newfound force, threatening to sweep him away. With a burst of adrenaline, he pushed himself forward, his fingers grazing mine for a fleeting moment before the current overwhelmed him.
Helplessly, Lily and I watched as Mark was carried downstream, his screams of terror echoing through the valley. And then, as if summoned by the chaos, a monstrous figure appeared out of the shadows in the street.
Standing tall and menacing amid the storm, it was like something out of a nightmare. A grotesque fusion of man and beast, its black fur matted and patchy, its human-like face contorted into a snarling, canine visage.
As the creature locked eyes with Mark, it lunged forward with terrifying speed, its massive form crashing down upon him in a flurry of claws and fangs. Mark's screams pierced the night air, a haunting symphony of agony and despair that sent shivers down my spine.
Unable to bear the horror unfolding before us, Lily turned away, her face twisted in anguish as she fought back tears. As the creature dragged Mark into the darkness, I felt a cold chill run down my spine, a chilling reminder of the darkness within the heart of the Raven's Nest.
As I watched in horror, the creature tore into Mark's body with savage ferocity, reducing him to nothing more than a bloody mass of flesh. Its eyes met mine for a fleeting moment, sending a chill down my spine as it snatched up what remained of Mark and vanished into the darkness.
With trembling hands, Lily pulled me into the Library and hastily barricaded the door with a bookcase. My mind reeled with shock and disbelief, unable to process the gruesome scene that had just unfolded before my eyes.
"Rory, Rory, snap out of it!" Lily's voice pierced through the fog of my mind, her words a distant echo as I struggled to regain my composure. Her soothing touch and gentle words slowly brought me back to reality, the weight of what had just transpired crashing down upon me like a tidal wave.
I found myself hyperventilating, gasping for air as panic threatened to overwhelm me. Lily held me close, her arms a lifeline amid the chaos, calming my racing heart and guiding me back from the brink of despair.
It wasn't the first time I had experienced such a paralyzing reaction to trauma. The memories of our parents' passing flooded back, the pain and grief still raw after all these years. And now, faced with the brutal reality of Mark's demise, I felt myself slipping into that familiar state of shock once again.
Lily's tears mingled with mine as we huddled on the cold library floor, seeking solace in each other's embrace. The distant sounds of the monster devouring its prey served as a grim reminder of the danger that lurked just beyond our makeshift barricade.
In that moment of despair, all we could do was hold onto each other, finding strength in our shared grief and determination to survive. But deep down, I knew that the nightmare was far from over and that the horrors of the Raven's Nest had only begun.
Lily drifted off into sleep relatively quickly. She needed the rest; despite being twenty-seven, she was still young, and the day's events had taken their toll on her. I couldn't help but reminisce about our childhood memories when I used to affectionately refer to her as "Lil Sister." Those memories brought a sense of comfort amidst the chaos, and as I dwelled on them, I felt myself being pulled into the embrace of sleep.
Before long, I, too, succumbed to exhaustion, the weight of the day finally catching up with me. As I drifted off into slumber, memories of simpler times danced through my mind, mingling with the events of the present in a surreal dreamscape. And as the tendrils of sleep enveloped me, I found solace in the fleeting moments of tranquility amidst the chaos of the Raven's Nest.
I bolted awake at the sound of crashing, instantly alert and searching for Lily in the darkness. My eyes hadn't yet adjusted, so I fumbled in my bag for a flashlight, my heart pounding with anxiety. As the beam of light pierced the darkness, I swept it around the room, desperately seeking any sign of my sister. Then, another crash echoed from the direction of the basement stairs, labeled ominously in the dim light.
Normally, I'd have hesitated to descend into such a foreboding place, but with Lily missing, I had no choice. Slowly, cautiously, I made my way down the stairs, the beam of light casting eerie shadows on the damp walls.
The sound of running water grew louder with each step, and when I rounded the corner, I was met with the sight of the flooded basement. Something stirred in the murky depths, a figure moving in the dim light at the room's far end. My heart raced as I approached, the water sloshing around my ankles with each step. And then, in the faint glow of the flashlight, I saw her: Lily, struggling against an unseen force, her movements frantic and desperate.
I waded through the waist-deep water, my movements sluggish against the pressure, trying to reach Lily as she struggled against something unseen. The rustling and grunting ceased as I pushed forward, the urgency building with each step.
"Lily, what's going on?" I called out, my voice strained with concern.
"Rory?" Lily's voice came from the other end of the room, surprisingly calm.
Finally reaching her, I found Lily hidden behind a stack of boxes, her attention fixed on a metal ammunition box she'd uncovered.
"What the hell are you doing?" I whispered urgently.
"Maybe there's something in here we can use against... whatever the fuck that thing is," Lily replied, her voice tinged with desperation as she attempted to pry the box open, to no avail.
"Bring it upstairs, and maybe we can find something to open it," I suggested in a hushed tone, my nerves on edge as I scanned our surroundings for any sign of danger.
Lily's frustration seemed to dissipate into resignation as she met my gaze. Together, we began to wade back through the flooded basement, our senses heightened by the impending danger. Suddenly, the tranquility of our surroundings shattered as the front door upstairs, our only means of escape out of the building, sounded like it was violently torn from its hinges, the sound echoing through the basement like a harbinger of doom.
The heavy, ominous footsteps of the creature reverberated through the air, accompanied by the unsettling growl of its breath. It was clear that our presence had been detected, and the beast was now descending into the basement, drawing closer with each passing moment. Panic seized me as I realized the gravity of our situation - we were trapped, with nowhere to run and the relentless pursuit of the unknown closing in on us.
"Shh..." I hushed urgently, motioning for Lily to hide behind the boxes with me as the ominous sound of the creature's approach grew nearer. Despite the impending danger, Lily remained fixated on the ammunition box, her determination evident in her efforts to unlock it quietly.
"Stop," I whispered with growing frustration, attempting to draw her attention away from the futile task. However, it seemed as though she was wholly absorbed in her mission, impervious to my attempts to redirect her focus. Desperation gnawed at me as I realized the precariousness of our situation, with the creature closing in and Lily oblivious to the imminent threat, likely due to the shock of the day's events.
The monster's presence in the basement sent a chill down my spine as I peered cautiously from behind the boxes, taking in its imposing figure. Despite the water being waist deep for me, the creature waded through effortlessly, its massive form towering over us. Its keen senses were evident as it sniffed the air, detecting our presence with unsettling accuracy.
As Lily's persistent efforts finally paid off and the box squeaked open, her triumphant expression quickly shifted to one of realization and dread as the monster roared in response. The deafening sound reverberated through the basement, causing me to instinctively cover my ears in a futile attempt to block it out. Amidst the roar, I could discern an underlying tone that chilled me to the core—a human-like cry buried within the beast's primal roar, as if someone were pleading for mercy.
With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I lunged to the side, pulling Lily with me as we narrowly avoided the charging monster. For a moment, I thought we had escaped unharmed, but my relief turned to horror when Lily's scream pierced the air. Glancing down, my heart sank as I witnessed the gruesome sight—her leg had been violently torn from her body, leaving a trail of blood that tainted the water around us, a vivid crimson. The agony etched on her face mirrored the shock and helplessness I felt at that moment.
The sight before me was a nightmare made real. My mind recoiled at the grotesque spectacle unfolding as the monster tore into Lily's severed leg with savage abandon. Blood sprayed in every direction, mingling with the water to create a chilling tableau of horror. Each crunch and tear of flesh echoed in the cramped basement, a grotesque symphony of violence.
For a moment, I was frozen in shock, unable to comprehend the sheer brutality of what I was witnessing. It felt like time had slowed to a crawl, trapping me in this macabre scene of primal savagery. The monster's inhuman appetite seemed insatiable as it devoured Lily's flesh from her forcefully amputated leg, indifferent to her screams of agony as she lay not even fifteen feet away from it, screaming in pain.
As I watched in horrified fascination, a sickening realization dawned on me: we were not dealing with a mere beast but a predator driven by an insatiable hunger for flesh. And if I didn't act fast, Lily wouldn't be the only victim of its ravenous appetite.
With grim determination, I focused on the task at hand. Ignoring the nauseating sight of Lily's mangled leg, I reached for her, gripping her arm tightly. She cried out in pain as I hoisted her out of the water, her screams echoing in the basement.
"Come on, Lily, we need to go," I urged, my voice tinged with urgency. Ignoring the searing pain in her eyes, she nodded weakly, her face contorted in agony.
Together, we staggered towards the stairs, every step a Herculean effort against the overwhelming tide of fear and despair. The monster continued its grisly feast behind us, the sounds of its feasting driving us forward with a renewed sense of urgency.
I stumbled over an unseen obstacle beneath the water's surface, sending Lily and me plunging into the cold, dark depths. The shock of the fall stole my breath, and for a moment, disorientation clouded my senses as we struggled to regain our footing.
Frantically, I reached out in the darkness, my hands grasping for Lily's form as water rushed into my nose and mouth. With a surge of panic, I managed to find her, clutching onto her tightly as we resurfaced, coughing and sputtering.
As we gasped for air, I felt the weight of Lily's body in my arms, and with every ounce of strength I could muster, I began to drag her toward the stairs as she floated.
Struggling to hoist her up, I noticed the severity of Lily's injury more clearly. Her left leg was missing from the knee down, torn off in a gruesome manner. Each time I dragged her up a step, her bloody stump thudded against the hard surface, eliciting agonizing screams from her. Finally, we reached the corner of the stairs, where I adjusted her position to navigate the new angle.
As we turned the corner and I struggled to hoist Lily onto the first step of this new and longer set of stairs, the thunderous approach of the monster echoed through the basement, intensifying with each passing moment. Though I couldn't see it, the sound of its sprinting footsteps through the water and heavy breathing grew louder, signaling its imminent arrival. Fueled by adrenaline, I tugged harder on Lily's collar, the urgency of escape overriding any concerns about her injury. All that mattered now was getting her to safety before the creature reached us.
As we ascended, almost halfway now, I caught sight of the creature turning the corner. Its rapid pace caused it to collide with the wall, the force denting the cement as it rebounded. The sight filled me with a surge of terror, propelling me to pull Lily with renewed urgency. For a moment, she felt weightless in my grasp as I almost dragged her completely up the stairs, driven by sheer determination. Yet, as my grip faltered, I felt her slipping from my hold.
The moisture from the rain and flooding had made my hands slippery. Everything seemed to unfold in agonizing slow motion as Lily tumbled down the stairs, her descent helpless and inevitable. In the blink of an eye, the monster pounced upon her, its ferocious hunger driving it to begin devouring her without hesitation. Frozen at the top of the stairs, I watched in horror, my gaze alternating between the gruesome spectacle unfolding below and my wet, pruned hands, feeling utterly powerless to intervene.
The monster's gaze briefly flickered toward me as if acknowledging my presence for the first time since it began its grisly meal. Another thunderous roar erupted from its throat, prompting me to instinctively cover my ears. Again, I could have sworn I heard a desperate man screaming when the thing roared.
With a surge of adrenaline, I dashed up the final step and slammed the door shut behind me, shutting out the horrifying scene below.
As I fled through the unlit and dark town, I encountered areas still very submerged by the flooding, forcing me to swim through the murky waters in a desperate bid for escape. As I sprinted through the town, the absence of rainfall struck me. How long had it been since the downpour ceased? How long had I been asleep? Time seemed distorted, the day's events blending into a surreal blur. I pressed on, my only focus now: finding a way out of this nightmare.
After what felt like an eternity of navigating through the flooded streets, with every step weighed down by the relentless rainwater, I finally reached the end of the main paved road, where it transitioned into the dirt path leading to the mine—the sole exit out of town. The dark, murky, muddy path stretched ahead, promising a treacherous journey. The thick sludge threatened to swallow any misstep, making each footfall precarious.
As I stood there, catching my breath and surveying the daunting path ahead, the distant echo of the monster's roar pierced the eerie silence. It was a chilling reminder that danger lurked nearby, urging me to push forward despite the obstacles ahead.
By the time I reached Lily's jeep, I had lost both my shoes to the road and was caked in the thick, clinging mud. I swung open the jeep door, my heart racing with the anticipation of escape, only to be met with the realization that I didn't have the key. Frustration boiled over, and I cursed loudly, slamming the door shut in a fit of anger.
Then, a flicker of memory illuminated my mind: Lily's old jeep, a '95 Jeep Wrangler. We had discovered soon after she bought it that, true to its shoddy nature, it could be started with nothing more than a screwdriver in the ignition.
In a frantic search, my eyes darted around the muddy surroundings, desperate for any sign of a tool or implement that could help me start Lily's jeep. The sound of the monster's roar reverberated in the air, closer now, sending shivers down my spine. Every second felt like an eternity as I scoured the area, my heart pounding with fear and adrenaline.
Peering down the muddy road, I spotted the lumbering figure of the monster struggling to ascend. Its massive form sank into the mud with each step, hindering its progress as its feet and hands became mired in the thick, sticky terrain. Relief washed over me as I realized this bought me precious moments, a brief respite in my frantic escape.
I decide to look inside the car as I frantically rummage through the cluttered middle console of the car, my heart pounding against my ribcage. Every second felt like an eternity as I searched desperately for anything that could start the engine. Amidst the chaos of scattered items—a map, an old CD case, a jumble of charging cables—I felt my fingers close around something solid.
Pulling it out, I found a weathered Swiss Army knife, its metal casing worn and scratched from years of use. I unfolded the blade with trembling hands and positioned it carefully within the ignition. The familiar weight of the blade grounded me amid panic as I turned it, hoping against hope that it would work.
The engine sputtered to life after a few tense moments, its roar filling the confined space of the jeep. Relief flooded through me, mingled with uncertainty about what lay ahead. As I glanced up, I caught sight of the approaching monster, its massive form looming closer with each passing second.
With a quick intake of breath, I slammed the car into reverse, the tires spinning in the thick mud before gaining traction. The jeep lurched backward, leaving deep tracks in its wake as I raced away from The Raven's Nest.
The memories of that fateful day haunted me for years, a constant reminder of the horrors that lurked within The Raven's Nest. I tried to seek justice and warn others of the danger lurking in that cursed town, but each attempt fell on deaf ears.
As the years passed, I became increasingly disillusioned with my futile attempts to bring the truth to light. It wasn't that no one believed me; I knew too much. The secrets of The Raven's Nest ran deep, intertwined with the very fabric of the town's existence.
Authorities dismissed my claims as the ramblings of a troubled mind, unwilling or unable to acknowledge the darkness that permeated every corner of that forsaken place. And so, I resigned myself to the fact that some truths were better left buried, that the secrets of The Raven's Nest were meant to remain hidden.
In the quiet moments of solitude, I ponder the events of that harrowing day, eight years distant yet still vivid in my memory. I often wonder about those cameras we had installed, silent sentinels bearing witness to the horrors of The Raven's Nest. Do they still perch in their hidden alcoves, their lenses trained on the dormant secrets within those cursed streets?
The temptation to return, to retrieve that footage and unveil the truth to the world, is a constant tug at the edges of my consciousness. If only I could lay my hands on that evidence, undeniable proof of the malevolent forces that lurk in the shadows. But with each passing thought, a shiver courses down my spine, a reminder of the dread that still clings to the very mention of that forsaken place.
And so, the footage remains abandoned, lost to time and neglect, much like the town itself, swallowed by the unforgiving embrace of the valley. Perhaps some mysteries are best left buried, their secrets guarded by the silent guardians of the past.
I find myself consumed by a profound sense of guilt, particularly regarding Mark's tragic fate. I remember vividly the day we met at the museum, his genuine curiosity and eagerness to explore the town's history. Little did he know the peril that awaited us all. I can't help but feel responsible for leading him into that nightmare. It was a gruesome scene, etched into my memory with agonizing clarity. I watched in horror as the creature pounced on him, its razor-sharp claws tearing through flesh and bone with merciless efficiency. The sound of his screams still echoes in my ears, a chilling symphony of agony that pierces through the silence of my nightmares. At that moment, I was powerless to save him, gripped by a paralyzing terror that rendered me immobile. His death is a burden I carry with me always, a heavy weight that serves as a constant reminder of the price we paid for venturing into the heart of darkness.
I often find myself wondering about our parents' untimely departure, leaving behind a chasm filled with unanswered questions and aching longing. In the quiet of the night, I ponder how they would have reacted to my tale—of Lily's tragic end, of the nightmares we encountered in that desolate town. Would they have believed my words? Would they have comprehended the depth of my sorrow, the burden of guilt for failing to shield their cherished daughter?
In my heart, I carry the weight of my dear sister Lily's untimely demise. Her laughter, warmth, and unwavering spirit are now lost to the darkness that enveloped that cursed town. Each day, I long to see her smile once more, to hear her voice echoing in the halls of our shared memories. Yet, I know she is gone, forever lost to the merciless jaws of that insatiable beast. The memory of her screams, the sight of her torn body, they etch themselves into my soul, a painful reminder of the fragility of life and the cruelty of fate.
Lily's injury and her agonizing screams echo incessantly in the corridors of my mind, haunting me like a relentless specter. The memory of that moment is etched into my consciousness with vivid, excruciating detail—the sight of her torn leg, the gushing crimson of her blood staining the murky waters, and the raw, visceral sound of her screams reverberating through the air. Each time I close my eyes, I am transported back to that harrowing scene, unable to escape the overwhelming sense of helplessness that washed over me. Her pain, her fear, her desperation—all of it lingers like a scar on my soul, a constant reminder of the horrors we endured in that forsaken place.

