Is it normal to have male friends sneak diss you? Answer ; NO. For too long I thought I was just being sensitive and that guys just talk shit. Now I’m just disappointed and disgusted by it.
I cut things off with a cis gay guy who I’ve know for a while because of how insecure he came off. All his friends recently left him and he has a history of using ppl and just being a dick all around. He’d throw in back handed compliments to me like “idk how you eat so many carbs and still have abs” as if I don’t work a trade , go to the gym and do other active things outside of work. For context he used to be fat and is now skinny fat. He also admitted to having filler put in his face.
Any time id share something I was proud off like saving up for school on my own or not worrying about getting a new job because I’m confident in my ability and work ethic it was either crickets or he’d try and down play it. He has a criminal record and is allergic to hard work lol. I think the cherry on the cake was when I recently bought a somewhat rare car and got more compliments when we drove late at night lol. At the car meet as we passed the motorcycles, I said that Im looking at starting on an R3 … he said it was a bitch bike. The list goes on. He just had a way of shitting on others when they had something positive going on in their life but would swear he was hot shit even if he wasn’t.
Playful jokes I get. I joke around with my coworkers everyday but this guy is something different. I felt like shit every time I was around him and it got to a point where I realized I had more to offer him then the other way around. I’m saying all this to say, this shit is exhausting and I wouldn’t do it to others so why allow it for myself. And don’t get me wrong I’ve said shit back but deep down that’s not the kind of relationship I want with a “friend”. I have too much shit on my plate to stroke the ego of a man child.

Hi All.
Newbie here - I had my introduction ceremony last night. I feel there is a lot to unpack, but my main question is related to the menstrual cycle.
As a bit of background history, I struggled all my life with balancing hormones but I was able to bring my period to a routine for the past few years. I however have not had my period for 7 weeks prior to the initiation ceremony. I have to say that a couple of days before the ceremony I have received quite a lot of synchronocities related yo the colour red. I have then decided to offer her deep dark red roses on the first night. I feel the ceremony started well, but at some point I started getting weird messages in my mind. Like she was making fun of me of not showing up good enough. I feel I have pushed her away when I panicked. Then I decide to do some ice therapy to calm myself down, at that point I no longer knew if the weird messages were due to the panic or if it was her. Weird, when I go to the kitchen the gas stove was on ( at a low level). I didn't think much of it, I thought maybe one of my housemates forgot it on. Anyway, I go back to my room, I had a large bowl of ice - by the time I am ready to do my ice therapy the ice has melted. That has never happened before so fast - I knew it was her way of letting me know I should face my feelings and push through the panic. In the end I started working with her immediately after I have started working with my therapist on shadow work. I ended up journaling for 3 or 4 hours. And went to bed in the morning. When I woke up I decide to make some breakfast and I turn on the stove only for it to be off in a couple of minutes ( same spot as the previous night). And then it hits me, I was looking at the jam I was making and I don't know why I felt I needed to cook jam, it's not something I usually make. But anyway, that was made of raspberries and strawberries, as you can imagine it was all red. It felt like I am being asked to make some sort of sacrifice, and then I realise. My period has also come through the night, a couple of spots before ceremony and the rest through the night. When I look on my phone I see a notification from my astrological app letting me know there is a full moon this Thursday. In Sagittarius ( fire sign and my rising sign). I know usually the ceremonies are held for her on a new moon, but given these messages should I do something for the full moon? And what exactly? I feel called to do it. I had the rest of the day a lot of the downloads with the same pattern. I go to the park and as I enter I see 3 black dogs, one of them holding onto a red ball for his dear life. That and red triangles I saw everywhere. It got me looking into fire of consciousness and I have some weird feeling related to blood line. I don't know a lot about my family history, but my grandad came into my mind a lot lately. There was even more to unpack, but this is the part that doesn't make complete sense to me.
Please help a newbie!
Thanks, Alexandra

Let's not expect other teams to do our job for us. If we don't finish in the Top 2, it's because we didn't do our job well enough when it mattered most.
🔆 The pitch was a murder story brewing to happen, and the victims were the bowlers. We could go on and on about how we didn't get any wickets in the powerplay and allowed two domestic batsmen to plunder runs against us, but it doesn't change the fact that the pitch had nothing to offer the seam bowlers. And no, new ball and overcast conditions don't mandatorily induce swing. This pitch was as barren as the white Rann of Kutch. So a decent mix of non-threatening bowling coupled with brave shot-making of the PBKS batters resulted in that inflated powerplay score. The team selection was definitely done keeping the pitch in mind. Cummins more or less should have been aware of the batting conditions, and accordingly, a batting-heavy team was selected to both test our chasing capabilities and put the primary bowlers under pressure before the crucial playoffs.
🔆 Vijayakanth was bashed a lot during his spell by the fans. But people need to stay connected to the fact that he's not a mystery bowler. He's not going to extract something out of nothing. As a traditional leggie, he did what he was conditioned to do under these situations. He went on the defensive and stuck to a leg line to save himself from the attack. A match and a player in cricket should truly be judged after the conclusion of both innings. Given the PBKS spinners gave away at an economy of 13.6, VV's economy of 9.2 looks meager in comparison. That being said, he didn't bowl a perfect spell. When the ball was gripping a bit around his first spell, he continued bowling a defensive line and length. More often than not, he bowled short to the PBKS batsmen, for which he was punished accordingly. Would I still keep him in the squad? Yes, absolutely yes. More than another enforcer with the bat, this team desperately needs a wicket-taker in the middle. That's the very reason SRH should continue gambling with VV over GP, even if it doesn't pay off. Similarly, Nitish will be branded as a fraud with the ball looking at his stats at the end. And it's fair to an extent. Bowling your first ball of the spell as a no-ball more often than not spoils spells for fast bowlers, and it happened as such for NKR. Despite being hit for a couple of boundaries, he remained persistent with his lengths. This predictability worked against him against Russow and Jitesh. It's a good thing that Cummins entrusted him to bowl three overs under these tough conditions. Figures as such can make a bowler or break his confidence for good. It's a trial by fire, and let's hope we get the better version of NKR, the bowler, out of it.
🔆 Head's wicket was a brain fade. As explained by Brian on-air, he was too late to bring his bat down and the ball just snuck through. He showed signs of rustiness after the long break and he definitely would have benefited from being subbed during the latter part of the first innings. Abhi is a frustrating tale for me. Those who have followed my posts for long should know that I've been one of his biggest supporters ever since his arrival. That's why it's so frustrating to see him be so inconsistent with his batting this season. Despite suffering so much because of the lack of feet movement, he continues playing lazy shots far away from his body. Bowling far away from him and having a dominant off-side field has been the plan against him ever since the CSK match, and he continues giving in to those tactics. Even in this match, he played a couple of unnecessary slices over the point region to the very same area where CSK managed to hole him out. The couple of times he did move around and try to cover the line, he managed to hit handsome boundaries. This modification in technique does not happen overnight and usually takes a fair bit of discipline and time. That's why it's very important for him to keep his head down, block out outside noises, and work on that issue. That being said, he beat the allegations of being ineffective without the support of Head. And that's a step in the right direction.
🔆 Trips turned back the clock! I've always emphasized Trips to be more suitable for opening than batting first down with a semi-new ball. When the ball doesn't move that much and is still hard enough to be hit well, Trips is a different kind of batter. And from the very first ball, he showed glimpses of his past self. Rahul Tripathi is and always has been a confidence player. His performances on the field are reminiscent of the peripheral confidence he gathers before and during his stay in the crease. The less he gets beaten, the fewer Dot Balls he faces, the more confidently he goes through with his shots. I won't say anything new regarding him that I've not said already in here.(Do give it a read if you've not already) Judging by his innings tonight, he'd definitely get his place back in the playoffs. The onus is entirely upon himself to turn the situation around and not ruin his legacy with us. NKR had a decent partnership with Abhi despite struggling initially. He did have luck in his favor a couple of times there, but he made sure to keep up with the RRR to never let the match get away. Klaas, on the other hand, teed off at the start and eventually slowed down after the fall of wickets to secure the win. It's shame that he didn't finish the chase, but that's a discussion that should've taken place had we bottled this.
🔆 This win was necessary for multiple reasons. I wanted a 200+ chase before the end of the group stage so that our batsmen don't carry a burden into such a crucial phase. The RCB match set a precedent for the opposition to score 200+ by batting first against us, and rightfully so, our batsmen failed to comply with the NRR pressure. It showed a definitive weakness in our batting for opponents to exploit, and this match mitigated those worries to some extent. I said 'to some extent' as we made it a little more difficult at the end than we should have. It wasn't 100% confidence-inducing, but it was something at least. There's always a place to start, and I'm glad we started in the right direction.

Artie brutally attacked Sal. He called his wife a cunt and made some derogatory comments about his kids. It’s a roast and nothing is off limits, so that’s fine.
But Artie did not defend Sal at all during the Beth horse joke saga. Artie called Sal’s young kids fags, but agreed Sal crossed the line with the Beth comments. Artie really hated Sal and to an extent, Richard. Any chance he had to shit in them he took. He probably hated that they were gifted a career while he had to work his ass off and deal with demons.
And if there’s any point in sals set that seemed out of line, was when Sal kept calling Gary’s brother a fag.

