Hey dude shoes store near me
"Frugal is subjective"
2019.12.25 16:31 kolt54321 "Frugal is subjective"
This subreddit is for discussion and sales of affordable clothing. No self-promotion. /FrugalMaleFashion has a wider scope, and is also filled with clothing out of touch with middle class budgets. This subreddit exists to narrow deals down to the budget - for actual reasonably priced sales on clothing, to help you build your wardrobe.
2023.03.30 19:46 Connect-Internal (Rant) people who are playing as the vip in ambush are genuinely the most dumb people i have EVER played with.
So yesterday i was bored, never played ambush, decided to play it. First got placed as insurgent, lost some rounds, won some rounds, nothing bad. But then i got placed onto security and my god vips are some of the dumbest people in this game. Running out in the open, not sticking with the team. And this one dude, this one dude on the round we could’ve clutched to stay in, and not only does he rush in front of me, no regard when I’m basically yelling at him in my mic to stay a room behind, wait for me to clear, AND DON’T GO INTO THE BUILDING WHERE EXTRACT JS BECAUSE THERE WILL OBVIOUSLY BE ENEMIES IN. and what does mr alexander einstein nimrod the great do? RUN HEAD FUCKING FIRST INTO THE FUCKING EXTRACT BUILDING, AND IMMEDIATELY GET SHOT. I’m not a dude who cares about winning or losing if i have a fun time, but I legitimately get fucking pissed off when you are just blatantly being an idiot with no regard to what the game mode is. I get it, you can be new to the game, but it should be basic fucking instinct to not dive headfirst into battle when the fucking game basically tells you: hey you’re the vip, you should stay behind the dudes who are going to protect you, you shouldn’t rush ahead.
submitted by Connect-Internal to insurgency [link] [comments]
2023.03.30 19:46 East-Spring-1273 Please assist someone losing it over something that never has been
Get settled because this is a never ending saga (32m)
I started a graduate program in the fall and they have the option to do your orientation in Barcelona - so I did, obviously. After orientation we were allowed to take classes that were 2-3 days long. I decided to stay a little longer and take two classes. Two date before k got a message from someone on an app and we started chatting. Come to find out, we were both taking the same class so we decided we’d just connect in class when it started the next day and then go on a date after. He is already a physician but just needed to use his education benefit (NERDDDDD) for something interesting. He’s an intellectual which will be relevant later.
We’d hang out either alone or with others for lunch and dinner and have drinks after for the 3-days he was in town (but nothing physical happened).
Come to find out, we were both taking the same class so we decided we’d just connect in class when it started the next day and then go on a date after
After he left I reached out and said I really enjoyed hanging out with him and would be interested in staying in touch, and see where things go. He agreed and thought if we lived in the same place we could pursue something but he didn’t want a long-distance relationship (we live on opposite sides of the world). We’d keep in touch very few weeks, just casualty texting and what not, sharing articles, etc. Fast forward a few another year and I was going to be in his area so figured I’d see if he was around and pay a visit.
I got in late and we went to have dinner with his friends and then to a birthday party, good time came back and slept on the couch. The next morning I got up early and had tea on the deck and made a little different. He came out and went to shower so I went out and sat on the deck so more. When he got out I told him I was going to go shower and he asked if I minded him playing piano while I was in there - piano is the language of my soul so on one hand I wanted to say “fuck no” because I didn’t need to be more interested, on the other fuck yes because it’s the language of my soul. He plaid a few while I was in the shower that sounded oddly familiar but could put my finger on where they’re from. Decided we’d get a taxi and take a tour around the area for the day. He showed me around a bunch of places and we’d have nice intellectual conversations and also make jokes and laugh.
As always happens on any tour, they took us to the gift shop the taxi driver had a deal with. We’re walking up and they’re carving stuff out of olive wood. They see both of us walking up and say “hey, we got something special for both of you, come up here.” So we walk up and they tell us to close our eyes and open our hand, which we both do. Then they tell us to open our eyes and I look down and he and I both have a heart carved out olive wood sitting on our palm. I looked at him and did the only thing I possibly could’ve managed in that moment - audibly laughed. Spent the rest of the day running around, and at some point I realized why the piano music he had played earlier sounded familiar, because it was some of the classic pieces that were in Call Me By Your Name. Later we went to a movie with his friends and dinner after. Came back, nothing happened and slept on the couch again.
I’d be leaving the next morning so we said our goodbyes, hugged, and I headed back to the airport. I left right before his birthday so when I got back I put together a little thank you/birthday gift (just a book and card) and sent it off to him. We’d talk here and there since again from then on, I’d say I’d initiate 50-60% of the time, just catching-up and what not, we’d keep this up for another year or two.
After two years I still haven’t heard from him about the thank you/birthday gift I sent, so I wonder did he even get it? Did he even care? Well I didn’t want to ask him so I just left it as is. Then in the middle of covid, the package I sent him was delivered to my house (almost 2-2.5 years later), mostly intact except with a few parts of the package damaged but the book/card remained intact. Again, the only thing I could muster was an audible laugh. Irregular conversation has continued. I was in the area again recently and asked to see where he’d be but he was out of town while I was around.
I already know the complete of absurdity of what I’m about to say here, but I cannot lie - I’ve thought about this man almost every day since we met. I’ve dated and dated and still can’t over this dude, it’s maddening. Even in a long-term relationship, I often think about him and wonder about things and if they could ever work out. I was hoping to have a conversation with him this time around when I was nearby (and give him his gift), alas, that didn’t work out, but even then, what would I even say? I’ve been infatuated/in love with you for several years? Do you have any interest in pursuing things? If not now, ever? Can you just get it over with and break my heart so I can move on with my life.
I try not consider things like fate/destiny/cosmic forces in how things happen in my life but sometimes things are just a little more than what they think they might be. I know this will be relevant for some, but he’s a Sagittarius, I’m a Cancer.
Do these things ever get better? How do you ever get over something like this? Is it just me or does it seem like there’s a little more something there? Any help/advice/similar experience/lobotomy referrals are welcome and appreciated.
submitted by East-Spring-1273 to dating_advice [link] [comments]
I started a graduate program in the fall and they have the option to do your orientation in Barcelona - so I did, obviously. After orientation we were allowed to take classes that were 2-3 days long. I decided to stay a little longer and take two classes. Two date before k got a message from someone on an app and we started chatting. Come to find out, we were both taking the same class so we decided we’d just connect in class when it started the next day and then go on a date after. He is already a physician but just needed to use his education benefit (NERDDDDD) for something interesting. He’s an intellectual which will be relevant later.
We’d hang out either alone or with others for lunch and dinner and have drinks after for the 3-days he was in town (but nothing physical happened).
Come to find out, we were both taking the same class so we decided we’d just connect in class when it started the next day and then go on a date after
After he left I reached out and said I really enjoyed hanging out with him and would be interested in staying in touch, and see where things go. He agreed and thought if we lived in the same place we could pursue something but he didn’t want a long-distance relationship (we live on opposite sides of the world). We’d keep in touch very few weeks, just casualty texting and what not, sharing articles, etc. Fast forward a few another year and I was going to be in his area so figured I’d see if he was around and pay a visit.
I got in late and we went to have dinner with his friends and then to a birthday party, good time came back and slept on the couch. The next morning I got up early and had tea on the deck and made a little different. He came out and went to shower so I went out and sat on the deck so more. When he got out I told him I was going to go shower and he asked if I minded him playing piano while I was in there - piano is the language of my soul so on one hand I wanted to say “fuck no” because I didn’t need to be more interested, on the other fuck yes because it’s the language of my soul. He plaid a few while I was in the shower that sounded oddly familiar but could put my finger on where they’re from. Decided we’d get a taxi and take a tour around the area for the day. He showed me around a bunch of places and we’d have nice intellectual conversations and also make jokes and laugh.
As always happens on any tour, they took us to the gift shop the taxi driver had a deal with. We’re walking up and they’re carving stuff out of olive wood. They see both of us walking up and say “hey, we got something special for both of you, come up here.” So we walk up and they tell us to close our eyes and open our hand, which we both do. Then they tell us to open our eyes and I look down and he and I both have a heart carved out olive wood sitting on our palm. I looked at him and did the only thing I possibly could’ve managed in that moment - audibly laughed. Spent the rest of the day running around, and at some point I realized why the piano music he had played earlier sounded familiar, because it was some of the classic pieces that were in Call Me By Your Name. Later we went to a movie with his friends and dinner after. Came back, nothing happened and slept on the couch again.
I’d be leaving the next morning so we said our goodbyes, hugged, and I headed back to the airport. I left right before his birthday so when I got back I put together a little thank you/birthday gift (just a book and card) and sent it off to him. We’d talk here and there since again from then on, I’d say I’d initiate 50-60% of the time, just catching-up and what not, we’d keep this up for another year or two.
After two years I still haven’t heard from him about the thank you/birthday gift I sent, so I wonder did he even get it? Did he even care? Well I didn’t want to ask him so I just left it as is. Then in the middle of covid, the package I sent him was delivered to my house (almost 2-2.5 years later), mostly intact except with a few parts of the package damaged but the book/card remained intact. Again, the only thing I could muster was an audible laugh. Irregular conversation has continued. I was in the area again recently and asked to see where he’d be but he was out of town while I was around.
I already know the complete of absurdity of what I’m about to say here, but I cannot lie - I’ve thought about this man almost every day since we met. I’ve dated and dated and still can’t over this dude, it’s maddening. Even in a long-term relationship, I often think about him and wonder about things and if they could ever work out. I was hoping to have a conversation with him this time around when I was nearby (and give him his gift), alas, that didn’t work out, but even then, what would I even say? I’ve been infatuated/in love with you for several years? Do you have any interest in pursuing things? If not now, ever? Can you just get it over with and break my heart so I can move on with my life.
I try not consider things like fate/destiny/cosmic forces in how things happen in my life but sometimes things are just a little more than what they think they might be. I know this will be relevant for some, but he’s a Sagittarius, I’m a Cancer.
Do these things ever get better? How do you ever get over something like this? Is it just me or does it seem like there’s a little more something there? Any help/advice/similar experience/lobotomy referrals are welcome and appreciated.
2023.03.30 19:45 ChaoticForkingGood The only bride I've ever thought of as trashy
I almost feel bad for applying that label to anyone, but Jesus Tapdancing Christ... It wasn't one thing with this lady, it was all of them that added up. I didn't think of this lady and her guests that way until the literal last moment. So with the exception of one particular bit, I wouldn't have just labeled someone trashy based on one thing, or even mentally criticized it at all.
So, the bride walks in. She's got 7 bridesmaids and both mother's with her, along with friends. The first thing I hear is about how she's "happy with how [she] Sharpied her eyebrows on this time". She was not joking, they were made with a black Sharpie and were huge. Ok, whatever.
She then tells me her wedding date is 4/20. And yeah, she picked the date on purpose. She also loudly announces that she "paid a lot for her tits" and that I'd better find her something to show them off. She also tells me that her colors are neon purple, neon lime green, and camo. ....Ok, not my wedding.
She then tells everyone she's going commando, which is not my favorite thing, because I am not paid enough to look at your naked bottom half. And here's where I did start thinking "trashy" - she had a tattoo right above her butt crack of a giant, veiny, way too detailed dick spewing everywhere.
She threw all her very poofy dresses on the floor and the way she moved around made it nearly impossible for me to get them off the floor, so the results actually made it tough to do my job.
And her bridesmaids and the mom's went nuts. It looked like they had pulled half the store to try on, and for God knows what reason, would take the dresses they didn't like and throw them in a pile outside their dressing room. In the middle of a walkway. I got major stinkeye for asking them to move their shit so nobody would trip.
The point where I mentally lost it was when I got her up to the register. We'd already gone over payment options, which were limited to paying in full or using something like Klarna due to timing, but the minute I turned away, she tried to pull one over on the cashier. "So I only have to put like $100 down to take the dress home, right?"
No! You have to put all of it down! You know this!! (People keep trying to get away with that one and it drives me nuts.)
It took me a full 27 minutes over the end of my shift to clean up from the wreckage they caused.
So yeah, I'm being bitchy, but utter trash, and I hope she never steps foot in my salon again. I just. Don't. Get. It.
.
submitted by ChaoticForkingGood to Talesfromabridalshop [link] [comments]
So, the bride walks in. She's got 7 bridesmaids and both mother's with her, along with friends. The first thing I hear is about how she's "happy with how [she] Sharpied her eyebrows on this time". She was not joking, they were made with a black Sharpie and were huge. Ok, whatever.
She then tells me her wedding date is 4/20. And yeah, she picked the date on purpose. She also loudly announces that she "paid a lot for her tits" and that I'd better find her something to show them off. She also tells me that her colors are neon purple, neon lime green, and camo. ....Ok, not my wedding.
She then tells everyone she's going commando, which is not my favorite thing, because I am not paid enough to look at your naked bottom half. And here's where I did start thinking "trashy" - she had a tattoo right above her butt crack of a giant, veiny, way too detailed dick spewing everywhere.
She threw all her very poofy dresses on the floor and the way she moved around made it nearly impossible for me to get them off the floor, so the results actually made it tough to do my job.
And her bridesmaids and the mom's went nuts. It looked like they had pulled half the store to try on, and for God knows what reason, would take the dresses they didn't like and throw them in a pile outside their dressing room. In the middle of a walkway. I got major stinkeye for asking them to move their shit so nobody would trip.
The point where I mentally lost it was when I got her up to the register. We'd already gone over payment options, which were limited to paying in full or using something like Klarna due to timing, but the minute I turned away, she tried to pull one over on the cashier. "So I only have to put like $100 down to take the dress home, right?"
No! You have to put all of it down! You know this!! (People keep trying to get away with that one and it drives me nuts.)
It took me a full 27 minutes over the end of my shift to clean up from the wreckage they caused.
So yeah, I'm being bitchy, but utter trash, and I hope she never steps foot in my salon again. I just. Don't. Get. It.
.
2023.03.30 19:44 _LegioN7_ 34 [M4F] Michigan/Anywhere - Nerdy Guy LF Best Friend!
Hey everyone!
I'm 34, M, Chubby/Dad Bod, 6 Tattoos (I want more!), Bearded and 6'!
We all know how difficult it is when you hit 30+ to meet new people, find friends, and even more than that. Feel free to just message me even if you aren't looking for a relationship! I'd love some conversation throughout the day and to make new friends!
I'm just a nerdy guy looking for his best friend.
Are you looking for that consistent text-until-3am person? Do you like having conversation or knowing that I'll try my best to find something to chat about?
We can talk about British TV, or food. We can talk about your favorite concerts or bands. We can talk about how Mass Effect is the best video game series but the remaster was just okay. We can talk about news, or really anything.
Location isn't a huge deal breaker for me. I'm willing to eventually find someone regardless of the location if something happens.
I'm the kinda dude who will do the dishes if you cook, and help clean the house. I'll mow the lawn (we all know nobody wants too), and fix things.
About Me!
What I'm looking for
I'm all for meeting/hanging out in a video game if you want! Do you want a partner to play a co-op game with? Build something in a game? I'll definitely play!
You're welcome to message/reddit chat!
submitted by _LegioN7_ to R4R30Plus [link] [comments]
I'm 34, M, Chubby/Dad Bod, 6 Tattoos (I want more!), Bearded and 6'!
We all know how difficult it is when you hit 30+ to meet new people, find friends, and even more than that. Feel free to just message me even if you aren't looking for a relationship! I'd love some conversation throughout the day and to make new friends!
I'm just a nerdy guy looking for his best friend.
Are you looking for that consistent text-until-3am person? Do you like having conversation or knowing that I'll try my best to find something to chat about?
We can talk about British TV, or food. We can talk about your favorite concerts or bands. We can talk about how Mass Effect is the best video game series but the remaster was just okay. We can talk about news, or really anything.
Location isn't a huge deal breaker for me. I'm willing to eventually find someone regardless of the location if something happens.
I'm the kinda dude who will do the dishes if you cook, and help clean the house. I'll mow the lawn (we all know nobody wants too), and fix things.
About Me!
- I'm huge into video games, and Mass Effect is my favorite video game series
- I love stuff like Fallout, Dragon Age, Apex Legends, World of Warcraft, etc.
- I love building games too!
- I love TV stuff like Taskmaster, Futurama, Bob's Burgers
- Currently renovating my home
- Have a stable career
- I have an adorable German Shepard
- I'm a huge alternative music fan
- Stuff like Fitz and the Tantrums, Joywave, City and Colour
- I love to travel!
What I'm looking for
- Someone who plays video games
- Ideally someone who likes alternative music
- Loves to travel
- Has a Career
I'm all for meeting/hanging out in a video game if you want! Do you want a partner to play a co-op game with? Build something in a game? I'll definitely play!
You're welcome to message/reddit chat!