My friend and I are making this post together.
For some background: Our trans friend (Female to male) who we will call A ran away from his home back in December or January. He got "raped" by two men while he was gone and we consoled him for a considerable amount of time. He got admitted to a mental hospital for about two weeks or so and is now heavily medicated for other reasons.
To clarify, we see him as a guy. His gender identity is relevant to what we are about to discuss.
We are not sure on what to do on this situation and would love feedback on how to approach this. It is a hard topic to discuss with him because he always makes excuses and blames it on something else then just dances around the point.
Btw because we say it a lot T and S are the posters :)
He has told us many times that he was raped by people who didn't actually rape him. For instance his dad who he admitted never actually did anything and his uncle but after we asked for details turned out the uncle just put his hand uncomfortably on him (It was not okay for the uncle to do, but in no way shape or form was rape). A told us for the longest time that we was raped twice while he was gone. But recently he has admitted that the first guy who "raped" him actually was going to pay for sex but never paid. The second guy our friend WILLINGLY went to a motel with him under no influence of drugs and/or alcohol and was not forced into going. Btw all the information we have on what happened came from A.
After all this happened A did not seem to be traumatized and stated bluntly that he wasn't. Because of "family issues" he usually stays at T's house. At night A takes prescription drugs that make him HIGH OFF HIS MIND. While he is high he is exposed to T's sisters, B(12) and C(4). They are both impressionable children who are regularly exposed to A when he is like that. A also leaves his meds where the 4yo (who mind you is smaller then a normal 4 year old) can easily grab and eat them.
A also uses T's family for things. Example: T's mom is a nail tech and A (Before T addressed it) would regularly ask for free manicures. He also has T's mom buy him stuff without asking first. A has a knack for getting into online relationships and then breaks up with them and plays the victim. We have told him many times to quit and he refuses. He is "gay" but as we see him as a guy, and whenever he tickles C into making her squeal we are rightfully conflicted. Its weird. A guy tickling a 4 year old girl to make her squeal?????????
And he is VERY manipulative, but whenever we bring it up it's always the "trauma". He can never be at fault and heaven forbid someone else have a problem. He also says to people online "I'm gonna touch you" but when people online say it to him he responds with "Just like my rapist." Even though he said he was over it. He continues to lie to us and is baffled we don't trust him anymore.
T also told him that if he didn't become sober he would be banned from her house. He lied about being sober and told me (S) so naturally I told T and A just laughed it off and still came back in a way that it was hard to decline him. Whenever someone does something he doesn't like, it "invokes trauma in him." Doesn't matter what it is, he finds a way to make it give him "PTSD" that he doesn't even have.
Whenever we have grievances with how he behaves we are called "Transphobic" even though we have never had a problem with his gender identity, and I (S) have only miss-gendered him on accident a few years ago when he first transitioned (I've known him for 5 years and T has known him for 2.) He keeps overstepping boundaries, for example he keeps telling me to off myself even though I have told him many times to stop. And whenever we get into conflicts with us he magically tried and failed to off himself the night before.
He keeps using us and our families in a way that its hard to call him out on. He also tries to one up me personally (S) and frequently puts me down in front of others. We can't discuss anything with him about how he acts because he always blames it on someone else and calls us "Transphobic." We don't know what to do because he is so integrated in our personal lives. And when we say he blames his "trauma" a lot, we mean he cant go 30 minutes without bringing up how "traumatized" he is and wearing it like a badge of honor.
After a while of his trauma being his only personality trait besides being a "whole" (His words) it becomes old. We are scared for mainly T's family because they are very much effected by this because of how much A stays at T's home for days on end with no warning. He only says he is sleeping over late in the day and does not tell when he is going home. He overstays his welcome way too much and it's tiring.
A is our dear friend and we would like not to cut him off if at all possible, but what he is doing effects us and mainly T's family.
Any advice would much appreciated.
Thank you for reading.
Small inclusion after the fact: by the title we meant that the trauma that didn't really effect him (That's what he told us when it happened) shouldn't be used in a weaponizing way and is downplaying people who do struggle with these problems. sorry for the misscommunication on our part!
Btw also some more background: Our friend claims to have autism but refuse to get diagnosed. I (S) have two sibilings on the spectrum and have told him its disrespectful because he shows few symptoms and outright REFUSES to get diagnosed. He has done the same thing for multiple other self diagnosis'.

I almost got away the whole year without an EGREGIOUS AI written essay being pawned off on me, but this kid didn't even try. He was a month late on an essay, I sent a warning home tonight because the quarter is ending in 2 weeks, and boom, within an hour there's an essay, where there had been nothing (red flag number 1). Take a quick peek and sure enough, all the puff words AI LOVES using are sprinkled throughout. Words that no 14 year old knows, let alone this particular student. Finally get home and can really dig into the document, and sure enough, the entire text was copy and pasted in the span of 1 minute. Every AI detector 80-100% likely AI generated.
I'm so disappointed. I HATE calling my students out for this stuff and ruining the relationship. I HATE getting kids in trouble. I know it's my responsibility, but it is so hard. I'm SO ANXIOUS about having to do this on our LAST DAY OF CLASSES on Monday. What a sour end to the year.
What is the right way to approach this?
Something like: I have some concerns about the essay you turned in. It doesn't sound like you. Can you walk me through your process?
How do I respond when he (most likely) will deny deny deny?
Should I ask him to retell his argument? Should I ask him to define some of the puff words "he" used? (He won't be able to). Do I say "I have reason to suspect this was generated by AI"?
I was SO BAD at calling kids out for this last year. I let it slide for the most part. I need to do better.
I know so many people are dealing with this all the time and I've just been really lucky that no one has done it to me this year, or at least been so obvious about it that I had to dig in and figure it out. I knew my luck would run out sometime. If you have any advice, please send it my way!

I am NOT OOP, OOP is u/WallCurious4038
Originally posted to TrueOffMyChest
Previous BoRU
[New Update]: My stepdaughter died 4 weeks ago and I caught my husband and his ex wife in our bed.
NEW UPDATE MARKED WITH ----
Trigger Warnings: death of a minor, car accident, infidelity, suicidal attempts, emotional distress, possible emotional abuse
RECAP
Original Post: May 10, 2024
My stepdaughter Becca (14F) died 4 weeks ago. I’ve been in her life since she was 7 years old, we were extremely close.
My husband Derek (40M), his ex-wife Sam (38F), and I (35F) get along very well, there has never been an issue in the 7 years that I’ve been with Derek. Sam has always been kind to me, she didn’t even care that Becca called me “mom” too.
Right after Becca’s passing, Sam had so much anxiety and depression that she was unable to be by herself (she has no family besides us), so we invited her to stay with us.
Sam hardly leaves the house, she mostly just sleeps in Becca’s room, which is completely understandable. I always tell her that I’m here if she needs me and that I want her to take her time with grieving and that there is no pressure to go back to her home.
Today I needed to run some errands, so I asked Sam if she’d like to join me to get out of the house a little bit, but she declined and said she’d rather just stay at the house and sleep. I told Derek that I was leaving and that I would be back in 2ish hours (he works from home), I also told him to check on Sam every once in awhile, and maybe try getting her to eat something.
After stopping at the post office, I realized I forgot my library book that I needed to return, so I went back home to get it.
As soon as I walked in the door, I heard moaning coming from mine and Derek’s bedroom. I immediately knew what was happening… and my heart completely broke in that moment.
I wasn’t completely sure what to do, but I ended up deciding to confront them, so I walked to the bedroom and opened the door and began yelling at them both. Sam started having an anxiety attack and ran to the bathroom while Derek kept apologizing profusely.
I asked him what the hell was happening, he told me that he made himself and Sam some lunch and they began talking about Becca, and shared some memories. And then Sam ended up kissing him and he didn’t pull back, and then it ended with them in our bed.
They’re begging me to understand that it was just grief that caused them to become intimate and that they both made a mistake.
I don’t know what to do. I love this man. And I love Sam. I’m heartbroken that they did this to me and put me in this position. I feel so stuck.
Relevant Comments
GreatChampionship252: That would be hard no for me. I understand grieving, but how is this excusing cheating? What happens next time he is sad? Edit: I misspoke when I said sad. Obviously this is something beyond devastating. I still don’t think it can be used as an excuse.