I met Luna on a train two years ago. I’d just escaped from a toxic relationship, so romance was the last thing on my mind, but then she sat across from me in the carriage and asked about the book I was reading. She had a copy in her bag and wanted to know if it was any good.
I'd never felt such an instant, effortless connection with anybody before. I took a chance and asked her to dinner, and by the time the waiters cleared away our desserts, I already felt comfortable being vulnerable around her. So we went on a second date. And a third. And next thing I knew, we were planning our second anniversary.
In all that time she never gave off any 'creeper' vibes. Until a few months ago, when I stayed the night over at her place...
She'd gotten up early to use the bathroom. I grabbed her laptop off the side desk so I could catch up on some work e-mails, and the incognito tab was just sitting there. My first thought was: either she's having an affair or she's got a secret fetish.
What I found instead was a Google account with a photo album called ‘Michael’s EX’. In it, there were 427 photos of my former girlfriend turned psycho stalker, Sadie. This included shots of ‘Sadie the stalker’ with her family, screenshots of her passport—the works. On Facebook, Sadie's latest post said Moving to the Philippines, and since then she’d become a social media church mouse, so how did Luna keep her under surveillance? And how did you even get PERSONAL ID from a person halfway across the globe?
Down the hall, I heard the bathroom door swing open. Quickly I closed the laptop and pretended to be asleep until Luna planted a kiss on my lips. “Wakey wakey Bugs.”
I faked a stretch. “Morning Lola."
(At school, the other kids christened me ‘Bugs’ because of my cartoonishly large front teeth; I called Luna ‘Lola’ because of her blonde bangs and heart-shaped face.)
“How about we grab a fry for breakfast?” Her smile didn’t seem genuine, more like she was wearing a mask.
“Crap. I forgot I’m doing overtime today, I’ve gotta get to work.” With that, I shot out of there faster than a bullet train to Tokyo.
Because I didn’t wanna believe the worst about someone I cared so deeply about, I didn’t contact the police (not that anybody could’ve guessed what Luna was up to) and made excuses whenever she asked to meet, delaying the decision whether to end our relationship.
At night, I couldn’t sleep. Every time a hedge rustled outside, I’d run to the window and pull back the curtain only to discover a black cat skulking around the garden. I put this down to my previous relationship leaving me with a mountain of unresolved PTSD.
Sadie the stalker also seemed normal until we moved in together. After that she started picking fights if she caught me talking to another woman, even just distant relatives or childhood friends. The screaming matches went from weekly to nightly, only ever ending when I conceded to her every wish and gave her full access to my phone and social media accounts. I literally needed to grab my clothes into a bag and run away one night, and then I started hearing noises outside my new apartment. And although I never found any evidence, I was pretty sure she’d broken in at one point because the books on my side table were suddenly out of order one day. What hurt the most was Luna knew all this and still acted the way she did.
Right as I reached my lowest point, my close friend Gertrude called and said, “The universe is telling me you could use a sympathetic ear.”
I told her the universe didn’t know the half of it.
I’d met Gertrude—aka my surrogate mother—on a flight to London. Passing over Wales the aircraft hit heavy turbulence, and the grey-haired hippie in the seat next to mine squeezed my hand so tight that my fingers turned blue. After we levelled off, she apologized and said, “So what’s calling you to London?”
“A job.”
A few glasses of wine from the service trolley later, she blurted out, “You know your aura is strikingly similar to my husbands.”
“Uhh, thanks. Where is he now?”
“Oh, he burned to death in a house fire.”
Gertrude’s eyes started welling up. To take her mind off the subject, I said, “I lied earlier. I’m going to London because I fell in love with a Londoner.” I pulled up pictures of Sadie (back in her pre-stalker days) on my phone. “We met in Italy. She looked flustered trying to read a map book so I offered to help. Next thing I knew, we were planning a trip to this place called Orvieto.”
“Michael, I need to know how this story ends. Gimme your number.”
Since then, we’d met two or three times a year.
I laid the whole mess out over pizza. It was the first time since finding the Google account I didn’t feel hidden eyes crawling all over me.
Just as I wrapped up the story, over in the corner booth, a family burst into a chorus of happy birthday. A waiter appeared carrying a chocolate cake, capped by a giant candle that looked more like a flare. Gertrude tensed up.
“So what do you think about all this?” I asked.
She looked back at me and said, “It’s possible your reaction has been a touch on the dramatic side.”
“DRAMATIC??”
“Well consider things from Luna’s point of view. Your last relationship lasted for, what, three years? Maybe she felt threatened.”
“I don’t believe this.” I grabbed a cigarette from my pocket, but Gertrude snatched it away.
“You know how I feel about you poisoning your lungs, Michael.”
“Don’t you start. I got enough of that crap from Luna.”
Gertrude always encouraged me to work through my romantic problems. Ultimately, I decided her love of fairytale romances clouded her judgement and ghosted Luna instead. But I couldn’t escape her shadow. She always felt close. In fact, it got so bad that at a friend’s costume party several weeks later, my eyes kept compulsively scanning the crowd as if she was there in disguise, ready to pounce.
I stood off to the corner until, over the sea of heads, I spotted a beautiful stranger dressed as Jarlath the Goblin King. I took a shot of liquid courage and made a B-line towards her.
Halfway across the crowded room, beer splashed across the front of my Ziggy Stardust outfit.
“I am so sorry,” a female pirate said, patting me dry.
“Don’t worry about it.” Every time I tried circling her, she moved to cut me off.
“I am such a klutz. Why don’t you come into the kitchen so I can clean up this mess?”
I put my hands on her shoulders and steered her out of the way. “It’s fine. Trust me.”
Approaching Jarlath from behind, heart slamming against my chest, I said, “Well this is awkward. One of us is gonna have to change.”
Jennie had bright blue eyes and dimples impossible to miss. Ten minutes into our debate about David Bowie’s greatest album, I said, “You know Absolute Bowie are playing the Half Moon next week. I could take you?”
“Sorry. I’m going with my boyfriend,” she said with a sympathetic smile. From beside the buffet table, the pirate stared daggers in our direction.
“No worries,” I replied, despite the fact I was brimming with jealousy.
The next day, as I jogged off my hangover, a brown-haired lady cut across my path and we both went spinning to the ground.
“Flip, sorry.” I rushed to pull her up by the hands. “I’m like a bloody zombie lately.”
She did a doubletake. “Ziggy, right?”
There was no mistaking those eyes. “Jarlath?”
“Well, Jarlath or Jennie. Eithers fine.”
“Right. Well, sorry again. Enjoy Absolute Bowie.”
Before I could jog away, she said, “Hey, so that guy I was seeing? Turns out he’s a total prick.”
Jennie and I went for coffee. Coffee morphed into drinks. Drinks morphed into a steamy make-out session on my sofa.
But as she covered my neck in soft kisses, my stomach turned. It felt like cheating. So, I put the brakes on things and said, “I can’t do this. I’m really sorry. You’re amazing, but I just got out of a serious relationship…and…it’s just…”
“Hey, don’t worry about it.”
We agreed we’d let our connection blossom in its own time.
Jennie had a playful mystique to her. Within a handful of dates, we’d developed inside jokes and could tell what the other was thinking. But Luna’s imprint was hard to shake, to the extent I almost mixed up the two ladies’ names multiple times.
To detox, I suggested Jennie and I spend a romantic weekend in the Lake District, because after two days of hiking and kayaking my ex would no doubt be a spec in the rearview mirror.
Hours before we set off, however, Luna’s mom called. She wanted to meet and wouldn’t accept any excuses.
“Look, it’s obvious why I’m here,” she said, sitting across from me in Starbucks. “Ever since you and Luna broke up, she’s been acting…different.”
“Different? Different how?”
“I call but she hardly answers. I go over to her place but she’s never there. Now she’s telling me she needs to find herself. Says she’s moving to Australia.”
Her fingers tightened around her cup. “I need to know what happened between you two. And I don’t care if that paints anybody in a bad light. I’m just worried about my daughter is all.”
I told her about the Google account.
“Did you confront her about it?”
“Hell no. I ghosted that crazy bitc—” I cleared my throat. “I mean, I just…stopped seeing her.”
She started crying so loudly customers at nearby tables paused their conversations. I touched her forearm, promised I’d call if I remembered anything else, then set off for my romantic weekend.
But while Jennie and I enjoyed all that fresh air and pub food, a thought nagged at me. Luna adored London, so why move to Australia? It seemed so out of character. Back at our rented cottage, I was so fixated on the thought I needed a smoke, badly.
“What the hell is that?” Jennie demanded, as she stepped onto the front deck.
I glanced at my hands. “Uhh, a cigarette.”
“Michael! Don’t be sarcastic. You know how I feel about those things.”
“…Do I?”
“Uhh, well it’s the same as anybody else. Quit poisoning your lungs and put that thing out.”
“Alright alright, geeze. Sorry Luna.”
“That’s okay.”
A knot formed in my stomach as she went back inside. I’d called Jennie Luna by mistake. And she hadn’t noticed. In fact, her reaction to me smoking was identical to Luna’s—even the snappy way she said the ‘poison your lungs’ line.
I followed Jennie into the lounge, where she’d curled up on an armchair with a Colleen Hoover novel. She was hiding something. What else did she know about Luna? Maybe I could trick her into revealing some details…
From behind, I started massaging her shoulders. “Sorry for being rude before. I know what you said came from a place of love.”
“That’s okay.”
I waited until her eyes drooped shut, then said, “It really is perfect here, huh? Maybe we should stay forever.”
“Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
Her little groans of pleasure, the rhythm of her breathing, it all felt so familiar. I waited until the tension in her neck dissolved, then I pushed my lips against her ear and whispered, “So how about we take this into the bedroom…Lola.”
“Hmm. Sure thing Bugs.”
My hands froze. Jennie jumped up. “Uhh, that felt so good, why’d you stop?”
“What did you just say?”
“What did you just say?”
“I called you Lola,” I replied, my arms frozen in midair. “And you called me bugs.”
“Like the cartoon, right? I thought it’d be a cute nickname. Anyway, I’m tuckered out.” She forced a yawn. “Why don’t we get some sleep?”
As her hand laced with mine, an image of me waking up drugged and gagged and tied to the bedposts flashed before my eyes.
I said, “Sure. I just…need to use the bathroom first.”
The second the door shut behind me, I flew out of the house, climbed in my car, and sped away.
Within seconds my phone started blowing up with calls, followed by texts. Where are you going? Is everything okay?
No, I wanted to reply. I’m onto your sick little game. Whatever it is, I’m onto it.
Luna stalked my stalker, now Jennie somehow knew Luna and I’s nicknames. How? Did all women take turns drawing straws and whoever picked the short one needed to become my girlfriend?
I couldn’t go home. For all I knew, my exes would’ve been there burning effigies of me. I needed a safe place. Somewhere I could lie low until I got all this straightened out.
“Of course you can stay,” Gertrude said over the phone. “I’m out with some friends, but I’ll meet you later. If you hop the side gate there’s a spare key under the kissing gnomes out back.”
Gertrude lived in a detached house in Wembley. It took a bit of foraging to find the gnomes hidden beneath the weeds in the brown, patchy garden.
I needed to shoulder the door open. Inside, a mountain of letters and flyers had piled up on the welcome mat.
Down the hall, a huge archway connected the landing with a lounge, where a bar sat against the far wall, surrounded by upholstered sofas, a low table, and tie dye sheets strung over the filthy carpet. Everything had a real elegant vibe, despite the musty air.
I’d drained two glasses of whiskey before Gertrude arrived.
“Looks like you’ve had a rough evening.”
I said we could talk in the morning.
“Not a chance. You can’t take negative energy to bed. Come on, confession is good for the soul.”
She sat on the sofa and patted the empty seat next to her. So, with a weary sigh, I shared a tale of deranged exes.
“Crazy,” she said.
“I sure can pick ‘em, huh?”
“No, I mean you’re crazy.”
“What?”
“Think about it. What’s more likely: that your ex’s are secretly in collusion, or you’re being paranoid? Look how bloodshot your eyes are. When’s the last time you got a good night’s rest?”
She made a great point; teenagers on the street occasionally shouted ‘Bugs’ or ‘Thumper’ at me. Jennie might’ve come up with the nickname herself. I pinched the bridge of my nose, groaning.
“Look, sleep here tonight. Tomorrow we’ll brainstorm ways you can make it up to Jennie.”
I fumbled through my pockets for a cigarette.
“Really?” Gertrude said. “If you insist on poisoning your lungs, can you at least do it away from my home?”
“Well if I can’t smoke, I’m gonna need a refill.” I shook my empty glass.
On my way toward the bar, a wave of wooziness hit me. My first instinct was to blame it on the alcohol, but there was something else.
It was her reaction to the cigarette. My finger ran through the thick layer of dust along the bar’s countertop. Why was it like the place had been abandoned? Why did Gertrude always pressure me to stay with my psycho girlfriends? And how come she always reached out, as if on cue, whenever my relationships hit problems? It couldn’t be coincidence…
I poured two glasses of whiskey and carried them to the sofa. “So, you’re really against the whole smoking thing, huh?”
“Of course. It’s a filthy habit.”
“Yeah. Plus, there was that mess with your husband. House fire, right?”
“I’d rather not discuss it.”
“Sure, sure.” I ignited the lighter with a roll across my trouser leg.
Gertrude grabbed a cushion and hugged it. “What are you doing?”
“Alright, cut the crap. What the hell’s going on? Have you been sending your friends to date me?”
“What are you talking about?”
I wrestled the cushion from her and held the lighter beneath it. “I want an explanation right now or I’m torching this place.”
This was an empty threat. I wasn’t some pyromaniac—I just wanted answers. Inch by inch, I raised the flame. “Last chance. Why are the women in my life acting weird?”
Gertrude grabbed for the lighter. As I swatted her wrists away, we both got scorched, and for a moment her skin went wild with spasms, a sensation I can only compare to reaching inside a bucket of wet, writhing maggots. My gaze whipped between her face and her hands, which vibrated like plucked guitar strings.
Before I could scream, she yanked me up, clamped a cold, wrinkled palm across my mouth, and forced me against the wall. I thrashed around, unable to move. For a lady old enough to collect a pension, she was crazy strong.
She waited until I ran out of breath, then said, “Michael, please. I’m not going to hurt you. Open your heart and listen.”
What else could I do?
“You were right before. I have been keeping a secret from you. The truth is, I’ve been in love with you since we met. I’d never flown before. And you were so so sweet. You started talking about this other woman, but I knew our energies were perfect for each other. And it’s like I always say, love makes us do crazy things. You can’t begrudge me that can you?”
She looked as if she expected me to respond, so I shook my head.
“But I think we’ve reached a point where our connection is so deep we can be completely transparent with one another.” She took a slow, steady breath. “Michael, all your ex’s, Luna, Sadie, Jennie. They’ve all been…well, me.”
I stared at her, confused.
She sighed. “It’ll be easier if I just show you.”
Out of nowhere her hand wriggled again, then her face tightened, as though the skin was being stretched over the bone. Wrinkles smoothed out and colour bled into her grey hair, turning it brown, and within seconds I found myself face-to-face with Jennie. Even her vintage clothes morphed into a green blouse and white slacks.
“See?” she said in Jennie’s voice, her now blue eyes locked on mine.
I screamed into the soft flesh of her palm.
“Sssh, it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you. Watch.”
Her entire body jerked and twitched, the muscles spasming as she shifted from Jennie to Luna. “See? Think of these as costumes”—from Luna to Sadie—"the important thing is what’s underneath. And you’ve fallen in love with what’s underneath three times. Now I’m going to let go, but I need you to promise you won’t overreact. Understand?”
On the verge of a panic attack, I nodded furiously.
The second she pulled away I made a break for the exit. The thing posing as Sadie grabbed me and hurled me backwards against the wall.
Like a disappointed teacher, she put her hands on her hips. “I’ve been so patient with you, Michael. So very, very patient.”
She blocked off any hope of escape. I sidestepped around the outer edge of the room, towards the bar.
“All those years moulding you. Trying to grow you into the man I know you can be. I really thought we had it this time. For the record, I wanted to do this the easy way. But drastic times...”
I was so scared I slammed right into the cabinet and yelped. Glass bottles chattered together, and then something wet ran down the back of my shirt. It was whiskey, leaking from the overturned bottle onto the carpeted floor.
Speaking more to herself now, Gertrude said, “I’ll just have to keep you here until you love me as much as I love you. Of course, that means posing as you so nobody gets suspicious, but that’s no trouble. I’ll tell your dad you’re moving to Italy. You always loved Italy.”
Pose as me? She'd been killing my ex's and taking their place, I was just the latest in a long line. She’d keep me as a personal sugar baby if I didn’t escape, but how? She was impossibly strong, and the only thing that seemed to scare her was…
Snatching the bottle, I doused the remaining whiskey all over the carpet and furniture. As I flicked the lighter open, Sadie’s hands shot up.
“Bugs…darling…what are you doing?”
I took three slow, steady breaths. “Breaking up with you, you crazy bitch.”
I tossed the lighter forward. Within seconds flames sprung up all around us, spreading as far as the sofa. Sadie’s shoe caught fire, and as she stamped around, unintentionally fanning the blaze, her body writhed again, starting with the ankles. Fat boils climbed up every inch of exposed skin, milky white and with the consistency of frog spawn, like she’d had a killer allergic reaction to poison ivy.
She dropped to her knees, wailing like a wounded animal. This was my chance.
I made a break for the exit, giving the creature as wide a berth as possible. But as I got one foot planted in the hall something clamped tight around my ankles. My chin hit the floor, then I started sliding backwards.
I twisted onto my back. Where Sadie’s left arm should’ve been, a tentacle-like appendage stretched across the length of the room, a distance of over twenty feet. It reeled me toward her like a fish on a line. Whatever that thing was no longer looked human. It melted like an ice statue, with no bones or connective tissue inside, its lips nose and mouth becoming hideously elongated before dripping off in huge globs like melted candlewax. A fire alarm started wailing as the tentacle dragged me through the flames, scorching my arms and legs.
The loose mass of skin reached out and encased me like a mother bird sheltering its eggs.
“WHY WON’T YOU LOVE ME?” all my ex’s voices screamed at once. Whichever direction I looked, silhouettes of faces rose and fell, as if trying to burst through. Parts of them dripped inside my mouth, disgustingly warm with a bitter taste worse than Vaseline.
I put everything into clawing my way out if there. What was left of the beast had the consistency of wet clay and came apart just as easily. I tore away chunks until there was a hole large enough to squeeze through. Then, I crawled along surrounded by black smoke.
At the far side of the room I risked a glance back and saw a bumpy, uneven hand reaching out of a puddle of ooze. Soon I was crawling over the bristly welcome mat, then fumbling for the door. All I remember after that are paramedics wrestling me into an ambulance…
A specialist officer came to see me at the hospital the next morning. They’d been unable to contact the homeowner, Gertrude Huyton, and through his line of questioning I could tell they hadn’t found her ‘remains’ inside the charred house. Like the wicked witch of the West, my stalker had melted. I told the officer she said I could stay the night, and that I probably started the fire by dropping a cigarette.
“In that case, we’ll keep trying to reach her.” He walked to the curtain surronding my bed and paused. “Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, her cat is missing.”
“Her...cat?”
“Yeah. The little black one. One of the firemen pulled it out of the wreckage. The poor thing had burns over its legs but it ran off before anybody could take it to the vet.”
I swallowed a gulp and thanked him for telling me.
And now I’m still sitting here listening while nurses rush back and forth, terrified any one of them might be Gertrude…