2023.03.30 19:43 aubman02 Need some help finding a job
Hey everyone, so I find myself yet again between jobs. The biggest struggle is searching for a job right now. I specialize, ironically, and helping people like us with every day life. I combine a mixture of behavior therapy and cognitive behavior therapy. (I don’t have a degree in either unfortunately )I’m coming from a job where I was a parapro and previously I have worked as an RBT doing ABA. I’ve been doing mentoring on the side as my own little business but so far, it’s mostly been not-for-profit.
So basically, what happened in my previous job is that while teaching I took too long. Not to mention I seem to be slow in understanding directions. I’m worried about this moving forward. I’m good at working with kids and adults but specifically teaching and also just helping people deal with their autism, ADHD type stuff .
Right now I’m having a bit of a problem with starting the job search but I’m not really sure where to look. I’m 39 and not in the greatest health so I’m not sure if I should work outside right now. The issue right now is that I need a job soon to help pay the bills.
The other challenge, I’m having is that I have a possibility of starting my own business doing ghost stores. Or possibly working with the city. The thing is that probably won’t pay right away.
I guess the biggest issue. I’m having right now overall is just the looking part. I don’t know where to look or what to look for. I don’t know what to do if that makes sense. Like I’m just here trying to start but I don’t know where to start. I guess I should use the big search engines for jobs what what type of job? And I guess I’m supposed to be working on my small business stuff too but I’m not supposed to spend that much time on it.
On a sidenote, I have noticed that my special interest in the Paranormal has waned a little bit. Sadly, I think it has a lot to do with me playing magic arena and Pokémon go. My girlfriend was talking about setting aside. 30 minutes every day but I have to remember to do that. I guess I should use an alarm clock.
Anyway, I hope there’s someone out there who’s willing to help me tackle this. Thanks in advance.
submitted by aubman02 to aspergers [link] [comments]
So basically, what happened in my previous job is that while teaching I took too long. Not to mention I seem to be slow in understanding directions. I’m worried about this moving forward. I’m good at working with kids and adults but specifically teaching and also just helping people deal with their autism, ADHD type stuff .
Right now I’m having a bit of a problem with starting the job search but I’m not really sure where to look. I’m 39 and not in the greatest health so I’m not sure if I should work outside right now. The issue right now is that I need a job soon to help pay the bills.
The other challenge, I’m having is that I have a possibility of starting my own business doing ghost stores. Or possibly working with the city. The thing is that probably won’t pay right away.
I guess the biggest issue. I’m having right now overall is just the looking part. I don’t know where to look or what to look for. I don’t know what to do if that makes sense. Like I’m just here trying to start but I don’t know where to start. I guess I should use the big search engines for jobs what what type of job? And I guess I’m supposed to be working on my small business stuff too but I’m not supposed to spend that much time on it.
On a sidenote, I have noticed that my special interest in the Paranormal has waned a little bit. Sadly, I think it has a lot to do with me playing magic arena and Pokémon go. My girlfriend was talking about setting aside. 30 minutes every day but I have to remember to do that. I guess I should use an alarm clock.
Anyway, I hope there’s someone out there who’s willing to help me tackle this. Thanks in advance.
2023.03.30 19:42 RaiSilver0 Uh oh… I’m agreeing with GCs again
I’ve been wanted to make this post for a while. But have been a little too scared to. But here it is, hopefully I don’t forget anything 😥
Hey so quick backstory. I’ve been transitioning for 6 months now (I know I’m still very early on). Fairly early into my transition I got involved in politics, both locally and online. After a while I noticed I kept spending increasing amounts of time on GC Twitter accounts. Usually reading their feed until I eventually cried and/or disassociated. I like to think of this as a form of self harm, to purposely invalidate myself in order to feel something and also to validate a victim complex that I was developing. ffw a few months and I got banned on Twitter, and decided I needed a new place to get my self harm kick. I decided to go to Ovarit and lurk for a bit. This evolved until I was lurking nearly everyday, constantly exposing myself to GC rhetoric and arguments. And to my surprise I started to strangely agree with some of their points, granted not everything. I noticed a couple things:
Separate of these three enlightening points I also had some more personal realizations. Me taking hormones, or wearing certain clothes and makeup, talking a certain way, etc. these things don’t make me a woman. Don’t get me wrong, these things make me happy, comfortable with myself, and confident, but they don’t make me a woman. I am a male with gender dysphoria who is being medicated for it. I personally prefer the term transwoman, meaning I am wholly and entirely different then a woman (adult human female). I define it as a male who takes inspiration from women in how they present themselves physically, socially and personally while still being very much male. And me using this title doesn’t suddenly give me the right to access their spaces. Do I “want” to be a female? Yes. Is that a physical possibility or reality? No. I am not a god who can change my fundamental characteristics at will.
Now there are still more things that I need to consider (bad way of phrasing it) like the fact that I prefer certain pronouns. I don’t get upset at people when I get called he/him; however, it still doesn’t make me feel good and I will likely remove the person from my life so that I don’t feel bad around them. As far as I can tell the purposed GC position is just get over it, which doesn’t seem concrete enough to me.
I know I’m going to be called a pick-me or a psyop for saying this… but i truly, deeply feel that they are right on a lot of fundamental points. Im also worried that I could lose my trans friends or access to trans spaces by holding these views, but ig I need to get it off my chest.
However, I also realize that I am only 21 and I have not been living this lifestyle for long, and who knows what life will be like if a few years. Also at the same time, my therapists have been trying to convince me that I’m just experiencing internalized transphobia and that is why I feel this way… maybe they are right and the only reason I feel this way is because of the family/religion/society I was raised in, where gender essentialism was paramount and enforced… idk
Ig I was hoping someone here could help me with the turmoil between my beliefs rn
submitted by RaiSilver0 to honesttransgender [link] [comments]
Hey so quick backstory. I’ve been transitioning for 6 months now (I know I’m still very early on). Fairly early into my transition I got involved in politics, both locally and online. After a while I noticed I kept spending increasing amounts of time on GC Twitter accounts. Usually reading their feed until I eventually cried and/or disassociated. I like to think of this as a form of self harm, to purposely invalidate myself in order to feel something and also to validate a victim complex that I was developing. ffw a few months and I got banned on Twitter, and decided I needed a new place to get my self harm kick. I decided to go to Ovarit and lurk for a bit. This evolved until I was lurking nearly everyday, constantly exposing myself to GC rhetoric and arguments. And to my surprise I started to strangely agree with some of their points, granted not everything. I noticed a couple things:
- There are many different GC people out there, some more reasonable then others. There are those that want to find a practical solution to the issues caused by trans people, especially people like me trying to exist in spaces we feel comfortable in. And I actually found myself agreeing with their purposed solutions frequently. However, there are also those on Ovarit who are frankly just angry and upset at trans people, which while I don’t agree with their solutions (trans woman should just go to mens prisons, etc.), I totally understand their anger as what has been done to them (a total invasion of their spaces) has been terrible and unfair and they are hurting.
- Most GC people don’t “hate” trans people. Now I’m not speaking for all of them, but there was a surprising amount of people who genuinely pity us and emphasized with a lot of the struggle to conform to gendered stereotypes. Seeing this I was much more open to hearing and actually listening to what they were saying.
- Many of their demands aren’t unreasonable. In this section I’m not talking about the “a male wearing makeup is woman face” or “trans woman can’t be raped in male prisons because they are men” crowd. Instead I’m talking about finding third spaces for trans people to exist safely. Single stall public family bathrooms, a transgender wing/ward in prisons, a separate sports league for trans people. Im also talking about their request to not be referred to be terms that they find offensive (Terf, people who menstrate, etc). And of course not wanting transwomen trying to convince lesbians to have sex with males. (btw who of y’all do that because that’s absolutely insane)
Separate of these three enlightening points I also had some more personal realizations. Me taking hormones, or wearing certain clothes and makeup, talking a certain way, etc. these things don’t make me a woman. Don’t get me wrong, these things make me happy, comfortable with myself, and confident, but they don’t make me a woman. I am a male with gender dysphoria who is being medicated for it. I personally prefer the term transwoman, meaning I am wholly and entirely different then a woman (adult human female). I define it as a male who takes inspiration from women in how they present themselves physically, socially and personally while still being very much male. And me using this title doesn’t suddenly give me the right to access their spaces. Do I “want” to be a female? Yes. Is that a physical possibility or reality? No. I am not a god who can change my fundamental characteristics at will.
Now there are still more things that I need to consider (bad way of phrasing it) like the fact that I prefer certain pronouns. I don’t get upset at people when I get called he/him; however, it still doesn’t make me feel good and I will likely remove the person from my life so that I don’t feel bad around them. As far as I can tell the purposed GC position is just get over it, which doesn’t seem concrete enough to me.
I know I’m going to be called a pick-me or a psyop for saying this… but i truly, deeply feel that they are right on a lot of fundamental points. Im also worried that I could lose my trans friends or access to trans spaces by holding these views, but ig I need to get it off my chest.
However, I also realize that I am only 21 and I have not been living this lifestyle for long, and who knows what life will be like if a few years. Also at the same time, my therapists have been trying to convince me that I’m just experiencing internalized transphobia and that is why I feel this way… maybe they are right and the only reason I feel this way is because of the family/religion/society I was raised in, where gender essentialism was paramount and enforced… idk
Ig I was hoping someone here could help me with the turmoil between my beliefs rn
2023.03.30 19:40 pissingmyjorts Write ups???
hey yall so today i got my final write up for being late which means the next time im late, im getting fired. i already changed my availability but what else can i do?? can i transfer stores without taking the write ups with me? are they on my record forever? can i quit & reapply to a different store & have them not transfer over? can i fight the write ups? idk PLEASE HELP
submitted by pissingmyjorts to starbucksbaristas [link] [comments]
2023.03.30 19:40 sojasin Google search result looks different on Chrome
I downloaded chrome to switch my default browser and all my search result show up like the photo on the right. it won’t let me access images,shopping,news etc. please help me yo 😭.
submitted by sojasin to macbookpro [link] [comments]
2023.03.30 19:36 demi_skincare Full Bodycare Shelfie
 | submitted by demi_skincare to IndianSkincareAddicts [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/q3c9z9hxwwqa1.png?width=2550&format=png&auto=webp&s=4e561dcf53bafe79be687b02026d15a47d4b6fcf Bodycare products, which I have been using and finishing. I live in a very hot place, and it's always hot here. My body's skin is always dry but not patchy. This is going to be a very long post. Body Soaps: I always try different soaps, so once in a while, I go to the supermarket and get 5 or 6 soaps that I have never used before. I rarely buy them online. I hate soaps that leave the skin very dry or too slippery, making me feel like I didn't wash it. Repurchasing is almost never done, except for a few that really impressed me. https://preview.redd.it/2zv9hu31uwqa1.jpg?width=1496&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21702c6a715ff5c763ed66842dd1b519604f806c
I was not a fan of body washes, but lately, I started trying out some because of a change in fragrance. I don't always use them daily, and I also don't like body washes that leave a slip. https://preview.redd.it/n1put5k5uwqa1.jpg?width=1496&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c819224f88616fd8324ba8e49e2315a052bdefe4
I have body odor, which I inherited from my father, but I spend most of my time indoors and prefer mild fragrances. https://preview.redd.it/caf18u48uwqa1.jpg?width=1496&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e418d6b0eac65ac95e2bf8da102570c2b4e0a97c
I don't usually apply lotion every day, but I'm trying to make it a habit. The most important aspect of body lotion I look for is that it is not sticky and well-scented. https://preview.redd.it/ur1ih359uwqa1.jpg?width=1496&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef5f32259bf0741dffe5cd5fb9fd6a3be95bdf44
I always prefer mild-scented fragrances. At home, my dad and I are the only people who use fragrances; others hate perfumes. https://preview.redd.it/qkqpimkauwqa1.jpg?width=1496&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0eb2c034c5e433e44ba2d5d44e3fefca36d396b
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2023.03.30 19:32 chefsalvatored Just found these in a candy store near me
 | submitted by chefsalvatored to mash [link] [comments] |
2023.03.30 19:31 themagictoast Sunday is Reading Half Marathon! Road closures and general info…
 | Hey everyone it’s that time of year again when a few thousand of us run around like idiots and cause mayhem on the roads! submitted by themagictoast to reading [link] [comments] The route map is above. Most roads close from 9:00 am and re-open by 3:00 pm. The course starts in the south west corner and goes anti-clockwise so the roads in the south and east will re-open first - for instance Kendrick Rd at 12:30 pm. Some roads will stay open one-way and some both directions with traffic lights, but realistically please avoid driving altogether if you can. However all the roads are open for pedestrians with plenty of marshalled crossing points. The full list of closure and re-open times are here: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0322/7277/7353/files/Traffic_Management_Timelines_v2.pdf Some bus routes are also impacted. See here for details: https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/reading-half-marathon-2023 Live near the route? Come and cheer on the runners! There are organised groups at the yellow stars on the map but there will be people pretty much everywhere so please join them to show your support! One final thought after marshalling a couple of years ago and getting way too much abuse hurled at me - If you get stuck feel free to talk to the marshals in high viz but please know that they’re mostly volunteers. They don’t make up or get to change the rules!! |
2023.03.30 19:23 SlyCrane Help me choose healthcare.
Hey everyone, just coming to grips with losing health insurance (again) because my mother is switching jobs (again), and I didn't get my own and trusted her (again), which was a mistake.
So, now I'm probably not going to get my hormones on time (again). It's been 4 months since I've had estrogen, and yet still am being prescribed spiro - however i want to stop taking it ASAP.
I want to get an orchiectomy. Already storing the sperm for future in case i want kids, so now I just need a provider for near me (Near Sacramento, CA).
Any good providers? Any good ones for somebody as broke and desperate as me?
Any advice for finding roomates, either?
submitted by SlyCrane to MtF [link] [comments]
So, now I'm probably not going to get my hormones on time (again). It's been 4 months since I've had estrogen, and yet still am being prescribed spiro - however i want to stop taking it ASAP.
I want to get an orchiectomy. Already storing the sperm for future in case i want kids, so now I just need a provider for near me (Near Sacramento, CA).
Any good providers? Any good ones for somebody as broke and desperate as me?
Any advice for finding roomates, either?