OOP: I don’t want to excuse his cheating. I think I want to divorce him, but I’m anxious about doing it right after we lost Becca.

Spellboundmama: Probably together. Do you both own the home? If it's in your name, change the locks. Stay strong and don't listen to his excuses. I am so sorry this happened to you during such a difficult time.

OOP: Exactly what I was thinking if I’m being honest.
And yes, we both own it. When I told him to leave, he kept saying sorry and then said that he would leave and respect me wanting him gone for awhile.

ImpulsiveXThoughts: Are you seeing a therapist perhaps? You're dealing with a lot right now, it might be useful.

OOP: Yes, I am in therapy. I’ve been with my therapist for other things for the last 3 years. She’s been very helpful. I saw her yesterday and was able to figure some things out.

 
Update #1: May 11, 2024
I decided that I’m filing for a divorce. I can’t ever trust Derek again. It sucks because we had an amazing relationship (I thought), he’s always been great, so this was a complete shock to me.
Last night, Derek came over to talk. He confessed to a lot. Turns out it wasn’t their first time having sex like most people thought. They’ve been having sex since 3 months before Becca died. I am completely shocked and heartbroken.
Sam also reached out last night and thanked me for everything I’ve done for her, and told me she was sorry. I didn’t respond, I blocked her.
I did so much for Sam and considered her a friend so this hurts a lot, more than I can handle.
This is all too much.
As hard as this is gonna be, I need to leave Derek and cut them both out of my life. I am ready to do so. I am done.
Also, some people are saying I deserved this because I should have known better than to let Sam into our home, around Derek. But, you need to understand that I’m a giving person, I trust people more than I should, I truly thought Sam was an amazing person. I know it’s unusual to become friends with your husband’s ex wife, but it’s just how it went for us and I shouldn’t be blamed for what happened.
Thank you to everyone who commented nice things and for the kind messages. You’ve all been helpful during this insanely difficult time, I appreciate it.
Relevant Comments
ImpulsiveXThoughts: Out of curiosity, what are his excuses for cheating?
Those two are going to be in a world of hurt, once the guilt settles in. They're going to be asking themselves why it had to be Becca and will eventually come to conclusion that it's their punishment for what they've done to you. I can pretty much guarantee you that.

OOP: He told me that they just “accidentally” reconnected one night when I was away at my mom’s. He was stressed we weren’t conceiving and were having miscarriages, so he vented to Sam, and then somehow that led to sex.
It seems so icky to me… How can he vent about our struggles like that and then go and have sex with Sam, it’s just awful of him. I don’t understand it.

 
Editor’s Note: removed the first half of the updates as it was a rehash of Update #1
Updates #2: May 13, 2024
I’m getting lots of questions about some things so I figured I’d answer a few of them.
• Have I told anyone about what happened besides my mom? — Yes, I told a few friends and some family members. Most of them are supportive of my decision and aren’t speaking to Derek.
• Where is Derek staying? — Currently, he’s staying at a hotel. Our friends refuse to let him stay with them. He’s lost a lot of people due to his awful decisions.
• Has he tried fighting me on getting a divorce? — Yes, he begged me not to file for divorce, but when I told him I needed him to just let me go, and that I was too exhausted to fight him on this, he let it be and agreed to getting a divorce.
• Why isn’t Derek staying with Sam? — He told me he didn’t wanna continue to hurt me, so he told Sam he was done with her for good. And that they have no reason to speak to each other anymore. I have no idea if that’ll last and if they’ll just end up together, but I truly don’t care what they do anymore. I just want peace.
• What was Derek’s excuse for cheating? — He told me that they just “accidentally” reconnected one night when I was away at my mom’s. He was stressed we weren’t conceiving and were having miscarriages, so he vented to Sam, and then somehow that led to sex. Disgusting of them both, I know..
Feel free to ask anything else, and I’ll try to answer. Thank you everyone for your support and advice.
Relevant Comments
OOP on what happened to Becca

OOP: It was very sudden. She died in a car accident when she was with one of her friends and her friend’s parents.

OOP on her husband’s parents being supportive or not, and if they know about his cheating

OOP: I get along with Derek’s mom very well, but he’s also a mama’s boy so it’s kinda complicated. She will always be there for him (he’d stay with her if she didn’t live across the country). She knows what he did and told me she “had a talk” with him but said that he’s still her son and she’d help him with anything if he needed it. I’m thinking I need to cut her out of my life too which makes me really sad because we were close and talked on the phone almost daily.

OOP on if she has children with her husband

OOP: We’ve had 6 miscarriages total. All of them were in the first trimester 😢

&nsbp;
More updates: May 14, 2024
I just found out that he is staying with Sam and not at the hotel. He told me it’s too expensive to stay at a hotel and Sam is the only one that’ll help him right now.
I had a feeling this would happen. Just knowing that they are still probably sleeping together hurts my heart. I talked to a lawyer this morning and we are proceeding with the divorce and Derek agreed to it. It’s actually happening, and I feel some relief that he’s not fighting me on this.
My mom leaves on Sunday, I’m scared to be alone… But I go back to work on Monday so I’m hoping it’ll be a good distraction.
I’ll keep updating if anything else happens. Thank you everyone, I am so grateful for you all.
Relevant Comments
Immaculate329: OP, how did you find out he was staying at his ex-wife's place? Anything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. He is not true to his words in going on contact with Sam.

OOP: He texted me this morning after we talked to lawyers, and said he “just wants to be honest with me”… I told him to stop giving me updates on what he’s doing in his life and that it’s not something I need to know. It seems like he wanted to tell me to hurt me.

OOP on how she is doing

OOP: Thank you ❤️
I’m doing a little better today. My mom and I went on some nature walks and went out into the garden this afternoon, that helped. Becca loved gardening with me so it made me feel closer to her 🥹

 
Becca’s diary…: May 15, 2024
I decided to go through some of Becca’s stuff today. I just found her diary in a box in the back of her closet… Would it be wrong to read some of it?
I feel like it would help me feel closer to her but part of me feels like it’s wrong too. I haven’t told Derek that I found it either, and I’m unsure if I should tell him.. What would you do?
Relevant Comments
OOP on if she was closer with Becca prior to her sudden passing

OOP: Becca and I were very close, it felt like she told me anything and everything, but I honestly think all parents feel that way about their kids so I’m kinda nervous to read it.

 
Just a little update: May 19, 2024
I figured it’s been a few days, so I should give a little update.
My mom is leaving in a couple hours so I’ll be alone, I’m kinda nervous about it. She helped me stay distracted and kept me going, idk how I’m gonna handle her being gone.
I go back to work tomorrow, first day back since Becca passed away. I’m looking forward to it though because it’ll keep me distracted.
Also, I did read some of Becca’s diary. It made me love her even more, she was such a sweetheart. I went back a few months and saw that she noticed some weird behavior between Derek and Sam, didn’t mention that she knew of the affair, but she just wrote that she thought it was kinda strange that they all three would hangout more than usual, without me.
I might read more, but so far I haven’t found anything that’s disturbing, just her being a teenager and talking about crushes, fights with friends, happy family memories, etc ❤️
Tomorrow I’m also talking to my lawyer so I might have more updates on that.
Thanks for the continuous love and support everyone!
 
Last update for awhile!: May 26, 2024
Started randomly getting a lot more messages/comments so I figured I’d do another little last update.
My first week back at work went great! I wasn’t expecting it to go so well, but thankfully it did. My coworkers were so helpful and patient with me.
On Friday night I decided I didn’t want to stay home all weekend alone, so I decided to drive up to my mom’s, it helps I have a 3 day weekend so I can spend more time with her. I’m heading back home tomorrow.
Also, for those of you that have messaged me hateful things for reading Becca’s diary, I just have to say - you aren’t in my shoes right now, telling me I’m a bad mom because I’m reading her diary is just ridiculous. I learned so much more about her, about how caring and sweet she is, and it made me love her even more. It’s how I’m able to feel so close to her right now, so please don’t tell me I’m a bad parent for just trying to get by one of the hardest times of my life. You have no idea what it’s like.
I don’t have much of an update, so this will be it. I’ll come back and update once the divorce happens though! Thank you to those of you that have been nothing but kind and helpful, you helped me feel less alone, I’ll forever be grateful!
 

----NEW UPDATE----

Sam saw my Reddit post and is threatening to sue me.: June 1, 2024
Sam made a fake FB profile to message me and tell me she wants to sue me for telling strangers about what happened. Derek supports her apparently.
I don’t need this. Am I not allowed to vent about my life to people online?!
I just want life to get better. I’m so tired.
Fuck you Sam. Fuck you Derek.
Edit: Sam is in the comments and messaged me on here too. Blocked her.
Additional Information from OOP
OOP on the message from Sam

OOP: No, I just ignored her. It might be an empty threat just to make my life harder, but I’m unsure.
Her message said:
So I was scrolling tiktok and ended up on an account where they read reddit posts and guess who’s post they read? YOURS!!!! First you tell friends and family and then you go to a bunch of strangers and tell them OUR life story?! I can’t believe you, it isn’t just your business to tell. “Becca” would be so disappointed in you. Be prepared cause I think I’m gonna be suing you for this, this was no one else’s business. You did this to yourself, remember that.
I’m actually baffled. She thinks Becca would be disappointed in ME… wtf.

 

DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/ThatLastBiUnicorn
Aita for not giving my bf a threesome
Originally posted to AITAH
Thanks to u/soayherder for suggesting this BoRU
TRIGGER WARNING: verbal abuse, manipulation, poisoning, physical abuse, religious abuse
Original Post May 31, 2024
This is a throwaway because too much identifying info is on my main.
I F29 met my boyfriend "Michael" M35 at a show I performed in (I am a theatre person as a hobby) and he complimented my performance and bought me a drink. We have been together now for a little over a year.
His sister got married last week and I was initially pleased to asked to be a bridesmaid but also a bit surprised as she barely knows me but I thought this was an attempt to have an excuse to also get to know each other better.
Michael and I got into an argument the week before because he said that he wanted to entertain the thought of spicing up our sex life and having a threesome. He said since I was bi, why not? I didn't like the idea too much and said so and it devolved into a petty cold war and he started to ignore my messages after he left my place. He didn't reply to me at all until the day before the wedding asking what time he needed to pick me up since we can't go swperate otherwise "people will gossip" about us. He barely said anything to me the whole time we traveled to the venue. The wedding was fine, but at the reception he got me a plate and leaned in to kiss me but I shied away and he got up to mingle.
I started feeling ill not too long after and 911 wad called. I realized I was having an allergic reaction but had my pen but still had to be carted off by the ambulance and that's when someone eho was looking for Michael said that he had left with some of the other groomsmen to a bar nearby. I called 6 times and texted that it was an emergency as I was getting checked put by the paramedics and again when they strongly suggested I go to the hospital but he never replied.
I was released hy the hospital and called him to ask him to pick me up but he didn't pick up so I woke up my best friend and she took me home and stayed with me overnight to make sure I was okay. The next morning Michael called me but I was still asleep so he left me a lengthy voicemail yelling at me that I ruined his sister's wedding and that I always have to make things about me. He came over to further berate me and told me he should just break up with me at this point as I am dramatic and this is "all too much" so I pointed out that he had gotten my plate, knew full well that I have a alegit allergy to coconut and that his sister had told me afterwards that he knew that the cake he gave me was the coconut cream cake as all the food had signs saying what it was and what the ingredients were as I am not the only person with allergies that attended. He left telling me that he can't talk to me when I am this way.
I was honestly exhausted so I didn't bother going after him. But his father called me to ask how I was doing and after I answered he then told me how I am hurting Michael's heart by blaming him and Michael has been inconsolable since we fought.
I texted Michael to ask if we could talk but the conversation went back around somehow to the threesome and how I don't respect him even in intimate settings or want to hear him out regarding his needs and make things about me.
I am so confused because to me this feels manipulative but I respect his father so much (I go to their church and he is a pastor there) so to have him tell me I am in the wrong threw me. Aitah?
Edit: a lot of comments are suggesting that this was intentional and I have actually never considered he gave me something I am allergic on purpose and certainly not to use against me to leverage in our argument. But I think I may have to come clean and talk to his parents. I know them well so hopefully it won't go too badly.
Small update: Michael texted me this morning to apologize. He said the wedding was stressing him out and he had a lot on his mind so he accidently handed me the plate he meant for himself, not the one for me. He said he didn't know I was in the hospital and feels bad he wasn't there for me but he left the reception with some of the groomsmen to blow of much needed steam. I don't know how I feel about it all so I just replied "okay" he is now asking to come over and talk this out in person.
2nd edit: For any and all of you calling me stupid or implying I am a child and "why am I still with this guy" etc. Just know, you remind me a lot of him in how he used to put me down and bully me ands it's a real wonder of mine if you treat people in your life like he did me. I suspect you do. Glad to be rid of him and indifferent about you.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
OhSheAimsToMisbehave

Op be honest - have you, now that you are looking back, seen red flags like this? This behavior likely didn't just show up. Have you ever gotten ill after a disagreement with him?