I’m in school currently and just rotated to a new hospital, and the floor nurses are not being very nice to us. I know they are busy and I made a point of letting them know what I can do currently. I then went and did my patient work and charted and let them know it was complete. I tried to stay out of their way as did my classmates and we were all treated rudely the rest of the day and they didn’t make much of an effort to conceal talking shit about us. My classmates are all respectful and we offer to do what we can. Any suggestions on what we can do moving forward? It’s going to be a long summer of this otherwise. Donuts? Candy? Coffee? How do we not make you mad at us?

I have known for a while I didn’t have a visual memory. Close my eyes and can’t picture anything at all. See lights and sometimes floaters on my eyeballs, but impossible to visualise anything. I also have no inner voice. I have no memory of ever having either. So until recently I didn’t know about the inner voice so wondering how I think is different. Memories, I have them but I can’t visualise and I remember conversations as the happen but no voices to them. I know if I have seen a movie, I know the plot, dialogue but it’s just there. I can recall it. Same with music, can remember lyrics of songs I haven’t heard in years. Do others have the same? Names, I struggle with names as I can’t put the face to a name. I will know I met them before but can’t put a name to them. End up calling people matey a lot! Not good lol. Imagination, I can imagine scenarios, but it’s like a script if I write it down it just flows. I do dream can’t recall always but I do dream. Always thought I dreamt in black and white but thinking more on it I don’t think it is visual at all. Just thoughts. I can read very fast, easily absorbing the information especially fiction. Slightly harder with required information but still fast. I work in IT and I can debug logs and systems extremely efficiently. I found if someone came to me with an idea for a program or a use case, I can quickly grasp it to the point I can see blockers. But not visually just seem to know. Guess I am just trying to understand how others perceive these, with and without visual memory & inner voice.

This happened a gpod few days or so ago. I was working and it was Tuesday. I was extremely tired as I had to get up at 4 in the morning for my first job. I made myself this odd mixture of Columbian Cold Brew, Columbian (Hot) Coffee, Cappuccino Mix, and Hot Cocoa. It was around a 64oz drink which I drank half of at my first job.
I leave my first job and start driving to get to my second job, and relaxed once I got there for a few minutes in the parking lot (mind you my drink concoction is still halfway full as I didn't drink it towards the drive there).
Midway through my second job, I told my lead that my coffee wasn't gonna cut it and since he was going to go to the gas station, if he could grab me a 5 hour energy.
(Now, when I drink 5 hours, I ration them through the week since if I drink the "recommended" size, it makes my heart race to 140. I drink about 5ml at a time when i drink 5 hours.)
Side note- I have gone to the hospital for a unrelated reason but they warned me not to drink energy drinks due to my heart.
Now back to the point. He arrived with a 5 hour, and I drank my normal amount (5ml). His wife that we both worked with told me I better not waste her husband's money - so I thought "fine - here I'll show you I don't waste things." And proceeded to down the entire 5 hour plus the rest of my 64 Oz coffee concoction.
An hour passed and I felt so jittery but my heart rate stayed around the 65-95 range but it kept jumping up and down by 10.
I felt fine at first, until after an hour and a half I felt nauseous and the world was going so fast but so slow at the same time. I made myself throw up around 10 times since I felt so bad.
My lead told me I could go home if I wanted but I told him I'd suck it up and power thru - not even 30 minutes after, I told him I'll accept his offer and immediately clocked out and drove home.
Idk how I made the drive home considering the world was zooming in and out of focus but I did it, got home and walked into my room as fast as I could and laid down since I was spiraling and felt like I was both extremely drunk and greened out but it was the caffeine. Ate some noodles as I looked up what a caffeine overdose was and then told me starches help balance the caffeine and helps my body regulate it slowly.
Felt like shite the next day and didn't drink anything but water the following 2 days.
TL;DR wanted to prove to a coworker that I wouldn't waste her partners money when he bought a 5 hour. Ended up overdosing on caffeine due to the amount that I drank in very little time.

I wish I’d researched how the portal handles mixing cabin classes.
Every year (besides normal work or vacation travel), I visit family in SE Asia. After taking every airline combo possible for years to save money I finally reached the point where I could afford to take Singapore Airlines. The long haul flight from New York is that much more bearable when the service is so good.
I figured I had might as well benefit from this by always booking the flight on a good travel card. Unfortunately, when booking through C1 the myriad options for mixing cabin classes between Economy, Premium and Business are just not there, at least for SA. All the lovely options for customizing say, the return flight with an upgrade, don’t show up, nor are some cabin classes an option for even round trip flights that are available at the SA website. Calling customer service confirmed this. You get what you get.
Is the best solution to book the base flight at C1 and then try to upgrade a leg via SA? I don’t love how complicated this makes what used to be a simple trip to plan, on top of the uncertainty of how well I’d be accommodated by SA if a trip booked by a third party went wrong.

Content warning: SA
Two years ago I was consistently assaulted by my coworker while at work. One of these times involved him pointing a gun at me. We work at a University, so eventually I opened a Title 9 case against him as I did not want to press criminal charges. In the face of my overwhelming proof, he quit rather than participate in the investigation. Case was closed.
Early this year I was walking around my workplace and bumped into him. He was rehired in another position. The University made zero efforts to warn me about this. I had to reopen a Title 9 case and am still going through it 4 months later. My worksite was changed for the absolute worst so they could “keep us apart” by giving him the premiere workplace. Last month I testified against him for 4 hours with Title 9 trying to get him fired. An hour later, I receive a call from a boss that our chief has ordered my immediate suspension from work, pending a psychological evaluation. Zero reason has been given to myself or my union lawyer. Conveniently, the man I testified against is our deputy chief’s son. So I think we see the real reason. I have been suspended for an entire month now.
A few days before I was suspended, another coworker threatened to shoot me and himself in front of our whole shift. I showed my bosses the messages and they asked “what I did to him to cause this reaction.” What I did to him was refuse to help him cheat on his wife with me.
My 3 years at this job has been absolute hell as the only woman on my shift most days. I have been harassed constantly by men and sent explicit pictures without my consent. I have been begged relentlessly to send photos myself. Unfortunately the job market is awful where I live and I am making very good money here that I can’t afford to lose. Is it worth risking my daily safety for though??
I met with a lawyer who said I have no grounds to sue for a hostile work environment or anything else, that it’s too hard to prove. I need to know what legal options I do have then, because this suspension is clearly retaliation and they have consistently enabled a workplace of sexual predators to take advantage of a small young woman. I’m scared and I’m just looking for any advice you may have. Please

So I F55 have been single, living with ex (paranoid hoarder) for a few years. It was exhausting & constant stress. We all know what clutter does to an aspie!! I finally had enough & decided to move closer to my kids&grans 1200 miles away. Ex moved out. I've been trying to pack my stuff (imagine trying to find my stuff in the hoard) bought a shuttle to live in/haul my stuff, still had the exs cats, dog, for months. It's just been chaos & I'm really pushing myself. I have a 4 hr round trip commute, on top of an 8 hr work shift, 5 days a week. A friend there, invited me to a FB group to maybe meet some more friends there before hand. I got a few responses & over a period of a few months, 1 in particular, (F62) were seeing each other. She came to visit. Visit went fantastic. I understand she's a manager type personality & was fine with that, until I told her I am Aspie. Within a few days, I was being instructed on how to deal with bosses, friends, finances, when to work on my resume, tasks, chores, etc. I occasionally get overwhelmed & take a night off from tasks. I had set Mem Day as my "goal" tho kept the reality of rain, & things not working as planned (I had a date to get hitch installed, they screwed up reservation, & rescheduled next week) perfect example! I was planning on driving my shuttle down, coming back for camy dog. SHE decided, to buy a plane ticket for Mem wknd, to drive my car down for me. She's never pulled a trailer, nor dealt with midwest storms. She would also have my dog in that car. When I mentioned the given time frame, she dismissed it. My concerns: The shuttle is older and may break down. It's custom, so finding parts may take weeks. I also brought up midwest storms, her response was "its just rain we will keep going". I brought up straight line wind, derechos, etc. Was still blown off. So now my stress & anxiety are peaking. Monday night, we chatted until late, Tuesday, i had a texted a typo, & she was offended I didn't fix it. I had a horrendous busy day. She texted that I must be busy. I said yes. Note: that was all the text I got from her as well all day. When I left work, I texted that I was out. Didn't get the typical "drive safe" response. I texted that I got home. I got 'yay' in response. I then get voice message telling me she can't imagine how much stress im under, she doesn't want to be my stressor, etc. She offers me a night off of our nightly chat so I can decompress. I'm thinking omg she's amazing, thank you ty TY! Then... she sends me a vm of how I'm exhibiting VERY BAD passive aggressive behavior, full of red flags, she's going to take this as a concern, etc. I apologize & say today Im overwhelmed. Now, she was upset about my typo, I didn't fix my typo, I didn't text much, how that made her feel ghosted, that her gut was right that I was bullshit, that I'm just too immature to handle what she has to offer. At this point, I'm in critical shut down. I reject calls- texts, tho the texts come in nose to tail. So she starts harassing my adult daughter. I tell my daughter to block her. Now the accusations start. Then threatening to visit my elderly (80+) neighbors, harass THEM until I conform. (PS: she works with the elderly) & she can't see why I don't want anything to do with her.