2023.03.30 19:23 torricodiego Operation: Queen Slayer (Prologue)
 | Hoxxes IV submitted by torricodiego to DeepRockGalactic [link] [comments] Crystalline Caverns Current Mining Zone EST 02:28 "This is bloody hard work!" groans the Engineer bathed in crystalline light "mining is not my favourite task, not by a long shot, rather be shooting bugs" "Quit yer whining, ya big baby!" shouts Gunner above the deafening roar of his minigun unloading two thousand rounds of depleted uranium on the Glyphids dumb enough to come after them. "Yeah, Engi, come on, you don't see me complaining about your crap platform placing eh," Scout says as he uses his grappling gun to zip through the air to a Plastcrete MKII platform with barely a ledge to stand on, hanging at least ten stories high above solid rock ground. As he begins to mine the Nitra there, the wall shuffles, and a tunnel gives way to the Driller standing in sight. He says, "Might have taken a wrong turn down there somewhere," after a moment of silence the Scout and Driller both burst out laughing. The ground starts trembling. "I'm not the one doing that this time," Driller comments to Scout. Scout looks below and shouts at Engi and Gunner, "You guys feel that down there!?" When suddenly the walls start to crumble, the glowing crystals vibrate faster and faster until they start shattering, plunging the cave and the dwarves into darkness while the ceiling begins to crack and fall on them. "Oh hell, it's an earthquake! Hang on, everybody!" shouts Driller, but it's too late and the destruction too sudden. Driller sees Engi getting covered by the collapsing cave-in and jumps with his hand drills already activated to try and drill him out; that's the last time Scout sees either of them as the earth cracks and falls unto itself. What he does see is a zipline appearing from the moving earth. "Gunner!" Scout grapples and jumps, evading falling debris and opening chasms, running on ground that disappeared with each step, finally with Gunner in sight scout zips onto the zipline. "Gunner!" shouts Scout, glad to find his friend and a bit of stability on the zipline in the sea of clashing dirt. "Scout, what the hell happened? Where's Engi and Driller? I can't find them on the ping system," Gunner asks. "I think they're gone, Gunn..." Scout is interrupted as the zipline loses its grounding, dropping them onto the ground. Both of them brace for the impact of the quake and debris, but there is none. "The quakes stopped," Scout realizes. "Yeah, but listen, Scout… now it's too quiet… and too dark," Gunner says, feeling something off. "Right, I'll light it up," Scout says. Before he can fire his flare gun, Gunner gives in to his instincts and deploys his shield bubble while thinking, "If I'm wrong, then I'll only be a nervous fool for a short while, but if I'm right… I hope I'm not." As the shield activates emanating its green translucent light alongside Scout firing his flare towards the ceiling, the darkness is pushed away if only for them both to realize, as they follow the solitary lit trail of light that the flare is leaving behind flying towards the ceiling, that it is now traveling alongside a mountain, a mountain that wasn't there before – a black, scaly, sharp, protruding mountain. Gunner's and Scout's stomachs sink, "Had their eyes not adjusted yet, this couldn't be a Glyphid right, not even Oppressors nor Hiveguard Dreadnaughts could grow this big," Scout thought to himself, but whatever other thoughts he might have had were lost by the shouting of Gunner and the roaring of his minigun as it amps up to its maximum speed and starts unloading on the creature. "Aaaaaarrrgggh!"Gunner roars alongside his minigun, Scout joins in the shout. He doesn't know why he's shouting, but it feels goddamn right. "This must be what the rumors said about what wanders in the dark depths of Hoxxes IV, the bloody Glyphid queen!" Gunner shouts to scout above all the firepower being deployed, wishing they had taken it more seriously than just a tale to scare the green-beards.  https://www.reddit.com/DeepRockGalactic/comments/11yr1ou/glyphid_queen/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 Yet no matter how much they try, the armor of this mountainous beast isn't being damaged by their attacks. It actually seems as if the creature might not have even noticed the dwarves being there, could be she is just on her way. But the creature had noticed them and understood them more than they thought, as she was waiting patiently for the shield to die out, as would the dwarves alongside it. As the shield flickered signifying its end, the queen makes her move. She unhinges her jaw breaking away into four parts to reveal rows and rows of teeth, all circulating, sharp as a pickaxe, with Glyphids running in and out of her mouth as well in between the rows of teeth. Her armor begins to rattle, creaking and shaking as it opens up to expose tunnels of flesh where eggs are being dropped out amongst venomous, poisonous green goo bile that starts to flood the cave, being held back only by the shield bubble. The eggs hatch, giving birth to all manners of Glyphids while full-grown Glyphids are coming out of her orifices. "Gross," says Scout as the shield runs out of energy when the queen suddenly lunges forward violently and with more speed than her massive body should be able to have ripping and tearing the ground where Scout and Gunner had stood but moments ago. "By the beard, Gunner, you got to lay off the sandwiches," Scout says, with the grappling hook whirring and screeching due to having been overloaded to manage and be able to take Gunner and himself out of the hellish beast's path. "Never!" replies Gunner holding on to Scout for safety, something he never thought would happen. Before Gunner can add to that the grappling hook snaps and they slam down onto the cave's floor. In the pitch-black darkness, Gunner is disoriented and can't find his footing. "Scout? Scout?" Gunner throws a flare and sees Scout lying on the ground injured. He runs to him, only to realize his leg is also badly hurt. "Aargh," he almost falls to the floor but manages to support himself using the minigun as a crutch. Gunner limps towards Scout, saying, "Hey Scout, I promise I'll leave the sandwiches alone... but only if we drink double the beer." As Gunner crouches next to Scout, Scout turns with a bloody face and says, "You better be paying, then." As Scout is helped to his feet by Gunner, the rumbling starts again, and multiple cave tunnels open around them, unleashing a swarm of Glyphids. The dark cave is lit up not by flares but by all the firepower being unleashed on the Glyphids. Gunner and Scout stand shoulder to shoulder against the unyielding swarm. It wasn't necessary to say it, they were both thinking the same, that if this is to be the end then we better make it a bloody good one, as they shout "FOR ROCK AND STONE!!!" in unison. The Glyphid bodies begin to pile up even managing to clog up some of the tunnels, the dwarves' weapons glowing red nearing their melting points from the non-stop use. "Could we actually make it?" thought Gunner" Command we have made contact with the Glyphid Queen and need immediate extraction, Command do you copy we have made contact with the Glyphid Queen, need immediate extraction" when the ground they are standing on begins to tremble to crack and open beneath them, swallowing them both whole, into the darkness. The ground shakes as the Glyphid queen crawls out of the giant sinkhole where Scout and Gunner held their ground against all odds. The earth trembles while the Glyphid queen continues on her trail of death and destruction in the darkness of Hoxxes IV. End of Prologue Hello, fellow dwarves if you've made it this far first and foremost Rock and Stone! Now please let me know what you liked, disliked, and if you would like to see the continuation. I would like to share something personal and that is that I have or used to have huge trouble understanding tone over text mixed with anxiety which means I mostly used to play solo games or multiplayer games solo as talking online induced my anxiety, and that was until I met Deep Rock Galactic. At first, it was, as usual, playing solo but the more I played the more I saw the community for what awesome understanding dwarves they are and that allowed me to interact with people, finally being able to chat over text and carry conversations and jokes making friends and memories. which leads me to this because the community is so awesome it has given me the confidence to post this, hopefully, you liked it fellow miners. |
2023.03.30 19:23 FriedRicee- Concerned about a recent encounter
My local sex shop has booths u can go in and view porn. To my surprise it has a one of those holes u can stick urself in. I heard it's very rare any shop has those in sex stores but I heard rumors that the one in my area has one. Long story short I been going often using the hole whenever I notice someone occupying one booth and I get a lot of casual head from strangers. Sometimes I feel that pullout their mouth and finish me by jerking me off but many just allow me to finish in their mouth. For the most part pretty much every person who has sucked me off is another guy. But I'm concerned about the last time I went where this one guy switched to his ass. I don't use condoms since it's just oral most people give at the hole so when this guy suddenly switched to putting my dick in his ass I did not have a condom on. I was already near the finishing point and really horny so I kept going until I had cumed but now I'm extremely worried and anxious. I'm also not on prep either so Idk what are the chances of catching an sti or anything. I was going to make a doctor's appointment but it's been about two weeks and a half since and I feel fine. Nothing wrong at all. Should I still be concerned?
submitted by FriedRicee- to askgaybros [link] [comments]
2023.03.30 19:20 NoWalrus8849 The babysitter
Alex was watching Sherk with a little girl. It was a quite Friday night. She was able to get her weekend homework done. She looks over and sees how the little girl is dozing off. Alex wanted to finish the movie so she was going to wait before carrying the little girl to bed.
As the movie is near its end. She gets a call from her cell phone. Pulling it from her pocket without a care. It is the Williams family. The mother of the little girl she is watching. Before answering the phone. She thought to herself, that maybe the Williams are wanting to stay out later.
Alex answers the phone “ hey Miss Willams, how is your night going?” Miss Willams was in a panic. Shouting over the phone. Miss Williams was clearly scared of something. “ Get my daughter! She is out the window! Aren’t you watching the cameras in her room! We are coming home now!” Alex jumps up in a shock!
Alex turns her head and looking right at the little girl. She is sleeping right there on the couch. In a calm voice “ Miss Williams, your daughter is right here next to me. We are watching a movie. Can you open the camera to the living room.” Miss Williams still in a panic. “ My daughter is not in the living room! I am now watching the living room camera.”
Taken back from this. Alex reaches out to touch the little girl. Shacking her awake. Alex asks the little girl to talk to her mom. She gets on the phone. “ Mommy, I am in the living room with Alex. “ Miss Williams is quite now over the phone. Alex speaks “ Miss Willams? Are you there?” Still now answer at all.
Alex tells the little girl to stay here and she will go up stairs. Wondering what on earth could Miss Willams be looking at. She saw the window open.
A rushing car goes in the driveway. Miss Willams starts to scream in terror. Mister Willams is calling 911. He needs a ambulance now! He runs to the front yard where Alex now lays. Miss Willams runs inside to grab her daughter.
As the police officers arrive. Mister just shows the camera footage of Alex walking out the window and jumps head first and snapping her neck.
submitted by NoWalrus8849 to scarystories [link] [comments]
As the movie is near its end. She gets a call from her cell phone. Pulling it from her pocket without a care. It is the Williams family. The mother of the little girl she is watching. Before answering the phone. She thought to herself, that maybe the Williams are wanting to stay out later.
Alex answers the phone “ hey Miss Willams, how is your night going?” Miss Willams was in a panic. Shouting over the phone. Miss Williams was clearly scared of something. “ Get my daughter! She is out the window! Aren’t you watching the cameras in her room! We are coming home now!” Alex jumps up in a shock!
Alex turns her head and looking right at the little girl. She is sleeping right there on the couch. In a calm voice “ Miss Williams, your daughter is right here next to me. We are watching a movie. Can you open the camera to the living room.” Miss Williams still in a panic. “ My daughter is not in the living room! I am now watching the living room camera.”
Taken back from this. Alex reaches out to touch the little girl. Shacking her awake. Alex asks the little girl to talk to her mom. She gets on the phone. “ Mommy, I am in the living room with Alex. “ Miss Williams is quite now over the phone. Alex speaks “ Miss Willams? Are you there?” Still now answer at all.
Alex tells the little girl to stay here and she will go up stairs. Wondering what on earth could Miss Willams be looking at. She saw the window open.
A rushing car goes in the driveway. Miss Willams starts to scream in terror. Mister Willams is calling 911. He needs a ambulance now! He runs to the front yard where Alex now lays. Miss Willams runs inside to grab her daughter.
As the police officers arrive. Mister just shows the camera footage of Alex walking out the window and jumps head first and snapping her neck.
2023.03.30 19:18 Sig000 (REPOST, since i made a mistake with the last one) #TOPSLASHERS "Run... Hide... It does not matter, I shall find you all in time."
 | submitted by Sig000 to HeroForgeMinis [link] [comments]  William was a man of good intentions and an overall happily married husband. He adored his wife, Alice, and she was the love of his life. They lived in a nice home in the suburbs and plans to start a family. In the meantime, as an anniversary gift, William got Alice a pet white rabbit as a joke because “Every Alice needs her white rabbit” and the fact that Alice was always late and in hurry for work, for the white rabbit in wonderland was always in a hurry. Alice worked as a psychiatrist and William was an engineer who had a passion for writing books. He was writing a horror fictional piece on Jack the Ripper and had high hopes it would be a best seller. Except, his happy life was about to drastically change. One night, William was running late and arrived home at night, past his usual time. It was overly quiet in his home and all the lights were out, which was further unusual as Alice wouldn’t go to sleep without him. He called out to her and no voice returned his worried calls. William attempted to walk over to switch on the lights, but slipped on something wet on the ground. He stood up and collected himself, then turned on the lights. His mouth was wide open and no noise came out as he was struck with fear. The wetness he had slipped on was blood, and in the middle of it, the poor white rabbit William had bought Alice for their anniversary, dead. Now, a vastly frantic William, started crying out for Alice as he stumbled across his kitchen on his way to the living room. He flipped on the lights to see Alice’s lifeless body in the middle of the floor, covered in blood and disfigured from the damage that killed her. On the wall, smeared in blood, read “She decided to go down the rabbit hole, so I sent her to Wonderland. Ha ha ha”. Before William could come back to reality from his shock, the room filled with police lights and the door broke down, police swarming in. Fast forward to weeks later, William was convicted of the murder of his wife, Alice. Everything pointed towards William being the killer and this crushed his soul. No matter how much he pleaded and swore his love for Alice, no matter how much pain he displayed in her loss, whomever framed him, got away with it. William was sentenced to death row in prison. William did not belong in prison and it was evident. From day one, he was picked on and beaten by inmates. The guards harassed William relentlessly and teased him with Wonderland jokes due the murder of his wife Alice, the message on the wall, and the poor slaughtered rabbit. William was shown no mercy and his life became a constant struggle for survival, a pure hell. It wasn’t until a Doctor came in the night to the prison that William may be saved. She offered certain luxuries and promises to whichever inmate offered his services for an experiment. While every inmate was desperate for this opportunity, the Doctor, Dr. Queen, saw the beaten and disheveled William in the corner. She approached him and offered to him specifically. In question as to why, she said that William looked like he was beaten to his last card to play in survival, he deserves a break due to his admirable survivability. With enough convincing, he was willing. The beginning of the end is what was in store for William. Little did William know, he was about to be used as a disposable tool in unethical experimentation. Dr Queen suddenly became cold and apathetic towards William. She told him she was looking to study to vast complexities of the human mind and look to cure or better understand one of the most enigmatic disorders of the brain, dissociative disorders. Since she can’t use actual people who suffer from such disorders in experiments due to ethics, she was allowed to use one of the inmates on death row in a covert program. “What does this have to do with me?” William said in a fit of anxiety. “I don’t have any such disorder!” “Not yet you don’t.” Dr. Queen said sinisterly. “Now, unfortunately for you, the disorder I’m focusing on, DID, or, Dissociative Identity Disorder, is something developed in young developing minds that have endured horrific trauma.” She continued. “It isn’t heard of for an adult to suddenly develop DID from relatively current trauma, as when it manifests in most adults or young teens, it’s from a suppressed trauma from their childhood years. So we need to somehow get you to develop the disorder.” “W…well…wh…what are you, er, how are you going to do that?? William panicked. “Well, William, we are going to put you through any and every bit of possible trauma, damage, and pain possible until your brain decides to do what it does best, survive, and create an alter to handle the pain for you. Or you die like you would out in the prison environment anyway.” Dr. Queen said as she brushed her red hair from her face with a sadistic smirk. “Shall we begin?” William was hauled off to a secret part of the prison where he could be put through Hell without anyone ever hearing him, and Hell he was definitely put through. William had just about every sort of pain, humiliation, trauma, and distress casted upon him for around 2 months without success. If anything, it was remarkable and near uncanny how much William was capable of surviving. It was even further impressive how well his body was capable of healing and retaining itself. Dr. Queen went to do her research on William’s childhood and early life, to which she discovered she could hardly find anything. It was as if he didn’t have a childhood as his records were so vague and seemingly constructed, fabricated. Dr. Queen dug even deeper and got access to restricted files to which lead her to a disturbing discovery. She found files so hidden and buried that it was nearly impossible to find them unless you really dug deep. Within those files she discovered William’s horrific past and grinned widely. She gathered the files and fled back to the prison to confront William. A beaten and bruised William was sat down in front of Dr. Queen who showed him files of two adults, a woman and a man, slaughtered on a couch. “What does this have to do with me?” William managed to choked out of his swollen mouth. “You did this, William. You murdered these two, your biological parents.” Dr. Queen excitedly explained. “N…no. No! I’ve never seen these people before!” William exclaimed. “Stop this!” “William, these were your parents. They experimented on you ever since you were a baby. They injected you with experimental drugs and beat you, neglected you. They wanted to see if you could develop a healing or regenerative mutation of sorts. The trauma they put you through, it was despicable.” Dr. Queen said almost sympathetically. “Stop this! I want no part in this anymore. I’m done. Your games and mind tricks aren’t working. Just kill me and I can be with Alice again!” William cried. “I’m sorry, William, but you’re not going anywhere. You see, the torture you endured during childhood eventually broke you. You’ve had DID all along. You developed your first alter, Bill, who took over and shielded you from the trauma. Bill, he found an opportunity and murdered them, massacred them more like. How you overcame them as such a young boy is unknown and quite astonishing.” Dr. Queen said calmly. “Please stop. My head, it’s throbbing. This still doesn’t make me believe anything and prove I killed Alice.” William said somewhat vapidity. “This is where it gets bizarre. You see, you were in and out of foster care due to your disorder you then developed. You were violent and destructive. This followed you into your late 20s. There you met a psychiatrist, her name was Alice. Ring a bell? I can see your gears turning.”. Dr. Queen explained. “No. No more…” William was cut off. “You formed a bond with Alice. She was capable of chasing off your alters and keeping you stable. You fell in love with her. Despite the conflict of your other alters, Alice saw her presence kept you stable and she fell in love with you back. Or maybe she just found you interesting? She then buried your past and made you forget your past. Gave you a new one.” Dr. Queen Continued. William was visibly in a state of confusion and frustration. Just staring off beyond Dr. Queen. “Something must have triggered a tick in you and an alter presented itself and murdered Alice. Perhaps in a fit of retribution? Do they know something you don’t?” Dr. Queen questioned. William was in a near catatonic state and no longer in the conversation. Dr. Queen motioned for a guard to take him away for the night, but once the grizzly hand of the guard grabbed William’s shoulder, William looked up with a grin to a startled Dr. Queen. William grabbed the guard’s hand and twisted it, then crushed it. He grabbed his cuffs he secretly undid and stabbed the other guard frantically charging towards him with the sharp pointed unlatched end of the cuff. Dr. Queen was in sheer shock and fell down to her back. William approached her. “She shouldn’t have been chasing rabbits. She shouldn’t have jumped into the rabbit hole of Sir William’s mind.” William sneered. “B…Bill?” Dr. Queen shakily asked. “No no no, my red Queen, Bill is long gone. I’m the Rabbit, I’ve planned this all along, I manifested the moment Sir William saw the dead rabbit you see, but I kept hidden, filing through William’s mind. You see, you’re one of the young researchers shadowing the Doctors who experimented on poor little William. I’ve come to collect you and send you back to Wonderland. Just Alice really built a strong wall to hop over in poor Sir William’s head. Some other dark fellow in this noggin snuck out and took care of poor Alice and quickly retreated. However, now, your antics started to remind my good fellow on his past trauma, I couldn’t have that. Like you said, the brain survives and gave me a door, I was able to hop out!” Rabbit said. A visibly fear struck Dr. Queen looked puzzled on what to say or ask first. “To Wonderland? What ever do you mean!?” Dr. Queen cried. “What does the good Red Queen always say? Hm? Off with your head?” Rabbit said sincerely. “And you see, what you’ve done here during Sir William’s lovely stay, is allow another gentlemen to manifest in this headspace. One who Sir William oddly found an interest in. Let me introduce you to him, as he doesn’t talk much. Have at it, Mister Ripper.” Rabbit said, straightening himself out. His face became cold and emotionless. His stature changed to a more broad and hunched over brutish character, almost as if he grew in size. His eyes slowly scanned and met with Dr. Queen, to which he produced a nasty grin. Ripper slowly progressed towards Dr. Queen. “Run…” The Ripper growled. “I…I don’t understand” Dr. Queen said as she began to sob. The Ripper grabbed the end of the table and forcibly flipped the table in the air, flinging it over the railing, crashing on the ground below. “RUN!!!” The Ripper roared in an unnaturally deep voice. Dr. Queen stumbled and began running and screaming for help, hearing a low toned laughter fading behind her. That night, 20 guards, the warden, several inmates, and Dr. Queen were found massacred. William was nowhere to be found. William wasn’t seen since the events of the prison, however, a peculiar killer made a name for himself as he racked up victims. The killer wore a motif of the White Rabbit combined with the outfit of Jack the Ripper. It didn’t take long for others to put clues together to find out it was William, though, not really William. The identities of the White Rabbit and the Ripper were often the most present, as the Rabbit was often the brains and Ripper the brawn. He is vastly elusive and good at illusion and deception. The elaborate way he kills and escapes is often a hurdle in predicting his next moves and capturing him. He likes to play games with everyone victims and challenge them philosophically, psychologically, and physically. White Rabbit would like nothing more than to see them break, often making them choose between apprehending him or saving another of his victims. White Rabbit appears to display unique abilities such as above human strength, durability, stamina, and is capable of performing feats or actions not considered possible by basic human standards. the police assumes this is an effect of the experimentation done to William as a child and since the experimental drugs used upon William when his parents made them using, and experimenting with some animals blood, the police of this town feels responsible now for the damage that White Rabbit has caused, and not responding quick enough, all events that tried to stop the White Rabbit and try to bring back William, save him from himself. seem hopeless. White Rabbit seemingly fluctuates in abilities and tactics just as different personalities manifest. All the personalities seem to be obedient to the Rabbit alter. With the constant puzzles, riddles, elusiveness, stealth, and fighting and intellectual skills, White Rabbit is amongst one of the most challenging Killers, this world has ever seen. The constant change in personality makes him very hard to track or predict as it would require knowing each personality as its own person. The biggest mystery is finding out what makes the White Rabbit tick. they'll have to jump down the rabbit hole and chase the rabbit to get answers. We all know how elusive the white rabbit is in wonderland. Just go ask Alice, I think she'll know. |
2023.03.30 19:17 Night_lon3r Bocchi makes me really sad but gives me hope at the same time
I believe you have seen a lot of posting like this since the anime release , but for me , the story is little bit different Im going to write a long story with a language that I don't use daily so pardon if it looks weird to read at.