OOP

Oddly enough I am sitting with my BFF and she asked me the same question and yes, actually.
Our first real argument that I can remember I was down with a stomach bug for almost a week and he visited me and made soup.
Then the only BIG argument I can recall outside this one, he wanted to use labels really soon onto us going on some dates and I didn't and the next morning, I was sick with chest pains and stomach cramps.
I don't want to sounds dramatic or accusatory but since people have commented he might have purposefully given me something I am allergic to, I just don't know anymore.

~
RiskBig3301

NTA - the two of you are completely incompatible. He wants threesomes…you want to attend wedding receptions without leaving in an ambulance.

OOP

Okay, when I read this I was with bestie and we've been drinking and the scream I scrumpted laughing so hard nearly killed me more effectively than the coconut lmao

Update - I Am No Longer Welcome at Church June 1, 2024
Well many of you were right I should not have met him in person but I did. He took me out to lunch insisting he pay for it all and it was incredibly over the top. He had flowers and a written letter of apology but as some of you messaged me his apologies dodged the point by way of "if I hurt you" or "that you're feeling x or y feeling" etc. He quoted some scriptures and said he has repented as his carelessness caused me harm.
I wasn't much moved by any of it until he said how much his family loves me and how much our church roots for us as a couple and I kinda sat back and realized that one flimsy reason I was even entertaining forgiving him and staying was because of the pressure I dealt with as the GF of a pastors son. It occurred to me that there were so many times I let things slide because he is the heir apparent so he had the power in the social aspect of our community.
Sorry I know I am rambling but I'm emotional and tipsy.
I remembering just staring at him and saying it was incredibly alarming that by now he can't be aware of my oe Ingle allergy and that he didn't bother to tell his own GF he was stepping out with the guys or even that he was stepping out of his own sisters wedding at all. He then said it was really actually kind of stupid of me to eat a cake that had coconut and implied I am an idiot for not realizing what I had was coconut. I realized then he would never accept that he was in the wrong and thus there was no point.
I stood up and and smiled and said "You know what, don't worry about it. Thanks for dinner. Goodnight." To which he replied that if I wasn't going to grow up and accept his apology I am a waste of his time. He uses that a lot whenever we disagree and it usually hurts me deeply but this time it was like a roladex of memories flooded my brain and I really suspect he's been deliberately making me sick whenever we disagree to teach me a lesson. I said I was done and he needn't waste his time with me from this point on and left. I then sent screenshots to his father explaining the situation as best I can without blaming Michael for prior illnesses without proof and I got a text about 20 minutes ago from his father.
His father is "incredibly dissppinted" in my immaturity and hurt that I wouldn't even give it until Sunday at church where we can pray together, talk it our and heal. I felt this way for a while but I was able to say it this time that using religion as a took of guilt is low and I am no longer concerned with his version of God as that version is a judgemental, cruel, and heartless jerk while the one I always thought of was loving, compassionate, and kind, and I am done. I was told by him and by further emails rolling in that I am no longer welcome at my church until I reconcile with my "true husband" and learn compassion and respect for my leaders.
So I guess that's it. I will enjoy sleeping in tomorrow and eating coconut free food, while lazing about my home rather than going to three sperate church services starting at 8am and then figure it all out from there.
I don't know how to sign off but I do watch a concerning amount of Charlotte Dobre videos and she usually ends things with practical shit like "do your laundry" or something so I will just say - live for yourself, feed your soul, and know you are enough. I certainly am going to put in the work to get there and I hope we all make it to the other side contented, and filled with love and joy.
And by the way, F you Michael. I know you are reading this. I know you know it's me. And I hope your socks are always just a little soggy. 🫶
OOP Added in the comments
Here
I forgot to add to my post but I didn't want to bring the threesome requests into it...
...well I sent his daddy screenshots of some texts. If you'd like some drama here are the top two:
1) it was a night I sent him home after he tried and failed to pressure into sex. He sent me that I was missing out and should be grateful since "your body makes me sick, but my love for you is stronger. Would it kill you to be grateful enough to just do a HJ?"
And
2) on his birthday, I had just been in the hospital after passing out from exhaustion and dehydration and went straight to his party. I stayed at his until everyone left and I left soon after helping clean all but the kitchen and he sent "You could have cleaned the kitchen." Then "or stayed over [for sex]." Then "you're a waste of time if I don't even get birthday sex. Thanks a lot."
And after both be suggested adding a 3rd. His dad hasn't responded.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
Still_Actuator_8316

Holy crap. And you stayed with him. You poor girl. No one deserves someone like that in there life.
But you didn't say if you told his dad about him sending you to the hospital and potentially killing you. Becuase we both know and the rest of reddit knows that he did that intentionally.
And if there was proof of him giving you that cake. You could probley send his happy ass to jail.

OOP

I didn't and don't have the best self esteem. And here as the only black woman in the town that I've known of, I've always known that I am considered less desirable- not saying that's right - but just knowing where I live. Been here since my preteen years. When Michael asked me out it was like a parade. Everyone acted like it was a Cinderella story and I won a lottery or something. I have a friend who I ha e been texting today and she is letting me know how dumb I've been (I never told her of our issues) and is about ready to commit crimes lol
I think I lost myself for a bit but I wanted to leave the church low-key for a while because of my treatment so that helps a bit

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP
DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7

Prosecutors said someone unlawfully disclosed the name of at least one witness in a murder case that's scheduled to begin Tuesday in Albany.
ALBANY — Jasper Mills, a longtime criminal defense attorney in Albany, was warned by a judge Friday that he could be subject to a criminal contempt charge if he disclosed — even inadvertently — the identity of at least one witness in a pending murder case who received death threats after the confidential document identifying him was shared with the defendants and others.
The case, which is set for trial next week, involves four men who are charged with murder in the January 2021 shooting of Shanita Thomas, who was pregnant with her third child when she was gunned down at a Central Avenue party. Four others were wounded in the shooting.
Mills, a candidate for Albany County Family Court judge, represents 35-year-old Vramir Branch, who with three other defendants is facing charges of murder, attempted murder, weapons possession and evidence tampering in connection with Thomas' death.
At a hearing Friday in Albany County Court, Judge Andra Ackerman heard arguments from prosecutors on their motion for an order to have the court review boxes of documents that were seized from at least three of the defendants' jail cells at Albany County Jail this week. Prosecutors filed the motion after a witness in the case, who is in federal prison, learned that he had become the target of a death threat and was placed in protective custody.
Prosecutors are asking the court to review the materials to see if there are documents among those found in the cells that were subject to a protective order, and should not have been provided to the men.
As the hearing began, Mills stepped forward and appeared to take responsibility for what he described to the judge as an inadvertent disclosure of the witness information. He said that he had been discussing the witness with another client on Tuesday, a day after he received the information from prosecutors, and then placed the document on a conference table in his office as he juggled a meeting with three other clients who were in his office that day.
“Just so I can be clear here: Did you have documents that were subject to the protective order out on display when you had other individuals that have charges that you’re dealing with and speaking with others on that case … ?,” Ackerman asked Mills. “Who else was in that conference room? Who else had access to that document?”
Mills confirmed that he showed another client — who is not involved in the case — a copy of the document and asked that person what they knew about the witness in the murder case.
“There was a lot going on,” Mills told the judge. “I showed the individual the document. There was nothing in the protective order that said you can’t show it, it just said that you can’t distribute or disseminate it.”
Mills said the next day — Wednesday — an ex-girlfriend of his client in the murder case texted him an image of the document and asked him about the witness listed in the record, and whether that person had given a statement.
But that image, according to prosecutors, is different than another image of the document that was being distributed on social media websites this week.
Assistant District Attorney Jessica Blain-Lewis, one of the prosecutors in the case, told the judge that meant that someone had apparently distributed a second image of the document — and that it was not the image in the photograph that Mills claimed had been taken in his office.
As Mills confirmed to the judge that the image of the document the woman had texted to him had markings on it that he had made, she interrupted him and asked, “(Do) you think it is advisable for you to receive counsel before you continue talking? Because it appears to me that it’s going in a direction, and whether it’s negligence or whatever, but this could be … a severe violation of the protective order which could subject you to a criminal contempt (charge).”
Mills responded that he “didn’t disseminate or give anyone anything.”
“Don’t you think you have an obligation, pursuant to the protective order, to protect those documents?" the judge said. "And you’re telling me that you’re leaving them lying on a conference table in the open and going to another office for about an hour, meeting with other clients, that there won’t be an issue here?”
As Mills began to respond, he was interrupted by Daniel Smalls, another defense attorney in the case, who whispered in Mills' ear for about 20 seconds.
Mills then asked to approach the bench, and moments later he said in open court that he would not say anything more until consulting with an attorney.
As the hearing unfolded, the four defendants — Branch as well as Raa’jiem Coleman, Terrence Anthony and Marcelle Perry — looked on and said nothing. They were clad in jail clothing, and at least one of them had a few supporters in the courtroom.
Blain-Lewis, one of the prosecutors, then asked the judge if she could clarify some of the admissions that had just been made by Mills.
She noted that a thumb was visible in the image of the document that Mills said was photographed, apparently without his knowledge, while it was on a table in his office. But Blain-Lewis said the photo of the document that has been disseminated on social media sites “is not the same photo,” although the markings on the document that were made by Mills are the same.
The document, known as a “witness disclosure,” is often turned over by prosecutors to defense attorneys shortly before a trial begins. They generally list the names of witnesses and summarize their testimony. In this case, that document was subject to a protective order, which meant Mills could discuss it with his client beginning one week prior to the trial that is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Prosecutors in Albany routinely seek protective orders in cases involving murders, gangs and gun violence. Through the years, the district attorney's office has said that incidents of witness intimidation and death threats have caused many individuals to decline to testify in cases like this one.
The protective order prohibited Mills or any of the other defense attorneys from sharing a copy of the witness disclosure document with anyone, including their clients. Blain-Lewis said it also prohibited them from discussing the contents of that document with anyone but their client, although Mills admitted during Friday’s hearing that he had talked to someone else about one of the witnesses.
“What that means, your honor, is that someone has an actual copy of this document,” Blain-Lewis told the judge as she explained that there are two images of it. “I do believe that this court understands the length at which defendants will go to stop people from testifying, and in this case we had a legitimate, real death threat, and the effect that this is going to have not only on that witness but (the) trial itself concerns … my entire office.”
The case is assigned to acting state Supreme Court Justice Roger D. McDonough; Ackerman presided over Friday’s hearing because he was not available. Ackerman granted the order allowing the court to review the materials that were seized from the defendants' jail cells.
If there are documents in those materials that were subject to the protective order, it could lead to further investigation of how they were disclosed and by whom.
A violation of a protective order could lead to a criminal contempt charge, which is a misdemeanor crime. It may also be subject to review by the Attorney Grievance Committee for the Appellate Division, Third Department in Albany, which investigates allegations of misconduct by attorneys.
Thomas, 35, was an aspiring nurse and a promoter of her friends’ businesses who grew up in Albany. The father of her oldest son, Elijah Jr., was Elijah Cancer. Cancer was a former gang member turned anti-violence advocate for 518 SNUG. He was shot and killed breaking up a dispute at a party in July 2018. No one has ever been charged in connection with his death.
Court records indicate all four defendants charged with killing Thomas have lengthy criminal records, including convictions for violent crimes and weapons charges.
Anthony and Perry previously served time in federal prison after being convicted in a racketeering case against a South End gang known as the Original Gangsta Killas. They pleaded guilty in 2010.
Branch previously served time in state prison for attempted murder, weapon charges and promoting prison contraband.
June 7, 2024 Photo of Brendan J. Lyons Brendan J. Lyons MANAGING EDITOR
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/attorney-scrutinized-murder-witness-receives-19501061.php

First time so excuse me if poorly written… I have been divorced from my ex for about a year. I have sole physical custody but we have joint legal. We are in Nebraska because I know different states have different laws. We did our divorce without lawyers and it has been pretty smooth as we have been living in separate households for at least 2 years now. My ex just got my 8 year old an iPhone 14. He claims he needs to be able to communicate with him whenever he wants. He bought it the day that he sporadically (not a planned visit) tried to call to pick up my son. I was working and didn’t answer. He called my daughter who was at a school event and didn’t answer either. He called my other son and then text me within 10 minutes “never mind, I have him”. He was then apparently mad and got my son a phone. I have sole custody, I allow him to get the kids whenever as long as they want to go. He says he’s going to take me to court because I said my 8 year old wasn’t having a smart phone. He has phones all around him and on the off chance he’s alone, he can use the Alexa. I told him he can get our son a gizmo watch or something, but that an iPhone 14 for an 8 year old would not be allowed in my house. He claims that since the divorce decree doesn’t state he couldn’t have one I have to allow it. He’s threatening to take me to court, does he have any standing?? Also, he has contacted my friends asking if they would “testify against me and my refusing to allow the kids access to what they need”. I have always responded and always allowed my kids to go if they want to. Does he have any legal ground??