Father of two young kids here. At 3am my central air condenser stopped working so I’ve been running on all cylinders solving every issue that comes with this. Being that it’s Sunday and I have to wait a day before most companies can get someone out here, I’m reaching out to Reddit to see if I can pin point the issue.
What I have gathered: the central air fan works but I don’t hear the condensor is not working. I don’t see any frost or signs of the coils freezing so I’m ruling this out (although it could still be possible) .
I’m attempting to determine if the condenser is shot or if some switch that kicks it on is faulty. I’ve seen a video online where a gentleman touched something with a screw driver and was able to kick on the compressor but I haven’t seen this in years….if anyone knows what he touched or has any insight on how to bypass the switch, please let me know.
Any other suggestions are welcome.
Thanks

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/mairia-cahill-michelle-oneills-belated-apology-for-storey-funeral-is-a-distraction-tactic/a1179279534.html
Never was there a starker illustration of the state of Northern Ireland, and the state of Stormont’s handling of the Covid pandemic, than images from December 2020 of ambulances full of patients, queuing outside hospitals full to capacity.
Michelle O’Neill, then deputy first minister, was quick to offload blame on to her coalition partners in the DUP, telling RTÉ’s Morning Ireland: “Let’s not tar everybody with the same brush… I have never deviated from the public health advice.”
She had a short memory. Only six months earlier, O’Neill had been in Milltown Cemetery in Belfast — disregarding all the public health advice to socially distance — posing with others to have their photographs taken at the funeral of former IRA man Bobby Storey.
Afterwards, she had the ­audacity to act as if she had no apology to make for going, no responsibility for the thousands of people on the streets, irreparably damaging trust in government and the public health message.
“I will never apologise for attending the funeral of my friend,” she said the next day.
Crowds line the Belfast streets for Bobby Storey's funeral. Photo: PA My beloved grandmother’s funeral was just five days before Storey’s. We had to watch from a distance as masked men in blue boiler suits lowered her into the ground.
In contrast, the Storey funeral saw republicans travel from all over Ireland, including leading Sinn Féin figures such as Mary Lou McDonald who attended the funeral and an event at Milltown cemetery, where Pearse Doherty and O’Neill addressed thousands of people.
It later transpired that there was no need for anyone to be there at all — Storey was cremated miles away. All this, in the midst of the worst public health crisis to befall us in a century.
The resulting row almost collapsed the Stormont executive. Last week, Arlene Foster told the Covid Inquiry in Belfast that it was “a moment of maximum risk” for her to try and keep things afloat amid pressure from colleagues to walk.
Last Tuesday at the inquiry, O’Neill finally apologised for her attendance: “I also know equally that my actions compounded the hurt and that horrible experience that those families have gone through. I also know that my actions also angered the families, and for that I am truly sorry. I am sorry for going…” It only took four years.
Where is Mary Lou McDonald’s apology? Or Pearse Doherty’s? Or Matt Carthy’s? Previously, defending her attendance, McDonald said: “If I were taoiseach, if I am ever honoured with being in that role and leading a government, of course I would still go to the funerals of people who are friends of mine. Why would I not?” She added: “I was pleased to have the opportunity to say goodbye to a friend of mine.” Where does O’Neill’s apology leave McDonald now? What does it say about McDonald’s political judgment?
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald The minutes of ­a Stormont meeting the day after Storey’s funeral show O’Neill was bullish about her attendance, stating that in her mind there was “no dilution” by her of the public health message.
She now accepts that “that was wrong, because clearly I did”.
She’s under pressure, a far cry from a few months ago, when some secretly harboured a wish that she would take over from Mary Lou McDonald. This was reflected in a Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll in March, which showed O’Neill a clear 16 points ahead of the SF president. The poll was taken just two weeks after O’Neill’s fluffy Late Late Show appearance, where she gave a smiling, polished performance.
Overly buffed surfaces tend to tarnish with the slightest scratch. Michelle O’Neill is affable, and can repeat the party line, but she lacks the ability to foresee the consequences of her decisions. In government, this is a liability. But in a government during a pandemic, it can be lethal. Asked at the Covid Inquiry if she realised at the time “the hurt and anger that going to the funeral would cause?”, O’Neill’s answer was short. “I didn’t, but I ought to have.” Still, she insists she led “from the front” — apart from that one time.
So why apologise now? Perhaps she is truly sorry, but her apology also distracted the media from probing further the fact that her witness statement to the inquiry — where she denied using informal messages to discuss policy — was, in the words of KC Clair Dobbin, “wrong”. Had Arlene Foster not provided her messages, the official record may well have been different. Despite legal advice, O’Neill deleted her devices — meaning no records or conversations stored on her work phone were provided to the inquiry. That is an extremely serious matter and needs to be addressed. Weeks before the pandemic, I highlighted Sinn Féin’s woeful record in Stormont’s government in this paper, and invited people to scrutinise it, so they could see how they would govern in Dublin. I rest my case. Even in a pandemic, the party came first.

~Player always get better or cooler reward for helping other~
Player race - fiver options for customization
Ghoul
No radiation damage + slow regeneration + npc more mefiant and discrimination
Glowing ghoul =
No radiation damage + slow regeneration + npc shoot on sight need to convinced them you’re sane
Super mutant =
No radiation damage + Npc are scared and treat you like an idiot and discriminate
Synthétique =
The compount will hunt you down eventually
Human = no malus or bonus

Character background :
Ghoul / glowing ghoul : Old ghoul ; new ghoul ; vault
Human : Vault ; settler ; brotherhood ; institute
Super mutant: amnesiac
Synthétique : Railroad ; Mister handy (Miss nanny) Old, new, vault.
START
New arrivant decided to etablished themselves in an old farm close to the local town and become farmer.
First objectif :
- rebuilt home by scavenging in delapited town

• scavenging town to find seed (First seed of the player)
  
• Scavenging town to find gardening tool
  

Mechanics

Upgrade house by collecting enough scavenging material (metal, stone, tape, glue, etc…) and paid the town entrepreneur to do so.
Possibility to upgrade town by the same way : drinkable water ; defense ; radio tower ; museum ; school ; etc…
Defend home from wild attack (animal, raiders, super mutant, ect…) with gun and eventually autonomous turrets (later game) and engage mercenary to defed (late game). The more the player amass money, the more frequent the attack will be.
Scavenger will gossip about big event and some minor event that occurred in the settlement that you participated in.
Settlement gestion :

• Happiness (Festival ? ; npc request ; …)
  
• Sanitaire (Water access)
  
• Defense (Millitia ; autonomous turrets ; dogs)
  

Thirst gestion.
Can recolt skin, meat (and bones?) of wild animal.
Can recolt material, used to very used weapond, (rarely) health item, (meat and corpse body parts?) on intelligent humanoïds ennemy
Carrying can either be by weight of the item or by the number of item player can carry.

Farming

Season : Spring (middle season) ; Summer (high season) ; Automn (middle season) ; Winter (low season)
Tool: Hoe ; Scynthe ; Watering can ; Pickaxe hamme
Base crop value vs transform product :
Spring : -- ++
Summer : --- +++
Automn : ++ --
Winter : +++ ---

Can sell crop and other to nearest settlement (help with settlement relationship at first) or to traveling marchant.
The river close to your home have fish in it. It take two day for fish to repopulate. If seasonal fish have all be take out, it will take two years
Can raise different mutated animal. Sell them to the town for meat (or kill them and sell them yourself ?) or keep them alive for animal product. (Animal have life span?)
Transform product : Wine ; beer ; jelly ; dried spice,meat, fish ; cheese ; mayo ; butter
Farm building :

• Coop and barn
  
• Forge to fix used weapon
  

- Wind mill

• Food storage (?)
  
• Money storage (no bank, credit card or debit card. Need to carry in your inventary the money life in fallout)
  

Crop seed that can be found in the town :

• Potato
  
• Melon
  
• Wheat
  
• Corn
  
• Carrot
  
• Gourd
  

Seed you can buy for traveling marchants :

• Spice seed (basilic ; persil; etc..)
  
• Fruit seed
  
• Legume seed
  

( - Flower and house plant seed ? (Aloes??))

Fight

No power armor for the player :(
Can buy stimpack and radaway from settlement healer or from scavenger in the town (for a more expensive price). When reach high enough relationship with healer, he will give you the recipe for both. The only way to regain life and get rid of radiation (sleep and food don’t heal). (Sickness (malus) if health too low for too long?)
Gain radiation by drinking
The main fight zone of the game is the town. In the edge : house, a small commerce (tiny to small dungeon) ; Closer to the center: Office, appartement (small to medium dungeon) ; Center : Commercial center, sky scrapper, (subway?) (normal to big dungeon.
Some raiders and some synth will drop their weapons and beg for their life if the health is low enough. Spare enough of them and you will receive letter from either : the minuteman ; the brotherhood or the railroad to thank you for sending more recruit their way. Two or three will regularly visit town.

Relationship

Can get a dog as a perm. Companion (can choose race?) (Can breed you dog and gitf puppy to the settlement?)
Npc relationship possible bonus :
- Discount (from marchant)
- Recipe
- Special cut scene
- (Sometime) help on the farm

• (Sometime) help to defend the farm

Some npc love receving gift other will be inconfortable with it. But after (wedding?) no adverse reaction to receive gift.

• 2 gift a week
  
• 1 gift a month (After the first gift wil react more and more incomfortable, will start to lower relationship)
  

MAX : 2 gift a week
Might meet some settler in the edge of the town, scavenging like you.
Cause of relationship decay :

• Unlike gift
  
• (for some) offer to many gift
  
• 1 month with no interraction
  
• Answer choice
  
• Attacking townie (unkillable)
  
• Question choice
  

There’s a vault “near” the settlement. Gain their trust by doing quest (# depend on race of the player). Once they trust you and when you become mayor, they will become full allied and allow circulation between their vault and the settlement.
Romanceable npc
- # Ghoul

• Robot (Synth and miste handy (miss nanny)

• Super mutant

• Settler

- 1 Traveling npc
Special romance
- Mysterious stranger (need 10 Luck and insert condition)
Will randomly pop out of your house and pop back in. Will tell you about a lone wanderer, courrier or vault survivor he helped. Will come to your help in combat with baby in hand (if kid in the game)

• intelligent deathclaw (insert conditions)

Rival ? Date ?
If there’s kid in the game
Player will be able to have two kids. (Hatchling deathclaw will count as one if in a relationship with Deathclaw).
If player or spouse can’t have a kid (Super mutant ; ghoul ; Synth); player will get a quest about a raider camp in town. Discover all prisoner are dead except one human baby hidden by the body of his dead mother.
Quest reward : Congradulation you are a parent :D
If player can have kid; if spouse is a women, player will have to catter to their wife food craving (nothing with rare item) or face a penality in the relationship. If player is a women ; Malus in health, energy, slower deplacement and carrying capacity decrease the more and more the pregnancy advance. New choice of answer : pissed as fuck and hormonal. Spouse will insist to become a companion until end of pregnancy
Kid will go to school (town upgrade) for three day, help on the farm for three other and have a free day.