I live in a third world country that is mediocre in term of economics or politics I used to have a group of friends in my high school that plays music instrument very well , mainly guitar and piano. Im their total fan and i admire them a lot , eventually they borrowed me a classical guitar and teach me how to play it ，they said they are waiting for me to join them and form a band in the future. it was good time
And the graduation came , we all have to make choice for our future path. my friends without a doubt went to the musical college , but for me , my parent are classic asian that think art in general does no good and isnt going to make any profit ,so my hopes to join my friends musical college is shattered , of course.
I went to a digital media college afterwards and my friends and I grew apart It was the most depressing time of my life, a lot have happens , mostly are bad things , in the end I didnt manage finish my study and dropped out.
I went thru a lot of struggle looking for jobs to survive and in the end I settled as a shopkeeper near my house , living on the edge based on minimum wages. My friends and I are now mostly total strangers. And just like that , I have given up. I have no desire for future , never think of having a relationship or building a family , never think of getting out here , I just sleep and play video games whenever I return from my job sometimes I just staring on my screen for hours without any thought of playing games at all , althought video game gives me some fake sense of satisfaction, but deep down I know its empty , I got nothing in the end , its like a drug addict.
Im getting fat and my health got worse over the year and my doctor tells me to try fix my health but I don't want to Why bother? my life is meaningless Everyday I close my eyes , I hope i never wake up again. I signed a insurance plan for myself so atleast I can fullfill some of my responsibility for my parents when I die
My first encounter with the show wasnt from the anime itself , but its a video of the guitar cover of one of bocchi's song Wasurete Yaranai on youtube(I know the show because its everywhere on the social media but i never really dig into it). My first reaction was I was teared up. Its a feeling that is hard to describe. Was it regrets? or is it envy? probably both. The nostalgia hits hard. Regardless , I looped the video for days before I searched and watch the anime. A week later , I dig into my store room and found the classical guitar that my friend borrowed me. It was full of dust , the string is rusted. I tried to play it but I don't remember a thing about guitar anymore the next day I go to a guitar shop and ask for a string replacement , i was told that this guitar is no longer usable because the bridge is broken and it might unhook anytime soon. I contacted the friends that borrowed me the guitar , told him im really sorry about it He said it was fine , but he was curious why I am returning the guitar now We got into a chatter about the anime and our memories during our high school days During this time , i felt a sense of reliefs , but also regrets deeply , for now im too old and too late. He later watched the anime aswell but he told me he won't be playing guitars anymore because time and responsibility of an adult doesnt allow him to do that anymore So he says he can borrow me his electrical guitar if Im really want to get into it again , its sitting in dust in his room , just the strings needs to be replaced. Its a fender stratocaster
I rejected because Im still guilty for breaking his classical guitar , plus im not really sureif im I should get into playing guitar again. In a few days I have watch more guitars cover video and leaving some comment , and people has been kind and encourging . thx to them , I have decided to pick up my dream again If there is a thing i wanted to do before i die , this is it.
I been doing some exercise and trying to fix my health for abit and saving up for a electrical guitar now. If you have reading my story until here ,can you guys recommend a electrical guitar that I should be eyeing for? thanks.
TLDR: Bocchi the rock makes me pick up my life and dream again.
submitted by Night_lon3r to BocchiTheRock [link] [comments]
I live in a third world country that is mediocre in term of economics or politics I used to have a group of friends in my high school that plays music instrument very well , mainly guitar and piano. Im their total fan and i admire them a lot , eventually they borrowed me a classical guitar and teach me how to play it ，they said they are waiting for me to join them and form a band in the future. it was good time
And the graduation came , we all have to make choice for our future path. my friends without a doubt went to the musical college , but for me , my parent are classic asian that think art in general does no good and isnt going to make any profit ,so my hopes to join my friends musical college is shattered , of course.
I went to a digital media college afterwards and my friends and I grew apart It was the most depressing time of my life, a lot have happens , mostly are bad things , in the end I didnt manage finish my study and dropped out.
I went thru a lot of struggle looking for jobs to survive and in the end I settled as a shopkeeper near my house , living on the edge based on minimum wages. My friends and I are now mostly total strangers. And just like that , I have given up. I have no desire for future , never think of having a relationship or building a family , never think of getting out here , I just sleep and play video games whenever I return from my job sometimes I just staring on my screen for hours without any thought of playing games at all , althought video game gives me some fake sense of satisfaction, but deep down I know its empty , I got nothing in the end , its like a drug addict.
Im getting fat and my health got worse over the year and my doctor tells me to try fix my health but I don't want to Why bother? my life is meaningless Everyday I close my eyes , I hope i never wake up again. I signed a insurance plan for myself so atleast I can fullfill some of my responsibility for my parents when I die
My first encounter with the show wasnt from the anime itself , but its a video of the guitar cover of one of bocchi's song Wasurete Yaranai on youtube(I know the show because its everywhere on the social media but i never really dig into it). My first reaction was I was teared up. Its a feeling that is hard to describe. Was it regrets? or is it envy? probably both. The nostalgia hits hard. Regardless , I looped the video for days before I searched and watch the anime. A week later , I dig into my store room and found the classical guitar that my friend borrowed me. It was full of dust , the string is rusted. I tried to play it but I don't remember a thing about guitar anymore the next day I go to a guitar shop and ask for a string replacement , i was told that this guitar is no longer usable because the bridge is broken and it might unhook anytime soon. I contacted the friends that borrowed me the guitar , told him im really sorry about it He said it was fine , but he was curious why I am returning the guitar now We got into a chatter about the anime and our memories during our high school days During this time , i felt a sense of reliefs , but also regrets deeply , for now im too old and too late. He later watched the anime aswell but he told me he won't be playing guitars anymore because time and responsibility of an adult doesnt allow him to do that anymore So he says he can borrow me his electrical guitar if Im really want to get into it again , its sitting in dust in his room , just the strings needs to be replaced. Its a fender stratocaster
I rejected because Im still guilty for breaking his classical guitar , plus im not really sureif im I should get into playing guitar again. In a few days I have watch more guitars cover video and leaving some comment , and people has been kind and encourging . thx to them , I have decided to pick up my dream again If there is a thing i wanted to do before i die , this is it.
I been doing some exercise and trying to fix my health for abit and saving up for a electrical guitar now. If you have reading my story until here ,can you guys recommend a electrical guitar that I should be eyeing for? thanks.
TLDR: Bocchi the rock makes me pick up my life and dream again.
2023.03.30 19:16 ornatosab Gazelle Indoor Fit
I've read online that you should size down with these. I ordered my usual number and the number below and got to try them in-store. The number below fits ok on the backheel, but I can feel my big toe wanting to poke through the suede. My number also fits ok, but the heel moves around a bit. I feel that is more an issue of canvas than sizing, as it was also quite easy to remove the number below without untying laces. That being said, I am not really sure what I should do:
a) go size down and risk seeing the shoes last 6 months;
b) stick with my usual size even if they feel a bit too big (wont use them to workout, but kind of worried of walking long distances)
c) accept that this model isn't for me
submitted by ornatosab to adidas [link] [comments]
a) go size down and risk seeing the shoes last 6 months;
b) stick with my usual size even if they feel a bit too big (wont use them to workout, but kind of worried of walking long distances)
c) accept that this model isn't for me
2023.03.30 19:12 KLEANANU There is healing! 4 years after recovery
Hey quitters, i still follow this sub and I read a lot of your stories but I haven't been as supportive after my quit as I should have been. I am here to share my story of recovery of my 5 year battle with kratom, and how I am holding up these days.
So I started kratom to get off of heroin. It worked really well for the first 2.5 years. I could function, I was holding a job. At that point though, i was very addicted and at this point felt that kratom was harming my life, health, more than helping. It was another desperate 2.5 years before I actually quit. I need to tell you, your recovery might be a long journey, it might be years before you decide you want to quit, before you quit.
Please don't give up! You need to keep quitting, and eventually you will be able to. I felt hopeless for those 2.5 years, like I was a slave forever. The withdrawals from kratom are in some ways as shitty as, or more shitty, than heroin WDs. Kratom can take FAR longer to get out of the withdrawal stage as well, as well as the fact that it will in my opinion, damage your mental health as bad or worse than heroin due to the absolute bombing amount of receptors kratom hits over heroin. Maybe not as damaging to your dopamine system, but far more to your serotonin and other important neuro chemicals.
My worst symptom of withdrawal was akathesia, aka restless body symptom, far worse than even RLS. if I didn't have help quitting and I ran out of my supply, and had to WD CT, I probably would have *trigger warning [off myself] .
I had to go into a 4 day detox in order to quit, with many comfort meds. 4 days was far too short of a time to leave, as I experienced withdrawals, managed by gabapentin eventually, and prescribed by a doctor. It was super shitty for the first three weeks to a month. And I only used the gabapentin for the duration of my first prescription.
After this I experienced the "rose tinted goggles". Life felt great, I was happy and doing things I had never before. Which now looking back was all out of character for me as I had a lot of risky sex and whatnot I usually wouldn't have done.
Anyways, after this 6 month period I started falling into more and more of a depression. I could still function, but it was getting harder day by day. I was still smoking marijuana however, which will hinder your recovery. Wish I woulda stayed off the pot. I am still smoking to this day but now working on tackling this addiction. I also was having terrible diahreah daily still, even 6 months after.
So by year 3 I was back at a miserable point, still not using, but no where near happy. Still having diahreah daily. I didn't do the things you NEED to do for a proper recovery, and I payed for it dearly. The only thing that solved the chronic diahreah for me, was changing my diet and eating healthier. This is one thing I did well, once I figured out what I needed to do. It cleared up a week later.
PLEASE DO EVERYTHING you can to assist your recovery. Its crucial. Please take this advice, even if it seems hard. Therapy, exercise, so cliche but for a reason, its crucial to your success.
So finally I was on my journey to getting medicated because I still had issues, partly due to the past drug abuse and partly because I wasnt taking care of myself proper.
Once I found my proper medications, life has infinitely improved for me. Now everyone may not need these meds, but for prolonged or serious abuse, the chances rise that you may need some medication, especially if you have been taking care of yourself and still experiencing issues.
I am finally happy and stable after almost four years of being off kratom. It was a long journey and a hard battle but I didn't give up and it pays off. I now hold down a great job and I am so much more able to be the man I need to and provider I want to be for my family.
I quit September 23 2019. This September 23rd will be my fourth year. I encourage all of you to keep going please! You are worth it and you deserve recovery and to be happy, regardless of how long this process may take, as long as you don't lose total hope and keep trying, you will be okay.
This sub was THE most crucial tool to my recovery though. If I had not been on this sub, with all the support and fellow humans battling this nasty shit, I don't think I would have maintained my mindset to quit.
So I want to thank all of you, as I give immense credit to this sub for my quit. I hope this story will encourage you too, to never give up and rely on this sub as much as you need.
submitted by KLEANANU to quittingkratom [link] [comments]
So I started kratom to get off of heroin. It worked really well for the first 2.5 years. I could function, I was holding a job. At that point though, i was very addicted and at this point felt that kratom was harming my life, health, more than helping. It was another desperate 2.5 years before I actually quit. I need to tell you, your recovery might be a long journey, it might be years before you decide you want to quit, before you quit.
Please don't give up! You need to keep quitting, and eventually you will be able to. I felt hopeless for those 2.5 years, like I was a slave forever. The withdrawals from kratom are in some ways as shitty as, or more shitty, than heroin WDs. Kratom can take FAR longer to get out of the withdrawal stage as well, as well as the fact that it will in my opinion, damage your mental health as bad or worse than heroin due to the absolute bombing amount of receptors kratom hits over heroin. Maybe not as damaging to your dopamine system, but far more to your serotonin and other important neuro chemicals.
My worst symptom of withdrawal was akathesia, aka restless body symptom, far worse than even RLS. if I didn't have help quitting and I ran out of my supply, and had to WD CT, I probably would have *trigger warning [off myself] .
I had to go into a 4 day detox in order to quit, with many comfort meds. 4 days was far too short of a time to leave, as I experienced withdrawals, managed by gabapentin eventually, and prescribed by a doctor. It was super shitty for the first three weeks to a month. And I only used the gabapentin for the duration of my first prescription.
After this I experienced the "rose tinted goggles". Life felt great, I was happy and doing things I had never before. Which now looking back was all out of character for me as I had a lot of risky sex and whatnot I usually wouldn't have done.
Anyways, after this 6 month period I started falling into more and more of a depression. I could still function, but it was getting harder day by day. I was still smoking marijuana however, which will hinder your recovery. Wish I woulda stayed off the pot. I am still smoking to this day but now working on tackling this addiction. I also was having terrible diahreah daily still, even 6 months after.
So by year 3 I was back at a miserable point, still not using, but no where near happy. Still having diahreah daily. I didn't do the things you NEED to do for a proper recovery, and I payed for it dearly. The only thing that solved the chronic diahreah for me, was changing my diet and eating healthier. This is one thing I did well, once I figured out what I needed to do. It cleared up a week later.
PLEASE DO EVERYTHING you can to assist your recovery. Its crucial. Please take this advice, even if it seems hard. Therapy, exercise, so cliche but for a reason, its crucial to your success.
So finally I was on my journey to getting medicated because I still had issues, partly due to the past drug abuse and partly because I wasnt taking care of myself proper.
Once I found my proper medications, life has infinitely improved for me. Now everyone may not need these meds, but for prolonged or serious abuse, the chances rise that you may need some medication, especially if you have been taking care of yourself and still experiencing issues.