A few days ago I came across a notification on here from a post of this subreddit titled “I miss you” - which I can’t seem to find anymore, simply because it may have gotten deleted by author. Call me crazy, and it might have just even been the fact that it was just late at night and I was fighting with sleep, but when I read it, it felt like it was you. Almost everything said in that letter sounded like you - even the post itself. You always had your way in getting your message across without confronting the person directly, didn’t you? Even when you’d shut me out and tell me you needs space to think, and I’d respectfully give it to you, as much as I wanted to have you open up to me and share with me your troubles, just to help you along with you. Even if that ‘space to think’ was just burying yourself into working and keeping yourself busy, or just try not to think about anything towards me.
Signing the letter off with telling me to take care of myself. The way you have that glimmer of hope to talk to me again but then you say that you’d rather not bring me trouble by involving me with you again - I would only like to hope that the latter of that sentence is the only part that’s insincere, and that you really mean it when you say you want to talk to me again, just like you’ve said so the last time you spoke to me. I can’t think of how you’d bring trouble to me with you when I hope to talk to you too. Maybe the only part I’d say is not true is the ‘exes’ flair - we didn’t really get that far, other than you clarifying that you liked me too when I was completely convinced that you didn’t. And then, again, you let me be to give me ‘space’ - when we know that it was an excuse to distance yourself from me again, leaving me clueless, and concerned about you.
Whether it really was you behind the letter or not, I still had things left to say that you refused to listen to. I just intend that it reaches you somehow, whether it was you who wrote that letter or not. And if it wasn’t, then I hope whoever it reaches, it gives you clarity on how the person you’re missing feels on the other side. I was really debating if whether I should or not, whether I’d be making myself out to be a fool or not. And this may be the light night drowsiness talking, but I suppose it’s only better to not bottle it up.
J, it really has been such a long time, but not long enough with the way I haven’t forgotten about you, not for even a day. If you haven’t been at the forefront of my mind, you definitely were living at the back of it. I really do hope you’re doing well and I really hate how I can’t know that from you for sure. Not if you don’t let me. I would have reached out to you if I had the means to. Would you have just not responded to my messages then too?
All I wanted to do was let you know back then was that whatever you were going through, I was here for you, and that I will be here for you. I don’t really know whether or not you got the memo with that, but during the last days we spoke, when you told me that you think I’d hate you if I really knew, that hurt. It hurt that you thought that lowly of me after you got to know how I was. It hurt more that you were so convinced that there was no reason for me to hear what you have to say, that you didn’t even want to give yourself a chance, that you wanted me to hate you and not forgive you, but it was like you never wanted to hear that from me the way you never wanted to find out for yourself.
If you’re really convinced that I’d hate you so much, why don’t you come and find out for yourself? And if that’s not what you want from me then why don’t you come and make up for it? I will say that if I did hate anything of yours it would be how you would decide how I felt about you without even letting me speak for myself. I hated it even more how you thought you weren’t deserving of forgiveness and that you deserved to be hated. I hate how you spoke for me just to justify hatred towards yourself from someone who cared about you so much. I cared about you so much, J, and I still do - but how would I get you to see that when you don’t let yourself see it?
It’s been so long but you still have me wondering about you. Things like, do you think about me too? Do you think about ever reaching out? Do you still have that poems that I had written for you for Valentine’s Day still saved in your phone’s notes app, like you said you had? If I had known that you would save it in your notes app, I would have tried to write it better..
Honestly, I’d love for you to reach out to me as much as you may not believe it. But at the same time, as much as I tried to reach out to you before, I only fear that I’d push you and your avoidant ways away again. You made me feel so safe and cared for, and I only wanted to do the same for you. All I wanted from you was to communicate, to work our ways through whatever happens.
Right now I can only wish and hope you’re well. I can only wish and hope we have the opportunity to talk someday soon too.
Take care. ❤️