Stats

Strenght : carrying capacity (?) ; combat ; energy ; health ; defense
Perception : detect ennemy ; scavenging ; npc interraction
Endurence : health ; energy ; resistance
Charisma : batter ; persuasion ; Npc weariness ; # limit of resident npc in settlement
Intelligence : crafting farm upgrade (fertilizer ; spinkler) ; used weapon fixing
Agility : sneak ; weapon ; defense
Luck : loot quality ; gambling (?) ; crit chance (max starting points : 5)

Skill

Tree skill style possibility : Path of exile ; Outer world
Farming: Tilling - Watering
Fight: Heavy weapons- Light weapons- Melee
Defence : Dodge - Block
Stealth: Sneak- Lockpick - Hack
Endurance : Poison resistance - Radiation resistance - Thirst resistance
Persuasion: Batter - Intimidation - Persuation (?)
Scavenging : Deconstruct - Descerning eyes
Thinkering : Crafting - Engineering - Medecine
(Upgrade skill to upgrade stat? Once you upgrade a skill enough, it allow you to upgrade the stat?)

Quest :
Attempt murder on the player by the mayor once town upgrade and settler relationship high enough. Scare that they would lose their place to you to engage mercenary or try to poison you to keep their place. Force the mercenary to tell you who paid them or find a note on one of them or talk to the mayor after the attack (will be surprise to see you alive). You can :
- Bring him to justice and let the settler decide of his fate. (Will be possible to talk to him in prison)
- Execute him (will have to prove to the settler that this was auto-defense. Lose some relationship with settler)

• Let him life (will leave town. Grateful to be alive but bitter to have lose his title)

Result : Become mayor next election!
Raides have created a camp close to the settlement. Remove them. Player will find two npc in cage. You can :

• Let them there

-Help them out
-Kill them inside the cage
Result :

• They die
  
• Will eventually die of thirsth
  
• Will come to the town and become settlers
  

You’ve find a mister handy (or miss nanny) in the town. Why not fix them?
Result : They will propose you to help you on the farm. Accept and they’ll start working the day after. Refuse and they’ll becom settler. (Possibility to make them synth when relationship high enough?)

Find a sorry scene : deadraiders; a dead deathclaw; a nest with two crushed egg a one intact egg. You can :

• Sell the egg
  
• Eat the egg
  

-Hatch the egg
Result :

• Money
  
• Bost in one stat? Level upgrade?
  
• Get a baby deathclaw. Will be able to switch with you dog as perm companion. (If romanced the deathclaw, you spouse will leave with the hachtling for a season. When back the hatchling statut will change from animal to children and gain dialogue)
  

The river close to your house is drying. Discover the reason. The river goes into a cavern and to a lake.
Result : new fish
There’s a thirsthy and hungry homeless man at the edge of the settlement. You can :
-Give him food and water for a week
-Let him there
-kill him
Result :
-They get back on their feet and eventually open an inn in town. Will sometime offer you free drink an talk to you about stranger he hepled by following your exemple.
-They will slowly die an talk with more and more difficulty. (Which led to kill him)
-Burry him and make a small tomb or let him root there. Will get eaten by wild animal.

Guiding an injured npc to the town
Result :??

The settlement don’t have enough food for the winter and ask for your help. You can :

• Refuse
  
• Accept
  

Result :

• -- relationship with settler and some settler will die
  
• ++ reward if accept
  

Help to defend the settlement (before settlement defense upgrande)
Result :??

The scientist of the vault ## think they can help you rediscover old world crop see.
Result : new seeds :D

End game quest :
The vault now trust you enough to tell you about the G.E.C.K.S. The received one that ended up defective and never received the second. They want you to go to the vault building in the center of the town and see if you can find any information about it. Vault tower will be the most difficult dungeon in the game. Beat it to find that the G.E.C.K.S was sent to a second vault that was either unfinished or an experimentation. Go the the vault ## to discover that the G.E.C.K.S had taken some damage from bad condition and bad storage. Get all the item to fix it and either fix it yourself (no money cost) or ask to a vault scientist to fix it (+++ money cost)
Result : The map surrounding your house, the vault and the town will become more and more green with beautiful tree (Process will take ### day or month or years)

I’m an 18 year old female and my parents won’t let me date the guy that I love. A bit of background this guy and I have been on and off since the beginning of last year and the reason we have been on and off is because as soon as my parents find out i’m seeing him they make me end things otherwise they don’t want me to live in their house if i continue to see him. I’ve tried to express to my parents that I love him but it doesn’t get my situation anywhere.
Basically they don’t approve of him because when I was 16 I had a huge birthday party with a close family friend, and as teenagers do they get drunk before a party. He got really drunk and was being a bit too friendly for my parents liking and ever since that day they have thought that he is a disrespectful person. I try to explain to them that its not his character to be that way, as he was very intoxicated and was young and didn’t know how to handle himself, as he hadn’t really drank alcohol before. Soon after my party we started talking and had told my mum that i was seeing someone and told her it was him and she told me i was not allowed to see him and to end things immediately.
Ever since then we have been speaking on and off and it’s a never ending cycle. I’ve tried to make myself hate him so i can forget about him but no matter how hard I try to hate him I can’t. I’ve also tried seeing other guys but nobody compares to him, he’s the only guy that hasn’t tried to get in pants and loves me for me. I truly think that we keep going back to each other because we never end things on our own terms or because we don’t want to be togther anymore, but because i’m forced to stop seeing him.
I’ve been seeing him since the beginning of this year and about three weeks ago I was sick and was at home alone and he had come past to drop me off some things to make me feel better and my dad got home from work early because he was sick and saw him in the house and it got extremely heated. Now this has happened they hate him even more and i feel like there is nothing i can do to make them accept him. I have said everything and done everything i can to try make them like him. I feel so hopeless at this point but i refuse to let him go because i am truely so in love with him and nothing can make me stop loving him.
I think im just going to tell my parents that their opinion of him is just an opinion and it doesn’t bother me if they like him or not because they aren’t the one dating him. My parents are the only people who don’t like him, every one of my friends love him and so do my siblings, so I feel like he is not the issue here.

I'm writing a recap of the beef in my own eyes, based on what has been shown out there.
If anyone sticks around to the end to read all this shit, if you have any comments on what I missed or should be edited, lmk. Also go touch grass.
* October 2023: Cole/Drake dropped First Person Shooter, which sees Drake take shots at Kenny and while he gives props to the Big 3, Cole also claims he’s the best rapper alive. The verse from Cole is a bit disingenuous, calling themselves the Big 3, but referring to himself as Ali and saying "me and Drizzy shits like the Super Bowl," which in turn refers to KDot as the third best in the group. Also calls himself "Muhammed Ali," who is considered the greatest to ever do it. In Jermaine's eyes, its Cole Drake Kenny.
* March 2024: Metro Boomin (rap producer) and Future drop “We Don’t Trust You,” an album which sees them take multiple shots at Drake. One song (Like that) features Kendrick, who is practically inviting him to throw gloves with Drake (and Cole). Responds to the Big 3 claims with "Fuck the Big 3, it's just Big Me." A lot of his verse is going at Drake directly, calling his best work a "Lyt pack," and playing up the MJ Prince comps with the "Prince outlived Mike Jack" bar.
* Two weeks later: Cole drops Might Delete Later, a 12 song EP. The last song (7 minute drill) is his response to Kendrick. However fans were pretty critical of his reply, with some claiming that as a diss it was pretty tame at best. Other fans claimed it was just a warning shot, and that it wasn't meant to be a diss back. A few days later, Cole apologized to Kendrick at Dreamville fest, and backed out of the battle. It is rumored that TDE member Schoolboy Q advised Cole to drop out of the beef, as it was between Kendrick/Drake, and it would get more personal.
* April 2024: 3 weeks after “Like That”, Metro and Future drop another album, “We STILL Don’t Trust You." This album features multiple artists who also throw disses at Drake. ASAP Rocky for dissing his BM, Weeknd calling out "leaks in the operation."
* A day after Metro/Future drop their 2nd album, Drake's “Push Ups” leaks online. This song clapped back at everyone that took shots at him on We don’t trust you, from Kendrick to Rick Ross to ASAP to Metro to Weeknd. In the song, Drake makes fun of Kendrick’s height, shoe size, his label split (supposedly he had to give TDE 50 of his publishing), and had a subtle jab at Kendrick’s wife Whitney.
* Drake also dropped a song that featured an AI voice of Tupac (Kendrick’s idol) and Snoop Dogg. Both west coast legends, but encouraging Kendrick to drop and stop being scared. A controversial track that was polarizing to say the least. Some fans praising its creativity in the rap beef, along with great verses from Drake. Others calling it disrespectful to a rap legend, and a bad precedent to allow AI in music. The Tupac estate ended up sending a C&D to Drake, who later removed the song from all socials.
(Note that here the public perception was for Kendrick to drop a reply, that Drake had come back correct with Push Ups and that if Kendrick was going to start a battle, he shouldn't duck when met with a reply)
* Two weeks after “Push Ups:" Kendrick drops “Euphoria,” which goes in on Drakes parenting ability, legitimacy in the rap game, and so on. A very solid dissection into the man we know as Drake, its a very good diss track that shows Kendrick's lyricism in full display. Also acknowledged that the industry is out to get Drake "wtf is this a 20v1," and told Metro to "shut yo hoe ass up and make some drums."
(He replied to this with an IG story of a merengue remix of that Metro bar, which was hilarious lmao. That and the band peforming outside Magic City in ATL were the funniest parts of the beef)
* A few days after, he followed up with “6:16 in LA" on Instagram. Not really a diss track in my opinion, it felt more like a track that had some warnings to Drake. Dot questions the loyalty of OVO and their legitimacy in the group, planting seeds of doubt in the mind of Drake. The cover this song is a black Maybach glove.
* Drake replied with “Family Matters” later that night, claiming Kendrick as a phony, attention whore, and worst of all a wife beater. Also claims that Dave Free (Kendrick’s manager), is the father of one of his kids. He drops this song with a full on music video, crushing the GKMC van, showing off the jewelry of rap legends like Pharrell and Pac, and so on.
(Honestly some of Drake's best work, and fans see it as such. Honestly some of his best writing since at least IYRTITL. That along with the beats make it a top 10 Drake song in my opinion. Some claim it's the best song in the diss. However, I just don't see it, for the reason I'm mentioning below:)
* Not even half an hour later: Kendrick drops “meet the grahams” which has heavy accusations. The cover of this song contains some of Drake's items. It includes: Ozempic/Adderrall/Zolpidem prescriptions, a receipt for the chains that Drake bought, presumably the ones in the FM video, and a visit card. Song claims Drake is a terrible person, has pedophilic thoughts/tendencies, runs a underground sex ring, and has a daughter that he’s hiding who’s at least 11 yrs old. It is a haunting track that sees Alchemist produce the beat.
(In my opinion, the clear turning point of this battle. For Kendrick to drop the time that it did, took the wind out of the sails that was Family Matters. And did it at a time where EVERYONE was reacting to it in real time. If the track didn't hit as hard as it did, it probably does not have an impact and Drake would have been the winner. Which is why IMO it's the best diss song in the battle. Despite the fact that daughter claims are mere allegations, he hit home on every other point that was made, with the cover art being proof of his verses holding truth. Which can't be said about any other diss in this battle, bar Euphoria.)
* He then dropped “Not Like Us” a day after FM/Meet the Grahams, which doubles down on the pedo claims, and also calls him a colonizer. This song is an instant hit and a West Coast banger, as it is currently the top song on the Billboard 200 as of the time writing this post.
(This song shifted the tide to "Drake is cooked" status. Prior to this song, people were still reeling from the back to back disses and asking that both sides bring receipts to the table. But with Not Like Us being a colossal hit, fans flocked to Kendrick's side. This track felt like the equivalent to a 3rd quarter run from the 2017 Warriors. Once it happens, you're done.)
To make matters worse, Metro also dropped a disstrumental called "BBL Drizzy," encouraging fans to drop a verse on the song, giving the winner 10k and a free Metro beat.
(Also a pivotal moment. If Drake wasn't losing the battle before, he lost the internet game with this combo. Now social media was clowning on him)
* A day later, Drake replied with "The Heart Part 6," a play on the The Heart series that Kendrick Lamar has. This song sees Drake claim that he set Kendrick up with fake information, and planted all this from the start. He also continues to apply pressure on the DV claims, and dispells the accusations made against him about him being a pedo. Also claims that he understands why Kendrick is so pent up, as Drake believes that Kendrick got molested as a child, referencing "Mother I Sober." Fans believe this track was a white flag of sorts, with the bars saying "You could drop a hundred more records, I'll see you later," and:
"That's why these pedophile raps and shit you so obsessed with, it's so excessive They actin' like it's so aggressive, but you just never known affection I don't wanna diss you anymore, this really got me second-guessin."
The last bar seems to question Kendrick's motives in the beef, and that Drake wants no parts in a battle that is really just projecting trauma. Regardless, the song was met with criticism for questionable lyrics and disses in the song. Shortly after, both sides alluded to move on, with Punch/Top of TDE declaring Kendrick the winner, and Drake saying "Good Battle, summer vibes up next," with the beef ending there.