I am finally happy and stable after almost four years of being off kratom. It was a long journey and a hard battle but I didn't give up and it pays off. I now hold down a great job and I am so much more able to be the man I need to and provider I want to be for my family.
I quit September 23 2019. This September 23rd will be my fourth year. I encourage all of you to keep going please! You are worth it and you deserve recovery and to be happy, regardless of how long this process may take, as long as you don't lose total hope and keep trying, you will be okay.
This sub was THE most crucial tool to my recovery though. If I had not been on this sub, with all the support and fellow humans battling this nasty shit, I don't think I would have maintained my mindset to quit.
So I want to thank all of you, as I give immense credit to this sub for my quit. I hope this story will encourage you too, to never give up and rely on this sub as much as you need.
2023.03.30 19:10 Mel-but Tips for visiting
Hi, I'll be visiting London next week for a few days. I'll be taking my bike with me to get me from my home to my station, between stations and for the final mile to the hotel. I won't be calling back at the hotel on my way home in the evening on the final day of the trip so I need suggestions for somewhere secure to store it near Euston station all day (6am to 8pm) I don't want to be worried about the bike or the stuff in my panniers being stolen. I don't mind paying a small amount for access to storage (like the facility at Sheffield) if it means It will be secure.
As well as this I'd like to try out some of the cycling routes in the city on the first day when I arrive, I'd love some suggestions for nice routes with decent infrastructure that I can easily navigate without getting squashed by a car. Thanks!
submitted by Mel-but to londoncycling [link] [comments]
As well as this I'd like to try out some of the cycling routes in the city on the first day when I arrive, I'd love some suggestions for nice routes with decent infrastructure that I can easily navigate without getting squashed by a car. Thanks!
2023.03.30 19:06 FirstBreath1 I let a stranger take a picture of my family. Now he won't stop.
This story is about an innocent mistake that most people make. The names are all different but the details are the same. I know not everyone has the time to read it to the end. That’s fine. The key takeaway is simple. Never, ever let a stranger borrow your phone to take a picture. Just don’t fucking do it. Please. You’ll soon see why.
My little family of four woke up early one morning to go to the beach. My daughter and I had this running bet. Every time she slept in her own bed, she got a surprise, you know, a reward for being good. The first night it was ice cream, then a donut, then a toy. I was running out of incentives because she kept fulfilling her end of the deal. So being that it was the weekend, and the weather was nice, I thought it would be cool to get some sun in before the tourists arrived for the holiday.
Our plan worked like a charm. We got to the sand and pitched a tent in a quiet spot away from commotion. The waves lapped aimlessly against the shore. The water was crystal clear. Sofia built sand castles with pink plastic buckets and Joey gave the seagulls his best t-rex impression. The memory of Emma stretched out in a two-piece is burned so hot it’s like it’s branded. I loved those trips if for nothing else than to stare beneath the cover of my long sleeve SPF-shit swim shirt. I felt about as lucky as any other man in the world. Life was good.
We stayed there a little while. I thumbed through a book. Em scanned her phone. The kids joined forces to build a moat which kept (some of) the tide away. Eventually, foot traffic picked up along with the opening of a couple shops on the boardwalk. We got ready to leave. I knelt down go corral the toys when an unfamiliar voice called out -
“You have a beautiful family,” he exclaimed. “Truly. So blessed.”
I turned around to find my wife facing a stranger.
“Oh. Thank you!” She chirped back. “Yes… I think so too.”
We sat there a bit in awkward silence. He smiled. We smiled. He was older, maybe in his sixties or seventies. He wore black slacks and a white shirt, with one of those odd gray golf gaps that perched like a beret. He seemed ordinary enough. Friendly and all that jazz. He just wouldn’t go away.
“Oh. You should take a picture. You’ll want to remember this gorgeous day,” he quipped. “Family memories are so important. I keep albums for all my grandchildren.”
Emma’s ears perked at the suggestion.
“Oh yeah, you know Matt, we really haven’t had a good one in ages.”
I hung my head in solemn agreement.
“Guess you’re right.”
She groaned.
“My cell’s dead. Can you use yours?”
I rummaged through my bag and handed it over. The man quickly gave it back.
“Locked.”
I entered the code.
“Okay!” the stranger cheered. “Kids, smile like you mean it! Parents, too! Happy days! Say… tangerine!”
We laughed.
“Tangerine!”
And that was it. The entire encounter lasted about five minutes. The stranger delivered my phone and shook my hand. I thanked him. I threw it in my bag, gathered our stuff, and got the kids ready. We jetted to the car and beat the worst of the traffic back home. The rest of the day flew by with usual activities. Gymnastics and lunch with grandparents and birthday parties. One moment faded into the next and the topic of the odd stranger got lost.
The photo, however, came up again around dinner time.
Emma needed head-shots for work and remembered to remind me (hah) to send her the beach shot. I pulled out my cell and went through my messages. I couldn't find it at first. That's when I found something unfamiliar. There was one sent text to an unknown number from that same morning.
"Hey, hon.."
I pulled up the conversation history. A picture loaded. The four of us cheesed back at the camera from the shade of our umbrella. Luke had a bucket on his head. Sofia put two fingers behind her mom. I scanned through my other texts and there was nothing else out of the ordinary. But it was still, you know, weird.
My first reaction was to call the number. I dialed once and got a busy signal. I hung up and dialed again. Error message. I dialed a third time, got up, and started to pace.
“What?” Emma asked. “You alright?”
I knew she wouldn’t take it seriously. It was quite a leap at that point.
“This is going to sound weird.”
“What?”
“I think this guy texted himself a picture of us.”
She stared at me for a second. I stared back. Then she laughed.
“Dude,” she gasped. “Why? Why would anyone do that? We are not that interesting.”
I called the number again. This time it didn’t stop ringing.
“I know I sound paranoid. But, really. Look. I didn't send this text message and it's on my phone. The number is legit, like, it’s got our area code and everything.”
Emma rolled her eyes.
“Maybe he did it by accident,” she sighed. “He was old. He probably doesn’t know how to text.”
I wanted to press the topic. I hated the idea that someone could have access to my phone. I think anyone would. But it was late, and she was skeptical, and we only had minutes to talk before someone wanted a bottle or a juice or a snack or an episode of their favorite show. I pushed it to ‘Matt's future queue’ and fell back into routine.
The storm brought both kids into our bed sometime around midnight. I woke up to find my daughter climbing over my already snoring son. Sofia snuggled up beside me as rain pattered against the windowsill. I couldn’t say no. The kid had cuteness on her side and she hated bad weather. At least I wouldn’t need another surprise. I held her tight, and just as sleep seemed like it might be a possibility, the doorbell rang.
My heart skipped a beat.
We live pretty deep in the woods. Our nearest neighbor is about a mile away. My house isn't exactly the type of place you might expect a late night visitor. Sofia stared at me wide-eyed in the dark. My wife didn't stir. We waited in silence. The bell rang again.
I got up out of bed and looked for something clean to wear. I found a shirt on the floor and some socks in the hamper. I gave the baseball bat behind the dresser a good long look before deciding against it. Sof whined nervously.
“Stay here.”
I could tell that she was scared. I guess that sort of put me into super-parent mode. Dad the hero. Dad the protector. A whole lot of ego and not much else to back it up. I grabbed the bat on the way out and whispered back.
“I’ll be okay. Stay with Mama.”
The hallway outside our bedroom led to a staircase in front of the door. The bell rang again. I picked up my pace and hurdled down the steps as our visitor found the brass lion knocker attached to the frame.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
I took a breath and looked through the peephole.
The woman on my porch looked to be about twenty to twenty-five years old. She was blonde and pretty with hoop earrings and smeared makeup. I looked at her for a little while longer before doing anything. There was something about her eyes. She looked confused, or high, or something. So I kept the door closed.
“Can I help you?”
She knocked again. Then again. And again and again until the door shook and blonde hair thrashed back and forth across her face.
“Hello?” I shouted. “Hey! Can you stop?”
The knocking ceased.
“Oh. Hi.”
“Hello.”
“Can I help you?”
She paused. She smiled.
“Yes. I want to take a picture of you.”
My lungs deflated.
“What the fuck? No.”
She smiled.
“Please?”
“What are you talking about?” I snapped. “It’s the middle of the night. What are you doing here?”
She frowned.
“You let HIM take a picture.”
I didn’t answer. She rang the bell again. My blood pressure jumped.
“I’m going to need you to get the fuck off my property. Now. I’m calling the cops.”
She smiled. She stared at the little hole in the door for a full minute or two. Then she walked away silently.
As if nothing had ever happened.
The moment shook me. It took a while for the adrenaline to wear off. I thought about calling the police. I wondered what the hell to even tell them. I locked the doors and searched the rest of the house. I calmed down a little bit when it was empty. I went back upstairs to check on my family. Emma was stretched out with one arm around each kid. Thunder rumbled through the windows. They slept through the whole thing.
I pulled my phone from the charger. I wanted to message a friend for advice. That's when I noticed a new text. Just one. A picture of me standing in my boxers.
Someone was watching through the back window.
“See you soon,” it said.
submitted by FirstBreath1 to nosleep [link] [comments]
My little family of four woke up early one morning to go to the beach. My daughter and I had this running bet. Every time she slept in her own bed, she got a surprise, you know, a reward for being good. The first night it was ice cream, then a donut, then a toy. I was running out of incentives because she kept fulfilling her end of the deal. So being that it was the weekend, and the weather was nice, I thought it would be cool to get some sun in before the tourists arrived for the holiday.
Our plan worked like a charm. We got to the sand and pitched a tent in a quiet spot away from commotion. The waves lapped aimlessly against the shore. The water was crystal clear. Sofia built sand castles with pink plastic buckets and Joey gave the seagulls his best t-rex impression. The memory of Emma stretched out in a two-piece is burned so hot it’s like it’s branded. I loved those trips if for nothing else than to stare beneath the cover of my long sleeve SPF-shit swim shirt. I felt about as lucky as any other man in the world. Life was good.
We stayed there a little while. I thumbed through a book. Em scanned her phone. The kids joined forces to build a moat which kept (some of) the tide away. Eventually, foot traffic picked up along with the opening of a couple shops on the boardwalk. We got ready to leave. I knelt down go corral the toys when an unfamiliar voice called out -
“You have a beautiful family,” he exclaimed. “Truly. So blessed.”
I turned around to find my wife facing a stranger.
“Oh. Thank you!” She chirped back. “Yes… I think so too.”
We sat there a bit in awkward silence. He smiled. We smiled. He was older, maybe in his sixties or seventies. He wore black slacks and a white shirt, with one of those odd gray golf gaps that perched like a beret. He seemed ordinary enough. Friendly and all that jazz. He just wouldn’t go away.
“Oh. You should take a picture. You’ll want to remember this gorgeous day,” he quipped. “Family memories are so important. I keep albums for all my grandchildren.”
Emma’s ears perked at the suggestion.
“Oh yeah, you know Matt, we really haven’t had a good one in ages.”
I hung my head in solemn agreement.
“Guess you’re right.”
She groaned.
“My cell’s dead. Can you use yours?”
I rummaged through my bag and handed it over. The man quickly gave it back.
“Locked.”
I entered the code.
“Okay!” the stranger cheered. “Kids, smile like you mean it! Parents, too! Happy days! Say… tangerine!”
We laughed.
“Tangerine!”
And that was it. The entire encounter lasted about five minutes. The stranger delivered my phone and shook my hand. I thanked him. I threw it in my bag, gathered our stuff, and got the kids ready. We jetted to the car and beat the worst of the traffic back home. The rest of the day flew by with usual activities. Gymnastics and lunch with grandparents and birthday parties. One moment faded into the next and the topic of the odd stranger got lost.
The photo, however, came up again around dinner time.
Emma needed head-shots for work and remembered to remind me (hah) to send her the beach shot. I pulled out my cell and went through my messages. I couldn't find it at first. That's when I found something unfamiliar. There was one sent text to an unknown number from that same morning.
"Hey, hon.."
I pulled up the conversation history. A picture loaded. The four of us cheesed back at the camera from the shade of our umbrella. Luke had a bucket on his head. Sofia put two fingers behind her mom. I scanned through my other texts and there was nothing else out of the ordinary. But it was still, you know, weird.
My first reaction was to call the number. I dialed once and got a busy signal. I hung up and dialed again. Error message. I dialed a third time, got up, and started to pace.
“What?” Emma asked. “You alright?”
I knew she wouldn’t take it seriously. It was quite a leap at that point.
“This is going to sound weird.”
“What?”
“I think this guy texted himself a picture of us.”
She stared at me for a second. I stared back. Then she laughed.
“Dude,” she gasped. “Why? Why would anyone do that? We are not that interesting.”
I called the number again. This time it didn’t stop ringing.
“I know I sound paranoid. But, really. Look. I didn't send this text message and it's on my phone. The number is legit, like, it’s got our area code and everything.”
Emma rolled her eyes.
“Maybe he did it by accident,” she sighed. “He was old. He probably doesn’t know how to text.”
I wanted to press the topic. I hated the idea that someone could have access to my phone. I think anyone would. But it was late, and she was skeptical, and we only had minutes to talk before someone wanted a bottle or a juice or a snack or an episode of their favorite show. I pushed it to ‘Matt's future queue’ and fell back into routine.
The storm brought both kids into our bed sometime around midnight. I woke up to find my daughter climbing over my already snoring son. Sofia snuggled up beside me as rain pattered against the windowsill. I couldn’t say no. The kid had cuteness on her side and she hated bad weather. At least I wouldn’t need another surprise. I held her tight, and just as sleep seemed like it might be a possibility, the doorbell rang.
My heart skipped a beat.
We live pretty deep in the woods. Our nearest neighbor is about a mile away. My house isn't exactly the type of place you might expect a late night visitor. Sofia stared at me wide-eyed in the dark. My wife didn't stir. We waited in silence. The bell rang again.
I got up out of bed and looked for something clean to wear. I found a shirt on the floor and some socks in the hamper. I gave the baseball bat behind the dresser a good long look before deciding against it. Sof whined nervously.
“Stay here.”
I could tell that she was scared. I guess that sort of put me into super-parent mode. Dad the hero. Dad the protector. A whole lot of ego and not much else to back it up. I grabbed the bat on the way out and whispered back.
“I’ll be okay. Stay with Mama.”
The hallway outside our bedroom led to a staircase in front of the door. The bell rang again. I picked up my pace and hurdled down the steps as our visitor found the brass lion knocker attached to the frame.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
I took a breath and looked through the peephole.
The woman on my porch looked to be about twenty to twenty-five years old. She was blonde and pretty with hoop earrings and smeared makeup. I looked at her for a little while longer before doing anything. There was something about her eyes. She looked confused, or high, or something. So I kept the door closed.
“Can I help you?”
She knocked again. Then again. And again and again until the door shook and blonde hair thrashed back and forth across her face.
“Hello?” I shouted. “Hey! Can you stop?”
The knocking ceased.
“Oh. Hi.”
“Hello.”
“Can I help you?”
She paused. She smiled.
“Yes. I want to take a picture of you.”
My lungs deflated.
“What the fuck? No.”
She smiled.
“Please?”
“What are you talking about?” I snapped. “It’s the middle of the night. What are you doing here?”
She frowned.
“You let HIM take a picture.”
I didn’t answer. She rang the bell again. My blood pressure jumped.
“I’m going to need you to get the fuck off my property. Now. I’m calling the cops.”
She smiled. She stared at the little hole in the door for a full minute or two. Then she walked away silently.
As if nothing had ever happened.
The moment shook me. It took a while for the adrenaline to wear off. I thought about calling the police. I wondered what the hell to even tell them. I locked the doors and searched the rest of the house. I calmed down a little bit when it was empty. I went back upstairs to check on my family. Emma was stretched out with one arm around each kid. Thunder rumbled through the windows. They slept through the whole thing.
I pulled my phone from the charger. I wanted to message a friend for advice. That's when I noticed a new text. Just one. A picture of me standing in my boxers.
Someone was watching through the back window.
“See you soon,” it said.
2023.03.30 19:04 tvchase THE GREATEST TRICK THE DEVIL EVER PULLED -- Part Five (1/2)
“Wrestling is linear. But these are not linear times…”
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
September 9, 2022 – The Fallout from Brawl Out
AEW is in crisis. Its champion and biggest star turned the world upside down three days prior. CM Punk is in exile, two titles are vacant, and three of the company’s founders have their futures in jeopardy. The landscape is pure chaos. Amidst that chaos, a villain strolls out to the stage with a big smile on his face.
MJF eats it all up… AEW’s greatest heel may have become its greatest face in one night. The live audience is jubilant to see him and he reciprocates, diving into them just as CM Punk had done, hugging Taz at the broadcast desk, wearing the jersey of that city’s football team.
Joy reverberates in his words once he grabs the microphone:
He stares down MJF then says: “You are absolutely full of crap.”