Previously, on Hell’s Kitchen…
The final 7 participated in the presentation challenge, but this time, it was every chef for themselves, as they competed for an incredible reward: a black jacket and immunity from elimination. It was a closely fought contest, but in the end, Lauren cemented her frontrunner status by taking the win with a dish that impressed Chef Ramsay and the former winners who had stopped by to guest judge. Not only did Lauren earn her black jacket early, but she also got a photo shoot with Epicurious, and a dinner with the former Hell’s Kitchen champions. While Lauren was riding high, everyone else was left behind to clean up the mess from several weeks of dorm life.
In service, both teams had their share of issues, and although they each managed to fight through it, Ramsay wasn’t content with choosing a winning team, and instead had both teams nominate one chef for elimination. At elimination, the choice seemed to be an easy one, as Grace and Ramona found themselves in front of Ramsay yet again. But in the end, it was Grace who fell just short of obtaining a black jacket, which saw her dream of becoming the next head chef of Gordon Ramsay Steak go up in flames.
The final six have overcome each obstacle Ramsay has thrown at them, but are they truly ready for what lies ahead? FInd out tonight, on Hell’s Kitchen..,
https://reddit.com/link/1dbjm6p/video/uyknwqndlg5d1/player
And now, the continuation of Hell’s Kitchen…
The final six were in a celebratory mood as they sprinted down the hallway and excitedly exchanged high fives and hugs. Lauren said in her confessional that they were really here, to the part of the competition that mattered most, and best of all, Grace was finally gone. Thomas was equally glad, as he said in his confessional that it was another weak chef removed from his path, though he wasn’t really worried about anyone here. Ramona was absolutely ecstatic, saying in her confessional that not only did she get a black jacket, but she got to see Grace walk out the door. With the chefs seemingly celebrating being rid of their biggest nuisance as much as getting their black jackets, Michael pointed out that Ramsay had mentioned the black jacket lounge, and the chefs eagerly entered to find it decked out with a bar, a banner congratulating them, and several bottles of champagne on ice, with a note telling them to enjoy.
Michael said in his confessional that he knew the booze was always a trap, but that wasn’t gonna stop him, as he popped open a bottle and poured himself and Faye a glass. The others were equally willing to indulge, as Melody said in her confessional that right now, it was time to let all that tension roll off their shoulders and just enjoy this moment with Lauren. The two of them drank a couple of glasses until Melody finally said they should save something for tomorrow, as she laughed in her confessional and said someone had to be the voice of reason here. Michael had no such inhibitions as he quickly downed more than enough to get him in a relaxed state, while Faye teased him about how well he could hold his liquor. Thomas said in his confessional that he was definitely going to regret that tomorrow. The chefs continued to celebrate well into the night before finally getting what little sleep they could.
Challenge
The black jackets were awakened early the next morning, however, and went downstairs to meet Ramsay, who asked them if they enjoyed their reward last night, to which Michael replied that they did, and Ramsay said he could tell just by looking at them. Michael admitted in his confessional that he still felt like shit, and just hoped the challenge wouldn’t be too difficult. Ramsay said he hoped the chefs had saved a little pep in their step for today, because Hell’s Kitchen was opening tonight for a very special occasion: A 20th anniversary reunion night where all of the guests would be chefs who had appeared on past seasons of Hell’s Kitchen. Ramsay emphasized that he wanted to see this team at their absolute best during service. Ramona groaned in her confessional and said today of all days, she didn’t need to be dealing with a hangover. Regardless, Ramsay said that for now, he wanted them to focus on the here and now, and that meant today’s challenge. Ramsay briefly went over how much food had been wasted throughout the history of Hell’s Kitchen, to which Melody prayed in her confessional that they wouldn’t have to do any dumpster diving. Ramsay went on, though, saying that one of his favorite challenges to revisit was designed to test the chefs’ ability to work with leftover ingredients. He told the chefs that they had 45 minutes to prepare a stunning dish using leftover ingredients from last night’s service, and their time started right now.
The final six rushed into the kitchen and began rummaging through the pile of leftover ingredients. Thomas was confident as he said in his confessional that he could make a five star dish out of any ingredients, fresh or not, and already had a plan in mind. Meanwhile, Faye said in her confessional that she needed a win in this challenge to get herself back into the running, and was determined to put her best foot forward. As most of the chefs got to work on cooking, at least one chef still seemed undecided in their ingredients. Melody said in her confessional that she wanted to take her time and plan out her dish mentally first. As Ramsay called out that 10 minutes had passed, Lauren wondered in her confessional what Melody was doing, and said she needed to get a move on. Finally, Melody chose her ingredients and joined the other chefs. Ramona was determined to get it right, as she said in her confessional that she needed a win here badly, and was hoping to come up clutch again as she had during Cook For Your Life. Michael was doing his best to stay focused given his partying last night, as he joked in his confessional that hopefully he cooked even better hungover than sober. Lauren was full of confidence after having been the first to earn a black jacket yesterday, though admitted she was also feeling the after-effects of last night’s celebration. With all six chefs working frantically to wrap up their creations in the allotted time, Ramsay counted down the final seconds, then told them to stop and bring their dishes up to the pass.
Ramsay announced that since this was the 20th anniversary of Hell’s Kitchen, it was only right for a legendary judge to help him score this contest. That was why he had invited the one and only…Wolfgang Puck. A choir of voices sang his name as the iconic chef walked through the door and stood by Ramsay’s side. Melody gushed in her confessional, as she could not believe she was standing just feet away from Wolfgang Puck himself. Ramona was suddenly very nervous, as she said in her confessional that if she had known Chef Puck was going to be voting on these dishes, she would have put in 100 times the effort. Nonetheless, with the introduction out of the way, Ramsay now called on Faye to bring her dish up first.
Faye presented her pan seared halibut over pea puree with sliced vegetables. Puck examined the dish carefully, noting that the presentation could have been a bit better, though he did enjoy the taste of the halibut itself. Ramsay said it was a nice tasting dish, though unfortunately, he did get the sense it was made from leftovers, as nothing really seemed to pop, which Puck agreed with. The two chefs were ready to give their scores on a 1-10 scale, and both Ramsay and Puck gave her a six, for a 12/20 score. Faye kicked herself in her confessional, as she felt that she had played it far too safe, and it backfired on her. Next, it was Ramona’s turn to step forward, as she presented a plate of chicken breast over turnip puree with fingerling potatoes and asparagus. Again though, Ramsay commented that he wasn’t feeling a wow factor, and said it had a decent taste but one that was distinctly more like leftovers than fine dining. Puck also pointed out that the chicken was a bit undercooked for his liking. Ramsay was still willing to give it a six, but Puck felt it only earned a five, giving her an 11/20 score and leaving Faye in the lead. Ramona was upset with herself in her confessional, as she said she couldn’t believe she screwed it up right when she needed a big challenge win the most. Ramsay urged the chefs to step it up big time, as this wasn’t what he was expecting at this stage from the black jackets. Third up was Melody, who expressed anxiety in her confessional after seeing both Faye and Ramona struggle, and knew she had to get this right. She presented her herb-crusted salmon with buttered caper sauce, and Puck noted right away that it was a big step up on looks alone, which Ramsay agreed with. The chefs tasted the dish and came away just as impressed, with Ramsay saying this was the first standout dish of the challenge by far. Puck gave his score first, saying that deserved a nine. Ramsay agreed completely and also gave it a nine, for a strong 18/20 score.
Melody was thrilled in her confessional to have gotten such a strong score, but knew Thomas, Lauren and Michael were all good enough to potentially take the win. Lauren went next, saying in her confessional that Melody had raised the bar here, and it was now up to her to keep pace. She was hoping to do so with her filet mignon with red onion and tarragon relish. Ramsay had praise for the presentation, as he noted it was simple, but appetizing. Once they sliced the filet, Puck was pleased to see it cooked beautifully, and both chefs praised the taste of the meat. Puck did express that the garnish could have been a bit better, but Ramsay said they had a very tough decision on the hands. Ultimately, both felt it wasn’t quite on the same level of Melody’s dish, and each gave it an eight, for a score of 16/20. Lauren was disappointed to have come up short, but said in her confessional that she hoped Melody could hold on for the win. Next was Thomas, who expressed confidence in his confessional despite the tall task in front of him, as he said he continually demanded perfection of himself and expected nothing less here. He presented his John Dory with orange glazed endives, which earned strong praise from both Ramsay and Puck for its clean and modern presentation. Both also praised the flavor of the dish, though both noted the orange glaze was a bit too sweet for them. Ramsay was willing to overlook this though, considering how strong of a dish it was, and gave it a nine. Puck…said it did take the dish down a peg for him, and he could only give it an eight, giving Thomas a 17/20 score and leaving Melody with a narrow lead. Thomas showed some frustration in his confessional, as he was getting tired of always coming up just short in challenges. Finally, Michael was the only one left to take on Melody, and he said in his confessional that this was finally his time to take home victory in a challenge. He presented his lamb chops with butter fondant, morels, peas, and a balsamic reduction, which again earned high marks for the presentation, as Puck said the chefs were definitely putting forth their best in this challenge. Ramsay agreed, and said the dish looked nearly perfect, with only one problem…the lamb looked as if it might’ve cooked about half a minute too long. Michael kicked himself in his confessional, as he said he had been so focused on not serving undercooked food, that he had overcompensated. Despite this critique, though, both Ramsay and Puck enjoyed the dish and said the flavor was excellent.
Ramsay said this was a very tough choice, but even with the slight overcook on the lamb, everything else was good enough to earn it a nine. With the deciding vote in his hands, Puck said in addition to the lamb, he also had a bit of a problem with the garnish not adding as much as it could have, and that was why he could only give it an eight, leaving Michael with a 17/20 score, and giving Melody the win in the challenge.
Reward / Punishment
Ramsay congratulated Melody on running the gauntlet, as this was one of the closest challenges in recent years, and she absolutely earned the win. And as a reward for that win, she was going to be treated to an afternoon of surfing lessons from 2024 Olympian Carissa Moore. Melody was nothing less than giddy in her confessional, as she said this day couldn’t get much better, but Ramsay wasn’t finished, and said that a reward like this shouldn’t be spent alone, and she should bring one of her fellow chefs along. Without hesitation, Melody told Lauren to get her stuff packed, because they were going surfing. Lauren was pumped up to get a reward with Melody and have an opportunity to spend personal time with an Olympian. As the two embraced and rushed off to get changed, Ramsay told the remaining four chefs that today’s punishment would be anything but the breezy fun Melody and Lauren would be experiencing, as the kitchens needed to be cleaned and prepped, and the dining room appropriately decorated, for tonight’s 20 year Reunion Night service. Lauren wondered in her confessional why both kitchens would need to be prepped, but Faye said in her confessional that she had a sneaking suspicion about what Ramsay was up to.
While the four losing chefs got to work on their grueling punishment, Melody and Lauren went back downstairs and left Hell’s Kitchen together, eager to get started on their day in the sun, where they saw that an appropriately stylish top down convertible would be taking them to the beach. After a scenic drive through the city, they finally arrived at their destination and stepped out onto the beach on a perfect sunny afternoon. There, they were greeted by an enthusiastic Carissa Moore, who congratulated them on winning the challenge and said she hoped they were both ready to catch some waves. Melody admitted in her confessional that she didn’t actually know surfing was an Olympic sport, with Moore saying it had been added only a few years ago, and giving them a bit of her backstory on how she got into surfing and became an Olympic athlete. Lauren said in her confessional that it was a huge inspiration to talk with an Olympian, as they shared the same dedication to their respective crafts, and she felt that she and Melody could learn a lot from this in addition to having a great time. With the introductions out of the way, Moore took the chefs out on the water, giving them basic tips on riding a board and eventually to standing. Melody kept falling, much to Lauren’s amusement, as a sheepish Melody said in her confessional that nobody was perfect. However, after a long afternoon of practice and a lengthy spell of trial and error, both chefs had improved somewhat, with Melody beaming in her confessional and saying she was having the time of her life right now, a sentiment which Lauren agreed with, as she said in her confessional that there was nowhere she’d rather be than here and now. After a deeply enjoyable afternoon for both chefs, they finally said goodbye to Moore, who wished them all the best going forward, and returned to Hell’s Kitchen just in time to witness the restaurant’s transformation.
While Melody and Lauren enjoyed a day of sun, fun and relaxation, the four remaining black jackets were left with the task of turning Hell’s Kitchen into a stunning venue for the 20th anniversary reunion. Michael was particularly disappointed, as he still felt like crap thanks to his hangover, and also had come up just short in the challenge, saying in his confessional that some time outside of Hell’s Kitchen could’ve really done him some good. Thomas was still upset, as he said in his confessional that Melody and Lauren could have all the fun they wanted, but he was going to work his ass off and make sure he stood out in service. Faye and Ramona were also disappointed in their performances, though Faye said in her confessional that Ramona seemed to be taking it the worst, and she tried to encourage the younger chef to bounce back in service. Ramona was still feeling down on herself though, but said in her confessional that Faye was right, and the best thing she could do now was get locked in and try to move on from her performance in the challenge. Once the chefs had finished cleaning the kitchen and dining room, it was time to start decorating. Faye tried to keep the mood light by saying this was going to be the prettiest Hell’s Kitchen dining room in its 20 year history, getting a smile from Ramona. Meanwhile, Michael was struggling to get the decorations right and constantly asked for help. Thomas told them to focus as they didn’t have much time and still had to prep the kitchen, and said in his confessional that he felt like a babysitter right now.
Pre-Service
Melody and Lauren returned to Hell’s Kitchen to find their fellow chefs wrapping up prep. Ramsay then gathered all six black jackets in the dining room and told them that for tonight’s service, not only would they be serving a dining room full of former Hell’s Kitchen chefs for the restaurant’s 20th anniversary, but they would also be competing against a handpicked team of chefs whom Ramsay held in the highest regard. With that, Ramsay announced that the first chef cooking in the blue kitchen tonight was…Season 21 winner Alex Belew. The chefs watched in awe as the door to Ramsay’s office swung open and Alex walked down the stairs. Lauren said in her confessional that Alex was an amazing winner and she couldn't wait to compete against him. Following Alex were Season 19 winner Kori Sutton, Season 20 winner Trenton Garvey, Season 16 winner Kimberly-Ann Ryan, Season 13 winner LaTasha McCutchen, and Season 12 winner Scott Commings. With the six former winners now lined up opposite the black jackets, Ramsay assured his current proteges that he was not going easy on them in the slightest, and tonight was all about showing how far they had come as chefs and leaders when stacked up against elite competition.
Thomas was excited for this opportunity in his confessional, as he said he thrived off going against the best of the best, and he hoped the past winners were ready to pass the torch to the current chefs after tonight. Lauren was similarly excited, and said this was the perfect chance for her to prove to Ramsay that she was more than good enough to join the ranks of the champions. The winners themselves were equally pumped up, with Scoot saying in his confessional that after over a decade away, it was great to be back in Hell’s Kitchen for such a special occasion. Kori said in her confessional that these rookies might put up a good fight, but she and her teammates were winners for a reason. Alex expressed similar thoughts aloud, as he teased the current chefs by saying they could learn more from defeat than victory. Faye warned him not to speak too soon, while Michael said that this was their kitchen now. With both teams appropriately fired up and ready to go, Ramsay told them that tonight, he wanted to see two perfect services, as their fellow chefs deserved nothing but the best, then dismissed them to their respective kitchens.
Finally, Ramsay called Marino over and told him to open Hell’s Kitchen for its 20th anniversary reunion night.
Dinner Service
The doors of Hell’s Kitchen opened for this very special service, and as a sea of familiar faces streamed into the dining room, Ramsay told the chefs that everyone here was a VIP, and urged them to give their fellow HK alumni a night to remember. The former chefs were seated, with Ed from season 7 saying it felt strange to be back here again and not being the one getting yelled at. Rochelle from season 12 was already having a great time with the former chefs at her table, as they were all laughing and looking forward to their meal. Soon, tickets began to work their way back to both kitchens.
In the red kitchen, the black jacket team had Thomas and Ramona on appetizers, Melody on fish, Lauren on garnish, and Michael and Faye on meat. Early on, Thomas had no issues serving up his capellini on schedule along with Ramona’s risotto and Melody’s scallops, and the black jackets got off to a good start by getting their first table of appetizers out with no hiccups. The black jackets would settle into a rhythm from there, as they were able to keep a steady flow of appetizers going out into the dining room to pleased past chefs, with Declan from season 19 saying he was loving it so far, while Carmen from season 22 joked that it could use some more salt. Back in the kitchen though, the kitchen started to slow down thanks to Ramona serving up two bland, undercooked risottos, and dragging on all of her orders. Thomas was getting annoyed and said in his confessional that he didn’t have time to be constantly cleaning up after Ramona’s mistakes, as they were all supposed to be elite chefs at this stage. Despite his frustration, though, he helped Ramona with her risottos and impressed Ramsay with his leadership from appetizers. Melody was able to communicate well with him and served nicely cooked scallops throughout the night. Ramona served up another bland risotto though, and Ramsay schooled her for still not paying attention to the fine details at this stage of the game. She was finally able to recover with her next attempt, and the black jackets began firing entrees while still wrapping up appetizers.
In the blue kitchen, the winners were hoping to make their comeback to Hell’s Kitchen a successful one with Kori on appetizers, Trenton on fish, LaTasha on garnish, Alex and Kim Ryan on meat, and Scott acting as a floater. Early on, Kori and Trenton were able to get into a groove with their apps, sending out beautifully cooked risottos, capellini and scallops, as Trenton said in his confessional that it was just like riding a bike, and he hoped the rookies were ready to take a whooping tonight. The former champions did hit a snag though as Trenton and Kori got a bit mixed up on their times, and Trenton ended up falling behind on his scallops. Meanwhile, Kori served undercooked risotto, and Ramsay schooled them both for making such basic mistakes. Kori said in her confessional that it was time to stop messing around and get back on track. Trenton was still dragging, and Scott said in his confessional that nothing pissed Ramsay off more than a backed up kitchen, and he moved over to help out. With an assist from Scott, Trenton managed to catch up on his scallops, and the blue kitchen once again began sending out appetizers at a solid clip. Out in the dining room, the past chefs watched the teams competing with a mixture of amusement and secondhand anxiety, as Steve from season 20 said it was fascinating to see everything unfolding from the sidelines.
Back in the red kitchen, with the teams still neck and neck, the black jackets started firing off entrees. They got off to a rough start on their first ticket though, with Faye serving up undercooked lamb on the first table, while Michael was sluggish and still seemed out of it. Communication issues also arose between the meat station and Lauren on garnish, as she was ready well before they were. The overall energy in the kitchen seemed down, which Ramsay called out, as he told the chefs again that everyone was a VIP, and they needed to get their asses in gear. Michael said in his confessional that everything felt disorganized right now and it wasn’t helping his headache in the slightest. He did try to power through it though, and was finally able to get on the same page with Lauren, as he started to get back to his usual energetic self again. Meanwhile, Melody managed to serve up nicely cooked portions of John Dory and salmon along with scallops for the remaining appetizers, though she did get in some trouble for firing two halibut on a ticket where it wasn’t needed, but she bounced back quickly. Lauren continued to be vocal and drive tickets from the garnish station, while Michael did start getting it together, and after Ramsay praised his Wellingtons as being cooked perfectly, he said in his confessional that it was just the boost that he needed. Faye got in trouble again though for serving undercooked ribeye, and Lauren served a cold sauce for it. Ramona, who was still wrapping up appetizers, sent up a table of overcooked capellini and consistently dragged on orders. The black jackets fought through their problems, and finally managed to settle down into a solid groove and serve their remaining tables. Out in the dining room, Will from season 9 said that it was great to see the rookies not letting their heads go down and keeping up with the winners.
In the blue kitchen, the former winners were ready to begin firing entrees alongside their appetizers, with Alex and Kim Ryan on meat driving the tickets along with LaTasha on garnish. The winners had no troubles on their first table, as they continued their momentum from appetizers, but Kim Ryan sent up raw ribeye, and got mixed up with LaTasha on their timing. Trenton, who was now working both apps and entrees, said in his confessional that the ladies needed to get their shit together, because he was not going to let anything ruin this reunion night. Thanks to Scott stepping in to call out times for the vets and help Trenton on fish, food once again began to leave the kitchen at a steady pace. Meanwhile, Kori was able to continue sending out appetizers without any issues, and the champions seemed to be on course for a smooth service. Alex had an unexpected mistake, though, as he served up overcooked Wellingtons, which he kicked himself for in his confessional, saying there was no excuse for screwing up a dish they had cooked every night in Hell’s Kitchen. Alex was able to bounce back quickly, and along with Kim Ryan, got the meat station back on track. LaTasha, meanwhile, had success calling out times and keeping the kitchen running from garnish after the earlier communication issues, as she said in her confessional that everyone here was a pro, and they knew how to close a service out. Sure enough, the winners seemed to only get stronger as the night wore on, talking to each other and sending out entrees to satisfied Hell’s Kitchen alumni. In the dining room, season 18 winner Ariel joked that she was enjoying the show and getting some great food out of it too. With the vets now firing on all cylinders, they managed to finish sending out the rest of their entrees.
Ramsay told both teams to clear down, then had them join him in the dining room.
Post-Mortem
Ramsay started out by telling the chefs that tonight was all about honoring the storied past of Hell’s Kitchen, and despite their struggles, both kitchens had managed to do that by finishing strong and delivering what he hoped was a great service. At this, the guests in the dining room applauded and cheered loudly. Ramsay then said it was time to turn to the matter of the winning team, which would be decided by customer satisfaction cards handed out in the dining room. After tallying the scores, Ramsay said there was one team who had the edge. First, he read out the score of the returning winners. Their tables had given them a 93% satisfaction rating. Next, he turned to the current black jackets, and said that their tables had given them…an 87% rating. This made the past champions the winners of service, which they took with huge smiles as their fellow chefs, including the current black jackets, applauded them. LaTasha got a bit emotional in her confessional and said that it felt great to get one last win in Hell’s Kitchen, on the 20th anniversary no less, while Scott said in his confessional that being able to deliver a great service to their fellow chefs meant just as much as winning had. Lauren was disappointed in her confessional, but had to hand it to the returning winners, as she said they simply performed better and deserved the win.
With the results announced, Ramsay told the black jackets to say goodbye to the past winners, and to everyone else in attendance. Once the crowd had cleared out, Ramsay brought the chefs back into the kitchen and had them line up like normal, telling them that it was close, but close would no longer be good enough, and there were still too many inconsistencies here given that it was supposed to be the best of the best. With that said, he instructed the black jackets to have a good, long discussion about which two they felt should be on the chopping block tonight, and dismissed them to the dorms.
Back in the dorms, the discussion began with Thomas saying that Ramona had been the clear weak link on apps, and it wouldn’t be right for anyone to go up before her. The others quickly seemed to agree, with Lauren saying that she still seemed to get overwhelmed, and it was clear by now that she wasn’t ready to take the next step. Ramona admitted she had the worst service, but announced Faye and Michael as her nominees given that they had been inconsistent on the meat station. Michael argued back that he may have had a bit too much to drink last night, but he was still vocal and fought back. Thomas agreed with Faye going up, though, saying that by this point, it wasn’t about your experience in Hell’s Kitchen, but what you did with it. Faye agreed that she could have done better, but still felt that Ramona was their weakest chef, as much as she hated to say it. Ramona became frustrated, saying this same routine had been going on for weeks and she was tired of hearing it, as she went off to the bedroom, and Melody went in after her to try to offer some comfort. Melody told her that she had been a fighter throughout the competition and not to give up on herself now.
Elimination Ceremony
The black jackets entered the dining room and lined up, and Ramsay started off by saying that he had expected more from his top six, especially given the occasion, and it was frustrating to watch at times when he knew that their potential was much higher than what they were showing. With that said, he asked Melody for the black jacket team’s first nominee and why. Melody announced that the black jackets had decided to put up Ramona, due to having struggled the most in services to this point. Ramsay asked for the second nominee and why. Melody seemed to hesitate a bit, but finally announced that Faye was the second nominee, due to having problems on the meat station. Ramsay accepted the nominations and called Ramona and Faye forward.
Deliberation music
Ramsay first asked Ramona why she should stay in Hell’s Kitchen.
Ramona: “Chef, I’ve had a long journey in this competition, from signature dish to where I am now. I didn’t always have this belief in myself, but having been through it all, now I know that I belong here, I deserve this black jacket, and I believe I have the potential to be the head chef you’re looking for.”
Ramsay moved on to Faye, asking why she should stay in Hell’s Kitchen.
Faye: “I'm disappointed in my performance tonight, chef, and I know you are too. The important thing though, is that I don’t let those mistakes get to me. I feel like I have the composure that Ramona maybe doesn’t at this point, and I think that’s what sets me apart. I expect a lot better from myself, and if you give me another chance, I’ll show you.”
Ramsay struck a thoughtful pose, as he said that he had a very difficult choice ahead of him, but at last, he was ready to make it.
Ramsay: “My decision is…”