So, a month or so ago on one of my works I got my first comment, like at all. They asked me a bit about the fic, but that's not the point. The point is that they asked for a review exchange. I was excited getting my first comment and politely declined the review exchange, because I didn't want to feel pressured to read and review a fanfic about a fandom I don't know, and I frankly don't know how to properly review a work when I have no clue what's happening. I didn't tell them the reason why I declined, I just said this wasn't my cup of tea.
This commenter is the only one who commented on my work so far, and left like two more comments. My work has been finished for a week or more, and they commented again, but this time they asked me again to leave reviews on their work. I don't want to read a fanfic I'm not interested in or whose fandom I'm not familiar with. I feel really bad not answering, but I don't know what to say. They are the only commenter on my work and I don't want to hurt their feelings by declining yet again! They left some nice words for me and I don't think it's with ill intent, but I am at a loss. What do I do? Should I just not answer and ignore it? And if I answer, what do I say?

Hi!
A little back story:
I'm (25 year old Male) soon 12 months into my self-improvement journey and it's insane to look back and see how far I've come. I was a hardcore stoner for 10 years, I smoked everyday all day and did nothing with my life. Then, January 2023 I decided enough is enough and I ordered a one way ticket to Asia and committed to change for good.
I traveled for 6 months and it is hands down the best most life-changing experience I've ever had! When I came back home 6 months ago I was met with a choice, either I start smoking again or give up all my stoner friends and start a completely new life. I chose to start a new life, I moved to a new town far away from mye friends and I've been working on myself every single day for the past months and I've had so much progress.
So the thing is, my end goal is to be able to travel the world while working remotely. I want to start something for myself, with a group of people as a team! I'm not sure what or how just yet, all I know is that I will do anything to reach my end goal, and I figured the first step is to break it up into smaller goals, and I'm starting with the most fundamental, which is building self-discipline and getting comfortable outside my comfort zone. This is essential if I'm gonna be able to work towards my goal.
So,
Do you have a goal of living your life to the fullest and explore the world?
Are you currently working on getting self disciplined?
Are you expanding your comfort zone daily?
Do you feel like you're meant for something more than a "regular life"?
Do you have the drive and the will to work towards your goal?
Does the thought of working in a team with like minded people motivate you?
Are you willing to st some point leave friends and family behind to go live YOUR life?
If you can relate to all of the above, please reach out! Maybe we can start something big together as a team.
I don't have a job, and I don't plan to get one for the next two years either, I'm fully committed to reaching my end goal and becoming the best version of myself.
Everything is possible, I've proved that to myself the past year, and I like the thought of working with like minded people and feel like that's a huge motivator :)
Thanks for the read!