Crowd laughs a bit, but they also boo him some.
MJF:
But then again, maybe the whole damn thing was inevitable all along.
January 4, 2016 - Tokyo
Following their tag win over CHAOS, Kenny Omega betrays and usurps the leader of Bullet Club, AJ Styles, at NJPW: New Year’s Dash.
January 4, 2017 - Wrestle Kingdom 11
Having stormed through his first ever attempt in the tournament, Kenny Omega became the only gaijin to have ever won New Japan’s G1 Tournament and earned the right to challenge for the company’s top prize at WK11.
That night in the Tokyo Dome, Omega and Okada created magic in one of the greatest matches in wrestling history. On the same show, Bullet Club’s newest member debuts: Cody Rhodes. Frustrated with his position and his creative direction, Cody had requested and been granted his release from WWE the previous summer, Cody makes his way across the Pacific, sending shockwaves through the international wrestling landscape.
Despite this shot in the arm, Bullet Club is tested by the crushing defeat of its leader. Following his loss to Okada, Kenny steps away from wrestling to assess his future. When he returns after several weeks Cody had grown ambitious and plots in the background.
June 11, 2017 - Dominion
In a rematch of their classic from the start of the year at Wrestle Kingdom 11, Kenny Omega attempts to avenge his defeat and claim the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Kazuchika Okada. Earlier in the night, Cody had grabbed a headset and proclaimed he wanted to face Okada himself.
Omega and Okada push each other over the limit even harder than before. Omega is taking inhuman punishment yet refuses to give up. Eventually, Cody makes his way down to the ring and attempts to throw in the towel for Kenny, but the Bucks stop him.
The timekeeper’s bell rings, marking it a 60-minute draw.
Afterward, the Elite debate whether it was a true act of mercy by Cody or a scheme for his personal goals
Cody storms Okada’s post-match press conference, where he mocks the champ, spits in his face, and challenges him for a title match.
May 16, 2017 - The Bet
Dave Meltzer quote-tweets a question asking if anyone could sell 10,000 tickets to a non-WWE show in America, to which he replies, “Not anytime soon.”
Cody takes note and responds: “I'll take that bet Dave… put The Bucks & I on the card & 3-months to promote”... Over the next year this grand dream between Cody and the Young Bucks will come to fruition.
July 1, 2017 - Returning the Favor
Cody unsuccessfully challenges Okada for the IWGP championship. Kenny comes to ringside and wants to throw in the towel just as Cody had tried weeks earlier. After the match, the two of them nearly come to blows backstage and Cody flips a table.
August 2017 - G1 Climax
Throughout the tournament, Bullet Club nears a boiling point. OG member Toma Tonga questions Omega’s leadership due to having his small inner circle of The Elite within the larger group. In the weeks and months to follow, Cody identifies Kota Ibushi as Kenny Omega’s weakest point and starts targeting him as a wedge to divide the Bullet Club and create chaos wherein he can ascend to power.
January 4, 2018 - Wrestle Kingdom 12
Looking to use a win over Ibushi as a flashpoint to take control of Bullet Club, Cody viciously mauls Kota in a singles match but can’t secure the victory. Frustrated that his plan failed, the next night at New Year’s Dash he launches a post-match assault on Ibushi. Cody and the rest of Bullet Club are wailing on Ibushi until Kenny rushes out to stop them… but the rest of Bullet Club can’t help feeling Kenny views his old tag partner as more important to him than they are. Cody’s plan bears fruit as Kenny makes a massive unforced error: he invites “Switchblade” Jay White to join Bullet Club and be a shot in the arm for the faction, only for White to betray him immediately and join CHAOS.
January 7, 2018 - Being the Elite #87
Camera follows the Elite as they are tense and nervous preparing for Wrestle Kingdom a few days earlier. It jumps to the group after New Year’s Dash, all gathered at a tense dinner conversation. To break the tension, Matt proposes a new gimmick for the group: “BTE IS DRUG FREE”... aka, Straight Edge… no one shoots it down, but they’re not thrilled either, and Cody hides his beer underneath the table.
The effort to relieve things fails, however, and Cody blurs the line between kayfabe and shoot, shouting for the cameraman to put the camera down. Then we get a fly-on-the-wall glimpse at him charging Kenny with always “turning everything into a bit”, disregarding the group, and heatedly asking him if he’s actually their leader before Kenny finally storms away from the table.
January 28, 2018 - Civil War
Jay White scores a massive upset at New Beginning and takes the IWGP United States Championship from Kenny Omega. After the bell, Hangman confronts Jay White and seeks to challenge for the title, but Kenny stops him. The Bucks and Cody rush to the ring, and Cody accuses their leader of stepping on Hangman’s moment. A violent argument ensues with Kenny shoving Matt Jackson to the ground.
Once the Elite have left the ring and Kenny is alone, Cody seizes the opportunity and hits Kenny with a CrossRhodes, initiating the Bullet Club Civil War. The only thing saving Omega from a brutal attack that night is Ibushi, who runs off Cody and returns the favor for his old friend and partner, reuniting the Golden Lovers after years of separation. Regardless, Cody’s plan is in full effect. Bullet Club is in disarray and if he is to take power, now is the opportunity.
In 944 days, Roman Reigns becomes world champion to begin his and the Bloodline's vice grip on WWE.
January 30, 2018 - Being The Elite #90
Cody, to the assembled Elite of Matt, Nick, Hangman, and Marty:
February 12, 2018 – Being the Elite #92
Cody floats around reassuring everyone: “Bullet Club is fine.” All of the guys have pure depression on their faces, but Cody continually gasses them up, telling the Bucks they’re ready for the jump to the heavyweight division and encouraging Marty to start up a Villain Club of his own. Later, Matt, Nick, and Marty are commiserating in a locker room prior to a Ring of Honor show when Hangman and Cody strut through the door.
Cody, smugly:
Kenny tries to call Matt, but Cody sees the call coming through on the phone and declines it.
February 19, 2018 – Being the Elite #93
Cody maneuvers the Bucks around the Melbourne airport to keep them from running into Kenny. While traveling, Cody further drives the Ibushi wedge between Matt and the absent Kenny and plays up that Kenny only views the Bucks as a junior tag team. Later, Cody takes the brothers out to the zoo and to the movie theater as we see Kenny emotionally watching Casablanca on his phone.
The Bucks catch up with Tonga and the OGs backstage in a locker room where they try to make peace.
Matt:
Cody:
Matt and Nick look at each other, devastated at what’s become of the group.
February 25, 2018 - Being the Elite #94
Matt Jackson is on a plane traveling between shows, doing the same thing as Kenny from the previous episode: watching Casablanca.
For those who haven't seen it, the story at the heart of the film is a love triangle: cynical club owner Rick, his first love Ilsa, and her rebel husband Laszlo, enhanced by a background of espionage and war with the local police chief, Renault, at the crossroads of the entanglements.
It’s foreshadowing the story to come. In the film, Rick and Ilsa had a passionate love before the events on screen, but they split up and Ilsa then wound up with her now-husband Laszlo, a Czech rebel carrying vital documents for the resistance against Nazi Germany. Rick and Ilsa reunite and rekindle their romance until Rick – knowing she’s better off with her husband – convinces Ilsa to leave with Laszlo before local authorities catch them. Rick stays behind, killing the evil Major Strasser who was attempting to stop the married couple from escaping Casablanca. Renault, who has been playing both sides (Germans and Resistance) up to this point, is touched by Rick's sacrifice. Other policemen arrive and see Strasser's dead body. Rather than identify Rick as the culprit, Renault instructs the cops to "round up the usual suspects"... And of course, that classic line provides the name of the film The Usual Suspects, from which Punk, and MJF, and Don Callis have all quoted the final line:
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making you believe he doesn't exist."
The Usual Suspects is a tale of a mysterious crime lord who manipulates and controls multiple criminals to achieve his ultimate goal and get away scot-free. It is tightly designed so that if you rewatch it knowing the ending, you realize and notice dozens of things you missed on the first viewing.
As Casablanca ends, Rick says to Renault: "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", implying that if they work together, they can get away with almost anything…
This BTE episode ends with the group all in Japan. The Bucks approach Kenny and Ibushi to have a conversation, but Kenny doesn’t have time for them. Later that night at the event, Cody pulls the Bucks into a hallway and implores them to listen to the promo Kenny is cutting in the ring at that exact moment, where he declares the Golden Lovers the greatest tag team in the world. Cody pushes them to go handle it. The Young Bucks go to the ring while Cody flashes a devilish smile.
Matt:
March 5, 2018 - BTE #95
In Vegas, Matt and Nick are in the dressing room talking when Bury the Drug Free Bear enters and seems desperate to tell them something. Bury is about to remove the head to his costume when Hangman bursts in. He is angry with Matt for not helping him during his confrontation with Joey Ryan the week prior. Cody enters and asks Bury why he hasn't got his Bullet Club shirt on and pulls him away to get changed. Everyone looks confused and Matt wonders what the bear was trying to tell them.
Cody is in the production studio and calls Nick over to suggest that Matt is holding him back and that he should consider wrestling in singles matches, but Nick looks unconvinced. Later that night, Cody is in the ring celebrating with Brandi and Bury after his match. As Cody goes to hug Bury, the bear pushes him to the floor. Standing over a prone, confused Cody, Bury removes his costume head to reveal Kenny Omega ,who knocks out Cody with a knee strike as the fans go wild.
Cody is demented after the match:
Just like he did with Nick previously, Cody sequesters Matt and says his brother has been holding him back and he needs a singles push.
In Japan, Kenny records a message to the Young Bucks apologizing, saying how Cody has gotten into everyone’s heads and divided the group, and hopes to make amends… Unbeknownst to him, Cody has Nick’s laptop so he intercepts the message and edits it down to an insulting challenge. Matt is enraged, but Nick is suspicious.
March 25, 2018 – The Elite Fight It Out
In Los Angeles at NJPW: Strong Style Evolved, the Golden Lovers face the Young Bucks in a deeply personal grudge match. After a brutal, back-and-forth war where the Lovers emerge victorious, Kenny attempts to bury the hatchet. Nick accepts the olive branch, but Matt refuses to shake Kenny’s hand. Cody hits the ring and berates Matt for eating the pin during the match. When Nick intervenes, Cody spins around and shoves him to the ground.
Later in the locker room, Cody comes in to ask what happened out there. The Bucks are challenging him for his actions, but Cody shouts them down, saying he thought it was Kenny in the ring and that he would never do such a thing to them. Cody apologizes profusely and leaves.
Nick:
With the leadership of Bullet Club at stake, Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes square off in a hard-hitting match. Having grown wary of Cody and his schemes, the Bucks come down to the ring and decide to attack Cody. They launch double superkicks… but Cody ducks and the kicks land on Omega, allowing Cody to hit his finisher and claim the win. Matt and Nick attempt to explain, but Kenny refuses to listen.
In the backstage area, Cody is ecstatic at wresting control of Bullet Club away from Kenny. He wants to celebrate, but the Elite leave the dressing room and leave Cody sitting alone in his ring gear, sweaty, bloody, with a black eye and a gym towel draped around his shoulders, looking starkly similar to another guy post-match four years later…
June 4, 2018 – BTE #105
After a busy summer in which Cody and the Bucks have assembled the looming All In event, Matt and Nick try establishing lines of communication with Kenny in Japan. Ibushi implores him to reconcile with his old friends but he’s reluctant. Cody is obsessed with running a Senate election campaign in Texas and practices his speeches in bathroom mirrors, but it almost sounds like he’s talking to his stablemates. Meanwhile, a package that Matt and Nick sent him weeks ago has been collecting dust the whole time. Ahead of his fourth match with Kazuchika Okada, Kenny decides to open the package…
June 9, 2018 – Omega vs Okada IV
Everyone is in Japan for the big Dominion show. Hangman approaches Cody and asks what the plan is for tonight. Cody looks sullen and calls off whatever he had been plotting to ruin Omega’s big night.
Kenny triumphs in possibly the greatest match in wrestling history, claiming the IWGP heavyweight championship. He reunites with the Young Bucks afterward, and it’s revealed that in the package are Golden Elite shirts, honoring the pact they made in Hotel Room 710 at the start of the year.
Cody approaches the locker room with congratulatory gifts for Kenny and to make peace, but he stops short and leaves them outside the door.
July 7, 2018 – Debts Are Settled in San Francisco
At the G1 Special NJPW show, Cody challenges Omega for the IWGP championship. After a war with Kenny emerging in triumph, the Elite gather and celebrate… until the Bullet Club OGs attack them in retribution for the dysfunction and strife they’ve brought to the group over the previous two years. Cody returns to the ring and is given a chance to brutalize Kenny, but instead he defends him and rejoins the Elite in full.
Over the coming months, Cody, Kenny, Matt, Nick and Hangman solidify themselves as a core group leading up to:
September 1, 2018 - All In
By far the greatest triumph in indie wrestling history, the show was a massive success both at live gate and on PPV, wildly exceeding all expectations. In its main event, Cody wins the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the same world title his father had claimed 31 years earlier.
After this monumental night, the Elite ceded the war for control of Bullet Club to the OGs and stepped away from the group, turning their attention to the establishment of something new entirely: All Elite Wrestling. This new national promotion came into being on January 1, 2019, and at its forefront was the core group of five. As the inaugural and omnipresent face of the company, Cody’s claim to AEW gold is surely just a matter of time.
May 25, 2019 -- Double or Nothing
AEW holds its first event ever.
In 944 days, on the Christmas episode of Rampage, Cody claims his final championship in AEW.
August 31, 2019 -- All Out
As the clock strikes midnight, Chris Jericho pins Hangman Adam Page to become the first AEW World Champion.
In 944 days, Cody Rhodes rises onto the WrestleMania stage and returns to WWE.
November 6, 2019
Allied with his friend, protege, and personal recruit to AEW, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, the public face of AEW prepares to challenge for the world championship of the company he helped build. He seems destined for it, it’s damn near his birthright, and yet there are whispers he’s only in position to claim it through politics.
Cody:
MJF’s ascension begins. He wins the Dynamite Diamond Ring and begins climbing the rankings. Winning isn’t simply enough, though. If he wants everything, he needs chaos. He needs to flip the world upside down. He needs the world to believe its heroes are the villains and its villains are the heroes.
November 14, 2019
MJF:
MJF:
After weeks of taunting and weeks of enduring the original gauntlet of trials MJF sets in order to get a match with him, Cody gets his match with MJF… but he falls short, defeated and humiliated by the young man he brought into AEW himself.
March 5, 2020 – Cody is bitten by the original Snake
Jake Roberts emerges from the thickest of weeds and slithers down to the ring. He nearly devours Cody. He mocks him… “Hail Caesar”. He neither fears nor respects him.
April 8, 2020
Cody sits ominously at a table, in a pitch black room, and lights a cigar… just as he’d done before when laying out his machinations against Kenny Omega for control of Bullet Club.
Cody:
July 7, 2020
Cody stands with Arn in the ring, congratulating himself on the recent string of victories against… let’s say, less than impressive competition.
Onto the stage charges Eddie Kingston, who’s heard enough:
August 13, 2020
Mr. Brodie Lee whips Cody’s ass. In just over three minutes, it’s done and his beloved championship is gone. The Exalted One and The Dark Order put a massive beatdown on Cody and he’s carried out on a stretcher… Then they continue attacking him on the stretcher.
Cody disappears for weeks.
September 23, 2020
Brodie spends over a month terrorizing anyone even remotely close to Cody, but he still doesn’t come back until after Brodie beats down Orange Cassidy in a title defense. It’s a surprise attack, which incenses The Exalted One.
Brodie:
February 17, 2021 - “It’s a girl!”
Despite a litany of viral media and news segments addressing how excessive and even dangerous pregnancy gender reveals are… Cody and Brandi have theirs live on Dynamite, with full entrance and theme, as well as what still to this day is among the largest pyro displays in the history of AEW. It’s shockingly tone-deaf.
May 12, 2021 – The worst promo in AEW history
Just before the one year anniversary of the George Floyd murder that rattled America and stirred racial dialogue in a manner unseen for decades…
Cody addresses Anthony Ogogo and delivers an all-time terrible promo. I'm not even gonna transcribe it here, it's the most pandering cringe ever.
Here's a link if you absolutely need to see it...
When AEW returns to touring, all the cheering and adulation Cody was accustomed to at AEW's beginning is gone. His goodwill has completely evaporated. They’re tired of his phony, self-fellating act and want something different.
July 7, 2021
Still nursing a vicious eye injury incurred at the hands of Kevin Owens on WWE programming the previous October, Malakai Black posts on Instagram a video of him in a mental institution where he's been locked up for 5 years, coincidentally the same length of time he was in his old company... He viciously attacks and kills the doctors and staff.
Walking out, he says "The Devil made me do it."