Ramsay: “Faye…I expect a lot better too. And I need to see it soon, because I can’t go on much further. Back in line!”
A relieved Faye rushed back to rejoin the other black jackets, while Ramsay turned his attention to Ramona.
Ramsay: “Ramona…step forward, darling. I think we both know that you are not quite ready to become the next head chef of Gordon Ramsay Steak.”
Elimination music
Ramona stepped up and handed over her jacket.
Ramsay: “Let me tell you this: you do have potential, a lot of it. I could see that from your very first dish. Unfortunately, it’s consistency and leadership that I’m looking for, and I haven’t seen enough of it. What you’ve got to do now is keep going. Don’t stay down. Fight back, and become the chef I know you can be.”
Ramona thanked Ramsay as he hugged her, and she waved goodbye to her fellow chefs before leaving Hell’s Kitchen.
Ramona’s comment and montage
Flashback to signature Signature Dish challenge
Ramsay: ‘Your name, young lady?”
Ramona: “Ramona, chef.”
Ramsay: “Ramona, that dish is absolutely stunning, it’s a clear five.”

Ramona: “It’s been one hell of a ride here in Hell’s Kitchen. I’m young, I don’t have the experience of some of my fellow chefs, and that was an obstacle I had to overcome.”

Flashback to various services
Ramsay: “Good god almighty…RAMONA! It’s still raw!”
Ramsay: “Hey, you, take a look at that, what the fuck is that?! Do you want to go home right now?”
Ramsay: “Oh come on, Ramona, this is your course, they need to hear you!”

Ramona: ‘Was it a struggle to work with my fellow chefs at times? Oh hell yeah. But I never backed down.”
Flashback to chefs in dorms
Grace: “So you’re gonna stand there and say you deserve to be here more than me after that service, really?!”
Ramona: “Hey, look, I served my tables, I owned my mistakes! And guess what? I work with the team. T-E-A-M, honey, I know that doesn’t mean anything to you!”

Ramona: “If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from all this, it’s that being a head chef is a lot harder than I thought it would be. You have to work your ass off, and I did. Even though I’m walking away empty handed, Chef did recognize my potential.”
Flashback to various services and challenges
Ramsay: “Beautifully cooked, Ramona! Keep the bar up there!”
Ramona: “Yes, chef!”
Ramsay: ‘The immunity pass goes to…Ramona, well done, young lady, that dish was fantastic.”
Ramsay: “Ramona, great sear on those scallops!”

Ramona: “He may not think I’m ready now, but I know that one day, I’ll get there.”

With Ramona’s elimination, Ramsay remarked that there were just five left standing, a fourth of the original field of 20, and while they had held their own against the winners and given them a decent run, their services going forward needed to be even better if they wanted to become the next head chef of Gordon Ramsay Steak. With that, he told them to go back to the dorms and rest up, because the competition was just going to get more and more intense with each passing day, and each of them now had a one in five chance of reaching their dream.
As the chefs went back upstairs, each of them had a confessional. Michael said that from now on, he was fully locked in and done with partying until his door opened, as he had a restaurant to win, and nothing was going to get in his way. Lauren said that even small mistakes could get you sent home at this point, and she would simply have to trust her skill and composure under pressure to carry her through. Faye said that she had just had another close brush with elimination, and knew she needed a Texas-sized comeback tomorrow to show Ramsay that she was far from done. Melody said that she could never have imagined getting this far when she first walked in, but now, she couldn’t imagine walking out with anything less than a head chef position at Gordon Ramsay Steak. Finally, Thomas said that with Ramona gone, it was down to the five truly strong chefs, but he was completely confident that whatever challenges Ramsay threw at them, he was the best equipped to handle them and take home the prize.
Placement
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I've never written in before but for the first time in a long time, I desperately need advice—It's a long story so buckle up and stick with me through the back story of it all (or skip to current day and go back as needed for context. Trigger warning for abuse, self harm, and addiction.
TLDR; This morning I found out that my emotionally and physically abusive ex-boyfriend from 10 years ago changed his social media usernames to match mine, converted his religion to mine, and created a ton of creepy playlists named after my full name on spotify—ALL WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. I have not spoken to him in 7+ years. Please help.
BACKSTORY:
When I was in high school, I was in a very toxic and controlling relationship with someone one year older than me who I'll refer to as Ryan. We were high school sweethearts until he went away to university and we both agreed it would be best to take a break and get the full college experience. Since Ryan was a year ahead, he was able to have his wild, "fuckboy" era his freshman year while I studied my ass off in preparation for my own college applications the following year. Things were a little estranged with us but we stayed in touch off and on as friends/friends with benefits.
During this period of his freshman year at uni, Ryan gradually started drinking and using drugs more and more frequently and I began to see a very different controlling, paranoid, and even abusive side to him (controlling what I wore, getting drunk and shoving me to the ground and into walls like a ragdoll, threatening to speed up or crash the car while we were driving places) While I stupidly didn't recognize it as abuse at the time, it became clear to me very quickly that something was wrong with Ryan's mental state so I made the effort of driving out on weekends to stay with him at his dorm and try to help him through it in whatever way I could.
Sure enough, he was in a much worse place than I could have imagined, not attending classes, talking to voices that weren't there, threatening self-harm, suicide, etc. I immediately contacted his parents when I saw how serious things were and asked them to come pick him up from campus and get professional help. They brushed things off and told me that I shouldn't be worrying so much about him. I was only 17 and not prepared to deal with the situation myself so I went home and continued pleading with his parents, sister, and friends to get him access to professional help. Eventually, this worked and they put him in a mental health facility for a two-week period where I had extremely limited contact.
In the midst of all of this was my senior prom, something we had planned to attend together but due to emergency circumstances (Ryan being held in a facility), a friend of mine insisted on stepping in as my date. For what it's worth I really didn't even want to go, I could hardly pull myself together to get out of bed due to the intense stress I was under but my friend knew that I would regret not attending my senior prom and insisted on taking me. Despite Ryan and I being broken up for over a year, he was beyond infuriated and betrayed by me going with someone else and made several threats/attempts on his life.
After his family realized first-hand just how serious things were, they decided to ship him off to one of those youth wilderness rehabilitation places out of state. After he started at the program, his whole family turned on me and blamed me for what had happened with him. It was beyond difficult, Ryan spiraled into sending a mix of long, passionate love and hate letters any time he had access to electronics or mail. Some would start as a love letter and end in hopes for my death, clearly showing his volatile feelings towards me. At first, I would respond trying to let him know I was there for him, I cared, etc. but at some point, and with the help of friends, I realized just how abusive his prior behavior was and let him know we couldn't be in contact anymore. Despite this, I continued to get letters, texts, emails, facebook messages, snapchats, even messages direct through spotify once I had blocked him on all platforms. Fast forward one year to 2017 and I got a cookie cutter AA letter making amends, this was the last real update I had and I finally felt hopeful he was on the road to getting real help and turning his life around.
CURRENT DAY:
Fast forward 7+ years and I'm in an extremely happy and safe relationship. We are all in our mid twenties now. Ryan, my ex has continued sending me friend requests on different socials maybe once a year but I've never thought much of it as that's fairly normal for exes to want to reconnect. After so many years of reflecting on our relationship it's hard to even think about wanting to reconnect with someone who was so emotionally and physically abusive to me so I've always politely declined these attempts at contact. However, recently—I got several back-to-back requests which was unusual. This morning I decided I would finally look him up and see what he's up to and I was super freaked out by what I found.
The first result was a recent arrest for trespassing, the date lined up exactly with when he had been sending me back-to-back friend requests. My first thought was that he was in another type of manic state and spiraling again. I decided to do an even deeper dive and see what else I could find on him and remembered he had tried contacting me through spotify messages when he was blocked elsewhere. Because Spotify has since disabled their chat function, I wasn't able to see if he had tried messaging me recently but I clicked through to his account and almost threw up when I saw MANY creepy personal playlists clearly directed towards me. Some literally titled my full government name and including songs with eerie titles or lyrics and even some with songs we would listen to when we were together. Very hot and cold, love/hate type of vibe just like his old letters. I calmed myself down a little and thought maybe they were old playlists from years ago but again almost threw up again when I saw the first song added to the playlist was not even released until just over one year ago. This means my ex is creating creepy cryptic new playlists titled my full name almost 10 years after our break up and 7+ years without any contact whatsoever.
In more digging, I found Ryan's socials, he's not social media much anymore, the last time he posted was around the time he sent me that AA letter to make amends 7ish years ago, showing off a new kitten he got. What's a little weird is it is a VERY specific cross-breed that he knew I wanted to get when we were older, something we had talked about all the time almost like baby planning. Aside from the kitten post, there were no other new posts, his instagram was like a time capsule of our relationship with silly photos together, selfies I had sent him, love letters, photo booth strips, you name it. Additionally, I found he recently converted to my religion and has started using my typical username on new social media accounts (For example, let's say my socials are all OPWaffle123, his are now RYANWaffle123)
CONCLUSIONS/ADVICE?
The list goes on and on but I cannot put into words how shaken I am. I was so oblivious to all this for YEARS and feel like I just opened pandora's box and can't go back. I feel so violated knowing he's been looking me up and obsessing over me to this degree while I was so unaware. I really don't know if I should file a police report or just lay low and hope his obsession never manifests into something more sinister. I worry that filing any type of restraining ordeprotective order would escalate things in some way and I'd also worry about finding enough evidence of abuse especially all these years later. My biggest concern about safety is the uncertainty of his mental state, I've seen him in manic episodes before and he's shown that he's not only willing but capable of harming me physically. On the other hand, he's clearly been obsessed for years with no harm done so maybe best to not poke the bear? Desperate for any and all advice, please help a girl out 🙏
TLDR; This morning I found out that my emotionally and physically abusive ex-boyfriend from 10 years ago changed his social media usernames to match mine, converted his religion to mine, and created a ton of creepy playlists named after my full name on spotify—ALL WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. I have not spoken to him in 7+ years. Please help.