26/01/2014 - WWE Royal Rumble
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentated by Jim Ross, JBL, and Michael Cole
We see some footage of superstars arriving to the arena today. The Authority arrive in a limousine; WWE Champion Randy Orton, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Kane. Daniel Bryan is shown walking with Brie Bella. "The Animal" Batista shows up in a truck and flexes for the camera. The feed cuts and glitches out revealing a dark room with a empty rocking chair moving slowly. "We're here."
The iconic voice of Jim Ross welcomes us to the 2014 Royal Rumble as pyro erupts from the stage and the fans go wild. The Authority's music plays and the mood quickly shifts, the crowd rains down boo's. Here comes the WWE World Champion Randy Orton. Orton talks trash to some fans in the front row while Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Kane make their way out as well. Orton raises the title as HHH passes him a microphone. Orton is in a great mood tonight. He's got the night off and there will be 30 men all vying for a chance to get RKO'ed in the main event of Wrestlemania 30. The crowd chants, “Daniel Bryan” as Orton laughs and promises that Bryan doesn't stand a chance. If you want to win the Royal Rumble you have to be taller than these marks in the crowd, you can't be a front row wrestler like Daniel Bryan or CM Punk. The crowd breaks into a deafening “DANIEL BRYAN/CM PUNK!” chant as Orton highlights some of the past winners like himself, Triple H, and Batista. True superstars who all pass the airport test. Triple H takes the microphone and tells the fans to shut the hell up and respect greatness. The reason The Authority are out here is because they want an answer from Batista. Will The Animal join them, take the #30 spot, and win the Rumble to make the biggest Wrestlemania main event a reality? Batista's music hits and he gets a great reaction. First of all, Batista thanks the Pittsburgh fans and everyone in the WWE for welcoming him back with open arms. Batista has a ton of respect for Triple H and Orton after all those years in Evolution. They all shake hands and it looks like he's accepting the offer. Triple H tells Batista to make the right decision and do whats best for business. Batista gives the THUMBS UP! The Authority are all psyched up until.... Batista, who still has his thumb in the air, says "What's best for business.... is listening to these fans! Doing things the hard way, the same way he did it through his whole career. Batista didn't come back to be handed anything, he came back to prove he can still be The Animal. The man who beat Triple H in the main event of Wrestlemania.... The thumbs up is turned into a THUMBS DOWN! Kane charges at Batista but gets clotheslined! Randy Orton and Tripe H flee from the ring as The Animal delivers a Spinebuster to Kane and rattles the ropes! Triple H screams that Batista is going to regret this decision.....
A video package of the feud between Divas Champion AJ Lee and Mickie James is next. After AJ Lee defeated Naomi to retain her title on RAW, AJ declared she had no competition in the locker room. Cue the surprise return of Mickie James! Former psycho versus current psycho, legend versus future legend. They exchange verbal barbs over the next few weeks, with Mickie picking up some big wins and earning a title match. During a contract signing on the final RAW before the Royal Rumble, things finally turned physical and Mickie put AJ Lee through a table with a huge bulldog from the top rope! Everything comes to a head tonight with the championship on the line.
Tony Chimel lets us know that this contest is scheduled for one fall as Mickie James makes her entrance and gets emotional at the ovation from the audience in Pittsburgh. Divas Champion AJ Lee is next and she gets a mixed reaction; the fans love her but are definitely backing Mickie in this one.
AJ Lee (c) vs. Mickie James for the WWE Divas Championship
The match kicks off with AJ slapping Mickie across the face! James returns the favour and tackles AJ, raining down a flurry of punches. AJ Lee cowers into the corner but then takes advantage by slamming Mickie to the mat by her hair! AJ taunts Mickie and stomps her in the corner but when the champion charges, Mickie backdrops her over the ropes! Mickie hits a Thez Press from the apron and tosses AJ into the barricade!
They battle on the apron until AJ sends Mickie head first into the ringpost. Mickie seems genuinely hurt and the referee goes to check on her, allowing AJ to expose the turnbuckle on the opposite side of the ring. She shows no regard for her possibly injured challenger, ignoring the ref and dragging Mickie back into the centre of the ring. Out of nowhere, James nails the Mick Kick! AJ is down! 1-2-AJ gets her foot underneath the bottom rope! James goes for the Stratus-faction but AJ Lee launches her into the exposed turnbuckle! Mickie James is out cold! 1-2-3! AJ retains!
Result- AJ Lee wins by pinfall via exposed turnbuckle shot. (12:58)
The Royal Rumble tumbler is back! Stephanie McMahon is overseeing things as superstars enter to pick their spots in the Royal Rumble. We see Alberto Del Rio, Brodus Clay, and other superstars pick their numbers. Triple H and Paul Heyman in the background; they shake hands and it appears that HHH hands Heyman something before he walks off.
"The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes is here! He introduces his sons, the WWE World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Goldust! The champions hug their father and make their way to the ring for a Six Pack Challenge Elimination Match! After being on the wrong side of The Authority, The Rhodes Brothers have been put in quite the predicament as they look to retain their title's against all odds.
Cody Rhodes and Goldust (c) vs. The New Age Outlaws vs. The Prime Time Players vs. Truth & Consequences vs. Hunico and Camacho vs. The Uso's in a Six Pack Challenge Elimination Match for the WWE World Tag Team Championship
Everything breaks down right off the bat. Bodies are flying everywhere. The Uso's hit a pair of dives over the ropes onto a pile of opponents. Back in the ring Hunico and Camacho eat a pair of Superkicks. Uso Splash to Hunico! 1-2-3!
Jey Uso pins Hunico via Uso Splash (Hunico and Camacho are eliminated)
The Prime Time Players take their turn dominating. Titus hits a Sit-Out Spinebuster to Billy Gunn. Darren Young launches Road Dogg from the ring and dropkicks an incoming Jimmy Uso. Xavier Woods comes out of nowhere with a springboard DDT on Titus O'Neil! Darren Young gets hit with a spinning elbow from R-Truth! Woods and Truth connect with a double Scissor Kick on Titus for the 3 count.
R-Truth pins Titus O'Neil via Double Scissors Kick (The Prime Time Players are eliminated)
Road Dogg chopblocks R-Truth immediately and throws him into the ringpost. Woods gets some shots in on Dogg but turns around into a Fameasser from Billy Gunn! 1-2-3!
Billy Gunn pins Xavier Woods via Fameasser (Truth & Consequences are eliminated)
Road Dogg grabs one of the tag title belts and brings it in the ring. The referee tries to stop him but Billy warns the referee that Triple H will fire him if he gets in their way. Billy holds Goldust as Road Dogg charges with the title ---- Goldust low blows Billy Gunn and ducks; Road Dogg knocks out Billy Gunn with the title belt! Cody Rhodes grabs Road Dogg and hits the Cross Rhodes!
Cody Rhodes pins Billy Gunn via Cross Rhodes (The New Age Outlaws are eliminated)
We are down to two teams. The Rhodes Brothers and The Uso's. The teams gather themselves in opposite corners as the crowd swells to a fever pitch. All four slug it out in the middle. Double Superkick to Goldust sends him to the floor. Cody hits the Bionic Elbow to Jimmy! Alabama Slam to Jey! Cody is all fired up! Cody goes for the Cross Rhodes but nearly gets pinned on a roll up. Double Superkick to Cody! Both The Uso's climb to the top rope but Goldust comes back in and drops Jimmy right on his yambags! Goldust meets Jey on the other side and delivers a giant superplex! BUT JIMMY RECOVERS AND FLIES OFF THE TOP! USO SPLASH TO GOLDUST! 1-2-CODY BREAKS UP THE PIN! Cody hits a Disaster Kick to Jimmy but gets Superkicked by Jey! With his last gasp of energy, Goldust nails Jey with the Final Cut! 1-2-3! Cody and Goldust retain!
Goldust pins Jey Uso via The Final Cut
Result- Cody Rhodes and Goldust retain the WWE World Tag Team Championship. (15:59)
CM Punk is taping his wrists in the locker room when Corporate Kane approaches with a bunch of security. Punk stands up ready to defend himself. But Kane tells him to calm down. He's here with a gift from The Authority. Kane hands Punk a Rumble number from the tumbler and tells him on behalf of The Authority, they wish him luck tonight. Kane leaves as punk opens the ball and shakes his head.
A video package showcases the rivalry between the United States Champion Dean Ambrose and Rob Van Dam. After RVD became # 1 Contender, The Shield brutalized him in a 3 on 1 beatdown. The next week, Rob Van Dam attacked Ambrose with a steel chair and delivered a devastating Van Daminator. Ambrose got busted open but the blood seemed to turn him into some kind of maniac. A bloodied Ambrose cut an iconically intense promo backstage in the boiler room where he challenged RVD to a Hardcore match at the Royal Rumble. Rob Van Dam accepted and began to tap into his hardcore style, even going as far as to bring back his old friend Sabu to help him fend off repeated attacks by The Shield. Tonight this rivalry concludes in a Hardcore match for the US Championship.
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Rob Van Dam for the United States Championship in a Hardcore Match
Van Dam starts off hot with a barrage of kicks to Ambrose. RVD hits his signature barricade legdrop from the apron! He pulls out a kendo stick and starts unloading on the champion. Ambrose stops the beating by raking RVD's eyes and then snapping the kendo stick in half. Ambrose goes berserk, stabbing RVD with the sharp part of the broken kendo stick repeatedly in the corner as JR tells the TV audience to put their kids to bed because "this match is going to be bowling shoe ugly folks". Van Dam slides out of the ring and we see he's bleeding profusely. Ambrose stalks his prey on the outside but RVD tosses a steel chair full speed at his head! RVD goes under the ring and grabs a couple of trash cans and a lid. He smashes Ambrose over the head with the lid and throws him in the ring. RVD sets up a table on the outside but is momentarily distracted, trying to wipe the blood out of his eyes which allows Ambrose to crush one of the trash cans over Van Dam's head. Like a shark that smells blood in the water, Ambrose pounces on RVD and unloads punches to his open cut. The referee pulls him off and checks on RVD. But Ambrose is not done. Far from it. He goes under the ring and grabs a barbed wired baseball bat! As he gets in the ring, RVD kicks the barbed wired bat into Ambrose's face! Spike DDT! Van Dam puts a trash can over Ambrose's head and props him in the corner. VAN TERMINATOR WITH A STEEL CHAIR INTO THE TRASH CAN! RVD slowly drapes his arm over Ambrose. 1-2-Dean somehow kicks out! They exchange punches in the middle of the ring until Ambrose bites RVD's bloody head!!! RVD punches Ambrose just to get him off of him but Dean rebounds with a lariat that turns RVD inside out! Instead of going for the pin, Ambrose picks up the barbed wired baseball bat and smashes RVD in the back repeatedly! Van Dam rolls to the apron but Ambrose follows him and starts grinding the barbed wire in RVD's face! Using the pure adrenaline of survival instinct, RVD reverses into a suplex over the ropes, sending he and Ambrose crashing through the table on the outside!
The fans chant "Holy shit!" as the announcers question how much more these guys, specifically RVD, can take. RVD is first to his feet and throws Ambrose in the ring. RVD climbs to the top rope but Ambrose hits the ropes and causes him to lose balance. He tosses RVD off the top rope onto a trash can! Ambrose goes under the ring and grabs a bag..... The referee tries to stop him but Ambrose shoves him to the ground and empties the contents all over the ring ---- IT'S THUMBTACKS! He turns around and catches a steel chair hurled at him by RVD! VAN TERMINATOR! Ambrose falls into the tacks! RVD goes up top! FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH INTO THE TACKS! "BY GAWD!" Cover! 1-2-Ambrose kicks out by shoving a handful of tacks into RVD's face! Van Dam screams in pain as a now bloody Ambrose pulls himself to his feet and smiles. DIRTY DEEDS ON THE TACKS! 1-2-3!
Result- Dean Ambrose wins by pinfall via Dirty Deeds onto thumbtacks! (22:22)
Rob Van Dam is taken out on a stretcher as Dean Ambrose sits bloodied in the corner, with thumbtacks all over him and the United States Title over his shoulder, admiring his work.
Writer's Note: This match writes RVD out for the foreseeable future to give him a well deserved break. Ambrose is put over as a sadistic, hardcore, psycho path on RVD's way out.
We cut backstage where Mark Henry and The Big Show are picking their numbers. Stephanie McMahon plays nice with the legendary giants, telling them that there are always advantages to helping The Authority. Mark Henry laughs her off and walks out but Big Show appears to contemplate her words. Daniel Bryan walks in and has a face off with Triple H. Bryan wants to pick his Rumble number but HHH tells him there's only one ball left. He teases not giving it to him but places it in his hands. Bryan opens it, shakes his head and smiles, saying he wouldn't expect anything less from The Authority.
A video package on the history of the Royal Rumble match is next, highlighting past winners, elimination records, and obscure statistics. Ladies and gentlemen. We promised you a great main event.
Main Event- 30 Man Royal Rumble Match
1. Daniel Bryan
2. CM Punk
The two heroes of our story; enemies of The Authority that have been given the insurmountable task of winning from the opening spots if they want to main event Wrestlemania. They slug it out and the fans love every second of it.
3. Big E Langston
The Intercontinental Champion gets a chance to showcase his abilities in full spotlight. He tosses Bryan and Punk around much to the chagrin of the crowd. Punk and Bryan team up to stop the onslaught and slow the big man down.
4. Mark Henry
The World's Strongest Man double clotheslines Punk and Bryan before squaring up with Big E. The two meaty men begin slappin' meat until Henry squashes the IC Champion in the corner and takes advantage.
5. Alexander Rusev
The Bulgarian Brute from NXT goes nose to nose with Mark Henry. Rusev kicks Henry in the head and then charges full speed, clobbering him and sending Mark crashing from the ring for our first official elimination of the night!
Alexander Rusev eliminates Mark Henry
6. Evan Bourne
Bourne quickens the pace of the match and hits a barrage of high flying moves until he meets the brick wall known as Rusev. Rusev gets Bourne in a precarious position and clotheslines him so hard that he takes a nasty backflip bump off the apron ala Paul London 2005.
Alexander Rusev eliminates Evan Bourne
Rusev turns around and realizes he's surrounded by Bryan, Punk, and Big E! He fights valiantly but it's no use. YES+ Knee by Bryan! Rusev is rocked but still standing! GTS by Punk! Rusev is STILL somehow on his feet but falls back against the ropes ..... A clothesline from Big E sends Rusev over the ropes for another elimination!
Big E Langston eliminates Alexander Rusev
7. Alberto Del Rio w/Ricardo Rodriguez
As a former World Champion and Royal Rumble winner, Del Rio has to be considered dangerous in this match. He hits a nasty double foot stomp on Big E and trash talks the fans as they boo him out of the building. Bryan and Punk hit a Hart Attack on Del Rio to a massive pop!
8. Kevin Nash
It looks like The Authority have a couple of tricks up their sleeve tonight. Nash immediately targets Punk and Bryan, savouring the boo's from the audience. Meanwhile, Big E nearly has Del Rio eliminated until Rodriguez hops on the apron and allows Del Rio to get the advantage by jamming him thumb in Big E's eye! Del Rio kicks Big E in the face and eliminates the Intercontinental Champion!
Alberto Del Rio eliminates Big E Langston
Del Rio and Nash team up to beat down Punk and Bryan.
9. John Cena
Business is about to pick up! Cena hits the ring and takes the fight to Del Rio and Nash! AA to Del Rio! Nash immediately takes Cena down with a big boot and mocks the fans, pretending to cry. Jackknife Powerbomb to Cena! Nash tosses Punk over the ropes but Punk skins the cat and starts kicking Nash in his surgically repaired knee's.
10. Big Show
Nash throws Punk into the ring post and has a face off with The World's Largest Athlete. Nash extends his hand, wondering if Show is going to take The Authority up on their offer. Big Show teases joining him --- psych! Knockout Punch by Big Show! Nash crumples to the mat. The fans love it as Big Show gets hyped up and then starts chopping Del Rio in the corner.
11. X-Pac
Another surprise return! But is this another legend doing the bidding of The Authority? Pac does some crotch chops and gets a good reaction as he fist bumps The Big Show and hits a Bronco Buster to Del Rio! But X-Pac cannot be trusted as he kicks Big Show right in the family jewels! Kevin Nash pulls himself to his feet and two sweets X-Pac! Nash goes to stomping on The Big Show as Pac charges for a Bronco Buster on Punk ---- Cena takes X-Pac's head off with a clothesline and then AA's him from the ring!
John Cena eliminates X-Pac
Cena, Punk, and Bryan all attack Kevin Nash and buy enough time for Big Show to recover. Show grabs Nash by the throat and pushes him back over the ropes!
Big Show eliminates Kevin Nash
Show, Cena, Punk, Bryan, and Del Rio all fight and try to eliminate each other as the buzzer sounds for the next entrant.
12. Bray Wyatt
The mood has shifted in the arena! Bray Wyatt comes in like an absolute killer, wrecking everyone in his path. Sister Abigail to CM Punk! Daniel Bryan is the last one standing and the crowd breaks out into thunderous "YES!" chants as Bryan and Wyatt exchange stiff slaps and beat the piss out of each other!
13. Erick Rowan
A coincidence or the puppet strings of The Authority? The Wyatt Family now has two members and begin to dominate. Big Show grabs their throats but Rowan breaks free with several headbutts! Big Show slumps back against the ropes --- Wyatt and Rowan dump him to the floor!
Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan eliminate Big Show
Wyatt sits in the corner moving his hands like a orchestra conductor as Rowan chokes Daniel Bryan on the opposite side of the ring. Del Rio tries to eliminate John Cena.
14. Brodus Clay
The Funkasaurus is in no dancing mood, he knows how serious this opportunity is and he also knows what he's up against. As soon as he slides in the ring, Wyatt and Rowan put the boots to him. Clay fights back but it's no use. It's Wyatt Family domination as Bray hits a Sister Abigail and then Rowan throws the big man over the ropes.
Erick Rowan eliminates Brodus Clay
CM Punk is Bray Wyatt's next target but he fights for his life and hits a big roundhouse kick to Rowan! Bray has to fend for himself and he smiles, it's time to dance!
15. Kofi Kingston
Kingston is a house of fire, flying all over the ring. SOS to Bray Wyatt! Trouble in Paradise to Del Rio! Kingston springboards off the ropes but gets caught by Erick Rowan! Rowan press slams Kofi to the outside ---- Kofi lands on the barricade! He trust falls back into the crowd and they surf him around as the arena breaks out into huge "KOFI!" chants.
16. Santino Marella
Santino breaks out THE COBRA! Wyatt does the creepy spider walk which freaks Santino out ---- he eliminates himself and walks to the back!
Santino Marella eliminates himself
17. Ezekiel Jackson
As Jackson walks down to the ring, the crowd bring Kofi back to the barricade and he hops to the apron! Bray Wyatt launches himself into Kofi, sending him flying into in the arms of Ezekiel Jackson! Kofi is all pumped up at avoiding elimination twice but Jackson bodyslams Kofi on the floor! Kofi is now out and Big Zeke has his first elimination before he even gets in the ring!
Ezekiel Jackson eliminates Kofi Kingston
Jackson joins the match and exchanges some shoulder blocks with Erick Rowan. Bray Wyatt continues to brawl with Daniel Bryan while John Cena fights Del Rio.
18. Christian
Captain Charisma joins the match and finds himself squaring off with his old rival Ezekiel Jackson. Jackson gets him up for a Powerslam but Christian fights out and hits the Killswitch! Christian then ducks a Bray Wyatt clothesline and hits a Spear! Del Rio cheapshots Christian and tells the fans to shut up as he chokes Captain Charisma in the corner.
19. Chris Jericho
Y2J makes quite the entrance with a boatload of pyro. Jericho slaps Del Rio and locks in the Walls of Jericho! The ring begins to fill up now as strategy changes this late into the match; nobody wants to risk elimination at this point.
20. The Boogeyman
JBL gets real quiet all of a sudden as the legend crawls out and smashes a clock on his head! Boogeyman gets in the ring and begins eating a handful of worms! This gets Bray Wyatt's attention and the two spooky guys have a staredown. The Eater of Worlds vs. The Eater of Worms. Boogeyman sets Wyatt up for the Pumphandle Slam but Erick Rowan boots him in the head and then tosses him from the ring!
Erick Rowan eliminates The Boogeyman
21. Fandango w/Summer Rae
As Fandango dances his way to the ring, Christian and Jericho team up to eliminate Ezekiel Jackson.
Christian and Chris Jericho eliminate Ezekiel Jackson
Fandango sets his sights on Jericho and shows a more vicious side of himself, stomping Y2J relentlessly. Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan try to eliminate Christian.
22. Luke Harper
The Wyatt Family is now at full strength. They dominate the field and Luke Harper clotheslines Fandango off the apron!
Luke Harper eliminates Fandango
Bray instructs them to eliminate Bryan but Punk and Cena have something to say about that.
23. Bad News Barrett
As Barrett picks the most opportune time to enter, The Wyatt Family gang up on Christian and Bray Wyatt tosses him out!
Bray Wyatt eliminates Christian
Chris Jericho puts up a fight, nailing Rowan with a Codebreaker! The numbers game is still in The Wyatt Family's favour --- Harper decapitates Y2J with a clothesline, and Wyatt eliminates him as well!
Bray Wyatt eliminates Chris Jericho
The clock begins to countdown so Barrett is forced to roll in the ring and Harper attacks him.
24. Shelton Benjamin
AIN'T NO STOPPIN' ME, NOOOO! The Gold Standard makes his return to WWE and gets a nice ovation from the Pittsburgh crowd. He single handedly ends The Wyatt Family's domination by diving onto all three of them! As Bray Wyatt scurries to his feet, Shelton greets him with a T-Bone Suplex! Erick Rowan charges full speed at Daniel Bryan but Bryan avoids him by pulling the rope down and Rowan crashes to the floor!
Daniel Bryan eliminates Erick Rowan
Rowan is pissed and starts dismantling the announce table until the referee's force him to leave. The ring is full of superstars with full intentions of headlining Wrestlemania. Bryan and Punk are spent. Cena too. Del Rio hides in the corner to stay alive. Shelton battles it out with Barrett and Harper. Wyatt pulls himself to his feet.
25. Batista
THE ANIMAL IS HERE! Batista is a one man wrecking crew. Spinebuster to Luke Harper! Batista Bomb to Barrett! Del Rio sneaks up and attempts to toss Batista out but The Animal reverses his momentum and eliminates Del Rio!
Batista eliminates Alberto Del Rio
Batista and Bray Wyatt lock eyes. Wyatt loves it and yells "Show me that Animal, David!" Batista crushes him with a Spear and then finds himself face to face with John Cena. Cena is much more exhausted and ends up getting Spinebustered for his troubles.
26. Roman Reigns
The powerhouse of The Shield enters the ring with bad intentions; Spear to Shelton Benjamin! Superman Punch to Daniel Bryan! Reigns and Batista do battle until Wyatt and Harper attack them ---- Batista and Reigns hit a pair of Spears to The Wyatt Family!
27. Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler comes down with a microphone and tells everyone in the ring that this is his year. Number 27 is the most coveted position as more people have won the Rumble from this spot than any other. He smashes Batista with the microphone and unloads punches on The Animal! Dolph with a Superkick to Barrett and a Zig Zag to John Cena! 10 superstars are left in the ring with 3 more to make their entrance.
28. Seth Rollins
The Architect of The Shield is here and he joins Roman Reigns as they go face to face with Wyatt and Harper! Electricity in the air folks! Things break down; Bray and Roman fight in the corner as Harper drops Rollins with a clothesline! John Cena hoists Luke Harper up and sends him to the floor with an AA!
John Cena eliminates Luke Harper
Bad News Barrett sneaks up and dumps Cena from the ring! John Cena is eliminated! Revenge for The Nexus at last!
Bad News Barrett eliminates John Cena
29. Sheamus
The Celtic Warrior imediately Brogue Kicks Shelton off the apron!
Sheamus eliminates Shelton Benjamin
Everyone fights as the clock counts down for our final entrant.
30. Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman
Now we know what Triple H gifted Paul Heyman earlier! The Beast enters the ring and F5's Bad News Barrett to the floor!
Brock Lesnar eliminates Bad News Barrett
Dolph Ziggler jumps on Brock's back and tries to choke him out but Lesnar reverses into an F5 position! Lesnar sends Dolph flying over the ropes!
Brock Lesnar eliminates Dolph Ziggler
Lesnar now targets Batista and hits a series of shoulder blocks in the corner. He picks The Animal up for an F5 but Batista fights out and clotheslines Brock out of the ring!!!
Batista eliminates Brock Lesnar
Brock is in shock along with the announcers and everyone in the arena. He starts pacing around the ring as Batista sets Bray Wyatt up for a Batista Bomb. Lesnar shoves the referee to the ground and slides back in the ring, tossing Batista out!
Brock Lesnar eliminates Batista
Lesnar smashes Batista with the steel steps and then F5's The Animal through the announce table! We're down to five as Rollins and Punk fight on the apron until Punk hits a GTS! Rollins crumbles unconscious to the floor!
CM Punk eliminates Seth Rollins
The final four of the 2014 Royal Rumble: CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt, and Roman Reigns. Punk and Bryan entered at number 1 and 2. Incredible accomplishment for them. Roman Reigns Spears Daniel Bryan and then sidesteps Bray Wyatt, sending him flying from the ring!
Roman Reigns eliminates Bray Wyatt
CM Punk hits a GTS on Reigns and all three men are down. Triple H walks down to the ring and rips his jacket off. Kane follows behind him. Punk pulls himself to his feet as tells them to bring it. Randy Orton RKO's CM Punk out of nowhere! The WWE Champion soaks in the boo's as he and Kane throw CM Punk out! "This is bullshit" yells the fans and JR agrees!
Randy Orton and Kane eliminate CM Punk
Triple H smiles and grabs the sledgehammer. Orton and Kane hold Daniel Bryan as HHH charges with the hammer ---- Roman Reigns Spears Triple H! CM Punk pulls Orton from the ring and they brawl into the crowd! Daniel Bryan takes Kane out with the YES+ Knee! With everyone out of the equation, Reigns and Bryan get three minutes of back and forth action, a proper finish to the Rumble. Reigns gets locked in a triangle choke but shows tremendous strength, lifting Bryan up and over the ropes! Bryan holds onto Roman and drags him over with him! They battle on the apron until Bryan viciously kicks Roman in the head! Reigns falls to the floor! Daniel Bryan wins the 2014 Royal Rumble!
Daniel Bryan eliminates Roman Reigns
Winner of the 2014 Royal Rumble: Daniel Bryan
Fireworks explode as Daniel Bryan leads the fans in a YES chant and points at the Wrestlemania sign.