[Continued in comments]
submitted by tvchase to SquaredCircle [link] [comments]
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
September 9, 2022 – The Fallout from Brawl Out
AEW is in crisis. Its champion and biggest star turned the world upside down three days prior. CM Punk is in exile, two titles are vacant, and three of the company’s founders have their futures in jeopardy. The landscape is pure chaos. Amidst that chaos, a villain strolls out to the stage with a big smile on his face.
MJF eats it all up… AEW’s greatest heel may have become its greatest face in one night. The live audience is jubilant to see him and he reciprocates, diving into them just as CM Punk had done, hugging Taz at the broadcast desk, wearing the jersey of that city’s football team.
Joy reverberates in his words once he grabs the microphone:
"BUFFALO, NEW YORK! THE DEVIL IS BACK! Now listen up Buffalo, first things first... Who's excited to see MJF? “Lord knows I am. Guys, I love Buffalo, New York, hell the greatest Quarterback of all time, Josh Allen is from Buffalo. Now, we're gonna get down to brass tacks a little bit here, okay? Last time you guys saw me I might've said some offensive stuff, I'm just being honest…The fans strike up a loud chant: “YOU WERE RIGHT”
Now hear me out, hear me out, hear me out... Hold on g-- Seriously, I only have so much time allotted. Shut up. Please. Jesus. Alright listen... If there's one thing I know to be true, it's that right now you might think that we're in dark times, but we're not. What we need is leadership. And I can not think of one more person, more trustworthy than me! Now let me tell you a story: there was once a wise Jewish man, and his name started with a M. And when his people were meek and weak and they needed help, he split the sea wide open and he walked them straight to the promise land. Buffalo, I'm not telling you I'm Moses, that's ridiculous. I'M BETTER THAN MOSES! I'VE GOT TO WIN THAT WORLD TITLE BECAUSE MY NAME IS MAXWELL JACOB FRIEDMAN AND I'M BETTER THAN YOU...“AND YOU KNOW IT!”, the crowd finishes for him. “Wild Thing” comes over the speakers and Jon Moxley walks through the crowd to the ring.
He stares down MJF then says: “You are absolutely full of crap.”
Crowd laughs a bit, but they also boo him some.
MJF:
"So let me get this straight, Jonathan. You think I'm not being sincere here in Buffalo, New York? In front of all these grotesque, poor, lard asses who have quite possibly the worst Football Team in the history of the United States of America? [MJF shed’s the jersey and wipes his ass with it] … Now Jon, I don't know if you're a little bit woozy considering you went to sleep on Sunday… [MJF mimes CM Punk's “Go To Sleep” pose]Moxley:
But maybe you got a point. Maybe I don't care about AEW.... Maybe I don't care about these people... Maybe, just maybe I look at the World Title as nothing more than a bargaining chip that I can use for the bidding war of 2024. Maybe I take that title to a real Wrestling Company, WITH REAL FANS. And real wrestlers like my friend and hero 'The American Roller Coad-ster' Cody Rhodes. And – I'M HOLDING THE MICROPHONE YOU BUMS! KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! And maybe, just maybe I get to work for a real boss, the only Khan in professional wrestling that's worth a damn; Jolly Old St. Nick. Because to quote the greatest wrestler of all time, and my personal hero, The Game: 'That is what's best for business.’”
"Dude. This is not the time, this is not the place, and I am in no mood. You need to leave this ring right now, or I will make you leave.MJF stands toe-to-toe with Moxley before slithering out of the ring. Mox continues:
Hey, your theme music sucks by the way. Now Buffalo, New York. I am in no mood... I am pissed off. I am embarrassed. I am pissed off about a great many things. But none more so than the fact that I'm standing here without the AEW World Championship... The AEW World Championship represents passion for this sport! Passion for this business! It represents the passion of the guys and girls in the back, and the fans that fill the arenas and watch at home. Those three letters in the AEW World Championship, they represent heroes during a pandemic at a time where the world needed heroes. It represents the dream, the vision that we all had when we started this thing years ago, and we wanted to show the world just what wrestling could be. The AEW World Championship represents taking the dark and ugly side of this business and letting it die with another generation. The World Championship represents the freedom to be as great as you are willing to dare to be. The AEW World championship means being better than I was the day before. Even if it's just a little bit better. Even if nobody notices but me. That World Championship represents slaying demons. That World Championship represents EVERYTHING I LOVE ABOUT THIS BUSINESS!Moxley leaves to a furious ovation and has rallied the AEW fans back to reason and rationality. It’s only temporary though, and an unnerved mood persists. The message is delivered by Moxley, truly the Ace of the company… But it feels like it should’ve come from someone else and perhaps that someone else would have been there to deliver it if he wasn't turned away. Better yet, the situation may have been avoided entirely.
But the fact remains: on Sunday, I lost. And that's on me, that's my fault. I made mistakes. I got pinned. That's on me. I missed the game winning shot. And I was supposed to be on vacation right now, like until about two days ago. But here's another chance to take another shot when the game's on the line. This Tournament of Champions is one hell of a shot. That's one hell of a big rock to push all the way to the top of the hill again. Chris Jericho, the greatest of all time. Bryan Danielson, the best pure wrestler to ever step foot into a ring, a better wrestler than I'll ever be. Darby Allin, Hangman Page, Sammy Guevara, three dudes all younger than me, faster than me, more naturally gifted than I could ever be. So yeah, that's a hell of a shot. But winners always want the ball when the game is on the line. The Ace always wants the ball. And I want the ball. So hell yeah, I'm gonna take the shot.
Cause this isn't just a time to win… This is a time to be a legend!
But then again, maybe the whole damn thing was inevitable all along.
January 4, 2016 - Tokyo
Following their tag win over CHAOS, Kenny Omega betrays and usurps the leader of Bullet Club, AJ Styles, at NJPW: New Year’s Dash.
"AJ Styles! My god, you can't be surprised, can you? You people, you can't be surprised. You at home you better not be surprised. You had this coming, AJ. We gave you the big matches, we gave you the big pay-per-views. We made you a star, we paid you like a star. While I struggled, while I starved, forcing myself to be a junior. Everybody called you a leader, everybody called you the boss. Well AJ, if you are the boss, I'm just gonna say it. You have now been fired.The rest of the Bullet Club is initially in disagreement before coalescing around Kenny and ganging up on Styles. They leave with their former leader in a heap, but Kenny and the Young Bucks gather at ringside. The three of them return to the ring and continue the brutal assault on AJ Styles… They are still in the Bullet Club, but within that organization, henceforth they will be The Elite.
January 4, 2017 - Wrestle Kingdom 11
Having stormed through his first ever attempt in the tournament, Kenny Omega became the only gaijin to have ever won New Japan’s G1 Tournament and earned the right to challenge for the company’s top prize at WK11.
That night in the Tokyo Dome, Omega and Okada created magic in one of the greatest matches in wrestling history. On the same show, Bullet Club’s newest member debuts: Cody Rhodes. Frustrated with his position and his creative direction, Cody had requested and been granted his release from WWE the previous summer, Cody makes his way across the Pacific, sending shockwaves through the international wrestling landscape.
Despite this shot in the arm, Bullet Club is tested by the crushing defeat of its leader. Following his loss to Okada, Kenny steps away from wrestling to assess his future. When he returns after several weeks Cody had grown ambitious and plots in the background.
June 11, 2017 - Dominion
In a rematch of their classic from the start of the year at Wrestle Kingdom 11, Kenny Omega attempts to avenge his defeat and claim the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Kazuchika Okada. Earlier in the night, Cody had grabbed a headset and proclaimed he wanted to face Okada himself.
Omega and Okada push each other over the limit even harder than before. Omega is taking inhuman punishment yet refuses to give up. Eventually, Cody makes his way down to the ring and attempts to throw in the towel for Kenny, but the Bucks stop him.
The timekeeper’s bell rings, marking it a 60-minute draw.
Afterward, the Elite debate whether it was a true act of mercy by Cody or a scheme for his personal goals
Cody storms Okada’s post-match press conference, where he mocks the champ, spits in his face, and challenges him for a title match.
May 16, 2017 - The Bet
Dave Meltzer quote-tweets a question asking if anyone could sell 10,000 tickets to a non-WWE show in America, to which he replies, “Not anytime soon.”
Cody takes note and responds: “I'll take that bet Dave… put The Bucks & I on the card & 3-months to promote”... Over the next year this grand dream between Cody and the Young Bucks will come to fruition.
July 1, 2017 - Returning the Favor
Cody unsuccessfully challenges Okada for the IWGP championship. Kenny comes to ringside and wants to throw in the towel just as Cody had tried weeks earlier. After the match, the two of them nearly come to blows backstage and Cody flips a table.
August 2017 - G1 Climax
Throughout the tournament, Bullet Club nears a boiling point. OG member Toma Tonga questions Omega’s leadership due to having his small inner circle of The Elite within the larger group. In the weeks and months to follow, Cody identifies Kota Ibushi as Kenny Omega’s weakest point and starts targeting him as a wedge to divide the Bullet Club and create chaos wherein he can ascend to power.
January 4, 2018 - Wrestle Kingdom 12
Looking to use a win over Ibushi as a flashpoint to take control of Bullet Club, Cody viciously mauls Kota in a singles match but can’t secure the victory. Frustrated that his plan failed, the next night at New Year’s Dash he launches a post-match assault on Ibushi. Cody and the rest of Bullet Club are wailing on Ibushi until Kenny rushes out to stop them… but the rest of Bullet Club can’t help feeling Kenny views his old tag partner as more important to him than they are. Cody’s plan bears fruit as Kenny makes a massive unforced error: he invites “Switchblade” Jay White to join Bullet Club and be a shot in the arm for the faction, only for White to betray him immediately and join CHAOS.
January 7, 2018 - Being the Elite #87
Camera follows the Elite as they are tense and nervous preparing for Wrestle Kingdom a few days earlier. It jumps to the group after New Year’s Dash, all gathered at a tense dinner conversation. To break the tension, Matt proposes a new gimmick for the group: “BTE IS DRUG FREE”... aka, Straight Edge… no one shoots it down, but they’re not thrilled either, and Cody hides his beer underneath the table.
The effort to relieve things fails, however, and Cody blurs the line between kayfabe and shoot, shouting for the cameraman to put the camera down. Then we get a fly-on-the-wall glimpse at him charging Kenny with always “turning everything into a bit”, disregarding the group, and heatedly asking him if he’s actually their leader before Kenny finally storms away from the table.
January 28, 2018 - Civil War
Jay White scores a massive upset at New Beginning and takes the IWGP United States Championship from Kenny Omega. After the bell, Hangman confronts Jay White and seeks to challenge for the title, but Kenny stops him. The Bucks and Cody rush to the ring, and Cody accuses their leader of stepping on Hangman’s moment. A violent argument ensues with Kenny shoving Matt Jackson to the ground.
Once the Elite have left the ring and Kenny is alone, Cody seizes the opportunity and hits Kenny with a CrossRhodes, initiating the Bullet Club Civil War. The only thing saving Omega from a brutal attack that night is Ibushi, who runs off Cody and returns the favor for his old friend and partner, reuniting the Golden Lovers after years of separation. Regardless, Cody’s plan is in full effect. Bullet Club is in disarray and if he is to take power, now is the opportunity.
In 944 days, Roman Reigns becomes world champion to begin his and the Bloodline's vice grip on WWE.
January 30, 2018 - Being The Elite #90
Cody, to the assembled Elite of Matt, Nick, Hangman, and Marty:
It isn’t my place, but you’ve known that guy for over ten years. I don’t get it, I’m sorry. Yeah, he’s a great wrestler, but leadership… Like I said, it’s action not position! That’s not acting like a leader! ‘Oh, you’re my second, you’re my second’... Who the F-CK are you seconds for? Nobody! The best tag team in the world! And Hangman, it’s your moment! He… He ruined it.Kenny & Ibushi go to visit the Bucks in their hotel room, Room 710… but we aren’t shown what happens next.
Bullet Club is fine… Bullet Club is fine.
February 12, 2018 – Being the Elite #92
Cody floats around reassuring everyone: “Bullet Club is fine.” All of the guys have pure depression on their faces, but Cody continually gasses them up, telling the Bucks they’re ready for the jump to the heavyweight division and encouraging Marty to start up a Villain Club of his own. Later, Matt, Nick, and Marty are commiserating in a locker room prior to a Ring of Honor show when Hangman and Cody strut through the door.
Cody, smugly:
“Whew, look at that! Did you guys see [Hangman] kick the door down??”He thinks a couple of surprises might cheer them up. The first, some new merch that says “Bullet Club is Fine” doesn’t do the trick, so he takes them for the second surprise: their new mascot, Bury the Drug-Free Bear. Using his best Sting voice, Cody introduces Bury as someone who will “shock the world” only for him to “fall on his f-ckin’ arse” like the Shockmaster did 25 years earlier.
Kenny tries to call Matt, but Cody sees the call coming through on the phone and declines it.
February 19, 2018 – Being the Elite #93
Cody maneuvers the Bucks around the Melbourne airport to keep them from running into Kenny. While traveling, Cody further drives the Ibushi wedge between Matt and the absent Kenny and plays up that Kenny only views the Bucks as a junior tag team. Later, Cody takes the brothers out to the zoo and to the movie theater as we see Kenny emotionally watching Casablanca on his phone.
The Bucks catch up with Tonga and the OGs backstage in a locker room where they try to make peace.
Matt:
“Alright guys, thanks for gathering here. Nick and I feel like there’s one important thing that we need to talk about… I think it’s kind of obvious, right? There’s a divide in the Bullet Club. It’s almost like there’s two entities all of a sudden. It’s like there’s Bullet Club BTE and Bullet Club OGs… Nick and I have been watching what you’ve been doing in Japan… holding down the fort, representing the Bullet Club, making the name proud. But we’ve been back at home in the US doing the same thing. There is no heat here. We love you guys. When we all say that catchphrase, when we say ‘Bullet Club is for life’, we mean it. It’s not just a catchphrase, okay? There’s no heat here. The only heat is between two individuals: Cody and Kenny.”Tonga:
“Cody is right. Bullet Club is fine.”The two groups shake hands, then Cody enters the locker room, surprised to see everyone together:
“Did somebody call a meeting? I didn’t call a meeting…”In strolls Kenny.
Kenny: So there he is. The snake in the grass. Three-star savior. Hey Cody.They start brawling and the others can barely keep them apart.
Cody: Did you see the sign outside? It says 'Bullet Club'.
Kenny: That's right, and I AM THE LEADER.
Cody:
Touch me and I'll sue! Touch me and I'll sue!!Cody throws a chair that barely misses Kenny and the Bucks.
Matt and Nick look at each other, devastated at what’s become of the group.
February 25, 2018 - Being the Elite #94
Matt Jackson is on a plane traveling between shows, doing the same thing as Kenny from the previous episode: watching Casablanca.
For those who haven't seen it, the story at the heart of the film is a love triangle: cynical club owner Rick, his first love Ilsa, and her rebel husband Laszlo, enhanced by a background of espionage and war with the local police chief, Renault, at the crossroads of the entanglements.
It’s foreshadowing the story to come. In the film, Rick and Ilsa had a passionate love before the events on screen, but they split up and Ilsa then wound up with her now-husband Laszlo, a Czech rebel carrying vital documents for the resistance against Nazi Germany. Rick and Ilsa reunite and rekindle their romance until Rick – knowing she’s better off with her husband – convinces Ilsa to leave with Laszlo before local authorities catch them. Rick stays behind, killing the evil Major Strasser who was attempting to stop the married couple from escaping Casablanca. Renault, who has been playing both sides (Germans and Resistance) up to this point, is touched by Rick's sacrifice. Other policemen arrive and see Strasser's dead body. Rather than identify Rick as the culprit, Renault instructs the cops to "round up the usual suspects"... And of course, that classic line provides the name of the film The Usual Suspects, from which Punk, and MJF, and Don Callis have all quoted the final line:
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making you believe he doesn't exist."
The Usual Suspects is a tale of a mysterious crime lord who manipulates and controls multiple criminals to achieve his ultimate goal and get away scot-free. It is tightly designed so that if you rewatch it knowing the ending, you realize and notice dozens of things you missed on the first viewing.
As Casablanca ends, Rick says to Renault: "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", implying that if they work together, they can get away with almost anything…
This BTE episode ends with the group all in Japan. The Bucks approach Kenny and Ibushi to have a conversation, but Kenny doesn’t have time for them. Later that night at the event, Cody pulls the Bucks into a hallway and implores them to listen to the promo Kenny is cutting in the ring at that exact moment, where he declares the Golden Lovers the greatest tag team in the world. Cody pushes them to go handle it. The Young Bucks go to the ring while Cody flashes a devilish smile.