This is another long one. Oops.
Okay. Earlier today, I posted this essay covering the first Phoenix Wright game and why I think it’s one of the best games ever. I want to talk about it’s sequel now, Justice for All, but I left the link to my original post since I don’t want to retread old ground and simply focus on how this game both improves on and falls behind the original.
Justice for All is often considered the weakest of the main Phoenix Wright trilogy and it’s not hard to see why. Not only is it not able to make the same kind of first impression that the original game was able to on account of it coming first, but seemingly most of Justice for All is designed as more of a middle chapter in the series, with almost every plot point and character it sets up being paid off in the next game, Trials and Tribulations. However, I still think the game is fantastic and while it doesn’t live up to the original imo, it definitely outshines Trials and Tribulations both in terms of gameplay and cases in my opinion.
Before properly diving in though, I do want to cover some context that helps paint how I view this game compared to its predecessor. I mentioned in the original post how the original Ace Attorney came at a really important time in my life. I first played it going into high school in 2015 and it’s the kind of game that when I replay it, I’m hit with extremely vivid memories of working through cases on long bus rides for school as that September came to a close and Halloween was on the horizon. I say this because the same can NOT be said of Justice for All or Trials and Tribulations. I played Justice for All all the way through for the first time in 2021. I have almost no nostalgia for this game and its sequel. I do honestly feel like this is a part of why I prefer the original game and probably always will. At the end of the day, these games are of a quality that if you told me any of these three games were the best one, I basically wouldn’t argue with you. Anyway, let’s dive in.
In terms of gameplay, Justice for All is a strict improvement across the board. The basics are all here from investigation scenes and court battles. Overall, what I noticed playing this game was a pretty sharp spike in overall difficulty. Nothing gets to the same level of challenge as Rise from the Ashes, but when it comes to the base versions of each game, Justice for All is more challenging than the original game. Larger leaps of logic and a keener eye for detail are required in general, as well as what the new changes bring to the table.
When it comes to changes, Justice for All brings in one major change and a few subtler ones. That big change is psyche locks. In investigation segments, you can now present a new item in investigations called magatama to see a person’s psyche locks, with there being more or less based on how much they want to hide whatever secret their holding. To break these locks, you have to confront the person and present evidence at each roadblock, with each piece removing one lock each. If you present incorrect evidence, you will lose some of your credibility meter (which has also been changed since last game). However, if you run out entirely, you will just have to try again from the beginning instead of being sent to the game over screen. I really like this mechanic. It allows more direct confrontation to happen during investigation segments, making them more exciting, but not overshadowing the trials. My one issue with this mechanic is this. You will often discover these before you have the right evidence to break them, which is fine. I have no problem with this. However, because of this, you can back out of a confrontation once you’ve already engaged, which is also a great idea since you could simply not have enough evidence to go all the way. My one suggestion to improve this would be when the player backs out of unlocking these locks, the game gave more of a hint if whether or not you have the right evidence to break the locks or you should try something else. It can be hard sometimes to be sure you have all the right evidence to break someone’s psyche locks and it leads to more times where I’m running from place to place, lost in an investigation. I would appreciate more of a hint towards that I have the evidence I need, I just need to find the right pieces.
Speaking of evidence, you can now present profiles. In the original game, profiles acted as a log of every character involved in a case and it was a nice feature, but it was just there. The fact you can now present these profiles in court and investigations is a fantastic addition. Not only does it just give you more evidence, but it also removes the need for pieces of evidence from the first game that only served to bring that person up in conversation (stuff like photos of people).
One of the subtler gameplay changes is that of the credibility meter. In the first game, it was extremely simple. You simply got 5 “lives” in court with each mistake costing one. In Justice for All, the credibility meter is segmented into 10 sections, with most mistakes removing 2. This may seem like the same mechanic on the surface, but this does allow for smaller mistakes to cost 1 segment and larger ones to cost 3-4. This allows the game to raise and lower the stakes even more than it already did in the first game.
In my previous post, I mentioned how I felt the way the game implemented pressing left a bit to be desired, mostly in how the new information gained solved half the problem. This game has instances where information obtained from pressing informs a contradiction within a different pairing of testimony and evidence and I think it perfects the mechanic.
One final change has to do with question prompts. For example, in the first game, you would occasionally be given a prompt to either present evidence or let a certain point slide. In that game, the correct answer was always to present evidence and expose a contradiction. In Justice for All, while there are still instances of this, there are far more times where the right answer is to not present evidence as you don’t have sufficient evidence to prove a contradiction, or maybe there isn’t even one. This is part of why Justice for All feels harder than the first game. You really need a keener eye for detail and a better handle on the overarching case.
That pretty much covers gameplay, so all that’s left is everything else. Thankfully, there’s not much left to discuss.
In terms of visuals and sound, this game is still top notch. However, I do think the original music in this game isn’t quite to the same standard as the first game. It’s all still great, but I’m not as into the new music as I was in the first game. That could very well just be nostalgia talking though. The new music is still very good.
The pacing of this game is an interesting change. The original game had a set structure. Starting with case 3, each case had 3 investigation segments and 3 trials, with the final trial being divided into 2 segments. Rise from the Ashes was quite a bit longer, with each trial lasting twice or three times as long as normal, but that case was added onto the first game after the original trilogy wrapped up. Justice for All starts a formula that would go into Trials and Tribulations where each case (barring the first) has 2 investigations and 2 trials, each being divided into 2 segments as they’re more in depth than the previous game.
What results is a game that’s significantly longer than the original. Sure, if you look at both games on howlongtobeat, the original averages at 18 hours where Justice for All hits 18 1/2, but you have to consider the original game’s time includes Rise from the Ashes, which wasn’t in the original release and lasts a good 7-9 hours. That means we’re really looking at the jump from a 9-hour game to an 18-hour one. However, despite being almost double the length with a similar amount of cases (comparing the base games), what’s incredible is that Justice for All doesn’t feel bloated. Rather, that extended length is more an indicator of how much more complex each case is.
Franziska von Karma is a fun new antagonist. Didn’t know where else to put this.
Now it’s time for the story. Overall, Justice For All’s story is pretty nothing. There’s some intrigue with what happened to Edgeworth between games (though not really if you played Rise from the Ashes, which filled that gap between games), and seeing more of Maya’s family is cool, like I said before, this game’s main purpose narratively is to lead into Trials and Tribulations. Let’s talk about each case individually.
The Lost Turnabout is a fine enough place to start. Maggie Byrd is a really fun character and the case has more twists and turns than The First Turnabout, but Phoenix having amnesia after a head injury as an excuse to teach the player all the mechanics again causes this one to drag a ton. If it weren’t for the amnesia gimmick and you could skip the tutorials, this case would probably be my favorite tutorial.
On the other hand, Reunion, and Turnabout is absolutely phenomenal. Maya Fey stands accused for murder again, but this time, not only were you near the scene of the crime as it happened, but Maya is convinced she’s responsible. Not only is it great to have Maya back, but this case easily does the most for the core Ace Attorney storyline, as it introduces us to more of Maya’s family. Pearl Fey is a great new addition to the cast and another fun person you’ll bounce off of in the later cases as well as Maya. The setup for this case is super intriguing and I love where it all eventually goes. This is one of my favorites.
Turnabout Big Top. This one’s just kind of okay. It’s a bit long and I struggle to get through it where I could beat basically every other case in one sitting if I wanted to. I want to emphasize that in this trilogy, even the worst case is still pretty fun, but this definitely started the tradition of lame 3rd cases. Not to mention it gives off vibes of the much superior Turnabout Samurai with its entertainment industry setting and celebrity defendant, whom Maya is an obsessive fan of. It’s fine, but it struggles to stand out.
The game concludes with Farewell, My Turnabout. This right here is my favorite case in the series. I know we still have Bridge to the Turnabout to cover in the next game, but this case right here is a high point the series has never reached again imo. The whole thing is so intense and challenging and I love the setup.
I am going to spoil the big twist for this case. I can’t accurately portray how cool this case is without it. For the record, I knew this twist going in and it didn’t hinder my enjoyment, but here’s a warning anyway. The spoiler-free version is this: the case is absolutely fucking brilliant.
The case starts off with a murder and Maya being kidnapped. You’re tasked with defending Matt Engarde, as the kidnapper’s price for Maya’s freedom is Matt’s acquittal. The thing is though, after breaking down Matt’s psyche locks during the second day of investigation, you realize Matt actually is the murderer. So what results is an interesting moral dilemma and trying to buy enough time in court to avoid it entirely! This case ends with maybe the toughest challenge in the entire series.
Phoenix Wright: Justice for All is a great game and a worthy follow up to one of my favorite games of all time. I also think it's a really interesting game to break down and discuss. I understand why it’s seen as the weakest, but I’ll always respect it. Its cases may be far more of a mixed bag and it doesn’t tell a great overarching story, but the good cases and their individual storylines basically make up for it imo. If you ask me, Justice for All is definitely the most consistently engaging gameplay experience the original trilogy has to offer, with Trials and Tribulations having a better narrative at the cost of simpler gameplay compared to Justice for All, but we’ll cover that game in due time. I definitely think this game is worth a play, even if I don’t think it holds up to the original.