I've been thinking about how I'd rearrange things in OTH to firstly maintain characterisation of our favourites and offer challenges and the drama we all know and love!
The first alternative I thought of was Haley and her music. Instead of making Chris Keller some random guy used to get between Haley and Nathan as a romantic threat (that completely overshadows Haley's passion for music and performing), rename him and make him Haley's older-brother who never went to college, works at the record-store and encouraged Haley to sing/play in his band to break her out of her shell. Have the band play regularly at any opportunity that presents itself - the Burning Boat, gigs at the university etc - and really show Haley as invested in a future as a performing musician. Develop her song-writing through her relationships with Nathan (slow things down!) as well as Lucas, because he's incredibly important to her. Tension can arise within the band when they are approached by a manager who starts rearranging things, bringing the focus to Haley instead of her brother because of her voice/appeal to a younger, female demographic, especially with the subject-matter of her songs. Create more tension when they've recorded the album and are presented with the opportunity to tour. Have Haley's brother be the one to break Haley out of whatever bubble she's in with Nathan - if she doesn't do this now, she'll never get the opportunity; when would the Haley he grew up with ever sacrifice her dreams just on the off chance she could have a relationship with a guy?! Haley's parents sign over guardianship of Haley to her older-brother; she has to home-school while they tour so she doesn't get off-track.
Nathan is hurt by Haley leaving but appreciates it's her dream, and he's going to do the same with High Flyers. He and Peyton become closer: they start dating, this time being kind to each other. Nathan shows just how much he has changed - or rather, how much of the kid he's always been has been brought out by Haley's influence. He lets Peyton in this time - we see her try in S1 but he brushes her off, as if it's a big joke - and she supports him with High Flyers etc. However, they reach a point in their relationship where they decide they are better as friends, and split amicably.
Haley struggles while on tour because of the demands and the lifestyle. She's exhausted, her sleep-cycle is messed up, she's overwhelmed, but her brother's there every step of the way to support her. They have a serious conversation about whether she wants to continue touring or if it's too much for her too soon, and they need to find another female vocalist/guitarist, so she can return home, finish school then figure things out. But the key point is this: Haley doesn't give up her dream because she feels pressure from a guy. She takes a detour because her mental-health is suffering. It would make a great storyline feeding into her adult depression, where being away from her family and friends (especially Karen and Lucas) severely affect Haley's wellbeing. The rug's pulled out from under her and she can't handle the instability.
As for Dan, instead of giving him a heart-condition, he could have ALS, Lou Gerhig's disease. It's an incredibly serious, debilitating disease and I can see Dan using it heavily to manipulate everyone around him, possibly over-exaggerating his symptoms until he's no longer pretending and realises too late that he's pushed everyone away with his behaviour. I can see Dan using his illness as a way to get back into Nathan's life ("I just want to see you play at Duke before I die") and manipulate his way into Lucas' ("I want to make things right before I no longer have the ability"). But I'd like to see Karen and Deb continue to support each other where Dan's concerned, with Karen supporting Deb as she pushes for her divorce despite Dan's diagnosis, helping talk Deb out of her guilt etc. And bring back Royal and May. I can definitely see May Scott returning to take care of her son, while Royal would become the next big-bad, going after Lucas and Nathan for not wanting anything to do with their dying father, attacking Deb for abandoning Dan in his time of need etc.
After the dynamics we saw in S1 with Royal and May, their addition would be very interesting, especially seeing Royal play off of Whitey and how Royal and May's relationship would suffer when she sees Royal bullying the boys, and May supports the two women wronged by her own son. I think it would add a lot of depth to Dan's character when he sees Royal starting to bully the boys, and he decides to devote what time and independence he has left to being the boys' protector, ensuring that neither Nathan or Lucas turns out like he did. Dan redeems himself through his genuine support of Nathan and Lucas - and possibly Karen and Deb too.
What do you think? What would you do?

For context, I'm 16 and so is my significant other. We both go to the same high school.
I’ve been developing this relationship with one of the most amazing people. She is great and understands me in the most nuanced way, she is just everything I’ve wanted and more. She and I started talking back in February and she eventually told me she had feelings and this had been the case since September (when I was in another relationship). To be frank, I didn’t believe I had the slightest chance of being with her because she was stunning, knock out beautiful. I told her during that discussion that I wasn’t ready for a relationship but I would be in the future, especially because I had just ended a relationship that ended rather nasty way. She and I continued to talk for a few more months, and our feelings towards one another became very strong and eventually, we started dating which we were both very happy about. She had mentioned this before in previous conversations and it was becoming a more prominent issue as our relationship progressed, she was never allowed outside of the house, had no after-school activities, barely any time to hang out with her very close friends, and especially no time to hang out with a guy, she could practically do nothing outside of her own home. She eventually mentioned to me that her parents are Jehovah's Witnesses which was worrying for a plethora of reasons and explained the total lockdown she was on. In addition to this, we were dating in secret because of her parent's strict “no dating” rule. It got to the point where I’d only see her in school and we would just call and text which I didn’t mind but I wanted to spend time with her, in person. As summer approaches, her and I both concluded that we wouldn’t be able to hang out for the entire duration of our summer break (3 months). We came to a mutual understanding that we should just be friends so we didn’t have to try to make a romantic relationship work while being completely online. She has had several conversations with her parents about dating me and dating in general and they have always responded with a very strong “NO”. We both still have feelings for one another but it’s hard not being able to see each other for such a long period. We might get back together in the future if tensions loosen with her parents but that's not definite. We still want to update one another on our lives how we're doing mentally, and what we're doing creatively but it hurts going back to square one, just being a friend and acting like our relationship didn't even happen. I love her like I've never loved anyone before and I want this to work. I don't want to lose her and don't think she wants to lose me either.
TL;DR Is there any outcome where she and I make our romantic relationship work?