Matt:
From this day forward, my brother and I have decided to move up and compete in the heavyweight tag team division.It puts them directly in opposition with the Lovers. Kenny and Ibushi confront them backstage, but the Bucks don’t take anything from him, saying they’ve always been there to support him but it’s never been returned. All those times they were there to pick Kenny up off the mat, where was Ibushi?
March 5, 2018 - BTE #95
In Vegas, Matt and Nick are in the dressing room talking when Bury the Drug Free Bear enters and seems desperate to tell them something. Bury is about to remove the head to his costume when Hangman bursts in. He is angry with Matt for not helping him during his confrontation with Joey Ryan the week prior. Cody enters and asks Bury why he hasn't got his Bullet Club shirt on and pulls him away to get changed. Everyone looks confused and Matt wonders what the bear was trying to tell them.
Cody is in the production studio and calls Nick over to suggest that Matt is holding him back and that he should consider wrestling in singles matches, but Nick looks unconvinced. Later that night, Cody is in the ring celebrating with Brandi and Bury after his match. As Cody goes to hug Bury, the bear pushes him to the floor. Standing over a prone, confused Cody, Bury removes his costume head to reveal Kenny Omega ,who knocks out Cody with a knee strike as the fans go wild.
Cody is demented after the match:
“What a time. What a time to be involved in this great sport… Everybody’s eyes in this sport are fixed on New Orleans, on Supercard of Honor… my very first encounter with Kenny Omega. So wouldn’t that be enough? As a professional… that feather in your cap, that everybody is talking about your match, that everybody wants to see your match, that you have stolen the [Wrestlemania] weekend from the rich and you have given it to the poor… wouldn’t that be enough?March 20, 2018 – BTE #97
So why the… escalation? Why come to Las Vegas? … You’re supposed to be the best wrestler in the world! A hero! You’ve got a bag full of them [match rating] stars, well I have a book full of dates, full of cities, full of towns, because I’m not a hero once a month! I’m a hero every single night!
Perception is no longer reality. Reality is reality.
And the reality is that I am the leader of the Bullet Club… that I am the hero in this story.”
Just like he did with Nick previously, Cody sequesters Matt and says his brother has been holding him back and he needs a singles push.
In Japan, Kenny records a message to the Young Bucks apologizing, saying how Cody has gotten into everyone’s heads and divided the group, and hopes to make amends… Unbeknownst to him, Cody has Nick’s laptop so he intercepts the message and edits it down to an insulting challenge. Matt is enraged, but Nick is suspicious.
March 25, 2018 – The Elite Fight It Out
In Los Angeles at NJPW: Strong Style Evolved, the Golden Lovers face the Young Bucks in a deeply personal grudge match. After a brutal, back-and-forth war where the Lovers emerge victorious, Kenny attempts to bury the hatchet. Nick accepts the olive branch, but Matt refuses to shake Kenny’s hand. Cody hits the ring and berates Matt for eating the pin during the match. When Nick intervenes, Cody spins around and shoves him to the ground.
Later in the locker room, Cody comes in to ask what happened out there. The Bucks are challenging him for his actions, but Cody shouts them down, saying he thought it was Kenny in the ring and that he would never do such a thing to them. Cody apologizes profusely and leaves.
Nick:
“I don’t think we can trust this guy.”April 7, 2018 – Supercard of Honor XII
With the leadership of Bullet Club at stake, Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes square off in a hard-hitting match. Having grown wary of Cody and his schemes, the Bucks come down to the ring and decide to attack Cody. They launch double superkicks… but Cody ducks and the kicks land on Omega, allowing Cody to hit his finisher and claim the win. Matt and Nick attempt to explain, but Kenny refuses to listen.
In the backstage area, Cody is ecstatic at wresting control of Bullet Club away from Kenny. He wants to celebrate, but the Elite leave the dressing room and leave Cody sitting alone in his ring gear, sweaty, bloody, with a black eye and a gym towel draped around his shoulders, looking starkly similar to another guy post-match four years later…
June 4, 2018 – BTE #105
After a busy summer in which Cody and the Bucks have assembled the looming All In event, Matt and Nick try establishing lines of communication with Kenny in Japan. Ibushi implores him to reconcile with his old friends but he’s reluctant. Cody is obsessed with running a Senate election campaign in Texas and practices his speeches in bathroom mirrors, but it almost sounds like he’s talking to his stablemates. Meanwhile, a package that Matt and Nick sent him weeks ago has been collecting dust the whole time. Ahead of his fourth match with Kazuchika Okada, Kenny decides to open the package…
June 9, 2018 – Omega vs Okada IV
Everyone is in Japan for the big Dominion show. Hangman approaches Cody and asks what the plan is for tonight. Cody looks sullen and calls off whatever he had been plotting to ruin Omega’s big night.
Kenny triumphs in possibly the greatest match in wrestling history, claiming the IWGP heavyweight championship. He reunites with the Young Bucks afterward, and it’s revealed that in the package are Golden Elite shirts, honoring the pact they made in Hotel Room 710 at the start of the year.
Cody approaches the locker room with congratulatory gifts for Kenny and to make peace, but he stops short and leaves them outside the door.
July 7, 2018 – Debts Are Settled in San Francisco
At the G1 Special NJPW show, Cody challenges Omega for the IWGP championship. After a war with Kenny emerging in triumph, the Elite gather and celebrate… until the Bullet Club OGs attack them in retribution for the dysfunction and strife they’ve brought to the group over the previous two years. Cody returns to the ring and is given a chance to brutalize Kenny, but instead he defends him and rejoins the Elite in full.
Over the coming months, Cody, Kenny, Matt, Nick and Hangman solidify themselves as a core group leading up to:
September 1, 2018 - All In
By far the greatest triumph in indie wrestling history, the show was a massive success both at live gate and on PPV, wildly exceeding all expectations. In its main event, Cody wins the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the same world title his father had claimed 31 years earlier.
After this monumental night, the Elite ceded the war for control of Bullet Club to the OGs and stepped away from the group, turning their attention to the establishment of something new entirely: All Elite Wrestling. This new national promotion came into being on January 1, 2019, and at its forefront was the core group of five. As the inaugural and omnipresent face of the company, Cody’s claim to AEW gold is surely just a matter of time.
May 25, 2019 -- Double or Nothing
AEW holds its first event ever.
In 944 days, on the Christmas episode of Rampage, Cody claims his final championship in AEW.
August 31, 2019 -- All Out
As the clock strikes midnight, Chris Jericho pins Hangman Adam Page to become the first AEW World Champion.
In 944 days, Cody Rhodes rises onto the WrestleMania stage and returns to WWE.
November 6, 2019
Allied with his friend, protege, and personal recruit to AEW, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, the public face of AEW prepares to challenge for the world championship of the company he helped build. He seems destined for it, it’s damn near his birthright, and yet there are whispers he’s only in position to claim it through politics.
Cody:
“Eddie Graham... Cowboy Bill Watts... The American Dream Dusty Rhodes... For the cold and sterile historians of our business, there's an air of controversy that surrounds them, it's from the simple fact that those men were also, in addition to being competitors... they were management. Not unlike myself. And for the last year I've told everybody: every podcast, every radio, every correspondent. I've shouted it off the rooftops how proud I am of AEW, how proud I am of the all-inclusive nature, of the schedule, of the pay, of the fact that we will listen. This! This is Ellis Island for a professional wrestler! This is freedom! So, when I hear the same criticism attached to my name for being management and being in a title match… I can't not hear it... And with that said, I am announcing that if I do not defeat Chris Jericho at Full Gear... I will never challenge for the AEW World championship again.”And so Cody faced Chris Jericho at Full Gear 2019 with destiny in his grasp. There, with MJF in his corner, Cody and Jericho pushed each other to their limits. Late in the match with the challenger locked tight in the Walls of Jericho, MJF throws in the towel for Cody and costs him the match, effectively locking him out of the title picture thereafter.
MJF’s ascension begins. He wins the Dynamite Diamond Ring and begins climbing the rankings. Winning isn’t simply enough, though. If he wants everything, he needs chaos. He needs to flip the world upside down. He needs the world to believe its heroes are the villains and its villains are the heroes.
November 14, 2019
MJF:
You wanna boo me as if I’m the villain… Meanwhile, you people have been cheering for the real villain the whole time. That villain is Cody… Cody Rhodes couldn’t give less of a shit about any single one of you… You sheep don’t want to admit it. There’s only one man on this planet who knows the real Cody Rhodes, and you’re looking at him.December 11, 2019
MJF:
"What are you gonna do Cody? Are you gonna try to fire me? Are you gonna pull Tony Khan over to the side and get me fired? Well how bout you do that Cody. HOW BOUT YOU FIRE ME. Oh wait. That's right. You won't. Because the one thing you want most in this world is to get your hands on me... And to top that off, you'd be letting down each and every one of these people you claim to care about.”February 29, 2020 – Revolution
After weeks of taunting and weeks of enduring the original gauntlet of trials MJF sets in order to get a match with him, Cody gets his match with MJF… but he falls short, defeated and humiliated by the young man he brought into AEW himself.
March 5, 2020 – Cody is bitten by the original Snake
Jake Roberts emerges from the thickest of weeds and slithers down to the ring. He nearly devours Cody. He mocks him… “Hail Caesar”. He neither fears nor respects him.
“What a Snake wants, a snake takes. I’m not in AEW for the whole pie.. Just your slice”Two weeks later the world screeches to a halt as an unknown, lethal virus spreads rapidly around the globe. For several weeks Dynamite is patchwork, assembled from whatever talent is available. A tournament for a new title belt is announced. Ahead of its opening round we get the darkest promo we’ve thus far seen from the purest babyface in the company’s short history…
April 8, 2020
Cody sits ominously at a table, in a pitch black room, and lights a cigar… just as he’d done before when laying out his machinations against Kenny Omega for control of Bullet Club.
Cody:
"Why do I wanna be TNT Champion? Wrestling is so linear you're gonna hear the same answer to that question over and over again. You'll even hear the announcers strike some of the same hyperboles as they describe the stakes. The wrestlers will give you that real wrestling school, paint by numbers interview where they say things like --- you see: ‘The boys in the back.' Or my favorite: They perpetually say their own name or the person they're wrestling against or the person who's interviewing them over and over again. Like I said, wrestling is linear. They might even do the – [Cody gestures around his waist where a belt would be worn] - that thing. You see, where you pantomime, where you indicate that you want the belt. I've done it a thousand times. We've all done it, we're all guilty. Wrestling is linear. But these are not linear times, are they? I think we'd all give our last dollar for a little bit of normalcy, a little bit of linear. It's my personal hope that we get through this just fine. We wanna live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery, right?It was an outright heel promo, preceding his entry into the tournament which he ultimately won, facing Jake Roberts’ client – Lance Archer – in the finals. Cody is the conquering hero he always aspires to be, and he rattles off five straight title defenses in five weeks. Someone’s not very impressed, however.
So why do I need to become champion? It is not the fame. It's certainly not the added money. It's not the specialized lower third that they put on the screen. It's not even my specific, unique circumstance of trying to carry a last name that is worth 58 years in gold. It's much simpler. It's because I don't wanna lose. AEW has four major pay per views: Double Or Nothing, All Out, Full Gear, Revolution and I'm 50/50 and I have felt lost and I don't ever want to lose again…The motto, the expression, what the Nightmare Family means, it's sitting at the side of my neck is when we say: DO THE WORK! It's not: Do the work and lose.
And this tournament is flush, it's rich in talent. Take Colt Cabana. Probably the second most experienced guy in the tournament. Does a better flip, flop and fly than me, Dustin and Bully combined. Ask anybody in any locker room the world over – they'll tell you they love Colt Cabana. Well frankly: I do not trust a wrestler that doesn't have any enemies.
Kip Sabian… and that hellfire fiance of his… What happens when those two cohabitate? They’re either gonna motivate themselves upwards or they're gonna drag themselves down to Complacency City, right next to Jobber Avenue.
Darby… I feel like I handpicked Darby. He's clearly the fastest rising star in all of wrestling in any company, hands down. He's putting on weight by the day, he's assassin quick. But Darby is a freshman on the varsity squad. I don't think he has the mental aptitude to finish this tournament.
My oldest friend… Shawn Spears. My former tag team partner, kind of my Dick Murdoch. Could be a world champion pretty much anywhere he wanted to be. But Shawn Spears is King Boo-Boo Face and he will mentally defeat himself before we ever even lock up…
Every one of those guys, they want to be TNT Champion. The difference with me: I NEED IT!
July 7, 2020
Cody stands with Arn in the ring, congratulating himself on the recent string of victories against… let’s say, less than impressive competition.
Onto the stage charges Eddie Kingston, who’s heard enough:
"No, no, no, we're gonna get this right, we're gonna do this real quick. Cody, you talk about grinding, you talk about living this rough life, all that jazz. No one's gonna 'out-grind' you, all that stuff. My man, it's easy to say that when you grew up around used-to-be legends like Arn Anderson. Yeah, you heard me. Keep shooting murder-ones at me and I'll knock your jaw right off your face, partner. You know what I grew up around? You know what I grew up around? Alcoholics! Junkies! I GREW UP AROUND THAT... AND I HAD TO SURVIVE. I HAD TO GRIND. You couldn't last a day in my shoes, so you don't tell me nothing about grinding. You talk about the sport of pro-wrestling... that's a joke. Because every person you faced has been a child. I am a grown-ass man and I will put you in the ground and smile.Infuriated that he would be upstaged like this, Cody accepts on the spot. He survives an incredibly violent match and continues on with his title reign.
But here's the best part about this whole thing: the guy that you like to mention because you like to be best friends with the boss, Tony Khan… He paid me to show up. And now he's going to pay me to kick your ass and take that championship. Oh yeah, you wanna go? Arn, I swear on my beautiful mother's life, if you don't shut up, I'm gouging your eye out. All right? Let me speak! It's my time now. Real easy, relax, you've had yours. Tony Khan said to me, ‘You know what, King? If you want No DQ, man, that's fine by me.. just.. you know.. Cody has to accept.' You have to accept, cause either you're an egg-sucking dog or you're an egg-sucking bitch."
August 13, 2020
Mr. Brodie Lee whips Cody’s ass. In just over three minutes, it’s done and his beloved championship is gone. The Exalted One and The Dark Order put a massive beatdown on Cody and he’s carried out on a stretcher… Then they continue attacking him on the stretcher.
Cody disappears for weeks.
September 23, 2020
Brodie spends over a month terrorizing anyone even remotely close to Cody, but he still doesn’t come back until after Brodie beats down Orange Cassidy in a title defense. It’s a surprise attack, which incenses The Exalted One.
Brodie:
"You gotta be kidding me! The audacity of a man, the audacity of you Cody to return like that! You have been gone for five weeks while I’ve been here doing the work, being undeniable! Oh my God, the audacity of you Cody. What kind of man sends another man to do his work? Did you see what I did to Dustin? Did you see what Anna Jay did to Brandi? What kind of man Cody, what kind of man lets his wife post Instagram thirst traps while calling me daddy? What kind of man stays away in a little bubble? A man like you, Cody. But YOU are no man! YOU are a coward!Mr. Brodie Lee grabs a pair of dog collars and looks into the camera.
Cody, you can run on for a long time, but sooner or later Brodie Lee is gonna cut you down! And I am gonna take this dog collar, Cody, I am gonna wrap it around your neck, I am gonna wrap it around that God-forsaken tattoo! And you, Cody, will have nowhere, nowhere to run and nowhere to hide! You, Cody... You have one week to answer me: Are you a man... Or are you a coward?!"Two weeks later, Cody reclaims his championship in the first dog collar match in AEW history. He would hold it for only a month until one of the Four Pillars pries it away from him, beginning Darby Allin’s ascension to the main event scene... And sending Cody spiraling into the Codyverse of excess and absurdity.
February 17, 2021 - “It’s a girl!”
Despite a litany of viral media and news segments addressing how excessive and even dangerous pregnancy gender reveals are… Cody and Brandi have theirs live on Dynamite, with full entrance and theme, as well as what still to this day is among the largest pyro displays in the history of AEW. It’s shockingly tone-deaf.
May 12, 2021 – The worst promo in AEW history
Just before the one year anniversary of the George Floyd murder that rattled America and stirred racial dialogue in a manner unseen for decades…
Cody addresses Anthony Ogogo and delivers an all-time terrible promo. I'm not even gonna transcribe it here, it's the most pandering cringe ever.
Here's a link if you absolutely need to see it...
When AEW returns to touring, all the cheering and adulation Cody was accustomed to at AEW's beginning is gone. His goodwill has completely evaporated. They’re tired of his phony, self-fellating act and want something different.
July 7, 2021
Still nursing a vicious eye injury incurred at the hands of Kevin Owens on WWE programming the previous October, Malakai Black posts on Instagram a video of him in a mental institution where he's been locked up for 5 years, coincidentally the same length of time he was in his old company... He viciously attacks and kills the doctors and staff.
Walking out, he says "The Devil made me do it."
[Continued in comments]